Queen of Shadows

Aelin has returned to the continent of Erilea; she disguises herself by cutting her long, golden-blonde hair to her shoulders and dying it auburn. She hypothesizes that the King of Adarlan is on the lookout for her—Celaena, “the King’s Champion [that] had failed in her task to assassinate Wendlyn’s royal family and steal its naval defense plans” (7). Aelin has instead spent several months training with Fae warrior Rowan Whitethorn in the Wendlyn stronghold of Mistward to master her fire magic. Since returning to Erilea, her magic has vanished, like all magic does on this continent. Though Aelin misses Rowan, she believes it’s for the best that he remained on the Fae continent.

Aelin tracks down her old master—the King of the Assassins, Arobynn Hamel—to a pleasure hall called the Vaults in the slums of Rifthold, the capital of the kingdom of Adarlan. She intends to question him on what has happened in the months she’s been overseas. She notices the King of Adarlan’s guard has changed uniforms; from gold and crimson to all-black and embroidered with onyx wyverns. Aelin suspects that the King, now in possession of two Wyrdkeys, is building a Valg army. After an unpleasant confrontation with Arobynn’s second-in-command, Tern, Aelin catches Arobynn’s client leaving. She recognizes him as her former love interest Chaol Westfall.

Chaol leaves briskly, prompting Aelin to believe he hasn’t recognized her. Aelin faces Arobynn. In Mistward, Aelin was attacked by Valg princes who forced her to relive her parents’ death. The memories revealed that the night Adarlan invaded the kingdom of Terrasen, young Aelin was given the Amulet of Orynth, which contained the third and final Wyrdkey. Aelin then escaped the castle and fell into the Florine River; Arobynn Hamel found her half-dead and stole the heirloom, but “allowed her to believe the amulet […] had been lost to the river” (15). Aelin now seeks to covertly steal it back.

Arobynn, who’s always known Aelin’s identity, reveals that rumors of her power wielded against the Valg in Mistward have reached Adarlan and that people are calling her the “fire-breathing-bitch-queen” (15). He also reveals that her cousin, Aedion Ashryver, has been sentenced to death for treason; the execution is in three days, at Dorian’s birthday party. It is an obvious trap meant for Aelin, but she’s determined to save Aedion at any cost.

Arobynn offers Aelin his resources in freeing Aedion, in exchange for one favor: He wishes to know what creatures inhabit the king’s guards, who have been rounding up suspected magic-sympathizers and former magic-users for execution. Aelin explains that the king has purposefully stifled magic on the continent, is summoning Valg demons, and is using Wyrdstone collars and rings to possess human hosts. Arobynn requests that Aelin capture one and deliver it to him. Before Aelin leaves, Arobynn makes a show of yearning for her forgiveness. He also tells her where she can find Chaol later this evening.

Aedion awaits his execution from a cell. He hopes to die from his wounds before the king can use him to set a trap for Aelin.

20 Valg-infected soldiers are alerted to Aelin’s arrival. They pursue her through Rifthold, but lose her trail when she slips into the underground sewer tunnels—the same tunnels where Arobynn hinted she’d find Chaol. It is Chaol’s female companion from the Vaults who finds her instead.

The woman introduces herself as Nesryn Faliq—a city guard and part of the rebel movement. Chaol abandoned his position as Captain of the Guard and fled the castle to join the rebels. Nesryn doesn’t trust Aelin, who killed many rebels the night she rescued a kidnapped Chaol from rebel leader Archer Flynn. Aelin doesn’t trust the rebels either, as Archer Flynn was to blame for her friend Nehemia’s death.

Aelin and Chaol share a tense reunion. He’s been working with the rebels to help former magic-wielders escape the city. Chaol has sent Red Allsbrook, a former member of Terrasen’s old court, to rally rebels in Terrasen. He’s also asked for Arobynn’s help in killing the king. After Chaol tells Aelin about Aedion’s capture, Sorscha’s beheading, and Dorian’s imprisonment in a Wyrdstone collar, she tells him about her childhood, Terrasen’s downfall, and her training in Wendlyn.

They fight, blaming each other for different atrocities. Aelin blames Chaol for running instead of defending Dorian from the king; Chaol blames Aelin for not using her status to bring back allies or an army from the Fae continent. Chaol knows a way to free magic in Erilea, but he fears what freeing it will unleash. Aelin counters that the only way to free Dorian from possession by a Valg prince is by freeing magic. Chaol blames Aelin for withholding that information and calls her selfish: She is still “the same assassin who walked away” who “came back only when it was useful for [her]” (51). Chaol and Aelin’s animosity cements the end of their romantic relationship. She returns his amethyst ring, which he pawns.

Aelin returns to her old apartment in the city, which Arobynn has kept pristine for her. The next morning, she writes a letter to Arobynn, agreeing to his offer. She will deliver a captured Valg to him after he helps her rescue Aedion.

Manon Blackbeak, her coven called the Thirteen, and half the Ironteeth legion have been stationed in Morath for weeks. The mountain stronghold belongs to Duke Perrington, whom Manon and her Thirteen do not like. Manon is also curious about Kaltain, the vacant woman with a Wyrdstone collar and a vicious scar on one arm who’s always at the Duke’s side. After Perrington instructs the witches to scope out the wild men of the Fang Mountains and report their movements, Manon and the Thirteen take their wyverns hunting.

Arobynn has a custom-made suit sent to Aelin’s apartment and she wonders if it’s yet another one of his games. Lysandra, a courtesan that Aelin has despised for the nine years they’ve known each other, arrives at Aelin’s apartment with a child named Evangeline, who has scars across both cheeks. Lysandra has been sent to relay Arobynn’s plan to rescue Aedion but warns Aelin not to trust Arobynn. Lysandra’s former lover Wesley was Arobynn’s bodyguard, but Arobynn had him killed two years ago for murdering the man who assassinated Aelin’s first love, Sam. Lysandra claims that before his death, Wesley planned to rescue Aelin from slavery in Endovier.

Before they leave, Evangeline tells Aelin that Lysandra had nearly paid off her courtesan debts when Evangeline was taken by Madame Clarisse. Lysandra scarred Evangeline’s face to save her from becoming a courtesan but is forced to continue sex work until she pays off Evangeline’s exorbitant asking price.

Dorian visits Aedion in the cells. Chaol has informed Aedion that the Wyrdstone rings and collars “enslaved the mind—the soul” (87), so Aedion reminds the prince of Sorscha—Dorian’s lover who was killed by the King of Adarlan. Dorian rages against the Valg infesting his mind but loses. The Valg smells Aedion’s worsening wound infection and sends for healers so that he lives until the execution.

Aelin tracks Chaol and Nesryn to a meeting with rebel spy allies in the king’s guard. When Aelin is recognized because she looks so much like Aedion, Aelin instructs the rebel guards to steer clear of the southern wall of the castle gardens on the day of Aedion’s execution and to pin red flowers to their uniforms so Aelin can discern friend from foe.