Everything I Read this Month: September 2023

The main character of the Throne of Glass series has many names. From this book on, though, she is Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen, rather than Celaena Sardothien.

In this book, Aelin starts her fight to retake her throne in earnest. This includes a daring rescue attempt for her cousin, held captive by the king of Adarlan, and working with Chaol to infiltrate the royal guard. All the while, Adarlan’s prince Dorian is a shadow of himself thanks to dark magic.

The book rotates through a few storylines, which was kind of frustrating while reading it, but ultimately makes sense and is great for the overall story. So, power through, trust that the chapters about Manon and the witches are relevant in the long run.

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass Book 4) by Sarah J. Maas is available from from Amazon and Bookshop.org.

In the fifth book, Aelin and her companions are on the move, facing set backs in her attempts to retake her throne win Terrasen. Meanwhile, the Ironteeth clan of witches are planning an attack on Rifthold, where Dorian seeks to rebuild the Adarlan court.

Much of this novel is about the quest for the three Wyrdkeys that Aelin needs to rid the realm of the dark Vlag forces forever. There are pirates, moody fae, and shape shifting shadow leopards, so the book keeps you interested from start to finish, where it drops you off a huge cliffhanger.

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass Book 5) by Sarah J. Maas is available from from Amazon and Bookshop.org.

I have to be honest with you here…I did not read Tower of Dawn. I had the best of intentions, but after the cliffhanger at the end of Empire of Storms, I needed to know what happened with Aelin.

Tower of Dawn runs concurrent to Empire of Storms. It follows the story of Chaol Westfall, Captain of the Adarlan Guard, as he seeks medical help from the Torre Cesme in Antica, in the Southern Continent of the world. While there, he learns some important things about Aelin’s fight against the Vlag.

So…I skipped it, but am including it here because it is a part of the series. I might go back and read it now that I have finished the rest of the series. You can try the “tandem reading” schedule for books 5 and 6 of the series, or check out a thorough Tower of Dawn synopsis here.

Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass Book 6) by Sarah J. Maas is available from from Amazon and Bookshop.org.

The final book in the Throne of Glass series, Kingdom of Ash is nearly 1000 pages. Regardless, I read it in a matter of days. It would have gone quicker, too, if I wasn’t actively trying to savor the novel.

Aelin comes in direct conflict with the dark Vlag forces. This pushes her to the brink of destruction with the magical Wyrdkeys she needs to banish the Vlag from the world.

In all, without giving away details, I found it to be a satisfying ending to a terrific series.

Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass Book 7) by Sarah J. Maas is available from from Amazon and Bookshop.org.

I had inadvertently bought this grouping of Throne of Glass novellas thinking they were the second book in the series. Though this was not the case, it was a happy accident because the short stories are quite entertaining!

With five novellas taking place in the Throne of Glass world, each novella covers a different mission and problem Celaena Sardothien (née Aelin Galathynius) must solve.

I read this book after finishing the rest of the series. Personally, I liked this order because I knew who the characters were from the full novels. You get a lot of backstory, including details about Celaena and Sam’s relationship, which is referenced in the series but never seen. Only the information about Sam would have really made my reading of the rest of the series different; the other novellas are great as an afterward.

The Assassin’s Blade (Throne of Glass Novellas) by Sarah J. Maas is available from from Amazon and Bookshop.org.

A triumphant feminist retelling of the oft-maligned Lilith, Nikki Marmery’s novel is a masterpiece in myth retelling. Written in a conversational style, the novel follows Lilith’s fall from Paradise and her quest for revenge with matter-of-fact precision.

A telling story of human nature, Lilith’s quest brings her into contact — and conflict — with other big-names in the Biblical world, like Noah and his wife Norea, Queen Jezebel, and Mary Magdalene.

When I say I could hardly put this book down, I mean it. I was reading it on the plane to a friend’s bachelorette party weekend and used every moment of downtime to get through a few more pages. It was that intriguing!

Lilith by Nikki Marmery is available for pre-order from Amazon and Bookshop.org. It will be released on October 10, 2023.

In this sixth installment, Julia Quinn tells the story of Francesca, a younger sibling in the Bridgerton clan. Francesca’s romantic entanglements are mentioned in passing in the earlier novels in the series, so the reader will know the outcome of the story before you begin this book, but you don’t know how the characters reach that point.

Featuring a renowned London rake as a love interest, When He Was Wicked harkens back to Daphne’s story with Simon. Here, though, Francesca is promised to another when their paths cross. Secrets must be kept.

When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn is available from Amazon and Bookshop.org. 

Centering on Hyacinth Bridgerton, It’s in His Kiss covers the story of the youngest Bridgerton daughter. 

Hyacinth’s love interest, Gareth St. Clair, is a potentially wealthy young man of the Ton, with a wasteful father and poor family relationships. Hyacinth, on the other hand, is certainly wealthy, with loud family members and loud opinions. Together, they work on translating a diary left to Gareth that holds his family’s secrets, and romance ensues.

It’s in His Kiss by Julia Quinn is available from Amazon and Bookshop.org. 

Widely acclaimed as a great fantasy novel of 2022, Nettle & Bone is a quick-but-moving novel of a twisted fairytale. This tagline says it best: “This isn’t the kind of fairytale where the princess marries a prince. It’s the one where she kills him.“

Honestly, with the first few pages, I wondered whether I should DNF this one. It opens with the main character, Marra, crafting a magic dog out of bones. However, it’s not a conventional dog death book, and the bone dog comes alive and is a main character.

I’m glad I stuck with it, because it turned out to be one of my favorite books this year! A bit like Throne of Glass/ACOTAR meets The Witcher meets general engrossing fantasy. Definitely pick up a copy!

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher is available from from Amazon and Bookshop.org.

A must-read for fans of mythological retellings, Medusa’s Sisters by Lauren J. A. Bear is an emotive and complex family drama about the Gorgons of Greek myth.

Medusa is, obviously, a focal point of the novel, but serves as a catalyst for her lesser-known sisters, Stheno and Euryale. The chapters alternate in view point, from Stheno to Euryale, and carry the reader through their adventures and misfortunes.

Poignant and contemporary in its depiction of familial drama, Medusa’s Sisters is definitely one of my favorite books I’ve read this year.