This is broken down into pairings (then other stuff), and is mostly a ramble of my favorite scenes, why I love them overall, etc.

Aelin & Rowan

“They’d walked this dark path together back to the light. He would not let the road end here.”

• Rowan is my love. All I wanted for Rowan WAS A HAPPY ENDING. Praise goodness he got one. There was no way SJM wasn’t going to dole that out after he had to deal with Maeve being Valg, and AND faking that Lyria was his mate.
• That male deserves the moon for handling Aelin in all capacities. It was heart breaking listening to him want to touch her (after she’s been rescued) but respecting her space til she was ready. He continually let Aelin express herself and let her be seen and heard as she worked through her problems.
• His never ending assurance that there was no way Aelin was giving up her life for the lock. Passion and anger for his Fireheart made me swoon, again and again and again.
• Aelin is the sassiest and most sarcastic character I know, and boy do I love it.
• I love that we got another side of her this time. One that was utterly shattered and broken. Her personality is so much more than the original swaggering assassin.
• I’m so happy she finally let people (okay, at least Rowan) in on her plans!! I think this was a big step forward for her and especially in the last battle scene she needed him and they were able to use their carranam bond to destroy Maeve at long last.
• The scene of her shouting Take it off, take if off, take it off, repeatedly…BROKE ME. That was the first time tears started coming. The pure rawness of that moment, not knowing what’s real or not, but just wanting to be free of that stupid iron.
• I love that their first love scene is Rowan giving his claiming marks back to Aelin (and vice versa). I feel SJM wrote it this way so that they both could acknowledge the mating bond to each other in a primal way.

Elide & Lorcan

“…Lord Lorcan Lochan?”

“…I’ll use it with pride every damned day for the rest of my life.”

• Rowan is my fav…BUT OHEMGEE, I LOVE LORCAN SO MUCH. I love how awful and wonderful he is. He was absolutely breaking my heart every time he talked to Elide. Repeatedly trying to convince her just how much he’s sorry, and that he cares about her.
• And Lorcan saying he’ll give up his immortality to stay her with. *TEARS* I am a sucker for everyone having a happy ending. Not sorry.
• Elide is probably the smartest character of this gang. I tagged so many moments when she was the first to comment or come up with the idea on what they should do next. Form finding Cairn, to helping with Yrene she was amazing all around.
• She could definitely use so self-preservation though. Girlfriend riding on Farasha to save Lorcan, trying to find Cairn, coming up with the plan to snag Erawan. She cares so much for her tribe that she’ll do anything, regardless of herself, to help them. Elide is the epitome of selfless love.
• I couldn’t be happier that Annieth and Hellas found each other.

Dorian & Manon

“A child not of war, but of peace.”

“Who do you wish to be? …”A king worthy of his kingdom.”

• Dorian is so slithery and secretive, in the best way. 
• His poor soul needing healing that took him time to work though. Still struggling with Sorscha, he remained in a state of perpetual sacrificial need. He was truly willing to give himself for the lock instead of Aelin, just to prove his worth.
• **I thought that he might actually not come back, but further explanation later**
• Dorian taking on Maeve in his own special way had me flippin’ out. The way he takes her down, destroys Morath and finds the Wyrdkey. Y’all, Dorian is a King.
• MANON Y’ALL. She might have had one of the biggest characters arcs of anyone. When she bore her soul to Dorian and he still got up the next day to leave, I couldn’t. I mean, come on.
• AND THE THIRTEEN. THE THIRTEEN. THE THIRTEEN. How could you not SOB when Asterin punched Manon, told her to live and flew off, to buy them time.
• I love her growth and acknowledgement of being afraid and owning it, but not letting it control  her. Wanting to be a good Queen, and actually bring peace to her lands.
• The fact that she told Abraxos, I love you. More tears. I could NOT have handled anything happening to him. And seeing him struggle with losing Narene (his mate). AH WHY SJM, WHY.
• Their ending is the most open-ended, both royals having to go take care of tasks in their homelands. But we all know they’re feeling the love.

Aedion & Lysandra

“I meant every promise I made to you on that beach in Skull’s Bay.”

• MY POOR BROKEN AEDION, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BE A JERK TO LYSANDRA? I know I know, he meant everything he said at Skull’s Bay, but it was still hard to watch in those initial conflicts!!
• I love his passion and continual efforts to hold the line, like Rowan asked him to do.
• He loves Terrasen so deeply, and he never surrendered.
• Watching him talk to Evangeline and comforting her is all the feels.
• Lysandra is a freakin’ Queen in her own right. She and Aelin have the best relationship. Lys loves Aelin so much she was willing to die to buy them time. I mean, guys. *still crying*
• Can I just have ONE wedding scene!?

Yrene & Chaol

“I didn’t waste any of it.”

• YRENE IS PREGNANT? Love it. Also, she is the most fierce pregnant woman on the land. Running around healing people, never getting any rest, GIRL DESERVES APPLAUSE.
• Also, cause you know, she destroyed Erawan with the power of healing. If that isn’t the entire theme of this series I’m not sure what is. (Okay actually, girls saving the world. They all rocked it.)
• Chaol is cool. I finally liked him after reading Tower of Dawn. He isn’t a huge presence in this book, but it’s nice to hear from him!
• I love his acceptance of his disability because he still feels healed through love and appreciation.
• He handled his terrible Father, rode good ol’ Farasha and helped win the war.

Other shiny (and shattering) tidbits:

• Fenrys & Aelin’s secret blinking language. The bond that they have is everlasting. I’m so grateful he lived, because I was about to throw my book (and only 200+ pages in) if he died.
• THE THIRTEEN. I’m still not over that. Clearly.
• I actually called Gavriel dying, I knew he was the only “expendable” character (even though I loved his calm, continual presence). What was REAL shattering was Aelin still giving him the blood oath after he passed. *tissues*
• Having Dorian’s Father be, Nameless was my price, was a story line I didn’t even know I needed. It was so so so satisfying having him in the story to help seal the lock. AND WHEN DORIAN FOUND OUT THAT WAS HIS FATHER’S NAME? Obviously, still processing that one.
• All the evil got their dues. *assume I’m continually applauding this section*
  • Cairn being tortured by Rowan. I have never applauded more sinister things than that.
  • Chaol’s father (I don’t think we ever got his name either, huh?) was LEFT by his wife for never sending Chaol her letters.
  • Vernon being LOCKED IN A ROOM until he died. Y’all, YAAAAS.
  • Erawan being healed to death by Yrene.
  • Maeve being stabbed by Fenrys (YUUUP) and then burning alive thanks to the ring.
  • The Gods having to deal with Aelin opening another nefarious portal in their old world.
    • “She would live. She would live, and they could all go to hell.”
• EVANGELINE CHANGING DARROW’S HEART. Girls rule the world. Her love for a land she didn’t even know that much about yet, and the way she took care of all of the messenger children in the castle that worked with her, ah she was amazing. Always being brave and strong in her own ways.
• Nox making a random, enjoyable appearance. Though I wish he got to meet the real Aelin at some point!!
• Also, I’m all for a Nesryn/Sartaq Southern Continent spin off, anyone else?
• The happy, beautiful scenes in the end when everyone said good-bye to each other, and we had the coronation for the Queen. Oh my goodness. I love it all.