Review: Sarah J Maas’ Tower of Dawn
By Lacy Baugher
Sarah J. Maas’ novella-turned-full-length-epic Tower of Dawn feels like an unexpectedly necessary addition to her Throne of Glass saga.
Tower of Dawn features many of the same elements that make the other installments in Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass saga such compelling reads. There are multi-layered characters, a rich, complicated universe, fantastic adventure and sweeping romance. It’s a several hundred page novel that feels like it goes by in a blink. And one that will definitely leave you wanting more.
While it may feel a bit strange to read a Throne of Glass novel in which the series’ heroine does not appear, the story ultimately ends up working. (Far better than I ever expected, to be honest.) Not only because it gives you another feisty magic wielder to root for in healer Yrene Towers, but because it forces us to look at a character and story we already thought we knew in a brand new way. Chaol’s development in Tower of Dawn is long overdue, and this 600-page novel that was meant to be a novella somehow serves as a perfect set up for the Throne of Glass finale next year. Precisely because it reminds us all that as much as we love Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, this story is — and always was — about so much more than her.
(A suggestion: If you haven’t read the Throne of Glass prequel novellas, compiled in book form as The Assassin’s Blade, you should do so before tackling Tower of Dawn. One of this novel’s most important reveals will have a lot more emotional resonance for you’ve at least read the story The Assassin and the Healer.)
Yes, Chaol Westfall is actually the main character of Tower of Dawn. This may come as a surprise to some. Because although Chaol was once one of the series’ primary characters, he shifted more to the background as the Throne of Glass universe expanded. Some fans — particularly those who were particularly attached to the Aelin/Chaol relationship — inevitably felt like his character was given something of a demotion once their romance ended. And, it’s true, he sort of was. Probably not on purpose. But as the series kept introducing new characters, and Chaol moved further from Aelin’s direct orbit, he did appear much less frequently. And we, as readers, got much less of his perspective on the events happening around him.
Well, Tower of Dawn changes all that. The novel not only fills in the gap that is Chaol’s general absence from Empire of Storms, but gives us a new look at his character at the same time. Here he attempts to recruit an army for Aelin and deal with the debilitating injury he suffered at the hands of the King of Adarlan. But he also must make peace with his own inner emotional turmoil at the same time.
Chaol’s story is bolstered by major narratives for familiar face Nesryn, and new character Yrene. (Though, technically, we’ve met her before too.) And both women get to be smart, resourceful and resilient, in ways that often are completely different from what we’re used to seeing in Aelin. This is important — after all, women don’t need magical powers to be strong, and can stand up for themselves without being trained in hand-to-hand combat from the age of six. Yrene is particularly lovely, serving as both an interesting mirror for Aelin and an intriguing character in her own right. Her emotional journey is every bit as interesting — and the equal of — Chaol’s and the two have wonderful chemistry together. And I’m already dying to know what the Throne of Glass finale has in store for the two of them. (As well as Yrene’s inevitable meeting with Aelin.)
Tower of Dawn introduces us to the Southern Continent, and the many different people and cultures that both inhabit it and make up its history. (Some of which is very relevant to the series’ ongoing struggle against the demon Valg.)
Maas is an exceptional world builder on a bad day, so giving her free reign, a largely untouched new continent and six hundred pages to work with is straight up magical. The setting, the culture, and the history that pervades every page of Tower of Dawn are all meticulously crafted. Everything has so much detail, and each piece of the story builds upon itself naturally. (And frequently ties back in to what we already knew in surprising and illuminating ways.)
Her Erilea feels like a real place, like somewhere with its own deep and complicated history. And the Southern Continent is an extension of that, a place that could probably support its own multi-book fantasy saga when Throne of Glass ends if Maas felt so inclined. Its rich, diverse cast of royals, clans and everyday villagers feels like a breath of fresh air in this world. And something that we definitely need more of in the series’ final installment.
If I’m honest, I wasn’t that excited about this book, on paper. Chaol Westfall has never been a particular favorite character of mine. And, honestly, I kind of resented another giant novel taking away the focus from my forever fave Aelin. Not to mention making us wait another entire year to find out what happens after the ending of Empire of Storms. I figured Tower of Dawn was just something we’d all slog through on our way to the Throne of Glass finale. After all, no Sarah J. Maas book is bad, right?
Here’s the thing, though. I was so wrong about Tower of Dawn. This story feels like such a necessary part of this universe. Not because of what happens in it, not really. (Though several key pieces of information revealed here will doubtlessly impact the series’ finale.) But because of its larger themes,
Though it features war and monsters, threats and dangers, Tower of Dawn is, at its heart, a story of healing. It is about the ways in which we measure our own worth. And it is also an affirmation that everyone – no matter how lost or damaged – can be whole again. It is about the strength in compassion, and the untold good that can come from the smallest acts of kindness. It’s about love, and forgiveness, and most importantly of all, it is about hope. Hope for a better world. Hope for a brighter future. And hope in each other – that when it counts, people step up.
I cried a lot, is what I’m saying.
Sometimes, I think we get the books we need when we need them. And these days, I think maybe we all need a story about the life-changing power of a kind gesture, made without witness or expectation of reward.
The world could use more healers, after all.
Theoretically, the next Throne of Glass novel will conclude the series. How that will happen is anyone’s guess. But between Tower of Dawn and its predecessor, Empire of Storms, the groundwork is there for an incredible ending.
The seventh and final Throne of Glass novel is due out in the fall of 2018.