A review by amanda_reads13
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

emotional 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

4.0

Chaol and Nesryn head to the Southern Continent in search of allies and healers.

Honestly, I struggled to get through 75% of this book. It was mostly Chaol journey to heal and their inability to get an audience with the Khagan. 

Finally around 75%, the book picked up when Nesryn journeys with Sartaq to the Tavan Mountains and they come in contact with the Stygian Spiders. We learn A LOT in the interaction (see spoiler below). 

We learn that there is an entity hunting Yrene, but they cannot figure out who or why.
A Valg has been sent to capture her before she can find out the truth to her powers. All healing powers actually come from a legion of Fae who escaped Maeve. Healers, we find out, can vanquish Valg from their host bodies, much like one does to a parasite.


I highly recommend reading this in Tandem with Empire of Storms as the two stories overlap! Reading this will help you understand Maeve's backstory more when reading Empire of Storms.

Maeve's story:
Maeve is not really Queen of the Fae, but the Valg Queen and was married to Erawan's brother. While trying to escape the demon kings, she pierced the veil between worlds and managed to came to this world. Her husband, learning that his wife left him, found a way to control the gates between worlds and made keys to control them, three of them, one for each brother. 

Knowing her husband would search for her, she used her powers to make Mab and Mora believed they had an elder sister. She took up a role of power, disguised as Queen of the Fae, and has been slowly bidding her time. 

Eventually her husband and his brother demon kings found the right world, but Maeve was disguised and they did not recognize her. She stole the keys from them and managed to send two of the demon kings back. Before she could send Erawan back, the keys were taken by Brannon. He build a lock to send the Gods back to their world and bind the keys' power. But Elena used the lock to capture Erawan, thus trapping Maeve and Erawan in this world.

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