No. No. It did not just end. It did not just end like that. No one is that cruel. Why. Why. I don't accept this. September 2017? No. Please excuse me while I curl up and rock in the corner until then.... 
 Okay, so did Sarah J. Maas deliver with Empire of Storms? Yes, she most definitely did. I was devastated, I was elated, I was carried away on a journey that I never wanted to end. Aelin proves to everyone in this book that she is a ready and able queen. She will go to the ends of the world to save her people and those that she loves. She also shows that she is willing to deceive them and risk her own safety if it means keeping them all protected. What does that mean for the future? I can't wait to find out! 
 I was a tad disappointed that Chaol was absent for this book, but I have faith that he is out there doing good, and supporting Aelin, and we'll see all of his progress come together in the next and final book, or maybe even the upcoming novella. I DID love the fact that the series isn't stagnant. I've seen some readers complain about the adult content in this book but several years have passed in this series, the characters have grown, and as such they are no longer kids and the author's writing reflects that. Bravo to SJM for allowing her characters that growth and potential. I, for one, couldn't get enough of those intimate scenes between couples, it just connected me more with these characters that I have fallen in love with. 
 I am both looking forward to and dreading the next and final book in the Throne of Glass series. I have invested my heart into these characters and never want it to end, but I am looking forward to their final journey. Aelin and Rowan deserve some peace and I hope they find it. If you love an epic fantasy romance story, then I recommend you starting this series today. It is one of my favorites and you won't be disappointed!