My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Summary from GoodReads
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 imagined.
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REVIEW
My feelings after finishing Tower of Dawn were a whirlwind of happiness, angst and many, many pop culture references! Knowing that this book was a connection between "Empire of Storms" and the final book, then it was vital for me to absorb every tiny detail and truth revealed.
Chaol and Nesryn travel to the Southern Continent in order to ask help from the known Healers of the Torre Tower and also beg for help from the powerful khagan and his princes and princesses. Mysteries, hidden truths and romance, all tie perfectly in this novel!
Let's begin with the world-building:
Sarah had mentioned that she was inspired by the Mongols and their history as she wrote the series. After reading the book I can safely say that you don't only find parts of the Mongolian civilazation here; there is evidence of Arabian culture, deserts and mountains, forests and even jungles in the farthest parts of the Southern Continent.
There are horse tirbes, where I got some Drogo/Dothraki memories,
the powerful ruk fighters, warriors who fly on huge FREAKING EAGLES,
and of course the beauty of the Torre Tower with its ancient library, the Baast cats (Egyptian reference here) and the amazing underground pool-hot spring!
Characters: Chaol finally got his redemption. I had the feeling that he was also delayed by three books, especially after the events of "Crown of Midnight". With Yrene's help and magic not only did he find a new reason to live but also discover how wrong he was about Aelin, himself and the horror of living with an abusing parent. Through Chaol, Yrene and Nesryn many social issues are touched: racism, gender prejudice, abuse and slavery.
At this point, if I were to compare the khaganate with the kingdoms of Adarlan, I would pack everything and go live to the desert! Slavery is forbidden, everyone work in the palace and they are paid, the citizens are free to commenrse, THERE IS FREE EDUCATION FOR ALL TOO!
The Khagan was a scary man but all powerful ones can be. The tradition of his court and family is a brutal one, which was also used from the Sultans in the Ottoman History.
Now for the royal siblings: Arghun the first Prince is the politician and a jerk. Kashin is responsible for the army, my lovely Sartaq is the Captain of the ruk riders and Hasar is the leader of the naval forces; and she has a wife. Duva is the last one and a quiet princess.
From all the characters, I enjoyed Sartaq more, especially after he leaves with Nesryn in order to go to the aeries of the ruk. And boy, did they see many surprises there.
Yrene was a glorious character. A POC, a strong willed woman who also teaches the young healers how to defend themselves. She is strong and beautifully described. I would love to see more fanart of her! Not to mention that her relationship with Chaol evolved through the course of months. In many parts of the book, you get to see mentioned events from "Empire of Storms".
Tower of Dawn is one hell of a book, which ties everything with the final one. Also, there was a tiny glimpse of the Fireheart in the ending which honestly?
It. Gutted. Me.
SO READ THE BOOK! ;)
About the author:
Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and Roses series, as well as a USA Today and international bestselling author. Sarah wrote the first incarnation of the Throne of Glass series when she was just sixteen, and it has now sold in thirty-five languages. A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog. Empire of Storms, the fifth Throne of Glass novel,is available now.
She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College in 2008 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Religious Studies.
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