I'm not quite sure how I want to approach this review because this book will not rank as one of my favorite reads for this year. I wish I could say I enjoyed it more than I realistically did, but there's no use in writing a false review. I've had a good stroke of luck in the last few books I've chosen to read, but I was bound to stumble upon a book that just felt like a meh plot-wise sooner or later. This book is my meh. Starting with the things that I wasn't a huge fan of or confused about is where I'd like to begin. To put it broadly, my impression of this book's plot is that it's trying to do something really cool and meta, but ends up trying to juggle too many subplots. Granted, the subplots all come together in a very strategic way in the end; I will gladly stop typing to applaud Morgenstern for her meticulous structure, attention to detail, and commitment to tying up loose ends. She does so much subtle work to tie so many things together, though, that I truthfully got lost in all the different storylines. I get a distinct sense that this was precisely her point, to portray how stories are messy and keep unraveling in ways that characters and readers alike aren't always able to predict or follow. I personally felt bogged down as a reader with the weight of keeping track of everything that'd been initially introduced and referenced later. I was able to grasp that most of the characters were meant to represent intangible concepts, especially Mirabel as Fate and the importance of Fate's heart being used at precisely the right time. But I just got confused and thought the ending was hugely unsatisfying. The relevancy and explanation of the Owl King never really seemed to resolve themselves, which was frustrating for me... I will definitely concede to mentioning that I read the first half of this book in practically one sitting, took a month break to read other things, and then returned to the story having to work extra hard to remember things from the very beginning. With that being said, I recommend other readers to try to read this book as fast as possible, as it probably makes the process of keeping everything in order much easier. I simply didn't approach the book this way, and now I know to follow my own advice in case I reread it. I think I should, since I want to try to fit all of the different pieces of the narrative together like the puzzle it is.
I'll pivot to the elements of this novel that deserve praise: the character development, setting/world building, and stylistic prose. I adored Zachary and Dorian's relationship and how seamlessly it seemed to develop into deep, delightful love. I like how there isn't even a whole lot of dialogue that occurs between them. They seem like soulmates and I'm here for it -- I didn't need a lot of explanation, I just knew they needed to end up together and wanted it for them really badly. I also loved loved loved the concept of inserting bits of the stories that exist within the universe of the Starless Sea into the actual book. My favorite story was definitely the tale of the innkeeper and the moon. I remember getting full body chills when I realized that the woman visiting the inn was the moon herself. The whole story is just so visual, romantic, and mystical. The way it comes into play later for Dorian's quest to reunite with Zachary is soooooo satisfying, too. The entire setting of the Starless Sea really confused me at times, especially when the latter part of the novel primarily takes place under the streets of the normal, known world (excluding the cool journal entries we get from Kat, which I loved). I liked the Starless Sea's similarities to the Room of Requirement from Harry Potter, especially its sense of impossibility and endless possibilities. The idea of endless hallways filled with candles, cats, and books, accented by enchanted ballrooms, wine cellars, and cozy bedrooms is just heavenly. I didn't need to know all the ins and outs of how it worked because most of its intrigue comes from its absurdity. Very Wonderland-esque. The concepts of video game creation and "build your own adventure" stories woven into this entire book-centered plot felt genius as well. Oh, and the characters going to The Strand in New York City had me kicking my feet because I adore The Strand and was just there a few months ago!! Last but not least, Morgenstern's writing style irritates me in rare increments and amazes me in much larger increments. Her lack of commas and purposeful run-ons got frustrating when I reread a sentence for the third time, but this same purposefulness made for some really hard hitting, seemingly flawless descriptions of concepts, emotions, and very niche circumstances. I don't think I described that very well, but the quotes I've included below should speak for themselves.
It feels appropriate to conclude this review with an explanation of how I came across this book in the sea of so many other modern fantasy books. A professor of mine who's worked closely with me on the book I'm writing, offering invaluable feedback for two faithful years, gifted this book to me with a smile and said, "This book reminds me of your writing style and the color I see when I read your writing: blue." I'm still in awe of such a compliment, and in even more awe after immersing myself in the wonderfully complex world of The Starless Sea. Thank you, Kirby, for your kind words and belief in me. :)



Some of my favorite quotes from The Starless Sea:

​"A boy at the beginning of a story has no way of knowing that the story has begun."

"A reading major, that's what he wants. No response papers, no exams, no analysis, just the reading."

"It doesn't look like anything special, like it contains an entire world, though the same could be said of any book."

"He believes in books, he thinks as he leaves the room. That much he knows for sure."

"These doors will sing. Silent siren songs for those who seek what lies behind them."

"'But the world is strange and the endings are not truly endings no matter how the stars might wish it so."

"It looks a breath away from being a crumbling ruin. Held together by spinning planets and ticking clocks and wishful thinking and string."

"Not all stories speak to all listeners, but all listeners can find a story that does, somewhere, sometime. In one form or another."

"'Climbing is not for girls.'
'Anything is for girls.'"

"Books are always better when read rather than explained."

"He wants to do more than read it. He wants to study it. He wants to savor it. He wants to use it as a window to see inside another person. He wants to take the book into his home, into his life, into his bed because he cannot do the same with the girl who gave it to him."

"He wonders how long is an appropriate time to wait for a girl who may or may not have been a dream."

"He isn't certain about anything.
He isn't even certain that he minds not being certain about anything."

"He is good at this. Has always been good at this, reading people like books from across dimly lit rooms."

"Dorian smiles and Zachary wonders how you can miss a someone's smile when you've only seen it once before."

"He thinks I feel like I have known you forever but he doesn't say it and so they only hold each other's gaze, not needing to say anything."

"'Strange, isn't it? To love a book. When the words on the pages become so precious that they feel like part of your own history because they are.'"

"This person is a place Zachary could lose himself in, and never wish to be found."

"As her gown cascades around the chair the ripples in the fabric become waves, and within the waves there are ships and sailors and sea monsters and then the sea within her gown is lost in the drifting snow."

"I think the best stories feel like they're still going, somewhere, out in story space."

"'There is always room for more books.'"

"What is the difference, Dorian asks himself, between Fate's heart and a heart belonging to Fate?​" 

Watching this novel's film adaptation before reading it did nothing to diminish the poignancy of its story and clever writing style. Granted, I did watch the movie while recovering from my wisdom teeth removal, so my emotions and tears were escalated. But all of that to say -- everything about this book, its characters, and the way they view themselves in the world pulls on my innermost heartstrings. A few times I thought, "Would teenagers actually talk and think the way these teenagers do?" which I tend to do with a lot of fiction. But I thought more about my answer and came to the conclusion that a pair of young lovers aware of their borrowed but sweet time together would be pretty philosophical about their existences and chances of meeting one another in the place and time that they did. I just adore Augustus' wit; I don't blame Hazel for falling for him one bit. I don't see how any girl could completely resist charm like that. And Augustus pairs charm with fierce loyalty and desire to be something before ceasing to be. This is one of the most prominent subjects the two of them get into squabbles over -- how to define a worthy life based on the accomplishments one is able to achieve. I love how this book doesn't allow its reader to sit passively by. It rather forces readers to confront the reality of Hazel's degenerating lungs and growing love for a boy who seems like he'll outlive her until he doesn't. The story is so well written in the way the tables turn so suddenly after Hazel and Augustus' trip to Amsterdam. The clues of Augustus' weakened state were there but kept expertly subtle because of readers' perspective being limited to Hazel and her existential dread of leaving those she loves behind with insurmountable grief. I think, among many other things, this book showcases what it means to embrace the utter absurdity of our lifespans with the most valiant attitude possible. It leaves space for readers to resonate with Augustus' goal of making some sort of lasting impact as well as space for readers to see themselves in Hazel's values, fears, and aspirations. In the end, we see Augustus come to a point of realization that I think we can all take to heart: your life does have purpose and worth because of the people you have the privilege of meeting and loving and existing with. Augustus had Hazel and Hazel had Augustus and it hurts every part of my heart to think of the future they could've had, but it also makes me grateful for the people I've gotten to say, "I love you" to time and time again. This story is a heartbreaking ode to the very human and very painful realities of things like cancer, death, and loss and how we can choose to approach them. I'm glad this story exists. I hope it continues to uplift those who can relate to Hazel's and Augustus' situations and those who can appreciate them for their empathetic and thoughtful qualities. 

​
Some of my favorite quotes from The Fault in Our Stars:

"'God, you're the best,' I told him.
'I bet you say that to all the boys who finance your international travel,' he answered."

"'I'm in love with you,' he said quietly.
'Augustus,' I said.
'I am,' he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. 'I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the habit of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you.'" 

(SPOILERS AHEAD) I never know quite where to begin for any book review I write and usually just start writing what first comes to my mind (Exhibit A). I feel even more discombobulated trying to approach Sarah J Maas books, for reasons I think anyone who's read any of her series understands: she writes massive narratives with so many amazing characters and complex plot lines that you could start anywhere and probably end up talking about so many things but still think of something else you could've also brought up later. Such are my sentiments for the final book in the Throne of Glass series. 
It took me a while to get through this book. Yes, it's nearly 1,000 pages. But I honestly think I was unconsciously delaying finishing the series. I realized after I actually finished the book that I'd been trucking along with this series since February of this year. February. From the moment I borrowed the first available copy of Throne of Glass from my local library to the last turn of Kingdom of Ash's page late into the night, I've been consistently living vicariously in the world of this wonderful story. And what a wonderful story it is. Sure, it's full of violence and doesn't shy away from a multitude of mature concepts. But it portrays these messy, hurtful parts of being human in incredibly well-written characters (most of whom are not entirely human themselves). Fiction, especially fantasy fiction, really does have the power to portray some of the truest things in the real world through made up worlds. I think of Aelin's insurmountable trauma from several relationships, time spent as a literal slave, physical torture, and the weight of a predestined, self-destructive fate. If this doesn't qualify Aelin as a "strong female main character," I truly don't know what would. And she's just one of many: Manon, Lysandra, Elide, Nesryn, Yrene, Borte -- the list goes on and on. The portrayal of healthy as well as toxic masculinity in this series is also profound. I think it's easiest to look to Rowan's cadre for prime evidence, but I also think of Dorian and Chaol. Theirs is a friendship that at times felt a bit shallow but, in Kingdom of Ash, struck me as truly and beautifully raw and real. The two of them grew up together without so much as an inkling of the physical and psychological war they'd have to endure together. The moment they reunite in Kingdom of Ash really gets me, especially considering that for Dorian, the sight of Chaol standing in front of the khagan's summoned army is proof that he was successful in everything he promised to do for his king as well as himself. Chaol did leave Dorian behind in that glass castle and suffered the consequences of knowing he didn't save his friend when it counted most. But looking at how they fight for one another with everything they have to offer in this final book felt like a great full circle moment. The goodbyes they exchange with Aelin at the very end of the book also brought me to tears, considering how the entire series started with the three of them and branched out from there. SJM really is good at writing satisfying full circle moments.
(BIGGER SPOILERS AHEAD)
There are so many more things I could bring up, so here are some of my rapid fire thoughts: I'm not the biggest fan of battle/war scenes, but the way everything fell into place in the last 75% was awesome; Elide and Lorcan's relationship = all the chef's kisses; I already loved Dorian, but fell just a bit harder when he casually learned how to shapeshift and singlehandedly took down Morath; Aelin running across the camp toward Lorcan in her chains and using her assassin's training to get the guards to cut her chains off is just... perfection...; Manon facing her grandmother and the other matrons was such a beautiful display of a female character embracing her full potential and ancestorial ties; why did Gavriel have to die????; I'm not a fan of the Lysandra and Aedion pairing because Aedion really made some emotionally damaging moves I honestly think are unforgivable (aka throwing the woman he loves out in the snow naked); Fenrys quickly became one of my favorite characters while I grew more and more confused by where Maeve's loyalties were supposed to lie; Dorian's father showing up at the Lock felt really out of pocket; I'm disappointed our female main character had to give up her powers to save the world (aka I don't like this trope); BUT Yrene being the ultimate heroine with her healing powers was THE BEST (her and Aelin's reunion was also oh so perfect); is another book series chronicling Nesryn's reign as Antica's empress too much to ask for?; the Thirteen's sacrifice physically hurt to read; and finally, it's no easy feat to wrap up a seven-book-long story, but this conclusion felt satisfying in all the right ways (excluding Dorian and Manon's ending, which I wanted more of).
Anyways... I'll be thinking about this series for a long time. I don't know if I'll ever reread it in its entirety (I'll definitely be paying The Assassin's Blade another visit, though), but it has been very formative in my ongoing journey as a fantasy reader and writer. :)


Some of my favorite quotes from Kingdom of Ash:

"Let’s make this a fight worthy of a song."

"Gods above, she was beautiful. He wondered when it would stop feeling like a betrayal to think so." (Dorian to Manon).

​"Elide laughed again. 'Lord Lorcan Lochan?'
It sounded just as ridiculous coming out.
Lorcan blinked at her, then howled.
She'd never heard such a joyous sound."

"'We're a long way from Innish,' Yrene whispered.
'But lost no longer,' Aelin whispered back, voice breaking as they embraced. The two women who had held the fate of their world between them. Who had saved it."