Throne of Glass pondering/spoilers for the whole series below!!
I finished Kingdom of Ash a few days ago and wrote out all of my immediate reactions, but now that I’ve had some time to ponder and reflect and even go back to read other passages in other books I’m just so fascinated and compelled by this series
There’s so many parts about these books I loved; the little moments of fate and characters coming back around, the journeys that all of these main players take within themselves and interpersonally, how far these characters go, from a competition in a glass castle to saving the fucking world and then getting to create a better one, but I think my favorite, favorite part of this series is Aelin, Chaol, and Dorian’s friendship.
I re-read the first few chapters of ToG after finishing KoA and I cried- it’s incredible to me what Celaena, Chaol, and Dorian become to each other. How far they come between the three of them and all on their own. I especially adore the friend pairings between the three of them. Dorian and Chaol being the brother that the other needed is so precious and I adore this display of healthy men friendships. Dorian also loves each and every version of Aelin and is always there to support her (even when she wants to protect him and everyone else lol). Even Aelin and Chaol, they come soooooo far from “you will always be my enemy” to “I wish you every happiness” like stfu this is THE trio. I’ve seen the big three. It’s this friendship. And them with Rowan in Endovier all that time later is so insanely heart wrenching and poetic and incredible writing!!!
Reading the introductions of the three of them after their goodbyes in the end of KoA had me so emotional all over again.
I haven’t gone back too detailed into all of the books, and I love the romances and badass lines, but I genuinely think my favorite line in the series is when Yrene says to Aelin: “We’re a long way from Innish.”
Especially because that’s the last thing that Yrene, Chaol’s wife, says to Aelin in the series, and the first line of dialogue in the series is Celaena saying to Chaol: “You’re a long way from Rifthold, Captain.”
The parallels!!!!! THAT is what this series is about. It gives me chills just thinking about it. Someone posted something the other day saying what line HAS to be in a ToG show if they ever make one and Yrene’s is it for me.
I’m also so obsessed with Elide and Lorcan it’s not even funny. When she got on that horse I was losing my shit I was so freaked out and the Hellas/Annieth parallel with Hellas’ Horse is so subtle but so clever and fun to me love them sm. The way he just absolutely folds whenever she’s involved I just live for it.
It’s so fun just imagining the joy and love and life they all get to live after the book ends. I also give massive thanks to SJM for writing a truly extensive and thorough ending after the war. When they defeated Erawan and Maeve and I realized it still had 60 something pages left I was sooooo stoked. I get why lots of authors do vague or endings that are up to interpretation but that’s not this series. After 8 books and 5,000 pages I was ready for a goddamn coronation. I was loved how she wrapped up so many stories with POVs of all the characters.
1000000/10 would always recommend!