“The Lord of the North flickered down at her. Perhaps the final gift of Mala to these lands—in this age, at least. Perhaps a thank-you to Elena herself, and a farewell.”

The Lord of the North is a constellation that also reflects the Dryad the Lord of the North, which resides in Oakwald forest. Here, the Lord appears to Elena, foreshadowing the Lord’s later appearance to Aelin in Kingdom of Ash, before the Battle of Orynth. This passage is just one of many examples demonstrating the richness and complexity of Sarah J. Maas’s world-building.

“Rowan made her magic sing. And maybe that was the carranam bond between them, but…her magic wanted to dance with his. And from the frost sparkling in his eyes, she knew his own demanded the same.”

The connection between complementary magic and love in Rowan and Aelin’s relationship—dubbed the carranam bond—plays a significant role in their battle against Erawan. They are bonded on multiple levels, for their love is entwined in their magical abilities, in their carranam bond, in their blood oath, and their mating bond.

“Her family—and her kingdom. Two dreams long believed lost, she realized as the northern wind ruffled her hair. That she would do anything—ruin herself, sell herself—to protect.”

The references to ruination and sacrifice in this passage reflect the desperation with which Aelin has pursued her dreams in the past, when she embraced the identity of the assassin Celaena Sardothien. These words also illustrate the matters that are most important to Aelin, showing the depth of her loyalty and compassion.