In an interview prior to the series' debut, Maas discussed the process of creating her protagonist:

But what matters in the end of this book—what’s mattered all along—is that battles aren’t won by individuals. Aelin saves Anielle, but that’s once the battle is done; there are only people to save because everyone fought, ruks and foot soldiers and Fae and all. From the very start, Aelin never wins her battles alone. Assassinations, yes: Archer Finn’s death is an assassin’s kill, and it might be the last time that happens. This is still driving me bananas: How! Did! Erawan! Get! The! Third! Key! Obviously he had it, but when and how did he get it? Brannon hid that key in Mala’s temple, where only someone with his gifts could get it—or someone who held another key. So … who did it? Was it after Erawan got the key from Elena’s tomb? Valg hate fire, so he sure didn’t go fetch that one himself. (Did he use Kaltain, who’s said to have had the fire gift? Was there time for that?) Among the khaganate’s ships, Chaol gets word that Morath marches on Anielle. Much as he doesn’t want to see his father, he can’t let his home be destroyed. Manon is an extremely beautiful witch with alabaster skin, long, moon-white hair, and eyes the color of burnt gold. She has the distinct traits for the Ironteeth—a set of retractable iron fangs and nails. After meeting her, both Dorian and Aelin say she is the most beautiful woman they have ever seen.

Chaol has less time in this book, but it’s good time. It’s important time; it’s him facing his father with his new wife at his side, and finding that he can stand up to the old crotchety lord. So much of Chaol’s strife, in the earlier books, comes from him expecting people to be a certain way, and that includes himself. That’s part of his struggle in Tower of Dawn: accepting that you can’t always be the person you thought or wanted yourself to be. He’s had to adjust his expectations, again and again; he’s had to grow more flexible, and more accepting. He’s going to be such a good advisor for Dorian. After Manon and Elide run into Lord Vernon, Manon asks Elide if her blood runs blue or red. Elide chooses blue, which places her under Manon’s protection. DigiCom on Five SF Visions of Society Free From Rules, Regulations, or Effective Government 1 hour ago

In the east, Rowan, Lorcan, Fenrys, and Elide hunt for Aelin, wringing news about Maeve from her Fae commanders. Elide is still furious at Lorcan, but eventually he clears something up for her: he wasn’t crawling for Maeve at the end of Empire of Storms. He was crawling to Aelin. The answer is an unequivocal YES. After reading the previous books, you may not be a big Chaol fan (I don’t get this personally, I think he’s fine, but I know plenty of people who hate him), but the response is undeniable: Tower of Dawn is a must read. She originally thought that her well of magic was as great as Brannon Galathynius, her ancestor. In Heir of Fire, during the Battle of Mistward, while fighting Valg princes, she discovers what seems to be the bottom of her chamber of magic. As the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.

No spoilers in the beginning of this rapid review of Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas. (I’ll put a few spoilers under the **SPOILERS** mark below.) And let’s just get this out of the way right now: I don’t think I can call this review a rapid one. 😉 This series and this book are too long to keep my review short. I promise I’ll do better with brevity in my next review!

It’s Dorian I found the most fascinating as this series went on. He’s taken the longest to figure himself out, which makes sense—he was a prince, an heir, his life set out for him; then he was slave to one of those nasty Wyrdstone collars. There are things he’s always known about himself—his loyalty, the way he values friendships—but there’s so much else he has had to reconsider as his story shifted and changed. He’s struggling with PTSD almost as much as Aelin is, and he’s had to come to terms with the raw magic he never expected to have.Celaena is a name derived from Celaeno, which means "dark one," and is also a star in the constellation of Taurus and a member of the Pleiades. With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain as the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they've gathered to battle Erawan's hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation—and a better world.