Celaena Sardothien — or Aelin Galathynius — goes through a couple of love interests before winding up with Rowan inThrone of Glass. And while her early romance in the first two books never would have lasted, I’m still disappointed by how it ended. TheThrone of Glassbooksdo a great job of building individual character arcs, but they don’t always give the connections between characters the attention they deserve. The first few books make questionable choices in that regard, from killing off Nehemia,one ofThrone of Glass' best characters, to throwing away Aelin’s initial romance without much fanfare.
Much of the tension in theearlyThrone of Glassbooksstems from Aelin’s secret identity, which Chaol and Dorian don’t know about when she becomes the king’s royal assassin. Both form connections with her, not realizing she’s the lost princess of Terrasen — and Chaol even begins a romance with Celaena. He realizes the truth when she leaves Adarlan behind at the end ofCrown of Midnight,but it’s an underwhelming revelation. Andit’s made more so by the fact thatQueen of Shadowsbarely addresses their break-up, something I’ll never forgive the series for.
Aelin & Chaol Were Wrong For Each Other, But Throne Of Glass Handled Their Break-Up Poorly
Queen Of Shadows Barely Acknowledges Their Relationship Or Its Ending
Although Chaol and Celaena’s unexpected relationship inThrone of GlassandCrown of Midnightis easy to root for, there’s never a real chance of the two characters ending up together. Chaol is unquestionably loyal to Adarlan throughout the books, andeven his turnaround inTower of DawnandKingdom of Ashisn’t enough to make him right forThrone of Glass’lead. He doesn’t understand what Celaena has been through, and as Dorian notes, he’s incapable of loving even the darkest parts of her. Additionally, he’s not Fae, and cannot be her mate.
AlthoughTower of Dawngives readers his thoughts about the situation, it’s too little, too late.
Even so, the series could have given readers a more dramatic ending for the characters, especially after building up their bond for multiple books. After Chaol realizes who Celaena really is, the two don’t reunite untilQueen of Shadows,a full book later. By that time, Aelin is already with Rowan — and she and Chaol barely acknowledge what happened between them. AlthoughTower of Dawngives readers his thoughts about the situation, it’s too little, too late. Aelin and Chaol deserved a proper break-up.
Why Queen Of Shadows' Aelin & Chaol Relationship Was So Disappointing
Nothing Of Significance Happens After 2 Books Of Waiting
In addition to not doing the romance ofThrone of Glass' first two books justice, it’s disappointing that Chaol and Aelin don’t break up on the page — or even have some emotional falling out after they reunite. Chaol is angry with Aelin for lying to him and leaving him for Rowan, but you wouldn’t know it fromQueen of Shadows.Likewise, Aelin works through her feelings separated from him, barely reacting when they come face-to-face again. ForThrone of Glassfans hoping for closure, it’s underwhelming, especially after waiting for multiple books to see how they’d react to Celaena’s secret coming out.
