{Bookish} Travel Buddies: Queen of Shadows (+ Giveaway)

Welcome to the final stop on the Queen of Shadows Blog Tour, as hosted by the Maas Thirteen. It's been incredible seeing the creativity and thoughtfulness from each of our tour hosts! I'm so humbled by the amazing effort each member of this year's Thirteen has put into each post; it's been an honor celebrating the incredible fourth installment of this series. So, just in case you've missed anything, here's a list of what went down:

• Judith's beautiful wallpapers
• Jaz's fancast for new characters
• Kelly talks about why she wants to be Aelin when she grows up
• Andi provides stunning visuals for some of the series locations
• Gillian has created some stunning artwork
• Wendy shares these cool temporary tattoo designs
• Mel dresses up four of the ladies from the Throne of Glass series
• Gina shares some printables + wallpapers
• Nicole talks about the awesome female secondary characters in the series
• Jamie puts together a list of Throne of Glass merchandise
• Katie bakes a blueberry tart
• Rachel came up with a Queen of Shadows survival kit

As the last stop on this year's tour, I wanted to end with something fun! I had quite a few ideas in mind, but I decided to introduce {Bookish} Travel Buddies. I wanted to come up with a way to combine my love for books with my love for travel, and I came up with the idea of pairing the characters of books I love + the places I'd love to visit with them. I'm really excited to be able to kick off my feature by talking about characters from Queen of Shadows, which is the best book I've read so far all year!

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Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | New York City, USA

I'm a little biased when I say that New York is one of the greatest cities in the world. There is so much going on all over the five boroughs at all times of the day and night and week. There's a restless energy, a vibrancy, a variety to the place, and that's something I think Aelin would enjoy! Plus, she could indulge in three of her favorite things - eating sweets, buying books and shopping - easily. We'd never run out of spots to visit or things to do, going where our spirits see fit for the day. 

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Manon Blackbeak | Reykjavik, Iceland

I've always dreamed of visiting Reykjavik, and it's mainly for one reason: to see the aurora borealis. Manon strikes me as the type to be up for an adventure, no matter how harsh the elements might prove to be. This is why I think she'd be a great companion for this particular trip! We'd admire the harshness of the landscape, but also bask in the beauty of these Northern Lights together. Plus, I'm pretty sure there's enough space for us to take Abraxos out for a ride! (And yes, Abraxos is obviously coming along too.) 

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Asterin Blackbeak | Redwood National State Park, USA

My sister was able to visit the redwoods earlier in the year, and she proclaimed it as marvelous as she'd imagined. I really want to be able to see these trees for myself! I have no doubt that Asterin would make a great buddy for this trip. We'd be able to chat easily and take care of one another as we ventured into the trees. If we wanted for anything or got lost, I could rely on her for guidance and protection! Plus, Asterin has a heart for the woods. 

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Lysandra | Marrakesh, Morocco

There's always been something lovely and exotic about Morocco in my mind. Those two qualities immediately made me think of Lysandra. With her beguiling charm and cleverness, she'd be a great friend to have along when shopping in the street markets and hunting for a bargain. She would have the time of her life being surrounded by beautiful things, but she'd also be able to enjoy visiting some stunning sites of interest. 

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Nesryn Faliq | Egypt

Egypt has always been, for me, one of the places I wanted to visit, simply because of its rich, colorful history. There are so many sites that I would like to see for myself, filled with marvelous souvenirs of the past and awe-inspiring architecture in the form of all those pyramids and monuments. Nesryn struck me as the type of gal to appreciate a little history; it's important to know and honor where you come from. Plus, she wouldn't mind the warm weather or physical toll traveling would take on us! 

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Chaol Westfall | London, England

Ever since I was in the sixth grade, London has been the city of my heart. I've wanted to visit for what felt like forever (and I'm so close to finally being able to save up enough to go!). I would happily visit with Chaol in tow. He has the air of a British gentleman, who would appreciate the loyalty and love for England's royal family and the country's history. I just want to explore one of my dream destinations with my favorite guy in this series, okay?

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Rowan Whitethorn | Palawan, Philippines

I can't imagine taking Rowan to a city, or any other heavily populated place. It took me a while to decide on where in the world I wanted to take him - and I finally picked Palawan! It's a place that would serve as a lovely respite from duties and responsibilities, and we'd both be able to relax a little bit. The beaches are beautiful too, so we'd have to spend time enjoying them. And if we were up for adventures, there's all sorts of outdoor activities to pick from, including an underground river that runs through a cave! 

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Aedion Ashryver | Rome, Italy

I originally intended to have Aedion accompany me to the Swiss Alps (because he reminds me of mountains and snow, and I know he'd be up for hiking or skiing). But Kelly had the amazing idea of bringing him to Rome, and I knew I had to make that happen! Aedion's warrior spirit is like those of Romans in times past; I think he'd appreciate the history and sites we'd get to see there. Plus, it would just be fun to see him in a toga! 

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Dorian Havillard | Paris, France

This was one of the easiest pairings to come together! It seems fitting to visit a spot rich in history and culture and luxury, as those are things that I feel like Dorian would appreciate. We'd partake of all the delicious French pastries, drop by the museums, picnic near the Eiffel Tower, and visit Versailles. Just for fun, and I'm sure he'd indulge me, I'd make him go to Disneyland Paris! And before we left Paris, we'd have to visit Shakespeare and Company too so that we can find books for our respective collections. (Side note, Dorian speaking in French would be awesome!)

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Sam Cortland | Japan

Of all the pairings I've mentioned, this is probably the wild card. There's really no logical reason for me wanting to visit Japan with Sam, except my own desire for it to happen. I was lucky enough to visit Japan in 2009, and it's a beautiful blend of history and modernity, culture and nature. Sam seems like he would be up for all sorts of adventures, whether it's trekking up mountain paths to temples, getting lost in translation when in transit or even trying all sorts of delicacies. 

We have an INTERNATIONAL giveaway for those of you who have been following the tour! We'll be offering up a finished copy of Queen of Shadows + Throne of Glass tote bag to two lucky winners. You can enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway