I started reading a book called An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir in December. It was a book that I had seen a lot of, but hadn't heard too much about it. It looked & sounded interesting enough so I checked it out from my library. Well I ended up not getting into it right away. So I had to renew it through the library because I wasn't finished, anywhere close to finished actually. Well Christmas came & went & I got a series that I immediately wanted to read so this book got put on the back burner, which wasn't terrible because I had barely made a dent in it. Well earlier this month I went to Barnes & Noble & got an Educator's membership card. I decided I would use some of my Christmas money to get myself some new books. This was among the ones I decided on because I couldn't recheck out the book anytime soon since I had renewed it already & there were a few people behind me that were wanting to read it. So I just bit the bullet & bought it. Well I finished my series Monday, so I decided to restart this book. It made a world of difference that I have been devouring books left & right at this moment, as apposed to a month ago when I wasn't in a book slump persay but I was very picky about what I wanted to read. I discovered that I really enjoyed this book. 
    Elias is a Martial soldier, the deadliest kind a Mask, trained the majority of his life in the elitest of "schools", Blackcliff. However while is is at the top of his class, he has never wanted to be a weapon in his empires arsenal. So before he graduates, he plans to desert. If he is caught it will be the death of him.
     Laia is a lowly Scholar, a thorn in Martial sides. Her world is turned upside down when her grandparents are murdered by a Mask & her brother is taken prisoner for being in cahoots with Scholar rebels. Her options are flee or be killed on the spot. She flees. Desperate to find a way to save her brother. As luck would have it, the rebel forces stumble upon her. Now she is on a spy mission to the most deadly of places, Blackcliff. In return for any useful information she can give them, the rebels will help release her brother from Martial custody. But Laia doesn't know the danger & torture she has signed up for when she accepted this mission. 
    Elias & Laia are from different worlds, master & slave, but they both have something to offer the other, even if it's just a friend. 
     This book is full of action, espionage, adventure, danger & a little bit of love. It was a great book... I will give it that. I can't wait for the sequel, A Torch Against the Night. However it took a long time for the plot to build & when it finally did it was practically the end of the book. I don't know... I feel as though this book would have done better to be a longer book. It was good, the plot was solid, but it took so long to build & then they hurried the ending. But I will say the characters were worthy of taking your time with them. Luckily I don't have TOO long to wait for the sequel! Seriously this was a good book that y'all should definitely read! 

     I recently reread the Throne of Glass (books 1-3 & the prequel) so that I could read Queen of Shadows for the first time. I bought the book back in September on my Nook & then for Christmas my folks bought the hardcover copy. That was all the motivation I needed to re-immerse myself in the series that I love. 
     So this book picks up where Heir of Fire leaves us. Aelin Galathynius (aka Celaena Sardothien) has accepted who & what she is & is returning to Adarlan after training with the Fae in Wendlyn. But the kingdom she returns to has radically changed... and not for the better. Her captain of the guard is a fugitive. The prince, her friend, is a collared monster bent on doing the King's bidding. Her long lost cousin is to be executed before they can reunite. And her old master is up to his old tricks. Her support system, that she came to depend on so much in Wendlyn, is an ocean away & her magic is gone once more. She'll have to fight her battles as Celaena Sardothien one more time. 
     We meet new friends & old ones. Nesryn is a loyal city guard, but helps Chaol lead the rebel forces that are saving the lives of many Rifthold citizens. Lysandra is an old pain in Celaena's side. She always vied for the full attention of not only Sam but Arobynn. But things have changed dramatically since they were young rivals, & so has Lysandra. Elide is a blast from Aelin's past. Her mother was Elides nursemaid & saving grace. Now she finds herself in a dark & dangerous place where evil is growing. Her only hope is to be reunited with her once queen, but how can she do that as a slave for the enemy? 
     Aelin has a list of things to do, and only a short time to do it. Evil henchmen of the Kings are taking magic wielders & either enslaving them or executing them, at an alarming rate. There are monsters from other worlds running rampant under the city of Rifthold, aiding in these captures. She needs to rescue her cousin before he is executed as a traitor to the crown. She must find the magical heirloom Arobynn took from her when he saved her life 10 years ago, as well as pay him back for the wrongs he's done to her & those she loves. She must save Dorian from a fate worse than death, even if that means ending his life. All this while trying to release magic so she can have a fair fight. But things are going on that even she doesn't know or yet understand. Things that can turn the tide of a war in the enemies favor. 
     This book brings in a new element that the other books didn't have. It has the feel of a classic epic fantasy novel. I personally found it reminiscent of a Wheel of Time. The character development, the overwhelming odds, the plot... so much of it made me feel like I was in a world so much like the Wheel of Time or Lord of the Rings. I highly recommend this book & the rest of the series to any lover of fantasy novels. While this book is classified as Young Adult, it strikes a cord in so many other genre's. Go get this series! It is a must read!