Empire of Storms

The fire and flames of Aelin’s power is a motif that supports The Impact of Power Dynamics on Personal Relationships. Aelin wields the fire magic given to her by Mala Fire-Bringer, the goddess who became mortal in order to have children with Brannon Galathynius. Aelin’s fire magic emerges early in her life, which makes the other people in the Terrasen court fear her powers and her control over them. This fear manifests again in Empire of Storms when Darrow and the other lords refuse to crown her. After the King of Adarlan manages to banish magic from Erilea, Aelin cannot access her fire until she goes to Wendlyn to train with Rowan. At this point, her control over her magic slowly builds, as does her power and her love for Rowan. By Empire of Storms, Aelin has nearly gained full control over her magic, and with that magic comes immeasurable power. Each time Aelin wields her magic fully, creating fire, her power becomes more pronounced, and this pattern culminates in the battle against the ilken, when she transforms into an inferno. Seeing this, Aedion views her as a “cataclysm to be weathered” (526), and his attitude demonstrates the fact that the more powerful she becomes, the more her personal relationships will suffer. However, Rowan’s decision to walk into her inferno and hold her implies that the most precious of Aelin’s relationships will not be damaged by her power.