Empire of Storms
Series: Throne of Glass #5
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Published September 6th 2016 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Goodreads Synopsis
The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those don't.

As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

First things first, this will not be an easy review to write. I had serious issues with the previous book, Queen of Shadows, and had heard some of the spoilers about this book, which was making me nervous, and honestly, dreading reading it. Unfortunately, all what I had heard about the book, and what I'd imagined, came true, and now, I can say that Sarah J Maas, who used to be a firm favourite of mine, is now an author I wouldn't recommend.

I can't really summarise this book, more than what the synopsis says, otherwise it would be too spoilery. However, the book had a ton of different plot lines that were all interconnected, but, unfortunately, I was bored by most of them. Any of Aelin's chapters, were a bore, and I had to drag my way through them, as were Manon's for the most part. Chaol isn't anywhere to be found, and Dorian's joined with Aelin's so soon, he kind of faded into the background. It was only Elide's and Lorcan's PoV's I liked, and honestly, I think that's what got me through the majority of the book.

I had to force myself to read chapter by chapter, and not just skim the majority, like I wished, and it took a week and a half to finish. Once we got to about the last 15%, the story lines did pick up, and I was having some enjoyment in reading. Funnily, where I've seen many people say this was the part that ripped out their hearts, I found myself having fun, and being happy with the events that were occurring. The characters just aren't dear to my heart anymore, and haven't been since Celaena became Aelin. I really just don't care anymore, and that's worse than outright hating it.

The romances, for the most part, were so unnecessary, and I found myself gagging at times. Again, Elide/Lorcan were the only ones I like, and I'm glad they didn't have any cringeworthy, supposedly 'swoony' scenes, like the other couples did. If Aelin and Rowan jumped off a cliff, I think I would cheer, rather than be sad. To put it simply, this is a series where I hope the main character dies in the end, because otherwise, she's going to ruin the whole world. I might persevere with the last book, mainly to see if my wishes come true, but I'm not expdcting much. If you've read A Court of Mist and Fury, expect to reread a lot of it, when you read Empire of Storms.