/read in tandem with EoS

This was the best book in the series for many reasons, but mostly because Aelin wasn't in it.

Proof that you can write a compelling, emotional, and meaningful story without nastiness, snark, lies, and arrogance. Everyone claims to cry at the end of EoS, but I was sobbing for the last 60 pages of this book. The sibling bond, the love of family and friends, choosing hope... Everything.

As a Choal truther, this book was the validation I needed that I haven't just been delusional in considering him one of the best characters, despite SJM's deliberate attempts to misconstrue his character and turn him into an undeserving villain.

This was just a better book than all of the others. I have always gotten the sense that SJM is just making things up as she goes when it comes to Aelin, so it makes sense that removing that character, changing the location, and creating a whole separate plot with an actual, fleshed-out, plan, would make for a better story. The world was more complete, the characters had more depth, and it was just an overall more enjoyable experience. Plus, by doing the tandem read, you could sometimes get 10+ chapters with the tyrant herself even appearing!

My one quarrel remains with SJM herself and her blatant stealing of major concepts from LOTR and GoT (including major dialogue) and recycling entire plots and concepts within her own writing.