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Writer's pictureAbbie Smith
Sep 13, 20177 min read

Book Review: Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

I have been sorely behind on blog posts. Apologies! Life is hectic at the moment, but I have not slowed down one bit. I’ve been reading a ton and trying to figure out exactly where my book journey is taking me. More on that is coming soon(ish).

Anyways, on to the point of this post: a book review! Sarah J. Maas is basically the Young Adult fantasy author these days. Between her NY Times Bestselling series THRONE OF GLASS and A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES, I have read ten of her books in the last year. This author is amazing in that she’s managing to pump out these huge novels each year. They are not short. A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN was 700 pages!

I am here to review TOWER OF DAWN. If you haven’t read the series, there may be mild spoilers ahead, as this book takes place after book four (QUEEN OF SHADOWS) of the series and concurrent to book five (EMPIRE OF STORMS). If you have not read through QUEEN OF SHADOWS, please stop reading right now. If you haven’t read the series at all and think that you might, stop reading!

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Alright…everybody else here caught up?! Good. On to TOWER OF DAWN!



A post shared by Abbie Lynn Smith (@abbiewritesx) on Sep 6, 2017 at 9:47am PDT


In THRONE OF GLASS, one of the first characters we meet is Chaol Westfall, captain of the king’s guard and best friend of the prince, Dorian Havilliard. He’s portrayed as arrogant, and basically sort of a jerk, until he starts helping Celaena Sardothien (the main character) on her journey. In book two, he falls in love with her; she’s an assassin and also a secret queen in her own right (though he doesn’t know it at the time).

Chaol (pronounced Kay-all according to SJM, but I’ll forever say it like Kale) and Celaena have a pretty volatile relationship. It’s not that all empowering love you feel for someone, but it was a visceral love, a need to have someone to be close to, to maintain your humanity during dark times. That’s not to say it wasn’t truly love…it just wasn’t meant to be. And I was not happy about that.

At the end of book two, the two of them have a pretty harsh breakup. I loved Chaol so much; I related to him. I could see how he struggled between doing what was his duty and doing what was right. He’s similar to a character I’ve written, and it made me love him even more. He sends Celaena away to find the truth of herself, and to protect her from the king. In doing so, she goes on her own journey and ends up finding her mate, her one true love, the person she was meant to be with. And I hated her for it. I refused to like the new guy. But that had more to do with the fact that I adored Chaol and never gave Rowan a chance.



A post shared by Abbie Lynn Smith (@abbiewritesx) on Sep 6, 2017 at 2:15pm PDT


By the time she returns, all hell breaks loose, battles are fought, and Chaol nearly dies at the hands of a very bad guy. The end of book four sees Chaol with a terrible spine injury that leaves him paralyzed from the waist down. I was relieved. Relieved that he was alive, yes, but heartbroken for him because of the injury. He was a soldier. He’d always been a soldier. What else could he do? He was sent to the southern continent to seek out their world renowned healers and convince the monarchy there to join the war.

So, I read on to EMPIRE OF STORMs, ready for some more Chaol action. Two of my friends that read the series before me were egging me on, telling me to get through it because of the book hangover. I got halfway through the book and THERE. WAS. NO. CHAOL.

Where was he?! I honestly couldn’t care less about the rest of the characters.

Then, I found out. SJM had planned to write a novella about Chaol’s journey south. No. Chaol. In. The. Damn. Book. Then, SJM announced that OOPS! She’d written so much for Chaol that it was no longer going to be a novella, but a full length novel! I preordered the book the moment I found out. And so began the six month wait for the novel to release.

This leads me to receiving the book. I was so excited about it coming out that I took off the two days of work after Labor Day just so I could read it. That is how much I love this character. I could go on and on. If you think I’m joking, ask my friends. They’ll tell you.

So, Tuesday after Labor Day. It shipped USPS, Amazon said release day delivery. My mail came on release day. No book.

Look, don’t get me wrong. I’m a pretty patient person. I can understand, since it was coming from Texas, that the after effects of Hurricane Harvey had something to do with this. BUT. SJM is the Fantasy author right now. All of her books become bestsellers the first week they are out. As soon as Amazon realized there was an issue, they should have prepared for this release. Look, even my local Wal-Mart got this book on release day; they usually don’t get them until weeks and months later.

So, I complained, but there was nothing they could do. I had to wait until the next day (look at me, being proactive, taking time off in case of stuff coming up!). My mail delivered and when I got home, it wasn’t in the mailbox. I was about to blow up. But when I checked the tracking, it said they put it on the porch. So I looked outside and there it was. FINALLY! I had Chaol’s story in my hands.

All of this lead up to my favorite book that SJM has written.

If you follow me on any of my social media, you know that I’ve been going through some stuff. I’ve been on a journey of my own–working to find my way back from the hard parts of life. Chaol’s journey in this book was similar to mine. His was a physical injury, sure, but it was all about chasing out the darkness, facing the hard stuff, and learning how to live again. This book isn’t just a continuance of a story. It’s the tale of someone who was broken, beaten down by their lot in life, and their journey to finding the light again.

There were several times I had to stop in my reading just to take a breath. It can be difficult to put your troubles into words sometimes, and I found that SJM was able to do it beautifully.

Once Chaol and his companion Nesryn arrive in the southern continent, they are thrust into the court. The reader is given a brief but thorough explanation of the monarchy and how it works, and they get to see the subtle interactions between the new characters. I always worry when they name a bajillion characters up front. One, because I can’t guarantee that I’m going to remember who they are. Two, I’ve always, always, tried to live by the mantra of “Only give a character a name if they’re important”. [I felt similarly about THREE DARK CROWNS] The thing is, all of these characters are important.



A post shared by Abbie Lynn Smith (@abbiewritesx) on Sep 10, 2017 at 7:09pm PDT


Once Chaol is introduced to the royals, word is sent to the Torre Cesme–the tower where the healers live and practice–for the Healer on High to assess his injuries.

Then, enter Yrene Towers. She is a character introduced in the prequel novella book THE ASSASSIN’S BLADE. When we last saw her, she was a barmaid, struggling with her lot in life. She left her home in the north and traveled toward the southern continent so she might hone her skills and become a healer. At the end of the novella, Aelin (assassin and secret queen) left Yrene a pouch of money to get her to the Torre Cesme and pay for any tuition. The person she was then was left behind in THE ASSASSIN’S BLADE. We are reintroduced to Yrene. She is strong-willed and an extremely talented healer. The Healer on High has set her to the task of assessing Chaol Westfall’s injury.

And Yrene says no.

The healer has plans of her own, of leaving the Torre Cesme and returning to the northern continent. She made a promise to help save her homeland. Healers are always in short supply. Her superior manages to convince her to at least assess Chaol. When Yrene does, she’s determined to hate him. He used to be the captain of the guard for a monstrous king, responsible for the destruction of her home.

What follows is a beautiful journey of two people, each with their own trauma and darkness, finding the light together.

I won’t give away any major plot points. Only this: there are things revealed in TOWER OF DAWN that tie to the bigger picture of the THRONE OF GLASS series. Even if you didn’t like Chaol, I think reading this would give you a different outlook on the character.

One gripe I have about Sarah J. Maas: she refuses to write wedding scenes. She didn’t do it in EMPIRE OF STORMS nor in A COURT OF MIST AND FURY.

There are also other character plots interspersed between Chaol and Yrene–namely Nesryn. I felt like I could have done without those. All I wanted to do was read more about Chaol and SJM kept giving me Nesryn. But! There was a purpose to it all. Nesryn uncovers key information that will affect the final book in this series–that someone is not who they are portraying themselves to be. TOWER OF DAWN tied together some key information that gives the novel what it needs to be considered a full length story.

This novel is a reminder that though there may be dark times, the darkness is only temporary. No matter what happens, it. gets. better.

All in all, I give this book 5/5 Stars. It is my favorite book written by SJM, and my favorite book in the THRONE OF GLASS series. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, go here. You can follow Sarah on Twitter and Instagram. The final chapter of the THRONE OF GLASS series (untitled as of yet) is coming on May 1, 2018!

I’ve got a couple of other book reviews upcoming. Including Alex Bracken’s THE DREADFUL TALE OF PROSPER REDDING for some Halloween related fun.

Thanks for reading, Abbie

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Writer's pictureAbbie Smith
Jun 16, 20172 min read

What’s Goin’ On?

Hi there! I wanted to give a quick update on my book journey for anyone interested.

So far this year, I have read 49 books! My Goodreads goal was only 55 (five more than last year, but enough to give me wiggle room). I’ve read a lot of good books, some bad, and I am currently on A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES by Diana Gabaldon. I adore the Outlander series. The television show on Starz is phenomenal, but the books can be a bit…much. I read the first book around the time season one finished. So while I read, I watched the show. The second book, DRAGONFLY IN AMBER is my favorite of the five I’ve finished. These books literally take me months to read. I’m hoping to finish this one before the month is out. I have an entire shelf full of To Be Read books, including CARAVAL, CARVE THE MARK, and MISTS OF AVALON (rereading; I love MoA so much!). I’ve also really wanted to do a reread of the TWILIGHT series. Mostly because the books weren’t all that horrible. Except for the sparkling vampires.

On to other topics, what’s going on with my writing?? Well, it’s a long story…but. HALFLIFE is officially on hold. I did a hardcore edit, taking notes and line by line edits done by beta readers, and finished about 75% of the manuscript. I added an extended prologue (which is now chapter one), and, in total, nearly 10K words were added to the total word count. It was completely unintentional. The ending of the novel needs a lot of heavy rewrites. Last week I was feeling very uncertain about the project. There is still so much work to do on it. I have my doubts about if there’s even a market for this kind of novel right now.

I love the characters and the story, but it’s such a big project that I’m feeling anxious and overwhelmed about it. So I need to take a step back from it for a while.

That being said, back in December I started scribbling down some ideas for a new Young Adult story. It’s very, very, new, but an idea that I’ve always wanted to pursue. I wrote less than 10K words for it at the time. I’ve decided to pick it up. Regardless of how my other projects are going, I know that I need to keep writing, and I haven’t been writing. My therapist (yes, I’m seeing a therapist, but that’s another topic for a different day) thinks it’s a good idea for me to move away from the other projects I’ve been working on. If only to give me an opportunity to separate myself from the pressures I have put on myself, as well as the subject matter. HALFLIFE, especially, deals with some very real issues that I’ve personally been dealing with for years. A little separation can be a good thing, I think.

So…what’s it about?

I’m not telling. Not now, at least. Nothing may ever come of this story, and I’d really rather keep it to myself right now. Just know, I am writing, I am creating, I am working toward that ever present goal of being a published author.

Thanks for reading, Abbie

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Writer's pictureAbbie Smith
May 25, 20174 min read

Diverse Characters & Getting It Right

I recently finished reading Cassandra Clare’s LORD OF SHADOWS (LOS). I have been a fan of Clare’s since I picked up her work last year. It started with LADY MIDNIGHT (the first in THE DARK ARTIFICES (TDA) series), of which LORD OF SHADOWS is the sequel). I got about 100 pages into the book, but felt like I was missing something. And I was. Something huge.  TDA series is a sequel series to THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS (TMI). If you’ve seen the movie City of Bones or the show Shadowhunters, you’ll recognize the name.

I started with TMI series and immediately I was hooked. Clare’s urban fantasy series hook you in and take you along for the ride. There’s no warning. One second, you’re reading CITY OF BONES, and the next, you’re eight books in wondering how the hell you got there. Her stuff is that good.

From Clary Fray and Jace Herondale, to Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane, to Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn–her characters are so well done. Not only is it easy to relate to the characters, but I found myself completely enraptured in their stories. The characters are loveable, with natural flaws (selflessness in the example of Julian, or vanity in the case of Jace). There’s plenty of romance, magic, and lots of ass-kicking battle scenes. Shadowhunters are Nephilim, a race of half-human, half angel, charged with killing demons and maintaining order between races of Downworlders (vampires, werewolves, faeries, etc.)



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But beneath all of the fantastical elements of the stories are very real themes that apply to the world today. In TMI, Alec Lightwood is a gay character. But he’s not completely out yet. You see, in the world of the Shadowhunters, being different is something that’s frowned upon. He’s worried about what being open about his sexuality would be to his family, to the eyes of the Clave (those responsible for maintaining Shadowhunter laws). I loved the real dive into what it’s like in America to be a gay man. I thought Clare did an amazing job with Alec’s story of coming into himself and finding love with Magnus Bane (High Warlock of Brooklyn and sass master).

So, in LADY MIDNIGHT (LM), we dive into the story of the Blackthorn family (who were briefly in TMI series at the end). Five years have passed since the end of the Dark War. The Blackthorn family has eight living members: Helen (exiled because she’s part faerie), Mark (part faerie, in the Wild Hunt), Julian, Tiberius, Olivia, Drusilla, Octavian, and Emma Carstairs (an adopted Blackthorn at least). Through the journey of LM, you learn the quips and quirks of each character.

Tiberius (Ty) is a highly logical young man. Julian (who’s been left in charge since losing their parents in the Dark War) has found ways over the years to help Ty understand things like sarcasm and metaphors, as well as given him tools to keep his hands and mind busy when he’s feeling overwhelmed. In LM, it is never addressed head on that Ty is autistic.



In LOS, a new character is thrust into Ty’s world. Christopher “Kit” Herondale is a Shadowhunter, but didn’t know it before. He had a relatively normal upbringing in the mundane (mortal) world. He knows things about mundane medicine and treatments. He is the first character to mention the word autistic. You see, the Clave has banned use of any and all mundane medical treatment. If a Shadowhunter were to seek treatment, they could face exile. They have their own methods for healing, none of which includes doctors. And because Ty is different, Julian is terrified something may happen to him. That the members of Clave will notice there’s something different about him and mistreat him.

There’s a second character, Arthur Blackthorn, uncle to the children, who’s gone mad. His mind was broken in the faerie courts. But they can’t let anyone know he’s mad, because if he is outed, the Clave could split the children up. All they want is to be together.

There’s a third character who turns out to be transgender in LOS. I will spare the spoilers for anyone who hasn’t read it.

Each of these characters face harsh treatment at the hands of the Clave, much as people with autism, mental health issues, and are transgender deal with in normal society in the real world.

I was absolutely floored by Clare’s treatment of these diverse characters. I’ll admit, I’ve kept my characters pretty “standard” in my own writing. There’s always the fear of trying to tackle serious issues like these and doing it badly. As a writer, you have to be sensitive when it comes to touchy subjects. Some people even go so far as to have sensitivity readers to ensure their work isn’t putting those characters down. It is a very slippery slope. You don’t want to offend and you certainly don’t want to do an injustice to issues that real people deal with every day.

In the middle of reading this, I stopped and texted my best friend because I had to tell someone. I didn’t want to post spoilers on the internet (this was barely a day after the book was released and I’d already seen some posts spoiling it for me!). I genuinely applaud Clare for the job she’s done. Using these issues to represent the stigma surrounding these social issues in America (and the world, really) today was such a brilliant move. Thousands of people read her books. And even if just one of those readers come away with a greater understanding of people facing these issues, then her job as a writer is done.

Brava, Cassie Clare! I look forward to the final installment in TDA series, as well as the additional two series in this universe. I look forward to seeing what other diverse characters she cooks up.

If you’re interested in her work, check out her website here. Of the three published full series, I would suggest starting with THE INFERNAL DEVICES, as it’s first chronologically. Will Herondale is probably my favorite of the Shadowhunters in all of the series. Then, THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS (first published, second chronologically) before diving into THE DARK ARTIFICES.

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