Okay, I don't ordinarily change my ratings. Actually, I've never done it before. But it's come to my awareness that I missed somethings when I was reading this book and have revoked my approval of Rowaelin. He is possessive and honestly the scenes with them are disgusting and THIS IS NOT A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP. I am glad I can see this now and hopefully I will be changing for the better so that I can be more aware of these issues. This is not the kind of relationship teenagers should be getting awareness from, who cares if he has velvet wrapped steel.
I'm not going to deny that I enjoyed Empire of Storms, but I didn't love it as much as I said I did. I'm working to be a more honest person who is TRUE to my emotions. I didn't love this when I read it and I rated it 5 stars anyway because I felt like I had to. Newsflash, last year me, you can dislike a hyped book or even a hyped book from a series you love.

I'm still going to read Tower of Dawn and I'm not changing my review on my blog because let's be real 1-no one reads my blog and 2-that would take a lot of time.

Original review:
“Even when this world is a forgotten whisper of dust between the stars, I will always love you.”

Empire of Storms exceeded my expectations. While I wasn't on-board with the who Aelin ended up with, I grew to appreciate said character. However, it'd be a spoiler if I said something so...guess you better read the book! Anyway, I loved this book so much. The characters I started out disliking became new favorites. I never thought I'd love Elide, Lorcan, or Manon, but I did. The character development was brilliant and I loved the way the characters were shaped by the events around them.

“He was hers and she was his and they had. found each other across centuries of bloodshed and loss, across oceans and kingdoms and war.”

As usual, Sarah J. Maas created a masterpiece. Her writing is so beautiful and the world she created is so intricate. It's writers like her that inspire me. With all the hate going around at the release of Empire of Storms, I'd like to say this: Sarah J. Maas is queen and even if she wasn't, there is absolutely no reason for someone to give her death threats. That's absurd. Complete and utter absurdity. She's an amazing author, despite the majority of my reviews being four-stars, and I can't wait to read anything else she writes (A Court of Mist and Fury is calling for me).

“The world will be saved and remade by the dreamers.”

Now, let's talk about that ending. WHAT WAS THAT??? THAT CAN'T BE LEGAL. NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. Two, not one, but two ships decided to sink (not literal ships, relationships) and it ended on a cliffhanger. A bad one. I don't like this. Not one bit. Here I was, starting this book thinking it was the final book of the series, but no...there's more. Gotta love Sarah J. Maas, destroyer of ships and breaker of hearts. Actually, we do love her, quite a lot, to be honest.

Anyway, if you haven't read this yet, but you love the Throne of Glass series, I highly highly suggest you drop whatever you're doing and read it. Honestly. Go do it.

Now, if you want to read some nice ol' rants about what happened in this book... So SPOILERS BELOW, READ IF YOU DARE.

~where is Aelin? where where where?

~I didn't like Rowaelin, honestly, but I'm gradually being pulled to the dark side because my babe Chaol ISN'T HERE.

~I wasn't happy with the absence of Chaol at first, but I'm gradually becoming more comfortable with him not being there. It shows the true change in Aelin's character. Chaol was Celaena's boyfriend, and friend. Now that she's Aelin, she's changed. Rowan loves her for herself and Chaol loved her for Celaena. While I might love him to pieces, I don't believe there was a place for Chaol in Empire of Storms, just as there is no longer a place for him in her heart.

~Also...Manon and Dorian?? I heard the shipping beforehand, but I can't say I actually thought it would happen. Dorian's character really changed and I don't see him as that precious little snowflake anymore. Especially now that he's dating Manon, I see him as a rougher, more damaged character. He has been through a lot and it shows in his traits. AS USUAL, MAAS KILLED IT WITH THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Anyone who saw their girlfriend get beheaded wouldn't exactly be the same and I'm so glad she expressed that. It isn't blatantly said that he's messed up now, but he's no longer the little boy that needs to be protected (okay, he never was, but I like to think he was little when the series started). This is because of every. single. thing. that has happened to him. Shall we list all the tragic happenings? Eh, memory road is far too long.

-Book Hugger