Tower of Dawn is the massive "side quest" book in the Sarah J. Maas Throne of Glass empire that everyone tries to skip until they realize it’s actually the emotional backbone of the finale. It’s the book that officially moves the series from "teen assassin vibes" into "adult-adjacent fantasy," featuring the series' most explicit romance scenes and a reading challenge—the Tandem Read—that has your teen carrying around two 600-page bricks at the same time.
Tower of Dawn is the sixth book in the Throne of Glass series, running concurrently with Empire of Storms. It follows Chaol Westfall as he seeks healing for a spinal injury and military aid for a coming war. It features "open-door" romantic scenes and mature themes of trauma and disability, making it a hit for readers 14 and up who want high-stakes fantasy with a side of "spice."
If you see your kid alternating chapters between two massive hardcovers, they haven't lost their mind—they’re doing the Tandem Read.
Here’s the context: The previous book, Empire of Storms, ends on a soul-crushing cliffhanger involving the main character, Aelin. But Tower of Dawn doesn't resolve that cliffhanger. Instead, it jumps across the world to follow a different character, Chaol, during the exact same timeframe.
Reading them one after the other can be frustrating because you're stuck waiting 600 pages to find out what happened to the main crew. The "Tandem Read" is a community-created schedule where readers swap books every few chapters to experience the whole timeline at once. It’s basically the literary version of a Marvel crossover event. It’s a heavy lift, but for a kid who loves the lore, it’s the "correct" way to experience the story.
Sarah J. Maas (or SJM to the fans) is the reigning queen of "New Adult" fantasy. While the first few books in this series are relatively tame, the heat turns up significantly in the back half.
Tower of Dawn features "open-door" romance. In book-nerd speak, that means when the characters head to the bedroom, the camera doesn't cut to the hallway. The scenes are descriptive and emotional. It’s not quite the level of her other series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, which leans much closer to erotica, but it’s a far cry from the "fade to black" scenes in Percy Jackson.
If your kid is already deep into SJM, they know what they’re getting. If this is their first foray into her work, just know that the romance is treated with the same intensity as the sword fights.
Beyond the romance and the reading gimmicks, Tower of Dawn is actually a pretty profound look at disability and chronic pain.
Chaol begins the book paralyzed from the waist down and struggling with a massive amount of self-loathing. The "healing" he undergoes isn't just magical; it’s a grueling physical and psychological process. It’s a rare fantasy book that doesn't just "magic away" a disability in the first chapter, but instead explores how a character’s identity changes when their body does. For a teen reader, that's a lot of emotional meat to chew on.
If your teen finished the Maas-verse and is looking for that same hit of high-stakes world-building and romantic tension, skip the generic shelf and point them here:
This is the gold standard for "found family" fantasy. It’s a heist story set in a gritty, magical version of Amsterdam. It has the same "group of outcasts" energy as the Throne of Glass series but with tighter plotting and slightly less "spice" (it’s more "closed-door").
If the "spice" and the high stakes are what they’re after, this is the natural successor. It’s basically "dragon rider school meets The Hunger Games," with a very high heat level. It’s the current obsession of the "BookTok" crowd for a reason.
For the reader who likes the political maneuvering and the "enemies-to-lovers" trope but maybe wants something a bit more atmospheric and faerie-focused. The romance is high-tension but stays mostly PG-13 in its descriptions.
This series matches SJM for sheer epic scale and emotional brutality. It’s inspired by Ancient Rome and features a dual-POV structure that fans of the Tower of Dawn / Empire of Storms split will appreciate.
The best way into a conversation about Sarah J. Maas isn't "is this book too mature?" but "which character do you actually like?"
SJM fans are notoriously divided on Chaol Westfall. He’s a polarizing character—some see him as a noble hero, others as a judgmental jerk. Asking your teen, "Wait, do people still hate Chaol in this one?" is a guaranteed way to get a 20-minute lecture on character arcs and redemption. It’s a much better bridge to their interests than asking about the "open-door" scenes.
The "Sarah J. Maas" effect is real—once a kid starts, they usually don't stop until they've read all 15+ books in her interconnected universe. The biggest friction point isn't the content; it’s the sheer volume of reading. These books are heavy. If your kid is a "reluctant reader," SJM is often the one that breaks the seal because the cliffhangers are so aggressive they have to keep going.
Q: What age is Tower of Dawn appropriate for? Most readers land in the 14+ range. While it’s technically YA/New Adult, the complexity of the political plot and the explicit nature of the romance scenes make it a better fit for high schoolers than middle schoolers.
Q: Is Tower of Dawn ok for a 13-year-old? It depends on the kid. If they’ve already read the first five books in the series, they’re likely fine, but be aware that the "spice" level peaks in this book and the final one. It’s more mature than the early books like Throne of Glass.
Q: Do you have to do the tandem read? Absolutely not. You can read Empire of Storms and then Tower of Dawn in order. Just warn your teen that the cliffhanger at the end of Book 5 won't be resolved until Book 7, which is why people do the tandem read in the first place.
Q: What are the content warnings for Tower of Dawn? Beyond the sexual content, the book deals heavily with suicidal ideation, depression, and graphic descriptions of war and torture. It also features a main character dealing with a life-altering spinal injury.
Tower of Dawn is a massive, ambitious fantasy novel that rewards readers who have stuck with the series. It’s mature, it’s emotional, and it’s a cultural touchstone for the current generation of fantasy fans. If your teen is into it, they’re engaging with some of the most popular (and polarizing) world-building in modern fiction.
- Check out our best books for kids list for more age-appropriate fantasy.
- Explore our digital guide for high schoolers for navigating mature media.
- Get help picking a next book series
