Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, 7)

There is a lot going on in this final chapter of Sarah j Maas Throne of Glass series so the book is longer than most of the others but does not feel as if it is full of fluff but rather a great meaty book with just enough pages to to tie up the plot points and subplots neatly and leave the reader happy but wanting more. For those who read the last book review before deciding if they should read the series I will say that this epic fantasy will satisfy almost any reader of the genre. While the series itself starts out geared more towards young adults and those who love epic fantasy the last three books do up the ante up yet with the romantic scenes that have a romance bin feel to it in the love scenes. Out of this book which is 1000 pages you might have a handful of pages that are more steamy but I do think it is enough to take it from a PG-13 to closer to a rated R. So the series does swing a bit but the quality of writing remains high. Overall this book like most of the series is high-quality fantasy in the world building plot and setting. The characters come to life and have a depth to them. In this last book there is quite a bit of jumping around between the chapters two different points of views and for those who only read a little bit of a Time this might be a problem in keeping track of what's going on. Still the story is pretty straightforward for the most part. There is little to complain about and it was a joy to read. They were a few editorial mistakes very few considering the length of the book itself. I do think that that there is a bit of continuity error in the strength of the bad guys. In their introduction the Valg princess pretty hardcore individuals could barely be harmed outside of our main protagonist is magic. They had magic that could overwhelmed and blanket and entire area and who's magic could not be countered buy those of wind and such. However in this book we see that their magic is countered by magic that previous could not stop it and they are taken down by fairly easy means compared to there unstoppable nature in their introduction. Lol but the truth is part of the reason this disappointed me a bit was because they have been built up to be that awesome... Or terrifying. this can also be applied to the two main antagonist of the series in the final confrontation that was still exciting but left a little to be desired in my opinion from what was promised. Again this is a good read particularly when it comes to the action and pacing of the story itself. There is real emotion connected to the characters and when crap hits the fan the reader feels it. The relationships arcs between the characters grow and shift he weighs that while a bit predictable are nonetheless interesting. From beginning to end the story flows in such a way that it feels like you've read an entire book series in one book. Some of the side characters that seemed more time in previous works do feel slightly neglected but not enough to really complain about because when we do see them it is impactful. that is the glorious problem with having a book with such great characters is that side characters are still Side characters and have to give away to the main protagonist and such. in the end if you read this book series you will not be disappointed but you will be tired because it will keep you from sleeping because it's always just one more chapter.

What can I say about this massive novel other than OH MY GOD WHAT A MASTERPIECE. I loved EVERY SINGLE PAGE. With this end to the Throne of Glass series being 980 pages – there was A LOT that happened, and I obviously will not be able to capture everything in this review. This review will most likely be spoiler free for the first half and then the second half will contain spoilers that I simply HAVE to talk about, but I will be sure to put a disclaimer warning everyone not to proceed unless you’ve read it or like me absolutely love spoilers. You do you. (although I managed to not be spoiled at all!) First and foremost, I know a lot of people are talking about the length of this novel and the fact that its nearly 1K pages. I’ve read several reviews saying that the length was unnecessary and that AT LEAST 200 pages could have been cut. Honestly, I thought the length was perfect. Yes, it is long. Yes, it is a commitment to read it and get through it. But this book is written so well, and the story is so fantastic that I flew through it and it was over before I even realized I was close to the end. Also, to those that feel it should have been shorter I just want to say I hear you, but to someone that absolutely LOVES this series (and I consider it my favorite) I would have been fine with it being even loner if that’s where Sarah felt the story needed to go ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ A major point I want to talk about with a lot of Sarah’s books is that she portrays mental health/illness/awareness incredibly well. Without spoiling anything there are a lot of parts in this book that speak indirectly on something tragic happening to a character and how they handle it. I think she does a wonderful job portraying that it is OKAY to NOT BE OKAY. It is okay to need time to deal with the pain and suffering in your own way and on your own time. I love how some of the characters in this book deal with situations like that. The world building in this novel and in Tower of Dawn was tremendous, and such an improvement from her earlier books. I can see her growing as an author and I love where she is headed. We were able to see so many new and even various places in Erilea and I loved every word of it. I was happy we got to experience more of this world outside of Adarlan. Another way Sarah has grown as an author is by showing us the amount of character development she puts in to these novels. I thought Kingdom of Ash in particular showed how characters have changed and grown throughout the whole series and I loved seeing it all come together and how it impacted their role in everything that happened. Okay, on to the SPOILER section! So, if you have not finished and don’t want to be spoiled TURN BACK NOW! The first thing I want to cover is Aedion. He seriously bothered me throughout the ENTIRE book. He was being such a self-righteous, pompous ass towards everyone but especially Lysandra for shifting to Aelin and impersonating her (WHICH IS LITERALLY WHAT AELIN INSTRUCTED HER TO DO), and Aedion just couldn’t get past the fact that his Queen didn’t “trust” him enough to tell him. That wasn’t the case at all, we all know how Aelin operates and it’s a “you don’t need to know until my plan is revealed to the world” scenario. Because of this he was bitter and cold towards Lysandra for most of the book and took until she was knocking on deaths door for him to realize how terrible he was being. Thankfully she is a strong woman and all but told him to f*** off until she was ready to deal with how awful he was towards her. Again, with Aedion (I swear most of my issues with this book revolved around him) his anger towards his father was SO DAMN DRAMATIC I could not handle it. He is so angry towards his father for, in my opinion, no valid reason. His father didn’t even know Aedion existed until Queen of Shadows and all he wanted was to be with him, protect him, be a father towards him. All Aedion did was be bitter and aggressive with him. Well, what goes around comes around and Gavriel ended up dying in the last battle and now Aedion will never get to have his father. Only then, only when Gavriel put his life on the line for Aedion did he finally see how mistaken he was. I cannot roll my eyes hard enough at that. I know that there quite a few people out there who straight up won’t even read Sarah’s books anymore because of some insensitivities portrayed throughout her stories. The one that irritates me the most is in Empire of Storms Aedion makes a comment about loving men and women and that it’s more about who they are as a person rather than whether they are male or female. But I am also bothered by the fact that this was a one sentence in another massive book and then it is literally never brought up again. I was truly hoping it may have been explored a little in this book. Okay, can we talk about Dorian for a minute? Just a minute? Because holy god did Dorian show some serious character development and an unholy amount of power all of a sudden. I feel like his power was seriously amplified in this novel compared to the previous books. Suddenly he was able to “absorb” other powers? He killed the spider that could shape shift and then he taught himself how to shape shift? I don’t know if I should be impressed or terrified. I think his power exceeded even Aelin’s and definitely went unchecked. But even with that I am happy that him and Aelin together tried to forge the lock and seal the Wyrdgate but in doing so Dorian’s power was diminished and Aelin lost the majority of her fire-bringing abilities. I loved this part of the story because to me it showed that they are still flawed, they are not all powerful but even without their power they can still lead and rule with conviction. The saddest part of this book to me and I’m sure many others was when the Thirteen (minus Manon, because main character ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) gave up their lives to the yielding to ensure the Witch tower would be destroyed. The sacrifice they made, and the heartbreak Manon went through was absolutely heart wrenching. I did not see it coming at all, which made it an even more fantastic and emotional plot point. When that chapter was over, once I was done sobbing I had to put it down and walk away for a while to collect myself and return my heart rate to a resting pace. I know this review was wordy and long (the longest I’ve ever written!) but I felt it was necessary to convey my feelings toward this book and the series as a whole. I thought the ending was absolutely perfect and I wouldn’t have changed a single thing. The last page alone had me crying like a baby curled up in the corner (the flowers guys, the flowers). I thought the end of this series was more than I could have ever hoped for these characters that have become my friends. Even though I won’t be able to read these books for the first time again I am happy I will be able to thoroughly enjoy them in my rereads, because this series deserves nothing less than being read and loved all over again.

** spoiler alert ** Kingdom of Ash was the epic conclusion to the Throne of Glass series. I don’t know if it is possible to talk about it without giving away spoilers, so you’ve been warned. There were many intense scenes throughout the book. Action packed, this story had me on the edge of my seat every hundred pages or so. Aelin’s escape was pulse pounding, heartbreaking, and impactful in equal measure. Aedion leading the battles in Terresan was stressful and epic. The battle of Anielle kept the hits, both emotional and physical, coming. Elide’s desperate search of the battlefield had me glued to the page. Dorian’s assault on Morath had me totally fooled and confused until the end. I shouldn’t have fallen for it. It turned into one of the smartest parts of the book. When Lysandra fights as Aelin my heart was racing. When Manon shows up to Terresan just as Morath is approaching had me in tears. The hope they offered when all hope was lost was beautiful. Then the fate of the 13 had me wrecked. For me this was the emotional pinnacle of the book. No other part moved me as much as this sacrifice, going out in a blaze of light. For being 980 pages long, I didn’t feel like it was too long. Everything had purpose and direction. There are some 600 page series finales that could have been 300 pages shorter, so for this many pages to be merited is quite an accomplishment. I did find the big moments with Aelin to be more predictable than usual. When they mention the dam in Anielle, right away they tell you about what would happen if it came down. So your first thought is “Well, obviously, that’s coming down.” So when it does, it’s not as surprising. How Aelin had been tunneling her power that whole time was surprising but the big moment of the dam coming down was not so. Additionally, later when they read about that wrydmark that can open portals to move from place to place, it is once again obvious that it is going to be utilized. What I can’t figure out is why they didn’t use it to move the army when they agonized again and again about how they were never going to make it to Terresan in time. Did they want to save that trick as a final surprise? I know it is written as she doesn’t think of it until later. But they still traveled for days after that. So the use of the portals was a nice final surprise for Maeve, but I thought it could have been utilized sooner. The timeline of the story was a little confusing for me as well. I think I would need to go back and write down every movement in time and see how the days add up, but while reading it seemed like things were being told to build the suspense and the drama and not necessarily as they line up specifically day by day. The ending for me wavers between love and okay. On one hand, it was epic and beautiful. It built to a final battle and left us with the satisfaction of seeing the demise of all that was evil. Good triumphed and all of the characters we loved, lived to fight another day and live in peace. Everyone goes off to rule their specific parts of the world and make a better world there. It was heartwarming, witty, and hopeful. There is a lot to love about seeing the characters you adore live on in the peace they worked so hard to achieve. The bit with Rhysand and Feyre was so amazing I read it like three times in a row. On the other hand, toward the end I got a little sick of it being the end of everything and then they get saved by another random army of people coming to save the day just in time. I like the incorporation of all of the different kinds of people, but it was a few too many times of this is the end, see you in the afterlife, ope just kidding, here’s another army to save the day. I liked Aelin and Rowan’s final plan, but maybe was a little sick of everything being built up as the final moments only to have that rewritten a few sentences later. So maybe shaping that part a little differently would have resonated with me more. Additionally, in the nicest way possible, I was expecting more important people to die in the end. As I said, I am torn because I’m really happy that most everyone ended up alive. But for such an epic battle with such a dark presence to overcome, I was waiting for more loses. Not that I could pick anyone to put in that position, but it seemed a little too perfect that all of the couples ended up alive together. A strange thing to be torn about but that it what I observed while reading the book. The most wonderful part though was that after finishing such a favorite series, it made me want to go out and read more so I could try to find another series that would grab on to my heart the way this one did and take me on a memorable journey.

I just finished this series a couple weeks ago and am just now recovering from the emotional rollercoaster. This book was intense, at times devastating, and well worth the entire book series to get here. While the early books in the series were fun reads, they didn't really grab my soul until I got to Heir of Fire. From there on I couldn't put the books down. I stayed up way too late reading till my eyes hurt. Sarah J Maas has a very effective style of writing that causes the reader to constantly be on a cliffhanger waiting to find out what happens to this character or that character next. I truly don't think there was a moment in any of the last 3 books where I wasn't tense and desperate to find out what comes next. I think doing a tandem read of Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn was the right choice but definitely elevated that tension. I honestly think the most surprising thing was how this book brought me to a place of love, understanding, and compassion for some of my least favorite characters. If you had asked me mid-way through the series what characters I liked or hated, my answers would have been a far cry from where they were at the end. Every character has a full arc, and none of them are surface level characters. They all have flaws and strengths. They all make poor choices that affect others. They all have emotional trauma they struggle to work through. While there are some aspects of this ending that I felt were a bit out of place in the story arc, most of the ending was well done and wrapped things up nicely. It will take a while before my soul is ready to do a re-read on this series, but I am looking forward to it when it happens.

I finished this book a couple of days ago, and had to think on it a bit before writing this review. I've seen a lot of 5-star ratings for it already, and while this series overall is a 5-star read for me, I found this last installment to be a bit disappointing - it was a good book, not a great book, in my opinion. And it actually made me sad while reading it - this time not because it was the last book in an outstanding series (and there is usually sadness when bringing such a series to an end) but rather because of just the sheer misery our characters suffered throughout the entire book. Please note I do have spoilers in my review below. Let's start with Aelin, who has been my favorite character from the start. I still don't understand why she allowed herself to be captured by Maeve and after reading this book, I still don't get it. For literally 25% of the book, Aelin is being tortured. And since this is almost a 1000 page book, that's a lot. I kept thinking, is it almost over? And also, what was the point of all that? And the only answer there possibly was, was that she had been drilling down into her power that entire time, which she did to be able to defeat Maeve and Erawan, but instead she used that power to save Anielle - which was an awesome scene and I loved that - but it seemed like all that torture Aelin suffered was for the purpose of that one shot, which she wasn't able to use against her intended targets - Maeve and Erawan. And then since Aelin was later robbed of most of her powers, we never do get that scene later of Aelin going toe to toe with them with her powers, which I felt like I was cheated out of that. And that Lock scene with Aelin and Dorian, which left their powers greatly reduced, really infuriated me. After all those two have suffered, this is their result? And for what? I get it that closing the Lock kept Erawan from bringing over his two brothers or additional Valg, but killing Erawan would have done the same thing, so I still don't get what ended up being so purposeful about them sending the gods away and closing the Lock. Seems kind of pointless to me other than as a tool for those two to become less powerful in the story. I will say that the best thing about the Lock scenes was the interplay between Rowan and Aelin - Rowan is a wonderful character, and any scene he was in throughout the book was made better for it. The battles - I know this is a war, but the battles were non-stop in this book, and depressing. Literally everyone in Aedion's army was slaughtered and almost no one was left by the time help came at the very end. And the Thirteen - wow, that was crushing in the book, did not see that coming. Gavriel - he pretty much had the opportunity to have a conversation with his son, and then was brutally killed off. As I was reading all the battle scenes (hundreds of pages), it just continually got worse and worse, and at some point I just wanted it to be over because I couldn't take all the death and suffering anymore, and the lack of any hope. Most of the allies that Aelin had gathered throughout the various books ended up being pretty much decimated, except for the Little People. Everyone else seemed like fodder. I loved Tower of Dawn, and rated it 5-stars. So I am a fan of Yrene, but thought it was odd that a character that we met only in the last book ends up being the big hero - I liked that Dorian was a part of the showdown with Erawan, but ultimately it was Yrene that saved the day. So again with everything that Aelin had done to help save their world throughout the entire series, and all that she had sacrificed and suffered in doing so, and it's Yrene and her healing powers that save them all in the end and has everyone cheering her name. I still can't quite wrap my mind around that since Aelin had been built up throughout the series - her assassin background, her incredible powers, her return as Queen, and I felt like she was shown up by a healer we met last week. The Maeve showdown was fine, but not what I had been anticipating throughout the books. So ultimately I rated this book 4-stars. I could not put it down, and that's a testament to the author's writing and also my investment in this series. And there were other things that I highly enjoyed, such as when Dorian went to Morath, or the incredible Lorcan and Elide scene, when she rode out onto the plains to find him before the dam broke. And the characters are all ones that I truly loved and connected with, which is why I had such high expectations for this book. So overall I loved this series and would recommend it in a heartbeat to anyone, but when I think of books I'll reread, this installment will not be one of them, though.

*spoilers for the previous books in the series* Where do I even being. This was my most anticipated book of the year. This book has been six years in the making and it truly built to something phenomenal. I first read Throne Of Glass as an ARC, so I’ve been with this series from the beginning and it’s so bittersweet having to say goodbye. I was dying to see how this all finally ended. How an assassin built her way up to Queen, but I also didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters. Sarah J. Maas is probably my favorite author and I love her books, but this series is my favorite of them all. At the end of it all, I am emotionally spent, but man was it worth it. Aelin. Oh man. Aelin is such a force and I forever love her. Waiting these two years with Aelin in that gods forsaken box has been killing me and the journey Aelin goes through in this one is not easy. Aelin has been through so much already, but the world just does not seem content to let her be. I’m forever in awe of her determination and her strength. She gives so much and never asks for anything in return. I have loved watching her grow over the course of this series and she'll forever be one of my all-time favorite characters. And then we have Rowan. We all know how much I absolutely love Rowan. It’s always crazy when I remember that he wasn’t even around until the third book and even then it takes him a while to get his act together. But man I can’t even begin to imagine what this series would be without him. He’s become so integral to it all and he’s just wonderful. And the way he just adores Aelin is heartwarming. I love those two together and it’s just abundantly clear that this was where they were always meant to be. And now where do I even go. I guess Lysandra. Lysandra is probably my favorite character in the entire series (aside from Aelin and Rowan). She’s just so strong and fierce and will not cater to others. And her friendship with Aelin is one of my favorite things. Another character who didn’t become a real presence until later in the series, but I can’t imagine it without her. She does so much and deserves so much more appreciation. Then there is Dorian who has held my heart since the first book. Another one who has come so far. I love him. He’s become such a good man and King. And when one mentions Dorian, you also have to mention Chaol. He and I went through a rough patch, but I love the man he’s grown into. In so many ways this all started with Chaol and Dorian and Celaena and while the cast has grown quite a bit, none of this could have happened without a Prince, a Captain, and an Assassin. And I can’t forget Yrene. Oh how do I love Yrene. And Elide! So many strong women and I love how they each bring their own strengths to the table. All of the women in this story truly shine and get to show their dynamic personalities and different kinds of strength. Oh and I can’t forget Fenrys who just…I love him so much. And Lorcan and Gavriel and Aedion and Evangeline and Nesryn and Sartaq and Manon and Abraxos and Asterin and Ansel and The Thirteen. I just love them all. I even love the villains for the evil they bring. Both Maeve and Erawan are chilling. This book was everything I hoped it would be and more. This book is long and there is so much that happens, but I still could have kept reading and reading. These books never go the direction I think they are going to go and they somehow wind up better than I could ever guess. I will never get tired of the twists and turns and all the secret planning. I live for Aelin’s scheming and surprises. But really, all of these characters excel at surprising the reader. Gosh this book, there’s a lot that happens and it’s not all easy. This book is emotionally draining and I cried through a good portion of it and man did it devastate me in parts, but I also loved it with all my heart. It’s just so good and this series built to such a stunning conclusion. Kingdom Of Ash was everything I could have ever hoped for. It’s always daunting going into a conclusion for a beloved series, but this delivered in every single way. I know this is a series I will continue to revisit again and again.

Wow. What an incredible ending to such a spectacular series. I’m honestly sitting here feeling all the emotions after finishing this one. I love these characters so incredibly much, and I’m just so glad I finally took the plunge and read this series because the hype is absolutely real. This final book had me feeling everything. There were moments that made my heart feel so full and others that completely wrecked me. The way all of these characters and storylines come together (especially the connections that pop up in ways you don’t expect) is one of my favorite things about this series. It’s such a massive, beautifully woven story, and finishing it feels both satisfying and a little heartbreaking because I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters. This series has officially earned a spot on my list of all-time favorites. Truly a masterpiece.👏👏👏🤩

Epic ending to a great series. Plan nothing else when you begin this series because these books are hard to put down. I enjoyed this series very much but still like "A Crown of Thorns and Roses" better. It would be hard to find a better male character than Rhys, but Rowan........just as heart-stopping. I wasn't thrilled with their first meeting but he was a man of many layers that needed time to get to know. GREAT READ......both series!

Review: Kingdom of Ash was one of the best books I've read this year. It is the ultimate conclusion to Aelin Galathynius's story, where every character, every story and every detail that took place in her long journey to Terrasen culminates in an epic finale where all the loose ends are neatly tied up. Pros: Sarah J. Maas excels in meticulous detailing of every incident that takes place in the book. Each of the characters have a very well developed arc and a depth to them, their conversations witty and lifelike. The series has had many layers to it which finally comes together in a full circle. Sarah also manages to give each main character a pivotal role in the story, each shining in their own way. The emotions are raw and real, hitting you right in the feels. Cons: (no spoiler) I felt like one of the core elements, something that had the power to change the entire story, was done injustice to. Also the book was bleak at some places, where just action wasn't enough and thus being mentally draining to read those few pages. Conclusion: It is a hard and emotionally daunting task to finish a series you love, especially when the book happens to be thousand pages long but Sarah pulls her readers to it effortlessly and also manages to make them stay with them till the very end to see them rattle the stars. All in all, a really amazing conclusion to an amazing series. Must read. Star Rating: 4.5/5 Age Recommendation: 15 and above.

Que final mais ÉPICO para esta saga 🤯🔥! Não há mesmo palavras. Arrebatou completamente o meu coração e deixou-me de rastos da melhor maneira possível. Estas personagens e esta história vão ficar comigo PARA SEMPRE ❤️‍🔥. Este livro deu-nos todas as respostas que precisávamos, fez-nos sofrer lado a lado com as personagens, e juro… passei quase o livro inteiro com lágrimas nos olhos 😭💔. Mas acima de tudo, entregou o final feliz que estas personagens e esta história mereciam — e foi tão, mas tão merecido. Incrível, extraordinário, envolvente, comovente… uma das melhores sagas que já li ✨📚. Ainda estou a recuperar e já tenho vontade de reler tudo outra vez.

La mejor saga de libros y el mejor final

This book broke me in so many ways and rebuilt me all the same. I don't have words to describe the deep feelings this series has unfurled.

Die Throne of Glass-Saga liegt hinter mir. Ich kann es ehr­lich ge­sagt nicht glau­ben. So viele Jahre hat mich diese Reihe be­glei­tet und nun, nach acht Ro­ma­nen und 4912 Sei­ten, ist sie vo­rü­ber. Was soll ich sa­gen? Ich hatte Angst vor die­sem Band. Ich habe auf ein Happy End ge­hofft und hatte ge­ne­rell Hoffnun­gen und einige Theo­rien auf den Hand­lungs­ver­lauf. Sarah J. Maas wusste mich wie immer zu über­ra­schen und ich habe es ge­liebt. Kingdom of Ash ist alles, was ich mir un­be­wusst ge­wünscht habe. HANDLUNG & ÜBERRASCHUNGEN Da dies der achte Band der Reihe ist, wisst ihr si­cher­lich, dass die Ka­pi­tel aus den Pers­pek­ti­ven der unter­schied­li­chen Fi­gu­ren er­zählt wer­den. So ist die Hand­lung sehr breit ge­fä­chert und viel­fäl­tig. Vor allem da Kingdom of Ash naht­los dort an­setzt, wo Empire of Storms und Tower of Dawn auf­ge­hört ha­ben. Dies be­deu­tet, dass die Cha­rak­tere in sämt­li­che Himmels­rich­tun­gen ver­streut sind und alle ande­re Missi­onen ha­ben. Wenn ich mich recht er­inne­re, haben wir zu Be­ginn der Lek­tü­re mindes­tens vier Or­te, von denen aus die einzel­nen Fi­gu­ren die Ge­schich­te er­zählen. Da jede Figur seine eige­nen Wer­te und An­sich­ten ver­tritt so­wie Prio­ri­tä­ten an­ders setzt, ist Kingdom of Ash für mich eine sehr fa­cetten­rei­che Lek­tü­re. Es fühlt sich nicht an wie eine Ge­schich­te, die man liest, sondern wie viele klei­ne, die zu­sammen ein Gan­zes bil­den und die durch einen kla­ren roten Fa­den mit­einan­der ver­bun­den sind und sich auf­einan­der zu be­we­gen. Ich möchte in dieser Re­zen­sion un­gerne spoi­lern, aber kurz ge­fasst: Dieses Buch hat mich um­ge­hauen. Es gab so viele Über­ra­schun­gen und Plot­twists – teils sehr dra­ma­ti­sche, teils sehr schöne und teils sehr trau­rige –, über die ich mich un­be­dingt aus­tau­schen musste. Sarah J. Maas ist für mich ein ab­so­lu­tes Vor­bild, was das Aus­den­ken von Ge­schich­ten und Kehrt­wen­dun­gen angeht. Ich wünschte, ich hätte ihre Krea­tivi­tät und ihren Ein­falls­reich­tum, wie sie die Din­ge um­setzt, die sich da in ihrem Kopf an­bah­nen. Kingdom of Ash ist ein Buch, das ich kaum aus den Hän­den le­gen konnte. Ich war wie ge­bannt und wollte immer wei­ter und wei­ter lesen. FIGURENSPEKTRUM Sarah J. Maas hat ein Talent für fas­zi­nie­ren­de Fi­gu­ren mit Cha­rak­ter. Jede Fi­gur könnte un­ter­schied­li­cher nicht sein und glänzt mit ver­schie­de­nen Cha­rak­ter­zü­gen. Manche Cha­rak­te­re haben mich in den Wahn­sinn ge­trie­ben, manche haben mein Herz schneller schla­gen lassen und bei wie­der ande­ren dachte ich mir, dass sie alles rich­tig ma­chen und ich zu ein­hun­dert Pro­zent hinter ihren Wer­ten stehe. Mir gefällt es auch, dass die Fi­gu­ren unter­schied­li­chen Arten an­ge­hö­ren – Menschen, Fae, Ge­stalt­wandler, Hexen. Es ist alles dabei und da die Er­zähl­pers­pek­ti­ven nicht nur zwi­schen Arten, sondern auch zwi­schen Ge­schlech­tern wechseln, wurde mir bei der Lek­türe nie­mals lang­weilig. Meine persönlichen Helden der Ge­schich­te sind allen vo­ran Lorcan und Elide. Ich habe keine Worte für die bei­den. Beide haben die un­glaub­lichsten Cha­rak­ter­ent­wick­lun­gen hinter sich, die man sich nur vor­stellen kann und ich wünsche mir sehr, dass die Ge­schich­te der zwei irgend­wie wei­ter­er­zählt wird. Ich möchte ein­fach mehr über sie er­fahren. Und ich möchte mehr von dem Schlag­ab­tausch der beiden. Ich habe die Ka­pi­tel, in de­nen Elide und Lorcan auf­tau­chen, so sehr ge­nossen. Aber auch Dorian und Manon haben einen tief ver­anker­ten Platz in meinem Her­zen be­kommen. Erst recht nach der Lek­türe, denn auch für diese zwei Fi­gu­ren gilt: Wow, was für eine Cha­rak­ter­ent­wick­lung! SARAH J. MAAS: VOLLKOMMENE LIEBE FÜR ALLE! Ich liebe die Figuren von Sarah J. Maas, ich tue es wirklich, aber es gibt so ein paar Klei­nig­kei­ten, die mich stören. Und das sind die Be­ziehun­gen. Kaum eine Per­son in dieser Reihe bleibt Single. Jeder kriegt einen (Fae-)Prinzen oder attrak­ti­ven Gene­ral als Freund. Die Fi­gu­ren können mit­un­ter gar nicht mehr klar den­ken, weil sie die per­fekte Per­son als Partner haben und so dank­bar dafür sind. Ver­steht mich nicht falsch, ich finde das alles wich­tig und wahr – man sollte immer dank­bar für sei­nen Partner sein und ihn niemals als selbst­ver­ständ­lich be­trach­ten –, aber mir war es in Kingdom of Ash teil­weise ein­fach zu viel. Beson­ders die Be­ziehung von Chaol und Yrene ging mir tie­risch auf die Ner­ven. Es ist einfach so über­trie­ben und könnte aus einer kitschi­gen Ro­man­ze stammen. EINE KURZE REZENSION, WAS IST DA LOS? Ja, was ist da los. Das frage ich mich auch. Streng ge­nommen ist diese Rezen­sion nicht kurz, aber ich per­sön­lich habe das Gefühl, dass ich ein­fach noch nicht ge­nug zu dem Buch ge­sagt habe. Aller­dings weiß ich auch nicht, was ich noch wei­ter zu Kingdom of Ash sagen soll. Mir fehlen immer noch die Worte. Ich habe es geliebt. Ab­göttisch. Ihr wisst von meinen ande­ren Rezen­sio­nen her, dass ich Sarahs Schreib­stil be­wun­dere. Er ist episch und ver­passt mir regel­mä­ßig eine Gänse­haut. Ich liebe auch ihre Cha­rak­tere, die ganze Welt und wie nun alles zu­sammen­fin­det. Die einzel­nen klei­nen Ge­schich­ten, die ge­mein­sam dem großen Fi­nale ent­gegen­lau­fen. Und wie dies alles ge­schieht, meis­tert Sarah J. Maas mit Bra­vour. Aber so­was von! Kingdom of Ash ist drama­tisch, herz­zerrei­ßend und genau der Ab­schied, den ich mir von dieser Reihe er­hofft habe. Ich hatte nach dem Be­enden einen furcht­ba­ren Book-Hang­over und auch jetzt fällt es mir schwer, spoi­ler­frei über die Ge­schich­te zu reden, wes­we­gen diese Re­zen­sion so »kurz« aus­fällt. Ich hoffe, das ist in Ord­nung für euch. Ihr könnt mir ger­ne schrei­ben, wenn ihr das Buch auch ge­le­sen habt und mir eure High­lights des Buches er­zäh­len. Gera­de bei einer Rei­he, in der so viel Herz­blut steckt, machen Dis­kussi­onen immer Spaß. Und für alle ande­ren, die die Ge­schich­te noch nicht kennen, lasst euch ge­sagt haben: Lest die Ge­schich­te, sie wird euch mit­rei­ßen und auf tolle Aben­teu­er mitnehmen. Ich kann euch die­ses Buch und die ge­sam­te Rei­he mehr als empfehlen. KLEINE EMPFEHLUNG ZUM SCHLUSS Ich weiß nicht, wie es euch geht, aber wenn ich lese, höre ich gerne klassi­sche Mu­sik. Wobei klassi­sche Mu­sik gene­rell auf Instru­me­ntal ver­all­ge­mei­nert wer­den kann. Sarah J. Maas hat in den letz­ten Jahren immer Sound­tracks zu ihren Wer­ken auf Spoti­fy hoch­ge­la­den, was ich per­fekt fand. Vor allem weil sie in ihrem News­letter manche Songs expli­zit Sze­nen und Kapi­tel zu­ge­ord­net hat. Dadurch be­kommt man ein ganz ande­res Lese­er­lebnis. Zu Kingdom of Ash hat Sarah J. Maas leider keine Play­list er­stellt, so­dass ich mich an meiner eige­nen Play­list und denen der übri­gen Bände orien­tiert habe. Un­ge­fähr ab der Hälfte des Ro­mans habe ich be­gonnen, den Sound­track zur sieb­ten Game of Thrones Staffel zu hören und kann euch den Sound­track für Kingdom of Ash nur empfeh­len. Er ist so düster, be­droh­lich und wun­der­schön wie das Buch selbst und passt perfekt! FAZIT Dieses unfassbare Finale ist alles, was ich mir von einem Finale erhoffe. Auf Wiedersehen Throne of Glass. Ich werde dich noch viele Male genießen.