Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass)

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And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen―before she is lost to him forever. Without getting into spoilers, fans speculate that we might see Erilea and her cast of heroes again. So if you’re wondering whether you should read Throne of Glass before Crescent City, the answer is “maybe.” She created The Thirteen, a group of the strongest young Ironteeth Witches to be her personal coven. Manon is an extremely beautiful witch with alabaster skin, long, moon-white hair, and eyes the color of burnt gold. She has the distinct traits for the Ironteeth—a set of retractable iron fangs and nails. After meeting her, both Dorian and Aelin say she is the most beautiful woman they have ever seen.

Aelin is traumatized by her months in Maeve's captivity and has a slight breakdown while Rowan removes her chains and mask; he sees that her skin has been completely replaced, removing her scars and tattoos. She remains distant and quiet while the group follow a few of the Little Folk away from the camp, into a cave where they give her the crown of Mab. Sarah J. Maas said that if Aelin was a writer, she would write smut and joked that she would also be the “Ultimate smut master”. Aelin's group eventually arrives in Anielle, where Chaol and the Khagan's army have been defending his homeland against Erawan's forces for five days. Aelin and Chaol reunite, and Aelin sees Yrene for the first time in three years.

Aelin meets with Arobynn's inner circle of assassins late at night. Arobynn announces that Gregori's mission has failed, resulting in his capture and incarceration in the castle dungeons. Aelin suggests that the assassins poison him before he leaks any information to the authorities, as per protocol, but Sam expresses horror to this proposal. She then inquires about Ben, as she has noticed that he is not present, and Arobynn reveals that Ben was killed during the mission. Outraged, Aelin demands why the others did not retrieve his body. Sam replies that there were too many guards and that the retrieval could potentially lead the guards to the Assassins' Keep. Furious, Aelin stalks out of the room, vowing to recover her friend's body.

When Erawan falls, his armies stop. And it’s actually over. Everyone has made peace—Lysandra and Aedion, Lorcan and Elide, Darrow and Aedion—and their losses aren’t nearly as terrible as they could’ve been, apart from the Thirteen. Gavriel went down in front of the gates, protecting his son and his son’s people. A lot of nameless, faceless soldiers died, but everyone else we know lives. Rolfe and his Mycenians. Ansel, though not many of her men. Ilias. Hasar and Sartaq and Nesryn, Dorian and Chaol and Yrene. Lorcan and Fenrys. Darrow, Evangeline, probably even Nox, wherever he got to. Manon and Aelin develop an irritable but understanding relationship with each other. They don’t particularly get along, and they aren’t scared to challenge one another. They respect each other as queens and fighters. I’m glad she didn’t marry Dorian. I don’t think either of them are done baking yet, to mix in a Buffy metaphor. As allies, and, yes, lovers, they’re going to grow to be incredible. But they don’t need to get married.) Unimportant Mysteries In some ways, the end of the series reflects the end of Empire of Storms: As ever, Aelin has plans she doesn’t tell anyone, from not explaining (even to Rowan!) why she doesn’t use her power until that desperate moment in Anielle, to not telling everyone that she’s asked the Fae and Wolf Tribe in the north to come to Terrasen’s aid. The latter, I understand; she never wants to give anyone hope that may be unfounded, because she knows what it’s like to lose hope. The former was endlessly frustrating, because while Aelin didn’t use her fire, people died. Nameless people, nameless soldiers, all falling to Morath’s hosts.

Kingdom of Ash

Some unknown amount of time later, Manon wakes up chained to a bed in a ship cabin. She sees Aelin who tells her that Abraxos had taken her here. Aelin and Rowan have healed her wounds and removed shards of iron from them. As she’s healing, Dorian enters her cabin and Manon asks about Elide and the Thirteen, but Dorian knows nothing. Manon continues to recover but struggles with feelings of depression at the loss of her Thirteen and with her exile from the Ironteeth. In an effort to try and pull her from the depression, Dorian flirts with her and tempts her, and then leaves, enraging her. It was only until after she obliterated 500 ilken, that her well of magic reserves became drained - which Maeve took advantage of to leash her. Protection Spell - She was able to cover her body in wyrdmarks covered in blood - to ward off the Valg, and their powerful Valg Magic (when facing Dorian and the King)

Aelin trained at the Assassins' Keep in Rifthold, and it was there that she spent the majority of her life following the deaths of her parents. However, she was captured after attempting to exact revenge on Ioan Jayne and Rourke Farran for murdering her lover Sam Cortland. As a result, she was sent to the Salt Mines of Endovier—a labor camp—and sentenced as a slave to reside there for the remainder of her life. The members in my Facebook group rave about the tandem read though. It’s their absolute favorite way to read those books. Becoming a New York Times bestselling author with millions of copies sold is a dream come for Sarah J. Maas.

She did not feel the warm hand of the goddess who had blessed and damned her with such terrible power. She wondered if that goddess of light and flame even cared that she now lay trapped within the iron box—or if the immortal had transferred her attentions to another. To the king who might offer himself in her stead and in yielding his life, spare their world. The answer is an unequivocal YES. After reading the previous books, you may not be a big Chaol fan (I don’t get this personally, I think he’s fine, but I know plenty of people who hate him), but the response is undeniable: Tower of Dawn is a must read. Manon also forms a relationship with Dorian Havilliard in Queen of Shadows and throughout Kingdom of Ash which strengthens her emotions and makes her see more love in the world.