Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

Chaol Westfall, formerly known for his unwavering loyalty and strength as the Captain of the Guard, has experienced a life-altering event. The shattering of the glass castle, the loss of his men, and a near-fatal encounter with the former King of Adarlan left him both physically and emotionally damaged. To regain his strength and purpose, Chaol has embarked on a journey to the Torre Cesme in Antica, a renowned institution known for its exceptional healers. Chaol and his companion Nesryn must not only focus on his recovery but also endeavor to forge an alliance with the influential leaders of Antica to aid in the battle against looming adversity.

Tower of Dawn and I have a history. I started this book way back when it was first released, as I had been making my way quite steadily through the Throne of Glass series. But the sudden shift from five novels dominated by the story and frequent narration of the main character of Aelin Ashryver Galathynius to this novel that takes place simultaneously alongside the events in the previous book, Empire of Storms, made for too sharp a turn to make a full recovery. It wasn't until the sudden interest in this series on social media brought it back to my attention, as well as Maas's other series, namely Crescent City, that I was able to start my full re-read of the series to this point and pick this book up to continue and finish this series off.

While I didn’t love it, I did like it, and I can see its overall value within the broader storyline of the series. But anyone who's aware of this series, might also be aware of the unique way many readers experience this part of the series — by reading Tower of Dawn in tandem with Empire of Storms. (There's a whole guide online that breaks down the back and forth, what to read and when.) And I think as those tandem-reading fans would attest, Tower of Dawn could’ve been combined with Empire of Storms and still covered two books, but without the whiplash.