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I will never forget this series for as long as I live.

Reread review
👑 It is the strength of this that matters. No matter where you are, no matter how far, this will lead you home.
👑 And Fenrys couldn't allow it. He couldn't allow it. In his shredded soul, in what was left of him after all he'd been forced to see and do, he couldn't allow it.
👑 You do not yield.
👑 With a roar, Fenrys leaped. And with it. he snapped the blood oath completely.
👑 Who do you wish to be? "Someone worthy of my friends," he said into the quiet night. "A king worthy of his kingdom."
👑 Her Second, her cousin, her friend, smiled, eyes bright as stars. "Live, Manon." Manon blinked. Asterin smiled wider, kissed Manon's brow, and whispered again. "Live. Bring our people home, Manon."
👑 The fallen warrior, who gazed toward the darkening sky with sightless eyes. His tattooed throat ripped out. His sword still gripped in his hand. Gavriel. His father.
👑 Yet the songs would mention this - that the Lion fell before the western gate of Orynth, defending the city and his son.

First review

This is a magnificent, brutal, epic series. SJM's best work I swear. She was out on a mission to squeeze every teardrop out of me mercilessly in Kingdom of Ash. I had to stop reading several times just to compose myself.

The characters who shone in this book personally for me were Dorian and Aelin. The horrific torture that Aelin went through made me sick. The chapter of Elena and Gavin fighting desperately against Erawan's army was amazing. Wish I could read more about them. And the characters who made me bawl like a baby: Fenrys, Gavriel and the thirteen especially Asterin 🥹

Some chapters in this series that had dug their claws into my mind for the foreseeable future.
🤴 Dorian setting the trap for Maeve at Morath. Fucking brilliant and I love it so much even after the re-read.

🦅 Lysandra, who shifted into a sea dragon to battle the sea wyverns so bravely, and then Aedion staying with her on the beach.
🧙 The Thirteen’s yielding to take out the witch mirror. I can’t remember how long I stopped reading because I was bawling my eyes out. I knew some deaths/sacrifices were necessary to leave that lasting impact on readers, but it still hurt badly. Asterin and the thirteen deserved more.
🦁 Gavriel's last scene with Aedion and the sacrifice he made to secure the entrance. I hate that he didn't have time with his son. Our brave lion 🥹
🐺 At Doranelle, where Fenrys broke his blood oath to buy Aelin time. Wow, my heart was beating so hard when I read that chapter. Thank god Rowan tortured that bastard Cairn.

My favourite characters that left a lasting impact :

Dorian - when I think of that young cheeky prince back in book one, to the man that he had become. A king who is worthy of his crown, a man who embraced his fears, a son who forgave his father, and a friend who sacrificed for his friends. The nameless father scene also coaxed tears from me when the truth spilled.

Aelin - she did not yield at all (AT ALL), despite everything that was done to break her. With her powers, she could have taken down both Erawan and Maeve. Yet, she used it to save the Khagan army. She also tried to save Elena’s soul by bargaining with the gods, so that she can be with Gavin in the afterworld. FIREHEART.

Asterin - from the moment she spilled the truth about Manon’s grandmother, the pain when she spoke about her stillborn child and lover, I already knew she would wreck me. Her loyalty to Manon was just like her iron teeth. She would die rather than utter a single word of betrayal. Her character made me cry the most in the series, and I love her so much.

Too many unsung heroes along with the main characters that I also absolutely love. (Sam, Marion, Aelin's parents, Elena, Brannon, Kaltain, Manon, our beloved Rowan and his cadre, Fenrys, Locan, Gavriel, Chaol, Yrene, Elide, Sartaq and so many more.) Took me nearly 3 weeks to finish this series and it was the best 3 weeks ever.

Infinite love for this series. I want to erase my memory so that i can relive the entire series once again.