Throne of Glassis arguablySarah J. Maas' most beloved fantasy series— while it’s my favorite, at least, I’m still sad one of the most promising romances was never explored in great detail. Maas featuresthree of Aelin’s more established romancesthroughout theThrone of Glassbooks. However, she tragically cuts one budding relationship short in the very first novel.Throne of Glasshints at Dorian and Aelin’s growing affection for one another, but aside from a few tender kisses and heartfelt moments, it never progresses any further.
This is mainly due to the fact thatonce Aelin becomes the King’s Champion, she rules out the possibility of her and Dorian ever having a real relationship,given the many obstacles that would be stacked against them. However, I wish their romance wasn’t so quickly discarded, as the two characters had great chemistry throughout theThrone of Glassbooksand readers never got to experience their romantic relationship to its full potential.
Their Friendship In Latter Books Proves How Strong Their Early Romance Could Have Been
The budding romance between Aelin (then known as Celaena) and Dorian in thefirstThrone of Glassnovelis compelling and full-on swoon-worthy, but right when things could be starting to get serious, it ends. Their relationship had so much potential to add more interest to the already complex narrative — and,had it continued, it would have played a role in the revelation of Aelin being heir to the opposite throne,and added a foil to her and Chaol’s relationship inCrown of Midnight.
Not only that, but their steadfast friendship in the latter books proves how strong their early romance could have been.Dorian is one of the few characters that understands and accepts Aelin as she is, and his iconic line “you cannot pick and choose which parts of her to love” shows how much better he was for her than Chaol. While I understand they were never meant to be endgame, Aelin and Dorian’s relationship struggles — due to her role as champion — playing out in tandem with her and Chaol’s growing feelings would have made for a compelling plot.
I’m Still Disappointed Throne Of Glass Never Explored An Aelin & Dorian Relationship
It Ended Before It Even Began
Knowing how the entire story ends, I understand why Aelin and Dorian were never meant to end up together — butI still wish we could have experienced more than what the firstThrone of Glassnovel gave us. Throughout allsevenThrone of Glassbooks, Maas had plenty of time to build out Aelin’s relationships with Sam, Chaol, and Rowan, and I just can’t comprehend why Dorian was never given a real shot. Their friendship ends up being one of the best to come out of the series, but Maas ended their romantic relationship before it even began.
But considering how close she and Dorian are, I would have expected a bit more to come out of their romance instead of it ending so abruptly.
There are plenty of scenarios where Maas uses their relationship to grow and bond the two characters, just not romantically. Effectively, Maas chooses to make them platonic soulmates instead. While there’s some yearning on Dorian’s part inCrown of Midnight, Aelin moves on pretty quickly with Chaol, which makes sense given they have some spark in the firstThrone of Glassnovel. But considering how close she and Dorian are, I would have expected a bit more to come out of their romance instead of it ending so abruptly.
