I have just finished Kingdom of Ash and I am NOT ok. I have been reading this series on and off since March. I feel like a chapter of my life has just ended. Also, fair warning, this review might spoil the rest of the series. I won’t spoil Kingdom of Ash, but I can’t discuss it without spoiling all the previous books.

This book starts out grim. It is time for the final battle and Aelin is trapped in an iron coffin. She is being held by the Queen of Fae. She endures months of torture that alters her indefinitely. The Aelin at the end of the book is not the person we met so many books earlier. The battle begins without her. Her closest friends try to hide the fact that the Fire-Bringer is missing. Each day Aelin’s resolve fades and the fact that she is not there to lead them will soon be discovered. Friends come together and bonds are severed all in the fight to save Erilea.

I will be honest. This story starts out slower, in my opinion, than most in this series. But it is necessary. The suspense builds dramatically. The lives of our main characters all blend together for the last battle, with hopes of building a better world. The ending was bitter-sweet and had me in tears. It is the most satisfying ending to any series that I have ever read.

If you have not read this series I highly recommend it. I will be doing an entire series review coming this week, so look out for that!

******MILD SPOILER*********

I have to mention one part. It doesn’t really spoil the plot and most people already know that a reference to the A Court of Thorns and Roses series is made. What was revealed made my heart stop. It was pure bliss.