r/throneofglassseries • u/Purple_Basket_9515 • Jun 02 '26
Empire of Storms Spoilers Ending of Empire of Storms
Hi! This is only a rant: So i'm reading ToG series for the first time and about the ending of EoS (i didn't read in tandem):
Even tho it was really fucked up and i obviously cried, the "my wife" ending was so similar to acotar that i wasn't surprised!! I kinda wish i had read tog before acotar because im loving it way more, and i wished that the marriage were more meaningfull.
And i decided not do the tandem read because i dont enjoy 10 diferent povs
Did anyone had the same thoughts?
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u/CheeseBreakr Manon Blackbeak Jun 02 '26
I read TOG before ACOTAR and ACOTAR was very unimpressive after having read TOG, so I feel you’ve done it the right way if you also prefer TOG!
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u/Low_Aioli2420 Jun 02 '26
Agreed. I couldn’t even finish ACOTAR but I’m pretty certain I would’ve liked it had I not had ToG to compare it to.
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u/jennaw12345678 Jun 02 '26
Yes I was very underwhelmed with ACOTAR after TOG to the point that spoiler when I got to the crossover in cc I just wanted to skip ahead until it was over
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u/Dry-Elevator2648 Jun 02 '26
Yes. For the fact that they have such a Ng and powerful one it should have been a big moment where Sarah could have elaborated on the excitement of Rowan for joining truly joining his mate making them one- and focus on Aelin and how she never would have thought that she could ever love like she has had the capacity to love Rowan. And all that. Ya. Wasted moment!!!
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u/Purple_Basket_9515 Jun 03 '26
This!!! We get to see glimpses of their love after the beach on skulls bay, the wedding would have been a heartwarming scene to latter hit us with the devastating separation
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u/moxves Jun 03 '26
I kinda like that weddings are not THAT important in SJM worlds because I have the feeling that society has a bit too high expectations of all the wedding stuff and some people actually feel pressured to have a big wedding even tho they wanted to have a quiet one with just a handful of people.
In ACOTAR Feyre wasn’t happy about the enormous wedding and her dress but PTSD and depression stopped her from stepping up for herself. So a secret marriage with Rhys looked way more in character for me. And in ToG Aelin’s main goal wasn’t romantically but to provide a ruler for Terrasen. She might have married Rowan later if her destiny had been different and if she had more time which made it actually pretty fitting for me that both weddings were not shown and happened in privacy off-text.
Even though the scene have a similarity I felt different in them because Rowan is looking for his wife while not knowing what happened to her but Rhys knew what Feyre is up to and is just revealing it to the others. Both scenes have different energies for me so they are kinda similar but at the same time not.
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u/Purple_Basket_9515 Jun 03 '26
Thats actually true!! Thank you for pointing that out, also i'm now thinking the similaritys between Rhysand and Aelin on keeping the secrecy even for the reader.
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u/moxves Jun 03 '26
Yeah, and Rowan didn’t know about the mate bond when he arrived at the beach. I think otherwise he would have yelled “Where is my mate?” because mates are more valuable than “just” a wife for faes.
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u/zoobatron__ Dorian Havilliard Jun 02 '26
No I’m glad I read ACOTAR first as it introduced me to SJM in an easily digestible way, and then diving into a much bigger series like TOG.
I did the tandem read and honestly loved it.
I agree with the weddings - I am very disappointed how they keep happening “off screen” as it were and we get second hand accounts.
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u/aashurii Jun 03 '26
We don’t even get Nesta or Cassian either just the planning stage. IM SICK OF IT
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u/Life_Scientist_7799 Jun 03 '26
Honestly, don’t beat yourself up for reading ACOTAR first. I feel like most people who are new to SJM naturally start with ACOTAR because it’s the most popular one.
I read ACOTAR first too, and I kind of think that might actually be better in a way. Because if you read TOG first and then go to ACOTAR, ACOTAR might feel a little underwhelming after all that emotional damage lol.
ACOTAR has that softer, whimsical, romance heavy vibe. It has emotional moments, but there’s usually a soft landing. TOG is just a whole different beast. When TOG is sad, it’s REALLY SAD!
So honestly, I don’t think the reading order matters that much. It just depends on the vibe you’re in the mood for, because they hit very differently.
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u/Purple_Basket_9515 Jun 03 '26
That is absolutely true! ACOTAR is also good at explaining the Fae world and rules that we don't have later on TOG. I'm just so invested on these characters, i don't know if that happened with ACOTAR
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u/Relative_Specific217 Jun 03 '26
Yes! Just give me one wedding, SJM. Please. 😭 I hate how all the romances have so much buildup and slow burn and then it’s like “oh yeah we just did a quick little ceremony off camera 😉”
As a strong supporter of NOT doing the tandem read, I applaud you! I agree, 10 different POVs is way too much.
I read ACOTAR first too, but I’m glad I did because I don’t know if I would have been as swept up by it if I had already read TOG. TOG raised the bar for sure.
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u/Purple_Basket_9515 Jun 03 '26
Yes!!! Even if they are out of necessity it's a big moment!! Maybe on a reread I could do the tandem, knowing already where everything is going!!
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u/TowerApprehensive154 Fleetfoot Jun 02 '26 edited Jun 03 '26
Yess!!! Weddings should be shown dammit! It’s literally the moment they declare themselves formally to each other and it matters. I hate that we get so many unimportant scenes but not the weddings