Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn take place concurrently with each book covering different characters’ point of views. Empire of Storms focuses on the main protagonist of the series, Aelin Galathynius, with her ensemble cast of Rowan Whitethorn, Aedion Ashryver, Manon Blackbeak, Dorian Havilliard II, Elide Lochan, Lorcan Salvaterre, and Lysandra. While Tower of Dawn shifts to Chaol Westfall and his journey to the Southern Continent with his former city guard, Nesryn Faliq.
Both books take place chronologically immediately after Queen of Shadows and then before Kingdom of Ash. It can feel a bit clunky if people try to read Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn sequentially, since they would have to jump back in the timeline. This has led dedicated fans to creating a tandem reading guide, where readers alternate between different chapters in each book. This way they finish both books on the same timeline and are ready to start Kingdom of Ash. Although it can feel like a nuisance at times, it is highly recommended for a more immersive experience.
For some readers Tower of Dawn feels like an outlier and they may prefer forgoing the book completely, but then they miss out on a lot of important information. Other readers view Tower of Dawn as a breath of fresh air and a must read. I recommend that people read all 8 books in the series and go with the tandem read.
Where to buy the Throne of Glass series
Erosophony is a passion project celebrating books and stories. I do not own any characters or books mentioned here. All art on this site is my interpretation and AI-generated, all images belong to Erosophony. The links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support!