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 … 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 imagined.
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I actually really enjoyed this installment in the Throne of Glass series, perhaps because, and not in spite of, it’s departure from the main storyline. I never really liked Chaol all that much, but the choice to follow him to another kingdom for 600 pages left him surprisingly endearing. This book was also full of twists that genuinely surprised me and made me excited for the finale. Were the romances in this book copy-pasted nearly directly from the rest of the series? Undoubtedly. Did all the scenes with the ruk riders feel oddly similar to those with Illyrians in COWAR? Also yes. Regardless, I enjoyed the different scenery and voices, and thought the female leads in this book were so much more interesting than Aelin was for most of Empire of Storms. While this can’t stand alone from the series, I would definitely recommend it!
I liked Tower of Dawn and think it moves the plot of the series along, but did not enjoy it as much as other books in the series because Chaol has always been a bit of a blah character. And I’ve already forgotten the new female lead’s name, so that’s not a good sign for her either.
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 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. 😛 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.
I loved it as well as the whole series
Okay, Chaol lovers, I get it now.
I am super behind on my SJM reading, so though Kingdom of Ash just came out, I hadn’t gotten around to Tower of Dawn yet. I love the world of Throne of Glass, but I was procratinating Tower of Dawn because I wasn’t sure I’d be into a book without Aelin. I’d heard it was necessary reading for KoA though (which, no, I still haven’t gotten to; that book is a monster) so I picked it up.
And then I flew through it in about 2 days. WHILE I had house guests.
Suffice to say, the other characters in the Throne of Glass series don’t need Aelin to make them interesting in their own right.
Oh god…this book is GREAT. Many people may be hesitant to read it…I mean…it’s in Chaol’s point of view. A lot of people at this point don’t like Chaol, but when you read this your opinions really do change. Chaol can be compassionate and loving, and he really just is a great person. Nesryn shows a new side of herself… And you meet the best characters, Sartaq is great, and I really love Yrene. READ IT!!!
Omg it’s going to be sooooo long before the next book in this series! Sarah J Maas you are amazing! I was a little disappointed to have to take a detour from Aelin and Rowan but the southern continent was just as richly populated as Erilea. A little slow to start but when it picked up it truly picked up. Great ending! Another awesome chapter in the Throne of Glass Series!
When I heard this book was coming out, you can imagine my joy. If you can’t imagine it, try picturing a 7 year old kid waking up to a snow day where you can sled and build forts all day long… Whee!! But then, I found out the entire plot revolved around Chaol. Hmmm… not my absolute favorite character in the whole Maas world. So, I told myself: Self, give it a try. And believe you me, it was sledding and forts with hot chocolate at the end! New lands, new characters, new creatures, new mystery. It was glorious. Why did I ever doubt?
As always with Maas, there is a whole lot going on in this book. I know there are complaints that characters fall in and out of love in this series a bit too much, but this felt right. No spoilers, but I am rooting for a whole host of new happily ever afters here. I seriously can’t wait for the next installment. Write faster, pretty please!
So, I skipped this book the first time reading the series… I nearly didn’t pick it up. Sure, by not reading this book first, I didn’t know certain characters, but after reading this, I still didn’t need to. It didn’t detract from the final book.
But, in honor of Chaol who was royally screwed in the previous books (he deserved better in all of them, including the final book), I read for his story and only his story. Okay, maybe a little bit for Yrene simply because I liked her interaction with Celaena in the prequel book.
Nesryn was an extremely underdeveloped character in the previous books so I was not thrilled about her story. It was just as underwhelming in this book as well – she didn’t really bring anything to the table in terms of personality. All she really did was provide extra pages and prodded the discovery of some ‘critical information’ relevant to the final book.
Tower of Dawn pretty much only served to provide the background information for what they reveal to Aelin in book 7. It’s needed only so that all this critical stuff doesn’t come as an info dump in the last book, but honestly I didn’t miss any of it by skipping it the first time. It also really only adds to a massive character list but still doesn’t give us anything gripping about them. Borte and Yeran were the best of the new additions and we only got to see them for a fraction of the story. I think book 7 gave them a better story than the book they were supposed to be introduced in.
Back to my boy Chaol who STILL deserved better in this book. I loved his character from book 1 and I wanted to see his redemption (that he was forced into). He went through hell and I was glad that he could prove how strong he was. I loved being in his head and felt really tempted to skip the Nesryn scenes so I could get back into his story. I thought his traumas and hesitations were all really well formed, but the descriptions were really…. pathetic. Describing Yrene’s abilities to be in his mind were half-formed, his memories were skirted about and confusing, and I still felt like he got screwed (even though he was ‘redeemed’).
He still got done dirty. I love you Chaol. I will miss you the most.
I’ve held off for so long on reading Tower of Dawn and Kingdom of Ash. I didn’t want the series to end, but I knew it was finally time to finish this series. It’s been four years since Tower of Dawn was released, and I was a little skeptical at first reading this book. I’m not a big fan of Chaol, but this book may have changed my mind a bit about him. I think it’s due to Yrene. No, I’m positive it has to everything to do with Yrene.
Storyline/My Thoughts: Okay. This will be a complex review to type since this book was over 668 pages, and I definitely don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read the book. (Like I did, by waiting four years to read it.)
First, I was a little worried since this book wouldn’t involve Aelin, Rowan, Lysandra, etc., but I now know why Sarah J. Maas wrote this book. I mean, if you read the previous book, you would want to find out what happens next to Aelin. Sarah J. Maas left me hanging, dang it! Although, after reading this book, I now can read the Kingdom of Ash with some further disdain for Maeve and Erawan. Grrr! Nope, no spoilers, I promise.
This book has Chaol and Nesryn going to Antica to have the healers of Torre Cesme healing Chaol, hopefully. He’s not able to walk, and he wants to get better, so he can help with the war that is about to happen with Erawan and someone else, too. Chaol gets help from Yrene, which she was introduced to in The Assassin and the Healer. Yrene doesn’t want to help Chaol because he’s from Adarlan, and she has issues with them for what they did to her mother. These two are enemies at first, but only one-sided. Chaol wants to find out about Yrene. He’s having issues at the beginning because he has feelings for Nesryn. This was one thing that drove me crazy in the story with Chaol and Nesryn. These two have emotions, but in this book, everything changes. There was also the issue of Chaol and his past with Aelin. I won’t get into that drama. I enjoyed the banter of Chaol and Yrene. Yrene knows how to handle him. She is determined to heal him. She ends up being in danger, and Chaol believes it has something to do with Erawan. Chaol becomes very protective of Yrene, but what he doesn’t realize is she can handle herself. I adored her character in this book, and she changed Chaol for the better.
In the meantime, Chaol and Nesryn are to convince the rulers of Antica to ally with them against Erawan. They are in mourning over one of their daughters dying. Chaol is tasked to find out what truly happened. When the truth is revealed, it’s a big doozy. I was not expecting it all. I love when Sarah J. Maas surprises me with twists and turns in her stories. It’s one of many reasons why I adore her novels.
This book unveils so much in this book that it left me in shock. I was not prepared for the bombshell that happened in this book. I had a moment of ‘I friggin’ knew it’ when I read the shocking moment. Nope, again I’m not spoiling.
Let’s not forget about Nesryn, too. She was off on her own adventure with Sardaq. He’s one of the Princes’ of Antica. I liked him immediately. Nesryn has been one of those characters for me that she had to grow on me, too. I didn’t know what to think of her, especially when she was with Chaol. Chaol and Nesryn, I don’t think we’re ever meant to be with each other. There was a scene between Nesryn and Sardaq that had me worried. I thought Sarah J. Maas was going to make me cry. It was a happy and sad moment. I swear Sarah J. Maas knows how to keep me on the edge of my seat when reading her books.
I could go on and on, but I don’t want to have a super long review. (Actually, this review is already too long, but oh well.) I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I give it 4.5 stars, and now I have to excite myself to read the Kingdom of Ash. I know the next book is going to be a tearjerker of some kind. I know some moments in this book made me tear up a bit. I’m so glad Chaol has finally grown on me. Thanks to Yrene. She is one kick-butt healer, and I look forward to seeing what she does in the next book, especially after she realizes who Aelin truly is to her.
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Throne of Glass series, and I highly recommend reading in order.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, especially if you have read the previous books in the series. This series is categorized as Young Adult, but I would actually have it as New Adult. If you enjoy YA Fantasy/NA Fantasy, then you’ll enjoy this book/series.
Again, this book surprised me on how much I adored it. I’m so glad I finally read it.
Oh, my goodness. This book was so good. To be honest, I didn’t have great expectations for this one. I always considered it a little break from all the series. Also, I was never a huge Chaol fan so, I wasn’t that excited. But oh man, what a book.
The first part of the book was, not slow, but calmer. I think it was just necessary to adjust to the new places, people and dynamic.
I loved that we finally get to read from Chaol’s POV. (yes, we’ve read his POV before but this is his story) And if I didn’t like Chaol that much before, now I love him.
Also, I love Nesryn. I’ve always had. And it was the best to read from her POV and to read her own story. I don’t have words to describe how much I love her and her story.
And I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE NEW CHARACTERS!!! I can’t wait to read more about them. Though I’m genuinely scared of Kingdom of Ash. I have a feeling that so many characters are going to die, and I don’t know if I’m emotionally prepared for such heartbreak.
seriously, am I the only one who is tired of this? I don’t read this series because of chaol, I don’t really like him. I haven’t read any of the other novellas, I just want to read the main series. yet, I feel like I’m forced to read this one, since it apparently gives some information, that is important to the main story?! urg!! then it’s not a novel, it’s actually book 6, if you can’t just skip it, and if it’s book 6, it shouldn’t just be about one person. it doesn’t help, that I just don’t care for him. I will get really mad and pissed of, if I find out, that I have to read this, to understand the next book. that’s just not okay. so I’ll pray that it’s not the case, I have no problem in waiting for the next book, and for you guys who loves chaol, I’m happy for you! I just don’t want to be forced to read it, so I can read the book that actually matters to me
This book is a great fantasy read. I was hooked from the start and devoured every word. A great read, I really enjoyed it.
Love this series!
I love that Chaol got his own book!!
I think it was the part of the best book series. I have ever read
I didn’t think I would love this one since I’m not the biggest Chaol fan and the later books in the Throne of Glass series were too heavy-handed with romance for my tastes. But surprise! I loved it! Royal intrigue, flying birds that you can ride, an enemies-to-lovers romance (that wasn’t too heavy-handed, though probably still a bit more than I like since I read these books for the fantasy aspect, not the romance one), I enjoyed most all of it.
I wasn’t sure about reading a book entirely from Chaol and Nesryn’s viewpoints, but I actually really enjoyed it. We get chapters from healer Yrene’s view also, and so much new information is revealed about the battle (& people) they’ll all be up against soon. Great read!
This book follows Chaol and Nesryn’s journey to the Southern Continent. They have two goals in going there. One, to consult the healers of the Torre Cesme, and see if they can heal Chaol’s paralysis from the waist down. Two, see if they can recruit the mighty armies of the Southern Continent to help in the fight against the Valg.
I only read this book because I didn’t want to get lost in the series. I was not looking forward to it because Chaol has been irriating, and I didn’t want to read something centered on him. I was rewarded when Chaol became likable again after being infuriating for so long. It was good to see how Yrene’s story played out. I read this immediately after The Assassin’s Blade, so I didn’t have to wait long. I am glad I read The Assassin’s Blade first as some characters and plots pop back up. I really didn’t know what to think of Nesryn before this, but really like where she went with her story. I loved the setting of this book, it sounded exotic and enticing, there was a very Mediterranean feel to it. There were a couple of plot reveals that took me totally by surprise. I love when I get surprised because it doesn’t happen very often.
Well, after dragging my heels, and fighting to read this I ended up loving it. I guess you never know!
I don’t have the words to convey how vital it is that every Throne of Glass fan read this book. I don’t care if you’re not a fan of Chaol, (though full disclosure, I’ve always been a fan of his) this book is beyond essential. Essential doesn’t even begin to cover it. Please, just trust in the storyteller. This book was wonderful.
I’m always blown away with how Sarah J. Maas writes characters going through a mental recovery, whether it’s Feyre or Rhysand or Celaena and now Chaol, she’s at her best, writing these moments.
I’m really happy that she went with her gut and made this a full length novel instead of a novella as initially planned. I can’t imagine a single moment being left out of this book. I honestly wouldn’t have minded if she had made it 2000 pages long.
Maas could write instructions on how to use a toothbrush and it would be captivating.
And now for the year long wait for ToG7! I don’t think I’m emotionally or physically prepared for the final book…
Please be kind Sarah. Please!