Status
Available
Series
Collection
Publication
Bloomsbury YA (2017), Edition: 01, 672 pages
Description
Fantasy. Young Adult Fiction. Young Adult Literature. HTML:In the next installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, follow Chaol on his sweeping journey to a distant empire. Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since the glass castle shattered, since his men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken. His only shot at recovery lies with the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica�??the stronghold of the southern continent's mighty empire. And with war looming over Dorian and Aelin back home, their survival might lie with Chaol and Nesryn convincing its rulers to ally with them. But what they discover in Antica will change them both�??and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have ima… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Soraya71
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas (SJM) is a book in the Throne of Glass (TOG) series. The story runs parallel to the end of Empire of Storms after Chaol and Nesryn sail for the Southern Continent. The mission to gather military support against the Valg and the possibility for recovery from a spinal
Chaol is a polarizing figure in the TOG universe for many people and this book is a much more contemplative story then is usual for TOG so the pace is slower as it deal with heavy issues such as PTSD, domestic abuse, and physical trauma and resulting disability. As such if you have triggers proceed with caution. Because Chaol is so controversial you maybe inclined to skip this book but don't it has a lot of information that will impact the 7th book and it has so many new and exciting characters that we will see again.
With that being said, SJM has written a beautiful story. So much of Chaol is shaped by his childhood, his coping mechanisms and when faced with his disability the anger and grief that he has pushed down is finally addressed. This is where Chaol becomes interesting to me, the insight into his relationships especially with Dorian and Aelin really stand out and you understand his actions from the previous books. SJM does an amazing job of protraying the confusion, grief and pain that comes with a disabling injury especially in the context of a solider. It's not pretty but it's accurate and so relvent to our times.
Yrene Towers is a new character we meet in Tower of Dawn, a healer who helps Chaol deal with the physical and mental healing of his injury while dealing with her own issues. She is well written but I didn't love her like many of the other characters we have met in this series and I am not sure why.
I would be remiss in not talking about Nesryn, I loved her story...I loved her story so much that I need a follow up book. Nesryn is a strong, independent woman who found herself I think in one of those relationships that you know is temporary but necessary. The idea that people come into your life at specific times and for specific reasons is played through out the books but especially with Nesryn's story. Sartaq and his Rukhin family and the world building that you glimpse was the so intriguing that I hope SJM comes back to it and gives us another amazing series.
All in all, I so enjoyed Tower of Dawn and anxiously await book 7.
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cord injury. Chaol is a polarizing figure in the TOG universe for many people and this book is a much more contemplative story then is usual for TOG so the pace is slower as it deal with heavy issues such as PTSD, domestic abuse, and physical trauma and resulting disability. As such if you have triggers proceed with caution. Because Chaol is so controversial you maybe inclined to skip this book but don't it has a lot of information that will impact the 7th book and it has so many new and exciting characters that we will see again.
With that being said, SJM has written a beautiful story. So much of Chaol is shaped by his childhood, his coping mechanisms and when faced with his disability the anger and grief that he has pushed down is finally addressed. This is where Chaol becomes interesting to me, the insight into his relationships especially with Dorian and Aelin really stand out and you understand his actions from the previous books. SJM does an amazing job of protraying the confusion, grief and pain that comes with a disabling injury especially in the context of a solider. It's not pretty but it's accurate and so relvent to our times.
Yrene Towers is a new character we meet in Tower of Dawn, a healer who helps Chaol deal with the physical and mental healing of his injury while dealing with her own issues. She is well written but I didn't love her like many of the other characters we have met in this series and I am not sure why.
I would be remiss in not talking about Nesryn, I loved her story...I loved her story so much that I need a follow up book. Nesryn is a strong, independent woman who found herself I think in one of those relationships that you know is temporary but necessary. The idea that people come into your life at specific times and for specific reasons is played through out the books but especially with Nesryn's story. Sartaq and his Rukhin family and the world building that you glimpse was the so intriguing that I hope SJM comes back to it and gives us another amazing series.
All in all, I so enjoyed Tower of Dawn and anxiously await book 7.
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LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
I really appreciate how strong a writer Sarah J. Maas is becoming through this series. I enjoyed this novel - set during the same timeline as the previous installment and focused on Chaol and his development after an injury. A good read for fans of this series, I'm glad I've stuck with it and
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eagerly await the next book. Show Less
LibraryThing member bell7
The newest book in the Throne of Glass series focuses almost exclusively on Chaol, the onetime Captain of the Guard for the King of Adarlan but now wheelchair bound and Hand to Dorian, the new king. He and Nesryn have been sent to the southern continent to beg for aid from the khaganate in their
I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy this book, since Chaol was left in a pretty dark place having made some really maddening decisions in his position as Captain for a really twisted king. Those annoyed by the cliffhanger in the last book may also be annoyed that there's almost nothing about what's happening to Aelin and Dorian on the northern continent, except what's heard by the spies in the southern continent. But we see Chaol's character and the worldbuilding in this southern continent really develop well over the course of the story. I didn't love it as much as the rest in the series, but would ultimately reread it. Maas has a habit of making what could be one sentence several staccato fragments instead, which annoyed me some. ("But they had walked this far down the road. Together. She had not turned away. From any of it.") But man, did I devour the last hundred pages last night with bated breath to find out what would happen and what was revealed as Chaol and Nesryn discovered more about the Valg. She knows how to write a twisty, compelling story with complicated characters and I for one am looking forward to the next book.
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fight against the Valg - and perhaps also get physical healing for Chaol from one of the most talented healers in the Torre, Yrene Towers.I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy this book, since Chaol was left in a pretty dark place having made some really maddening decisions in his position as Captain for a really twisted king. Those annoyed by the cliffhanger in the last book may also be annoyed that there's almost nothing about what's happening to Aelin and Dorian on the northern continent, except what's heard by the spies in the southern continent. But we see Chaol's character and the worldbuilding in this southern continent really develop well over the course of the story. I didn't love it as much as the rest in the series, but would ultimately reread it. Maas has a habit of making what could be one sentence several staccato fragments instead, which annoyed me some. ("But they had walked this far down the road. Together. She had not turned away. From any of it.") But man, did I devour the last hundred pages last night with bated breath to find out what would happen and what was revealed as Chaol and Nesryn discovered more about the Valg. She knows how to write a twisty, compelling story with complicated characters and I for one am looking forward to the next book.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
Note: Slight spoilers for previous books in this series.
This is a "parallel novel" in the excellent "Throne of Glass" fantasy series. This book focuses on a mission to Antica, capital of the Southern Continent, undertaken by Chaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq. Their main goal is to gain military
Chaol, 23, has a second goal besides that of convincing the Khagan and his heirs to lend their armies to help fight Erawan. Chaol is now paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheelchair. He would like to get the services of one of the renowned healers of Antica - home of the finest mortal doctors in the world, who possess magic and who, he hoped, could help him walk again.
Yrene Towers, 21, is the healer assigned to Chaol; she is one of the best, and in fact is the Heir Apparent to be named Healer on High. At first Yrene resents Chaol, because it was soldiers from his country of Adarlan who burned her mother alive. But she discovers that Chaol, in spite of his government position, is not at all the same as the men she hates.
Moreover, when Yrene puts her hands on Chaol’s back, she encounters an “echo in the bone” - magic not from this world. Chaol won’t talk about what happened to him though, and it stymies Yrene’s attempts to heal him:
“I need to get past that echo. Or beat it into submission enough to have space to work on you. …. This shadow, this thing that haunts you - your body. It will fight me every step of the way, fight to convince you to tell me to stop. Through pain. Do you understand what I am telling you?”
“That if you are to succeed, I will have to endure that sort of pain. Repeatedly. Do what you have to do.”
“‘And you,’ she said quietly. ‘You will have to fight it as well. It must be feeding upon something within you.'”
Indeed, darkness within Chaol does feed the parasite, giving it control. Yrene insists that Chaol has to acknowledge it and face it. He has to decide whether he wants to fight back. And therein lies the problem: Chaol isn’t so sure.
But Yrene works on Chaol nevertheless, and they literally go through hell together, which brings them closer.
Meanwhile, Nesryn has gone off on a reconnaissance trip with one of the Khagan’s heirs, Sartaq, commander of his father’s ruk riders. The sensation of flying over her country of origin on a ruk enchants her, as does Sartaq. And he, clearly, is attracted to Nesryn.
These developments are complicated by the fact that Chaol and Nesryn had an informal commitment to one another.
The four main characters discover much about each other, including the important realization of what they want in life and where they consider to be “home.” They also find out dark truths about the Valg, and the struggle for dominion over their world.
Evaluation: I think this is my favorite so far of the books in this series. The depiction of the developing relationships among the four protagonists is lovely, and the information that comes out during their quests explains much about what has happened in the previous books. Maas is a master of fantasy, or what one hopes and wishes is fantasy: her descriptions of the intentions of the evil Valg to change the world for the worse seem all too real at times.
This is a "parallel novel" in the excellent "Throne of Glass" fantasy series. This book focuses on a mission to Antica, capital of the Southern Continent, undertaken by Chaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq. Their main goal is to gain military
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assistance for the struggle in the North. Their pursuit takes on increasing urgency when they discover evidence that the forces of evil - the Valg, led by Erawan - have already infiltrated Antica.Chaol, 23, has a second goal besides that of convincing the Khagan and his heirs to lend their armies to help fight Erawan. Chaol is now paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheelchair. He would like to get the services of one of the renowned healers of Antica - home of the finest mortal doctors in the world, who possess magic and who, he hoped, could help him walk again.
Yrene Towers, 21, is the healer assigned to Chaol; she is one of the best, and in fact is the Heir Apparent to be named Healer on High. At first Yrene resents Chaol, because it was soldiers from his country of Adarlan who burned her mother alive. But she discovers that Chaol, in spite of his government position, is not at all the same as the men she hates.
Moreover, when Yrene puts her hands on Chaol’s back, she encounters an “echo in the bone” - magic not from this world. Chaol won’t talk about what happened to him though, and it stymies Yrene’s attempts to heal him:
“I need to get past that echo. Or beat it into submission enough to have space to work on you. …. This shadow, this thing that haunts you - your body. It will fight me every step of the way, fight to convince you to tell me to stop. Through pain. Do you understand what I am telling you?”
“That if you are to succeed, I will have to endure that sort of pain. Repeatedly. Do what you have to do.”
“‘And you,’ she said quietly. ‘You will have to fight it as well. It must be feeding upon something within you.'”
Indeed, darkness within Chaol does feed the parasite, giving it control. Yrene insists that Chaol has to acknowledge it and face it. He has to decide whether he wants to fight back. And therein lies the problem: Chaol isn’t so sure.
But Yrene works on Chaol nevertheless, and they literally go through hell together, which brings them closer.
Meanwhile, Nesryn has gone off on a reconnaissance trip with one of the Khagan’s heirs, Sartaq, commander of his father’s ruk riders. The sensation of flying over her country of origin on a ruk enchants her, as does Sartaq. And he, clearly, is attracted to Nesryn.
These developments are complicated by the fact that Chaol and Nesryn had an informal commitment to one another.
The four main characters discover much about each other, including the important realization of what they want in life and where they consider to be “home.” They also find out dark truths about the Valg, and the struggle for dominion over their world.
Evaluation: I think this is my favorite so far of the books in this series. The depiction of the developing relationships among the four protagonists is lovely, and the information that comes out during their quests explains much about what has happened in the previous books. Maas is a master of fantasy, or what one hopes and wishes is fantasy: her descriptions of the intentions of the evil Valg to change the world for the worse seem all too real at times.
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LibraryThing member cecilywolfe
Fantastic companion to book five - knowing what we know from book five - following Chaol in an incredibly emotion-filled battle within himself and as he works to make allies who will help fight the Valg. And this ending - so much revealed, and then . . .
LibraryThing member rivkat
Wisely, Maas detours from the main characters to spend some time with Chaol Westfall, a paraplegic from the injuries he suffered when Aelin destroyed a city, and his sometime lover. They travel to a new country to seek healing, and both of them find both intrigue and new love. The interpersonal
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conflicts have good reasons, grounded in character and the palace politics surrounding them as they try to get aid against the demon invasion, and it is all in all a good entry in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member EmpressReece
I listened to the audio version of this entire series because the narration is fantastic. Six books in and I still love this series as much as I did after the first book. This book was all about Chaol-
his struggle witb paralysis, his love interests and healing journey. I think Chaol probably left a
his struggle witb paralysis, his love interests and healing journey. I think Chaol probably left a
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sore spot with most people including me after his behavior in the last couple books but this book redeemed him somewhat. I never was a big fan of Chaol & Nsryn together so I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between him & Yrene. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what's up with Celena and Rowan's current predicament and seeing Celaena & Yrene meet again. Show Less
LibraryThing member acargile
This is book six in the series. There will be one more to finish the series.
This novel follows Chaol and Nesryn to Antica to ally with the Khagan of the Southern Continent and to find healing for Chaol’s injury from book four. In order to defeat the dark forces, the world has to fight together.
Chaol meets Yrene, one of the strongest healers to appear in a long time; she will decide if she’ll agree to try to heal Chaol. Her family was murdered by the soldiers of Adarlan, so her hate may cloud her desire to heal Chaol. While he works with Yrene, waiting to hear if the Southern Continent will join Aelin to fight against Perrington’s forces, Nesryn is sent to “spy” on Sartaq, the son of the Khagan who flies through the sky on his ruk. All four risk death as they seek out the history of the dark forces and ways to send them back.
This novel is just as exciting as the rest. I’ll admit I wasn’t as “keen” to read it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was really pulled to Nesryn and Sartaq as characters. Maas is pulling all the forces together for the final showdown in book seven. She began the series as a late middle grade read; but, as the series progressed, it’s become a high school novel with mature content. I find this change greatly annoying, so you won’t find this novel on our shelves.
This novel follows Chaol and Nesryn to Antica to ally with the Khagan of the Southern Continent and to find healing for Chaol’s injury from book four. In order to defeat the dark forces, the world has to fight together.
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The Khagan isn’t too interested in listening or sending his own family and people out to a war. They’ve heard rumors of Aelin Galathynius, but they don’t trust that she is as Chaol and Nesryn say. They also surprise Chaol and Nesryn with information that their city has fallen to Perrington. Nesryn is devastated, worried that her family has been killed, and Chaol worries his King as been killed. The Khagan heirs historically compete to lead, so his children will compete to become the next Khagan. They all have spies and opinions that don’t help as well. Chaol and Nesryn wonder who to trust and whether they can get help before all is lost. They also learn the Khagan is mourning the death of his daughter as are the siblings, so asking for help while mourning is considered rude. Chaol is, however, granted permission to receiving healing for his paralysis if the Healer of the Torre agrees. The Torre Esme are the greatest physicians, so they rule themselves.Chaol meets Yrene, one of the strongest healers to appear in a long time; she will decide if she’ll agree to try to heal Chaol. Her family was murdered by the soldiers of Adarlan, so her hate may cloud her desire to heal Chaol. While he works with Yrene, waiting to hear if the Southern Continent will join Aelin to fight against Perrington’s forces, Nesryn is sent to “spy” on Sartaq, the son of the Khagan who flies through the sky on his ruk. All four risk death as they seek out the history of the dark forces and ways to send them back.
This novel is just as exciting as the rest. I’ll admit I wasn’t as “keen” to read it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was really pulled to Nesryn and Sartaq as characters. Maas is pulling all the forces together for the final showdown in book seven. She began the series as a late middle grade read; but, as the series progressed, it’s become a high school novel with mature content. I find this change greatly annoying, so you won’t find this novel on our shelves.
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LibraryThing member karenvg3
When I first started this one I got so angry at the story line I put the book down and moved on to other books. I picked it back up and am so glad I did. I get the deviation from the main story now and I FRICKEN LOVED IT!! The action,suspense, romance... Maas brought it all again in true fashion. 5
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🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Show Less
LibraryThing member sprainedbrain
I think this is my favorite book of the series so far... no doubt because there was almost no Aelin. 😂
I loved Chaol at the beginning of the series, but then he got too angsty after Aelin messed with everyone. It was refreshing to have a whole book involving his story and him sorting out his
I loved Chaol at the beginning of the series, but then he got too angsty after Aelin messed with everyone. It was refreshing to have a whole book involving his story and him sorting out his
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issues. Loved his story arc with Yrene, and the Nesryn/Sartaq storyline added action and drama. Very few eyerolls, and I loved the ending. Show Less
LibraryThing member Ray_
I'm surprised with how much I liked, scratch that, LOVED this book. Though I shouldn't be that surprised since this is Sarah J Maas we're talking about.
But, I haven't been Chaol's biggest fan ever since the ending of CoM and by the start QoS I started disliking him to the point that I was relieved
And that made me expect to straight out hate this book before it was even out.
But now that I read it?
Oh boy was I wrong!
The book started out painfully slow, with too much whining from Chaol that I actually struggled through the first chapters, but then I got into the dynamic of it all, and yes the book didn't really pick up pace until 70% into the story, it really didn't bother me that much.
I loved Yrene, she was definitely my favorite character in this book!
I liked how the progress she made on the healing wasn't instant, and that it actually took time and effort, that was realistic in a way despite having magic involved somehow.
The way Yrene and Chaol warmed up to each other by little by little filled me with a lot of feels (and I didn't like Chaol still back then)
Nesryn and Prince Sartaq were just so damn adorable!!
The things Yrene and Chaol, and Nesryn and Sartaq discovered had me SHOOK! I never expected such a turn of events!
I meanMaeve is the freaking QUEEN of Valgs!!!
That was such a plot twist!!!!!
I actually had to put the book down for a moment to fully absorb that piece of information.
The thing I loved the most about this book was how the Southern continent was heavily influenced by the Arabic culture, from the ruling family that resembles how Arabs ruled once upon a time, to the mentions of food and the people's love for it, down to the names used there(Brahim, Hashim, Zahida, Hafiza...)
I have a feeling that Halha is actually Arabic, since the horse was named Farasha, which is butterfly in Arabic.
CHAPTER 16 WAS A PIECE OF A R T
All in all, I really do not regret picking this book up, I actually am glad I did it and proved myself once again that I should never doubt Sarah's ability to write a great book!
But, I haven't been Chaol's biggest fan ever since the ending of CoM and by the start QoS I started disliking him to the point that I was relieved
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he didn't make an appearance in EoS.And that made me expect to straight out hate this book before it was even out.
But now that I read it?
Oh boy was I wrong!
The book started out painfully slow, with too much whining from Chaol that I actually struggled through the first chapters, but then I got into the dynamic of it all, and yes the book didn't really pick up pace until 70% into the story, it really didn't bother me that much.
I loved Yrene, she was definitely my favorite character in this book!
I liked how the progress she made on the healing wasn't instant, and that it actually took time and effort, that was realistic in a way despite having magic involved somehow.
The way Yrene and Chaol warmed up to each other by little by little filled me with a lot of feels (and I didn't like Chaol still back then)
Nesryn and Prince Sartaq were just so damn adorable!!
The things Yrene and Chaol, and Nesryn and Sartaq discovered had me SHOOK! I never expected such a turn of events!
I mean
That was such a plot twist!!!!!
I actually had to put the book down for a moment to fully absorb that piece of information.
The thing I loved the most about this book was how the Southern continent was heavily influenced by the Arabic culture, from the ruling family that resembles how Arabs ruled once upon a time, to the mentions of food and the people's love for it, down to the names used there(Brahim, Hashim, Zahida, Hafiza...)
I have a feeling that Halha is actually Arabic, since the horse was named Farasha, which is butterfly in Arabic.
CHAPTER 16 WAS A PIECE OF A R T
All in all, I really do not regret picking this book up, I actually am glad I did it and proved myself once again that I should never doubt Sarah's ability to write a great book!
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LibraryThing member MrNattania72
This one book in the series is dull, really a snooze, compared to any other in the in the long tale of Throne of glass. Boring and a chore to get through.
LibraryThing member infjsarah
Actually I think I enjoyed this one of the series the most so far. I found the pacing better and I liked the characters although some didn't get much space. Final book to go but am going to need a looong weekend for that - it's huge.
LibraryThing member TheYodamom
4.5
This was Chaol's book, but his sad whining sob of a story was shadowed by some fantastic new characters and an exciting twisty twist. Yup, I'm still not his fan girl. I just can't forget what a dumb twig he was. He finds some answers, and perhaps some happiness at least for a moment. Yeh, rah
4 for the book the extra 5 was for the sexy beast known as Sartaq. I loved this character and his giant chicken. :P Another character that stole the book from Chaol was Nesryn, she is a force that made me stay up at night reading till just before dawn. I could have read a whole book with just these two and their adventures.
Finally we learn what the what is going on and who is who behind that mask. Finally, I am so excited, things are bad, very bad which makes for a very good edge of your seat read. The separated world is headed into a war that will out horror any previous wars seen, unless.... Oh I wanted to punch that face at the end- BAM !
Well Ms Mass, you tortured me yet again, bravo.
This was Chaol's book, but his sad whining sob of a story was shadowed by some fantastic new characters and an exciting twisty twist. Yup, I'm still not his fan girl. I just can't forget what a dumb twig he was. He finds some answers, and perhaps some happiness at least for a moment. Yeh, rah
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rah, meh who cares.4 for the book the extra 5 was for the sexy beast known as Sartaq. I loved this character and his giant chicken. :P Another character that stole the book from Chaol was Nesryn, she is a force that made me stay up at night reading till just before dawn. I could have read a whole book with just these two and their adventures.
Finally we learn what the what is going on and who is who behind that mask. Finally, I am so excited, things are bad, very bad which makes for a very good edge of your seat read. The separated world is headed into a war that will out horror any previous wars seen, unless.... Oh I wanted to punch that face at the end- BAM !
Well Ms Mass, you tortured me yet again, bravo.
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LibraryThing member m_mozeleski
This installment of the series follows Chaol and Nesryn, as Chaol seeks a healer, and the Great Khagan of Antica's best warriors for the fated match that will come to fruition probably sooner than anticipated, as the darkness defeated in Rifthold grows ever more threatening.
LibraryThing member Linyarai
After reading a lot of 3/5 books by unfamiliar authors, it's comforting to turn back to a loved author and curl up in a book you know you will enjoy. Comforting, until you start getting emotionally attached and scared as you get closer and closer to the ending knowing it's going to tear your heart
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out, or at least make you dread the conflict in the next book. Show Less
LibraryThing member klarsenmd
As with other reviewer, I felt the pacing on this was a little slow, particularly in the middle third. Chaol has always been one of my favorite characters in the series and I struggled with his story arc in books 3 and 4. I was happy to see this installment and all it had to offer about his past
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and future. I also really appreciate the addition of new characters and how well thought out the interweaving plots and intersections of their stories flow. Show Less
LibraryThing member YoelaO
I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, so first, I didn't start off super hyped up about this book because of the way Empire of Storms ended. I mean, come on! Who goes from all that to Chaol in Antica?! I'm sorry Chaol but Aelin is my absolute favorite! I'm a sucker for witty, sarcastic
Anyway, once I managed to finally find a way to actually read the book (my e-reader broke :'-() and told myself I had to get through it before Kingdom of Ash, I found out that Tower of Dawn really isn't that bad (like that's a surprise...). The whole journey Chaol went through is something that I can relate to so well in my own way, since I'm going through a why-am-I-such-a-failure phase in my life as well. I kinda wish I had a Yrene Towers to kindly and sternly push me through it because I can make it through if I wasn't so stubborn :D. His whole restoration at the end really touched me and helped me see my situation in a different light (kinda). This whole series really has been a comfort for me and has helped me see a bit of the person I want to be.
About one-third of the way there (I think, who pays attention to where they are in a book? I forget chapter numbers most of the time), I got hooked and couldn't put it down, again! I loved the little "fights" that Chaol and Yrene had and enjoyed the whole adventure Nesryn, Sartuk, Borte, and the ruk riders had (if dragons, phoenixes, or ruks were real...).
Furthermore, I can't wait to start Kingdom of Ash!
And to Sarah J. Maas: you really shouldn't spoil me so, you are wayyyyy too good at it.
Okay, so first, I didn't start off super hyped up about this book because of the way Empire of Storms ended. I mean, come on! Who goes from all that to Chaol in Antica?! I'm sorry Chaol but Aelin is my absolute favorite! I'm a sucker for witty, sarcastic
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women who get me laughing so hard I can't breathe.Anyway, once I managed to finally find a way to actually read the book (my e-reader broke :'-() and told myself I had to get through it before Kingdom of Ash, I found out that Tower of Dawn really isn't that bad (like that's a surprise...). The whole journey Chaol went through is something that I can relate to so well in my own way, since I'm going through a why-am-I-such-a-failure phase in my life as well. I kinda wish I had a Yrene Towers to kindly and sternly push me through it because I can make it through if I wasn't so stubborn :D. His whole restoration at the end really touched me and helped me see my situation in a different light (kinda). This whole series really has been a comfort for me and has helped me see a bit of the person I want to be.
About one-third of the way there (I think, who pays attention to where they are in a book? I forget chapter numbers most of the time), I got hooked and couldn't put it down, again! I loved the little "fights" that Chaol and Yrene had and enjoyed the whole adventure Nesryn, Sartuk, Borte, and the ruk riders had (if dragons, phoenixes, or ruks were real...).
Furthermore, I can't wait to start Kingdom of Ash!
And to Sarah J. Maas: you really shouldn't spoil me so, you are wayyyyy too good at it.
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LibraryThing member SapphireMoonlight23
Wow. I can't believe that I've nearly finished this series. I've got to admit, it was a bit weird at the start reading a book that didn't really involve Aelin... but it was actually okay.
Some things REALLY shocked me. Like WHAT THE HELL MAEVE IS VALG???? WHATTTTTTTTTTTT but damn the romance
But, overall... WOW. I'M NEARLY AT THE END!!!
Recommended :)
Some things REALLY shocked me. Like
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was... why does Mass feel it necessary to pair off EVERYBODY in straight relationships? I mean, Yrene x Chaol was kinda predictable xDBut, overall... WOW. I'M NEARLY AT THE END!!!
Recommended :)
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LibraryThing member sedodge
I'll be honest. I was MAD when I started this book. I was furious. Empire of Storms ended on the most heart breaking cliffhanger for Aelin and Rowans story. And after not hearing about Chaol and Nesryn for a whole book, I wasn't invested in them. I didn't care about their story and the thought of
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slogging though 660 pages just to find out what happened to Aelin was excruciating. But just 1 day after starting, I've devoured the book and I'm practically begging for more. The twists and turns took me on an absolute adventure, and as always, Maas's ability to make me love a character, new or returning, is unparalleled. We certainly didn't get enough time with the supporting characters to form a connection with them but the depth that this book added to Chaol is worth it on it's own. Not to mention the multidimensionality that its plot will certainly bring to Aelin's storyline in the final book! Overall I was so please to be wrong about my first impressions of this book and am so happy to have it! Show Less
LibraryThing member bardbooks
Better than No. 5 in the series, set in a new location with lots of new characters interacting with two established protagonists. Maas continues the unfortunate stereotypes of hate/love, male/female pairings for main characters ... a YA trope that is just so simplistic and unnecessary with all the
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interesting cultures to explore and the larger-scale issues of politics, good v. evil, etc. Why does every female need to shudder, shake, and helplessly fall in love with a muscular male warrior? Why must they always engage in a drawn-out series of misunderstandings and reductive arguments to discover how much they actually really love each other? The sexual encounters are toned down from the explicit scenes in No. 5 (this is YA fiction, after all, with legions of middle-school fans). Show Less
LibraryThing member kevn57
3.5 stars This would have been a 4 star book for me, if we had less court intrigue and more of about the library and Yrene teaching other healers. I'm not a fan of politics IRL, so I'm even less inclined to it in my fictional reading. I enjoyed the rich history that Maas has created for the
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southern continent and when the book went into action scenes it was as good as the books before it. I suppose that I also wasn't crazy about the fact that Aelin only appears for a page in the book. At least I waited to read it after the entire series was finished so I can pick up the main series in the final book today instead of waiting 2 years as read along readers would have waited. Show Less
LibraryThing member Triduana
I feel bad giving this book such a low rating. I've been loving this series so far, but what I've loved the most (the action, the battles, the scheming, the characters, especially Aelin, Dorian and Lysandra) are all missing from this one. It's such a dramatic change of pace that I just didn't think
I can't criticise the world building, as it was immense, but I did find all the new characters tricky to keep track of and I'm afraid I wasn't excited by the ruks or the spiders. It didn' feel like anything new.
As I've said, I love the series and I'll read the others again, but probably not this one. On to the next one.
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it fitted in. There wasn't much about it I enjoyed and it took me a long time to get through. I just didn't find Chaol and Yrene that interesting, and while a few things were revealed in this book that sound like they are important to the plot in the next book, I'm not sure they warranted so many pages. A chapter in the previous book, or the next one, would have been enough. I can't criticise the world building, as it was immense, but I did find all the new characters tricky to keep track of and I'm afraid I wasn't excited by the ruks or the spiders. It didn' feel like anything new.
As I've said, I love the series and I'll read the others again, but probably not this one. On to the next one.
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LibraryThing member sennebec
This takes readers to another part of the world, focusing on Chaol and Nesryn as they attempt dual missions, first to heal his lower body paralysis, while attempting to enlist support from the ruling powers to send an army north to help fight the darkness. It's intriguing to see the way both of
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them move toward new romantic relationships without hurting each other. Then there are the Ruk riders, more intelligent and evil spiders, coupled with additional revelations that enhance the story and leave one drooling for the final book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bodagirl
I enjoyed this series side story more than I thought I would. Even though there were so many elements and characters introduced there was a cohesion and directness to the story that the previous book lacked. Chaol really grew as a character, which is not something that I've come to expect from
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Maas' main characters - *cough* Aelin *cough*. I appreciated that this book filled in some backstory, so that Chaol doesn't miraculously appear in the next book with an army and a wife with no explanation, unlike the armadas from the end of Queen of Shadows. Show Less
Language
Original publication date
2017
Physical description
7.8 inches
ISBN
1408887975 / 9781408887974