Book Review – Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s

Publication date: September 5th, 2017

660 pages

4/5 stars

Goodreads Synopsis

Chaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq have arrived in the shining city of Antica to forge an alliance with the Khagan of the Southern Continent, whose vast armies are Erilea’s last hope. But they have also come to Antica for another purpose: to seek healing at the famed Torre Cesme for the wounds Chaol received in Rifthold.

After enduring unspeakable horrors as a child, Yrene Towers has no desire to help the young lord from Adarlan, let alone heal him. Yet she has sworn an oath to assist those in need—and will honor it. But Lord Westfall carries shadows from his own past, and Yrene soon comes to realize they could engulf them both.

In this sweeping parallel novel to the New York Times bestselling Empire of Storms, Chaol, Nesryn, and Yrene will have to draw on every scrap of their resilience if they wish to save their friends. But while they become entangled in the political webs of the khaganate, deep in the shadows of mighty mountains where warriors soar on legendary ruks, long-awaited answers slumber. Answers that might offer their world a chance at survival—or doom them all . . . 

Review

“Every step. Every curve into darkness. Every moment of despair and rage and pain. It had led him to precisely where he needed to be. Where he wanted to be.”

Sarah J. Maas, Tower of Dawn

I love this series. Whereas I definitely needed some time to get into this series, at this point I am beyond hooked. However, going into this book I didn’t realize it was the same timeline as Empire of Storm. I suggest to everyone who hasn’t read this series yet to A. read it and B. read Empire and Tower simultaneously. A bunch of bloggers put together different reading guides for it and I really wish I had done that. If you don’t want to do this, I suggest reading Tower before Empire. Just my personal preference.

Now, Chaol is not my favorite character from the first few books. I loved him with Celaena, but his growth left much to be desired. He was whiny, ungrateful, and inflexible and I wasn’t here for it. I didn’t expect to like this book, but I did end up liking it – but it wasn’t really because of Chaol. It was more for just how amazing Yrene is – I love her so much. I also like her for Chaol (even if I could leave him behind in a heartbeat). I loved the look into the Empire and how the royal there run their territories, it was an interesting look into another area than what we’ve read about in other books. I also seriously loved reading Nesryn and Sartaq’s journey – I’m so glad she ended up happy.

I do agree this book is important to the overall story line, and here are very important plot points discovered in this book that matter for the final book, Kingdom of Ash. However, I’m not sure I’ll include it in rereads unless I attempt the simultaneous read with Empire. It just doesn’t hold the same power for me as the other books as none of my favorite characters are in it.

Happy reading, folks!