Review: Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas

Book: Tower of Dawn, Sarah J. Mass

Series: Throne of Glass #6

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Release Date: September 5^th, 2017

 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 Aelin shattered the glass castle, since Chaol's men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken.

Now he and Nesryn sail for Antica – the stronghold of the southern continent's mighty empire and of the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme. It's Chaol's one shot at recovery, and with war looming back home, Dorian and Aelin's survival could depend on Chaol and Nesryn convincing Antica's rulers to ally with them.

But what they discover there will change them both – and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have imagined.

Discover the untold story of Chaol's journey to the southern continent in this companion novella to the Throne of Glass series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas.

 SPOILERS! SPOILERS GALORE!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

I’ll be honest. When I found out Sarah was making the sixth TOG book completely about Chaol (which was supposed to be a novella) but she ended up getting inspired to write 660 pages about him, I was sceptical. Before, I really liked Chaol. Part of the reason Crown of Midnight is my favourite of this series is because he and Aelin were just fantastic together. I love his relationship with Dorian and how loyal he is to everybody and how he’s willing to die for what he believes in. He’s a great character. Of course, after reading this book, it is now in competition with Crown of Midnight for being my favourite of this series, and I had forgotten just how much I actually LOVE Chaol. He is what was missing from Empire of Storms, and now I see why. CHAOL CAN DO NO WRONG.

This book is Chaol’s story, his journey of healing, from broken man (both physically and emotionally) to healed soldier. And it was through the love and support of his healer, who never gave him any pity whatsoever, didn’t treat him differently just because he was in a chair, and they fell in love. And her love allowed him to deal with the demons that were buried deep inside him. Not just from the damage that hurt his spine, but his relationship with his father, Dorian, Nesryn and how he left things with Aelin. He is an inherently good guy at heart, in his soul, and doing anything less than what is good and proper drives him crazy with guilt and self-hate. It was his fight with this that made me fall head over heels in love with him, and made it physically impossible to put this book down, as I needed to see his battle won. And oh, how it was won. It was won in the most spectacular way possible.

Even though I felt Sarah was dragging out this series a little at the start, once I got into it, I realised Sarah is such a queen, and I am beyond ecstatic that she wrote it! It fleshes out Chaol’s character so much, and brings back a character we met briefly in The Assassin’s Blade, whom I really liked but assumed I wouldn’t see again. Now, realising that she is going to have such an integral part of the finale of this series, and how important she became in Chaol’s life and in his healing process…. Everything is interconnected and the tiniest details will have such importance in the overall story of this series. Sarah seems to have had it all planned out from the beginning, (reminding me a little of J.K Rowling with her HP series) and I just love it so damn much!

<spoiler> Who knew, when we first met Yrene Towers in The Assassin’s Blade, that she would become the only true love of Chaol Westfall? I certainly didn’t.

You know what I've learned from this book? Fate is real, and it exists in all the characters in this series. What is meant to be will be. The smallest acts of kindness can lead to the drastic change and turnaround in a war. How was Aelin to know that by helping a strange barmaid in a tiny village five years ago, she was inadvertently creating a way of fighting against Erawan and Maeve and actually having a chance of winning the war again demon and human/Fae? She had no true idea of what can defeat the Valg at the end of Empire of Storms. However, once Chaol and Yrene and the army they procured finally meet up with our ragtag group of heroes, they can make an actual plan, and actually hope that they can win. There’s no doubt that it is going to be an epic fight and journey.

So many nights I was stuck at one or two in the morning, being forced to stop to sleep but so unwilling to because all I wanted to do was read forever.

We learn a lot more about the history of the Valg, and just how much of a presence they have in the TOG world. We meet some fantastic characters who I pray will at least make a cameo in the final book, and so many more ships were created which I can only hope Sarah will keep floating until the end.

The final book will be an epic masterpiece of an ending, with emotional reunions guaranteed and a fight that will put all other fantasy wars to shame. You would not be reading this review if you had not already read at least one book in this series, and have not gotten around to reading TOD yet. Or you’ve read it and cannot manage the feels that come with it. If you haven’t read it yet, then go do so now! If you love Chaol, it will be magnificent. If you don’t love him, then prepare to fall in love with him by the end of this book.

And if you have read it and are an emotional wreck, I know. I'm right there with you.