In my eyes, this book is all about ROWAN GUERRIN, her BROODING LOVE INTEREST and THEIR WEIRD SIDEKICK (Rowan’s betrothed). Alas, this is not how the story was actually framed in the book.

I read The Stolen Throne as a long-time fan of the Dragon Age franchise, but I don’t think I would have liked it very much had I not already felt invested in the setting. Among the other novels this one ranks near the bottom (after Last Flight, The Masked Empire, Asunder, and Tevinter Nights. I haven’t read the Calling yet).

For what it’s worth, my favorite part was the Deep Roads section (a surprise, because I hated the Deep Roads in Origins), and I’m glad we got to learn a bit about the Legion of the Dead. I really came to appreciate Katriel during this section because she was so weary of her uncultured human noble companions not properly appreciating the cultural and historical value of exploring an abandoned thaig.

Despite the overall tone being pretty dark, I had a good laugh at the end when it was revealed that

not only was Mother Ailis narrating this story to little Cailin, but that she had been given explicit instructions to share all the gossip about his parents’ love triangle shenanigans with him.

 

Also if you’re wondering, the Funny tag is there because Loghain hams it up for the proverbial camera just as much in this book as he does in Origins. I’m in the middle of replaying Origins right now and I’m almost tempted to

recruit him as a companion because I did enjoy him as a character here.