Animalistic Abomination: The Weaver, the entity living under Rokutaro's castle, is a talking spider made of crystal. Aedion wakes up in Aelin’s apartment. The cousins rehash everything they have been through in the ten years they were separated. Aelin is surprised he’s not ashamed of some of the things she has done, but he’s committed horrors, too.

Dorian delivers the killing blow. The glass castle shatters at Dorian’s battle cry. The bridge they’re standing on explodes, and they fall. Aelin uses every last bit of power to prevent the glass from pummeling Rifthold. She feels wind (magic from Rowan) come up beneath her and give her a soft landing onto the grass. She passes out, and when she wakes up, Dorian is beside her. And beside him is Chaol. and I hate sweating when I sleep. Plus, you’re practically a furnace. So it’s either this or I sleepShendu's first physical appearance in the fic has him making a slave girl dancing beyond exhaustion for him, and then burning her alive (slowly) because she's peaked as a dancer.

Asterin tells Elide she is a witch. Charming. Elide tries to escape but is caught by Manon. Manon tells Elide she has to decide whether she’s human or a witch. In this fourth book in the bestselling Throne of Glass series, no one will escape the queen's wrath... Shendu wanted to reshape reality, but didn't end up with control over the outcome. It still apparently helped him, though, but Jade's rise to power might still bite him in the ass eventually. You don’t use that in your hair,” she hissed, jolting from her perch to reach for one of the many hair tonics lining the little shelf above the bath. “Rose, lemon verbena, or …” She sniffed the glass bottle. “Jasmine.” She squinted down at him. Sympathetic Magic: Part of the shadow magic Jade is learning involves connecting her shadow to that of other people/objects, so that she can damage them remotely.

Jade considers the Grand Eunuch this, given his bright clothes, even more brightly-dyed mane of hair, painted face, claw-like fingernails, and high-pitched voice.

Literal Metaphor: When the narration says that Ikazuki rushes through a door when he's in a hurry, it means he doesn't even bothering opening it first. He just smashes right through without slowing down. Aelin Galathynius takes her place as queen in the fourth book of the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. Brought Down to Badass: Jade may have lost a belt level or two of Waif-Fu due to the Queen's body being physically weaker (and not being able to do much to strengthen herself again), but she is still a Genre Savvy Guile Hero, and has (so far) managed to remain undetected as an impostor, is planning how to get out of the situation and is currently learning how to control her new shadow powers. I'm Having Soul Pains: When Tsume and the Gani are sealed, Jade senses them being torn away and is left in agonizing pain, and physically ill even after the pain fades. And it's just as bad when any other General is also sealed.Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: It turns out, the 96th Queen started the war because she feared humans one day subjugating the Shadowkhan. Now, the war has led to the creation of the masks, which are being used to seal the Shadowkhan away. They were infinite. They were the beginning and the ending; they were eternity. The king standing before them gaped as the shield of flame died out to reveal Aelin and Dorian, hand in hand, glowing like newborn gods as their magic entwined.” There's also Shendu's empire, which controls roughly half of China (and a chunk of Southeast Asia). Manon is summoned to meet her grandmother and the King in Oakwald Forest to see the weapon that the old witch has been building. Nonki admits to having lost most of his empathy over the years, but even he's disturbed by how the captive Jade is treated by Rokutaro and Yasashi.

Tsume and his tribe seem to enjoy eating human slaves (a bit too much, in the eyes of the other Shadowkhan). And he's not above eating other Shadowkhan either (but only with the Queen's permission). The Assassin and the Pirate Lord • The Assassin and the Healer • The Assassin and the Desert • The Assassin and the Underworld • The Assassin and the Empire Lysandra shows up at Aelin’s apartment with a little girl called Evangeline. Lysandra has been sent by Arobynn to tell Aelin the plan to rescue Aedion. She also brought a letter from Wesley, who was killed by Arobynn because he tried to stop the Sam and Endovier thing from happening. Reality Warping Is Not a Toy: Shendu tried to use the Rewriting Reality powers of the Book of Ages, like in canon, to recreate the world so that he and his siblings ruled, but accidentally damaged the Book and lost control. It's later confirmed he's still in control of part of China, with other Asian states as tributaries, but his siblings are no-shows in his empire. Chaol is scared of Aelin and her power, and he’s basically in love with Dorian and his only goal right now is freeing him. YES. SHIP.She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return. Bachi is divergent from most tanuki, as he likes to eat humans. He also tries to eat Jade at one point, but Himitsu stops him. I spent centuries wandering the world, from empires to kingdoms to wastelands, never settling, never stopping—not for one moment. I was always looking toward the horizon, always wondering what waited across the next ocean, over the next mountain. But I think … I think that whole time, all those centuries, I was just looking for you.” Elide is caught by Vernon when she tries to make an escape. She’s imprisoned. Vernon gives Manon information on Aelin and Chaol. Manon realises that Chaol is an idiot and doesn’t realise that Dorian is still alive in there. Immortality Seeker: Himitsu wants to achieve immortality so that he can live long enough to gain all the magical knowledge in the world.