I did the ‘Throne of Glass’ tandem read and gained a new appreciation for one of Sarah J. Maas’ most controversial books

• The tandem read is a hotly debated topic in the “Throne of Glass” fandom.
• I decided to try reading Sarah J. Maas’ “Empire of Storms” and “Tower of Dawn” together.
• I’m a tandem read convert because reading the books together made me love both more.

As I’m writing this article, I’m rereading the “Throne of Glass” series for the third time.

While I love “A Court of Thorns and Roses” and “Crescent City,” “Throne of Glass” is my favorite of Sarah J. Maas’ three series.

When I first read the “TOG” books, I followed the reading order Maas recommends on her website. However, by my second pass through, I was well aware of the debate among the fandom about the best order to read the books in, particularly when it comes to “The Assassin’s Blade, “Empire of Storms,” and “Tower of Dawn.”

For the first half of the eight-book series, I stuck to the same reading order I followed the first time around, saving “The Assassin’s Blade” for before “Queen of Shadows” instead of reading it before “Throne of Glass.”

Once I got to the final leg, though, I switched things up by trying my hand at the tandem read, or reading “Empire of Storms” and “Tower of Dawn” concurrently. After my experience, I can’t recommend it enough.

The rest of this article contains some spoilers for the “Throne of Glass” series.

I decided to read ‘Empire of Storms’ and ‘Tower of Dawn’ in tandem

Maas published “Empire of Storms” in 2016 and “Tower of Dawn” in 2017, but the two books take place at the same time in different parts of the “TOG” universe. Most people read one after the other, but some Maas fans have taken to reading them at the same time, a practice the fans call the tandem read.

I had been curious about tandem reading “Empire of Storms” and “Tower of Dawn,” as the practice seemed logical to me because the novels’ events happen concurrently. They take place over the same month or so period, with “Empire of Storms” focusing on Aelin Ashryver Galathynius’ journey in the Northern Continent and “Tower of Dawn” telling the tale of Chaol Westfall’s trip to the Southern Continent of the “Throne of Glass” world.

I was a fan of both books when I first read them, though I struggled to get through “Tower of Dawn,” a book so polarizing in the Maas fandom that some readers even skip it altogether. It focuses on Chaol and his companion Nesryn Faliq instead of Aelin and her fellow travelers, and certain readers find it difficult to focus on Chaol and Nesryn’s side quest because “Empire of Storms” has a cliffhanger ending that leaves readers questioning the fate of a pivotal character.

When I revisited the series, I decided to read the novels together, hoping to enjoy both plot lines more.

I knew I was taking on quite a project, as both books are long and have huge casts of characters. “Empire of Storms” is 704 pages, while “Tower of Dawn” is 672, bringing their combined total to a whopping 1,376 pages.

I read the books on my Kindle, combining them into one file so I didn’t have to flip back and forth between the two novels. There are multiple guides online that can help you figure out when to switch back and forth between the texts.

It took me about two weeks to finish the books as one work — and I couldn’t have been happier with the experience.

The tandem read made me appreciate both novels more

I ended up loving reading “Empire of Storms” and “Tower of Dawn” together.

It took about 100 pages before I felt like I had a firm grasp on the massive story as one work, particularly because Maas tells both narratives from several characters’ perspectives.

However, as I got into the stories, I was able to luxuriate in “Tower of Dawn” without being anxious about the fate of anyone in “Empire of Storms.” Likewise, reading “Tower of Dawn” at the same time made some of the events of “Empire of Storms” make more sense.

I was also impressed by how much coordination it must have taken for Maas to ensure the books aligned in timing and plot. The novels complemented each other perfectly, filling in gaps that the other left out, which I wasn’t able to appreciate when I was just trying to get through “Tower of Dawn.”

I finished the tandem read covered in chills and crying, shocked that the new experience turned “Tower of Dawn” into one of my favorite Sarah J. Maas books of all time.

Plus, it made me even more excited — and prepared — to read “Kingdom of Ash” again. I was tuned in to every part of the “TOG” universe, and every important detail from the previous books was fresh on my mind as I settled in for the series’ epic finale.

All in all, I can’t recommend the tandem read enough. It might be slightly easier to digest if it’s your second time reading the “Throne of Glass” series, but I think it would be enjoyable no matter what.