Right from the beginning, Aelin wasted no time in devising her plans in order to save those closest to her, and coming face to face with people from her past. From the previous book, Aelin grew more into herself, accepting her true identity and was a woman on a mission (business as usual). In the first few chapters, it was clear that Aelin was faced with multiple obstacles that required the help of a certain someone from her past, someone she’d already had plans of getting rid of. 

One thing that right away made me angry was the way Chaol acted and spoke to Aelin when they met after so long being apart. Chaol truly thought of Aelin as someone who relished in killing people, saw her as a monster, and didn’t trust her or her magic, and intentions. Aelin definitely has led a life of traumatic events, and had a lot of deal with in “Heir of Fire”, so when Chaol claimed that Aelin didn’t do anything to help and just made things worse for everyone… I immediately wanted to viciously smack Chaol repeatedly (sorry I know  violence isn’t the answer but HE MADE ME MAD!) In some ways, it made me think back to when Dorian called out Chaol for only picking and choosing which parts of Aelin (a.k.a. Celaena) to love, and that definitely highlighted the truth of Chaol’s true thoughts and feelings on Aelin. Aelin finally accepted who she was and honestly she deserves someone who’s going to love every part of her, so goodbye Chaol we are done with your ignorance. Just felt like it needed to be mentioned, and while I initially liked Chaol in the earlier books… homeboy went down on my list and I started to dislike him very much. 

Aside from Chaol getting on my nerves, I was entranced by the plotting and the multiple storylines that were interconnected to Aelin’s story. At first, I wasn’t sure about the different intersecting stories, but in the overall picture it actually made sense. Obviously when it came down to it, I was more fascinated and excited to read about Aelin and how she was going to face off against Arobynn’s schemes, rescue Aedion, and execute her own plans. 

Over the course of these stories, Aelin has not only accepted her identity as the rightful heir and Queen of Terrasen, but her character growth has been great. Aelin still had some darkness inside her that she would always have to deal with, but over time she’s learned to hone in on accepting her own faults, past mistakes, and tried becoming a better person not just for herself but for her people. I’m always amazed by the way Aelin is constantly changing throughout the series, it’s always better than the last and with this only being the fourth book, I cannot wait to read this series all over again!

Among the many things that happened throughout the story, there were some moments that not only shocked me, but also made me really happy. For instance, when Rowan appeared in Rifthold! The reunion between Aelin and Rowan in that chapter made me so happy and the genuine connection they shared filled my heart so much! When I really think about it, it’s crazy how in the last book, Rowan and Aelin were constantly arguing and fighting with each other, but in this book it was significant just how much they cared for one another and their bond was phenomenal. Among that bond, there were some little details that eluded to Rowan and Aelin potentially being more or at else that’s what I thought especially with a certain scene involving Aelin’s choice of “pajamas” haha Rowan’s reactions were priceless.

While the main focus was on the multiple obstacles that Aelin and others were dealing with, I was also loving the growing tension and development between Rowan and Aelin. The romance in this series has slowly but surely grown, but honestly Rowan has become one of my favorites with his serious, grumpy, stealthy demeanor, and not to mention the dedication he had towards Aelin. Rowan’s feelings for Aelin were coming to the surface in “Queen of Shadows” and from the little tidbits of his inner thoughts to him straight out saying certain feelings he felt towards Aelin made my heart swoon!! Aelin definitely came to the conclusion that not only was her bond with Rowan unique, but she finally realized her feelings went beyond just friendship. I truly believed that Rowan is the person (ahem, Fae Prince) for her, the one who didn’t disregard her past, never shame her, and embraced every single part of her, while also challenging her. Overall, Rowan and Aelin together were not only a dynamic duo, but so utterly perfect together!