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jelkebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A four star? To a Throne of Glass book? From me? Yeah, I didn't see this one coming either. Truly, I still can't fully believe it, but I thouroughly enjoyed this book. I guess they'll just never make me hate Chaol, no matter how much of the fandom might do. No, my enjoyment of this book has nothing to do with the fact that I love Chaol. Well, it's not just that. I truly think this book and Empire of Storms are the best books from this series (so far) and which one you'll like more depends on your prefferences.
This isn't as action packed as Empire of Storms. It's pretty slowly paced. Most of it is spend healing Chaol, getting to know this different part of the world, and most importantly learning more about the Valg. We also got introduced to a brand new cast of characters with only Nesryn and Chaol returning from our old cast within this book. It did get some getting used to at the start of this one, but I still had a blast reading this book.
My biggest compliment for this book is that it didn't feel like its size to me. Like, this is a pretty long book, and considering not a whole lot happened this just flew by. It was an incredibly compelling read, and I did not want to stop reading. I thought the new land we were in was really interesting. I also loved the healing scenes. I mean, it was full of ableism, but when it comes to the magic and how the healing magic works I do think it was really interesting. Nesryn's storyline was also incredibly interesting in this book. We learned a whole lot about the Valg and their history as well, and I loved those parts as well. That came with some crazy reveals as well, so I can't wait to see it all play out in Kingdom of Ash.
The new cast of characters were great. I didn't care for all of the royals, but the characters that really took center stage this book I quite liked. As I mentioned before I have never hated Chaol, like most people, so I also loved that we focussed quite a bit on him in this book. Yrene was easily the best character of this book. She was just absolutely incredible. With new characters also come new romances, and I also really liked those. One of them is probably my favourite from the series as well. I won't tell you which one to keep you from getting spoiled but if you've read this book you can probably tell from this review as well. So yeah, not a perfect installement, but easily my favourite and I truly can't wait to get into the final book now.
This isn't as action packed as Empire of Storms. It's pretty slowly paced. Most of it is spend healing Chaol, getting to know this different part of the world, and most importantly learning more about the Valg. We also got introduced to a brand new cast of characters with only Nesryn and Chaol returning from our old cast within this book. It did get some getting used to at the start of this one, but I still had a blast reading this book.
My biggest compliment for this book is that it didn't feel like its size to me. Like, this is a pretty long book, and considering not a whole lot happened this just flew by. It was an incredibly compelling read, and I did not want to stop reading. I thought the new land we were in was really interesting. I also loved the healing scenes. I mean, it was full of ableism, but when it comes to the magic and how the healing magic works I do think it was really interesting. Nesryn's storyline was also incredibly interesting in this book. We learned a whole lot about the Valg and their history as well, and I loved those parts as well. That came with some crazy reveals as well, so I can't wait to see it all play out in Kingdom of Ash.
The new cast of characters were great. I didn't care for all of the royals, but the characters that really took center stage this book I quite liked. As I mentioned before I have never hated Chaol, like most people, so I also loved that we focussed quite a bit on him in this book. Yrene was easily the best character of this book. She was just absolutely incredible. With new characters also come new romances, and I also really liked those. One of them is probably my favourite from the series as well. I won't tell you which one to keep you from getting spoiled but if you've read this book you can probably tell from this review as well. So yeah, not a perfect installement, but easily my favourite and I truly can't wait to get into the final book now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Suicide
tiredtori's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
aksmith92's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I read Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn as a tandem read, as requested by most BookTokers I've seen out there. Many recommend this because they love Aelin and Rowan and didn't want to be a part of them for one whole book; plus, there will ALWAYS be Chaol haters. I honestly don't care much about Aelin and Rowan (sorry!), and I am notoriously known for thinking there is more than meets the eye with Chaol. But, I will admit it: the tandem read slightly improved my experience with my Throne of Glass journey. While reading nearly 1400 pages, give or take, seemed daunting, I did fly through this read (these reads?).
Set up: The main characters are thrown into every direction as war breaks out between citizens and the infamous Vlag. Empire of Storms follows Aelin, Rowan, Dorian, Manon, Lysandra, Aedion, Elide, Lorcan, and others we know and love. Tower of Dawn follows Chaol and Nesryn as they trek to the southern continent to, hopefully, gain support from the kaghan there in the upcoming war. Also, to see if they can get Chaol walking again. In this book, we meet Yrene again after briefly meeting her in The Assassin's Blade.
What I liked: Lysandra. I also enjoyed Elide's and Lorcan's characters. I liked their romance. Theirs didn't feel forced per se, but their POVs were sometimes redundant. Finally, I was invested in this plot. I wanted to see how SJM wove in all the moving pieces and how it would end. I was invested. I didn't see TOO many plot holes. This is some decent high fantasy plotting.
What I didn't like: Aelin. Always. She's so annoying, even if she spouts some funnies occasionally. I didn't enjoy Rowan and Aelin either. "Just bang!" I would say throughout this novel, and THEN they did, and I was underwhelmed. Something about velvet-strapped steel also just....yuck.
Set up: The main characters are thrown into every direction as war breaks out between citizens and the infamous Vlag. Empire of Storms follows Aelin, Rowan, Dorian, Manon, Lysandra, Aedion, Elide, Lorcan, and others we know and love. Tower of Dawn follows Chaol and Nesryn as they trek to the southern continent to, hopefully, gain support from the kaghan there in the upcoming war. Also, to see if they can get Chaol walking again. In this book, we meet Yrene again after briefly meeting her in The Assassin's Blade.
What I liked: Lysandra. I also enjoyed Elide's and Lorcan's characters. I liked their romance. Theirs didn't feel forced per se, but their POVs were sometimes redundant. Finally, I was invested in this plot. I wanted to see how SJM wove in all the moving pieces and how it would end. I was invested. I didn't see TOO many plot holes. This is some decent high fantasy plotting.
What I didn't like: Aelin. Always. She's so annoying, even if she spouts some funnies occasionally. I didn't enjoy Rowan and Aelin either. "Just bang!" I would say throughout this novel, and THEN they did, and I was underwhelmed. Something about velvet-strapped steel also just....yuck.
"She really tortured them, she realized, by shoving her way into danger whenever she felt like it. Perhaps she'd try to be better about it if this dread was at all like what they felt." LOL, yeah, AELIN.
This (these) book(s) also did teeter on the ROMANCE scale so much. I was finally glad not to have a love triangle anymore, and thankfully, those (kinda) went away, but everybody is paired with somebody. I'm not sure why it annoyed me because I've read other books where this happens (Roots of Chaos - Samantha Shannon), but I don't think anybody quite hypes it up and makes it a considerable plot point like SJM. I also wished I counted how many kisses characters gave at the "corners of mouths."
"She thought of the new, delicate scars on his back - marks from her own nails (*cough* sex *cough*), that he'd refused to heal with his magic, and instead had set with seawater, the salt locking the scars into place before the immortal body could smooth it over. Her claiming marks, he'd breathed into her mouth the last time he'd been inside her. So he and anyone who saw them would know that he belonged to her. That he was hers, just as she was his." WHAT. First. What? Second. How would people look at his back and be like THOSE ARE FROM F'in! Third. What. Fourth. The dramatics. Fifth. What. Lastly, they can do that with salt water? Since freaking when? This internal monologue was also the start of a BATTLE IN WAR. Lol. Just lol.
Lastly, there is a plethora of toxic perseverance and the glorification of war, which is something I must get used to with SJM writing. In addition [I'm putting a spoiler on this just in case], but
Overall, though, it was fine. This was a solid read (reads). However, I have officially decided that my TBR is too long for any more SJM. I will finish this series with Kingdom of Ash, and I will stop reading her works. Fated mates, toxic perseverance, and unnecessary romanticism of war simply isn't for me and I will officially put the books down after.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Minor: Suicide
Suicide is mentioned but not talked about in detail (Tower of Dawn)sarahyjackson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Best SJM I have read to date. Loved the continued reflections on home, belonging, and identity and the introduction(ish) of healing (mind & body) as its own kind of hero’s journey and superpower.
Also best steam.
Also best steam.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual violence
nerdkitten's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Racism, Sexual content, Blood, Stalking, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Body horror, Bullying, Chronic illness, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
chuckielittle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Violence, Grief, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Child death, Infertility, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, and Kidnapping
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