Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

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Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas is by far one of my most favorite authors I’ve ever read, and she’s my top favorite Young Adult author. Anything she writes is gold. Before embarking on a new read from her, I always contemplate and wonder how Maas will top her previous book. Yet, she always does. However, I must admit I was nervous for this book. It’s not a direct sequel to Empire of Storms, but a companion novel.

The events of this book are said to be simultaneously happening as the events of EoS. This book is all about Chaol, one of my least favorite characters. Maas turned many readers off from Chaol when she spent a lot of time portraying him as whiny and one-dimensional, once he no longer was Aelin’s love interest. Yet Maas has just published a whole book about him and his adventures. This was a very risky move on her behalf, but let me be the first to tell you when I say, it is paying off!

Chaol sets off to appeal to those who rule in Antica, the infamous and flourishing Khaganate empire that many have admired of decades. Maas spent a lot of time researching Ghengis Kahn. While research shows him to be a “villain” in history,  his empire was established on the acceptance of all religions. This was very progressive for it’s time. Maas has recieved plenty of criticism for her Throne of Glass series and for this book.

I love to include all opinions in my reviews in order to give my review a well-rounded feeling to it. Many critics have felt like Sarah appropriates culture without doing proper research. For the record, Sarah researched extensively and it shows. She also credits Ghengis Kahn at the end of her book. Critics have also complained about the lack of diversity within her work, but ironically enough, Chaol is the only white person in this installment. The new cultures introduced were very refreshing to see, and Maas portrayes them accurately, without being insensitive. I don’t believe she culturally appropriates. She pays homage. Her researched and careful portrayal depict this. There’s a difference.

Maas spends a large amount of time world-building and introduces us to vital new characters that will play a major role in the next installment in the book series. The depiction of the Khagan family, particularly the Princes and Princess, were so overwhelming fantastic. They created such an interesting dynamic to the story and each character was so different from the next, despite being related to each other. With the introduction of the Khagan family, also comes the ruk-riders. I don’t want to reveal too much, but we can see a clear foe for the Ironteeth witches and their Wyvern mounts in the ruk-riders. The inevitable battle between these two groups is definitely one to look forward to.

Chaol hopes to convince the ruler of the Khaganate to ally himself along side King Dorian and those that fight against the evil Valg King, Erawan. But that’s not all that drives Chaol to the Southern Continent. Chaol has also come to seek out Antica’s famous healers. At the end of Queen of Shadows, Chaol suffered from a devastating spine injury, which has left him paralyzed from the waste down.

We meet Yrene, Antica’s best healer, a girl with a troubled past with an even troubling view on Andarlan and those like Chaol, who supported it’s previous sadistic King. Yrene hates Chaol at first, and their relationship begins with a lot of fiery dialogue. Another major criticism that Maas has had to deal with is her depiction of Chaol’s disability. Very reminiscent of Veronica Roth and the backlash she had to deal with, with her character from Carve the Mark, Maas has been accused of ruining Chaol’s character and trampling all that he stood for.

Chaol’s journey through Tower of Dawn is dark. I won’t sugarcoat that. He begins his journey full of hatred and he’s resentful. He spends most of the book coming to terms with what happened to him both physically and emotionally, and Yrene is the one to help guide him through the darkness. Chaol hates to rely on others and often times it was painful to watch Chaol deny the help he so desperately needed. One of the quotes that grabbed my attention about Chaol’s disability is,

“He knew—Chaol realized the guard knew just how it felt to have the chair touched, moved, without being asked.”
Maas has a firm grasp on the nuances of what it means to be disabled because it’s obvious she did her research, yet again. People are critiqued her harshly, but she has been very good at accurately describing what it means to be disabled, even if she isn’t. Maas spent months in conversationg with sensitivity readers, as an author should when writing about very sensitive characters/world. Chaol’s journey is raw and honest.

The ending in particular was such a beautiful thing to watch. The way his relationship develops with Yrene is organic. It rejuvenated Chaol as a person and literally brought him back to life—and to the light. We see how Chaol has grown throughout the series and throughout the book through this quote,

“He could still speak with dignity and command whether he stood on his feet or was laid flat on his back. The chair was no prison, nothing that made him lesser.”

I won’t dive too deeply into this quote because I don’t want to spoil anything, but Chaol’s mindset is no longer disabled like his body. He finally realizes his potential and that his circumstances have not dimished the person he once was, if anything, it has made him better. Chaol learns to change his outlook and comes to understand the value and worthiness of himself. Also, if it wasn’t for those horrible circumstances, he wouldn’t have fallen in love with Yrene.

Maas and this book are not an ableist. Like Veronica Roth was not an ableist either. Book critics, be kind to who you throw under the bus, especially if you yourself don’t do your research when you’re ironically accusing the author that they didn’t do theirs. We not only see the strength a person has even while disabled, in Chaol, but the strength of Yrene who supported him through that terrible ordeal. Her strength is not one we’ve come to know throughout the series.

She’s not a fierce fighter like Manon or Aelin, but she isn’t less bad-ass than they are either. Her compassion for Chaol and for others is something worthy to note. She may not have been disabled like Chaol physically, but she walked hand-in-hand with Chaol on a path towards healing and recovery. She was broken too, just in a different way. Chaol healed her as much as she healed him. It’s that kind of bond that Maas has created between these two characters that is just beyond amazing.

“If he had not broken, then she would not break—not in seeing him as anything but what he was. What he’d served.”

Maas spirits us down a path with Chaol that is rife with pain, darkness, and turmoil. We are thrust into his journey of healing and we come to love Yrene, the only one that is there to support him in his time of need. We see a love blossom in a way we haven’t seen done before in a Maas’ book. Some have stated that this book doesn’t need to be read on account of it being a companion novel and not a sequel, however I disagree. It contains one of the BIGGEST plot twists in the ENTIRE series, so PLEASE go out and read it. You will not be disappointed.

✅ Genre: Fantasy Fiction, Romantic fantasy.

✅ Premium Quality Books.

✅ High Printing quality.

✅ Eye Friendly.

✅ Eco Friendly paper.

✅ Matt cover (Paperback).