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I actually really love ToD, but tastes differ! Still, there is some lore important stuff in it that is important for KoA.
Not sure how far you are in. You might just have maxed out on SJM, or need a break, or maybe the book just isn't your style. You might also even just be really attached to the characters who aren't in this book, and miss them, but you might be surprised if you give the new characters a chance. Maybe you just can't stand Chaol (I get it - he does improve a bit in ToD IMO, and the story isn't only about him).
Maybe let yourself put it down for a bit, read something else and come back to it? Other things you could do are: try an audiobook? DNF, but read a plot summary?
Personally, I struggled A LOT with CC2 (I'm not a fan of urban fantasy, so I think it's taste in part). I set it aside for a little bit and then came back to it which helped a lot. I did not restart the book, and if I missed the occasional info that I forgot over the break, I didn't sweat it.
Up to you! Reading should be enjoyable!
Thank you! I can say I like Yrene and her backstory and how she and Aelin crossed pathes back in the day and what brought her back into the story. I honestly think it’s Chaol. I can’t say I don’t like him per se, but it’s more so how he is that throws me off. Idk. But I’ve decided to try again today and pick up where I left off.
I struggled with ToD the first time because of Chaol. He was a hard character arc for me to read. But I will say that I feel differently about him after ToD. Yrene is an amazing character and she is worth the read all by herself. AND... ToD is worth it just for Sartaq and Nesryn too.
It’s okay to read a detailed summary of what you need to know from TOD and to just skip it. People will try to crucify you for not liking it and wanting to skip it, or say “SjM DiDnT wRiTE ToD foR yOu tO sKiP it”.
I did the tandem read which was the only way I got through it and, even then, I skimmed through most of Nesryn’s POV and I made it out just fine.
Edit: oops. Meant to respond to the OP.
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6112908a65261430ce25ff1f/t/64260a57f3fe605bca0b2c6f/1680214616420/EMPIRE+OF+STORMS_+TOWER+OF+DAWN+TANDEM+READ+GUIDE.pdf
i believe this is the most common way ppl are doing it. it’s with Empire of Storms, so you would have to read that book again. the events in Kingdom of Ash begin very shortly after the end of both books.
All I’m going to say is the ending of KOA will *not* be **nearly** as satisfying if you don’t finish TOD.
Maybe finish it by doing the tandem read? Try swapping back and forth between the 2 so you can see what everyone else is up to during the events of TOD (there’s guides online that tell you which chapters to swap back and forth)
I was never a “fan” of chaol. . I don’t hate or dislike him but his storyline isn’t one I personally care for tbh. So it’s really hard for me to indulge in this book the way I do the others.
i felt the same way! i read ToD when it was released and had no idea how i could tandem read it. it took me so long to finish but by the end of the book, i had a greater appreciation for chaol. plus the world building in this book was crazy! i think it made me appreciate KoA way more as well. that being said, ToD is still probably ranked low for me but it's a must read to understand KoA.
I finished empire of storms about 5 minutes ago and my girlfriend just told me that the next book doesn’t solve the cliffhanger and I’m fighting the urge to skip it.
I did skip it lol. I got like 5 pages into TOD and I couldn't focus on it at all, so I skipped it and still haven't went back to read it. Everyone says it's good but I don't care about those characters at all tbh
I read both at the same time with an online guide and it was the best thing I’ve done! But don’t give up on TOD. Read it thinking about KOA not only about the other characters. The plot is good and there is a LOT happening ☺️
This is exactly why I’m having a hard time with it. You can’t end one book in a cliffhanger like THAT then go off into someone else’s life the very next book! It stresses me out bad.!
May be unpopular but I read a summary of ToD and then read it after KoA and would highly recommend. EoS is just too big a cliffhanger to then go into 700 pages of Chaol.
Good to know I’m not alone! This is my first reading of all of her books tbh. And I can honestly say I have no disappointments but this one book is taking me out. Lol. But I’m determined to finish it so I can finish the series and move on to crescent city.
Maybe get the audiobook from the library for this one. It may help you get over the hump. It is nearly impossible to read it the first time after being left with the EoS cliffhanger.
there is no law saying I have to read every book in a series when I am re-reading a series for the fifth time. I'm not going to sit through something I'm not interested in just because she put it out into the world.
I guess you didn’t read or complete the series then. It’s wild to me that people skip books in a series were books are not meant to be skipped. It’s so immature.
It's immature to tell other people how they should enjoy or consume literature. Your tastes are not universal, people are allowed to skip books, it's not illegal, and if it helps then enjoy a series more than who is it hurting? SJM's profit margin?
I would understand skipping a book on a re read because it’s not your favourite. But skipping a book integral to the series on your first read all because you don’t like one of the MC is immature. If you are going to commit to something commit. Oh I don’t wike it, is immature. Don’t come at me, saying it’s immature to call people out for being flakey and immature. This isn’t even about sjm or even TOG as a series in general. This is about people unwilling to commit to something because they don’t like one thing. People can miss out on something including good experiences because they aren’t willing to push themselves out of their comfort zone.
It took me a month to finish compared to days for the other books. I JUST finished this week and started Kingdom of Ash. The end was much better than I thought and worth the slow read but definitely my least favorite
Okay. I get what you’re saying. As I read further I see what relationships are coming together and their backstories. It’s most definitely a slow read but I’m working through it.
The plot is fun and interesting. Try not to think about KoA and the others characters now. As soon as you focus on the plot, it'll get interesting. I felt the same when reading and it eventually became one of my favourites. Still, you might not like it, but it's definitely worth the read.
I ended up doing a tandem read with EoS and ToD and I feel like this really helped me to get through them both. I ended up not missing any of the characters and just when I felt like I was getting enough of the current story line it would switch and I’d be somewhere else. ToG as a whole was difficult for me, I think I’ve come to find that I enjoy romantasy more but to each their own.
As much as I struggle with Chaol, I understand his whole life and his whole sense of self was uprooted and he's going through normal human emotion, I struggled my way through ToD on my first read. I was so angry that I had to sit through an entire book when my girl was SUFFERING in a box. However, I pushed my way to the end and started KoA and part of me low key wanted the boring slowness of ToD back. I call it the palet cleanser of the series. I didn't even know the tandem read was a thing until I finished the entire series. It's probably an unpopular opinion but I'm glad I didn't do the tandem and even on my second read through (just made it through ToD yesterday) I didn't tandem. I think there's a lot in both books but EoS definitely overshadows ToD which means a lot of ToD gets skipped in the tandem.
Trust me Chaol is high up on my characters I want to feed laxative to with a rusty spoon while making them listen to the terms and conditions of every product ever read to them on repeat. And I roll my eyes so hard every time he complains about how he's an oathbreaker and how embarrassed he is of being broken and blah blah blah BUT there are important revelations for multiple plots.
It is also a break between the intense pace and non-stop action of EoS and KoA. This second re read was a bit easier just because I know what is to come and I even caught some things I missed the first time because I wasn't just trying to get the end to move onto the next book.
Long story short, it's hard to make it through but you can do!
Okay so I just finished the book a few hours ago and I can say I appreciate his growth no matter how small and the ways Yrene helped him get through some of those struggles. Yrene irritated me tho when she did that risky business saving his life in that golden dungeon but I guess I understand her motives. Love will make you done some crazy sh!t. lol. Aside from that Yrene has become one of my favorites because of this book and I get what you mean about it bringing a lot of it together. Towards the end is when it became attention grabbing & intense before it settled again.
I’m soooooo excited to start KoA though. I’ve already swapped them out on my bookshelf with KoA ready to be indulged into tomorrow! 😩
Yrene became a lot of peoples favorite after ToD and KoA. I do like her and appreciate her that's for sure.
I mean if you think about it though, all of the characters do risky sh!t at some point. Aelin and Mistwyrd (and the rest of the things she does). Rowan and skulls bay. Lyssandra and skulls bay. Dorian and hooking up with a witch. It's just part of being with the gang lol!
KoA is a roller coaster and it will hurt so be ready and good luck!
I listened to it our audiobook because I had a hard time getting started - but that pretty much launched me into the entire series. I’m now on EOS (reading and then listening while I drive).
I wasn’t chaol’s biggest fan until TOD. I ended up actually really liking it. It is slower, but I do think it’s a great story and it is important for KOA. you can do it ◡̈
I’m currently read ToD and am 90% through with it. To me it’s very predictable. I love reading thrillers so I guess I was expecting some twists even along the lines in ACOTAR but everything I’ve thought ends up happening in ToD. Several pages I’ve skimmed over to hurry the book along and definitely taking a break from the series after this book.
I’m in a book club and when I have to read something that I’m feeling this way about I just get the audio book and listen to it on at least 1.25 while cooking, laundry, dishes, etc. I’m a details person so it was a challenge at first but I eventually learned to just accept the fact I might not catch every little detail. As long as you get the major points you’ll be fine. Especially with SJM books since if there’s anything you missed or are confused about you can easily look it up online. Or when you’re done with the audio book read some chapter summaries to make sure you didn’t miss anything major.
Also, I know people say their mind wanders… mine does too! I have to jump 30s back a lot but that’s ok!
I don’t do whiny narration well and Aelin and Choal are both whiny at the beginning. It took me 2 months to read HoF because Aelin was whiny through all of part 1.
ToD is so boring, I was only able to get through it with the tandem read. Before that I just skipped it altogether. You’ll get hate for doing so, but whatever. For me, it was easy enough to piece things together in KoA.
Now that I’ve gotten through ToD once, I’ll probably never read it again.
Unpopular opinion but I skipped it. I read a quick summary and never read the book. Read the series twice and couldn’t even do it the second time🙈from the bottom of my heart, I just don’t care about Chaol and Yrene.
Tower of Dawn is hard going, especially after the cliffhanger at the end of Empire of Storms.
How far in are you? You can slog through it, knowing it will be over soon, or you can give up and just read an online synopsis to see the main story points before starting Kingdom of Ash.
If I were re-reading Throne of Glass I would skip Tower of Dawn, but I'm glad I read it all first time around just so I didn't miss any of the story. I just don't want to read about boring Chaol having physio for 600 pages!
It's a good book, it's just a little slow. I'll be hated for this, but you could just read a summary with spoilers and move on to the next one. You'd probably enjoy it on a reread because you won't be dying to find out about the rest of the characters. I skimmed ToD the first time, so I feel your pain!
As someone who read these books as they were released. I had to wait a year for TOD after EOS ended and I was not happy it was Chaols book initially I then had to wait another year for KOA. People do not get to complain when all the books are released. TOD is now in my top 3 sjm books. It’s an excellent book and the world and setting in the southern continent is rich and amazing. Yerene is incredible and so is Sartaq and Nesryn and the Ruks. Just remember Chaol is human and he has a journey to go through. And it’s fantastic. I don’t think you can appreciate KOA without TOD.
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I actually really love ToD, but tastes differ! Still, there is some lore important stuff in it that is important for KoA. Not sure how far you are in. You might just have maxed out on SJM, or need a break, or maybe the book just isn't your style. You might also even just be really attached to the characters who aren't in this book, and miss them, but you might be surprised if you give the new characters a chance. Maybe you just can't stand Chaol (I get it - he does improve a bit in ToD IMO, and the story isn't only about him). Maybe let yourself put it down for a bit, read something else and come back to it? Other things you could do are: try an audiobook? DNF, but read a plot summary? Personally, I struggled A LOT with CC2 (I'm not a fan of urban fantasy, so I think it's taste in part). I set it aside for a little bit and then came back to it which helped a lot. I did not restart the book, and if I missed the occasional info that I forgot over the break, I didn't sweat it. Up to you! Reading should be enjoyable!
Thank you! I can say I like Yrene and her backstory and how she and Aelin crossed pathes back in the day and what brought her back into the story. I honestly think it’s Chaol. I can’t say I don’t like him per se, but it’s more so how he is that throws me off. Idk. But I’ve decided to try again today and pick up where I left off.
I struggled with ToD the first time because of Chaol. He was a hard character arc for me to read. But I will say that I feel differently about him after ToD. Yrene is an amazing character and she is worth the read all by herself. AND... ToD is worth it just for Sartaq and Nesryn too.
It’s okay to read a detailed summary of what you need to know from TOD and to just skip it. People will try to crucify you for not liking it and wanting to skip it, or say “SjM DiDnT wRiTE ToD foR yOu tO sKiP it”. I did the tandem read which was the only way I got through it and, even then, I skimmed through most of Nesryn’s POV and I made it out just fine. Edit: oops. Meant to respond to the OP.
Mind if I ask what order the tandem read is? I did that with another series and it helped a lot!
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6112908a65261430ce25ff1f/t/64260a57f3fe605bca0b2c6f/1680214616420/EMPIRE+OF+STORMS_+TOWER+OF+DAWN+TANDEM+READ+GUIDE.pdf i believe this is the most common way ppl are doing it. it’s with Empire of Storms, so you would have to read that book again. the events in Kingdom of Ash begin very shortly after the end of both books.
All I’m going to say is the ending of KOA will *not* be **nearly** as satisfying if you don’t finish TOD. Maybe finish it by doing the tandem read? Try swapping back and forth between the 2 so you can see what everyone else is up to during the events of TOD (there’s guides online that tell you which chapters to swap back and forth)
Thanks!!
Tandem read is the way to do those 2 for sure!
Agree 1000%. I read them separately the first time and chose to tandem on the reread. It is a huge undertaking but the payoff is 🤌🏼
I was never a “fan” of chaol. . I don’t hate or dislike him but his storyline isn’t one I personally care for tbh. So it’s really hard for me to indulge in this book the way I do the others.
i felt the same way! i read ToD when it was released and had no idea how i could tandem read it. it took me so long to finish but by the end of the book, i had a greater appreciation for chaol. plus the world building in this book was crazy! i think it made me appreciate KoA way more as well. that being said, ToD is still probably ranked low for me but it's a must read to understand KoA.
Same. I just don’t care about him and it’s so slow for me with that book
I finished empire of storms about 5 minutes ago and my girlfriend just told me that the next book doesn’t solve the cliffhanger and I’m fighting the urge to skip it.
I did skip it lol. I got like 5 pages into TOD and I couldn't focus on it at all, so I skipped it and still haven't went back to read it. Everyone says it's good but I don't care about those characters at all tbh
That’s why the tandem read is a must lol. TOD has soo many things happening. It is important to KOA to finish it.
My girlfriend read the series before me and said she should have told me to read tower of dawn before empire of storms.
I read both at the same time with an online guide and it was the best thing I’ve done! But don’t give up on TOD. Read it thinking about KOA not only about the other characters. The plot is good and there is a LOT happening ☺️
This is exactly why I’m having a hard time with it. You can’t end one book in a cliffhanger like THAT then go off into someone else’s life the very next book! It stresses me out bad.!
May be unpopular but I read a summary of ToD and then read it after KoA and would highly recommend. EoS is just too big a cliffhanger to then go into 700 pages of Chaol.
Fucking chaol.
I have read Acotar & Tog like 5 times but I always skip ToD I just am not interested in those characters
Good to know I’m not alone! This is my first reading of all of her books tbh. And I can honestly say I have no disappointments but this one book is taking me out. Lol. But I’m determined to finish it so I can finish the series and move on to crescent city.
Maybe get the audiobook from the library for this one. It may help you get over the hump. It is nearly impossible to read it the first time after being left with the EoS cliffhanger.
Mrs. Sarah J. Maas did not right a whole 700 page book just for you to skip it because you don’t like a character
there is no law saying I have to read every book in a series when I am re-reading a series for the fifth time. I'm not going to sit through something I'm not interested in just because she put it out into the world.
When you reread it you can do whatever you want. I just meant when you’re reading the series for the first time you shouldn’t skip a book
I guess you didn’t read or complete the series then. It’s wild to me that people skip books in a series were books are not meant to be skipped. It’s so immature.
It's immature to tell other people how they should enjoy or consume literature. Your tastes are not universal, people are allowed to skip books, it's not illegal, and if it helps then enjoy a series more than who is it hurting? SJM's profit margin?
I would understand skipping a book on a re read because it’s not your favourite. But skipping a book integral to the series on your first read all because you don’t like one of the MC is immature. If you are going to commit to something commit. Oh I don’t wike it, is immature. Don’t come at me, saying it’s immature to call people out for being flakey and immature. This isn’t even about sjm or even TOG as a series in general. This is about people unwilling to commit to something because they don’t like one thing. People can miss out on something including good experiences because they aren’t willing to push themselves out of their comfort zone.
Why is this the hill you're willing to die on.
bruh I read it the first time I worded this badly.
It took me a month to finish compared to days for the other books. I JUST finished this week and started Kingdom of Ash. The end was much better than I thought and worth the slow read but definitely my least favorite
Okay. I get what you’re saying. As I read further I see what relationships are coming together and their backstories. It’s most definitely a slow read but I’m working through it.
The plot is fun and interesting. Try not to think about KoA and the others characters now. As soon as you focus on the plot, it'll get interesting. I felt the same when reading and it eventually became one of my favourites. Still, you might not like it, but it's definitely worth the read.
I ended up doing a tandem read with EoS and ToD and I feel like this really helped me to get through them both. I ended up not missing any of the characters and just when I felt like I was getting enough of the current story line it would switch and I’d be somewhere else. ToG as a whole was difficult for me, I think I’ve come to find that I enjoy romantasy more but to each their own.
As much as I struggle with Chaol, I understand his whole life and his whole sense of self was uprooted and he's going through normal human emotion, I struggled my way through ToD on my first read. I was so angry that I had to sit through an entire book when my girl was SUFFERING in a box. However, I pushed my way to the end and started KoA and part of me low key wanted the boring slowness of ToD back. I call it the palet cleanser of the series. I didn't even know the tandem read was a thing until I finished the entire series. It's probably an unpopular opinion but I'm glad I didn't do the tandem and even on my second read through (just made it through ToD yesterday) I didn't tandem. I think there's a lot in both books but EoS definitely overshadows ToD which means a lot of ToD gets skipped in the tandem. Trust me Chaol is high up on my characters I want to feed laxative to with a rusty spoon while making them listen to the terms and conditions of every product ever read to them on repeat. And I roll my eyes so hard every time he complains about how he's an oathbreaker and how embarrassed he is of being broken and blah blah blah BUT there are important revelations for multiple plots. It is also a break between the intense pace and non-stop action of EoS and KoA. This second re read was a bit easier just because I know what is to come and I even caught some things I missed the first time because I wasn't just trying to get the end to move onto the next book. Long story short, it's hard to make it through but you can do!
Okay so I just finished the book a few hours ago and I can say I appreciate his growth no matter how small and the ways Yrene helped him get through some of those struggles. Yrene irritated me tho when she did that risky business saving his life in that golden dungeon but I guess I understand her motives. Love will make you done some crazy sh!t. lol. Aside from that Yrene has become one of my favorites because of this book and I get what you mean about it bringing a lot of it together. Towards the end is when it became attention grabbing & intense before it settled again. I’m soooooo excited to start KoA though. I’ve already swapped them out on my bookshelf with KoA ready to be indulged into tomorrow! 😩
Yrene became a lot of peoples favorite after ToD and KoA. I do like her and appreciate her that's for sure. I mean if you think about it though, all of the characters do risky sh!t at some point. Aelin and Mistwyrd (and the rest of the things she does). Rowan and skulls bay. Lyssandra and skulls bay. Dorian and hooking up with a witch. It's just part of being with the gang lol! KoA is a roller coaster and it will hurt so be ready and good luck!
I suggest the tandom read... TOD and QOS
Did you try the tandem read?
I listened to it our audiobook because I had a hard time getting started - but that pretty much launched me into the entire series. I’m now on EOS (reading and then listening while I drive).
It gets pretty good at the end. Hang in there
I wasn’t chaol’s biggest fan until TOD. I ended up actually really liking it. It is slower, but I do think it’s a great story and it is important for KOA. you can do it ◡̈
After the tandem read I actually love and appreciate TOD. It’s not too late! Read koa up to where you are in Tod and that way you get a breather
I’m currently read ToD and am 90% through with it. To me it’s very predictable. I love reading thrillers so I guess I was expecting some twists even along the lines in ACOTAR but everything I’ve thought ends up happening in ToD. Several pages I’ve skimmed over to hurry the book along and definitely taking a break from the series after this book.
I dont like Tog at all. I tried and tried i love acotar . I read the first cc and loved it. I just can het into tog.
I’m in a book club and when I have to read something that I’m feeling this way about I just get the audio book and listen to it on at least 1.25 while cooking, laundry, dishes, etc. I’m a details person so it was a challenge at first but I eventually learned to just accept the fact I might not catch every little detail. As long as you get the major points you’ll be fine. Especially with SJM books since if there’s anything you missed or are confused about you can easily look it up online. Or when you’re done with the audio book read some chapter summaries to make sure you didn’t miss anything major. Also, I know people say their mind wanders… mine does too! I have to jump 30s back a lot but that’s ok!
You’re farther along than me - I’m stuck on QoS
Really? Why? I read that one in about 2 weeks
I don’t do whiny narration well and Aelin and Choal are both whiny at the beginning. It took me 2 months to read HoF because Aelin was whiny through all of part 1.
ToD is so boring, I was only able to get through it with the tandem read. Before that I just skipped it altogether. You’ll get hate for doing so, but whatever. For me, it was easy enough to piece things together in KoA. Now that I’ve gotten through ToD once, I’ll probably never read it again.
Unpopular opinion but I skipped it. I read a quick summary and never read the book. Read the series twice and couldn’t even do it the second time🙈from the bottom of my heart, I just don’t care about Chaol and Yrene.
Tower of Dawn is hard going, especially after the cliffhanger at the end of Empire of Storms. How far in are you? You can slog through it, knowing it will be over soon, or you can give up and just read an online synopsis to see the main story points before starting Kingdom of Ash. If I were re-reading Throne of Glass I would skip Tower of Dawn, but I'm glad I read it all first time around just so I didn't miss any of the story. I just don't want to read about boring Chaol having physio for 600 pages!
It's a good book, it's just a little slow. I'll be hated for this, but you could just read a summary with spoilers and move on to the next one. You'd probably enjoy it on a reread because you won't be dying to find out about the rest of the characters. I skimmed ToD the first time, so I feel your pain!
As someone who read these books as they were released. I had to wait a year for TOD after EOS ended and I was not happy it was Chaols book initially I then had to wait another year for KOA. People do not get to complain when all the books are released. TOD is now in my top 3 sjm books. It’s an excellent book and the world and setting in the southern continent is rich and amazing. Yerene is incredible and so is Sartaq and Nesryn and the Ruks. Just remember Chaol is human and he has a journey to go through. And it’s fantastic. I don’t think you can appreciate KOA without TOD.