I was wrong about the sex... There was 2 extended sex scenes in this book. Nothing terribly gratuitous, kind of like Nora Roberts romance novel type... but still, two extended sex scenes.
In other news, this is the book where all the PoV characters we've met so far converge.
At the beginning of the book, Aelin and her court arrive in Terrasen to meet with the remaining nobles, and get a tongue lashing by the most powerful lord at the moment. Lord Darrow basically tells her that no one is going to acknowledge her if all she does is waltz in and say "Hello, it's me, Aelin. I'm back!". He refuses to acknowledge her as his queen until she brings in some soldiers to fight the war. He would not give her any of their resources until she proves that she's worthy. This strikes a serious blow to Aelin's confidence of course, but she spends the rest of the book scheming about how she would deliver this. Since she totally understands why he said that.
To start, she leads her band of merry men to Skull's Bay to coerce the Pirate King to give her his armada. On the way there, they hear that Rifthold has been attacked, and she sends Rowan to save Dorian and to meet them in Skull's Bay. While she goes to by way of Ilium with Lysandra and Aedion.
At Skull's Bay, they encounter Gavriel and Fenrys, who are in town looking for Lorcan. The two fae warriors decide to stay with her after she reveals that she has the wyrdkeys that Lorcan is looking for, so he would come to them eventually. Gavriel gets to meet his son Aedion. The relationship is angsty at best, but Gavriel seems genuinely glad to know Aedion. It is during the battle in Skull's Bay (the Volg follow them there), that we are shown how Lysandra is basically Aelin's ace in the hole. She takes on the shape of a sea dragon, and embodies the legend that would convince the people of Skull's Bay to join their cause. The pirate king is not so easily convinced, but this attack becomes the big arm twist to give Aelin his ships.
Next, they sail for these secret islands off Ellywe to find the lock that would bind the keys and seal Erawan away forever. On their way there, Manon falls out of the sky on to them. She was severely injured, and she told her wyr to take her somewhere safe... and he decided to take her to Aelin.
Manon had been punished and banished from the Ironteeth clan because she saved Dorian in Rifthold before Rowan arrived. She's named a traitor and her matron reveals to her that she's actually the child of a Crochan and an Ironteeth.. or the prophesied queen who would break the witch curse and allow them all to return to the wastes. While on the boat, Manon and Dorian get together. Not sure if it's love, but definitely feels like a rebound connection... as they have their world view ripped apart, and find comfort in each other. The thirteen have no idea where Manon is... but Abraxos brings them to her at the end of the book.
Elide and Lorcan meet up early in the book, and he escorts her to meet Aelin. Elide shows herself to be clever, and has excellent survival skills. Lorcan slowly falls in love with her, and starts to question his role in Maeve's court. Their paths intersect with Aelin's at the lock location. Aelin and Aedion are overjoyed that Elide is alive, but they don't get to spend much time together because after they find the lock that is really a mirror that explains how to make the lock, they are attacked by Maeve's armada.
They fight on the sea. Rowan manages to convince his family to join them, so 1/3 of Maeve's fleet turns on them... but that isn't enough because Aelin is trapped in the mirror during this fight and isn't able to help. The tide finally turns when Manon's thirteen arrive to end the battle.
When Aelin returns from the mirror, Maeve traps her, and forces Aelin to surrender herself or Elide's life is forfeit. She agrees, and is masked, chained and locked inside an iron box before anyone can save her. After she is gone, the remainder of her allies arrive... the silent assassins from the south, and the Ashryver army from Wendlyn. Ansel of Briarcliff is also there, but she arrived earlier with Melisandre's armada. To keep the army that Aelin cobbled together, Lysandra takes Aelin's shape and leads them north back to Terrasen with Aedion (who's bloody pissed about all this). Rowan, Lorcan, Gavriel and Elide are to set out to save Aelin. Manon, Dorian and the rest of the witches are off to look for the remaining Crochan witches to bring them into the fold. And that's how this book ends.
The next book is meant to be the last book in this series. Out 2017. So I've got at least another year before I'll find out how this all ends.
In the mirror, Aelin and Manon find out that the only way to end this war is to create a new lock... which requires Aelin to burn through all of her power and die to construct it. They went out of their way to mention that it must be of Elena's bloodline, so Dorian also qualifies... so I think Dorian will sacrifice himself instead in the end. But who knows... maybe Maas will come up with a Deus Ex Machina that prevents either of them from dying. However, besides the lock sacrifice, another character must die in order to use the lock... who that will be remains to be seen. If Aelin creates the lock, then Rowan is the most obvious answer - since neither would want to live if the other dies. If Dorian creates the lock, I have a hard time imaging Manon sacrificing herself for his sake when she has so many other things to live for... Maybe Fenrys? or Gavriel.... just trying to think of all the side characters who could do it...
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