After honing her fiery powers under the tutelage of surly fae Rowan, Celaena w going by her true royal name, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius s returned to Rifthold to rescue Prince Dorian from the evil grasp of the Valg demon inhabiting his body, topple the king's tyrannical reign, and restore magic to the kingdom. Her return to the city is a flurry of vengeance, score settling, and surprising alliances, and Maas delivers the action in her characteristic cinematic style. Meanwhile, Manon Blackbeak, wing leader of a cadre of wyvern-riding witches allied with wicked Duke Perrington, questions her obedience to her cruel grandmother when she discovers the grotesque plans in store for her clan. Though this hefty tome could use some tightening, fans of the high-fantasy series likely won't mind the protracted story at all, packed as it is with brooding glances, simmering sexual tension, twisty plot turns, lush world building, and snarky banter. Even better, Aelin's tale is far from over: the final chapters of this installment promise more epic adventures and badder bad guys to defeat in forthcoming volumes.

Gr 10 Up-Picking up where Heir of Fire (Bloomsbury, 2014) left off, this work follows Aelin as she returns to Adarlan to rescue her cousin from execution, free Prince Dorian from the Valg demon inside of him, and kill the King of Adarlan to set her people free. Told from many different viewpoints, this highly anticipated installment of the series will live up to every one of fans' expectations. Strong, clever, and resilient, Aelin expertly manages to rescue her cousin from the castle with minimal casualties. Then, with the help of her loyal friends and the Fae Prince Rowan, they devise a plan to destroy one of the king's towers to free magic and take back their powers so they can assassinate the evil King of Adarlan. Meanwhile, Manon, the Wing Leader of the Blackbeak witch coven, struggles with her grandmother's order to select a coven of witches to breed with Valg demons to please the mortal Duke. Aelin and Manon cross paths in surprising ways, and everything comes together in one thrilling and high-stakes climax that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. With a full cast of three-dimensional characters and a slew of emotionally riveting scenes and shocking realizations, readers will be daydreaming about this book long after it's over. VERDICT Beautifully written prose and brilliantly crafted plots come together in this entry of the awe-inspiring fantasy series that will leave readers anticipating the next volume. Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Sno-Isle Libraries, Marysville, WA