In honor of this week's release of Kingdom of Ash, the final book in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, I'll be hosting a week-long celebration with three of my favorite ladies, Alexa of Alexa Loves Books, Kelly of Belle of the Literati, and Hannah of So Obsessed With.
So far, we did a series roulette telling you all about our favorites, answered twenty questions divided among our four blogs and for our final post, we're each discussing what the series means to us and how we felt about rereading it.
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Whenever I've reread favorite books in the past, there's always been this slight twinge of fear that I wouldn't like the books as much as I did the first time around. But I can honestly say that when I made the decision to reread Throne of Glass in preparation for the release of Kingdom of Ash, I had no such doubt or fear. What surprised me the most was how it ended up being this really special and nostalgic trip down memory lane that only made me love the books more (which I didn't know was even possible given what a fangirl I already am!).
With Throne of Glass, I always remember how it was an ARC that I just randomly picked up at my my very first BookExpo America. I was a newbie blogger, had no idea what I was doing and when I happened to overhear someone mention a book drop for a new fantasy series, I thought I'd go and check it out. Well, that turned out to be one of the best decisions ever because I read it soon after and was in love from page one.
With Crown of Midnight, I still remember the chills I got when Celaena's true lineage was revealed. I knew then that this world and series was just going to get bigger and even better. With Heir of Fire, of course I always think about meeting Rowan for the first time and immediately loving the relationship, however undefined, between him and Aelin. With Queen of Shadows, I remember everything (probably because that's the one I've reread favorite parts from the most). With Empire of Storms, I always think of the showdown between Aelin and Maeve as the latter tries to break her spirit with every reveal (and breaking my heart in the process!). And with Tower of Dawn, I think about how this novella turned into a full-blown book that I couldn't imagine the series without after reading it.
But.. what was it like to reread it all from the beginning? In a word, magical.
The entire time I was rereading and especially by the time I got to Kingdom of Ash (which I am still emotionally wrecked over), I kept thinking to myself – this is why I love reading. To experience brand new worlds, to find characters to fall in love with and to find words that inspire me. Sarah J. Maas brings that all to the table and more. Starting at the beginning and basically binging the series let me see that all even clearer, not to mention give me a deeper appreciation for how beautiful and clever the entire story is. I also can't think of another series where every character goes through such deeply personal journeys of self-acceptance and growth. It's not only the fantasy aspects, the lore and world-building that impresses me. It's the people in them too and how she manages to make the reader (at least this reader!) care about every single one. And whether it's the first, second or twentieth time I'm reading this series, it has never, and will never, fail to make me laugh, cry, swoon or feel immersed in it all.
There's just no one quite like Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, which is why she'll always be one of my all-time favorite fictional heroines. The epic love story between her and Rowan Whitethorn is something I'll never get over. But most of all, the friendships and bonds that form between Aelin, Rowan, Dorian, Chaol, Aedion, Lysandra, the Cadre, Manon and the Thirteen, Elide, Nesryn, Yrene – those moments will forever make my heart feel full when I think of them.
This reread cemented something that I think I've always known and it's this: Throne of Glass is my favorite series ever. And I mean, ever. No other set of books has made me feel exactly like this (seriously, I spent the last 30 chapters of Kingdom of Ash crying and that's not even an exaggeration) and I want to end my post by just saying thank you. Thank you Sarah J. Maas for creating this series and for bringing them into my life. It's been a wild, amazing ride for the last 6 years and no other books can take the place of this one in my heart.
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Well, there you have it! That is my love letter to Throne of Glass
and the end of this week-long blog celebration. Hope you had fun joining us!
I remember discussing the series with you and Hannah and Kelly, and how magical it was to relive all the other books leading up to the final (and epic) conclusion! It's such a special series, and I also name it a forever favorite for sure <3
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