Awesome En Maas | A Court of Frost and Starlight + Tower of Dawn

A Court of Frost and Starlight has the following description: "Feyre, Rhys, and their companions are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve. Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated--scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court." While I normally try to use my own words to give you all a summary, I find that this particular summary for this novella is just too perfect for me not to use when telling you all about it.

It’s not going to surprise most of you to learn that I really enjoyed this novella. I expected that, even in the months leading up to its actual release, but I didn’t expect Sarah to deliver something beyond my expectations when I finally read it. But she did! It was a lovely reunion with so many of my favorite characters, a nice little epilogue to the first trilogy, in a way. It was wonderful to be nestled among them, in the midst of their joys and their sorrows, their triumphs and their struggles, and to simply feel like I was getting to know them even better with every turn of the page. It was interesting to see how each one was faring after all that they’d been through, and gave me an even greater intimacy with some of these characters than I was expecting (in a good way, mind you). Throw in a healthy dose of banter, a good amount of festivity for the Solstice celebrations, hints of what the next book is going to entail (including a sneak peek at the very end!), and you’ve got yourself a wonderful little novella addition to this series. I’m so glad this was published, have already reread most of it multiple times at this point and cannot wait for what comes next!

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas | Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.1 | Publisher: Bloomsbury USA | Publication Date: May 1, 2018 | Source: Purchased the Kindle edition

I can’t believe I never wrote a review for Tower of Dawn (until now). It’s especially alarming to me considering that this is, in part, Chaol Westfall’s story, and he has always been my favorite of the male characters in the Throne of Glass series. I figured it was still imperative I share my (brief) thoughts on Tower of Dawn, so that’s what this little section is for. The events in Tower of Dawn run parallel to what happens in Empire of Storms, offering another side to the story, so to speak. It tells of Chaol’s journey to Antica, accompanied by Nesryn Faliq, to ask the legendary healers of the Torre Cesma to aid him in his recovery and to hopefully convince the country’s leaders to ally with them in the war that is coming. It’s essentially the story of his healing journey, but it’s also much more than that… and you’ll discover why when you pick up this novel.

I know that a lot of readers were hesitant about picking up Tower of Dawn. It was supposed to be a novella, for one thing, and having it become a full-length novel meant the series ending was pushed back another year and spending more time with Chaol (who I understand elicits a variety of reactions from fans of the series). But here’s the thing: it’s actually a really good story. I’m not saying that just as someone who has always loved Chaol Westfall; I’m saying it as a reader and a fan of the Throne of Glass series. It provides more in a lot of ways - more character perspectives, more character growth (especially for Chaol, yes, but for other characters too), more of this world and its cultures, more to the story. It’s now an essential part of reading this series, and you won’t want to miss out on all the details it adds to the main story.

Now, on a personal level, I loved Tower of Dawn. There were just a lot of experiences and emotions that the characters in this novel go through that I found relatable (despite the fact I’m not a powerful healer, a badass female captain or a captain of the guard). This was particularly true of the healing aspect of the tale… in the emotional sense. When you’re left with nothing and forced to confront your own demons and ideals, well, it’s a painful, but necessary experience to do it in order to learn and grow from it. It’s something that many of us, I’m sure, can relate to, and I just admire the way Sarah wove that theme into this story. It’s why the character journeys resonated with me so deeply, and it’s why I fell head over heels in love with Tower of Dawn (though I didn’t expect any different, to be honest).

So, do I think you need to read Tower of Dawn as a fan of the Throne of Glass series? Yes. Do it for the expansion of the setting and the additional details that will tie into the finale out later this year. Do it for the story, which is compelling, entertaining and well-written. Do it for the characters and their growth, especially the healing that occurs within these pages. Do it, because Tower of Dawn is worth a read and is a worthy addition to an already incredible series.

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas | Series: Throne of Glass #6 | Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's | Publication Date: September 5, 2017 | Source: Purchased the hardcover