Queen of Shadows

Aelin tells Aedion that she plans to free magic, and kill the king and Dorian. When Aelin and Lysandra learn that the new Shadow Market is in the catacombs beneath the city’s sewer tunnels, they bring Chaol, Rowan, and Aedion to the remains of the old Shadow Market, where a now-dead opium dealer of highly flammable hellfire kept his stores. Aelin wants to use the hellfire to destroy the castle’s Wyrdstone tower.

The hellfire supply is in the underground temple dedicated to the forgotten God of Truth—the same god who blessed Gavin, the first King of Adarlan, and his sword, Damaris. Wyrdmarks engraved at the back of the temple tell the true story of how Gavin defeated the Valg.

Everyone believes that two of the three Valg kings were banished from the realm, and the last—Erawan, who can take on any form, but normally appears as a handsome, blonde man with gold eyes—was killed. However, these Wyrdmarks reveal that Erawan could not be destroyed, so he was put to sleep and imprisoned in an indestructible sarcophagus in a sealed tomb beneath Morath. Aelin and her friends realize that the King of Adarlan is attempting to raise Erawan.

The Thirteen refuse to pick a Blackbeak coven for Perrington, to Manon’s frustration. A Valg-possessed man enters, engulfing them all in darkness which preys on their fears. The host is Roland, a distant cousin of Dorian’s; he begs Manon to kill him, and she does.

Nesryn brings a message from Ren in the north: The King of Adarlan is building an army at Morath, including 3,000 Ironteeth witches and wyvern.

Lorcan attacks Aelin on her way home with Rowan and holds a knife to her throat. He’s stolen the ring Aelin gifted Maeve, which gives its wearer immunity from Valg power. He offers to exchange it for the Wyrdkeys, which he plans to destroy before Maeve can use them; he believes using them will destroy Maeve and wishes to save her from that fate.

The scare of Lorcan’s attack prompts Rowan to admit he missed Aelin while she was gone and hint at the depth of his feelings for her.

The Valg prince forces Dorian to revel in the castle prisoners’ pain and fear.

Manon and the Thirteen are summoned to meet the Blackbeak Matron and the King of Adarlan in Oakwald Forest. Kaltain has forgotten her own name but uses her shadowfire to destroy the Valg prince inhabiting her body. She continues to follow orders but internally plots Morath’s destruction.

Evangeline finds Aelin to tell her that the king’s men have captured Lysandra for being a shapeshifter. When Arobynn learned of Aelin’s newfound friendship with Lysandra, he wrote a letter exposing Lysandra to be sent to the king in case of Arobynn’s death.

Chaol and Nesryn believe Lysandra will be handed over in Oakwald Forest for transport to Morath.

Aelin, Rowan, Aedion, Nesryn, and Chaol journey to the meeting place to rescue Lysandra.

Aelin promises Chaol that she won’t kill Dorian during Lysandra’s rescue.

At the Oakwald meeting, the Valg prince inside Dorian squirms at Manon’s gold eyes—the same gold eyes that the revered Valg kings have. Manon manages to break through to Dorian, who remembers his name before losing control to the Valg prince once again.

While the Blackbeak Matron shows the King of Adarlan the weapon the Matrons are making for him, Aedion and Nesryn cause a disturbance with the wyvern to distract the Thirteen. Rowan, Aelin, and Chaol silently rescue Lysandra from the prison wagon. The King of Adarlan departs without checking the wagon and the witches transport it back to Morath empty.

Manon’s grandmother reveals that she approves of the duke’s vulgar experiments on witches; she slashes Manon’s face with her nails as punishment for her doubt.

Dorian remembers Manon’s name even as he’s overcome by the Valg prince. Chaol departs from his group to kill Dorian as a mercy but is spotted by the Thirteen, who capture Chaol.

When Aelin, Rowan, and Aedion realize Chaol is missing, they follow his scent to the witches now holding him captive. Aelin reveals her identity and bargains to be taken in Chaol’s stead. Aelin covertly sketches Wyrdmarks into the dirt as she reveals she killed Baba Yellowlegs—the Yellowlegs Matron—provoking Manon, who attacks but is frozen in place by the Wyrdmarks. Aelin and her companions flee into the forest, toward two bridges that cross a ravine and lead toward a stone temple. When the Thirteen arrive, Rowan leaps in front of one of Asterin’s arrows meant for Aelin’s heart.

Aelin screams when the arrow pierces Rowan’s shoulder. Aedion keeps the Thirteen near the tree line with his adept archery, but Manon manages to cross the first bridge. Aelin uses the blood oath to force Rowan to run across the second bridge, and stays behind on the stone island with the temple to face Manon. Aelin maneuvers the fight so that Manon’s blows damage the foundational pillars holding up the temple. When the temple and island begin to collapse, Aelin flees but turns back to save Manon’s life. Manon believes she owes Aelin a life debt.

Aelin is angry with Chaol for putting them all in danger but understands his motivations. They escape the forest and bring Rowan to a midwife at Nesryn’s family farm, who patches him up. In the morning, they journey back to Rifthold.

Manon mulls over the weapon her grandmother made for the king—massive battle towers lined with sacred mirrors capable of amplifying power, such as Kaltain’s shadowfire, for mass destruction. She visits the king, tells him that rebels freed Lysandra, and claims she killed them all.

In Morath, Vernon catches Elide before she can escape on a supply wagon.

Vernon places Elide in a dungeon cell.

Manon is summoned by Duke Perrington, who offers her reports on events in the kingdom. She learns the recent actions of Aelin, Aedion, and Chaol through these reports and infers that in Oakwald Forest, Chaol meant to kill his childhood friend Dorian, to free him from the Wyrdstone collar. Manon realizes Aelin and her companions don’t know that Dorian is still inside.

Privately, Asterin tells Manon her life story. 80 years ago, Asterin was injured in a storm while hunting Crochan witches. A human hunter nursed her back to health and for five months they were in a romantic relationship. When Asterin returned to Blackbeak Keep, she was pregnant. She told only Manon’s grandmother. When the baby was stillborn, the Matron didn’t allow Asterin to see the baby’s body before burning it, beating Asterin, and branding the word “UNCLEAN” on her stomach. Asterin often flew over the hunter’s home for the rest of his life but never had the courage to return to him. Asterin begs Manon to disobey her grandmother and refuse to offer up a Blackbeak clan for breeding. Manon reinstates Asterin as her Second.

Aelin hands Lysandra a letter from Madame Clarisse confirming that Aelin has paid off all Lysandra and Evangeline’s debts, so they are now free.

Asterin and Manon fly to Rifthold rather than return to Morath.

Elide has spent four days in the dungeons and doesn’t believe anyone will come for her.