Hey guys, last year, few years ago I did a complete chapter by chapter recap of the first four Throne of Glass books, in preparation for reading Empire of Storms. I decided to actually make notes of every chapter. I always need to reread a series when a new book is released and it is very time consuming, especially in a series as long as this. I posted my chapter by chapter recap here on the blog and it proved very popular, it still brings a ton of people to my blog even now. I didn't add Empire of Storms at the time, as I didn't take notes whilst reading. I have just done a reread of it, having read my original recap to avoid having to do a whole series reread, and have now added Empire of Storms. Kingdom of Ash comes out in just a few days so I probably won't have time to add that to this.
I have a terrible memory and know a lot of you guys have this problem too. Sometimes it isn't possible to reread before starting the next book, and you are left a little confused and unsure about all the details. So I really hope this chapter by chapter recap is helpful to you all. This took forever to write up and I haven't gone through it all yet, so there might be spelling errors or really crap punctuation and I apologise. I broke the books down chapter by chapter as it seemed the easiest way.This may contain far too much information, but I noted down a lot!
I feel it goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, this post is going to contain spoilers for all five of the first Throne of Glass books. I like to think you all already realised that!
You can go to individual posts for all the recaps using these links:
Crescent City recaps:
ACOTAR recaps:
Throne of Glass recaps:
Throne of Glass
Chapter 1: We meet Celaena Sardothien in the Salt Mines of Endovier, where she has been for the past year. We learn that she is Adarlan's most notorious assassin. Being escorted through a building by Chaol Westfall, the Captain of the Royal Guard. Led to see the Crown Prince of Ardalan (Dorian - who is not end game... Okay?)
Chapter 2: Dorian surprised to find her so well after a year, when average life expectancy in the mines is a month. She once tried to escape, four months in, where she killed her overseer and twenty-three sentries, and almost reached the wall - over 363 feet from her shaft, others have never made it passed 3 feet before being taken down. Dorian says he has a proposition for her.
Chapter 3: The King wants a Champion, is holding a competition to find one. Twenty-three members of his council each sponsor a would-be-Champion to train at the castle, and compete to become the King's Champion. Dorian wants Celaena, but she will compete under an alias to hide her identity. Dorian says that if Celaena wins then he will get the King to grant her freedom after four years of service.
Chapter 4: Travelling through Oakwald Forest, making their way back to the King's glass castle. Learn that Chaol is twenty-two - became Captain at twenty - and Celaena is eighteen.
Chapter 5: Learn Celaena had been eight when Arobynn Hamel, King of the Assassins, found her on the banks of a frozen river. He trained her as an assassin and never allowed her to return home to Terrasen. Erilea was once filled with magical creatures, the Fae fled when the King outlawed magic and removed any trace of it ten years before.
Chapter 6: After two weeks they can see the glass castle of Rifthold in the distance. Celaena reveals she expects she was betrayed by another assassin, that was how she was captured.
Chapter 7: Celaena gets chambers in the stone castle - complete with bedroom, bathing chsmber, dressing room, dining room, music and gaming room. Meets Philippa Spindlehead, her personal servant. Dorian goes to see his father, the King, who warns him to keep his distance from Celaena.
Chapter 8: Celaena gets Chaol to give her a tour of the castle. Learn a little of Queen Georgina and Dorian's younger brother Hollin, who comes across like Joffrey from Game of Thrones (evil!). Walk past the clock tower in the gardens, made of black stone, with eight gargoyles on it, and finds a mark on the floor near it. Chaol shows her the library, with over a million books, and we learn Celaena loves to read. Sends Dorian a letter, requesting to borrow some of the books. Gets a reply, sends her books he recently read and enjoyed so she can read them and they can discus them.
Chapter 9 & 10: People in the palace think Celaena is Dorian's lover. Taken with the other competitors to see the King. Will compete for thirteen weeks, will be tested every week and people eliminated during each test. Four remaining competitors at the end will compete in a duel to win the title. Celaena will be known as Lilliam Gordaina, daughter of a wealthy merchant and a jewel thief. Meet Lady Kaltain Rompier,
Chapter 11 & 12: Celaena trains with Chaol. Theodus Brullo - Weapons Master and judge of the competition. Has them introduce themselves. Cain is Duke Perrington's competitor. Xavier Forul, Master Thief. Nox Owen, thief. Bill Chastain and Ned Clement - murderers. Grave, another assassin. Pellor, the youngest assassin.
Chapter 13: Celaena meets Nehemia Ytger, Princess of Eyllwe. Celaena can speak Eyllwe to her. Nehemia there by request of her father, wants her to learn their ways.
Chapter 14: Bill Chastain found murdered, ripped wide open. Celaena begins helping Nox with his training. Chaol reveals more of his childhood - been friends with Dorian since they were young boys, father moved him back to Anielle at thirteen. He abdicated his title of Lord to his brother and came back to Rifthold to train with the Captain of the Guard. Celaena reveals her parents died when she was eight. Has a scar on her right hand from where Arobynn made her break it, so she could learn to use her left.
Chapter 15 & 16: First test is an archery contest. Cain does well, Celaena too but she holds herself back. Has scars on her back from when she was whipped in Endovier, left three enormous scars along her back. One competitor tries to escape and is killed by the guards.
Chapter 17 & 18: The Queen wishes for Dorian to marry, would be happy for him to marry Lady Kaltain if she didn't already have an arrangement with Duke Perrington. Learn Dorian had his heart broken by a woman named Rosamund. Dorian finds Celaena and Nehemia sparring together.
Chapter 19 & 20: Kaltain had convinced Duke Perrington to bring her to court, she has her heart set on marrying Dorian. Wishes to get the Duke's help in getting rid of Celaena, as she still believes she is Dorian's lover. Celaena begins playing the piano, something she once loved to do. Thinks of Sam, her first love. Dorian sees her playing. She tells him a little of Sam, that he died thirteen months ago.
Chapter 21 & 22: Scaling the castle to reach a flag, another one of the Tests. Grave pushes Nox off the wall, then starts cutting his rope. Celaena risks her life and place in the competition to save him. Discover more about her time with Arobynn - was trained by him, but didn't tell her till she was fourteen that she was expected to pay him back. Another Champion is found dead.
Chapter 23: There is a feast for Samhuinn, but she is not allowed to attend. Nehemia wants Celaena to teach her to read and write better in her language. Nehemia reveals the marks near the clock tower are Wyrdmark, part of an ancient religion.
Chapter 24: Notices a tapestry in her room is billowing, finds a secret door behind it. Follows the passage down, finds a sewer that leads to a fence and leads out of the castle. Follows another passage and finds a room that allows her to look down on the Great Hall. Dorian goes to her rooms after the feast, but is found by Chaol and told to leave. Chaol gives Celaena an amethyst ring that he got from the feast.
Chapter 25: Celaena dreams she is walking down the passage again and finds a tomb, two sarcophagus of a King and Queen are found within. Finds more Wyrdmarks here and the Ah! Time's Rift! written at the feet of the Queen's tomb. Realises the tomb is that of first King of Adarlan, Gavin, and his wife Elena. Sees Queen of Elena in the tomb who talks to her. Says the gargoyles of the clock tower are eight guardians, guard the portal between their worlds. Tells Celaena something evil dwells within the castle and she has to destroy it, and she must also win the competition, then hands her something to protect her. She wakes in her bed, believing it is all a dream, until she finds an amulet necklace in her hand.
Chapter 26 & 27: Xavier is found dead, body found half eaten. Sees Xavier's body and Wyrdmarks on the wall next to it. Realises that Cain knows who she really is. Celaena tries to do research on the Wyrdmarks and what they are. Finds out about Wyrdgates: can be accessed and summoned by using the Wyrdmarks. They open into other realms and can let other creatures and beings through. Finds a book called The Walking Dead.
Chapter 28 & 29: Dorian and Celaena play billiards together in her room. Next test is sparring against one another. Kaltain is more determined then ever to become Dorian's bride, especially as the Queen approves.
Chapter 30 & 31: Another body is found, with Wyrdmarks near it and scratch marks on the wall. Dorian and Celaena spend more time together, tells him she used to want to be a healer. Celaena wakes to find Elena in her rooms, tells her she must win the competition and to look to her right, she will find answers there. The next test is poisons, and Celaena has to get help from Pelor in order to get it right, he was the man to her right.
Chapter 32 & 33: Nehemia takes Celaena to the kennels. Dorian tells her they plan to kill one of the pups, but she begs him not to. Kaltain has been smoking an opium pipe, to help with the headaches she keeps getting. Nehemia comes to Celaena, says the King captured 500 Eyllwe rebels and killed them all.
Chapter 34 & 35: Dorian opens up to Celaena, says he doesn't agree with the things his father does. Tells her there is going to be a masked ball at Yulemas, but she is not allowed to attend. Dorian notices the amulet, says it looks like the Eye of Elena. An amulet that a spirit gave her in battle against the Dark Lord. Celaena finds Wyrdmarks drawn on the floor under her bed, she washes them away. Goes to the library, finds Nehemia there reading a book, Nehemia leaves and drops a piece of paper. Celaena opens the paper, finds that Nehemia has been writing down Wyrdmarks.
Chapter 36, 37, 38 & 39: Dorian gifts Celaena the puppy she made him promise not to kill. Thinks Nehemia is behind the deaths, so she decides she will have to go to the ball and keep an eye on her. Dorian and Celaena dance at the ball, he follows her back to her rooms when she leaves and kisses her.
Chapter 40: Celaena names the puppy Fleetfoot. Duke Perrington tells Lady Kaltain who Celaena really is. Tells her they want her to slip something into Celaena's goblet before the duel, drug her so it guarantees that she loses and Cain can kill her.
Chapter 41: Celaena does research, finds the Wyrdmarks that were near the body. Says they are for sacrifices to the ridderak, summons the creature who eats the sacrifice and grants the summoner the victim's strength. Goes down into the passage, sees that it is Cain.
Chapter 42 & 43: Sees that Cain is summoning the ridderak, he locks her in with it and intends to kill her. She manages to escape the room and runs for Elean's tomb. She uses King Gavin's sword, Damaris, to kill the ridderak. Tells Nehemia that she is Celaena Sardothien, Nehemia names her Elentiya.
Chapter 44 & 45 & 46: Filler chapters. Celaena warns Nox that he should leave the castle, Celaena and Dorian kiss again. Last Test is cancelled and Celaena told she is to duel the next day. Her, Grave, Renault and Cain are remaining.
Chapter 47 & 48: Cain and Renault duel, Cain wins. Celaena duels Grave, wins duel within two minutes. Is then offered wine, which Kaltain poisons with bloodbane. The poison makes her weak and disorientated, gives Cain an advantage. Cain is talking to her, asks her what it was like waking u between her parents, covered in their blood. Cain is winning, as she lays defeated on the floor Chaol keeps telling her to get up. Celaena is seeing creatures surrounding her, knows they aren't hallucinations.
Chapter 49 & 50:The others can't see the creatures as they attack her. Elena sweeps in to save her, gets rid of the creatures and takes the poison out of Celaena's body. She wins against Cain. Everyone notices that she has a Wyrdmark on her forehead, that shows when she is dueling. Cain tries to stab Celaena in the back, so Chaol kills him (first man he has ever killed). Perrington tells the King that Kaltain drugged the assassin.
Chapter 51: Nehemia reveals that what Celaena saw at the duel was real, that she can see it too. Nehemia drew the marks under her bed, to protect her. Nehemia opened the portal to the realm with Elena in, that was how she came to help Celaena during the duel.
Chapter 52, 53, 54 & 55: See the Duke and the King talking, talk of the Duke using 'the power' on Lady Kaltain. Realise the King knew what Cain was doing, that the King is using these powers. Celaena tells Dorian that they can't be together. Dreams of the tomb again, Elena appears and Celaena thanks her for saving her life. Elena responds: Blood ties can't be broken. Signs her contract with the King, will be Champion for four years and then get her freedom.
Crown of Midnight
Chapter 1: Making her way to a manor house, on a mission for the King. She is to kill Lord Nirall. Ends with her raising her sword above him as he sleeps in bed.
Chapter 2: Presents Niralls head and seal ring to the King, as well as his wife's hand. Given her next target - Archer Finn - someone she knew from her past. She is told he is part of a rebel movement. Her and Chaol are continuing their friendship and are closer. We realise that Celaena hasn't been killing her targets, has them fake their deaths and flee.
Chapter 3, 4 & 5: Dreams of Cain and the ridderak. Hear that more and more Eyllwe rebels are being sent to Calacula - another mine. Meet Lord Roland, Dorian's cousin, who has been appointed to the council. Celaena is spending most nights in Chaol's rooms. She reveals to Chaol that Sam was killed by a man named Rourke Farran. A man named Wesley then killed Farran, so Arobynn had him killed. Chaol shares that he once liked a girl called Lithaen, but Roland slept with her.
Chapter 6, 7 & 8: Visits the tomb, where the door knocker begins talking to her and reveals his name is Mort, and that there is still evil that she needs to stop. She gets Chaol to go in to town with her so she can find Archer - hasn't seen him since she was thirteen - where she convinces him to take her to dinner.
Chapter 9, 10 & 11: Celaena visits Kaltain in the dungeons, realises that the Duke visits her and rapes her. Hollin has returned to the castle, will have a court dinner in his honour. Celaena goes to dinner with Archer, tells him the King wants him dead. Archer tells her of rebels who are aiming to get Aelin Galathynius, the lost heir of Terrasen, on the throne. They say she is alive and building an army.
Chapter 12: Goes to a masque ball with Archer, in a man named Davis's house. Finds a book in his study, filled with Wyrdmarks. Has a phrase written in it - It is only with the eye that one can see rightly. Davis catches her and attacks her, cuts her with a blade that is tipped with gloriella, poison that causes temporary paralysis. She kills him and makes her way to the castle, she goes to Chaol for help.
Chapter 13: Lots of Chaol and Celaena moments that just make my shipper heart sing!
Chapter 14: Celaena finds a hidden door in the library, follows the passage down and finds a giant door made entirely of iron - iron is the one element that is immune to magic.
Chapter 15: Goes to great hall to see famous singer Rena Goldsmith perform. She sings a song about Fae and magic. Rena sang the song because the King had killed her daughter, her sister and many others. The King has her beheaded.
Chapter 16: Tells Nehemia that she has not been killing the targets. Tells her about the tomb and Elena.
Chapter 17: Celaena is put on guard duty at the royal ball, where Chaol and Celaena dance together. Dorian and Nehemia see them dancing together, Nehemia tells Dorian that he has powers within him.
Chapter 18: Dorian is in a meeting about the Calaculla mines when he notices his father, Roland and Perrington are all wearing matching black rings. He storms out of the meeting in anger and punches a wall, that cracks the stone and explodes a window.
Chapter 19: Chaol is told to watch Nehemia, a threat has been made on her life. A carnival has arrived in celebration of Hollin's return, where they find a Baba Yellowlegs, an Ironteeth clan witch. Dorian gets Chaol an Asterion stallion for his birthday, Celaena reveals she once stole and Asterion mare.
Chapter 20: Takes a day off and leaves the castle on the tenth anniversary of her parents death.
Chapter 21: We get a flashback to the day she tried to 'escape' the mines, was the ninth anniversary of her parents death. Chaol stays with her that night.
Chapter 22: Dorian is realising that he has magic that he can't control. Celaena takes Chaol out for his birthday, something she has planned for weeks. Takes him to a enclosed glass greenhouse on the roof of a building. Tells Chaol that she hasn't been killing the targets.
Chapter 23: She tells Chaol that she wants to leave, go far away from Rifthold when she gets her freedom. Chaol says that when she does he will go with her. They kiss and return to the castle, where Celaena loses her virginity to Chaol.
Chapter 24: Dorian goes to Baba Yellowlegs to try and get answers about the magic. Nehemia tries to get Celaena to promise to help her free Eyllwe, when she doesn't, they fight and Nehemia calls Celaena a coward and storms out.
Chapter 25: We see Nehemia in the tomb, talking to Queen Elena. Tells Nehemia that either Dorian or Celaena needs to break, and that Dorian is not ready. Asks Nehemia if she knows what she has to do, Nehemia says she does.
Chapter 26: On a hunting party, the King tells Dorian that they are going to have Nehemia questioned. Chaol goes for a walk and is captured.
Chapter 27: Celaena finds a note that has been left for her, realises that Chaol has been taken by the rebel group.
Chapter 28: She goes to rescue Chaol, finally get to see why she is the world's most feared assassin. Archer is there, realises he is part of the group and that he set her up. Archer says that he has been working with Nehemia for six months, leading the rebel movement together. He tells her the King doesn't want to question Nehemia, they want to kill her and pins blame on Chaol, says he knew there was a threat to her life.
Chapter 29: She runs all the way back to the castle and discovers Nehemia has already been killed.
Chapter 30: Celaena snaps and tries to kill Chaol, blames him for Nehemia's death. Dorian uses his powers to stop Celaena stabbing Chaol.
Chapter 31: Chaol has Celaena placed in the dungeons.
Chapter 32: Returned to her rooms, but won't get out of bed.
Chapter 33: We see a girl in the Calaculla mines and truly see how much Nehemia means to them, what a symbol of hope she is. Word begins to spread that Nehemia has been assassinated by Adarlan. The girl kills her overseer.
Chapter 34: Dorian curious about his powers. Celaena suspects Grave killed Nehemia.
Chapter 35: Leaves the castle to hunt down Grave. It was him. Celaena begins torturing him for answers, is very brutal.
Chapter 36: Celaena brings Grave's head to the King and the ministers. Reveals that minister Mullison hired Grave to kill Nehemia. Archer and the others wanted Celaena to see that Chaol was the enemy, that he is loyal to the king. Chaol dines with his father, who wants him to come back to Anielle.
Chapter 37: Celaena burns clothes that remind her of Nehemia, also burns the dress she wore on Chaol's birthday. Works out the riddle she found in book at Davis study, and leads her to a lengthy poem that speaks about three powerful objects. Celanea sings song at Nehemia's grave, and Chaol overheards.
Chapter 38: Chaol looks in library to try and find song and language that Celaena was singing in. Finds out it was the language of the Fae, and that she must be someone of nobility.
Chapter 39: Celaena dines with Dorian.
Chapter 40: Celaena goes to see Baba Yellowlegs for help with the poem. It talks of Wyrdkeys, which are used to open Wyrdgates. Years before, Valg (demons) came from another realm and tried to destroy Erilea. The Valg took pieces of the Wyrdgate and split it into three, and made three rings to give to three Kings. Could be used to open gates and use its power. The Fae set out to steal the keys, then Queen Maeve of the Fae had the Valg banished. Poem gives clues to where the keys were hidden. King already has at least one key, which is why he became so powerful ten years before. Celaena wants to kill Baba Yellowlegs, she reveals she knows secrets about Dorian and so she wants to kill her to protect those secrets. Ends with Yellowlegs knocking Celaena out.
Chapter 41: Celaena is tied up, but frees herself and kills Baba Yellowlegs.
Chapter 42: Mort reveals that Crochan witches still exist, they are just in hiding, and that Baba Yellowlegs was a leader, Queen to her clan.
Chapter 43: Celaena returns to the door at the bottom of the secret passage in the library. Uses the book The Walking Dead and uses a spell in it that says it unlocks doors. Behind door is a stairway, leads to a corridor filled with 99 numbered doors. One at the end of the corridor opens to another hallway with 66 doors. Then next opens to a corridor with 33. Then 22. Then 11. Then 9. The next leads to a room with three doors, one has been busted open and something has broken out. Final corridor leads to the clock tower.
Chapter 44: Dorian had followed Celaena into the stairway. Celaena turns back, realises she is not alone and there is a monster down there with her, something that was once mortal. She runs and tells Dorian to run. Sees Dorian use magic to try and seal the door. She beheads the creature, realises it used to be human and thinks the King created it. Dorian tells Celaena about his magic.
Chapter 45: Revealed that Kaltain has been taken to Morrath with the Duke.
Chapter 46: Realises first Wyrdkey was in Elena's tomb. The King found that one when he was twenty. Mort hints that the King used it to stifle magic. Celaena wants to open a portal so she can try to talk to Nehemia. Dorian dreams, Gavin comes to him to warn him about Celaena and what she is about to do. Tells her where to find her and that he must stop her.
Chapter 47: Sees Nehemia, who tells her to never open the portal again. Nehemia tells her that she embraced her fate, knew she was going to die. Archer is waiting for Celaena in the chamber.
Chapter 48: Archer knows about the Wyrdkeys and wants to find them. Realises that Nehemia had been trying to warn her about Archer. Archer was the one who ordered for Nehemia to be assassinated. Kidnapped Chaol to get Celaena away from the castle. Planted the threat against her life, so that Celaena would come to mistrust Chaol. Dorian gets Chaol and tells him they have to find Celaena. They find Celaena, Archer and Fleetfoot by the portal, along with a monster.
Chapter 49: The monster takes Fleetfoot through the portal. Chaol jumps through after Fleetfoot. Celaena goes through the portal after both of them. It is here that she transforms into a Fae form, where Chaol realises that Celaena is really a Fae.
Chapter 50: Manages to kill the monster.
Chapter 51: Kills Archer
Chapter 52: Explains that her great grandmother was Fae and she inherited the ability to shift between human and Fae form. Chaol goes to his father for help to convince the King to send Celaena to Wendlyn, agrees to go back to Anielle with his father if he does.
Chapter 53: Celaena is told she is to go to Wendlyn, to kill the royals there.
Chapter 54: Makes bloodoath at Nehemia's grave that she will free Eyllwe.
Chapter 55: Tells Chaol everything about the Wyrdkeys and Wyrdgates. Chaol tells her that he loves her. Celaena whispers something in his ear before she leaves.
Chapter 56: She whispered a date in his ear, day her parents died. Chaol realises that Celaena is Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, heir to the throne and rightful Queen of Terrasen.
Heir of Fire
Chapter 1: Celaena is in Varese, the capital city of Wendlyn. She wants an audience with Maeve, so she can ask her about the Wyrdkeys. She sees Galan Ashryver and how the people of Wendlyn love him. She decides to do nothing, doesn't feel she can actually make a difference.
Chapter 2: Fae man corners her in an alley - has silver hair, tattoos cover one side of his face, words written in Fae language. All Fae have a secondary animal form, Celaena's is human. She follows him. His name is Rowan.
Chapter 3: Chaol is having a recurring nightmare where he sees Celaena kill Archer, before Archer transforms into Dorian. Aedion Ashryer, Celaena's cousin, is at the castle. Aedion is one of the King's fiercest generals. The King gave Aedion the Sword of Orynth, heirloom of the Terrasen royal family.
Chapter 4: We are introduced to Manon, who is hiding in the closest as three men break into her cottage. She is Manon Blackbeak, heir to the Blackbeak witch clan, who pretends to be a Crochan witch in order to draw others out of hiding, so she can kill them. She killed her first Crochan witch at sixteen, still wears the witches cape.
Chapter 5: Makes camp with Rowan, notices faeries watching her.
Chapter 6: Dorian goes to healer for a cut on his hand. Her name is Sorscha, and she has healed Dorian, Chaol and Celaena before, has seen everything. Sorscha is in love with Dorian, has been for six years.
Chapter 7: Rowan takes Celaena to a fortress in the mountains, where Maeve is waiting for her.
Chapter 8: Rowan is a Prince, from Mora's bloodline and a distant relative of Celaena. Fortress is called Mistward. Maeve wants her to learn to use her powers. Rowan will train her and then bring her to Maeve when he believes she is ready, then Maeve will give her answers. Maeve wants Celaena to become Queen.
Chapter 9: Manon misses flying, unable to fly for ten years since magic disappeared. The Thirteen are who Manon has fought and flown with for over a hundred years. When magic disappeared ten years ago, the witches began ageing like mortals. She is to travel to the Ferian Gap where all the Blackbeak clan is gathering. The King says he has a gift for them there, he has been breeding Wyverns and wants them to ride them. Wyverns are basically dragons.
Chapter 10: Chaol goes to Aedion's party to track down his guards who abandoned their post, realises that Aedion isn't there.
Chapter 11: Celaena goes by the name Nehemia gave her, Elentiya. Works in the kitchens with an old man, Emrys, and a young boy named Luca. Fae have mates, which is an unbreakable bond that lasts beyond deatg,
Chapter 12: Blackbeak clan arrive at the Ferian Gap. Had once been 20,000 witches in three clans, now there is only 3,000 left. Witches don't have feelings, they don't love or care. Asterin is Manon's second, has had her back for a century. Yellowlegs heir is Iskra. Blueblood heir is Petra. The Blackbeak clan have 20 covens, Manon rules them all with the 13. They get to see the Wyverns, the biggest is Titus and he is the one that Manon wants.
Chapter 13: Rowan wants Celaena to shift, but it isn't something she knows how to control. Rowan takes her to grave barrows where Wights are found.
Chapter 14: She sees a man wearing an onyx torque around his neck, suddenly surrounds her in darkness. Makes her see the room her parents died in, sees them dead in their beds. Then shows her Nehemia's dead body. Celaena begins quickly shifting back and forth between her human and Fae form.
Chapter 15: Chaol is still trying to help Celaena. Dorian is trying to find rebel group to see if they can really free the magic. Sorscha is called up to his room to heal him, learns she was originally from Fenharrow and her parents were killed and her village burned.
Chapter 16: Manon and the thirteen ride for the first time. Mother Blackbeak reveals that there will be war games to determine ranks and that she expects Manon to win.
Chapter 17: We meet Malakai, Emrys mate. Emrys spends his evenings in the kitchen, telling stories to the others. Celaena realises that Rown's second form is a hawk.
Chapter 18: Dorian begins visiting Sorscha a lot. His magic erupts in from of her. Chaol follows Aedion when he leaves another party, goes to the slums. Chaol is caught.
Chapter 19: Aedion is meeting with the rebels, the ring he wears that the King gave him is a replica. Aedion plans to kill Chaol, so he reveals that Aelin is alive. Aedion, known as Adarlan's whore, is acting and is still loyal to Celaena - working with two others, Ren and Murtagh, and the rebel group.
Chapter 20: Celaena trains with Rowan, they fight and she finally shifts.
Chapter 21: Celaena's power is fire, Rowan's can smother it as he has control of the air, wind and ice. She leaves in anger, packs her things and goes.
Chapter 22: Celaena is trapped by three skinwalkers. Rowan helps her, but she has to shift to escape. She incinerates the skinwalkers using her wildfire. Rowan tells her that her magic is like a well, that it has a bottom and it can be depleted, she could burn herself out.
Chapter 23: They choose their Wyverns. Manon still wants Titus. Iskra pushes Manon into the pit with Titus. The bait beast looks at Manon, she feels some kind of connection, so she frees the bait beast. Manon helps the bait beast kill Titus. She chooses the bait beast and names him Abraxos.
Chapter 24: Dorian overhears Chaol telling Aedion about Celaena and the Wrydkeys - realises who Celaena really is.
Chapter 25: Rowan takes Celaena to see the body of a dead woman, thinks she was killed by the same creature they saw at the barrows. It's the fourth body found like this, all look as though they have been drained of life.
Chapter 26: Dorian and Sorscha kiss.
Chapter 27: Manon feels like Abraxos is smarter than the other Wyverns, that he can understand her.
Chapter 28: Celaena remembers how her mother used to call her Fireheart, that Aedion was the only friend she had as a child.
Chapter 29: Aedion never knew who his father was. Chaol thinks of the force that Aedion and Aelin could be if they were ever reunited.
Chapter 30: Chaol talks to Murtagh and Ren. When magic disappeared, two waves were felt across the realm. The different waves make up a rough triangle.
Chapter 31: Manon trying to get Abraxos airborne.
Chapter 32: Abraxos falls off the cliff whilst Manon is on his back. He finally opens his wings and flys, but his wings are damaged.
Chapter 33: Hear stories of Maeve from Emrys. Long ago, faeries still walked among them and were ruled by Maeve, and her two sisters. Mab and Mora. Mora took the form of a hawk, Mab a swan and Maeve had more than one form. Mora & Mab both fell in love with mortal men and gave up their immortality. Maeve once fell for a warrior, but he died without ever giving her the ring intended for her. We are introduced to Gavriel, a friend of Rowan's. Celaena sees Rowan tattooing Gavriel. Rowan tells Celaena that he does not care about her, that she whiny and self-pitying.
Chapter 34: Emrys begs Rowan to help Celaena, to stop pushing her down when she needs someone to help her back up. He knew Celaena's mother and who Celaena really is. Rowan takes Celaena to a cave, in the middle of a frozen lake he has Luca chained up. Celaena frees him using her magic. Sees giant red eye through the ice on the lake.
Chapter 35: They escape the lake and the monster. Celaena finds a sword in the cave with a ring on it, and she keeps it. Celaena argues with Rowan, over him using Luca. Tells him about Nehemia, and they end up fighting and hurting each other. Asks Emrys about the creature in the cave. Creature is said to be from another realm, that prays on human and Faes. A Fae warrior challenged it, carved out one of its eyes and cursed it so that it would forever stay trapped under the mountain.
Celaena also has power to heal herself and others. Rowan explains his tattoo is the story of how his mater died of 200 years ago. Mated with a female, named Lyria, who Maeve didn't approve of and it cost him her favour. When she called him to war, he went to prove himself and left Lyria alone in their mountain home. Gone for months and returned when he heard the enemy had been trying to get through the mountain. Returned home to find they had killed her, and realises that she had been pregnant at the time. Spent ten years caring for nothing before Maeve tracked him down.
Chapter 36: Chaeol and Aedion are trying to question soldiers. One reveals he spent five years in Noll, where the King had a tower built. Some men had gone mad, complaining of headaches, and they bashed in their own skulls. There is another black tower in Amaroth, form a triangle with Noll and Rifthold.
Chapter 37: Manon and the thirteen train together. Eating mountain goats themselves and for the Wyverns. Meat and the men at the mountain taste and smell funny, Manon knows something is wrong with them but doesn't know what. Manon goes to the Ruhn mountains to get spider silk from the Stygian spiders. She steals the spidersilk from them. Wants it for Abraxos's wings.
Chapter 38: Abraxos still won't make the crossing between the mountains. Iskra whips him, so Manon attacks her.
Chapter 39: Her and Rowan begin sharing stories.
Chapter 40: Chaol and Aedion meet up with Ren and Murtagh. Hear that General Narrok was making monsters on Dead Islands, they were like men but were wearing black collars. Narrok has taken some and plans to attack Wendlyn.
Chapter 41: Rowan gets her to keep bonfires going using her magic, but she almost burns out. He sees Celaena's scars and learns of her time in Endovier.
Chapter 42 & 43: Rowan tells Celaena about carranam - your carranam can give you power if you're compatible and share a blood connection, it is rare and many don't meet theirs. Celaena turns nineteen. Celaena learns to make shields of fire.
Chapter 44: Manon and Abraxos make the crossing.
Chapter 45: Another body is found. Celaena asks Rowan if Chaol could still be her mate, even though she tried to kill him - mates are unable to harm one another.
Chapter 46: Celaena and Rowan find caves where Narrok, soldiers and three creatures are, realise they plan to attack Mistward.
Chapter 47: They are almost caught by one of the creatures, so they use skinwalkers to kill it.
Chapter 48: There was an uprising in the Calaculla mines after Nehemia's death, so King had every slave in that mine and Endovier killed.
Chapter 49: Chaol, Aedion and Dorian find out about the deaths in the camps.
Chapter 50: Mistward start preparing for the upcoming attack.
Chapter 51: Narrok and the creatures appear, they prepare for attack.
Chapter 52: Realises that the creatures are the Valg.
Chapter 53: She becomes lost in the Valg darkness.
Chapter 54: Flashback to when the King of Adarland and Dorian visited Celaena and her parents when she was a child. She couldn't control her magic, used it in front of the King. Realises that the King had used his own powers on her then to make her lose control. Her mother had given her the Amulet of Orynth, that she lost when she fell into the river. Aelin wakes up in the night during a storm and climbs into her parents bed. Wakes her to her maid Marion screaming, her parents are dead in the bed and she is covered in their blood. A man arrives to tell them that King Orlon is dead. Someone shows up to kill Aelin, so Marion tells her to run for the bridge, cross it and hide. Marion sacrifices herself to save Aelin. The man had cut the bridge, that was how she ended up in the river that night.
Chapter 55: Rowan claims her. They are carranam and this makes her powerful enough to destroy the Valg.
Chapter 56: ***filler***
Chapter 57: Realises that the amulet her mother gave her as a child was the third and final Wyrdkey, realises that Arobynn must have it.
Chapter 58: News is spreading that Aelin is alive.
Chapter 59: She finally goes to see Maeve to find out about the Wyrdkeys. They can't be destoyed, but can be put back in the gate. Mark on Celaena's forehead is the bastard mark, from Brannon. With all three keys, the King could raise an army of the dead.
Chapter 60: Celaena covers Maeves entire island in wildfire, but so it doesn't burn anyone. Threatens to burn everything and everyone. Realised that Maeve killed Athril, the man she loved, in order to get the Wyrdkeys. Brannon escaped with them. Shows Maeve the vision that the Valg showed her, with Celaena in power and how the people love her. The ring Celaena found in the cave was Athril's. She uses the ring to bargain for Rowan's freedom from the blood oath that he has with Maeve. Rowan makes a blood oath to Celaena. Gets Rowan to tattoo the name of dead on her.
Chapter 61: War games beging. Iskra tries to kill Petrah. Manon saves Petrah, but couldn't save her wyvern.
Chapter 62: Manon is crowned the Wing Leader. Grandmother brings a Crochan witch out for Manon to kill. Crochan witch says they pity the other witches. That they aren't born evil, but are made evil by their families. Manon is now a threat as she chose to save Petrah's life.
Chapter 63: Chaol is called in to see the King, Aedion is there surrounded by guards. Dorian and Sorscha also brought in.
Chapter 64: King has spies who have told him about Aedion and Chaol going out together a lot. Also revealed that Dorian had planned to leave with Sorscha. Aedion says he is the traitor, the King plans to have him executed as a way to bring Celaena back to Rifthold. Sorscha is revealed as a real traitor, who had been sending information out of the castle. The King has her beheaded.
Chapter 65: King demands that they kill Chaol. Dorian stops the arrow using his magic. Dorian helps Chaol escape, gives him time to run. The King places one of the black collars on Dorian. Chaol escapes with Fleetfoot, meets up with Ren.
Chapter 66, 67 & 68: Want Manon to go to Morath. Celaena leaves Wendlyn to go back to Rifthold, and finally accepts that she is Aelin.
Queen of Shadows
Part 1: Lady of Shadows
Chapter 2: Celaena is in the Vaults, trying to find out who Arobynn Hamel is meeting there. She has noticed many black-uniformed guards roaming the city, with wyverns embroidered on their uniforms. She has died her hair auburn to disguise herself. Tern, Arobynn's second in command, finds her at the bar. She misses Rowan and no longer has her magic now she is back. She realises Arobynn is meeting Chaol.
Chapter 3: Arobynn and Celaena come face to face again for the first time. We now realise that Arobynn has always known who Celaena really is. Arobynn reveals word got back about her powers and the fight against the Valg in Wendlyn, known as the fire-breathing-bitch-queen.
Arobynn tells her that Aedion has been arrested for treason and that the King plans to execute him in three days, on Dorian's birthday. Says that it is an obvious trap for Celaena. Celaena is determined to save him no matter what. Arobynn offers his help and resources in freeing Aedion - for one favour. Arobynn knows the King's new guard have creatures that wear the bodies of men and wants to know what they are. They have been rounding up people sympathetic to magic and executing them.
Celaena tells Arobynn that the King has stifled magic and summoned ancient demons to infiltrate human bodies. The King uses rings or collars to allow the demon to invade the host, and that he has been targeting former magic wielders. Rings are used for lesser demons and the collars are for the Valg Princes. Arobynn wants her to capture one and bring it to him, he also wants her forgiveness.
Chapter 4: Aedion is in a cell, awaiting execution, and has a wound that is infected and will soon kill him. He wishes to die before the King can use him against Celaena.
Chapter 5: Celaena is currently trying to escape twenty men that are pursuing her. She has killed the owner of the Vaults and thrown it into chaos. She escapes into the sewers, where she is found by Chaol's female guard who asks her to follow her.
Chapter 6: Nesyrn, Chaol's guard, tells her that she is taking her to Chaol. Reveals that Chaol left his position and fled the castle and is now a part of the rebel cause. Nesryn doesn't trust Celaena as she killed so many of the rebels at the warehouse when she rescued Chaol (in Crown of Midnight). Celaena finally comes face to face with Chaol.
Chapter 7: Celaena and Chaol have the ex-lovers-who-were-once-madly-in-love-until-one-blamed-the-other-for-the-death-of-a-friend-even-though-it-wasn't-actually-their-fault-but-she-tried-to-kill-him-anyway-and-now-things-are-totally-awkward reunion that we have all been waiting for. Celaena once again hammers home the point that she can never forgive him for the whole Nehemia thing (which I still say is totally not his fault, fyi!) and all the Chaolaena shipper hearts, including my own, broke into a million pieces.
Chaol and the other rebels have been rescuing former magic-wielders before they are executed. All of them have the rings and have been inhabited by demons. They don't seem to notice the presence of ordinary humans, only those with magic in their bloodline. Chaol reveals to Celaena that Ren Allsbrook is alive, a member of her old court. Also tells her that he took Fleetfoot from the castle and that she is safe in the countryside.
Chaol tells her everything that happened while she was gone - him working with Aedion, Aedion's capture, Sorscha's beheading and Dorian and the collar. Here we see Celaena once again, in her head, blaming Chaol for everything - thinks he should have got Dorian out sooner. (I know it's a recap and I should be totally unbiased but, screw it, I'm the one typing it up for hours and... Damn, Celaena is such a bitch in this book!)
Chaol is in charge of the rebels in the slum and dock territories. His men, Ress and Brullo, are trying to find a way to get Aedion and Dorian out of the castle. She tells Chaol about her time away, but doesn't mention the collars or the Valg princes or that the Amulet of Orynth is the third Wyrdkey - although she does tell him that she needs it. They fight again, both blame each other. She realises that he has figured out a way to free magic but he doesn't want to tell her.
Celaena then tells Chaol what the collar means for Dorian, and that he needs her to have her magic if she has any hope of freeing him or killing him. Tell Chaol to call her Aelin (I am just going to continue calling her Celaena in the recap as it is consistent!) and that Celaena Sardothien no longer exists. He tells her she is the same assassin who walked away and has only returned when it is useful to her. Chaol tells her he met with Arobynn as he wanted his help to kill the King.
Chaol's point of view reveals how terrified he is of Celaena's power and how easily she can kill. He and Nesryn used to sleep together frequently about a year previous. He tells Nesryn who Celaena really is. Chaol's only concern is freeing Dorian. He pawns the ring he once gave to Celaena.
Celaena returns to her old apartment and sees that Arobynn has been here, has unpacked the trunks she and Sam had once intended to use to escape the city together. Celaena has another session of Chaol bashing in her head (Can you tell that I am sick of it?). Celaena writes a letter to Arobynn, accepting his offer, she will capture a valg demon for him after he helps her rescue Aedion.
Chapter 8: Finally get a Manon chapter, where she gets the greatest introduction: Manon Blackbeack, heir of the Blackbeak Witch-Clan, bearer of the blade Wind-Cleaver, rider of the wyvern Abraxos and Wing Leader of the King of Adarlan's aerial host... Basically one deadly, awesome, mother-trucker.
Manon and her thirteen are stationed in Morath, the mountain stronghold of Duke Perrington, a man that she does not like. She hears screams coming from deep within the mountain but does not know what happens there. Kaltain is here with the Duke and has a collar around her neck and a scar on her arm. Manon and Asterin fight, Asterin wishes for them to take the wyvern's and leave.
Chapter 9: Lysandra, a courtesan that Celaena once knew, arrives at her door with a child. Arobynn was the man who found her as a child and handed her over to Clariss, the brother madam, to train as a courtesan and then bought her virginity when she turned 17, with Celaena's money. She is there to tell her Arobynn's plan to rescue Aedion. The girl with her, Evangeline, has a scarred face.
Lysandra brings a letter from Wesley, who Arobynn had killed, and a man that Lysandra was in love with. Says Wesley had tried to stop what happened to Sam and Celaena, and had even planned to try and rescue her from Endovier.
Evangeline reveals to Celaena that Lysandra was the one who scarred her. She knew Evangeline could not escape, as she had tried herself as a child and been beaten for it. She scarred her so she wouldn't have to be a courtesan. Clarisse is making her pay back what she would have earned from Evangeline, it is why she still works for her,
Chapter 10: Dorian visits Aedion in the cells, Aedion realises Dorian has no control over himself. Dorian has the guards tend to Aedion's wounds.
Chapter 11: Celaena finds Chaol, Nesyrn, Ress and Bullo in the markets and warns them to keep any of the King's Guard loyal to the rebellion away from the southern wall of the gardens on the day of Aedion's execution, and to pin red flowers to their uniforms.
Chapter 12: Manon is called to a meeting with the Duke and Lord Vernon Lochan. The Duke wants a Blackbeak coven to test on and see if they are compatible to breed with the Valg. They are more likely to be as they are part Valg themselves. Asterin says that she must refuse, witchlings are sacred to them and their is no greater pride than to bear a witchling and no greater shame than to lose one. Manon demotes Asterin to third for constantly questioning her and makes Sorrel her second.
Mnaon meets her servant, Elide, who has a damaged leg. Her uncle is Lord Vernon, Lord of Perranth. Manon cuts her and tastes her blood, realises that Elide has witch blood in her.
Chapter 13: Celaena has been called to the Assassin's Keep, - Arobynn merely toying with her and we learn nothing of use.
Lysandra visits and they talk, learn that Lysandra was jealous of her, that she hates Arobynn and wishes to destroy him. They quickly become friends (Nothing bonds people faster than the mutual want to murder someone!)
Chapter 14: Chaol demands that Celaena doesn't kill Dorian and that she try to save him. He tells her about the wyrdstone towers and how destroying one of them will release magic. She is worried that the King can use the wyrdmarks or magic against her during the rescue. Chaol has her books from the castle and she will use them to find a way to protect herself.
Chapter 15: Aedion is being prepared for execution. They plan to kill him with his own sword, but he plans to kill himself before they can.
Chapter 16: Celaena is disguising herself amongst a group of dancers to get into the castle. The teacher, Florine, is someone Celaena used to know before. Celaena notices wyrdmarks over the doors into the castle, uses water to wash them away.
Chapter 17: Florine gives each dancer a glass flower and warns them not to drop them until it is time. Aedion watches the dancers, sees them throwing black powder on the ground as they dance.
Chapter 18: The dancers throw the flowers down and they are filled with reactive powder that creates a thick smoke that is hard to see through. Celaena uses this to get to Aedion and remove his chains.
Chapter 19: Dorian has followed Celaena and Aedion, tries to use his magic on her but she has covered herself in wyrdmarks to protect herself. She asks Dorian to give her one sign that he is still in there, he doesn't and so she goes to kill him but is stopped by Nesryn.
They escape the castle and hide Aedion in a secret compartment in a carriage to get him through the city. Celaena and Chaol argue over her trying to kill Dorian, even though she promised that she wouldn't. Lysandra finally realises that Celaena is Aelin.
Chapter 20: Elide's father had been Lord of Perranth, but her uncle swore loyalty to the King, her father was executed and he stole his title. Manon realises Elide does not know she is part witch. Manon goes to one of her thirteen, Ghislaine, to ask about the Valg. Learns that the Valg came to their world and stole Fae to have offspring with, and this was how the witches came to be. King Brannon gave witches the Western Wastes.
A leader of one of the Yellowlegs covens volunteers her coven for the experiment.
Chapter 21: Dorian had tried to wrestle back control so he could give Celaena a sign but couldn't. He no longer remembers her name. Hates her for not killing him when she had the chance.
Chapter 22: Chaol still refuses to believe that all hope is lost for Dorian, still believes he is in there somewhere. He is determined to save him, whatever the cost and is angry with Celaena for trying to kill him.
Chapter 23 & 24: Celaena and Aedion have a proper reunion. The Pits, basically the new Vaults, has sprung up. Many Valg guards are there, and Arobynn wants her to fight there as a way to convince the Pit owners to work with him. She chooses to fight a Valg commander. The commander tells her about Morath, says that they do things to her kind there. She snaps his neck and decapitates him. As a reward, Arobynn tells her where Sams' grave is.
Chapter 25: Asterin goes to question Elide and reveals she has witches blood. Elide then tries to steal coins from Manon to help her escape, but is caught by Asterin and then Manon catches them both in her rooms. Manon tells Elide to choose if her blood runs red (human) or blue (witch) and she chooses blue, so she will get their protection.
Chapter 26: Aedion believes he will be taking the blood oath for Celaena, as Queens have only taken one, and it has always been his right. He doesn't realise that Rowan has already taken it.
Valg soldiers killed everyone in the Shadow Market. Celaena follows a Valg commander into the sewers and sees him call a creature there.
Chapter 27: The creature, a Wyrdhound, looks like one of the gargoyles that guards the kings tower and she can hear the King talking through it.
Aedion offers Celaena her father's sword back, but she tells him to keep it and that it belongs to him. Aedion, Celaena and Nesyrn go to a tavern, on their way home Rowan appears.
Chapter 28: Rowan had stowed away on a ship to come here, against Celaena's ordered. Then we get a weird bath scene where Celaena washes his hair and he purrs like a cat (I feel this should be noted). Rowan finds a dress with an intricate dragon design in her closet, says he wishes to see her in it some day. Rowan and Aedion officially meet, Rowan realises that Aedion's father (who he never met or knew) is Gavriel, one of Rowan's cadre and he is part Fae.
Aedion realises that his mother gave her life to protect him. Refused Fae healers who could have saved her life, to be sure that they wouldn't figure out who Aedion was and send word to Maeve, who might have tried to claim him. Rowan lets slip that he swore the blood oath to Celaena. Her and Aedion fight and he storms out.
Chapter 29: Rowan reveals that Lorcan, the strongest male in the Fae realm, has followed Aelin here.
Celaena apologises to Aedion about the blood oath, tells him that he can still swear it and that she doesn't just have to have one. He agrees to swear it, but only once she is crowned.
Chapter 30: Dorian has allowed the demon complete control of him since Celaena failed to kill him.
Chapter 31: Manon goes into the Duke's tent and witnesses Kaltain using dark fire, which the Duke calls shadowfire, on a soldier. The power has always been in her but has now been awoken. It doesn't burn the victim, but causes them severe pain.
Manon and her thirteen are being denied access to the Yellowlegs coven being experimented on. Duke reveals that her grandmother, the Blackbeak Matron, is building the King a weapon.
Elide overhears Manon and Asterin talking in the wyvern aerie.
Chapter 32: Manon orders Elide to find a way into the chambers where the Yellowlegs coven is being kept and find out what is happening to them. Elide finds her uncle touching and talking to Kaltain, she rescues Kaltain from him and takes her somewhere safe. Elide goes to Manon for poison.
Chapter 33: Aedion is training with Rowan and dealing with the knowledge he is half Fae and may age differently to Celaena, he may outlive her. Rowan warns Aedion to never again speak to Celaena in the way he did the night before. Lysandra stops by the apartment, Arobynn has received word of prison wagons heading to Morath with a lot of missing people in them. Celaena offers to kill Clarisse for Lysandra and give her freedom, Lysandra tells her not yet.
Chapter 34: Celaena gives Rowan a tour of the city, takes him to the Royal Theatre and plays the piano for him.
Chapter 35: Chaol and Nesryn go with rebels to rescue the prisoners on the way to Morath.
Chapter 36: Celaena sneaks from her apartment and allows Lorcan to follow her. She leads him to a group of Valg and leaves him there to be killed. He kills them all and finds her, now she knows that the Wyrdhounds can be killed. She warns him that one day she will come or him. This is the first time where Celaena and Rowan have a silent conversation just by looking at each other (Which, personally, still makes absolutely no sense to me).
Chapter 37: Dorian is taken by the Valg demon every day to see the men suffering in the dungeons.
Chapter 38: Lysandra stops by the apartment, where Rowan reveals that she is a shapeshifter. She can't shift now that magic is gone. No one knows about it. Her father must have been a shifter, although she never knew him. Lysandra was kicked out by her own mother when she shifted in front of her at age seven. She took many shapes and forms to survive on the streets. She got more when she made herself prettier, and was in her current form when she shifted. Not how she really looked, but can no longer remember how she truly looked.
Lysandra warns her that Arobynn is about to call in his favour and will then expect her to deliver the Valg to her and then have dinner with him. It is most likely a trap in some way or another. Sends her a bottle of perfumed skin oil for her to wear, so she will smell like him.
Chapter 39: Celaena and Rowan capture one of the Valg, and Celaena manages to speak to the man trapped inside his own body. Makes a deal with him, which isn't revealed to the reader. She sneaks out that night and comes home smelling of ash. Asks Rowan to go with her to visit Sam's grave. She talks to Sam, tells him all she has been through and reveals her thoughts that he was her mate and that she will always love him.
Celaena plans to kill Arobynn that night, after the dinner.
Chapter 40: Elide uses the poison from Manon on the laundress to make her and a few others sick, so she can volunteer to take the sheets down to where the Yellowlegs coven is being kept. She gets down there and sees inside. She is then found by the witches sitting in her own piss and unable to stop vomiting.
Saw inside the room and believes the witches have already given birth once and are about to do so again. The offspring are not witchlings, they are black creatures with diamond skin, snouts and black stone fangs. The witches are chained to tabled, sobbing and begging to be let go. Asterin fights with Manon and draws blood, she will be punished for it.
Elide tells Manon about her family. How her father was killed and that her mother died defending Aelin/Celaena. Her mother was Marion, the woman who sacrificed herself to give Celaena enough to escape the King's men the day they came to kill her. Still hopes that Aelin is alive and may one day come for her.
Chapter 41: Aedion and Rowan talk and agree to kill Arobynn if Celaena doesn't. Celaena wears the dragon dress.
Chapter 42: They arrive at Arobynn's. Celaena and Rowan have another lengthy mind conversation. Aelin watched Arobynn interrogate the Valg commander. He reveals that the king uses the rings to control them, but has to have their blood in him for it to work. Arobynn takes the ring from the Valg.
Celaena subtly gives Lysandra a note before dinner. Arobynn tells her he tried for months to free her from Endovier.
Celaena and Rowan have yet another silent conversation, where she reveals she isn't wearing underwear. (Seriously, how can they have this full blown conversations in their head when SJM has confirmed they can't read each others thoughts or read each others minds. I am calling bullsh*t on it.)
Chapter 43: Arobynn says Celaena has been ruining his business and properties. She disguised herself as one of his most loyal clients, Cormac Hinsol, when she rescued Aedion. Even used two of his carriages when she escaped. Cormac then tried to blame it on Arobynn.
Goes in to the sitting room with Arobynn, but Rowan and Aedion listen outside the door, to discuss what she wants in order to stop messing with his business. Celaena tells him that if her, Rowan and Aedion don't make it out of Arobynn's then Chaol is going to have some of his men give word to the King about Arobynn's dealings and the demon he just killed. Arobynn gives Celaena the amulet, but slips the wyrdstone ring onto her finger.
Chapter 44: Arobynn swallows her blood so that he can control her through the ring. Orders her to blink and she does, does exactly as he says. He sends her off with Rowan Aedion. Celaena had faked her obedience, had chose the Valg with least control of its host and given the human a chance for redemption. Had him feed Arobynn false information about the ring and blood. She had taken the real ring and replaced it with a fake. It was a test for Arobynn, shows that he has no hope of redemption.
Celaena tells Rowan that she has told Lysandra that she can kill Arobynn, she deserves it more. Celaena goes to kiss Rowan but he pushes her away and tells her not to touch him like that.
Lysandra is in bed with Arobynn, she plans to kill him as he lays in bed. She heard him send for his men and she knows he wants Rowan killed. She slits Arobynn's throat with the knife he keeps under her pillow.
Chapter 45: Dorian watches helplessly as the demon in him tortures a man.
Chapter 46: Celaena on the way to the Assassin's Keep, called there by Tern, Harding and Mullin who have taken control as Arobynn is now dead.
Chapter 47: Celaena pretends to know nothing about it and interrogates Lysandra, who plays her part perfectly. Arobynn's throat was slit and he choked to death on his blood. The Master of the Bank arrives to read Arobynn's will, he left everything to Celaena. Tern, Mullin and Harding offer to buy the Guild and house from her, giving her the funds she needs. Celaena had switched the will, originally all she would have received was the amulet back. Celaena goes to vie Arobynn's body and beheads him.
Part 2: Queen of Light
Chapter 48: Manon beats Asterin in the breakfast hall as punishment. Duke summons her and demands a Blackbeak coven for the experiments next. Duke has her and the thirteen take him and Kaltain out on the wyverns. Take them to a village where he gets Kaltain to use her shadowfire to destroy it and all the people there. She only manages to kill some, so Manon and the thirteen have to kill the rest.
Chapter 49: Celaena tells Aedion her plan is to free magic, kill the King and kill Dorian too. Celaena and Lysandra go to the bakery, to find out where the opium dealer from the Shadow Market is hiding out - catacombs below the sewers. They go to the destroyed market and she reveals the opium dealer also sold hellfire, highly flammable, which she wants to find and use to destroy the tower.
Chapter 50: The hellfire supply is hidden below in the underground temple of the God of Truth. Wyrdmarks at the back of the temple tell the story of Elena and Gavin. Describes the demon wars with the Valg left behind after the First War. Valg were led by one of the three Kings. The King could take on any form and appeared as a handsome man. They called him Erawan, Dark King, who Gavin and Elena fought and killed.
Gavin's deathbed confession reveals that they did not destroy the King, they couldn't. The Eye of Elena put him to sleep. They built him a sarcophagus of iron and indestructible stone, put it in a sealed tomb beanth a mountain. A labrynth of doors led to it and they put unbreakable symbols on the doors to lock them. They buried him beneath the Black Mountains and built a keep on top of it. Realise that the Black Mountains is Morath and that the King is attempting to raise Erawan, if he hasn't already.
Chapter 51: Manon asks her thirteen to pick the coven for the Duke but they refuse. A man enters and darkness engulfs them all. Man being controlled by the Valg comes though, tells them his name is Roland and begs them to kill him. Manon kills him. Manon goes after Kaltain, she says that the Duke wants Kings.
Chapter 52: Nesryn brings a message from Ren, tells them the King is building an army at Morath and that he has 3,000 witches and wyvern. already.
Celaena is snuck up on by Lorcan, who holds a knife to her throat. He says that he has left Maeve and that she made a mistake giving Maeve the ring. The ring protects whomever wears it against the Valgs powers. Lorcan wants to destroy all the Wyrdkeys to stop Maeve from getting them. He will give them the ring if they give him the Wyrdkey (the amulet). He then lets her go and disappears.
Rowan tells Celaena he missed her while she was gone. Then he puts his teeth at her neck... which is apparently completely sexy to Fae for some reason. Go figure.
Chapter 53: Dorian paragraphs of basically nothing.
Chapter 54: Manon has received a summons for her and the thirteen. She is to fly to meet her grandmother and the King in Oakwald Forest, finally see the weapon her grandmother has been building.
Kaltain had allowed the demon to take control of her, allowed the Duke to do whatever he wanted to her and her body. She has been lying in wait, slowly stealing back control from the Valg demon inside her. She has full control back but is pretending she doesn't. She wishes to destroy them.
Chapter 55: Evangeline shows up at Celaena's apartment, the King's men came for Lysandra. It was in Arobynn's will that the Guard be told of Lysandra being a shapeshifter. Chaol and Nesryn arrive with news of the meeting in Oakwald Forest and the fact they are bringing a prisoner to transport to Moranth (Lysandra).
Chapter 56: Celaena, Rowan, Aedion, Nesryn and Chaol are going to the meeting place to rescue Lysandra. More Rowan and Celaena moments.
Chapter 57: Celaena promises Chaol she won't try to kill Dorian during Lysandra's rescue.
Chapter 58: At the meeting, Manon's grandmother reveals she received all her letters about the experiments. She already knew about it and she approves. Manon talks to Dorian and manages to actually get through to Dorian and talk to him, he remembers his name before the demon takes back control.
Celaena frees Lysandra from the prison wagon and witnesses Manon's grandmother slapping her as punishment.
Chapter 59: Dorian loses control again but he remembers Manon's name. Chaol has run off from the others, he plans to kill Dorian as he feels he is lost, but he runs into the witches. Celaena reveals herself to the witches and tells them she is Aelin G. Manon is going to allow her to leave unharmed with Lysandra, so Celaena thinks this is a great time to tell them that she killed Baba Yellowlegs, making Manon want to kill her. She traps Manon in place with wyrdmarks and makes for the two bridges that go across the ravine. Manon catches up to them on the first bridge, leading to a stone temple and Rowan gets an arrow through his shoulder as he protects Celaena from getting it through her heart.
Chapter 60: Celaena and Manon fight on the temple. The fighting makes the temple begin to collapse and it collapses around Manon as Celaena escapes. She changes her mind and goes back, saving Manon's life, meaning Manon feels she owes Celaena a life debt.
Chapter 61: Celaena uses once again about how she wishes she had let Chaol die. Rowan is heale by a midwife at a family farm of Nesryns.
Chapter 58: At the meeting, Manon's grandmother reveals she received all her letters about the experiments. She already knew about it and she approves. Manon talks to Dorian and manages to actually get through to Dorian and talk to him, he remembers his name before the demon takes back control.
Celaena frees Lysandra from the prison wagon and witnesses Manon's grandmother slapping her as punishment.
Chapter 59: Dorian loses control again but he remembers Manon's name. Chaol has run off from the others, he plans to kill Dorian as he feels he is lost, but he runs into the witches. Celaena reveals herself to the witches and tells them she is Aelin G. Manon is going to allow her to leave unharmed with Lysandra, so Celaena thinks this is a great time to tell them that she killed Baba Yellowlegs, making Manon want to kill her. She traps Manon in place with wyrdmarks and makes for the two bridges that go across the ravine. Manon catches up to them on the first bridge, leading to a stone temple and Rowan gets an arrow through his shoulder as he protects Celaena from getting it through her heart.
Chapter 60: Celaena and Manon fight on the temple. The fighting makes the temple begin to collapse and it collapses around Manon as Celaena escapes. She changes her mind and goes back, saving Manon's life, meaning Manon feels she owes Celaena a life debt.
Chapter 61: Celaena uses once again about how she wishes she had let Chaol die. Rowan is heale by a midwife at a family farm of Nesryns.
Chapter 62: Manon tells the King about the rebels who freed Lysandra, but she lies and says that she killed them all. Manon saw the weapon her grandmother built. They are giant towers of sacred mirror that would be used to amplify any power, the King would use Kaltains shadowfire.
Back in Morath, Elide is caught by Vernon before she can escape on a supply wagon.
Chapter 63: Vernon leaves Elide in a dungeon cell, wants to use her as she has witches blood in her veins. Vernon calls Manon in and gives her reports on the kingdom - information on Celaena and Chaol. She realises that Chaol's plan is to kill Dorian, and that they don't realise he is still inside.
Asterin takes Manon away from Morath to talk. Tells her that at twenty eight, eighty years ago, she was off hunting Crochan witches when she was caught in a storm and fell from her broom, injuring herself. She was found by a human hunter and stayed with him for five months. When she was summoned back to Blackbeak Keep, she was already a month pregnant. She told Manon's grandmother about the pregnancy when she was four months along, who placed her on bed rest and told no one else. The baby was stillborn and the Matron wouldn't allow her to even see the baby, instead she had her burned and then beat Asterin for it and then branded the words UNCLEAN across her stomach. Sorrel and Vestra are the only two people who know. Manon reinstates her as her second.
Chapter 64: Celaena gives Lysandra a letter from Clarisse, it reveals that she is giving her and Evangeline their freedom - Celaena has paid off both their debts.
Asterin and Manon head to Rifthold. Elide has been in the dungeons for four days and no one has come for her.
Chapter 65: Rowan finds Lorcan on the roof, he tells Rowan that he killed all of the Wyrdhounds. Lorcan suggests that Maeve may want to use Celaena, rather than kill her. That she may collar her, like the King did to Dorian. Lorcan says he is the only one who can hunt down and destroy the keys. Lorcan swears a blood oath that the ring really does protect the wearer from the Valgs powers. Rowan gives him the amulet and takes the ring. Lorcan doesn't realise that the amulet is a fake.
Dorian is still wrestling with the demon and remembers Manon.
Celaena and Chaol finally talk properly. He apologises for all the things Celaena blames him for. Celaena explained that what she said, when she said she would always pick him, wasn't what she meant. Chaol says she deserves to be happy, she tells him the same. She tells him he should be with Nesryn.
Chaol and Nesryn visit a temple, where she makes him promise that he will walk out of the castle. (Maas is kind of evil!).
The plan is for Rowan and Aedio to set the hellfire beneath the tower in the sewers. Celaena and Chaol will be the ones entering the castle to take on the King and Valg Dorian.
Rowan and Celaena finally kiss.
Chapter 66: Celaena refuses Lysandra's help, orders her to get to safety outside the city with Evangeline. Manon has written throughout Rifthold in Valg blood a message for Celaena : WITCH KILLER - THE HUMAN IS STILL INSIDE HIM - letting her know that Dorian is still inside himself and that there is still hope for him.
Chapter 67: Chaol and Celaena split up from Aedion and Rowan, Aedion gives her her father's sword.
Chapter 68: Celaena and Chaol arrive at the castle fence, she has Chaol tied up as if he is a prisoner. His men, including Ress and Brullo, are dead and their bodies have been left hanging from the fence. Celaena is pretending to still be the King's loyal Champion and that she is bringing Chaol to him.
Chapter 69: Celaena has covered herself in wyrdmarks to protect herself. She gives the King two rings, fakes, and tells him they are from the King and Crown Prince of Wendlyn, that she did what he asked of her. The King reveals that he knows who she really is.
Chapter 70: The Wyrdhounds are alive, Lorcan lied about killing them and instead gave them Rowan's scent.
Chapter 71: Rowan and Aedion are fighting the Wyrdhounds, meaning that they are unable to destroy the tower by noon like they had planned.
Celaena reveals she has the Eye of Elena and then runs from the throne room, Dorian pursues her. Chaol stops the King from being able to follow her. She jumps from an open window to escape Dorian.
Chapter 72: Celaena lands on a glass bridge below the window and Dorian follows her. Chaol is taking on the King alone to buy her time to free Dorian. Chaol reveals the Eye that Celaena has is fake, had it made and he doesn't know where she has put the real one. The King uses his powers on Chaol and the chapter ends with us not knowing if Chaol is dead or not.
Chapter 73: Tiny Dorian/Demon paragraph
Chapter 74: Dorian and Celaena are fighting on the bridge, he stabs her in her side.
Aedion and Rowan are still fighting the Wyrdhounds. Lorcan appears and helps them. They finally defeat them and Rowan lights the fuse and finally brings down the tower, setting magic free. The tunnels ahead are filled with hundreds of Valg commanders and soldiers.
Dorian has slipped Athrils ring on Dorian's finger, the ring that protects from Valg powers. Valg uses Dorian's powers against Celaena and she fires her back at him.
Chapter 75: Aedion, Rowan and Lorcan are losing to the Valg. Lysandra appears, shifted into a ghost leopard, and kills all of the remaining Valg soldiers. Once they are defeated, they all head to the castle.
Chapter 76: King arrives on he bridge, says that he has killed Chaol. Dorian finally takes back control from the Valg and snaps the collar off.
Chapter 77: Rowan turns into his hawk form to fly up to the castle and find Celaena. Celaena and Dorian are using their powers on the King. Celaena hears him call Dorian 'My boy' in a voice she has never heard him use before.
Chapter 78: The King reveals that Erawan is already free. He and Duke Perrington went to Morath years ago and freed him. Erawan took over the Duke's body and another demon took over the King. The King has been possessed this whole time and wasn't actually evil. He wrestled control back long enough to have the towers built and banish magic. He says he has wanted Celaena to destroy him this whole time. Tells them Chaol is broken but not dead.
Chapter 79: Dorian shatters the glass castle and kills the King. Celaena awakes on the ground with Dorian and Chaol. Celaena then addresses the city, tells them that the King is dead and Dorian lives. She takes control of the city until Dorian is ready to lead. She orders every single slave freed.
Chapter 80: Vernon goes to visit Elide, now that magic has been freed he wants to see what powers she possesses. He wants her to breed with the Valg. Manon returns to Morath and realises that Elide is missing.
Chapter 81: Manon rescues Elide before she can be taken to be breed with the Valg. News arrives of the King's death.
Chapter 82: Kaltain appears, will help Elide and Manon to escape. Kaltain uses a dagger to slice open her arm and remove a dark stone from it, which she gives to Elide and tells her to give to Celaena Sardothien. She tells her to inform Celaena it is a key which will unlock any door. Kaltain uses her fire to destroy everything in Morath, including herself. Manon, Elide and the thirteen escape.
Chapter 83: Another Rowan and Celaena kiss. Learn that Lorcan took the ring back from Celaena while she was unconscious.
Chapter 84: Dorian visits Chaol as he wakes for the first time. The King broke Chaol's spine in multiple places and he is paralysed and unable to walk. Dorian says they were unable to heal him, he needs to go to the healers at Torre Cesme in the Southern Continent. Dorian has made Nesryn the temporary Captain of the Guard and Chaol the King's Hand.
Chapter 85: Manon tells Elide that the King is dead and that Aelin is alive and she was the one who killed him. She tells Elide to make her way to Terrasen and find her.
Chapter 86: Celaena gives Lysandra a property that once belonged to the Allsbrooks and appoints her Lady of it. Dorian has issued a decree that frees all the kingdoms conquered by his father.
Chapter 87: Duke Perrington and Vernon both survived at Morath and still plan to fight.
Chapter 88: Celaena asks Chaol to try to strike an alliance with the royal family in the Southern Continent as they need all the help they can find. Celaena, Aedion, Rowan and the others are heading back to Terrasen. Manon flies to the castle to see Dorian.
Chapter 89: The book ends with Celaena and the others arriving in Terrasen.
Empire of Storms
Princess Elena Galathynius is in her war tent before the battle with Erawen. His army is much larger, she knows her armies will be slaughtered. Gavin wants her to run, so that she can live. Her father's powers are failing, they can't beat Erawen. Elena tells Gavin she wants to get close to Erawen to kill him and that she needs him as a distraction. Gavin says they can't kill him, they'd only trap him and move this war/battle on to someone else in the future. Elena says that if they succeed, no one can know what they have done.
Chapter 1: Elide has been in Oakwald forest, where Manon left her, for weeks. She is trying to follow Manon's advice to find Aelin & Celaena Sardothien to repay the debt she owes Kaltain Rompier. Elide still has the stone Kaltain gave her. Elide can sense that someone is following her.
Lorcan Salvaerre is being hunted by witches after sneaking into one of their camps, killing 3 Yellowlegs and kidnapping, interrogating and killing a fourth. He learnt that twin witch armies are poised to take the continent - one in Morath, the other in the Ferian Gap. Yellowlegs don't know about the Wyrdkeys. Lorcan thinks Elide is possessed because he can smell the stone, thinks she is possessed by the valg.
Chapter 2: Aelin & the others have been left gifts by the Little Folk that follow them. Aedion has sent messages to the Lords he can trust and asked them to come for a meeting. We also get kissing and endless cringy inner monologue! Kill me now.
Chapter 3: Manon's grandmother arrives at Morath with her coven. Manon remembering what her grandmother did to Asterin - branded her, threw her stillborn in a fire without allowing her to hold the baby, beat her and left her to die.
The High Witch suspects that Manon and her Thirteen were behind the destruction at Morath as they were against the breeding of witches with the Valg.
Erawen now in a different body. He is planning to send the witches to take Rifthold, cause destruction and bring Dorian to him if he can be captured alive. Manon advises him to act as though he is 'liberating' the city from Dorian and not destroy the city too much - more likely to make allies of Anielle, Melisande and Fenharrow that way. Erawen orders her to bring down the glass wall in Rifthold that Aelin created.
Ghislaine tells Manon all she knows of Erawen - one of three Valg Kings who entered their world at the dawn of time. Two were killed or sent back. Erawen fled the continent when Maeve and Brannon defeated his forces. He spent thousands of years rebuilding his numbers. He launched his attack when King Brannon's flame was dimming. Legend was always that Gavin & Elena destroyed him.
Chapter 4: Aelin and the others go to meet Lords Ren, Murtaugh and Darrow. Aelin recognises Murtaugh from the warehouse back in Crown of Midnight. Introduces Lysandra to the men as the Lady of Caraveire, a name she made up.
Darrow tells Aelin she is not yet Queen, rule of Terrasen must be approved by the ruling families of each territory. Darrow doesn't like her or want her as Queen, and calls Lysandra a common whore and Rowan Maeve's minion. Aelin tells him Rowan is her carranam and his loyalty can't be questioned.
Darrow reveals Aelin and Aedion were going to be betrothed but Wendlyn rejected the offer to unite their kingdoms at Maeve's request. Aelin gets angry at Darrow, stabs a blade between his fingers as Lysandra shifts to ghost leopard form. Darrow calls her spoiled and arrogant - well, he's not wrong.
Darrow doesn't recognise her as Queen and neither do the Lords of Slaone, Ironwood & Gunnar - the majority. He tells her that if she tries to return to Orynth and seize the throne then it would be an act of war and treason.
Chapter 5: Aelin is told that the Ironteeth witches fly for Rifthold to sack the city. She sends Rowan to save Dorian and bring him to meet them at Skull's Bay. Aelin asks Aedion to get the Lords to write a letter of recommendation for them for Captain Rolfe.
Aelin leaves Evangeline and Fleetfoot with Murtaugh to keep them safe and makes a blood promise that she will burn them all if Evangeline comes to any harm whilst in their care. Little Folk leave another message - a replica of Brannon's temple, they are telling her where to go.
Chapter 6: Dorian is in Rifthold, told his mother and brother to stay in Ararat. The army of witches and wyverns arrive in Rifthold. Iskra's legion have beaten Manon's there.
Chapter 7: Dorian begins using his magic to kill the witches. A witch and wyvern break into his tower and attack him. Manon and Abraxos arrive, Manon beheads the witch and Abraxos throws her wyvern from the tower. Dorian has been injured by the wyverns venom, his magic is keeping him alive.
Manon tells Dorian that Perrington is a demon in a mortal body and that he has changed body and that he plans to take Erilea. She tells him to escape as four Yellowlegs witches appear. Rowan arrives and kills the Yellowlegs witches. Dorian stops Rowan from killing Manon; Dorian and Rowan escape.
Chapter 8: Dorian and Rowan leaving Rifthold in a boat.
Chapter 9: Elide hears a creature in the forest, coming towards her and it's not whoever has been following her. Lorcan reveals himself and tells her to come with him, he knows she is human. Four beasts find them, the ilken, creatures made by Erawen. Leader of the ilken reveals they have been sent to retrieve Elide.
Chapter 10: Elide tries running but an ilken finds her. She holds the stone so he can sense the power and pretends she has also been sent by Erawen. Lorcan finds her, asks why she smells like the creatures. She tells him she spent months in Morath amongst them, lies and tells him her name is Marion. Elide tells Lorcan about Morath and that she is heading for Terrasen.
Chapter 11: Iskra smells her dead witch on Manon, so Manon lies and says the witch attacked her and that Dorian escaped whilst she was killing the witch. Tells her the four other Yellowlegs were killed by a fae warrior, Rowan.
Manon heads to her grandmother, where the other Matrons wait too. Petrah is also there, the witch Manon saved during the War Games of Heir of Fire. The Blackbeak, Yellowlegs and Blueblood Matrons have gathered for Manon's trial, she is on trial for killing Zelta Yellowlegs. Manon lies again, sticks to her story that she was attacked first. Petrah defends Manon.
Grandmother says that Manon will not be killed but blood must be paid. She orders that Asterin be killed at sunrise the next day.
Chapter 12: Aelin, Aedion & Lysandra arrive in Ilium, where the Temple of the Stone is - it is built around the first rock Brannon placed his foot on. Lord of Meah, Roland Havilliard's father, marched his troops over the border and claimed port of Ilium as his own. They're using the temple as their barracks.
Ilium was once the stronghold of the Mycenians - crime lords who helped win a war so the King ruled them legitimate. Mycenians were exiled for refusing to come to Terrasen's aid. The Mycenians disappeared long ago, along with their sea dragons.
Kingsflame is mentioned - a blossom that bloomed during Orlon's reign but hasn't bloomed since - calling it now, Kingdom of Ash is probably gonna end with this fucking flower blooming!
Chapter 13: Rowan explains to Dorian about his magic and how it feeds off of him, that he will need to master it before it devours him. Dorian tells Rowan about how he couldn't save Sorscha, and Rowan tells him he also couldn't save his mate when she was killed. Rowan tells Dorian to help get Rolfe on their side. Dorian asks Rowan to teach him about his magic, help train him.
Chapter 14: Aelin and Aedion have sent letters to Wendlyn asking the Ashryver's for help. A merchant tells them that 50 fae warships have been spotted on the Western Coast of Fae territory.
Aelin, Lysandra and Aedion make their move on the temple. Aelin uses her fire, giving herself a crown of fire. Their are fifty soldiers, many see Aelin's power and drop their weapons and run. Thirty five soldiers remain. Aelin burns the commander from the inside out, burns him to nothing but ash. They take the temple in twenty minutes, all soldiers are dead or surrendered.
Chapter 15: Aelin steps onto the rock in the temple and Brannon appears. She asks is Maeve can be killed but he doesn't know. Brannon says the Lock is hidden in a sunken city in the Stone Marshes and it is needed to bind the keys back into the broken Wyrdgate,
Erawen has sen a Valg after her, in the body of the Chief Overseer of Endovier - Erawen knows who she is and her past. She tries attacking him with her power, it causes her to vomit. Realises he has a heart of Wyrdstone. Heart punches through his chest, reveals the eyes of Erawen.
Chapter 16: Erawen knows that Rowan has Dorian and that he has men tracking him and they will hurt him. Aelin destroys the overseers body and Erawen leaves.
Chapter 17: Manon plans to make Words of Request, meaning she will be the one to execute Asterin, so that she doesn't suffer. Manon's grandmother allowed Asterin to be beaten, as punishment for the four sentinels Rowan killed. Asterin's execution means any witch who wishes to beat her can. Manon invokes Words of Request and Cresseida Blueblood allows it, as Manon saved her daughter.
Manon knows Asterin could save herself if she would just reveal Manon's lies but she doesn't. The Thirteen raise two fingers to brow for Manon - a symbol used to honor a Witch Queen. Manon tells her Thirteen to run and then turns and attacks her grandmother rather than executing Asterin.
Chapter 18: Manon and her grandmother fight with just their nails and teeth. Grandmother reveals that she killed Manon's mother, even though she was always told she died birthing Manon. Manon is stripped of her title of heir, Wing Leader, Grandmother tells her she will be known as Manon Witch Killer and Manon Kin Slayer.
Her grandmother whispers in Manon's ear that her father was a Crochan Prince and that her mother intended Manon's mixed blood would be the key to break the curse. Manon has been a kin slayer her whole life, killing Crochan's when she is one.
The witch who was spying in the Ferian Gap was actually searching for Manon, as they had learnt the child of their dead Prince was alive. The witch was called Rhiannon and she was Mannon's half sister. - she killed her and wears her cape. Manon is the last Crochan Queen.
Manon's grandmother slices her across the stomach. Manon throws herself from the balcony, Abraxos catches her. Edda and Briar come back to retrieve her and lead her to the Thirteen. Six Yellowlegs are in pursuit, they take on two each. Manon manages to kill both witches chasing her and then faints whilst flying over Oakwald forest.
Chapter 19: Lorcan and Elide plan to find a travelling carnival to travel with. Lorcan uses his magic to make Elide's limp less noticeable, as it makes her recognisable - helps ease some of the pain it causes her too. They go to a tavern for food, he pretends to be human and Elide tells him to pretend they are a married couple. They overhear a traveling troupe (what are the odds!), Elide asks to join and tells them Lorcan is a sword thrower. They agree to let them join temporarily. Troupe tell them of the attack on Rifthold and rumours of Aelin and her court.
Chapter 20: Rowan and Dorian have arrived in Skull's Bay. Captain Rolfe, a character first introduced during Assassin's Blade, is in charge of Skull's Bay. Has hands tattooed with map of the worlds oceans. Rumour is that they would move, showing enemies, treasure and storms. The price for the tattoo was supposedly his soul, they stopped moving when magic fell. They go to his personal tavern, The Sea Dragon, and Rolfe is waiting for them.
Chapter 21: Rolfe revelas that Duke Perrington has issued a decree, signed by the majority of Adarlan's Lords and ladies naming Dorian an enemy of his Kingdom and that Perrington has liberated Rifthold from him. Hollin, Dorian's brother, has been named as Perrington's heir and the Crown Prince.
Rolfe has lost part of the easternmost archipelago, his map now moves but whatever has that territory has magic that shields it, and any scouts sent don't come back but they hear beasts there - men that are no longer men.
Rolfe lost most of his crew in the Spring, fighting to get the island back from Perrington's general. Perrington has Dead End, they have beasts called sea-wyverns with poisoned tails and they're hald the size of a ship. Rolfe's crew - many were captured and returned with wyrdstone rings, under valg control and he had to kill them.
Rowan tells Rolfe about Erawen, the Valg and the Valg Princes. Two fae males appear, Rowan throws a dagger at one.
Chapter 22: The two fae are Gavriel and Fenrys, two of Rowan's cadre who are still blood-sworn to Maeve. They reveal that Maeve's amada sails for the continent and is headed for Eyllwe. Fenrys's twin Connall is back with Maeve - a way to ensure that he comes back. Fenrys originally refused to join Maeve, so she went for Connal, who swore the blood-oath. Fenrys then agreed to join her if she left his brother alone. Fenrys and Gavriel have been sent to find and kill Lorcan.
Chapter 23: Fenrys and Gavriel say Vaughan has also been sent to kill Lorcan. Rowan agrees to tell them where Lorcan is, but only if they send him an army of Doranelle warriors. Rowan is trying to convince them to help fight with Aelin, as it isn't technically against Maeve's orders. Rowan tells Gavriel that he has a son, not who he is but that he is on his way to Skull's Bay with Aelin. He threatens to kill them and break their deal if they tell Maeve about Gavriel's son.
Chapter 24: Aelin, Lysandra & Aedion are on a ship sailing for Skull's Bay - mostly just more endless inner monologue of no real importance.
Chapter 25: Manon wakes in Oakwald forest, a beautiful naked woman appears. An illusion, hiding Erawen's Bloodhound. She escapes on Abraxos and he hits the creature with his poisoned tail.
Chapter 26: Dorian and Rowan have been in Skull's Bay for two weeks. Rifthold is under witch control and shops from the Ferian Gap now sail towards it. Part of Erawen's fleet is in the Gulf of Oro. Dorian writes a letter and has Rowan deliver it to him, acts like it is important news - a trick to get Rolfe to meet with them. Rolfe leads them to his office, where Aelin is seated behind his desk.
Chapter 27: Rolfe remembers her as Celaena Sardothien, doesn't know she is Aelin.
We get more talk about how she is currently Celaena and not Aelin, as they're totally two different people. Aelin should get checked for dissociative identity disorder.
Aelin revels she asked around to check that Rolfe kept to his promise not to trade in slaves - events that happened back in the Assassin's Blade.
Rolfe tells Gavriel, Rowan and Fenrys that they will have his help, men and ships if they kill Celaena. Celaena then introduces Aelin and another Aelin walks in, Lysandra shifted as Aelin. Lysandra shifts back and Aelin reveals who she really is to Rolfe.
Chapter 28: Aelin tells Rolfe she will make him the Pirate King of Skull's Bay and the Dead Islands if he fights with them. Rolfe refuses, tells them to leave and they do. Rowan and Dorian tell them about what happened in Rifthold, she tells them about Ilium, Brannon and the Lock.
Chapter 29: Rolfe's map is only one Aelin can use to the find the Lock. Lysandra and Aedion are tempting Rolfe with the Amulet of Orynth, so Aelin can see if map is working. Aedion can't hide his hatred for Dorian, Lysandra tells him to forgive him and not blame him for what his father did or what Dorian did under Valg control. Aedion asks Lysandra to go with him when he decides to meet Gavriel.
Chapter 30: Elide and Lorcan barely speak but she tells him of Morath, he wants information on guards, armies and the layout. She struggles to tell him about the dungeons and the torture they did there. She refuses to tell him everything, as he will leave once she does. They are given their own tent and she hides the stone under the bed, he hears her doing it. She tells Lorcan her uncle is a commander at Morath and he locked her in the dungeons once. Tells Lorcan of her uncle's plan to breed her with the Valg. Reveals the ilken aren't the creatures bred in the dungeons, they come from the mountains around Morath and are made through darker methods.
Chapter 31: Fenrys asks about Aelin's Settling - if she has shown any sign that she may be immortal or not, she hasn't. Maeve's blood oaths are made with the intention of ruling them in mind, which is why she has such control over those who swear it to her, whereas Aelin does't have that kind of control over Rowan. If any tried to break the oath with Maeve the magic that binds them would kill them.
Chapter 32: Aedion meets Gavriel, tells Gavriel that his mother died so Maeve would not get her hands on him. She could have been healed by the Fae but she would not risk that. Aedion is angry and blames Gavriel.
Aelin finds Rolfe, Fenrys and Gavriel looking at a map with the locations of Morath's armies - Ferian Gap, Gulf of Oro, Melisande, Fenharrow and Eyllwe - making it impossible for them to get aid from the North. Armies are poised to take Eyllwe.
Chapter 33: Aelin knows Erawen is planning to massacre the people of Eyllwe as a message to her for Ilium - he knows it matters to her because of Nehemia. Aelin tells Rolfe that he will give her his armada and arm it with firelances and ship any extras to the Mycenian Fleet. He tells her the Mycenian fleet is a myth. Aelin says she knows he is the heir of the Mycenian people and that she believes they are hiding in the Dead Ends.
Aelin reveals she has liberated Ilium, the Mycenians ancient home, and he can claim it for his people.
Aelin sends a blast of her power out, across the city. Aelin and the others turn to leave when the warning bells begin ringing, the Valg are attacking.
Aelin sent a blast of her power out on purpose, to bring the Valg to Skull's Bay. Eight warships arrive with 100 soldiers on each and they've come with two sea-wyverns too. Aelin threatens to leave Rolfe to deal with it. Rolfe finally agrees to join them but he wants to be admiral, control of whole archipelago, he wants Ilium for the Mycenians (his people) and also wants to be made a lord.
Aelin wants Rowan, Lysandra, Fenrys and Gavriel with her. Aedion to be on north watchtower to use the mounted harpoon and she sends Dorian to the south tower. Aelin asks Rolfe to get her iron chains, to keep a check against her magic if she loses control. Aelin plans to sail Rolfe's ship into the heart of the enemy fleet and blast them all.
Chapter 34: Aelin sees the fight as not just a way to get Rolfe's allegiance, but also to send a message to the world that she is a force to be reckoned with, a way to show off her power and gain more allies.
Lysandra jumps into the water and shifts into a sea dragon - a way to get the Mycenians out of hiding, as legend is they will not return until sea dragons do. Lysandra needs to kill the two sea-wyverns. Lysandra studied the life-size, detailed carvings at Brannon's temple in order to shift into them.
Chapter 35: Rolfe's ship sails out past Ship-Breaker, the chain that lies across the bay and prevents ships from getting in. His other ships stay behind the chain to guard the town. Aelin shackles herself with the chain. Aelin and Rowan cut their palms and link their hands, so she can use his power.
Aelin is wielding the wyrdkey, losing herself to its powers. Her power melts the iron chains off of her. Deanna takes over Aelin, refers to her as the Queen that was Promised. Deanna tells Rowan to tell Aelin to retrieve the Lock. No number of allies will matter unless she has the Lock and puts the keys in it. She tells him 'flame and iron, together bound, merge into silver to learn what must be found. A mere strip is all it shall take.'
Deanna uses her moonfire. She turns her hand towards the bay, thinking to destroy Skull's Bay and all the innocents there. Rowan jumps in front of Aelin's hand and Aelin takes back control, turning her power towards the enemy fleet.
Chapter 36: Aelin has destroyed Rolfe's boat, and all but three of Morath's ships. Lysandra saves Rolfe and his crew from the water. Lysandra sinks one of the enemy ships. The sea-wyverns attack and she kills them easily and sinks another ship.
Chapter 37: Three fully grown sea-wyverns are heading for Lysandra, they realise the other two were babies. She attacks a Morath ship, breaking the mast and making on the sea-wyverns impale itself on it. Dorian uses his power to freeze one of the sea-wyverns and then shatter it. Lysandra leads the final wyvern to Aedions tower and he spears it through the throat.
Aedion runs for the beach, needs to get to Lysandra. He finds Lysandra and tells her he is going to marry her one day.
Chapter 38: Rolfe tells Aelin the cost for his map - he was 16 and barely more than a slave on a ship. His Mycenian heritage got him beaten and all his money went back to his mother sister. Ship was caught in a storm and sank, he drifted for a day before washing up on an island with a man staring down at him. The man asked Rolfe what he wanted for himself - he said he wanted to be Pirate Lord of Skull's Bay. The man told him he could grant his wish but the price was that he would take what Rolfe valued most. Rolfe knew he has no wealth or belongings, so he agreed. Rolfe returned home to find that his mother and sister were killed at sea trying to find him. He realises that was the real price he had to pay.
Rowan and Aelin proclaim they love one another. Then we are blessed with one of the cheesiest sex scenes in history. I cringe my way through it - she actually uses the phrase 'velvet-wrapped steel'.
Chapter 39: Here we get all the talk of 'primal rage' and how no other male is able to look at 'your mate' and all that other possessive shit that is totally romantic and not at all controlling.
Aelin tells the others that she discovered that the Amulet was a wyrdkey back in Wendlyn. She explains to Dorian that she tricked Lorcan with a fake amulet. Aelin draws a wyrdmark to summon Elena. Elena tells her what they did to Erawen was their only option. She tells them the remnants of the Lock are in a great city in the heart of the marshes, in a temple in the very center. Elena's father obtained the Lock at the cost of her mother's mortal life.
The Lock could only be used once - could seal anything you wished. Elena stole it and used it to seal Erawen in his tomb. Laid the used lock in a temple of holy city - the city sank and marsh water now covers it and the city was forgotten. Elena's mother was Mala Fire-Bringer, who bound herself in a mortal body to be with Brannon.
They plan to head for the Stone Marshes to get the Lock. Rolfe sails to find the rest of the Mycenians and then head to Terrasen. They set sail, see a wyvern flying towards them. Manon falls from the saddle and into the water.
Chapter 40: Elide and Lorcan are in their tent and suddenly hear screaming, Lorcan tells her to hide. Four ilken have arrived, hunting for Elide. Lorcan pretends to be in charge and tells them no one matching Elide's description is among them. They reveal they are looking for Elide Lochan, niece of Lord of Perranth - Lorcan realises Elide lies to him.
Chapter 41: Lorcan has killed the ilken. He confronts Elide, asks what she keeps hiding. She says it is a gift for Celaena Sardothien, from a woman in Morath and refuses to show him it. Tells him her mother was called Marion and that she died giving Aelin time to run from her assassin. Tells him that her uncle watched and smiled as her father was executed. He took her father's land and titles then locked Elide in the highest tower of Perranth. When she broke her foot and ankle, he did not trust healers to treat it. He shackled her ankles so she couldn't run, was kept that way for ten years.
Lorcan tells her that he is over 500 years old, blood sworn to Maeve and her second-in-command. He has done great and terrible things in Maeve's name and will do many more. He was born a bastard on the streets of Doranelle but realised he could kill faster than others, he could sense when death was near. Reveals he is here on the behalf of the Queen but without her permission and she may kill him for it.
Chapter 42: Manon wakes up on the boat, chained. Aelin tells her she is now their prisoner. Rowan and Aelin healed the wound on her stomach. Dorian realises that Manon's grandmother was the one who cut her - punished for saving him. Manon tells Dorian to find out if her Thirteen are alive and she will be his to command. Manon tells him the price for saving him was the life of her second and she refused, attacked her grandmother to the Thirteen time to escape. Manon tells Dorian to tell Aelin that Elide Lochan is alive and looking for her,
Chapter 43: Elide and Lorcan enter a tavern hoping to find news; learn that Aelin isn't in the North but that she is rumoured to be heading for Eyllwe. Elide needs to get to Banjali in Eyllwe. Lorcan says he will get her a map, but she reveals she can't read. Guards are heading for them, they run. They take a barge and Lorcan forces the man on it to get them safely out the city. Lorcan kills the man rather than set him free.
Lorcan finally realises the amulet that Aelin gave him is a fake. Elide is angry that he killed the man instead of freeing him like she had promised him. Lorcan reveals that Celaena is an assassin who has killed many innocent people and that Celaena is Aelin. Tells Elide Aelin is an assassin, trained to kill since Elide's mother died to save her - tells her Aelin is no better than the man who killed Elide's mother and royal family. Elide tells him she will judge Aelin when she meets her. Lorcan tells her will take her to Aelin, as he now has business with her - he found a wyrdstone ring inside the fake amulet and a note from Aelin. Lorcan plans to find Aelin and kill her.
Chapter 44: Another cheesy sex scene. Dorian comes to see Manon - she tells him of the Yielding, where a witch can use their bit of magic that can be summoned once and unleash great power on her enemies but it is suicide and incinerates the witch - (Feel like this is foreshadowing for what Manon will have to do and if that happens in KoA I will scream - Manorian must live). Dorian kisses Manon and leaves, toying with her.
Chapter 45: Manon has told Aelin about Elide and what Vernon tried to do to her. Aelin slaps Manon for abandoning Elide in Oakwald Forest. Dorian convinces Aelin to give Manon time on the deck. Rowan, Aelin & Fenrys go to Manon's cabin, Manon says it isn't Fenrys. Fenrys attacks.
Chapter 46: Erawen's Bloodhound was disguised as Fenrys, real one still on deck. Bloodhound now knows on what ship Aelin travels and who she is with. Bloodhound throws Asterin's leather strap to the ground, tells Manon that Erawen broke her and that she begged for her baby. Dorian kills the Bloodhound. Ilken are on the ship. Fenrys gets cut and poisoned by one of the ilken. Ilken came to give Aelin a message - Skull's Bay confirmed to Erawen that she has a wyrdkey.
Chapter 47: Aelin heals Fenrys, talks to him to distract him. Fenrys can use his power to instantly travel short distances, but has no other special powers. Fenrys and Connall are sons of nobles and his parents were warriors. Gavriel came from a noble house and he believes that serving Maeve is a great honour. Gavriel had only wanted to leave once, for Aedion's mother. Aedion's mother didn't want him to stay, so he left.
Chapter 48: Dorian and Manon having their usual back and forth. Dorian says he has no interest in human women, as they're too breakable. Manon tells the others that she is Crochan and that her father was a Crochan Prince killed by her grandmother for conspiring to end the feud between the witches and break the curse on their land. Manon is the last Crochan Queen and rightful heir to Blackbeak clan.
Fenrys comments that Maeve's allegiance can't be boughy, says 'nameless is her price' and that reminds Aelin of something Baba Yellowlegs says. Aelin runs off and is vomiting, Rowan hears her and thinks she could be pregnant.
Chapter 49: Elide has not spoken to Lorcan in three days, only speaks to him because she needs to stop for supplies. Elide goes to try on clothes at an inn, led to a room and locked in. Vernon is there waiting for her.
Chapter 50: Vernon has four ilken with him, and tells Elide Lorcan was spotted leaving on their boat. He tells her Manon is dead, gutted by her grandmother and thrown from a balcony in Morath. Vernon plans to put her in an iron box and fly her back to Morath. Elide fights back, grabs Vernon's knife and turns it on herself, plans to stab herself through the heart and kill herself rather than go back.
Lorcan is watching from a rooftop, he throws his hatchet and hits Elides hand with the handle to stop her killing herself. He attacks three of the four ilken, one escapes with Vernon. Elide kills one of the ilken he injured. Lorcan heard Vernon talking Elide about Manon and Kaltain, she explains who they are. She shows Lorcan the stone that Kaltain gave her - he knows it is a wyrdstone. He explains about wyrdstones and wyrdkeys. Lorcan promises to always find Elide, she kisses him on the cheek and promises the same.
Chapter 51: Erawen's forces have set Eyllwe on fire, but they can't find any trace of Erawen or Maeve's forces. There are rumours that Aelin is the one setting the fires - as a punishment for Eyllwe not helping ten years ago.
Aelin and the others arrive a the Stone Marshes. Aelin isn't pregnant. Manon is to go with them but has to send Abraxos off on his own. She takes just a strip from her red cloak and ties it round her braid, drops the rest in the sea.
Chapter 52: Elide and Lorcan arrive at the marshes, Lorcan feels led there by Hellas himself (god). They spend days inching across the marshes. Elide asks Lorcan about Maeve - reveals he has loved her since he first saw her. He once offered to be her lover and she laughed at him, so tried to prove invaluable in other ways,
Elide says she will hide Lorcan in Perranth from Maeve. Kisses him and tells him that he will always have a place in Perranth. He kisses her. An army of ilken appear, flying for the marshes.
Chapter 53: A beast from the swamp tries to attack Manon and Dorian stops it. Aelin realises Rowan let the beast through his shield, to serve as a lesson for Dorian but also so Manon could see him 'save' her. Manon sees the Eye of Elena and recognises it as a witch symbols called Eye of the Goddess. Talks of the battle at the Crochan city. Nothing grows on the killing field because of the curse. Rhiannon Crockan held the gates for three days and nights against the Ironteeth Matrons. She fell on the fourth day and cursed all the Ironteeth. Rhiannon swore they would win the war but no the land - the land would wilt and die, beasts would shrivel and keel over, their witchlings would be stillborn, fish would rot and rabbits and deer would flee and the Witch Kingdom would become a wasteland.
The Ironteeth had laughed until their first witchling was born dead, followed by more and more. Cattle rotted in the fields, crops withered overnight. The witches eventually had to leave and have been wanderers for 500 years. Humans eventually took the Wastelands and the land responded to them.
Rhiannon said there was only one way to break the curse: 'Blood to blood and soul to soul, together this was done, and only together it can be undone. Be the bridge, be the light. When iron melts, when flowers spring from fields of blood - let the land be witness, and return home' (Is the Kingsflame gonna blossom at the end of a final battle in KoA, breaking the curse?)
Fenrys and Gavriel tell Rowan to take Aelin and run - they believe powers they can't understand have led Manon and Aelin here. Two Queens who can control half the continent, both half-breeds who cover the three main races, one mortal and one immortal, one worships fire and the other Darkness. Fenrys reveals Maeve has already replaced Rowan with Cairn, a sadist. Fenrys asks Rowan to kill him if Maeve orders him to kill Aelin, Rowan assures him he'd be dead before he could ever touch her.
Chapter 54: They finally arrive at the temple, find a chest covered in wyrdmarks. The sense magic, Lorcan has sent out a warning signal. They spot the 500 ilken flying towards them.
Chapter 55: Aedion is angry, blames Aelin - says her constantly showing off her power to Erawen has worked and this is his response. Lysandra plans to anger the beasts of the marshes so they'll attack any ilken that land. It's revealed that Rowan put salt in the wounds on his back from Aelin's nails so they'd scar - you know, 'cause that's hot and romantic and not at all weird. Aelin heads out into the marshes, so she can send a full blast of her power at the ilken.
Chapter 56: Aelin unleashes her magic, Dorian and Rowan too. They kill all 500 ilken in one go.
Chapter 57: Elide and Lorcan head for Aelin and the others. Gavriel and Fenrys attack Lorcan in their animal forms. Elide jumps in to save him and is bitten. Lorcan will have to drop his shield to allow them to heal Elide but he will be killed, he does it anyway. Rowan uses his power to keep Lorcan & Fenrys from fighting. Rowan declares Lorcan and Elide under Aelin's protection, which is a way to delay the blood order for a while.
Aelin tells Elide her mothers last words were to tell Elide that she loved her. Elide sees Manon, finally knows she is alive. Elide gives Aelin the stone from Kaltain and the message that Kaltain gave her - she can unlock any door if she has the key. Aelin claims Elide for her court.
Chapter 58: Chest holds a mirror, not what they expected. It is a witch's mirror, some can see the future, past and present, some can speak between mirrors if someone possesses the sister-glass, some amplify and hold power. Manon explains Erawen was building large towers with witch mirrors, so he could send out huge blasts of power. They head back to their ship and are surrounded by Melsande's fleet. Aelin walks to meet the fleet, it is Ansel of Briarcliff, Queen of the Wastes - a woman that Aelin allowed to live years ago (an event from Assassin's Blade).
Chapter 59: Aelin introduces Manon & Ansel - Manon wants to kill her as she is proclaimed Queen of Western Wastes, which Manon feels belongs to the witches. The Wastes have now allied with Aelin. She sent a letter to Ansel revealing who she really was and giving her instructions. Ansel marched her army on Melsande, the Queen assumed they had come to offer aid and let them in. Ansel claimed Melisande's fleet for Aelin and Terrasen.
Lysandra and Aedion talk and both admit they want to try to be together. Aedion reveals he is bisexual.
Chapter 60: Aelin tells Ansel that she wants her to find the lost Crochan witches - believes they're in hiding. Aelin knows the Ironteeth worked with Erawen because he promised to give them back the Wastes and break the curse. Aelin tells Ansel to give the Crochans the South and inland of the Wastes. Ansel reveals she attempted to get Aelin out of Endovier but Dorian had already come for her. Ansel reveals Maeve was the one setting the fires in Eyllwe and blaming Aelin for it.
Manon and Dorian have sex. Maas proves she is still unable to write a sex scene that doesn't make you cringe and the term 'purely male' gets used far too much.
Maeve's armada appears.
Chapter 61: Maeves armada is three times the size of theirs and she has immortal warriors with magic. Maeve sends them a message, surrender or die. Gives them a day to decide. Rowan turns into a hawk and flies for her ships. Finds his cousin Enda, goes to all his cousins and asks the same thing of all of them - they all say they will consider it. (We don't know what the request is at this point)
Chapter 62: Dorian gathers Manon, Rowan and Aelin at the witch mirror. He believes it holds knowledge of how to bind the three keys. Dorian believes it is a travelling mirror. Deanna's words mean Manon and Aelin need to step into the mirror and learn how Aelin can wield the keys.
Chapter 63: Fenrys reveals that Maeve whipped them for aiding Rowan at Mistward - believes she is scared of how powerful they are together. Fenrys and Gavriel agree to fight with Rowan until Maeve summons them. Lorcan agrees to fight if Rowan sends Elide to shore with a guard of men.
Chapter 64: Manon and Aelin enter the mirror, into a memory from a thousand years ago of Elena Galathynius. Eye of Elena in center of sarcophagus, she turns it three times to seal it. They've had the Lock the whole time.
Chapter 65: Immortal figure appear to Elena - Elena's father had promised to use the Lock to wield the three keys and send the immortal figures back where they belong along with Erawen, the Lock was forged for them. Rhiannon Crochan helped Elena's mother Mala cast her essence into the lock.
Mala appears and threatens to release Erawen and Elena begs her to wait. Mala agrees but at a price and a promise. Malas bloodline will bleed again to forge the lock. Elena will lead them like a lamb to slaughter to pay the price. They agree to take Erawen back with them, then the person will have to seal the gate behind them using their entire life force - so Aelin would have to die to seal the gate.
They then see Nehemia's memory - she wandered the Stone Marshes, had come to learn how to save them and seal the gate, Elena appeared to her, told her she had a different role to play. Tells Nehemia two branches of Mala's bloodline is in the North - Dorian and Aelin. Tells her to find Aelin at Dorian's Palace and that she will never see Eyllwe again. Nehemia went knowing she would die.
Chapter 66: Lysandra in sea dragon form, destroying ships Rowan mapped for her. Ships in Maeve fleet now raising Whitethorn flags and begin firing on Maeve's armada.
Chapter 67: Rowan went to his cousins, told them of Aelin and begged them to fire on Maeve and not them, an act of treason and all have done it. Maeve summons Gavriel and Fenrys. Gavriel looks at Lorcan and points to shore before disappearing. Lorcan realises Maeve isn't with the armada, she is on shore where he left Elide. Lorcan abandons them and sails for Elide.
Chapter 68: Aelin now knows Nehemia went to Rifthold knowing she would die. Sees another memory of Rhiannon explaining how the mirror works. Then Brannon at Elena's tomb, she gave up her immortal life for Gavin. Brannon forging the amulet of Orynth, he left the messages and clues in Elena's tomb. Brannon makes Mort, the knocker at the door to the tomb. Brannon hid the wrydstone in Elena's crown and put the final key in Mala's temple.
Elena shows Aelin another memory - the night she fell into the Florine river escaping the assassin. Elena was allowed to form a body to save her. She put her on the bank but the cold killed her. Elena brought her back to life and Elena tugged Arobynn from bed and her power led him to Aelin. She believed Aelin would be the one to save them, not Dorian. Elena will pay for bringing Aelin back - will go with the others when the gate is sealed and will never see Gavin or her children again. Elena shows Aelin what she must do but we don't see.
Manon and Aelin are sent back - not to the ship but right in front of Maeve, who has one of her warriors holding a blade to Elide's throat. No idea why the mirror magically sends them here other than that is what the plot needs - deus ex machina!
Chapter 69: Gavriel placed a shield round Aedion to protect him before Maeve summoned him away. Manon's thirteen arrive with Abraxos.
Chapter 70: Rowan realises that Aelin and Manon are on the shore with Maeve and that the armada was a distraction.
Chapter 71: Lorcan had summoned Maeve - when he first spotted Ansel's ships he thought they were an enemy fleet and he summoned Maeve to save Elide. Aelin's magic is depleted from killing the ilken, all a part of Maeve's plans. Gavriel asks Maeve to spare Aelin and return home. Maeve severs the blood oath with Gavriel without honor or good faith - knows how it will hurt him.
Aelin asks why she is doing this to her. She saw that Aelin would be born and lead her to the keys. Maeve saw that Aelin's mate would be powerful and that their children could be powerful enough to rule an empire. Reveals that Rowan is Aelins mate. She made him believe that Lyria was his mate and then she led the enemy forces to her to kill her and break Rowan (How 'special' is the mate bond if she can just trick Rowan into thinking he found his mate?)
She made sure Rowan swore an oath to her, knew she could use Rowan and Aelin's mating bond against them. Aelin has known Rowan was her mate since Manon shot him with the arrow. Maeve reveals Aelin is about five years away from Settling, she has the immortality of the Fae. Tells Aelin she will willingly go with Cairn or Maeve will also bring Elide with them.
Chapter 72: Aelin agrees to go - tells Elide to tell the others that she is sorry, to tell Lysandra to remember her promise, tell Aedion is is not his fault and to tell Rowan she is sorry she lied but it was all borrowed time and she knew it, she just wished they'd had more of it. Tells her to tell Rowan to fight and save Terrasen. Maeve plans to wield Aelin and the wyrdkeys.
Maeve brings out an iron box with chains within and an iron mask. Maeve makes Aelin remove her shirt and Cairn whips her. Maeve tells her to count ten lashes but she refuses, so is whipped over and over again. Manon knocks out Elide and takes her away. Maeve puts the iron mask on Aelin.
Chapter 73: Manon has the wyrdkeys, Aelin slipped them in her pockets so Maeve won't get them; it is why she had to get away and act uninterested. Manon watches as they place the mask on Aelin, chain her wrists, ankles and neck and lock her in the box. Maeve strips Lorcan of his oath, assets, titles and properties and exiles him from Doranelle. They load Aelin onto Maeve's ship and then it disappears.
Chapter 74: Rowan arrives, holds a dagger to Lorcan's throat and demands to know where Aelin is. Rowan refers to Aelin as his wife - she marries him knowing Maeve was on the way, leaving Terrasen with a King. Elide tells them what happened and tells Rowan that Aelin is his mate. Aelin had asked Lysandra to promise her that when Aelin died to forge the lock that she would shift into her form and pretend to be her and lead Terrasen. She would have children with Aedion so they could be passed off as Aelin and Rowans.
Aedion is angry, calls Lysandra a lying bitch for agreeing, knowing and saying nothing. Elide tells Lorcan that she hopes he spends the rest of his life suffering.
Asterin and the Thirteen spent months looking for Manon and then Abraxos found them and led them to her. Manon plans to find the Crochans, raise an army for Aelin and her people. The Thirteen agree to follow her. Manon gives Dorian the keys, as Mala's bloodline runs in his too - Seriously, if she kills Dorian to forge the Lock I will lose my shit.
Chapter 75: Rowan and Aelin married two days before, with Aedion and Lysandra as witnesses. Aedion has the formal documents. Galan Ashryver, Crown Prince of Wendlyn arrives. Aelin sent a letter to him, not his parents. Ilias, son of the Master of Assassins is here with his army - Aelin called in her life debt with the Silent Assassins.
Lysandra appears and pretends to be Aelin - will pretend to be her to their allies. Lysandra tells the armies they will go north to Terrasen. Gavriel, Lorcan and Elide want to go with Rowan to find Aelin, they believe Fenrys will try to leave tracks to follow. Dorian is heading North with the witches and will try to find the third key. Rowan is determined to find Aelin.
Tower of Dawn
Chapter 1: Chaol has reached the Khagan's palace in Antica. The khaganate's spent centuries at nomadic horse-people before the first khagan emerged. He was a warlord who unified the scattered tribes and took the continent piece by piece.
Chaol has two tasks in Antrica - convince the khagan and his six potential heirs to send their armies to war against Erawen and to find a healer to get him walking again.
Chaol notices white cloths hanging from windows, lanterns and doorways. Nesryn tells him it is a sign that a royal relative has recently died.
The last khagan outlawed slavery, so all servants are paid. The inheritance of the empire is decided by the khagan - he can pick any of his children, based on who proves they are best suited for it. Khagan is required by law to keep a sealed document naming his heir in case he dies suddenly - this can be changed at any time.
Chapter 2: Nesryn's father was from Antica so this feels like home to her.
Urus is the current khagan and he has six children. Urus fought for his crown, executed two of his siblings, one is in exile and two swore fealty to him by having the healers of the Torre render them infertile.
Sartaq is the khagan's second-born and is commander of the ruk riders, the rukhin. Ruks are enormous birds, eagle like in shape. Sartaqs ruk is called Kadara.
Arghun is the eldest son and the politician amongst them - known as the Prince of Spies.
Duva is the second youngest, and currently six month pregnant, after recently having an arranged marriage to prince from a neighbouring territory.
Kashin, the fourth-born, has control of the armies on land.
Hasar is the third-born and she is in control of their armadas.
Chaol has brought jewels and gold as a gift from Dorian, Aelin gave him it for this purpose. Urus reveals he knows Aelin used to be Celaena Sardothien, an assassin. He is insulted that a wedding gift was not sent when Duva married, as every other kingdom sent one. Urus knows he is there to ask him to join the war and he says he will consider it whilst Chaol is there. Khagan gives Chaol permission to be healed at the Torre Cesme. He tells them to keep the jewels and gold, as he has no use for it.
Urus reveals his youngest daughter, Tumelan, died suddenly three weeks ago.
Urus tells Chaol that Perrington sacked Rifthold and that Dorian fled the city and that it now belongs to Perrington and the witches.
Chapter 3: Kashin comes to Chaol & Nesryn's chambers, tells them the khagan wishes for them to dine with him and his family every evening. Kashin is worried that Perrington's forces could have infiltrated their court, wants Chaol to observe at dinners. Tumelan is believes to have killed herself, having jumped from her balcony - Kashin doesn't believe it, says she would never do that.
Chapter 4: Yrene has been in the Torre for two years now, working under the guidance of Hafiza, the Healer on High. Yrene is the girl that Aelin saved in the Assassin's Blade. Yrene now feels ready to return to Adarlan, she wants to help in the war in any way she can.
Kashin is fond of Yrene, they became friends after she healed one of his servants. Kashin wants more than that but Yrene doesn't.
Hafiza assigns Yrene to Chaol - wants Yrene to heal him before she decides whether she will leave the Torre or not. She informs Yrene he is Chaol Westfall, the new Hand of the King of Adarlan and former Captain of the Guard. Yrene says she does not want to heal him, she hates Adarlan and the soldiers there - her mother was burned alive by soldiers from Adarlan.
Yrene still has the brooch that Aelin gave her all those years ago, and the note that Aelin gave her too.
Chapter 5: Yrene comes to assess Chaol and is angry at being there. She is very rude to him.
Chapter 6: Yrene tells Hafiza that she can heal Chaol, as the injury is almost identical to an injury she healed before.
Nesryn leaves the palace to go visit her aunt and uncle in the city, Sartaq sees her and asks to escort her. Sartaq tells Nesryn he was twelve when he snuck on rukhin captains ruk and rode it. His father ordered him to live amongst the rukhin as a punishment for this. Kadara hatched when he was fifteen and he took her as his ruk.
Chapter 7: Chaol summons a servant, Kadja, and asks her to go into the city and try to find any information she can on Rifthold. Chaol then goes to see Arghun, wants to ask him all he knows of Rifthold. Arghun doesn't want to be seen talking to him and tells him to leave.
Yrene joins the khagan and everyone for dinner - she is also good friends with Hasar and her lover, Renia.
Chapter 8: Yrene tells Chaol she will heal him and attempt to get him walking again. She warns him to be wary what he says, that the servants are paid by the vizier and kahagan's children for information.
Yrene lays her hands on Chaol's wound and probes it with her magic - she feels cold, dark anger and agony of the magic that was used.
Chaol whispers to Yrene about what happened to him - about wyrdgates, wyrdstones, Wyrdhounds, the Valg, Erawen, Valg princes and collars and rings. He doesn't tell her about the keys or that the King was enslaved by a Valg. Also doesn't tell her Dorian was enslaved by one. He doesn't reveal who attacked him or who Duke Perrington really is.
Chapter 9: Chaol tries to organise a private meeting with the khagan during dinner, the khagan refuses.
Chapter 10: Yrene is in the Torre library, trying to find out more information about the kind of wound that Chaol has. Nousha, the Head Librarian, has found her texts and scrolls on dark magic, demons and wounds inflicted by them.
Yrene finds an Eyllwe text called The Song of the Beginning with illustrations of an army kneeling before a towering gateway of blackstone - the Valg. Another shows three figures by the gate - names them as Erawen, Orcus and Mantyx, the three Valg Kings.
Yrene decides to leave for the night, she feels a presence following her. She runs and finds a dead healer on the floor, looking as if something has sucked the life out of her. The healer looks very similar to Yrene.
Chapter 11: Yrene arrives late to see Chaol and she sends his servant away to get ingredients so that she can talk to him. She tells him about the dead healer and that something was hunting her. Chaol believes a Valg is responsible for what happened to her. The healer looked like Yrene, so they believe it believed they were killing her. The valg also took the texts she had been reading.
Yrene reveals she teaches a class on self defence - teaches what Aelin taught her years ago. She wants Chaol to go with her and teach them what he knows. Yrene is getting Chaol a special brace and straps made so that he can ride a horse.
Chapter 12: Yrene starts the healing, it causes Chaol intense pain. There is an echo of the dark magic in his wound and it hates Yrene's magic. Chaol will experience excruciating pain the whole time she heals him. Yrene will need to fight off the magic and heal him at the same time. Yrene says he must talk about what happened, heal his emotional wounds as well but he refuses.
Chaol wants Nesryn to try and talk to Sartaq, so she goes and finds him in the aerie. Sartaq takes her for a ride on Kadara. They talk about Adarlan and what Aelin did to the King, as they have heard she killed him. Nesryn tells him the king was a monster and that Aelin did Erilea a favour.
Chapter 13: Yrene is healing Chaol, the dark magic shows her images of Morath.
Nesryn goes into the city to try and search for signs of the Valg - Sartaq follows her. Sartaq tells her he has heard that Rifthold is filled with monsters, beasts that look like humans but aren't. Nesryn tells him about her mother, who got sick but the King had rid Erilea of magic and killed the healers, so she could not be treated. Her father wanted to bring her to the Torre but she got to sick to make the journey and died. She explains to Sartaq that if he sees anyone with black rings or collars then he should behead to kill them. Explains everything she can about the Valg. Sartaq explains his hearth mother at the rukhin had told him stories - sounds like there was a Valg presence on this continent a long time ago.
Chapter 14: Yrene meets Chaol and they ride over to the self defence class. Yrene uses it as a teaching lesson for some of the girls, allows them to help him down off his horse. Chaol is furious and embarrassed.
Chapter 15: Yrene and Chaol fight about her letting the acolytes help him. Chaol asks if Yrene's problem is with him or Adarlan in general - she tells him how Adarlan soldiers burned her mother alive while she watched.
Chapter 16: Chaol is being healed, it shows him painful memories from his past, Yrene sees them as well. Chaol tells Yrene about Dorian, watching Sorscha be killed and then Chaol fleeing and leaving Dorian there. Chaol can now curl and uncurl his toes.
Chapter 17: Nesryn goes to visit her uncle Brahim and aunt Zahida. She tells them about the attack at the Torre and tells them to hire more guards.
Chapter 18: Hasar asks Yrene to meet with her, she wants Yrene to try and find out where Aelin is as she is not in Terrasen.
Chapter 19 & 20: Chaol goes with Yrene to see a man she is healing and then she gives him a tour of the city.
Chapter 21: Hasar makes Nesryn move at dinner so Yrene can sit next to him. Yrene tells Chaol that Yrene is not in Terrasen and that they want to know where she is. Yrene and Chaol pretend to flirt, so the others don't know what they are discussing. Chaol tells her Skull's Bay, as he thinks it is the last place Aelin would actually go.
Nesryn tells Chaol she plans to go with Sartaq, he wants to return to the rukhin in the mountains to try and find out if the Valg did make it to this continent a long time ago.
Chapter 22: Yrene arrives early and finds Chaol in bed with Nesryn. Chaol sees a book Yrene has taken from the library, it is covered in wyrdmarks. He makes her hide it in his room.
Chapter 23: Yrene asks what happened to the other Valg Kings, as the illustration showed three but he only talks of Erawen. He tells her that two were either defeated or sent back. Yrene points out that if they were only sent back then they could come back.
She begins healing him, sees more dark memories and then she shows one of her memories with her mother. Chaol can now feel his feet as well as his toes. She tells Chaol about her mother and her life after she died. Tells him she spent time in Innish trying to make money to come to the Torre. Yrene tells Chaol she knows the King is the one who gave him the wound and that he was possessed.
Chapter 24: Sartaq invites Nesryn to the mountains with him to hunt for answers, it will take three weeks. Nesyrn agrees and leaves a note for Chaol, telling him she holds him to no promises and she will hold to none of her own.
Chapter 25: Yrene and Chaol head to the Torre library to look for more information. Chaol reveals that the part of the King that still had some control was the one stopped the magic and executed healers and those with magic. He knew that Erawen and the Valg were drawn to magic and wanted to possess people with it so they could use their powers.
Sartaq and Nesryn camp for the night. He reveals he has heard of her before - his spies in Adarlan told him of the arrow she shot to save Lysandra's life (in Queen of Shadows) and that they refer to her as Neith's arrow.
Chapter 26: Chaol receives Nesryn's letter and is angry, feels it is his fault because of the flirting with Yrene at dinner. He is very short with Yrene when she comes to heal him, they fight. Yrene goes to see Hasar and she tells her that Sartaq has gone off into the mountains and taken Nesryn with him - Yrene now knows why Chaol was upset.
Chapter 27: Yrene goes out to heal people in the city as she is still mad about her fight with Chaol. Yrene heads back to the palace but feels the presence behind her again. She runs for Chaol's room and locks the door behind her. The creature begins trying to break it down while calling out for Yrene. Chaol gives her a dagger as they wait to fight whatever breaks through the door. Guards appear and whoever was there has vanished.
Chapter 28: Yrene spends the night in Chaol's room, she feels safer there. Chaol wakes early and goes and finds one of the guards, Hashim, and has him train and show him how they fight. He begins training with them every morning.
Chapter 29: Nesryn and Sartaq reach the rukhin in the Tavan Mountains. She meets Borte, the grandaughter and Heir of Sartaq's hearth-mother Houlun. There is a man there who is a guest of the hearth-mother, a merchant called Falkan Ennar.
Chapter 30: Nesryn trains with Sartaq, Borte and others, shows them her skill with an arrow. The heart-mother, Houlun, returns and reveals that a dark force stirs in the mountains and she had gone to search for it. Ruk nests have been pillaged, with eggs and hatchlings stolen. She tells them the creatures are known as kharankui - Nesryn thinks she is talking about the Valg. Houlun reveals they refer to the creatues as stygian spiders in Erilea. The stygian spiders (Heir of Fire) are actually Valg, came from the same world as the Valg kings.
Chapter 31: Falkan reveals he got a hundred yards of spidersilk from the spiders for the price of twenty years of his life. He is only 27 but looks almost fifty. Falkan wants to try and get his twenty years back - believes he must kill the spider who took them. He has come to learn from the rukhin how they kill the spiders.
Houlun knows of Erawen and the Valg and agrees to tell them what she knows. Long ago, a wyrdgate appeared in the Tavan Nountains - it allowed the kharankui to enter along with other types of Valg. Most went to Erilea but the spiders remained. War raged in Erilea - a Fae Queen (Maeve) against three Valg kings. After the Valg were defeated, the fae came to these mountains to teach the ruks how to fight the kharankui. They built watchtowers across the mountains. Houlun tells them to go to the watchtower to try and find more answers.
Chapter 32: Yrene and Chaol return to the library to try and find how the ancient texts and scrolls came to be in the library. Nousha reveals they may find the answers they need in the Aksara Oasis - it is the royals private refuge and no one can go without their permission. Chaol & Yrene go for a meal together, Yrene knows she needs to find a way to get Hasar to invite her to the Oasis.
Chapter 33: Sartaq and Nesryn go to one of the watchtowers, it is filled with traps. They come across some fae weapons and both take one.
Chapter 34: A kharankui appears above them. A large grey wolf appears and fights the spider, so they escape. Kadara attacks the spider as it follows them and she kills it. The wolf is Falkan, he is a shapeshifter and followed them there.
Chapter 35: Falkan comes from a family of shifters but didn't know he could shift until he came to this continent.
They return back to the rukhin and Nesryn tells Borte everything. Houlun tells Sartaq about the wrydgates and keys.
Chapter 36: Chaol now has movement up to his knees but still can't stand. Chaol is at dinner with Yrene, Hasar and other siblings when Hasar comments that Nesryn is due back the next day. Chaol reveals Nesryn has sent a letter, saying they are staying in the mountains for another three weeks.
Hasar says that Dorian and Aelin have both been spotted. Aelin was in Skull's Bay, as Chaol said, and her spies saw her unleash her power on Morath's ships. Hasar wants Chaol to swear on Yrene's life that Aelin won't one day try to conquer their continent too, Chaol can't swear it.
Kashin comes to Chaol's room that night, he reveals they provided Captain Rolfe with firelances and that they have had a new order for more to be shipped North.
Chapter 37: Nesryn, Sartaq and Falkan go to the other three watchtowers and find nothing of importance. Other ruk riders show up at the last temple. A rider called Yaren argues with them for a while and then leaves. Sartaq reveals that Yaren is Borte's fiance.
Chapter 38: Chaol interrupts the khagan's meeting with his foreign trade vizier. Says he has come to speak to the vizier, not the khagan. He tells the vizier to double Rolfe's firelance order and pays using the jewels and gold Dorian gave him - showing the khagan how profitable the war could be for him. Khagan kicks Chaol out, tells him that he can't be manipulated.
Chaol is angry, and he and Yrene get in to another fight. He says some hurtful things and she turns to leave.
Chapter 39: He manages to walk towards her to try and apologise. Chaol kisses Yrene.
Chapter 40: Chaol can walk a little but still needs healing. Yrene's birthday is soon, she has convinced Hasar to throw her a party in the Oasis so they can go there to look for more information.
Chapter 41: Sartaq, Nesryn and Falkan are going to head to Dagul, which is kharankui territory. They find a hatchling alive there and fly for it, it is a trap and Kadara flies into the spiders webbing.
Chapter 42: A spider appears and kills the hatchling. Sartaq, Falkan and Nesryn run, have lost Kadara.
Chapter 43: Chaol can now ride without a brace. They are riding to the Oasis.
Chapter 44: Chaol tells Yrene about his guard - how they were tortured, killed and left to hang on the castle gates. Yrene and Chaol go for a walk, trying to find a cave but come across ruins. Find columns with images on them. They have found a fae burial site, realises fae have been here. Chaol believes the healers are the ancestors of the fae and they can be used to fight the Valg.
Hasar thinks Aelin should marry one of her brothers, so Chaol reveals she will marry Rowan Whitethorn as they are caranam and he has sworn a blood oath to her. Hasar tries to pressure Yrene to marry Kashin, Chaol interrupts and says that will never happen. Yrene pushes Hasar into the pool.
Chapter 45: Chaol gives Yrene a locket for her birthday, he has noticed her grabbing for something in her pocket a lot (note from Aelin) and she can now keep it in the locket. Chaol and Yrene have sex and let us all congratulate Maas, this scene doesn't use the phrases 'velvet-wrapped steel' or 'purely male'.
Chapter 46: Yrene tells him about the girl who saved her years ago and taught her self defence.
Chapter 47: Sartaq, Nesryn and Falkan escape on foot. Sartaq finds himself stuck, a spider coming for him. Sartaq tells her he loved her before he ever met her - my eyes roll so hard I almost lose them! Sartaq is taken by a spider, Nesryn plans to get caught on purpose to go after him - how very LOTR!
Chapter 48: She wakes up wrapped in webs. A spider finds her trying to escape and talks to her. Says the kharankui are awaiting the Queen of the Valg to return to them, says she goes by the name Maeve. Maeve is a Valg Queen - I totally forgot this before I reread.
Chapter 49: Spider tells her about Maeve. She came from the same world as the Valg kings. The three kings ruled before she appeared, with a new and dark power. The King desired her but she agreed to marry the eldest and strongest one, Orcus.
Maeve learnt how to enter other worlds and stepped into this one, the kharankui came with her to this spot in the mountains. She told them spiders to guard the gate, she did not want to return. Orcus and his brothers discovered what she did and followed her there, but they had learnt how to control the gates.
Maeve found Mab and Mora and disguised herself as fae, used her powers to make them believe they had an elder sister. She then made all the fae believe she had always existed and ruled. The Kings fought Maeve, never knowing who she really was. Maeve stole the keys and sent two Kings back. Brannon stole them before she could send Erawen back. Brannon didn't realise who she was but did know she feared fire. Kharankui reveal all valg fear fire.
Falkan turns into a spider and enters, tricking the other spider into leaving.
Chapter 50: They escape and spiders chase them. Falkan will buy them time, tells Nesryn he has a niece but doesn't know who she is. Tells her to find her if she can, that all he owns is hers. His niece is Lysandra because of course she is! Borte appears on her ruk.
Chapter 51: Kadara flies in, as does Yaren and many other ruk riders. Borte has brought an army of ruks and they use fire arrows to set Dagul on fire.
Chapter 52: Chaol's room has been trashed, the scrolls and books have been taken.
Chapter 53: Yrene goes to see Hafiza and tells her about the scrolls, the ruins and that she believes the healers were planted in Antica to fight against the Valg. Hafiza was once told that Antica belonged to the fae long ago. They entombed their dead as they didn't want anyone taking the bodies.
Yrene is bathing in the Tomb of the Torre, where the baths are. Bells hang all over, each healer places their own bell here. She finds a bell from a Yafa Towers, one of her distant relatives.
Chapter 54: Chaol is in pain, wound is hurting and the darkness is creeping back. Yrene is determined to heal him fully and end it now.
Chapter 55: Chaol sees memories, all that he and Aelin went through. Realises he understands her and the decisions she made. Yrene finds him in the darkness and pulls him out of it.
Chapter 56: Another not terrible sex scene from Maas. Yrene and Chaol tell each other they love each other. This is one long book but it still manages to make both romances feel super rushed/forced and insta-lovey.
Chapter 57: The rukhin Council of Clans meet. Nesryn explains about the Valg and demons. Sartaq asks them to fly with him if he fights against Erawen, they agree. Nesryn tells Falkan about Lysandra, that she is his niece and asks him to come North with them. Chaol has sent a message asking them to return to the palace immediately.
Chapter 58: Chaol told Yrene about Celaena's past and her being Aelin. Yrene has figured out the Valg act like parasites and she now believes she can successfully treat people who have been infected by them.
Chapter 59: Hasar tells Chaol that Maeve's armada found Aelin and her armies, that they fought. Tells him they believe Aelin won, as she was seen moving North with her armies (They don't know it is Lysandra disguised as Aelin). They now know Aelin has a small army of Silent Assassins as well as Galan Ashryver's forces too.
Hasar reveals Aelin sent her a letter weeks ago, asking for her to help and promising a better world.
Chapter 60: Yrene and Chaol go to speak to Hafiza, but she is missing. She left her key behind. They head to the tunnels in the library.
Chapter 61: They find a corridor with four doors, one is open and they go through it. Find a chamber filled with gold and sarcophogi in it. They find Hafiza there, Duva is with her. Duva is possessed by a Valg and threatens to kill Hafiza.
Chapter 62: Perrington sent a wyrdstone ring as a wedding present and Duva put it on, was possessed by the Valg. Tumelan suspected her so the Valg made Duva push her from the balcony. Yrene is Silba's heir, so possesses the power to rid people of the Valg. Duva attacks them, Chaol jumps in the way to protect Duva.
Chapter 63: Duva uses her valg powers to wreck Chaol's spine once again. Yrene runs and Duva chases her. Yrene can sense that Chaol is dying. Nesryn and Sartaq appear. Nesryn hears a voice, saying Chaol can be saved but she must pay a price and she agrees. Chaol is healed, even the scar on his face that Aelin gave him in Crown of Midnight is healed.
Chapter 64: The cost Yrene paid is that her and Chaol now share a life-bond. Chaol can use his legs and walk when her magic is at its fullest, when she is weak he will still need his chair. The life-bond means that if one dies the other dies too, they will die together.
Sartaq calls the khagan and his siblings to see Duva, says she is possessed by the Valg.
Chapter 65: Yrene works to get the Valg out of Duva, she does it and saves Duva and the baby. Khagan tells her she can have anything that she wants. The demon in Duva was a valg princess, not a prince. Sartaq will send 1,000 of his rukhin to help in the war, Hasar agrees to also go and bring her armadas with her.
Chapter 66: Nesryn has claimed a ruk for her own, named Salkhi. Her father, sister and sister's children have made it to Antica. Sartaq reveals he told his father he will take his rukhin to fight Erawen with or without his permission and will be with Nesryn no matter what his father thinks. The khagan has named Sartaq as his heir.
Chapter 67: Yrene and Chaol on a ship sailing for Erilea.
Chapter 68: Chaol and Yrene are married, got married two days before. Yrene shows Chaol the note she was given years ago and he realises it is from Aelin. Three hundred healers have come with Yrene. The khagan has sent 1,000 of his ships with them. Yrene's request for the khagan was for him to send her people. He has sent 1,000 ships filled with his foot soldiers and cavalry, as well as the 1,000 rukhin.
Aelin is in the iron box that Maeve placed her in, Cairn is coming to torture her.
Back in Morath, Elide is caught by Vernon before she can escape on a supply wagon.
Chapter 63: Vernon leaves Elide in a dungeon cell, wants to use her as she has witches blood in her veins. Vernon calls Manon in and gives her reports on the kingdom - information on Celaena and Chaol. She realises that Chaol's plan is to kill Dorian, and that they don't realise he is still inside.
Asterin takes Manon away from Morath to talk. Tells her that at twenty eight, eighty years ago, she was off hunting Crochan witches when she was caught in a storm and fell from her broom, injuring herself. She was found by a human hunter and stayed with him for five months. When she was summoned back to Blackbeak Keep, she was already a month pregnant. She told Manon's grandmother about the pregnancy when she was four months along, who placed her on bed rest and told no one else. The baby was stillborn and the Matron wouldn't allow her to even see the baby, instead she had her burned and then beat Asterin for it and then branded the words UNCLEAN across her stomach. Sorrel and Vestra are the only two people who know. Manon reinstates her as her second.
Chapter 64: Celaena gives Lysandra a letter from Clarisse, it reveals that she is giving her and Evangeline their freedom - Celaena has paid off both their debts.
Asterin and Manon head to Rifthold. Elide has been in the dungeons for four days and no one has come for her.
Chapter 65: Rowan finds Lorcan on the roof, he tells Rowan that he killed all of the Wyrdhounds. Lorcan suggests that Maeve may want to use Celaena, rather than kill her. That she may collar her, like the King did to Dorian. Lorcan says he is the only one who can hunt down and destroy the keys. Lorcan swears a blood oath that the ring really does protect the wearer from the Valgs powers. Rowan gives him the amulet and takes the ring. Lorcan doesn't realise that the amulet is a fake.
Dorian is still wrestling with the demon and remembers Manon.
Celaena and Chaol finally talk properly. He apologises for all the things Celaena blames him for. Celaena explained that what she said, when she said she would always pick him, wasn't what she meant. Chaol says she deserves to be happy, she tells him the same. She tells him he should be with Nesryn.
Chaol and Nesryn visit a temple, where she makes him promise that he will walk out of the castle. (Maas is kind of evil!).
The plan is for Rowan and Aedio to set the hellfire beneath the tower in the sewers. Celaena and Chaol will be the ones entering the castle to take on the King and Valg Dorian.
Rowan and Celaena finally kiss.
Chapter 66: Celaena refuses Lysandra's help, orders her to get to safety outside the city with Evangeline. Manon has written throughout Rifthold in Valg blood a message for Celaena : WITCH KILLER - THE HUMAN IS STILL INSIDE HIM - letting her know that Dorian is still inside himself and that there is still hope for him.
Chapter 67: Chaol and Celaena split up from Aedion and Rowan, Aedion gives her her father's sword.
Chapter 68: Celaena and Chaol arrive at the castle fence, she has Chaol tied up as if he is a prisoner. His men, including Ress and Brullo, are dead and their bodies have been left hanging from the fence. Celaena is pretending to still be the King's loyal Champion and that she is bringing Chaol to him.
Chapter 69: Celaena has covered herself in wyrdmarks to protect herself. She gives the King two rings, fakes, and tells him they are from the King and Crown Prince of Wendlyn, that she did what he asked of her. The King reveals that he knows who she really is.
Chapter 70: The Wyrdhounds are alive, Lorcan lied about killing them and instead gave them Rowan's scent.
Chapter 71: Rowan and Aedion are fighting the Wyrdhounds, meaning that they are unable to destroy the tower by noon like they had planned.
Celaena reveals she has the Eye of Elena and then runs from the throne room, Dorian pursues her. Chaol stops the King from being able to follow her. She jumps from an open window to escape Dorian.
Chapter 72: Celaena lands on a glass bridge below the window and Dorian follows her. Chaol is taking on the King alone to buy her time to free Dorian. Chaol reveals the Eye that Celaena has is fake, had it made and he doesn't know where she has put the real one. The King uses his powers on Chaol and the chapter ends with us not knowing if Chaol is dead or not.
Chapter 73: Tiny Dorian/Demon paragraph
Chapter 74: Dorian and Celaena are fighting on the bridge, he stabs her in her side.
Aedion and Rowan are still fighting the Wyrdhounds. Lorcan appears and helps them. They finally defeat them and Rowan lights the fuse and finally brings down the tower, setting magic free. The tunnels ahead are filled with hundreds of Valg commanders and soldiers.
Dorian has slipped Athrils ring on Dorian's finger, the ring that protects from Valg powers. Valg uses Dorian's powers against Celaena and she fires her back at him.
Chapter 75: Aedion, Rowan and Lorcan are losing to the Valg. Lysandra appears, shifted into a ghost leopard, and kills all of the remaining Valg soldiers. Once they are defeated, they all head to the castle.
Chapter 76: King arrives on he bridge, says that he has killed Chaol. Dorian finally takes back control from the Valg and snaps the collar off.
Chapter 77: Rowan turns into his hawk form to fly up to the castle and find Celaena. Celaena and Dorian are using their powers on the King. Celaena hears him call Dorian 'My boy' in a voice she has never heard him use before.
Chapter 78: The King reveals that Erawan is already free. He and Duke Perrington went to Morath years ago and freed him. Erawan took over the Duke's body and another demon took over the King. The King has been possessed this whole time and wasn't actually evil. He wrestled control back long enough to have the towers built and banish magic. He says he has wanted Celaena to destroy him this whole time. Tells them Chaol is broken but not dead.
Chapter 79: Dorian shatters the glass castle and kills the King. Celaena awakes on the ground with Dorian and Chaol. Celaena then addresses the city, tells them that the King is dead and Dorian lives. She takes control of the city until Dorian is ready to lead. She orders every single slave freed.
Chapter 80: Vernon goes to visit Elide, now that magic has been freed he wants to see what powers she possesses. He wants her to breed with the Valg. Manon returns to Morath and realises that Elide is missing.
Chapter 81: Manon rescues Elide before she can be taken to be breed with the Valg. News arrives of the King's death.
Chapter 82: Kaltain appears, will help Elide and Manon to escape. Kaltain uses a dagger to slice open her arm and remove a dark stone from it, which she gives to Elide and tells her to give to Celaena Sardothien. She tells her to inform Celaena it is a key which will unlock any door. Kaltain uses her fire to destroy everything in Morath, including herself. Manon, Elide and the thirteen escape.
Chapter 83: Another Rowan and Celaena kiss. Learn that Lorcan took the ring back from Celaena while she was unconscious.
Chapter 84: Dorian visits Chaol as he wakes for the first time. The King broke Chaol's spine in multiple places and he is paralysed and unable to walk. Dorian says they were unable to heal him, he needs to go to the healers at Torre Cesme in the Southern Continent. Dorian has made Nesryn the temporary Captain of the Guard and Chaol the King's Hand.
Chapter 85: Manon tells Elide that the King is dead and that Aelin is alive and she was the one who killed him. She tells Elide to make her way to Terrasen and find her.
Chapter 86: Celaena gives Lysandra a property that once belonged to the Allsbrooks and appoints her Lady of it. Dorian has issued a decree that frees all the kingdoms conquered by his father.
Chapter 87: Duke Perrington and Vernon both survived at Morath and still plan to fight.
Chapter 88: Celaena asks Chaol to try to strike an alliance with the royal family in the Southern Continent as they need all the help they can find. Celaena, Aedion, Rowan and the others are heading back to Terrasen. Manon flies to the castle to see Dorian.
Chapter 89: The book ends with Celaena and the others arriving in Terrasen.
Empire of Storms
Nightfall
Part 1: The Fire-Bringer
Chapter 1: Elide has been in Oakwald forest, where Manon left her, for weeks. She is trying to follow Manon's advice to find Aelin & Celaena Sardothien to repay the debt she owes Kaltain Rompier. Elide still has the stone Kaltain gave her. Elide can sense that someone is following her.
Lorcan Salvaerre is being hunted by witches after sneaking into one of their camps, killing 3 Yellowlegs and kidnapping, interrogating and killing a fourth. He learnt that twin witch armies are poised to take the continent - one in Morath, the other in the Ferian Gap. Yellowlegs don't know about the Wyrdkeys. Lorcan thinks Elide is possessed because he can smell the stone, thinks she is possessed by the valg.
Chapter 2: Aelin & the others have been left gifts by the Little Folk that follow them. Aedion has sent messages to the Lords he can trust and asked them to come for a meeting. We also get kissing and endless cringy inner monologue! Kill me now.
Chapter 3: Manon's grandmother arrives at Morath with her coven. Manon remembering what her grandmother did to Asterin - branded her, threw her stillborn in a fire without allowing her to hold the baby, beat her and left her to die.
The High Witch suspects that Manon and her Thirteen were behind the destruction at Morath as they were against the breeding of witches with the Valg.
Erawen now in a different body. He is planning to send the witches to take Rifthold, cause destruction and bring Dorian to him if he can be captured alive. Manon advises him to act as though he is 'liberating' the city from Dorian and not destroy the city too much - more likely to make allies of Anielle, Melisande and Fenharrow that way. Erawen orders her to bring down the glass wall in Rifthold that Aelin created.
Ghislaine tells Manon all she knows of Erawen - one of three Valg Kings who entered their world at the dawn of time. Two were killed or sent back. Erawen fled the continent when Maeve and Brannon defeated his forces. He spent thousands of years rebuilding his numbers. He launched his attack when King Brannon's flame was dimming. Legend was always that Gavin & Elena destroyed him.
Chapter 4: Aelin and the others go to meet Lords Ren, Murtaugh and Darrow. Aelin recognises Murtaugh from the warehouse back in Crown of Midnight. Introduces Lysandra to the men as the Lady of Caraveire, a name she made up.
Darrow tells Aelin she is not yet Queen, rule of Terrasen must be approved by the ruling families of each territory. Darrow doesn't like her or want her as Queen, and calls Lysandra a common whore and Rowan Maeve's minion. Aelin tells him Rowan is her carranam and his loyalty can't be questioned.
Darrow reveals Aelin and Aedion were going to be betrothed but Wendlyn rejected the offer to unite their kingdoms at Maeve's request. Aelin gets angry at Darrow, stabs a blade between his fingers as Lysandra shifts to ghost leopard form. Darrow calls her spoiled and arrogant - well, he's not wrong.Darrow doesn't recognise her as Queen and neither do the Lords of Slaone, Ironwood & Gunnar - the majority. He tells her that if she tries to return to Orynth and seize the throne then it would be an act of war and treason.
Chapter 5: Aelin is told that the Ironteeth witches fly for Rifthold to sack the city. She sends Rowan to save Dorian and bring him to meet them at Skull's Bay. Aelin asks Aedion to get the Lords to write a letter of recommendation for them for Captain Rolfe.
Aelin leaves Evangeline and Fleetfoot with Murtaugh to keep them safe and makes a blood promise that she will burn them all if Evangeline comes to any harm whilst in their care. Little Folk leave another message - a replica of Brannon's temple, they are telling her where to go.
Chapter 6: Dorian is in Rifthold, told his mother and brother to stay in Ararat. The army of witches and wyverns arrive in Rifthold. Iskra's legion have beaten Manon's there.
Chapter 7: Dorian begins using his magic to kill the witches. A witch and wyvern break into his tower and attack him. Manon and Abraxos arrive, Manon beheads the witch and Abraxos throws her wyvern from the tower. Dorian has been injured by the wyverns venom, his magic is keeping him alive.
Manon tells Dorian that Perrington is a demon in a mortal body and that he has changed body and that he plans to take Erilea. She tells him to escape as four Yellowlegs witches appear. Rowan arrives and kills the Yellowlegs witches. Dorian stops Rowan from killing Manon; Dorian and Rowan escape.
Chapter 8: Dorian and Rowan leaving Rifthold in a boat.
Chapter 9: Elide hears a creature in the forest, coming towards her and it's not whoever has been following her. Lorcan reveals himself and tells her to come with him, he knows she is human. Four beasts find them, the ilken, creatures made by Erawen. Leader of the ilken reveals they have been sent to retrieve Elide.
Chapter 10: Elide tries running but an ilken finds her. She holds the stone so he can sense the power and pretends she has also been sent by Erawen. Lorcan finds her, asks why she smells like the creatures. She tells him she spent months in Morath amongst them, lies and tells him her name is Marion. Elide tells Lorcan about Morath and that she is heading for Terrasen.
Chapter 11: Iskra smells her dead witch on Manon, so Manon lies and says the witch attacked her and that Dorian escaped whilst she was killing the witch. Tells her the four other Yellowlegs were killed by a fae warrior, Rowan.
Manon heads to her grandmother, where the other Matrons wait too. Petrah is also there, the witch Manon saved during the War Games of Heir of Fire. The Blackbeak, Yellowlegs and Blueblood Matrons have gathered for Manon's trial, she is on trial for killing Zelta Yellowlegs. Manon lies again, sticks to her story that she was attacked first. Petrah defends Manon.
Grandmother says that Manon will not be killed but blood must be paid. She orders that Asterin be killed at sunrise the next day.
Chapter 12: Aelin, Aedion & Lysandra arrive in Ilium, where the Temple of the Stone is - it is built around the first rock Brannon placed his foot on. Lord of Meah, Roland Havilliard's father, marched his troops over the border and claimed port of Ilium as his own. They're using the temple as their barracks.
Ilium was once the stronghold of the Mycenians - crime lords who helped win a war so the King ruled them legitimate. Mycenians were exiled for refusing to come to Terrasen's aid. The Mycenians disappeared long ago, along with their sea dragons.Kingsflame is mentioned - a blossom that bloomed during Orlon's reign but hasn't bloomed since - calling it now, Kingdom of Ash is probably gonna end with this fucking flower blooming!
Chapter 13: Rowan explains to Dorian about his magic and how it feeds off of him, that he will need to master it before it devours him. Dorian tells Rowan about how he couldn't save Sorscha, and Rowan tells him he also couldn't save his mate when she was killed. Rowan tells Dorian to help get Rolfe on their side. Dorian asks Rowan to teach him about his magic, help train him.
Chapter 14: Aelin and Aedion have sent letters to Wendlyn asking the Ashryver's for help. A merchant tells them that 50 fae warships have been spotted on the Western Coast of Fae territory.
Aelin, Lysandra and Aedion make their move on the temple. Aelin uses her fire, giving herself a crown of fire. Their are fifty soldiers, many see Aelin's power and drop their weapons and run. Thirty five soldiers remain. Aelin burns the commander from the inside out, burns him to nothing but ash. They take the temple in twenty minutes, all soldiers are dead or surrendered.
Chapter 15: Aelin steps onto the rock in the temple and Brannon appears. She asks is Maeve can be killed but he doesn't know. Brannon says the Lock is hidden in a sunken city in the Stone Marshes and it is needed to bind the keys back into the broken Wyrdgate,
Erawen has sen a Valg after her, in the body of the Chief Overseer of Endovier - Erawen knows who she is and her past. She tries attacking him with her power, it causes her to vomit. Realises he has a heart of Wyrdstone. Heart punches through his chest, reveals the eyes of Erawen.
Chapter 16: Erawen knows that Rowan has Dorian and that he has men tracking him and they will hurt him. Aelin destroys the overseers body and Erawen leaves.
Chapter 17: Manon plans to make Words of Request, meaning she will be the one to execute Asterin, so that she doesn't suffer. Manon's grandmother allowed Asterin to be beaten, as punishment for the four sentinels Rowan killed. Asterin's execution means any witch who wishes to beat her can. Manon invokes Words of Request and Cresseida Blueblood allows it, as Manon saved her daughter.
Manon knows Asterin could save herself if she would just reveal Manon's lies but she doesn't. The Thirteen raise two fingers to brow for Manon - a symbol used to honor a Witch Queen. Manon tells her Thirteen to run and then turns and attacks her grandmother rather than executing Asterin.
Chapter 18: Manon and her grandmother fight with just their nails and teeth. Grandmother reveals that she killed Manon's mother, even though she was always told she died birthing Manon. Manon is stripped of her title of heir, Wing Leader, Grandmother tells her she will be known as Manon Witch Killer and Manon Kin Slayer.
Her grandmother whispers in Manon's ear that her father was a Crochan Prince and that her mother intended Manon's mixed blood would be the key to break the curse. Manon has been a kin slayer her whole life, killing Crochan's when she is one.
The witch who was spying in the Ferian Gap was actually searching for Manon, as they had learnt the child of their dead Prince was alive. The witch was called Rhiannon and she was Mannon's half sister. - she killed her and wears her cape. Manon is the last Crochan Queen.
Manon's grandmother slices her across the stomach. Manon throws herself from the balcony, Abraxos catches her. Edda and Briar come back to retrieve her and lead her to the Thirteen. Six Yellowlegs are in pursuit, they take on two each. Manon manages to kill both witches chasing her and then faints whilst flying over Oakwald forest.
Chapter 19: Lorcan and Elide plan to find a travelling carnival to travel with. Lorcan uses his magic to make Elide's limp less noticeable, as it makes her recognisable - helps ease some of the pain it causes her too. They go to a tavern for food, he pretends to be human and Elide tells him to pretend they are a married couple. They overhear a traveling troupe (what are the odds!), Elide asks to join and tells them Lorcan is a sword thrower. They agree to let them join temporarily. Troupe tell them of the attack on Rifthold and rumours of Aelin and her court.
Chapter 20: Rowan and Dorian have arrived in Skull's Bay. Captain Rolfe, a character first introduced during Assassin's Blade, is in charge of Skull's Bay. Has hands tattooed with map of the worlds oceans. Rumour is that they would move, showing enemies, treasure and storms. The price for the tattoo was supposedly his soul, they stopped moving when magic fell. They go to his personal tavern, The Sea Dragon, and Rolfe is waiting for them.
Chapter 21: Rolfe revelas that Duke Perrington has issued a decree, signed by the majority of Adarlan's Lords and ladies naming Dorian an enemy of his Kingdom and that Perrington has liberated Rifthold from him. Hollin, Dorian's brother, has been named as Perrington's heir and the Crown Prince.
Rolfe has lost part of the easternmost archipelago, his map now moves but whatever has that territory has magic that shields it, and any scouts sent don't come back but they hear beasts there - men that are no longer men.
Rolfe lost most of his crew in the Spring, fighting to get the island back from Perrington's general. Perrington has Dead End, they have beasts called sea-wyverns with poisoned tails and they're hald the size of a ship. Rolfe's crew - many were captured and returned with wyrdstone rings, under valg control and he had to kill them.
Rowan tells Rolfe about Erawen, the Valg and the Valg Princes. Two fae males appear, Rowan throws a dagger at one.
Chapter 22: The two fae are Gavriel and Fenrys, two of Rowan's cadre who are still blood-sworn to Maeve. They reveal that Maeve's amada sails for the continent and is headed for Eyllwe. Fenrys's twin Connall is back with Maeve - a way to ensure that he comes back. Fenrys originally refused to join Maeve, so she went for Connal, who swore the blood-oath. Fenrys then agreed to join her if she left his brother alone. Fenrys and Gavriel have been sent to find and kill Lorcan.
Chapter 23: Fenrys and Gavriel say Vaughan has also been sent to kill Lorcan. Rowan agrees to tell them where Lorcan is, but only if they send him an army of Doranelle warriors. Rowan is trying to convince them to help fight with Aelin, as it isn't technically against Maeve's orders. Rowan tells Gavriel that he has a son, not who he is but that he is on his way to Skull's Bay with Aelin. He threatens to kill them and break their deal if they tell Maeve about Gavriel's son.
Chapter 24: Aelin, Lysandra & Aedion are on a ship sailing for Skull's Bay - mostly just more endless inner monologue of no real importance.
Chapter 25: Manon wakes in Oakwald forest, a beautiful naked woman appears. An illusion, hiding Erawen's Bloodhound. She escapes on Abraxos and he hits the creature with his poisoned tail.
Chapter 26: Dorian and Rowan have been in Skull's Bay for two weeks. Rifthold is under witch control and shops from the Ferian Gap now sail towards it. Part of Erawen's fleet is in the Gulf of Oro. Dorian writes a letter and has Rowan deliver it to him, acts like it is important news - a trick to get Rolfe to meet with them. Rolfe leads them to his office, where Aelin is seated behind his desk.
Chapter 27: Rolfe remembers her as Celaena Sardothien, doesn't know she is Aelin.
We get more talk about how she is currently Celaena and not Aelin, as they're totally two different people. Aelin should get checked for dissociative identity disorder.
Aelin revels she asked around to check that Rolfe kept to his promise not to trade in slaves - events that happened back in the Assassin's Blade.
Rolfe tells Gavriel, Rowan and Fenrys that they will have his help, men and ships if they kill Celaena. Celaena then introduces Aelin and another Aelin walks in, Lysandra shifted as Aelin. Lysandra shifts back and Aelin reveals who she really is to Rolfe.
Chapter 28: Aelin tells Rolfe she will make him the Pirate King of Skull's Bay and the Dead Islands if he fights with them. Rolfe refuses, tells them to leave and they do. Rowan and Dorian tell them about what happened in Rifthold, she tells them about Ilium, Brannon and the Lock.
Chapter 29: Rolfe's map is only one Aelin can use to the find the Lock. Lysandra and Aedion are tempting Rolfe with the Amulet of Orynth, so Aelin can see if map is working. Aedion can't hide his hatred for Dorian, Lysandra tells him to forgive him and not blame him for what his father did or what Dorian did under Valg control. Aedion asks Lysandra to go with him when he decides to meet Gavriel.
Chapter 30: Elide and Lorcan barely speak but she tells him of Morath, he wants information on guards, armies and the layout. She struggles to tell him about the dungeons and the torture they did there. She refuses to tell him everything, as he will leave once she does. They are given their own tent and she hides the stone under the bed, he hears her doing it. She tells Lorcan her uncle is a commander at Morath and he locked her in the dungeons once. Tells Lorcan of her uncle's plan to breed her with the Valg. Reveals the ilken aren't the creatures bred in the dungeons, they come from the mountains around Morath and are made through darker methods.
Chapter 31: Fenrys asks about Aelin's Settling - if she has shown any sign that she may be immortal or not, she hasn't. Maeve's blood oaths are made with the intention of ruling them in mind, which is why she has such control over those who swear it to her, whereas Aelin does't have that kind of control over Rowan. If any tried to break the oath with Maeve the magic that binds them would kill them.
Chapter 32: Aedion meets Gavriel, tells Gavriel that his mother died so Maeve would not get her hands on him. She could have been healed by the Fae but she would not risk that. Aedion is angry and blames Gavriel.
Aelin finds Rolfe, Fenrys and Gavriel looking at a map with the locations of Morath's armies - Ferian Gap, Gulf of Oro, Melisande, Fenharrow and Eyllwe - making it impossible for them to get aid from the North. Armies are poised to take Eyllwe.
Chapter 33: Aelin knows Erawen is planning to massacre the people of Eyllwe as a message to her for Ilium - he knows it matters to her because of Nehemia. Aelin tells Rolfe that he will give her his armada and arm it with firelances and ship any extras to the Mycenian Fleet. He tells her the Mycenian fleet is a myth. Aelin says she knows he is the heir of the Mycenian people and that she believes they are hiding in the Dead Ends.
Aelin reveals she has liberated Ilium, the Mycenians ancient home, and he can claim it for his people.
Aelin sends a blast of her power out, across the city. Aelin and the others turn to leave when the warning bells begin ringing, the Valg are attacking.
Aelin sent a blast of her power out on purpose, to bring the Valg to Skull's Bay. Eight warships arrive with 100 soldiers on each and they've come with two sea-wyverns too. Aelin threatens to leave Rolfe to deal with it. Rolfe finally agrees to join them but he wants to be admiral, control of whole archipelago, he wants Ilium for the Mycenians (his people) and also wants to be made a lord.
Aelin wants Rowan, Lysandra, Fenrys and Gavriel with her. Aedion to be on north watchtower to use the mounted harpoon and she sends Dorian to the south tower. Aelin asks Rolfe to get her iron chains, to keep a check against her magic if she loses control. Aelin plans to sail Rolfe's ship into the heart of the enemy fleet and blast them all.
Chapter 34: Aelin sees the fight as not just a way to get Rolfe's allegiance, but also to send a message to the world that she is a force to be reckoned with, a way to show off her power and gain more allies.
Lysandra jumps into the water and shifts into a sea dragon - a way to get the Mycenians out of hiding, as legend is they will not return until sea dragons do. Lysandra needs to kill the two sea-wyverns. Lysandra studied the life-size, detailed carvings at Brannon's temple in order to shift into them.
Chapter 35: Rolfe's ship sails out past Ship-Breaker, the chain that lies across the bay and prevents ships from getting in. His other ships stay behind the chain to guard the town. Aelin shackles herself with the chain. Aelin and Rowan cut their palms and link their hands, so she can use his power.
Aelin is wielding the wyrdkey, losing herself to its powers. Her power melts the iron chains off of her. Deanna takes over Aelin, refers to her as the Queen that was Promised. Deanna tells Rowan to tell Aelin to retrieve the Lock. No number of allies will matter unless she has the Lock and puts the keys in it. She tells him 'flame and iron, together bound, merge into silver to learn what must be found. A mere strip is all it shall take.'
Deanna uses her moonfire. She turns her hand towards the bay, thinking to destroy Skull's Bay and all the innocents there. Rowan jumps in front of Aelin's hand and Aelin takes back control, turning her power towards the enemy fleet.
Chapter 36: Aelin has destroyed Rolfe's boat, and all but three of Morath's ships. Lysandra saves Rolfe and his crew from the water. Lysandra sinks one of the enemy ships. The sea-wyverns attack and she kills them easily and sinks another ship.
Chapter 37: Three fully grown sea-wyverns are heading for Lysandra, they realise the other two were babies. She attacks a Morath ship, breaking the mast and making on the sea-wyverns impale itself on it. Dorian uses his power to freeze one of the sea-wyverns and then shatter it. Lysandra leads the final wyvern to Aedions tower and he spears it through the throat.
Aedion runs for the beach, needs to get to Lysandra. He finds Lysandra and tells her he is going to marry her one day.
Chapter 38: Rolfe tells Aelin the cost for his map - he was 16 and barely more than a slave on a ship. His Mycenian heritage got him beaten and all his money went back to his mother sister. Ship was caught in a storm and sank, he drifted for a day before washing up on an island with a man staring down at him. The man asked Rolfe what he wanted for himself - he said he wanted to be Pirate Lord of Skull's Bay. The man told him he could grant his wish but the price was that he would take what Rolfe valued most. Rolfe knew he has no wealth or belongings, so he agreed. Rolfe returned home to find that his mother and sister were killed at sea trying to find him. He realises that was the real price he had to pay.
Rowan and Aelin proclaim they love one another. Then we are blessed with one of the cheesiest sex scenes in history. I cringe my way through it - she actually uses the phrase 'velvet-wrapped steel'.
Chapter 39: Here we get all the talk of 'primal rage' and how no other male is able to look at 'your mate' and all that other possessive shit that is totally romantic and not at all controlling.
Aelin tells the others that she discovered that the Amulet was a wyrdkey back in Wendlyn. She explains to Dorian that she tricked Lorcan with a fake amulet. Aelin draws a wyrdmark to summon Elena. Elena tells her what they did to Erawen was their only option. She tells them the remnants of the Lock are in a great city in the heart of the marshes, in a temple in the very center. Elena's father obtained the Lock at the cost of her mother's mortal life.
The Lock could only be used once - could seal anything you wished. Elena stole it and used it to seal Erawen in his tomb. Laid the used lock in a temple of holy city - the city sank and marsh water now covers it and the city was forgotten. Elena's mother was Mala Fire-Bringer, who bound herself in a mortal body to be with Brannon.
They plan to head for the Stone Marshes to get the Lock. Rolfe sails to find the rest of the Mycenians and then head to Terrasen. They set sail, see a wyvern flying towards them. Manon falls from the saddle and into the water.
Part 2: Fire Heart
Chapter 41: Lorcan has killed the ilken. He confronts Elide, asks what she keeps hiding. She says it is a gift for Celaena Sardothien, from a woman in Morath and refuses to show him it. Tells him her mother was called Marion and that she died giving Aelin time to run from her assassin. Tells him that her uncle watched and smiled as her father was executed. He took her father's land and titles then locked Elide in the highest tower of Perranth. When she broke her foot and ankle, he did not trust healers to treat it. He shackled her ankles so she couldn't run, was kept that way for ten years.
Lorcan tells her that he is over 500 years old, blood sworn to Maeve and her second-in-command. He has done great and terrible things in Maeve's name and will do many more. He was born a bastard on the streets of Doranelle but realised he could kill faster than others, he could sense when death was near. Reveals he is here on the behalf of the Queen but without her permission and she may kill him for it.
Chapter 42: Manon wakes up on the boat, chained. Aelin tells her she is now their prisoner. Rowan and Aelin healed the wound on her stomach. Dorian realises that Manon's grandmother was the one who cut her - punished for saving him. Manon tells Dorian to find out if her Thirteen are alive and she will be his to command. Manon tells him the price for saving him was the life of her second and she refused, attacked her grandmother to the Thirteen time to escape. Manon tells Dorian to tell Aelin that Elide Lochan is alive and looking for her,
Chapter 43: Elide and Lorcan enter a tavern hoping to find news; learn that Aelin isn't in the North but that she is rumoured to be heading for Eyllwe. Elide needs to get to Banjali in Eyllwe. Lorcan says he will get her a map, but she reveals she can't read. Guards are heading for them, they run. They take a barge and Lorcan forces the man on it to get them safely out the city. Lorcan kills the man rather than set him free.
Lorcan finally realises the amulet that Aelin gave him is a fake. Elide is angry that he killed the man instead of freeing him like she had promised him. Lorcan reveals that Celaena is an assassin who has killed many innocent people and that Celaena is Aelin. Tells Elide Aelin is an assassin, trained to kill since Elide's mother died to save her - tells her Aelin is no better than the man who killed Elide's mother and royal family. Elide tells him she will judge Aelin when she meets her. Lorcan tells her will take her to Aelin, as he now has business with her - he found a wyrdstone ring inside the fake amulet and a note from Aelin. Lorcan plans to find Aelin and kill her.
Chapter 44: Another cheesy sex scene. Dorian comes to see Manon - she tells him of the Yielding, where a witch can use their bit of magic that can be summoned once and unleash great power on her enemies but it is suicide and incinerates the witch - (Feel like this is foreshadowing for what Manon will have to do and if that happens in KoA I will scream - Manorian must live). Dorian kisses Manon and leaves, toying with her.
Chapter 45: Manon has told Aelin about Elide and what Vernon tried to do to her. Aelin slaps Manon for abandoning Elide in Oakwald Forest. Dorian convinces Aelin to give Manon time on the deck. Rowan, Aelin & Fenrys go to Manon's cabin, Manon says it isn't Fenrys. Fenrys attacks.
Chapter 46: Erawen's Bloodhound was disguised as Fenrys, real one still on deck. Bloodhound now knows on what ship Aelin travels and who she is with. Bloodhound throws Asterin's leather strap to the ground, tells Manon that Erawen broke her and that she begged for her baby. Dorian kills the Bloodhound. Ilken are on the ship. Fenrys gets cut and poisoned by one of the ilken. Ilken came to give Aelin a message - Skull's Bay confirmed to Erawen that she has a wyrdkey.
Chapter 47: Aelin heals Fenrys, talks to him to distract him. Fenrys can use his power to instantly travel short distances, but has no other special powers. Fenrys and Connall are sons of nobles and his parents were warriors. Gavriel came from a noble house and he believes that serving Maeve is a great honour. Gavriel had only wanted to leave once, for Aedion's mother. Aedion's mother didn't want him to stay, so he left.
Chapter 48: Dorian and Manon having their usual back and forth. Dorian says he has no interest in human women, as they're too breakable. Manon tells the others that she is Crochan and that her father was a Crochan Prince killed by her grandmother for conspiring to end the feud between the witches and break the curse on their land. Manon is the last Crochan Queen and rightful heir to Blackbeak clan.
Fenrys comments that Maeve's allegiance can't be boughy, says 'nameless is her price' and that reminds Aelin of something Baba Yellowlegs says. Aelin runs off and is vomiting, Rowan hears her and thinks she could be pregnant.
Chapter 49: Elide has not spoken to Lorcan in three days, only speaks to him because she needs to stop for supplies. Elide goes to try on clothes at an inn, led to a room and locked in. Vernon is there waiting for her.
Chapter 50: Vernon has four ilken with him, and tells Elide Lorcan was spotted leaving on their boat. He tells her Manon is dead, gutted by her grandmother and thrown from a balcony in Morath. Vernon plans to put her in an iron box and fly her back to Morath. Elide fights back, grabs Vernon's knife and turns it on herself, plans to stab herself through the heart and kill herself rather than go back.
Lorcan is watching from a rooftop, he throws his hatchet and hits Elides hand with the handle to stop her killing herself. He attacks three of the four ilken, one escapes with Vernon. Elide kills one of the ilken he injured. Lorcan heard Vernon talking Elide about Manon and Kaltain, she explains who they are. She shows Lorcan the stone that Kaltain gave her - he knows it is a wyrdstone. He explains about wyrdstones and wyrdkeys. Lorcan promises to always find Elide, she kisses him on the cheek and promises the same.
Chapter 51: Erawen's forces have set Eyllwe on fire, but they can't find any trace of Erawen or Maeve's forces. There are rumours that Aelin is the one setting the fires - as a punishment for Eyllwe not helping ten years ago.
Aelin and the others arrive a the Stone Marshes. Aelin isn't pregnant. Manon is to go with them but has to send Abraxos off on his own. She takes just a strip from her red cloak and ties it round her braid, drops the rest in the sea.
Chapter 52: Elide and Lorcan arrive at the marshes, Lorcan feels led there by Hellas himself (god). They spend days inching across the marshes. Elide asks Lorcan about Maeve - reveals he has loved her since he first saw her. He once offered to be her lover and she laughed at him, so tried to prove invaluable in other ways,
Elide says she will hide Lorcan in Perranth from Maeve. Kisses him and tells him that he will always have a place in Perranth. He kisses her. An army of ilken appear, flying for the marshes.
Chapter 53: A beast from the swamp tries to attack Manon and Dorian stops it. Aelin realises Rowan let the beast through his shield, to serve as a lesson for Dorian but also so Manon could see him 'save' her. Manon sees the Eye of Elena and recognises it as a witch symbols called Eye of the Goddess. Talks of the battle at the Crochan city. Nothing grows on the killing field because of the curse. Rhiannon Crockan held the gates for three days and nights against the Ironteeth Matrons. She fell on the fourth day and cursed all the Ironteeth. Rhiannon swore they would win the war but no the land - the land would wilt and die, beasts would shrivel and keel over, their witchlings would be stillborn, fish would rot and rabbits and deer would flee and the Witch Kingdom would become a wasteland.
The Ironteeth had laughed until their first witchling was born dead, followed by more and more. Cattle rotted in the fields, crops withered overnight. The witches eventually had to leave and have been wanderers for 500 years. Humans eventually took the Wastelands and the land responded to them.
Rhiannon said there was only one way to break the curse: 'Blood to blood and soul to soul, together this was done, and only together it can be undone. Be the bridge, be the light. When iron melts, when flowers spring from fields of blood - let the land be witness, and return home' (Is the Kingsflame gonna blossom at the end of a final battle in KoA, breaking the curse?)
Fenrys and Gavriel tell Rowan to take Aelin and run - they believe powers they can't understand have led Manon and Aelin here. Two Queens who can control half the continent, both half-breeds who cover the three main races, one mortal and one immortal, one worships fire and the other Darkness. Fenrys reveals Maeve has already replaced Rowan with Cairn, a sadist. Fenrys asks Rowan to kill him if Maeve orders him to kill Aelin, Rowan assures him he'd be dead before he could ever touch her.
Chapter 54: They finally arrive at the temple, find a chest covered in wyrdmarks. The sense magic, Lorcan has sent out a warning signal. They spot the 500 ilken flying towards them.
Chapter 55: Aedion is angry, blames Aelin - says her constantly showing off her power to Erawen has worked and this is his response. Lysandra plans to anger the beasts of the marshes so they'll attack any ilken that land. It's revealed that Rowan put salt in the wounds on his back from Aelin's nails so they'd scar - you know, 'cause that's hot and romantic and not at all weird. Aelin heads out into the marshes, so she can send a full blast of her power at the ilken.Chapter 56: Aelin unleashes her magic, Dorian and Rowan too. They kill all 500 ilken in one go.
Chapter 57: Elide and Lorcan head for Aelin and the others. Gavriel and Fenrys attack Lorcan in their animal forms. Elide jumps in to save him and is bitten. Lorcan will have to drop his shield to allow them to heal Elide but he will be killed, he does it anyway. Rowan uses his power to keep Lorcan & Fenrys from fighting. Rowan declares Lorcan and Elide under Aelin's protection, which is a way to delay the blood order for a while.
Aelin tells Elide her mothers last words were to tell Elide that she loved her. Elide sees Manon, finally knows she is alive. Elide gives Aelin the stone from Kaltain and the message that Kaltain gave her - she can unlock any door if she has the key. Aelin claims Elide for her court.
Chapter 58: Chest holds a mirror, not what they expected. It is a witch's mirror, some can see the future, past and present, some can speak between mirrors if someone possesses the sister-glass, some amplify and hold power. Manon explains Erawen was building large towers with witch mirrors, so he could send out huge blasts of power. They head back to their ship and are surrounded by Melsande's fleet. Aelin walks to meet the fleet, it is Ansel of Briarcliff, Queen of the Wastes - a woman that Aelin allowed to live years ago (an event from Assassin's Blade).
Chapter 59: Aelin introduces Manon & Ansel - Manon wants to kill her as she is proclaimed Queen of Western Wastes, which Manon feels belongs to the witches. The Wastes have now allied with Aelin. She sent a letter to Ansel revealing who she really was and giving her instructions. Ansel marched her army on Melsande, the Queen assumed they had come to offer aid and let them in. Ansel claimed Melisande's fleet for Aelin and Terrasen.
Lysandra and Aedion talk and both admit they want to try to be together. Aedion reveals he is bisexual.
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| 'Purely male'? |
Manon and Dorian have sex. Maas proves she is still unable to write a sex scene that doesn't make you cringe and the term 'purely male' gets used far too much.
Maeve's armada appears.
Chapter 61: Maeves armada is three times the size of theirs and she has immortal warriors with magic. Maeve sends them a message, surrender or die. Gives them a day to decide. Rowan turns into a hawk and flies for her ships. Finds his cousin Enda, goes to all his cousins and asks the same thing of all of them - they all say they will consider it. (We don't know what the request is at this point)
Chapter 62: Dorian gathers Manon, Rowan and Aelin at the witch mirror. He believes it holds knowledge of how to bind the three keys. Dorian believes it is a travelling mirror. Deanna's words mean Manon and Aelin need to step into the mirror and learn how Aelin can wield the keys.
Chapter 63: Fenrys reveals that Maeve whipped them for aiding Rowan at Mistward - believes she is scared of how powerful they are together. Fenrys and Gavriel agree to fight with Rowan until Maeve summons them. Lorcan agrees to fight if Rowan sends Elide to shore with a guard of men.
Chapter 64: Manon and Aelin enter the mirror, into a memory from a thousand years ago of Elena Galathynius. Eye of Elena in center of sarcophagus, she turns it three times to seal it. They've had the Lock the whole time.
Chapter 65: Immortal figure appear to Elena - Elena's father had promised to use the Lock to wield the three keys and send the immortal figures back where they belong along with Erawen, the Lock was forged for them. Rhiannon Crochan helped Elena's mother Mala cast her essence into the lock.
Mala appears and threatens to release Erawen and Elena begs her to wait. Mala agrees but at a price and a promise. Malas bloodline will bleed again to forge the lock. Elena will lead them like a lamb to slaughter to pay the price. They agree to take Erawen back with them, then the person will have to seal the gate behind them using their entire life force - so Aelin would have to die to seal the gate.
They then see Nehemia's memory - she wandered the Stone Marshes, had come to learn how to save them and seal the gate, Elena appeared to her, told her she had a different role to play. Tells Nehemia two branches of Mala's bloodline is in the North - Dorian and Aelin. Tells her to find Aelin at Dorian's Palace and that she will never see Eyllwe again. Nehemia went knowing she would die.
Chapter 66: Lysandra in sea dragon form, destroying ships Rowan mapped for her. Ships in Maeve fleet now raising Whitethorn flags and begin firing on Maeve's armada.
Chapter 67: Rowan went to his cousins, told them of Aelin and begged them to fire on Maeve and not them, an act of treason and all have done it. Maeve summons Gavriel and Fenrys. Gavriel looks at Lorcan and points to shore before disappearing. Lorcan realises Maeve isn't with the armada, she is on shore where he left Elide. Lorcan abandons them and sails for Elide.
Chapter 68: Aelin now knows Nehemia went to Rifthold knowing she would die. Sees another memory of Rhiannon explaining how the mirror works. Then Brannon at Elena's tomb, she gave up her immortal life for Gavin. Brannon forging the amulet of Orynth, he left the messages and clues in Elena's tomb. Brannon makes Mort, the knocker at the door to the tomb. Brannon hid the wrydstone in Elena's crown and put the final key in Mala's temple.
Elena shows Aelin another memory - the night she fell into the Florine river escaping the assassin. Elena was allowed to form a body to save her. She put her on the bank but the cold killed her. Elena brought her back to life and Elena tugged Arobynn from bed and her power led him to Aelin. She believed Aelin would be the one to save them, not Dorian. Elena will pay for bringing Aelin back - will go with the others when the gate is sealed and will never see Gavin or her children again. Elena shows Aelin what she must do but we don't see.
Manon and Aelin are sent back - not to the ship but right in front of Maeve, who has one of her warriors holding a blade to Elide's throat. No idea why the mirror magically sends them here other than that is what the plot needs - deus ex machina!
Chapter 69: Gavriel placed a shield round Aedion to protect him before Maeve summoned him away. Manon's thirteen arrive with Abraxos.
Chapter 70: Rowan realises that Aelin and Manon are on the shore with Maeve and that the armada was a distraction.
Chapter 71: Lorcan had summoned Maeve - when he first spotted Ansel's ships he thought they were an enemy fleet and he summoned Maeve to save Elide. Aelin's magic is depleted from killing the ilken, all a part of Maeve's plans. Gavriel asks Maeve to spare Aelin and return home. Maeve severs the blood oath with Gavriel without honor or good faith - knows how it will hurt him.
Aelin asks why she is doing this to her. She saw that Aelin would be born and lead her to the keys. Maeve saw that Aelin's mate would be powerful and that their children could be powerful enough to rule an empire. Reveals that Rowan is Aelins mate. She made him believe that Lyria was his mate and then she led the enemy forces to her to kill her and break Rowan (How 'special' is the mate bond if she can just trick Rowan into thinking he found his mate?)
She made sure Rowan swore an oath to her, knew she could use Rowan and Aelin's mating bond against them. Aelin has known Rowan was her mate since Manon shot him with the arrow. Maeve reveals Aelin is about five years away from Settling, she has the immortality of the Fae. Tells Aelin she will willingly go with Cairn or Maeve will also bring Elide with them.
Chapter 72: Aelin agrees to go - tells Elide to tell the others that she is sorry, to tell Lysandra to remember her promise, tell Aedion is is not his fault and to tell Rowan she is sorry she lied but it was all borrowed time and she knew it, she just wished they'd had more of it. Tells her to tell Rowan to fight and save Terrasen. Maeve plans to wield Aelin and the wyrdkeys.
Maeve brings out an iron box with chains within and an iron mask. Maeve makes Aelin remove her shirt and Cairn whips her. Maeve tells her to count ten lashes but she refuses, so is whipped over and over again. Manon knocks out Elide and takes her away. Maeve puts the iron mask on Aelin.
Chapter 73: Manon has the wyrdkeys, Aelin slipped them in her pockets so Maeve won't get them; it is why she had to get away and act uninterested. Manon watches as they place the mask on Aelin, chain her wrists, ankles and neck and lock her in the box. Maeve strips Lorcan of his oath, assets, titles and properties and exiles him from Doranelle. They load Aelin onto Maeve's ship and then it disappears.
Chapter 74: Rowan arrives, holds a dagger to Lorcan's throat and demands to know where Aelin is. Rowan refers to Aelin as his wife - she marries him knowing Maeve was on the way, leaving Terrasen with a King. Elide tells them what happened and tells Rowan that Aelin is his mate. Aelin had asked Lysandra to promise her that when Aelin died to forge the lock that she would shift into her form and pretend to be her and lead Terrasen. She would have children with Aedion so they could be passed off as Aelin and Rowans.
Aedion is angry, calls Lysandra a lying bitch for agreeing, knowing and saying nothing. Elide tells Lorcan that she hopes he spends the rest of his life suffering.
Asterin and the Thirteen spent months looking for Manon and then Abraxos found them and led them to her. Manon plans to find the Crochans, raise an army for Aelin and her people. The Thirteen agree to follow her. Manon gives Dorian the keys, as Mala's bloodline runs in his too - Seriously, if she kills Dorian to forge the Lock I will lose my shit.
Chapter 75: Rowan and Aelin married two days before, with Aedion and Lysandra as witnesses. Aedion has the formal documents. Galan Ashryver, Crown Prince of Wendlyn arrives. Aelin sent a letter to him, not his parents. Ilias, son of the Master of Assassins is here with his army - Aelin called in her life debt with the Silent Assassins.
Lysandra appears and pretends to be Aelin - will pretend to be her to their allies. Lysandra tells the armies they will go north to Terrasen. Gavriel, Lorcan and Elide want to go with Rowan to find Aelin, they believe Fenrys will try to leave tracks to follow. Dorian is heading North with the witches and will try to find the third key. Rowan is determined to find Aelin.
Tower of Dawn
Part 1: The God-City
Chapter 1: Chaol has reached the Khagan's palace in Antica. The khaganate's spent centuries at nomadic horse-people before the first khagan emerged. He was a warlord who unified the scattered tribes and took the continent piece by piece.
Chaol has two tasks in Antrica - convince the khagan and his six potential heirs to send their armies to war against Erawen and to find a healer to get him walking again.
Chaol notices white cloths hanging from windows, lanterns and doorways. Nesryn tells him it is a sign that a royal relative has recently died.
The last khagan outlawed slavery, so all servants are paid. The inheritance of the empire is decided by the khagan - he can pick any of his children, based on who proves they are best suited for it. Khagan is required by law to keep a sealed document naming his heir in case he dies suddenly - this can be changed at any time.
Chapter 2: Nesryn's father was from Antica so this feels like home to her.
Urus is the current khagan and he has six children. Urus fought for his crown, executed two of his siblings, one is in exile and two swore fealty to him by having the healers of the Torre render them infertile.
Sartaq is the khagan's second-born and is commander of the ruk riders, the rukhin. Ruks are enormous birds, eagle like in shape. Sartaqs ruk is called Kadara.
Arghun is the eldest son and the politician amongst them - known as the Prince of Spies.
Duva is the second youngest, and currently six month pregnant, after recently having an arranged marriage to prince from a neighbouring territory.
Kashin, the fourth-born, has control of the armies on land.
Hasar is the third-born and she is in control of their armadas.
Chaol has brought jewels and gold as a gift from Dorian, Aelin gave him it for this purpose. Urus reveals he knows Aelin used to be Celaena Sardothien, an assassin. He is insulted that a wedding gift was not sent when Duva married, as every other kingdom sent one. Urus knows he is there to ask him to join the war and he says he will consider it whilst Chaol is there. Khagan gives Chaol permission to be healed at the Torre Cesme. He tells them to keep the jewels and gold, as he has no use for it.
Urus reveals his youngest daughter, Tumelan, died suddenly three weeks ago.
Urus tells Chaol that Perrington sacked Rifthold and that Dorian fled the city and that it now belongs to Perrington and the witches.
Chapter 3: Kashin comes to Chaol & Nesryn's chambers, tells them the khagan wishes for them to dine with him and his family every evening. Kashin is worried that Perrington's forces could have infiltrated their court, wants Chaol to observe at dinners. Tumelan is believes to have killed herself, having jumped from her balcony - Kashin doesn't believe it, says she would never do that.
Chapter 4: Yrene has been in the Torre for two years now, working under the guidance of Hafiza, the Healer on High. Yrene is the girl that Aelin saved in the Assassin's Blade. Yrene now feels ready to return to Adarlan, she wants to help in the war in any way she can.
Kashin is fond of Yrene, they became friends after she healed one of his servants. Kashin wants more than that but Yrene doesn't.
Hafiza assigns Yrene to Chaol - wants Yrene to heal him before she decides whether she will leave the Torre or not. She informs Yrene he is Chaol Westfall, the new Hand of the King of Adarlan and former Captain of the Guard. Yrene says she does not want to heal him, she hates Adarlan and the soldiers there - her mother was burned alive by soldiers from Adarlan.
Yrene still has the brooch that Aelin gave her all those years ago, and the note that Aelin gave her too.
Chapter 5: Yrene comes to assess Chaol and is angry at being there. She is very rude to him.
Chapter 6: Yrene tells Hafiza that she can heal Chaol, as the injury is almost identical to an injury she healed before.
Nesryn leaves the palace to go visit her aunt and uncle in the city, Sartaq sees her and asks to escort her. Sartaq tells Nesryn he was twelve when he snuck on rukhin captains ruk and rode it. His father ordered him to live amongst the rukhin as a punishment for this. Kadara hatched when he was fifteen and he took her as his ruk.
Chapter 7: Chaol summons a servant, Kadja, and asks her to go into the city and try to find any information she can on Rifthold. Chaol then goes to see Arghun, wants to ask him all he knows of Rifthold. Arghun doesn't want to be seen talking to him and tells him to leave.
Yrene joins the khagan and everyone for dinner - she is also good friends with Hasar and her lover, Renia.
Chapter 8: Yrene tells Chaol she will heal him and attempt to get him walking again. She warns him to be wary what he says, that the servants are paid by the vizier and kahagan's children for information.
Yrene lays her hands on Chaol's wound and probes it with her magic - she feels cold, dark anger and agony of the magic that was used.
Chaol whispers to Yrene about what happened to him - about wyrdgates, wyrdstones, Wyrdhounds, the Valg, Erawen, Valg princes and collars and rings. He doesn't tell her about the keys or that the King was enslaved by a Valg. Also doesn't tell her Dorian was enslaved by one. He doesn't reveal who attacked him or who Duke Perrington really is.
Chapter 9: Chaol tries to organise a private meeting with the khagan during dinner, the khagan refuses.
Chapter 10: Yrene is in the Torre library, trying to find out more information about the kind of wound that Chaol has. Nousha, the Head Librarian, has found her texts and scrolls on dark magic, demons and wounds inflicted by them.
Yrene finds an Eyllwe text called The Song of the Beginning with illustrations of an army kneeling before a towering gateway of blackstone - the Valg. Another shows three figures by the gate - names them as Erawen, Orcus and Mantyx, the three Valg Kings.
Yrene decides to leave for the night, she feels a presence following her. She runs and finds a dead healer on the floor, looking as if something has sucked the life out of her. The healer looks very similar to Yrene.
Chapter 11: Yrene arrives late to see Chaol and she sends his servant away to get ingredients so that she can talk to him. She tells him about the dead healer and that something was hunting her. Chaol believes a Valg is responsible for what happened to her. The healer looked like Yrene, so they believe it believed they were killing her. The valg also took the texts she had been reading.
Yrene reveals she teaches a class on self defence - teaches what Aelin taught her years ago. She wants Chaol to go with her and teach them what he knows. Yrene is getting Chaol a special brace and straps made so that he can ride a horse.
Chapter 12: Yrene starts the healing, it causes Chaol intense pain. There is an echo of the dark magic in his wound and it hates Yrene's magic. Chaol will experience excruciating pain the whole time she heals him. Yrene will need to fight off the magic and heal him at the same time. Yrene says he must talk about what happened, heal his emotional wounds as well but he refuses.
Chaol wants Nesryn to try and talk to Sartaq, so she goes and finds him in the aerie. Sartaq takes her for a ride on Kadara. They talk about Adarlan and what Aelin did to the King, as they have heard she killed him. Nesryn tells him the king was a monster and that Aelin did Erilea a favour.
Chapter 13: Yrene is healing Chaol, the dark magic shows her images of Morath.
Nesryn goes into the city to try and search for signs of the Valg - Sartaq follows her. Sartaq tells her he has heard that Rifthold is filled with monsters, beasts that look like humans but aren't. Nesryn tells him about her mother, who got sick but the King had rid Erilea of magic and killed the healers, so she could not be treated. Her father wanted to bring her to the Torre but she got to sick to make the journey and died. She explains to Sartaq that if he sees anyone with black rings or collars then he should behead to kill them. Explains everything she can about the Valg. Sartaq explains his hearth mother at the rukhin had told him stories - sounds like there was a Valg presence on this continent a long time ago.
Chapter 14: Yrene meets Chaol and they ride over to the self defence class. Yrene uses it as a teaching lesson for some of the girls, allows them to help him down off his horse. Chaol is furious and embarrassed.
Chapter 15: Yrene and Chaol fight about her letting the acolytes help him. Chaol asks if Yrene's problem is with him or Adarlan in general - she tells him how Adarlan soldiers burned her mother alive while she watched.
Chapter 16: Chaol is being healed, it shows him painful memories from his past, Yrene sees them as well. Chaol tells Yrene about Dorian, watching Sorscha be killed and then Chaol fleeing and leaving Dorian there. Chaol can now curl and uncurl his toes.
Chapter 17: Nesryn goes to visit her uncle Brahim and aunt Zahida. She tells them about the attack at the Torre and tells them to hire more guards.
Chapter 18: Hasar asks Yrene to meet with her, she wants Yrene to try and find out where Aelin is as she is not in Terrasen.
Chapter 19 & 20: Chaol goes with Yrene to see a man she is healing and then she gives him a tour of the city.
Chapter 21: Hasar makes Nesryn move at dinner so Yrene can sit next to him. Yrene tells Chaol that Yrene is not in Terrasen and that they want to know where she is. Yrene and Chaol pretend to flirt, so the others don't know what they are discussing. Chaol tells her Skull's Bay, as he thinks it is the last place Aelin would actually go.
Nesryn tells Chaol she plans to go with Sartaq, he wants to return to the rukhin in the mountains to try and find out if the Valg did make it to this continent a long time ago.
Chapter 22: Yrene arrives early and finds Chaol in bed with Nesryn. Chaol sees a book Yrene has taken from the library, it is covered in wyrdmarks. He makes her hide it in his room.
Chapter 23: Yrene asks what happened to the other Valg Kings, as the illustration showed three but he only talks of Erawen. He tells her that two were either defeated or sent back. Yrene points out that if they were only sent back then they could come back.
She begins healing him, sees more dark memories and then she shows one of her memories with her mother. Chaol can now feel his feet as well as his toes. She tells Chaol about her mother and her life after she died. Tells him she spent time in Innish trying to make money to come to the Torre. Yrene tells Chaol she knows the King is the one who gave him the wound and that he was possessed.
Chapter 24: Sartaq invites Nesryn to the mountains with him to hunt for answers, it will take three weeks. Nesyrn agrees and leaves a note for Chaol, telling him she holds him to no promises and she will hold to none of her own.
Chapter 25: Yrene and Chaol head to the Torre library to look for more information. Chaol reveals that the part of the King that still had some control was the one stopped the magic and executed healers and those with magic. He knew that Erawen and the Valg were drawn to magic and wanted to possess people with it so they could use their powers.
Sartaq and Nesryn camp for the night. He reveals he has heard of her before - his spies in Adarlan told him of the arrow she shot to save Lysandra's life (in Queen of Shadows) and that they refer to her as Neith's arrow.
Chapter 26: Chaol receives Nesryn's letter and is angry, feels it is his fault because of the flirting with Yrene at dinner. He is very short with Yrene when she comes to heal him, they fight. Yrene goes to see Hasar and she tells her that Sartaq has gone off into the mountains and taken Nesryn with him - Yrene now knows why Chaol was upset.
Chapter 27: Yrene goes out to heal people in the city as she is still mad about her fight with Chaol. Yrene heads back to the palace but feels the presence behind her again. She runs for Chaol's room and locks the door behind her. The creature begins trying to break it down while calling out for Yrene. Chaol gives her a dagger as they wait to fight whatever breaks through the door. Guards appear and whoever was there has vanished.
Chapter 28: Yrene spends the night in Chaol's room, she feels safer there. Chaol wakes early and goes and finds one of the guards, Hashim, and has him train and show him how they fight. He begins training with them every morning.
Chapter 29: Nesryn and Sartaq reach the rukhin in the Tavan Mountains. She meets Borte, the grandaughter and Heir of Sartaq's hearth-mother Houlun. There is a man there who is a guest of the hearth-mother, a merchant called Falkan Ennar.
Chapter 30: Nesryn trains with Sartaq, Borte and others, shows them her skill with an arrow. The heart-mother, Houlun, returns and reveals that a dark force stirs in the mountains and she had gone to search for it. Ruk nests have been pillaged, with eggs and hatchlings stolen. She tells them the creatures are known as kharankui - Nesryn thinks she is talking about the Valg. Houlun reveals they refer to the creatues as stygian spiders in Erilea. The stygian spiders (Heir of Fire) are actually Valg, came from the same world as the Valg kings.
Chapter 31: Falkan reveals he got a hundred yards of spidersilk from the spiders for the price of twenty years of his life. He is only 27 but looks almost fifty. Falkan wants to try and get his twenty years back - believes he must kill the spider who took them. He has come to learn from the rukhin how they kill the spiders.
Houlun knows of Erawen and the Valg and agrees to tell them what she knows. Long ago, a wyrdgate appeared in the Tavan Nountains - it allowed the kharankui to enter along with other types of Valg. Most went to Erilea but the spiders remained. War raged in Erilea - a Fae Queen (Maeve) against three Valg kings. After the Valg were defeated, the fae came to these mountains to teach the ruks how to fight the kharankui. They built watchtowers across the mountains. Houlun tells them to go to the watchtower to try and find more answers.
Chapter 32: Yrene and Chaol return to the library to try and find how the ancient texts and scrolls came to be in the library. Nousha reveals they may find the answers they need in the Aksara Oasis - it is the royals private refuge and no one can go without their permission. Chaol & Yrene go for a meal together, Yrene knows she needs to find a way to get Hasar to invite her to the Oasis.
Chapter 33: Sartaq and Nesryn go to one of the watchtowers, it is filled with traps. They come across some fae weapons and both take one.
Chapter 34: A kharankui appears above them. A large grey wolf appears and fights the spider, so they escape. Kadara attacks the spider as it follows them and she kills it. The wolf is Falkan, he is a shapeshifter and followed them there.Chapter 35: Falkan comes from a family of shifters but didn't know he could shift until he came to this continent.
They return back to the rukhin and Nesryn tells Borte everything. Houlun tells Sartaq about the wrydgates and keys.
Chapter 36: Chaol now has movement up to his knees but still can't stand. Chaol is at dinner with Yrene, Hasar and other siblings when Hasar comments that Nesryn is due back the next day. Chaol reveals Nesryn has sent a letter, saying they are staying in the mountains for another three weeks.
Hasar says that Dorian and Aelin have both been spotted. Aelin was in Skull's Bay, as Chaol said, and her spies saw her unleash her power on Morath's ships. Hasar wants Chaol to swear on Yrene's life that Aelin won't one day try to conquer their continent too, Chaol can't swear it.
Kashin comes to Chaol's room that night, he reveals they provided Captain Rolfe with firelances and that they have had a new order for more to be shipped North.
Chapter 37: Nesryn, Sartaq and Falkan go to the other three watchtowers and find nothing of importance. Other ruk riders show up at the last temple. A rider called Yaren argues with them for a while and then leaves. Sartaq reveals that Yaren is Borte's fiance.
Chapter 38: Chaol interrupts the khagan's meeting with his foreign trade vizier. Says he has come to speak to the vizier, not the khagan. He tells the vizier to double Rolfe's firelance order and pays using the jewels and gold Dorian gave him - showing the khagan how profitable the war could be for him. Khagan kicks Chaol out, tells him that he can't be manipulated.
Chaol is angry, and he and Yrene get in to another fight. He says some hurtful things and she turns to leave.
Chapter 39: He manages to walk towards her to try and apologise. Chaol kisses Yrene.
Chapter 40: Chaol can walk a little but still needs healing. Yrene's birthday is soon, she has convinced Hasar to throw her a party in the Oasis so they can go there to look for more information.
Chapter 41: Sartaq, Nesryn and Falkan are going to head to Dagul, which is kharankui territory. They find a hatchling alive there and fly for it, it is a trap and Kadara flies into the spiders webbing.
Chapter 42: A spider appears and kills the hatchling. Sartaq, Falkan and Nesryn run, have lost Kadara.
Chapter 43: Chaol can now ride without a brace. They are riding to the Oasis.
Chapter 44: Chaol tells Yrene about his guard - how they were tortured, killed and left to hang on the castle gates. Yrene and Chaol go for a walk, trying to find a cave but come across ruins. Find columns with images on them. They have found a fae burial site, realises fae have been here. Chaol believes the healers are the ancestors of the fae and they can be used to fight the Valg.
Hasar thinks Aelin should marry one of her brothers, so Chaol reveals she will marry Rowan Whitethorn as they are caranam and he has sworn a blood oath to her. Hasar tries to pressure Yrene to marry Kashin, Chaol interrupts and says that will never happen. Yrene pushes Hasar into the pool.
Chapter 45: Chaol gives Yrene a locket for her birthday, he has noticed her grabbing for something in her pocket a lot (note from Aelin) and she can now keep it in the locket. Chaol and Yrene have sex and let us all congratulate Maas, this scene doesn't use the phrases 'velvet-wrapped steel' or 'purely male'.Chapter 46: Yrene tells him about the girl who saved her years ago and taught her self defence.
Chapter 47: Sartaq, Nesryn and Falkan escape on foot. Sartaq finds himself stuck, a spider coming for him. Sartaq tells her he loved her before he ever met her - my eyes roll so hard I almost lose them! Sartaq is taken by a spider, Nesryn plans to get caught on purpose to go after him - how very LOTR!
Chapter 48: She wakes up wrapped in webs. A spider finds her trying to escape and talks to her. Says the kharankui are awaiting the Queen of the Valg to return to them, says she goes by the name Maeve. Maeve is a Valg Queen - I totally forgot this before I reread.
Chapter 49: Spider tells her about Maeve. She came from the same world as the Valg kings. The three kings ruled before she appeared, with a new and dark power. The King desired her but she agreed to marry the eldest and strongest one, Orcus.
Maeve learnt how to enter other worlds and stepped into this one, the kharankui came with her to this spot in the mountains. She told them spiders to guard the gate, she did not want to return. Orcus and his brothers discovered what she did and followed her there, but they had learnt how to control the gates.
Maeve found Mab and Mora and disguised herself as fae, used her powers to make them believe they had an elder sister. She then made all the fae believe she had always existed and ruled. The Kings fought Maeve, never knowing who she really was. Maeve stole the keys and sent two Kings back. Brannon stole them before she could send Erawen back. Brannon didn't realise who she was but did know she feared fire. Kharankui reveal all valg fear fire.
Falkan turns into a spider and enters, tricking the other spider into leaving.
Chapter 50: They escape and spiders chase them. Falkan will buy them time, tells Nesryn he has a niece but doesn't know who she is. Tells her to find her if she can, that all he owns is hers. His niece is Lysandra because of course she is! Borte appears on her ruk.
Chapter 51: Kadara flies in, as does Yaren and many other ruk riders. Borte has brought an army of ruks and they use fire arrows to set Dagul on fire.
Chapter 52: Chaol's room has been trashed, the scrolls and books have been taken.
Chapter 53: Yrene goes to see Hafiza and tells her about the scrolls, the ruins and that she believes the healers were planted in Antica to fight against the Valg. Hafiza was once told that Antica belonged to the fae long ago. They entombed their dead as they didn't want anyone taking the bodies.
Yrene is bathing in the Tomb of the Torre, where the baths are. Bells hang all over, each healer places their own bell here. She finds a bell from a Yafa Towers, one of her distant relatives.
Chapter 54: Chaol is in pain, wound is hurting and the darkness is creeping back. Yrene is determined to heal him fully and end it now.
Chapter 55: Chaol sees memories, all that he and Aelin went through. Realises he understands her and the decisions she made. Yrene finds him in the darkness and pulls him out of it.
Chapter 56: Another not terrible sex scene from Maas. Yrene and Chaol tell each other they love each other. This is one long book but it still manages to make both romances feel super rushed/forced and insta-lovey.
Chapter 57: The rukhin Council of Clans meet. Nesryn explains about the Valg and demons. Sartaq asks them to fly with him if he fights against Erawen, they agree. Nesryn tells Falkan about Lysandra, that she is his niece and asks him to come North with them. Chaol has sent a message asking them to return to the palace immediately.
Chapter 58: Chaol told Yrene about Celaena's past and her being Aelin. Yrene has figured out the Valg act like parasites and she now believes she can successfully treat people who have been infected by them.
Chapter 59: Hasar tells Chaol that Maeve's armada found Aelin and her armies, that they fought. Tells him they believe Aelin won, as she was seen moving North with her armies (They don't know it is Lysandra disguised as Aelin). They now know Aelin has a small army of Silent Assassins as well as Galan Ashryver's forces too.
Hasar reveals Aelin sent her a letter weeks ago, asking for her to help and promising a better world.
Chapter 60: Yrene and Chaol go to speak to Hafiza, but she is missing. She left her key behind. They head to the tunnels in the library.
Chapter 61: They find a corridor with four doors, one is open and they go through it. Find a chamber filled with gold and sarcophogi in it. They find Hafiza there, Duva is with her. Duva is possessed by a Valg and threatens to kill Hafiza.
Chapter 62: Perrington sent a wyrdstone ring as a wedding present and Duva put it on, was possessed by the Valg. Tumelan suspected her so the Valg made Duva push her from the balcony. Yrene is Silba's heir, so possesses the power to rid people of the Valg. Duva attacks them, Chaol jumps in the way to protect Duva.
Chapter 63: Duva uses her valg powers to wreck Chaol's spine once again. Yrene runs and Duva chases her. Yrene can sense that Chaol is dying. Nesryn and Sartaq appear. Nesryn hears a voice, saying Chaol can be saved but she must pay a price and she agrees. Chaol is healed, even the scar on his face that Aelin gave him in Crown of Midnight is healed.
Chapter 64: The cost Yrene paid is that her and Chaol now share a life-bond. Chaol can use his legs and walk when her magic is at its fullest, when she is weak he will still need his chair. The life-bond means that if one dies the other dies too, they will die together.
Sartaq calls the khagan and his siblings to see Duva, says she is possessed by the Valg.
Chapter 65: Yrene works to get the Valg out of Duva, she does it and saves Duva and the baby. Khagan tells her she can have anything that she wants. The demon in Duva was a valg princess, not a prince. Sartaq will send 1,000 of his rukhin to help in the war, Hasar agrees to also go and bring her armadas with her.
Chapter 66: Nesryn has claimed a ruk for her own, named Salkhi. Her father, sister and sister's children have made it to Antica. Sartaq reveals he told his father he will take his rukhin to fight Erawen with or without his permission and will be with Nesryn no matter what his father thinks. The khagan has named Sartaq as his heir.
Chapter 67: Yrene and Chaol on a ship sailing for Erilea.
Chapter 68: Chaol and Yrene are married, got married two days before. Yrene shows Chaol the note she was given years ago and he realises it is from Aelin. Three hundred healers have come with Yrene. The khagan has sent 1,000 of his ships with them. Yrene's request for the khagan was for him to send her people. He has sent 1,000 ships filled with his foot soldiers and cavalry, as well as the 1,000 rukhin.
Fireheart
Aelin is in the iron box that Maeve placed her in, Cairn is coming to torture her.
Kingdom of Ash
The Prince
Rowan still searching for Aelin, it has been months.
Aelin is still being kept in the iron box, stored in a temple on a tiny island. They have been torturing her but she has refused to tell them anything.
The Princess
Aelin is still being kept in the iron box, stored in a temple on a tiny island. They have been torturing her but she has refused to tell them anything.
Part One: Armies & Allies
Chapter 1: Aedion is reunited with the Bane, moving the troops from the armada to the Bane's camp in the Plain of Theralis. No one has noticed in two months that Lysandra is pretending to be Aelin, even though Aelin/Lysandra isn't using her fire power.
Aedion still refuses to talk to Lysandra, only does it when she is pretending to be Aelin so it helps to convince people. Six Valg appear through the mountain pass, they kill five and take one to interrogate for information.
They reach Allsbrook castle and they are reunited with Evangeline. Aedion receives a letter from Kyllian, one of his commanders, telling him Morath's troops have made landfall in Eldrys and have destroyed the city.
Chapter 19: The ruks arrive, the foot army is still a week behind them, they need to hold the army back on their own. Morath's army is three days away. *** This is not the first time we get major LOTR vibes from this series, but this whole thing turns into the battle for Helm's Deep.
Chapter 34: Aedion and their armies are still fighting Morath's forces, has been three days of fighting. Men have started to question why Aelin doesn't use her fire. Aedion says they can retreat northward to Perranth, across the river and pick of Morath's forces as they follow.
Aedion still refuses to talk to Lysandra, only does it when she is pretending to be Aelin so it helps to convince people. Six Valg appear through the mountain pass, they kill five and take one to interrogate for information.
They reach Allsbrook castle and they are reunited with Evangeline. Aedion receives a letter from Kyllian, one of his commanders, telling him Morath's troops have made landfall in Eldrys and have destroyed the city.
Chapter 2: Elide, Gavriel, Rowan and Lorcan are in a city near Doranelle. Rowan has found one of Maeve's commanders and is torturing him for information.
Chapter 3: Aelin has been left chained on a stone alter. Fenrys has been ordered to stay and watch in his wolf form, has to watch her be tortured every time. They give her food and water laced with iron so she can't use her powers. Maeve is torturing her and trying to convince her to swear the blood oath to Maeve.
Chapter 4: Manon, Dorian and the Thirteen are searching for the Crochan witches. Dorian is planning to seal the Wyrdgate, needs to find the last key and will then sacrifice himself to forge the Lock. Dorian uses Wyrdmarks to summon Gavin. Gavin doesn't want to reveal where the last key is because of what will happen to Elena. He finally tells him the third key is in Morath. He tells Dorian Damaris can guide him and he will know when he is ready to go to Morath. Dorian asks Gavin if he is human, Gavin says he can't answer that.
Chapter 5: Rowan and the others are getting conflicting information. One commander told them Maeve is in Doranelle, another said Akkadia. Rowan has a dream of Aelin pregnant, with their other children beside her. Rowan is determined to not let Aelin sacrifice herself to make the Lock.
Chapter 6: Chaol is still sailing for Erilea, doesn't know that Maeve has Aelin yet. Nesryn, Sartaq and Falkan are on a scouting mission - see villages burned by Morath. Yrene is pregnant.
Chapter 7: A white bear tries to attack Manon - it shifts, is the stygian spider Manon tricked in Heir of Fire. This is the same spider that took twenty years from Falkan, which is how she got his shifter power. Spider tells Manon it can lead her to the Crochans. Dorian has been practising his magic, can use many other things not just his ice - he now wonders if he can shapeshift.
Chapter 8: Cairn takes Aelin to see Maeve, Aelin then realises they are actually in Doranelle. Maeve puts Mab's crown on Aelin and then makes her kneel on broken glass. Connall in his black wolf form, transforms to tell Fenrys that he is a disgrace.
Maeve reveals she knows that Lysandra is currently pretending to be Aelin. Maeve orders Connall to do something, he takes a knife and then she makes him plunge it into his own heart and kill himself. Aelin manages to cut Cairn and Maeve with a shard of glass - for a second Aelin sees Maeve's blood is black.
Chapter 9: Fenrys comes to remove the shards of glass from Aelin.
Chapter 10: Lysandra and their forces have met the legion Erawen marched through Eldrys. Erawen sent 5,000 soldiers but they manage to defeat them. Darrow has sent a message with Nox Owen to tell them to bring the army to meet him the next day.
Chapter 11: Nesryn and Sartaq return to report on a 10,000 strong army that they have spotted. The army is marching to Aneille, Chaol's family home. They plan to march on Anielle and save them and then secure the Ferian Gap and march to Terrasen after that. Chaol and Yrene plan to ride ahead on a ruk and warn Aneille.
Chapter 12: Aelin feels her mother is with her, telling her to be brave and not to yield. Aelin fights back, hammering on the iron box and almost breaking it. This allows Rowan to feel a surge down the mating bond, the others feels the surge of power too. They realise Aelin is in Doranelle. Rowan says they need to lure Maeve away from Doranelle so they can sneak in and rescue Aelin.
Chapter 13: The spider has led Manon and the others to a camp of 75 Crochan witches. Glennis, the witch these Crochan answer to, is Manon's great-grandmother.
Chapter 14: An Ironteeth patrol has found Manon and the Crochans, it is two Yellowlegs covens. Dorian is almost eaten by a Wyvern, but turns his body to solid flame and burns through the wyvern. Manon swears she did not lead the Ironteeth to them, but Dorian knows she is lying - did it so they could save them and earn their trust.
Chapter 15: Glennis is Manon's father's grandmother, her father was called Tristan. Manon meets Bronwen, her cousin. Bronwen says the Crochan's will never recognise Manon as Queen.
Dorian realises that the spiders are actually valg. Dorian tells Manon to speak with Glennis to figure out how to convince the Crochan's to join them. Glennis tells her that only a Crochan Queen can light the Flame of War, which is how they summon every witch to fight. They take the flame that has been kept burning for years to each Hearth in the various Crochan camps. Manon has to be accepted as Queen before she can do that.
The Crochans are heading to Eyllwe, to help Crochan's that are there.
Chapter 16: Darrow summoned Aelin/Lysandra so that they can meet with the other Lords. They vote on where to take their forces next, decide on Orynth. A stranger enters their tent, a Valg, who attacks Lysandra/Aelin, says Erawen sent him.
Chapter 17: The Valg scents Lysandra's blood, now knows she is a shifter and not Aelin. Sends a message through his bond to other valg to tell them. Valg has them kill the valg before he can expose her to everyone.
Aedion reveals he is going to ignore the Lords vote and will move the legion to the border instead.
Nox finds Lysandra as Aelin, tells her he knows she is a shifter and not Aelin. He knew Celaena Sardothien, as they fought together in the competition in Throne of Glass. Nox was working as a spy for the rebels that whole time.
Lysandra tells Nox she needs his help and he agrees. Nox gives Lord Darrow, Gunnar, Sloane and Ironwood wine laced with something to make them sleep. Their men are also given the same thing. They awake the next day to find the army gone.
Chapter 18: Chaol & Yrene arrive at Anielle and meet with Chaol's father, inform him 10,000 troops march for Anielle and to ready their men.
Chapter 19: The ruks arrive, the foot army is still a week behind them, they need to hold the army back on their own. Morath's army is three days away. *** This is not the first time we get major LOTR vibes from this series, but this whole thing turns into the battle for Helm's Deep.
Chapter 20: Maeve is giving Aelin false memories, what could have been if Erawen never came to Erilea. In the fake memory, Maeve tells Aelin her story. Says a young Queen was born in a world where power is not inherited but born. She had power stronger than all others. Three Kings came to find her and get her hand. She picked the eldest brother for his library (smart woman!) and what she could learn from it.
She learnt that there were other worlds than her own, worlds where the sky is blue and the land green - so unlike her dark world. Creating doors between worlds had been outlawed long ago but she found the spells to be able to do it within the library.
She came to a new world and became Queen there too. The Three Kings found that world and she fought them, they did not know it was her. She sent two back and the last was left so broken that he hid. The Three Kings had found a way to permanently open a gate between worlds and made three keys to do so.
She says she wants the keys to banish the King back to his world, so she can keep this one new and lovely. Sweetly asks Aelin where she thinks the keys are. Trying to trick her with false memories so she will reveal the true location of the keys. Aelin refuses to tell her.
Maeve says she does not want to destroy this world, she wants to save it. Maeve tells Aelin she has heard a Valg commander has been caught with a collar. She plans to go and retrieve the collar and then put it on Aelin. Cairn is moving her while Maeve is gone, to somewhere more secure.
Chapter 21: Rowan knew Maeve would want a collar, had Elide travel to a tavern to spread fake rumours of a captured Valg Prince. Elide plans to go into the city and ask after Cairn, so they can figure out where Aelin is being kept in Doranelle.
Chapter 22: Lysandra is scouting ahead in bird form, she sees 50,000 troops being led by 5 Valg Princes marching towards them. They only have an army of 25,000. They begin fighting and they are being destroyed by the Valg. Still Lysandra/Aelin doesn't use her fire, soldiers notice this.
Chapter 23: Elide finds a tavern with fae soldiers stationed there. She lies and says her name is Finnula, and that Cairn told her to meet him here. They won't tell her where Cairn is but reveal Maeve has left Doranelle. Elide leaves and one of the fae follows her, says her name is Essar and that she should stay away from Cairn.
Essar reveals Cairn is at the eastern camp. She knows that Elide is with Rowan and Lorcan, recognises their clothes on Elide. Essar was Lorcan's lover for a while. Essar and her sister Dresenda tell her that the watch is weakest at dawn. Essar reveals she visited Mistward in the Spring, met Aelin when she was there and that is why she is helping them.
Rowan will break into the camp at the southern entrance. Gavriel and Lorcan are waiting for his signal at the east entrance, they will create a diversion there so he can sneak in.
Chapter 24: Crochans, Manon, Dorian and the Thirteen now at an ancient camp where the seven Great Hearths have a fire each. Dorian still trying to learn to shift. Glennis gives Manon three brooms to deliver to Crochans throughout the camp, Manon knows they must be important in some way.
Karsyn, a Crochan watching the wyverns, reveals that Abraxos and Narene, Asterin's wyvern, are mates. Rhiannon Crochan's crown of stars was stolen from her dying body by Baba Yellowlegs and hasn't been seen since.
Dorian and Manon get into a fight, he says that she cares and she argues, saying that she doesn't. Dorian tells her he cares about her, she calls him a fool. Dorian wakes up, has successfully shifted his eyes from blue to brown.
Chapter 25: Aelin still in the box, has been moved to a camp. Cairn plans to burn Aelin with fire. Aelin believes she has found a way she can get Cairn to kill her and end this. Rowan hears a voice, Lady of Light, urging him to hurry up and go now, so he breaks into the camp early.
Chapter 26: Aelin toys with Cairn, says the guards talk about him and call him spineless. He hits her, unlocks her from the table and is pushing her face towards the fire to burn her. She hits him and attempts to run, but he grabs her.
Fenrys tries to fight against the blood oath, refusing to obey it. Severing the blood oath will kill him but he does it anyway. Fenrys attacks Cairn, severing the blood oath completely.
Chapter 27: Cairn and Fenrys fights. Aelin uses a burning poker to break the chains on her feet and run.
Chapter 28: Aelin escapes, fighting soldiers, heading in the opposite direction of Rowan. Lorcan sees Aelin. Ten soldiers surround her, she kills them all and runs for Lorcan. Rowan finds them, Aelin pleads for Rowan so Rowan and Gavriel head back into the camp for him. ***It felt like they found and got her out super quickly but it has been 250 pages.
Chapter 29: Rowan & Gavriel find Cairn and Fenrys both injured in the tent, Fenrys is slowly dying. Rowan tells Gavriel to heal Cairn, then chains him to the metal table. Rowan is going to torture Cairn.
Chapter 30:Elide sees Lorcan arrive back with Aelin. Aelin is screaming for them to remove her shackles but they cant. Has to teach Rowan the wyrdmarks for open in order to remove them. All of Aelin's scars have gone - Maeve erased them all when she had the healers heal her after every torture session.
Chapter 31: Every scar of Aelin's are gone - the ones from Endovier, from when her and Rowan became caranam, from her oath to Nehemia, from Baba Yellowlegs - they're all gone. They also removed her tattoo. They'd given her entirely new skin to replace the skin they had destroyed.
Aelin goes to Fenrys as he lays dying, has him swear the blood oath to her as it is the only way she can save him. Orders him to live.
The Little Folk appear, asking them to follow. They lead them to a save with a fire, a stream and a great lake. Aelin lays down, having said nothing to Rowan.
Chapter 32: Dorian still learning to shift, took three days to change his eye colour back.
Chapter 33: Manon and the witches reach Eyllwe too late, many Crochan witches there are dead and only a few have gotten away. Manon begins digging, her and the Thirteen will bury all the dead Crochans.
Four Crochan covens made it to the King and Queen of Eyllwe and are now aiding them. Eyllwe are still fighting against Morath's army.
Dorian goes to summon Gavin but Kaltain is summoned instead. Kaltain says she is forbidden from telling him what it is like after death and who is with her there. Kaltain confirms the final key is in Morath, tells him to go to the Keep there as it is the only place Erawen would keep it. Kaltain warns him to go, grab the key and leave, otherwise he will have a collar placed on him again.
Dorian finally transforms fully, into a raven. Sees Manon, she saw the whole thing and knows he plans to go to Morath.
Chapter 34: Aedion and their armies are still fighting Morath's forces, has been three days of fighting. Men have started to question why Aelin doesn't use her fire. Aedion says they can retreat northward to Perranth, across the river and pick of Morath's forces as they follow.
Lysandra finds Aedion, shifts back to human form and is naked. They fight. Aedion tells her that her & Aelin's plan was bullshit, can't pretend to be Aelin when their armies are relying on her fire power to save them. Aedion says she agreed to let Aelin go to her death and told no one. He tells her that she has ruined everything and throws her out of his tent and into the snow... naked. *** Aedion, I love you but, WHY!
Chapter 35: Aelin doesn't believe that they are real and that she has been rescued, the Little Folk promise her it is. Rowan tells her that Cairn is dead, that him skinned him alive, like Aelin once told him she would do to him if he ever whipped her. He then cut off Cairns head and burnt it.
Aelin is told she has been gone for two months and three days. A boat appears on the lake, two forms under the water are pulling it. Little Folk have brought it for them, they can sail underground through the caves and out to the sea and not get caught. The Little Folk give Aelin the Crown of Mab, as she is both Brannon's Heair and Mab's, making her the Queen of the Little Folk too.
Chapter 36: Lorcan tells Elide he wasn't crawling towards Maeve on that beach, but crawling for Aelin. Then endless Aelin inner monologue ***Maas still can't edit herself. 300-350 pages of this book are unnecessary, probably more.
Chapter 37: Aelin and the others entering a barrow, wight territory. They are creatures of malic and thought that covet treasure and hate light of any kind. Aelin leaves the boat and enters one of their caves,. Fenrys, Gavriel and Rowan follow, Lorcan and Elide stay on the boat.
Aelin has come to the cave to take gold for their journey, the others take it too. Fenrys finally turns back into his human form and hugs Aelin. He tells the others what Maeve made Connall do. Aelin finds rings for her and Rowan to wear as wedding bands. Rowan tells her he will redo her tattoo and add a new one for them.
Chapter 38: NOTHING, 4 PAGES OF NOTHING! Maas stop!
Chapter 39: Erawen's army has taken five days to reach Anielle. Chaol's mother left Anielle with Terrin, Tarrin left a note. Chaol's father tells Chaol that Yrene is pregnant, has noticed her touching her belly often.
Chapter 40: Manon wants to go to the Ferian Gap, to the host under Petrah's control and will ask them to join her. Manon sees Dorian talking to Kaltain, fights with him about his plan to go to Morath. Tells him to prove himself first, shift and sneak into the Ferian Gap and tell them who is there. He agrees.
Chapter 41: Aelin and the others have reached the sea through the caves. Aelin and Rowan talk about the fact they are mates. Then we get another sex scene. ***Maas is right back to the sex scenes that make you cringe and are so cheesy it hurts. It is all 'claiming' 'primal' and declaring people are 'yours'.
Chapter 42: Aelin speaks to Lorcan, tells him she can't trust him fully. Tells him to swear the blood oath and then he will be welcome in Terrasen and can go where he wants. If he refuses he will never be allowed in Terrasen, meaning he won't see Elide again. Lorcan swears the oath and promises to protect Terrasen, he does it for Elide.
Chapter 43: Dorian on the way to the Ferian Gap with Manon and the Thirteen. He is shifting to make himself look like a valg. He flies in on Narene. Comes back, says the Matrons aren't there - just Petrah and 300 Ironteeth.
Manon and the Thirteen enter the Omega to see Petrah, ask her to gather her host. Manon reveals that her grandmother plans to rule the witches as their High Queen, only Queen. Wants to get rid of Yellowlegs and Bluebloods, make them all her subjects. Manon gives a speech to the witches and asks them to join her and then Manon and the Thirteen leave them.
Chapter 44: Aelin dreams she is still captive. She is angry that she was chosen to pay the price, she hopes Dorian finds the third key and forms the Lock so she doesn't have to. Rowan is training Aelin so she can build back her strength and muscle. Aelin has been teaching them how to draw wyrdmarks.
Chapter 45: Battling for 5 days in Anielle. Eretia tells Yrene she knows she is pregnant, but Yrene still hasn't told Chaol and he hasn't told her he knows. A horn sounds, Hasar has arrived with Darghan cavalry and foot soldiers. ***This is basically Helm's Deep!
Chapter 46: Aedion and his armies are nearing Perranth, Morath soldiers are a day behind. Morath's soldiers finally reach them. Aedion has Rhoe's shield, which belonged to Aelin's father - he never told her he had it. Morath's army is coming towards them across a frozen river, the fae on Aedion's side use their magic to break it, drowning some of Morath's soldiers.
Lysandra is fighting in a wyvern form. They are losing, Morath has too many soldiers. Many of Aedion's soldiers start fleeing. Lysandra knows she must do something.
Chapter 47: Lysandra enters the battlefield as Aelin, with a sword. Is going to fight the Valg, a way to give the soldiers hope and stop them fleeing. Lysandra is fighting two ilken, Aedion is running for her as he thinks she is going to die. Aedion is regretting all the things he said to her. Lysandra is hit by the ilkens poisoned claw. Aedion reaches her, knows he needs to get the poison out before she dies.
Some of Morath's witches arrive and bring a witch tower. A witch is Yielding in the tower, sacrificing herself so they can amplify the power with the witch tower and use it to destroy Aedion's army. One blast completely destroy 4,000 of Aedion soldiers.
Chapter 48: Chaol, Nesryn, Sartaq and Hasar are discussing battle strategies. Aelin, Rowan and the others arrive. Aelin cries at seeing Chaol walking and hugs him. ***YAY! Finally a nice Chaol & Aelin reunion. Aelin recognises Yrene, Yrene gives her the note that she gave her years ago. Chaol reveals they are married, Aelin tells him she married Rowan. She reveals that Gavriel is Aedion's father.
Chapter 49: Falken arrives at the tent, he suddenly turned young again. Aelin met him long ago in Xandria. Nesryn tells Aelin that Falken is Lysandra's uncle. Nesryn explains that the stygian spiders are actually valg and that they answer the only Valg Queen - Maeve.
Chapter 50: Nesryn tells them everything the spider told her about Maeve. She tells them the valg are parasites and that Yrene has found a way to rid human hosts of them. Aelin tells them she was kept captive by Maeve for two months. Aelin is struggling, feels like Maeve has broken her.
Chapter 51: Elide and Lorcan fight, she can't understand how he loved Maeve. Lorcan tells her she is jealous. She tells him she doesn't care if he makes it off the battlefield alive or not.
Chapter 52: Manon and the Thirteen return to the Crochans. Manon asks Glennis if Rhiannon, her half-sister, believed the Ironteeth could change. Glennis says she did, and wanted to find Manon as she believed they could rule the witches together.
Dorian is practising how to fly as a raven so that he can eventually fly to Morath.
Chapter 53: Lysandra wakes up in a tent, Aedion is with her. He tells her they yielded Perranth and have been on the run for two days and are three days from Orynth. Lysandra shifted back to her body whilst injured, all the soldiers now know Aelin isn't with them.
Aedion apologises for everything he said. Lysandra tells Aedion that despite everything she was made to do when with Arobynn, she has never felt more degraded and humiliated than when he threw her from his tent. She is angry that it took her almost dying for him to realise he was wrong. She tells him she has wanted to be with him in the end but that is ruined now. She doesn't want to speak to him any more.
Ren and Darrow have reached them. Darrow says Aedion is stripped of him rank for his rebellion. Darrow says they will execute Lysandra if she shifts to Aelin again. Darrow demands that Aedion hand back the Sword of Orynth. Aedion does that. They realise their army is now trapped.
Chapter 54: Chaol tells Yrene he knows she is pregnant. Aelin meets Chaol's father, she humiliates him and tells him to rot in hell. Aelin would be Heir to Doranelle, as Maeve isn't really the Fae Queen.
Chapter 55: Dorian has shifted into a female witch. Dorian confronts Manon, says she is too afraid to ask him to stay and not go to Morath even though that is what she wants.
The three Ironteeth Matrons have found them.
Chapter 56: The Yellowlegs matron is wearing Rhiannon's crown of stars. Manon fights them. She kills the Yellowlegs matron and takes the crown. Manon tells Petrah's mother to go, to tell Petrah their life debts are paid and she can decide what to do with her. Manon's grandmother flees on her wyvern. Glennis then crowns Manon, names her Queen of Witches.
Chapter 57: Rowan doesn't know if Aelin can use her powers, hasn't done so since they saved her from Maeve. Fenrys tells Rowan that Cairn burned her with fire. Rowan, Aelin & the others take swords and armour from Chaol's fathers keep.
Morath's forces begin attacking, Rowan notices Aelin hasn't returned from the keep and isn't fighting. Aelin finally appears on the battlefield, in golden armour and begins fighting with a sword, not with her power.
Chapter 58: Morath's soldiers are planning to break Anielle's dam, which will destroy their forces but also Aelin's. Sartaq & Nesryn attack the soldiers trying to use a battering ram to break the dam. Lorcan is on the battlefield, fighting against ten Valg. One cuts open his back and then plunges a sword into his gut.
Chapter 59: Sartaq & Nesryn arrive back to the keep to tell them to get their soldiers off the plains as the dam is damaged and will soon collapse. Many will not have time to escape, they will lose most of their forces when the dam breaks.
Elide realises Lorcan hasn't returned with them. Rowan tells Fenrys to use his magic to jump to the field and find him. Fenrys says he can't jump to the field. Elide takes Chaol's hose and rides out onto the plain to find Lorcan herself.
Chapter 60: Fenrys hasn't been able to jump since Connall died - it was the power they shared and he doesn't know if he still can. Elide finds Lorcan, his wounds are very bad. She gets him onto the horse and they race for the gate, need to get there before the dam breaks.
Chapter 61: Lorcan tells Elide to leave him, as he is weighing the horse down and slowing them down. Lorcan tells Elide that he loves her, tells her to let him go but she refuses to let him off. They're still a mile from the keep when the dam bursts.
Aelin is riding Borte's ruk out into the plain. Rowan realises that Aelin has been making the descent into her power for the past three months, it is why she hasn't been using it. Building it up so she could use it against Erawen to kill him. Instead she uses it to blast the water coming from the dam, turning it to steam and saving their forces.
Chapter 62: Manon goes to Dorian and apologises for how she acted when she learned that he was going to Mortath. Dorian plans to leave for Morath the next day. Manon asks him to stay, says they can form an alliance between Adarlan and the Crochans, they would marry. Dorian doesn't believe she would be happy being confined by marriage. They sleep together and fall asleep, when Manon wakes up, Dorian has left with the two Wyrdkeys.
Chapter 63: Aedion tells Ren to send out messengers saying that Terrasen calls for aid. They begin fighting Morath's army but are likely to lose. Rolfe and the Mycenians finally arrive, firing their firelances at the enemy. Aedion and his men run for the boats, will escape on them and head for Orynth.
Chapter 64: Lorcan wakes up, Elide is beside him. She tells him she loves him. They kiss.
Chapter 65: Manon and the Crochan's get the word that Terrasen is calling for aid. Manon says she will answer their call, so do the Thirteen and so do the leaders of the Seven Great Hearths of the Crochans. Manon lights the Flame of War and each of the Seven Hearths, summoning them to war. The final clan takes the flame and will take it to light them fires across all the Crochans camp, to call them all to war.
Chapter 66: Aelin tells Rowan that she sent letters to Aedion, as well as Rowans uncle and Essar, saying that she was imprisoned by Maeve and heard Maeve's plans during this time. She is trying to convince them to disband Maeve's army and start a revolution in Doranelle. She told them in the letter that Maeve is Valg.
Kashin and his soldiers have arrived. Hasar, Kashin, Sartaq and their armies will go with Aelin to Terrasen. Yrene is currently healing people infected by the Valg.
Chatper 67: Aelin is wondering if Yrene can use her power on Erawen and Maeve to get rid of them, that way Aelin would not need to forge the Lock. Aelin is looking at the books written in Wyrdmarks that Chaol and Yrene brought with them, but finds nothing important.
The Wild Men in the mountains of Anielle want a part of Anielle's territory and then they will guide their forces through secret paths to Terrasen, so they can avoid enemy forces. Chaol's father refuses, but Aelin points out that Chaol outranks him, as he is Hand of the King.
Chaol's father shows him a trunk of letter from his mother, she had wrote to him for years while he was in Rifthold. His father never sent them, letting his mother think Chaol never wrote back and making Chaol think his mother didn't care.
Chaol gives the Wild Men the territory and then they follow them into the mountains. Half of the ruks and Dhargan riders will march under Kashin's banner on the eastern side of the mountain, to draw out the forces from the Ferian Gap.
Chapter 68: Dorian arrives in Morath, sneaks in as a mouse. Dorian sees Maeve and Erawen together, Maeve has come to talk to him.
Chapter 69: Aedion, Lysandra and their army arrive at Orynth.
Chapter 70: Maeve reveals to Erawen who she really is, that she is the Valg Queen. Maeve is no longer Queen of Doranelle - Aelin's letters works, her army rose up against her and refused to march. Maeve tells him she had Aelin but she has since escaped. Maeve wants to ally with him against Aelin.
Maeve creates a portal and shows him a spider on the other side - the kharankui. Erawen has struggled to find hosts for the last 6 Valg princsses but Maeve says he can put them in the kharankui. Erawen plans to bring his two brothers back to this world. Agrees to work with Maeve and put the princesses in the kharankui.
Maeve leaves to go to the chambers Erawen has assigned her. Dorian follows but Maeve knows he is their and traps him.
Chapter 71: Maeve tells Dorian that they can work together, that she wants the keys so she can get ride of Erawen and his brothers for good. She tells him that Aelin is glad he has the keys and that he will be sacrificing himself rather than her, Dorian says he doesn't blame her.
Dorian tells Maeve to work with him, bring the spiders to his side and he will marry her, give her Adarlan as a new Kingdom for her to rule.
Vernon is also at Morath, which gives Dorian an idea. He shifts into Vernon in order to speak to Erawen and ask him questions. Doesn't find out anything important and doesn't find the key.
Chapter 72: Nesryn & Sartaq have reached the Ferian Gap but find no sign of the enemy army. Chaol and Gavriel talk about fatherhood - more wasted pages. Nesryn and Sartaq arrive back to inform them they found no trace of the Ironteeth at the Ferian Gap.
Chapter 73: Maeve brought 6 spiders to Morath and the princesses are now in them. Dorian is still hunting for the key. He finds a locked door and shifts so he can sneak in. He finds a black stone sarcophagus in it and rows of Wyrdstone collars. He has found the tomb where Elena and Gavin trapped Erawen. The collars are affecting him and Maeve saves him. Maeve tells him she doesn't want to be like Erawen and his brother. Dorian believes the final key is in Erawen's tower but he can't sneak in. He wants Maeve to try and seduce Erawen so she can gain entry.
Chapter 74: Maeve tries to seduce Erawen but he rejects her and doesn't let her in. Maeve meets with Erawen the next day, Dorian hides in her pocket as a mouse. Erawen wants Maeve to summon all the kharankui for him. Maeve tells him he should hold off, save them for another battle. She says she will demonstrate her power to him, by showing his brothers to him.
Chapter 75: Aedion and his forces are setting a trap for Morath's fleet. They set explosives underground, ignite them and it destroys two of the three witch towers they have brought, and breaks the other. Morath has sent 100,000 soldiers.
Chapter 76: Maeve plans to trick Erawen, show him an illusion of his brothers whilst Dorian sneaks into his tower. Maeve opens a portal to get him into the tower.
Chapter 77: Dorian finds a woman in Erawen's bed, realises the Wyrdkey is in her arm. Dorian is shifted as Erawen and pretends to be him. He cuts open her arm and takes the Wyrdkey. She begs him to kill her but he can't. Maeve appears, kills the girl and then uses her powers to enter Dorian's mind and try to control him.
Chapter 78: Dorian tricked Maeve into believing she could control him, the whole time he has been learning her power. *** Can we just talk about how Dorian is a total badass and about 1,000 times for powerful than Aelin, as he has mastered so many different powers when she can only really use her fire.
Dorian now has control of Maeve's mind, reveals he used his magic to weaken Morath's foundations and will bring the whole place down. He leaves, gives Maeve back control of her mind but he takes away her ability to make portals - see, Dorian is a fucking badass! Dorian now has all three keys.
Chapter 79: Yrene tells Elide that she could heal her foot, it will be painful and slow but she could do it. Elide says they will talk about it if and when they win the war.
Borte arrives and says they found Vernon in the mountains. Vernon tells her Perranth has been sacked and now belongs to Erawen. Vernon tells Aelin that Maeve went to Morath to unite with Erawen.
Chapter 80: Vernon tells them 100,000 soldiers are marching on Orynth. Aelin leaves him locked and chained in the room, as he did to Elide. They will leave him there to die of starvation.
Chapter 81: Darrow shows Lysandra the last of the sacred texts from the Library of Orynth. They ready for battle and see 1,000 wyvern and witches flying towards them. Aedion plans to fire Rolfe's firelances at them.
Aedion tells Lysandra to take Evangeline and escape through a tunnel at the bottom of the castle. Tells her that he is in love with her.
Wyverns appear from the North, it is Manon and the Thirteen and they have brought an army of Crochan witches with them, thousands of them.
Chapter 82: Over 5,000 Crochan witches came. ***Then we get more pages of nothing.
Chapter 83: Dorian summons Gavin to tell him he has the keys and plans to take them to Aelin so they can decide what to do.
Chapter 84: Lysandra goes into the tunnel under the castle and into the Florine river as a sea dragon, gets near to the enemy and waits for a signal.
Chapter 85: Lysandra gets the signal, jumps from the water and attacks the enemy as a sea dragon. Then jumps back in the river and moves up to attack more enemies. They shoot flaming boulders down on Morath's forces whilst the Crochans fight the Ironteeth. A siege ladder hits the wall, a Valg prince has arrived.
Chapter 86: The Valg Prince and Aedion fight, Valg stabs Aedion in the armpit. Ren saves him and kills the Valg with a firelance. Aedion is unconscious and sent to a healer.
Chapter 87: Rowan has redone Aelin's tattoo and given her another one telling their story. Elide and Lochan get a fade to black sex scene ***So we get 500 awkward as fuck Rowan and Aelin sex scenes, but this she decides to fade to black!
Dorian finds them, tells them he has the three keys.
Chapter 88: Morath now trying to enter through the river that Lysandra used. Iskra Yellowlegs attacks Abraxos and Manon, her bull has Abraxos's throat in his jaws.
Chapter 89: Manon wants to save Abraxos, he is trying to dive for the ground so he can kill the bull but save Manon. Manon plans to try to jump from Abraxos onto the other bull. Petrah appears and has brought her legions to fight alongside Manon. Manon and Abraxos are saved, so go to prevent Morath's soldiers getting in using the river.
Petrah kills Iskra and her wyvern, revenge for Iskra killing her wyvern back in Heir of Fire. Manon takes Abraxos back to the castle, needs a healer for the wound on his neck.
Morath have repaired one of their witch towers, plan to Yield more witches so they can blast apart the city. Manon is determined to break apart the tower, wants to fly to the tower to do it. Asterin and the Thirteen knock her down to keep her there, tell her to live and then all twelve fly for the tower.
Eleven of them, except Asterin, are taken down but Asterin makes it. She kills the witch who is about to Yield. Asterin and the other Thirteen all make the Yielding, blasting apart the tower and destroying a lot of Morath's army. *** I am devastated, but only felt like I really knew two of these 12. Maas still can't kill big characters.
Chapter 90: Manon goes down to the blast zone. Everyone comes to lay flowers in honour of the Thirteen for saving them all. Kingsflame blooms *** called it!
Chapter 91: Dorian and Chaol reunite and it is everything I needed in my life. It is actually the only thing that made me cry in this book. Dorian meets Yrene. Dorian tells them about Morath and what Maeve was there for. Aelin wants to allow them to vote, on whether to create the Lock straight away or head to Terrasen fight. They vote to forge the Lock and send Erawen back the next day.
Chapter 92: Rowan suggests that Aelin and Dorian can forge the lock together and each give half of their power. Aelin asks Dorian, he agrees to do that. They are going to forge the Lock now. *** It is at this point where I finally started to realise we are 760+ pages in and it is obvious Maas still can't kill her darlings. I begin to truly fear this will be the disappointing, lacklustre finale like ACOWAR was. We are promised war and death and then get nothing but people coming in to save the day at the last minute, nobody dying and everyone living happily ever after. I was right! Can you tell I'm bitter?!?
Chapter 93: Rowan, Dorian, Aelin and Chaol head to Endovier to make the Lock. Dorian & Aelin cut palms and join hands. Aelin cuts open her arms, she realised that to open the gate she has to become it. She places the wyrdstones into her arm. They dissolve into her blood.
Chapter 94: The Lock is forming, draining both of their powers and killing them. Dorian's father appears from a doorway, yells stop.
Chapter 95: The King says he can pay the price, as he has no name and is nameless. Aelin tells Dorian that one of them needs to rule, then rips her hand from his and sends him back. Plans to form the lock with his father.
Chapter 96: The King gives her a message from her parents, that they love her, are proud of her and that the debt has been paid enough. King uses the last of his power to forge the lock. The Lock is forged and sealed, and the rest of Aelin's magic vanishes.
Chapter 97: No magic left in Aelin, just a tiny droplet of her water power. Twelve figures appear from the portal behind Aelin - Deanna, Elena, Mala and the other Gods. They want her to send them back. Aelin wants to bargain for a trade, wants to trade Erawen's soul for Elenas. She says they will keep Erawen here in Erilea but they let Elena's soul remain in the afterworld. They destroy Elena completely, tell Aelin they don't make bargains.
Chapter 98: Rowan feels the mating bond getting weaker. The gods leave through the archway and seal it, refuse to take Erawen with them. Mala gives Aelin a piece of her power. Mala tells Aelin to seal the gate, think of home and that the wyrdmarks will guide her. Rowan inked wyrdmarks into her tattoos, a map home to him. Aelin opens a portal in the gods world, sends them into a hell-realm. Aelin begins sealing all the gates and archways. She throws her last piece of power into the Lock and then leaps through the gate back home.
Chapter 99: Aelin is falling through different worlds. She passes through what is obviously the Night Court and sees Feyre and Rhysand together, Feyre is heavily pregnant. Rhysand hits her with his power to help slow her down. Aelin returns to her own body, her power is gone and just a small ember remains. Aelin is now an immortal fae, gave up her mortality to forge the lock and live. ***Fucking pointless! Had such a build up for books and books about how important the keys are and the Lock. And it was all for NOTHING! Nothing was gained by doing it, they didn't even get rid of Erawen.
Chapter 100: A week since the Thirteen sacrificed themselves. Ansel of the Wastes tells Manon she will share the Wastes with her and the witches.
Chapter 101: Elide gives Aelin Silba's ring.
Chapter 102: Murtaugh was killed. Lysandra kisses Aedion. They have about four days of fighting Morath's army left before they will lose and all die.
Chapter 103: The Lord of the North and the Little Folk appear and tell Aelin to follow her as Doom is upon Orynth.
Chapter 104: Aedion's forces are out of arrows and firelances. Darrow gives Aedion back the Sword of Orynth and his title, then tells Lysandra he recognises Caraverre and her as its lady. Darrow names Evangeline his heir.
Chapter 105: Aedionm, Lysandra and the others are hours away from defeat. A horn blares and Aelin arrives, riding the Lord of the North and bringing her army with her. ***Say it with me, one more time: HELM'S DEEP!
Chapter 106: Aelin & their forces attack.
Chapter 107: A wyvern attacks Aelin, Lysandra appears in wyvern form and saves her. Aelin and Ansel use catapults to destroy two siege towers. The rest of Morath's Ironteeth host arrives. Gavriel arrives in Orynth and goes to find Aedion.
Chapter 108: Gavriel tells Aedion they found Aelin, sealed the Wyrdgate but haven't sent Erawen back. Gavriel needs to help seal the gate to Orynth. He fights outside it and shuts the gate behind him. Aedion tries to get down to him but Aedion dies protecting the gate. *** Don't get me wrong, I am sad. But that is all we get. Maas kills off twelve witches, only two of witch we really ever get to know and care for and then Gavriel. That is it. In this giant, awful battle. Clearly this is LOTR. I want a devastating, death-filled finale like Deathly Hallows. You know, REALISTIC when it comes to war.
Chapter 109: The six kharankui valg princesses arrive with Maeve and Erawen. Aelin is at the Southern gate, sword in hand and plans to fight them both.
Chapter 110: Aelin is playing Maeve and Erawen against each other - tells Erawen that Maeve planned to destroy him. Tells him they have healers here who will destroy him. Aelin begins fighting them.
Chapter 111: Lorcan and Fenrys head to help Aelin against Maeve and Erawen. An ilken appears to pick Erawen up.
Chapter 112: Erawen spotted a healer and has gone to try and kill her. Yrene purposefully tricked him to get him to come for her.
Maeve grabs Aelin, tells her to swear the blood oath. Rowan, Fenrys and Lorcan arrive and Maeve attacks them with her power.
Chapter 113: Erawen tells Yrene he has been looking for her. They have her kind in their world and called them death-maidens. They used her kind to unbind the wyrdgate and make the keys. Erawen gets trapped by a wyrdmark. Yrene then uses her healing to destroy him. Dorian cuts their palms and links hands, to lend his power to her.
Dorian demands that Erawen tells him his fathers name. Reveals that it was Dorian as well, his father only remembered that name briefly when he first saw Dorian as a baby and named him it.
They destroy Erawen. ***Yup! Seven books on this big, bad demon King and that is how easily he dies. Yrene gets rid of him in a few pages... But took her fucking months to fix Chaols injury. This whole thing is just bullshit.
Chapter 114: Maeve's power is showing Rowan, Lorcan and Fenrys different things. Rowan sees Aelin dead, spiked to the gates of Orynth. Fenrys sees his brother, who tells him that everything that happened to him is Fenrys's fault. Lorcan sees Elide telling him that she will never be with him. Maeve is using this to try and get Aelin to swear the blood oath.
Aelin blasts the last of her power to Lorcan, Rowan and Fenrys. Aelin is creating portals, leading to different armies - a band of fae, wolf-riders who hate Maeve and the stygian spiders who also want to destroy Maeve. Aelin and Rowan distract Maeve, whilst Fenrys stabs her in the heart with Goldryn.
Chapter 115: Aelin places Silb'as ring on Maeve's finger and then beaheads her. The Valg armies instantly stop and collapse because Erawen and Maeve are both dead. *** All so anti-cimactic and easy. Awful pacing once again where the book is too long and you feel yourself skimming at the end, waiting for it to end.
Chapter 116: Aelin enters Orynth.
Chapter 117: Falkan finds Lysandra, tells her that he is her uncle and his fortune is hers. Darrow welcomes Aelin to Orynth as Queen. Aelin offers Gavriel the bood oath in death, to honour him. Lorcan asks Elide to tell him to stay, come to Perranth and marry him; she does. Lorcan plans to bind his life to Elide, so they will die together when she dies.
Chapter 118: Yrene wants to start her own Torre in the North. The Crochans find Manon, a flower has been spotted in the Wastes, the curse is broken.
Chapter 119: Rowan has told Sellene, his cousin, that she is now Queen of Doranelle. Aelin has her coronation as Queen. Aelin has Aedion swear the blood oath. The Little Folk come and give her Mab's crown, she is also Faerie Queen of the West.
Chapter 120: Some of the rukhin have found wyvern eggs and want to stay behind to train them. Chaol's mother sends a letter, wishes for her & Hollin to come and live with Chaol. Dorian finds Manon and says the rukhin will train wyverns to be his new aerial legion, he wants her to come back from the Wastes to help them. She says she will.
Chapter 121: Everyone is departing: the Crochans, the khaganate royals, Ansel, Silent Assassins, Prince Gallan and more. Dorian, Chaol and Aelin say goodbye to one another, Aelin tells them she loves them both. ***The trio back together!
Elide and Lorcan are married. Aedion and Lysandra plan to marry. Book ends with the Kingsflame blooming ***Predicted that as Maas doesn't know how to subtly drop hints.
Aelin has come to the cave to take gold for their journey, the others take it too. Fenrys finally turns back into his human form and hugs Aelin. He tells the others what Maeve made Connall do. Aelin finds rings for her and Rowan to wear as wedding bands. Rowan tells her he will redo her tattoo and add a new one for them.Chapter 38: NOTHING, 4 PAGES OF NOTHING! Maas stop!
Chapter 39: Erawen's army has taken five days to reach Anielle. Chaol's mother left Anielle with Terrin, Tarrin left a note. Chaol's father tells Chaol that Yrene is pregnant, has noticed her touching her belly often.
Chapter 40: Manon wants to go to the Ferian Gap, to the host under Petrah's control and will ask them to join her. Manon sees Dorian talking to Kaltain, fights with him about his plan to go to Morath. Tells him to prove himself first, shift and sneak into the Ferian Gap and tell them who is there. He agrees.
Chapter 41: Aelin and the others have reached the sea through the caves. Aelin and Rowan talk about the fact they are mates. Then we get another sex scene. ***Maas is right back to the sex scenes that make you cringe and are so cheesy it hurts. It is all 'claiming' 'primal' and declaring people are 'yours'.Chapter 42: Aelin speaks to Lorcan, tells him she can't trust him fully. Tells him to swear the blood oath and then he will be welcome in Terrasen and can go where he wants. If he refuses he will never be allowed in Terrasen, meaning he won't see Elide again. Lorcan swears the oath and promises to protect Terrasen, he does it for Elide.
Chapter 43: Dorian on the way to the Ferian Gap with Manon and the Thirteen. He is shifting to make himself look like a valg. He flies in on Narene. Comes back, says the Matrons aren't there - just Petrah and 300 Ironteeth.
Manon and the Thirteen enter the Omega to see Petrah, ask her to gather her host. Manon reveals that her grandmother plans to rule the witches as their High Queen, only Queen. Wants to get rid of Yellowlegs and Bluebloods, make them all her subjects. Manon gives a speech to the witches and asks them to join her and then Manon and the Thirteen leave them.
Chapter 44: Aelin dreams she is still captive. She is angry that she was chosen to pay the price, she hopes Dorian finds the third key and forms the Lock so she doesn't have to. Rowan is training Aelin so she can build back her strength and muscle. Aelin has been teaching them how to draw wyrdmarks.
Chapter 45: Battling for 5 days in Anielle. Eretia tells Yrene she knows she is pregnant, but Yrene still hasn't told Chaol and he hasn't told her he knows. A horn sounds, Hasar has arrived with Darghan cavalry and foot soldiers. ***This is basically Helm's Deep!
Chapter 46: Aedion and his armies are nearing Perranth, Morath soldiers are a day behind. Morath's soldiers finally reach them. Aedion has Rhoe's shield, which belonged to Aelin's father - he never told her he had it. Morath's army is coming towards them across a frozen river, the fae on Aedion's side use their magic to break it, drowning some of Morath's soldiers.
Lysandra is fighting in a wyvern form. They are losing, Morath has too many soldiers. Many of Aedion's soldiers start fleeing. Lysandra knows she must do something.
Chapter 47: Lysandra enters the battlefield as Aelin, with a sword. Is going to fight the Valg, a way to give the soldiers hope and stop them fleeing. Lysandra is fighting two ilken, Aedion is running for her as he thinks she is going to die. Aedion is regretting all the things he said to her. Lysandra is hit by the ilkens poisoned claw. Aedion reaches her, knows he needs to get the poison out before she dies.
Some of Morath's witches arrive and bring a witch tower. A witch is Yielding in the tower, sacrificing herself so they can amplify the power with the witch tower and use it to destroy Aedion's army. One blast completely destroy 4,000 of Aedion soldiers.
Chapter 48: Chaol, Nesryn, Sartaq and Hasar are discussing battle strategies. Aelin, Rowan and the others arrive. Aelin cries at seeing Chaol walking and hugs him. ***YAY! Finally a nice Chaol & Aelin reunion. Aelin recognises Yrene, Yrene gives her the note that she gave her years ago. Chaol reveals they are married, Aelin tells him she married Rowan. She reveals that Gavriel is Aedion's father.
Chapter 49: Falken arrives at the tent, he suddenly turned young again. Aelin met him long ago in Xandria. Nesryn tells Aelin that Falken is Lysandra's uncle. Nesryn explains that the stygian spiders are actually valg and that they answer the only Valg Queen - Maeve.
Chapter 50: Nesryn tells them everything the spider told her about Maeve. She tells them the valg are parasites and that Yrene has found a way to rid human hosts of them. Aelin tells them she was kept captive by Maeve for two months. Aelin is struggling, feels like Maeve has broken her.
Chapter 51: Elide and Lorcan fight, she can't understand how he loved Maeve. Lorcan tells her she is jealous. She tells him she doesn't care if he makes it off the battlefield alive or not.
Chapter 52: Manon and the Thirteen return to the Crochans. Manon asks Glennis if Rhiannon, her half-sister, believed the Ironteeth could change. Glennis says she did, and wanted to find Manon as she believed they could rule the witches together.
Dorian is practising how to fly as a raven so that he can eventually fly to Morath.
Chapter 53: Lysandra wakes up in a tent, Aedion is with her. He tells her they yielded Perranth and have been on the run for two days and are three days from Orynth. Lysandra shifted back to her body whilst injured, all the soldiers now know Aelin isn't with them.
Aedion apologises for everything he said. Lysandra tells Aedion that despite everything she was made to do when with Arobynn, she has never felt more degraded and humiliated than when he threw her from his tent. She is angry that it took her almost dying for him to realise he was wrong. She tells him she has wanted to be with him in the end but that is ruined now. She doesn't want to speak to him any more.
Ren and Darrow have reached them. Darrow says Aedion is stripped of him rank for his rebellion. Darrow says they will execute Lysandra if she shifts to Aelin again. Darrow demands that Aedion hand back the Sword of Orynth. Aedion does that. They realise their army is now trapped.
Chapter 54: Chaol tells Yrene he knows she is pregnant. Aelin meets Chaol's father, she humiliates him and tells him to rot in hell. Aelin would be Heir to Doranelle, as Maeve isn't really the Fae Queen.
Chapter 55: Dorian has shifted into a female witch. Dorian confronts Manon, says she is too afraid to ask him to stay and not go to Morath even though that is what she wants.
The three Ironteeth Matrons have found them.
Chapter 56: The Yellowlegs matron is wearing Rhiannon's crown of stars. Manon fights them. She kills the Yellowlegs matron and takes the crown. Manon tells Petrah's mother to go, to tell Petrah their life debts are paid and she can decide what to do with her. Manon's grandmother flees on her wyvern. Glennis then crowns Manon, names her Queen of Witches.
Chapter 57: Rowan doesn't know if Aelin can use her powers, hasn't done so since they saved her from Maeve. Fenrys tells Rowan that Cairn burned her with fire. Rowan, Aelin & the others take swords and armour from Chaol's fathers keep.
Morath's forces begin attacking, Rowan notices Aelin hasn't returned from the keep and isn't fighting. Aelin finally appears on the battlefield, in golden armour and begins fighting with a sword, not with her power.
Chapter 58: Morath's soldiers are planning to break Anielle's dam, which will destroy their forces but also Aelin's. Sartaq & Nesryn attack the soldiers trying to use a battering ram to break the dam. Lorcan is on the battlefield, fighting against ten Valg. One cuts open his back and then plunges a sword into his gut.
Chapter 59: Sartaq & Nesryn arrive back to the keep to tell them to get their soldiers off the plains as the dam is damaged and will soon collapse. Many will not have time to escape, they will lose most of their forces when the dam breaks.
Elide realises Lorcan hasn't returned with them. Rowan tells Fenrys to use his magic to jump to the field and find him. Fenrys says he can't jump to the field. Elide takes Chaol's hose and rides out onto the plain to find Lorcan herself.
Chapter 60: Fenrys hasn't been able to jump since Connall died - it was the power they shared and he doesn't know if he still can. Elide finds Lorcan, his wounds are very bad. She gets him onto the horse and they race for the gate, need to get there before the dam breaks.
Aelin is riding Borte's ruk out into the plain. Rowan realises that Aelin has been making the descent into her power for the past three months, it is why she hasn't been using it. Building it up so she could use it against Erawen to kill him. Instead she uses it to blast the water coming from the dam, turning it to steam and saving their forces.
Chapter 62: Manon goes to Dorian and apologises for how she acted when she learned that he was going to Mortath. Dorian plans to leave for Morath the next day. Manon asks him to stay, says they can form an alliance between Adarlan and the Crochans, they would marry. Dorian doesn't believe she would be happy being confined by marriage. They sleep together and fall asleep, when Manon wakes up, Dorian has left with the two Wyrdkeys.
Chapter 63: Aedion tells Ren to send out messengers saying that Terrasen calls for aid. They begin fighting Morath's army but are likely to lose. Rolfe and the Mycenians finally arrive, firing their firelances at the enemy. Aedion and his men run for the boats, will escape on them and head for Orynth.Chapter 64: Lorcan wakes up, Elide is beside him. She tells him she loves him. They kiss.
Chapter 65: Manon and the Crochan's get the word that Terrasen is calling for aid. Manon says she will answer their call, so do the Thirteen and so do the leaders of the Seven Great Hearths of the Crochans. Manon lights the Flame of War and each of the Seven Hearths, summoning them to war. The final clan takes the flame and will take it to light them fires across all the Crochans camp, to call them all to war.Chapter 66: Aelin tells Rowan that she sent letters to Aedion, as well as Rowans uncle and Essar, saying that she was imprisoned by Maeve and heard Maeve's plans during this time. She is trying to convince them to disband Maeve's army and start a revolution in Doranelle. She told them in the letter that Maeve is Valg.
Kashin and his soldiers have arrived. Hasar, Kashin, Sartaq and their armies will go with Aelin to Terrasen. Yrene is currently healing people infected by the Valg.
Chatper 67: Aelin is wondering if Yrene can use her power on Erawen and Maeve to get rid of them, that way Aelin would not need to forge the Lock. Aelin is looking at the books written in Wyrdmarks that Chaol and Yrene brought with them, but finds nothing important.
The Wild Men in the mountains of Anielle want a part of Anielle's territory and then they will guide their forces through secret paths to Terrasen, so they can avoid enemy forces. Chaol's father refuses, but Aelin points out that Chaol outranks him, as he is Hand of the King.
Chaol's father shows him a trunk of letter from his mother, she had wrote to him for years while he was in Rifthold. His father never sent them, letting his mother think Chaol never wrote back and making Chaol think his mother didn't care.
Chaol gives the Wild Men the territory and then they follow them into the mountains. Half of the ruks and Dhargan riders will march under Kashin's banner on the eastern side of the mountain, to draw out the forces from the Ferian Gap.
Part Two: Gods & Gates
Chapter 69: Aedion, Lysandra and their army arrive at Orynth.
Chapter 70: Maeve reveals to Erawen who she really is, that she is the Valg Queen. Maeve is no longer Queen of Doranelle - Aelin's letters works, her army rose up against her and refused to march. Maeve tells him she had Aelin but she has since escaped. Maeve wants to ally with him against Aelin.
Maeve creates a portal and shows him a spider on the other side - the kharankui. Erawen has struggled to find hosts for the last 6 Valg princsses but Maeve says he can put them in the kharankui. Erawen plans to bring his two brothers back to this world. Agrees to work with Maeve and put the princesses in the kharankui.
Maeve leaves to go to the chambers Erawen has assigned her. Dorian follows but Maeve knows he is their and traps him.
Chapter 71: Maeve tells Dorian that they can work together, that she wants the keys so she can get ride of Erawen and his brothers for good. She tells him that Aelin is glad he has the keys and that he will be sacrificing himself rather than her, Dorian says he doesn't blame her.
Dorian tells Maeve to work with him, bring the spiders to his side and he will marry her, give her Adarlan as a new Kingdom for her to rule.
Vernon is also at Morath, which gives Dorian an idea. He shifts into Vernon in order to speak to Erawen and ask him questions. Doesn't find out anything important and doesn't find the key.
Chapter 72: Nesryn & Sartaq have reached the Ferian Gap but find no sign of the enemy army. Chaol and Gavriel talk about fatherhood - more wasted pages. Nesryn and Sartaq arrive back to inform them they found no trace of the Ironteeth at the Ferian Gap.
Chapter 73: Maeve brought 6 spiders to Morath and the princesses are now in them. Dorian is still hunting for the key. He finds a locked door and shifts so he can sneak in. He finds a black stone sarcophagus in it and rows of Wyrdstone collars. He has found the tomb where Elena and Gavin trapped Erawen. The collars are affecting him and Maeve saves him. Maeve tells him she doesn't want to be like Erawen and his brother. Dorian believes the final key is in Erawen's tower but he can't sneak in. He wants Maeve to try and seduce Erawen so she can gain entry.
Chapter 74: Maeve tries to seduce Erawen but he rejects her and doesn't let her in. Maeve meets with Erawen the next day, Dorian hides in her pocket as a mouse. Erawen wants Maeve to summon all the kharankui for him. Maeve tells him he should hold off, save them for another battle. She says she will demonstrate her power to him, by showing his brothers to him.
Chapter 75: Aedion and his forces are setting a trap for Morath's fleet. They set explosives underground, ignite them and it destroys two of the three witch towers they have brought, and breaks the other. Morath has sent 100,000 soldiers.
Chapter 76: Maeve plans to trick Erawen, show him an illusion of his brothers whilst Dorian sneaks into his tower. Maeve opens a portal to get him into the tower.
Chapter 77: Dorian finds a woman in Erawen's bed, realises the Wyrdkey is in her arm. Dorian is shifted as Erawen and pretends to be him. He cuts open her arm and takes the Wyrdkey. She begs him to kill her but he can't. Maeve appears, kills the girl and then uses her powers to enter Dorian's mind and try to control him.
Chapter 78: Dorian tricked Maeve into believing she could control him, the whole time he has been learning her power. *** Can we just talk about how Dorian is a total badass and about 1,000 times for powerful than Aelin, as he has mastered so many different powers when she can only really use her fire.
Dorian now has control of Maeve's mind, reveals he used his magic to weaken Morath's foundations and will bring the whole place down. He leaves, gives Maeve back control of her mind but he takes away her ability to make portals - see, Dorian is a fucking badass! Dorian now has all three keys.
Chapter 79: Yrene tells Elide that she could heal her foot, it will be painful and slow but she could do it. Elide says they will talk about it if and when they win the war.
Borte arrives and says they found Vernon in the mountains. Vernon tells her Perranth has been sacked and now belongs to Erawen. Vernon tells Aelin that Maeve went to Morath to unite with Erawen.
Chapter 80: Vernon tells them 100,000 soldiers are marching on Orynth. Aelin leaves him locked and chained in the room, as he did to Elide. They will leave him there to die of starvation.
Chapter 81: Darrow shows Lysandra the last of the sacred texts from the Library of Orynth. They ready for battle and see 1,000 wyvern and witches flying towards them. Aedion plans to fire Rolfe's firelances at them.
Aedion tells Lysandra to take Evangeline and escape through a tunnel at the bottom of the castle. Tells her that he is in love with her.
Wyverns appear from the North, it is Manon and the Thirteen and they have brought an army of Crochan witches with them, thousands of them.
Chapter 82: Over 5,000 Crochan witches came. ***Then we get more pages of nothing.
Chapter 83: Dorian summons Gavin to tell him he has the keys and plans to take them to Aelin so they can decide what to do.
Chapter 84: Lysandra goes into the tunnel under the castle and into the Florine river as a sea dragon, gets near to the enemy and waits for a signal.
Chapter 85: Lysandra gets the signal, jumps from the water and attacks the enemy as a sea dragon. Then jumps back in the river and moves up to attack more enemies. They shoot flaming boulders down on Morath's forces whilst the Crochans fight the Ironteeth. A siege ladder hits the wall, a Valg prince has arrived.
Chapter 86: The Valg Prince and Aedion fight, Valg stabs Aedion in the armpit. Ren saves him and kills the Valg with a firelance. Aedion is unconscious and sent to a healer.
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| My Maas thoughts at this point. |
Dorian finds them, tells them he has the three keys.
Chapter 88: Morath now trying to enter through the river that Lysandra used. Iskra Yellowlegs attacks Abraxos and Manon, her bull has Abraxos's throat in his jaws.
Chapter 89: Manon wants to save Abraxos, he is trying to dive for the ground so he can kill the bull but save Manon. Manon plans to try to jump from Abraxos onto the other bull. Petrah appears and has brought her legions to fight alongside Manon. Manon and Abraxos are saved, so go to prevent Morath's soldiers getting in using the river.
Petrah kills Iskra and her wyvern, revenge for Iskra killing her wyvern back in Heir of Fire. Manon takes Abraxos back to the castle, needs a healer for the wound on his neck.
Morath have repaired one of their witch towers, plan to Yield more witches so they can blast apart the city. Manon is determined to break apart the tower, wants to fly to the tower to do it. Asterin and the Thirteen knock her down to keep her there, tell her to live and then all twelve fly for the tower.
Eleven of them, except Asterin, are taken down but Asterin makes it. She kills the witch who is about to Yield. Asterin and the other Thirteen all make the Yielding, blasting apart the tower and destroying a lot of Morath's army. *** I am devastated, but only felt like I really knew two of these 12. Maas still can't kill big characters.
Chapter 90: Manon goes down to the blast zone. Everyone comes to lay flowers in honour of the Thirteen for saving them all. Kingsflame blooms *** called it!
Chapter 91: Dorian and Chaol reunite and it is everything I needed in my life. It is actually the only thing that made me cry in this book. Dorian meets Yrene. Dorian tells them about Morath and what Maeve was there for. Aelin wants to allow them to vote, on whether to create the Lock straight away or head to Terrasen fight. They vote to forge the Lock and send Erawen back the next day.
Chapter 92: Rowan suggests that Aelin and Dorian can forge the lock together and each give half of their power. Aelin asks Dorian, he agrees to do that. They are going to forge the Lock now. *** It is at this point where I finally started to realise we are 760+ pages in and it is obvious Maas still can't kill her darlings. I begin to truly fear this will be the disappointing, lacklustre finale like ACOWAR was. We are promised war and death and then get nothing but people coming in to save the day at the last minute, nobody dying and everyone living happily ever after. I was right! Can you tell I'm bitter?!?Chapter 93: Rowan, Dorian, Aelin and Chaol head to Endovier to make the Lock. Dorian & Aelin cut palms and join hands. Aelin cuts open her arms, she realised that to open the gate she has to become it. She places the wyrdstones into her arm. They dissolve into her blood.
Chapter 94: The Lock is forming, draining both of their powers and killing them. Dorian's father appears from a doorway, yells stop.
Chapter 95: The King says he can pay the price, as he has no name and is nameless. Aelin tells Dorian that one of them needs to rule, then rips her hand from his and sends him back. Plans to form the lock with his father.
Chapter 96: The King gives her a message from her parents, that they love her, are proud of her and that the debt has been paid enough. King uses the last of his power to forge the lock. The Lock is forged and sealed, and the rest of Aelin's magic vanishes.
Chapter 97: No magic left in Aelin, just a tiny droplet of her water power. Twelve figures appear from the portal behind Aelin - Deanna, Elena, Mala and the other Gods. They want her to send them back. Aelin wants to bargain for a trade, wants to trade Erawen's soul for Elenas. She says they will keep Erawen here in Erilea but they let Elena's soul remain in the afterworld. They destroy Elena completely, tell Aelin they don't make bargains.
Chapter 98: Rowan feels the mating bond getting weaker. The gods leave through the archway and seal it, refuse to take Erawen with them. Mala gives Aelin a piece of her power. Mala tells Aelin to seal the gate, think of home and that the wyrdmarks will guide her. Rowan inked wyrdmarks into her tattoos, a map home to him. Aelin opens a portal in the gods world, sends them into a hell-realm. Aelin begins sealing all the gates and archways. She throws her last piece of power into the Lock and then leaps through the gate back home.
Chapter 99: Aelin is falling through different worlds. She passes through what is obviously the Night Court and sees Feyre and Rhysand together, Feyre is heavily pregnant. Rhysand hits her with his power to help slow her down. Aelin returns to her own body, her power is gone and just a small ember remains. Aelin is now an immortal fae, gave up her mortality to forge the lock and live. ***Fucking pointless! Had such a build up for books and books about how important the keys are and the Lock. And it was all for NOTHING! Nothing was gained by doing it, they didn't even get rid of Erawen.Chapter 100: A week since the Thirteen sacrificed themselves. Ansel of the Wastes tells Manon she will share the Wastes with her and the witches.
Chapter 101: Elide gives Aelin Silba's ring.
Chapter 102: Murtaugh was killed. Lysandra kisses Aedion. They have about four days of fighting Morath's army left before they will lose and all die.
Chapter 103: The Lord of the North and the Little Folk appear and tell Aelin to follow her as Doom is upon Orynth.
Chapter 104: Aedion's forces are out of arrows and firelances. Darrow gives Aedion back the Sword of Orynth and his title, then tells Lysandra he recognises Caraverre and her as its lady. Darrow names Evangeline his heir.
Chapter 105: Aedionm, Lysandra and the others are hours away from defeat. A horn blares and Aelin arrives, riding the Lord of the North and bringing her army with her. ***Say it with me, one more time: HELM'S DEEP!
Chapter 106: Aelin & their forces attack.
Chapter 107: A wyvern attacks Aelin, Lysandra appears in wyvern form and saves her. Aelin and Ansel use catapults to destroy two siege towers. The rest of Morath's Ironteeth host arrives. Gavriel arrives in Orynth and goes to find Aedion.
Chapter 108: Gavriel tells Aedion they found Aelin, sealed the Wyrdgate but haven't sent Erawen back. Gavriel needs to help seal the gate to Orynth. He fights outside it and shuts the gate behind him. Aedion tries to get down to him but Aedion dies protecting the gate. *** Don't get me wrong, I am sad. But that is all we get. Maas kills off twelve witches, only two of witch we really ever get to know and care for and then Gavriel. That is it. In this giant, awful battle. Clearly this is LOTR. I want a devastating, death-filled finale like Deathly Hallows. You know, REALISTIC when it comes to war.Chapter 109: The six kharankui valg princesses arrive with Maeve and Erawen. Aelin is at the Southern gate, sword in hand and plans to fight them both.
Chapter 110: Aelin is playing Maeve and Erawen against each other - tells Erawen that Maeve planned to destroy him. Tells him they have healers here who will destroy him. Aelin begins fighting them.
Chapter 111: Lorcan and Fenrys head to help Aelin against Maeve and Erawen. An ilken appears to pick Erawen up.
Chapter 112: Erawen spotted a healer and has gone to try and kill her. Yrene purposefully tricked him to get him to come for her.
Maeve grabs Aelin, tells her to swear the blood oath. Rowan, Fenrys and Lorcan arrive and Maeve attacks them with her power.
Chapter 113: Erawen tells Yrene he has been looking for her. They have her kind in their world and called them death-maidens. They used her kind to unbind the wyrdgate and make the keys. Erawen gets trapped by a wyrdmark. Yrene then uses her healing to destroy him. Dorian cuts their palms and links hands, to lend his power to her.
Dorian demands that Erawen tells him his fathers name. Reveals that it was Dorian as well, his father only remembered that name briefly when he first saw Dorian as a baby and named him it.
They destroy Erawen. ***Yup! Seven books on this big, bad demon King and that is how easily he dies. Yrene gets rid of him in a few pages... But took her fucking months to fix Chaols injury. This whole thing is just bullshit.Chapter 114: Maeve's power is showing Rowan, Lorcan and Fenrys different things. Rowan sees Aelin dead, spiked to the gates of Orynth. Fenrys sees his brother, who tells him that everything that happened to him is Fenrys's fault. Lorcan sees Elide telling him that she will never be with him. Maeve is using this to try and get Aelin to swear the blood oath.
Aelin blasts the last of her power to Lorcan, Rowan and Fenrys. Aelin is creating portals, leading to different armies - a band of fae, wolf-riders who hate Maeve and the stygian spiders who also want to destroy Maeve. Aelin and Rowan distract Maeve, whilst Fenrys stabs her in the heart with Goldryn.
Chapter 115: Aelin places Silb'as ring on Maeve's finger and then beaheads her. The Valg armies instantly stop and collapse because Erawen and Maeve are both dead. *** All so anti-cimactic and easy. Awful pacing once again where the book is too long and you feel yourself skimming at the end, waiting for it to end.
Chapter 116: Aelin enters Orynth.
Chapter 118: Yrene wants to start her own Torre in the North. The Crochans find Manon, a flower has been spotted in the Wastes, the curse is broken.
Chapter 119: Rowan has told Sellene, his cousin, that she is now Queen of Doranelle. Aelin has her coronation as Queen. Aelin has Aedion swear the blood oath. The Little Folk come and give her Mab's crown, she is also Faerie Queen of the West.
Chapter 120: Some of the rukhin have found wyvern eggs and want to stay behind to train them. Chaol's mother sends a letter, wishes for her & Hollin to come and live with Chaol. Dorian finds Manon and says the rukhin will train wyverns to be his new aerial legion, he wants her to come back from the Wastes to help them. She says she will.
Chapter 121: Everyone is departing: the Crochans, the khaganate royals, Ansel, Silent Assassins, Prince Gallan and more. Dorian, Chaol and Aelin say goodbye to one another, Aelin tells them she loves them both. ***The trio back together!
Afterworld
The Very-Disappointing-But-Not-Surprising End
I really wish this included Tower of Dawn. I'm currently trying to read it. And I mean trying. I really dislike Chaol and I really don't want to read an entire book about him >.<
ReplyDeletei soooo agree im on that one now and i really just want to skip it
DeleteThank you so much for sharing quality content!
ReplyDeleteThanks, you saved me... Don't want to read anything after assasin's blade
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. Have read your most excellent recap up to Kingdom of Ash, off to read that now. Have a lovely day and thanks again
ReplyDeleteMan give the writer a break,the book has its fault but it was not bad nonetheless the summary you wrote with your personal comments throws even more shade to the book although i myself do agree with you but a bit consideration for the writer would be nice
ReplyDeleteThank you for helping sir.
ReplyDelete😊I Really appreciate your work and I will definitely recommend your blog to other people.
Thanks a lot for an awesome summary of all the books. I am about to start reading the "Kingdom of Ask" and I read your summary for a quick recall.
ReplyDelete