Enemies to lovers in a whirlwind of unexpected events

Enemies to lovers in a whirlwind of unexpected events — that’s how I would describe these books. I give both of them 5 stars, and here’s why.

I tandem read these books, and if you’re still debating whether to do the same or read them one after the other, I definitely recommend tandem reading.

Tower of Dawn starts off quite slowly. You follow the story of Nesryn and Chaol as they sail to the southern continent, where Chaol hopes to be healed by the gifted healers of the Torre. Since you’re not yet familiar with the southern continent, many chapters are devoted to worldbuilding and introducing new characters and cultures. That’s why I was so glad to be tandem reading — I could switch to Empire of Storms after a few chapters.

Empire of Storms grabbed me from the very start. You follow Aelin’s crew as they try to gather as many allies and armies as possible. Just when you think you know where the story is going, it pulls the ground out from under your feet. I just loved it! I am in love with Rowan (I mean who isn’t right?) but also Dorain and Aedion stole my heart.

Eventually, Tower of Dawn also becomes incredibly gripping, and you’ll be happy to read both books side by side. One of the best parts of tandem reading is that the timelines in both books are synchronized. So when something happens — for example (no spoilers!) to Aelin — the other characters in Tower of Dawn hear about it at the same time. It really feels like you’re reading one big, interconnected story instead of two separate books.

And last but not least, the ending of Empire of Storms left me so hooked that I was relieved I didn’t have to start Tower of Dawn next. Instead, I could dive straight into Kingdom of Ash. Honestly, I don’t think I could’ve emotionally survived that ending of Empire of Storms otherwise.

So... did I convince you to tandem read?