Empire of Storms - Sarah J Maas

I'm on a roll working my way through the TOG series, and this one keeps things going in all the best ways. So many twists and turns, moments that made me gasp, as well as tie ins to other SJM series that had me making pterodactyl noises. 
As much as I love strong female characters, I have to admit I find Aelin almost too cocky and self assured. She doesn't let the others in on any of her plans, and while I understand it's meant to be taken as not wanting to let them down, I see it as 'don't question my brilliance' and 'I can do no wrong'. As much as she wants to be a fair leader, she's already acting like a dictator within her small court that I find very off putting.
But the chemistry, the characters, the stakes...*pterodactyl noises*
Each character has such vital stakes and motivations I'm not disappointed when the POV changes. I want to see where each of them end up, how their characters grow, and how it all ties together. I'm loving watching Lorcan soften under Elide's influence, the flirting between Lysandra and Aedion, and of course Manon and Dorian's little back and forth. Manon is more the strong female character I like, as she still values others input even as she threatens to slice and dice them. 
The ending....I didn't know if I should cry or scream. I can't wait for the next one, even though apparently it's entirely Chaol's journey so I have 20+ hrs of audiobook to get back to the collective cast. 
Another win for the SJM universe.

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