Light Up the Darkness | Series Roulette

The date has arrived, friends. It is officially release week for Kingdom of Ash, the seventh and final book in the Throne of Glass series. I'm torn between being ready to learn what happens, excited to return to this story and these characters and terrified to have my feelings ripped into shreds. This series has come to mean so much to me over the years but there'll be more on that later on this week. 

Anyway, today is the official kick-off for Light Up the Darkness, a celebration of the Throne of Glass series that I'm doing with my friends Kelly of Belle of the Literati, Rachel of Hello, Chelly and Hannah of So Obsessed With. We wanted to collaborate on something special for the books and characters we love so dearly, and are really excited to share our posts with all of you! 

Today, we're doing a series roulette (which was inspired by our Book Boy Roulette post from a while back). While all of us will be sharing our favorite female characters, favorite male characters and favorite book in the series, we'll also each have a bonus question that changes on every blog! So, after you check out my post, don't forget to hop on over to see Kelly's post, Rachel's post & Hannah's post to see more of our series favorites!

There are a lot of female characters that I truly admire in this series, but I have a special place in my heart for Yrene Towers. When we first meet her in the books, she's suffered so much loss and misfortune that her spirit has nearly been broken. But a chance encounter sparks her will to fight, and unexpected good fortune takes her down a road that she never expected she could be on. It's incredible to witness how someone is so stolidly determined to do good, to be good in the world despite the whole host of bad that has characterized her own life and the terrifying circumstances she might have to face. Her heart is always in the right place, which is especially fortunate in tandem with her gifts as a healer. I also just found her journey towards her own healing and forgiveness relatable in ways that I didn't expect, and that certainly plays a big part in my regard for her.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again until I'm blue in the face, but Chaol Westfall has always been my favorite male character in this series. While I also admire many of the other males, there's just something about this Captain of the Guard-turned-Hand of the King that sparked my interest from the very first book. (Maybe it's because he was a such a gruff, stoic grump of a young man who occasionally manages to crack a joke?) He's not a perfect character. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that he does and says some really terrible things, and has acted impulsively when rationality was needed or failed to act when it would have made a difference. But the loyalty to those he loves, the heart that's in the right place, the determination to do what he can after he loses everything - those are a part of the things that stand out to me about him. His personal journey, particularly in Tower of Dawn, means a lot to me, and it also strengthened my love for him even more.

After having just recently reread all of the books in this series and enjoying every single one, I was hard-pressed to pick a favorite because each story means something different to me. But I decided that Queen of Shadows deserved the honor in the end. It is in this book that we witness turning points for a number of characters (and character relationships), learn the true extent of the evil that Aelin and her court and friends must face, see a lot of intense action and have the relief of some banter to balance that out. It's also the book that has me crying at every single chapter past one certain moment, so... yeah, it's definitely one that hits me right in the feels.

How could I not pick Abraxos for my answer? While he might have started out as a bait beast that was used to putting up a fight for his own survival, he proves that he has a warrior's spirit in addition to that playful, doglike nature he also possesses. So, basically, he likes to roll around in fields of flowers for fun but if you so much as attack his rider or someone he has decided to protect, well, good luck on surviving his wrath. I think he and I would get along extremely well ;)

I would love to know what your answers to our series roulette questions are, so leave them in the comments section below. And definitely let me know if you're as excited for tomorrow's Kingdom of Ash release as I am! And don't forget to visit Kelly's post, Rachel's post & Hannah's post for more!