Audio Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas
Narrator: Elizabeth Evans
Series: Throne of Glass #4
Published by Bloomsbury on 2015-09-01
Length: 648 pages
Length: 20 hours and 43 minutes
Listening Speed: 2.5x
Reviewing Audiobook, Hardcover from My Book Shelf
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2025 Audiobook Challenge, 2025 Beat the Backlist

No masters. No limits. No regrets.

Aelin Galathynius takes her place as queen in the fourth book of the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.

Celaena Sardothien has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Everyone Aelin loves has been taken from her. Everything she holds dear is in danger. But she has the heart of a queen-and that heart beats for vengeance.

In this fourth book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, no one will escape the queen's wrath

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas is the fourth installment of the Throne of Glass series which follows are assassin turned queen as she returns to Adarlan ready to claim her crown. This is the book in the series where we see a lot of movement in the series arc, new characters, and a ton of action. This is my 5th or 6th time reading this book, and I’m really enjoying my series reread or, I guess, listen since I’m opting for the audiobooks this go around. You can see my original, fangirling review here.

Aelin Ashryver Galathynius has returned, and she is out for blood. After spending a few months in Wendlyn, Aelin is ready to fight for her kingdom, her crown, and her friends. The broken girl from the previous books is gone. This Aelin is who I always pictured her to be (especially after reading The Assassin’s Blade): fierce, cunning, loyal, and demanding. She is all these things and more.

The plot here is two-fold, focusing first on overthrowing and killing the king of Adarlan and second the Valg and their role in Adarlan. Before Aelin can focus on those things, she has other things she must accomplish: save Aedion, kill Arobynn, gain the trust of the rebels, repair her fractured relationship with Chaol, and a lot more. It’s can’t-read-it-fast-enough exciting, and I loved every word on every page.

While Aelin and her goals are the main focus, the author has built wonderful side characters and side plots, the witches specifically. Manon Blackbeak is first introduced in Heir of Fire as the ruthless leader of the Thirteen and heir of the Blackbeak coven. This character is fascinating to me. The Wing Leader is cunning and tends to walk in a morally grey area, but she’s learning that what she has been told her whole life may be wrong. This brings up a ton of questions and “what-if” scenarios.

Maas’s world-building is unmatched in my humble opinion. She has created complex characters with rich backstories that tie together to the main series arc. Every detail, even the small, mundane ones, is important. I catch something new every time I read, and every time I do, it blows me away.

Overall I loved Queen of Shadows. If you are already a fan of Maas’s Throne of Glass, you will be delighted to read this addition. If you haven’t read the prequel novellas I suggest you do before reading this one. The Celaena you meet in The Assassin’s Blade is very similar to the Aelin that develops in this book. If you enjoy high fantasy, romance, and just epic adventures, I highly recommend it.

Audiobook Note: I opted to listen for this re-read of the series, though I’m following along in my hardback. I love Elizabeth Evan’s narration. I can’t picture anyone else doing this series. She is Aelin and all the other characters. Her subtle tone and inflection pulls you into the story. Highly recommend this format.

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