Audiobook Review: Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Tower of Dawn Series: Throne of Glass #6 Written by: Sarah J. Maas Published: September 5, 2017 by Bloomsbury Children's Books (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: 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.

I was not planning on reading this right now but I needed a new audiobook and after hearing that it was more complex that originally thought I decided to jump it up the TBR. And I'm so glad that I did. Because seriously, this book was amazing. For one thing, this is more than just a quick Chaol one shot to explain where he has been. This is a complex and elaborate book in the Throne of Glass series. We seriously learn so much about the world and the characters in Tower of Dawn. I want to make one thing clear, if you like the Throne of Glass series and were planning on skipping this one, DON'T. It is essentially reading for the series.

The reason I say this most is the way that Sarah expands the world in this book. First we get to explore the Southern Continent, which is one more land mass in the world that we have yet to see until now. It reminded me a lot of the Western portion of Erilea. There are mountains, desserts, and seas and we got to see all of that. Sarah explains it in immersive details so that you can see each new location and feel like you're there. We also learned a lot more about the people of the Southern Continent. A lot of the book is spent with the khaganate, which is the rulers of the Continent. And oh do they have an interesting succession plan. The khagan always has many children and then when they are about to die they decide which of their children the most worthy of the throne. Needless to say it makes for a lot of scheming and infighting which was totally fascinating to me. In general it was just really interesting to explore a new culture in this book.

But when I say Sarah expands the world in this book I don't just mean physically. I also mean the magically world and the history and mythology that was established in the rest of this series. Tower of Dawn drops some serious knowledge bombs on us about important characters and concepts that have a huge bearing on the final conclusion of this series. So many of them caught me completely off guard and were absolutely fascinating. This is my favorite thing about this series. It'a so elaborate and intricate. I was not expecting to learn much in this book but I did. Oh boy, did I. When the book was over my mind was racing and going a million miles a minute trying to figure what it all means and how it will impact the end game. It was fantastic.

The thing that I don't think was entirely fantastic however was the plot development. Now don't get me wrong, it was engaging and kept me reading from beginning to end, but it wasn't totally what I expect from Sarah. It kind of lacked some cohesion. Or maybe I was missing what the overall arc of this book was. There were a lot of reasons for Chaol and Nesryn to go to Antica and the book really explored all of them, and resolved them, which was nice. But in general it sort of just felt like a way to get the characters somewhere to reveal major information. And that the original reason wasn't the actual reason for the book. I mean this is a 600 page book that was supposed to be a novella. How? In what world could this have been a novella. I mean maybe as Sarah started writing the book just got away from here and it became this, which is fine, but that worries me for the final book in the series. But in general, I just think the world overshadowed the plot. And despite loving the world I needed more from the plot here.

As for the characters, I did really like them. The focus of this book is on Chaol and Nesryn. I've always had a bit of a frustrated enjoyment of Chaol. I think hems a really interesting character in that he is allowed to be incredibly flawed and still heroic. And in this book is goes through a really great journey of self-discovery as he deals with his back being broken. I really liked the way Sarah handled this. It felt very real. I can't speak to the handicapped rep but I have seen some reviews from people who strongly identify with it. But to me, Chaol is all about being a brash self-sacrificing noble idiot. And that Chaol comes out in full force in this book. There were so many moments where I was like "Chaol you giant jerk, why did you say that?" But I still love him because he does acknowledge those screw ups. He's not perfect but he's learning. Nesryn I have less to say about. I never fully connected with Nesryn, either in previous books or this book. She is a great strong female protagonist in that she's complex like all of Sarah's other characters but I just think there are so many more interesting characters in this series.

Speaking of interesting characters, Yrene Towers. As expected the heart from The Assassin and the Healer came back in a big way in this book. And I absolutely loved Yrene. I loved seeing her healing magic at work, I loved seeing her interact with the other characters, I love how fierce and strong she has become, and I like that she is still so caring and kind. Her and Chaol had some really amazing interactions. I think Celaena/Aelin would be so proud of the way that she is able to put Chaol in his place. I can't believe she did it again but Sarah made me ship something different. Not that I ever full committed to Chaol and Nesryn but I wanted him to move on from Aelin. And I was really glad to see him find his equal in Yrene. I didn't think I would but by the end of this book I was shipping those two so hard. And yes, there are some decisions the two of them make that I don't fully agree with but I definitely ship it.

All in all, Tower of Dawn was a really good read. I was expecting an interesting diversion to keep me connected to the Throne of Glass world but I found an elaborate new read with tons of key information for the series and good character development.

I give Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you are a Throne of Glass fan you should definitely pick this one up. It has some really vital information for the series and you will definitely need to read it before the final book. But don't think it won't have you desperately needing that last book in the series because I want it even more now.

Have you read Tower of Dawn? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

**** This is the fifth, or well sixth, book in a series so if you have not read Throne of Glass and are not caught up on the series, proceed with caution. ALSO READ THRONE OF GLASS!!! [My Review] ****

Title: Empire of Storms Series: Throne of Glass #5 Written by: Sarah J. Maas Published: September 6, 2016 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens  (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis:The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those don't. As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear. Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?

You know what the most impossible books to review are, Throne of Glass books. Every time I finish one I am either so emotionally distraught and/or so enthralled by what happened that I can't talk about the book without spoilers or expletives or weeping. But let's try, shall we?

First things first I just absolutely love the characters here. They are so interesting and complex. I've spent 3-6 books becoming emotionally invested in them and their struggles and at this point I am just so attached to them. I've always loved Aelin for the fact that contradictory nature of her character. She's this badass assassin but is also feminine and vulnerable. Here we get to see her incredibly vulnerable and also incredibly kickass. She's had some really great development throughout the series and it continued here as we learn more about her and see her in new and challenging situations.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. This is a series with an incredible cast of characters. This is a book with so many different perspectives and points of view, which is honestly my only criticism because it tends to get confusing and muddy at times. But it does also add to the suspense and make for a really well-rounded story. It also helps you connect with the characters because you can be in their head. My favorites are of course still Dorian, Manon, Aedion, and Lysandra. All three of them got these amazingly badass moments where they could show their toughness but also their complexities with softer and more sensitive moments. That is what Sarah J. Maas does so well, create likable characters that seem so real in that their complex and compelling.

The other thing that Sarah does so well is plot. Oh man, is this a fantastic plot-driven books. From the word go it takes you on a thrilling ride that does not let up. It's action scene after action scene that build to a conclusion that will have you turning pages as fast as you possibly can (and then rereading those pages because holy crap that reveal was out of control and needs to be understood better). The series has been changing and evolving over time and we have now officially reached the epic fantasy, end of the world chosen one type of story. I didn't think that this series could get more epic and intense but it did.

But Empire of Storms is also so intricately plotted. This has always been a series where I marveled at how little things make a big difference in the big twists and reveals. As the series goes on those reveals are bigger and things from so many previous books come together to create something larger and more significant. This is a book that had me thinking "it's all connected," and you guys "IT'S ALL CONNECTED." There were so many crazy twists and reveals here that had me shocked, reeling, and incredibly entertained. I spent most of the book trying to craft crazy theories about what would happen next and why something is happening, which honestly is one of my favorite things and something I love about this series.

And finally, let's talk about the world of this book. We get to see so many different places in Erilea this time around. I'm usually not a fan of the travel monologue concept but here it worked. It felt purposeful and important to the larger plot. Plus I enjoyed seeing places only just mentioned in previous books as well as return to places that haven't been seen since The Assassin's Blade. Not to mention the political intrigue here and the larger lore and religion of this book. The history and lore of the world came into the story in a big way here and it was great learning about that. Not to mention the magic. There were so many great moments of magic here. I loved seeing all the magic-wielders in action but especially Lysandra, oh she has some great moments where she uses her magic. But seriously, I love the fantasy world here and I can't wait to learn more because I HAVE THEORIES!

All in all this was an absolutely amazing read. It was full of action, adventure, and emotional trauma. There are so many surprises and twists in this book that will have you reeling and distraught so get ready. But it is also an intricately plotted book with great characters. I loved it and can't wait for more. I NEED THE FINAL BOOK.... STAT!

I give Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! Fans of the series should absolutely get the next book in the series. And get ready for the amazingness and the emotional trauma. ALSO, talk to me about stuff when you read it and I will flail about ships and theories. And if you have not read this series it is honestly a must read for fantasy fans. It's seriously SO GOOD!

Have you read Empire of Storms? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!