Review: The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

Release Date: August 30, 2011
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages:528
Overall: 5/5 stars
Source: Netgalley ARC

Summary (from Amazon):

Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen. Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it—he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive—and even that might not be enough.

When I saw this was available on Netgalley I squealed and eagerly awaited the publisher to approve my review request. After reading it, I must say it definitely did not disappoint. Cinda Williams Chima's writing just gets better and better. After The Demon King, I was intrigued. After The Exiled Queen, I was hooked. Now after The Gray Wolf Throne I am absolutely obsessed and totally, completely in love. The book starts out a few weeks after The Exiled Queen ends, so all the characters are separated at the time. Because of this, I was a little anxious to get to the second half of the book because there was no romance or attractive young men. However, once I got over the fact that I would not see Han or Amon right away I really got into the story. If you've read the first two books, you know that Princess Raisa has many enemies. Because of that, the whole book was action packed. There's constantly fighting and running and tons of moments where Raisa and her protectors kick some butt. Raisa also really proved herself to me during this book. I was a little wary of her before because she could be a bit stubborn and sometimes self-centered, but as she deals with all of the attacks on her and her friends (spoiler alert, someone major gets killed), she proved to be fiercely loyal and showed a strong dedication to duty. Unfortunately, sometimes that duty got in the way of her and the people she loves. I admit, I was a bit frustrated with Cinda Williams Chima for throwing in a lot of romantic obstacles, but somehow she made the balance of the relationships in The Gray Wolf Throne work extremely well. Speaking of relationships, there sure was a ton of sexual tension and some romance. For such a busy girl, Raisa can sure catch a lot of men! So basically, the whole book is about Raisa coming into her own. It's jam-packed with her in action, grieving, and in love. I absolutely adored this book, and it was my favorite of Cinda William Chima's so far. I'm looking forward to seeing villains caught, a queendom growing stronger, and the blooming of relationships in the fourth book.

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot/setting: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Ending: 5/5

I really enjoyed this one, so tell me what you thought!
Also, go check out my post about how kick-ass Raisa is right HERE.

love always,

Amanda