A woman of many names, a heart of fire, and a queen in her own right- Aelin Ashryver Galathynius. Having been an avid reader of fantasy since I was young, but finding myself in a reading slump lasting years and years, the ‘Throne of Glass’ series finally pulled me out of it- and with that, the inspirational female character that is Aelin. The lost princess of the ruined Terrasen; we see Aelin fight her way through trauma, grief, heartbreak, and grapples with her own morality. Of course, morally grey characters have been done before, but something about Aelin Galanthynius moves me. She is brave, and strong, yet still fearful; Still young and flawed. Sarah J Maas has this beautiful way of making her something epic, something so utterly believable it sends chills down your spine. Ardalan’s Assasin, Fireheart, Elentiya, fire-breathing bitch-queen, Mass uses her many names to bring this divide, this identity to Aelin that is just magnetic.
Now, there is only so much I can say about this character without spoiling the series; but what I can say is Aelin Galatyhnius is a shining beacon of feminism in fantasy literature. Although she goes through numerous love interests, Aelin holds her own, finds her power and takes back what is hers on her own. She values her female companionship, and the feminine friendships in the novel are nothing short of awe-inpsiring. She loves and she loses, but through it all, you support her. You love her and you root for her because she reflects what is real, what is flawed about every woman and every person. A fantasy character, not for the male gaze, not simply to reside in her love story- but to come into her own as a woman and in her true identity. Aelin’s story is all about that; identity, her identity as a queen, as a heroine, as an assassin and as a powerful woman. That is why Aelin Ashryver Galathynius is one of my all-time favourite female novel characters.
And remember, ladies, you do not yield.
