Tower of Dawn is the sixth novel in the Throne of Glass series and runs parallel to the events of Empire of Storms. Erilea is at war. Erawan’s Valg forces, supported by Ironteeth witches and their wyverns, are pushing north. Aelin Galathynius is rallying allies in the north, but the continent’s armies are not enough. Across the Narrow Sea lies the Southern Continent, ruled by the Khaganate, a vast, stable empire governed by the khagan and his heirs. The Southern Continent has remained neutral in Erilea’s wars, its military strength untapped. The khaganate is non-magical but technologically advanced, with a formidable standing army and a fleet that could turn the tide.
Tower of Dawn runs parallel to Empire of Storms. Chaol Westfall, gravely injured in the battle at Rifthold, travels to the Southern Continent’s capital, Antica, to seek healing and to convince the khagan to join the war against Erawan. He is accompanied by Nesryn Faliq, a soldier with family ties to the continent. The khagan’s court is a web of political intrigue. His heirs compete for succession, and not all are sympathetic to Erilea’s cause.
Throne of Glass Series
Prequel: The Assassin’s Blade
Book 1: Throne of Glass
Book 2: Crown of Midnight
Book 3: Heir of Fire
Book 4: Queen of Shadows
Book 5: Empire of Storms
Book 6: Tower of Dawn
Book 7: Kingdom of Ash
Main Characters
Chaol Westfall: Former Captain of the Guard and current Hand to the King of Adarlan. Paralysed after the events in Rifthold.
Yrene Towers: A gifted healer at the Torre Cesme.
Nesryn Faliq: Captain of the Royal Guard and Chaol’s companion to Antica.
Sartaq: Third-born prince and leader of the rukhin, aerial warriors bonded with giant ruks.
Supporting Characters
Hafiza: The Healer on High of the Torre Cesme.
The Great Khagan: Ruler of the Southern Continent. His choice of heir determines the empire’s political future.
Arghun: First-born prince.
Hasar: Second-born. Eldest princess.
Kashin: Fourth-born prince.
Tumelun: Fifth-born princess (deceased).
Duva: Youngest princess, heavily pregnant.
Renia: Hasar’s partner.
Falkan Ennar: A northern shapeshifter who once traded twenty years of his life to a Stygian spider.
Houlun: Sartaq’s hearth-mother and matriarch of the rukhin.
Kadara: Sartaq’s bonded ruk.
Recap Summary
Chaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq travel to Antica, capital of the Southern Continent, to seek healing for Chaol’s spinal injury and military alliance from the khaganate against Erawan. Upon arrival, they observe white mourning cloths across the city. At court, the khagan confirms that one of his daughters has died with the official ruling being suicide. Privately, one of the princes tells Yrene he believes it may have been murder. Chaol presents jewels and gold sent by Aelin Galathynius as a diplomatic offering, but the khagan refuses them. News is also shared that Rifthold has fallen.
Chaol is granted access to the Torre Cesme, centre of healing on the continent. Yrene Towers, one of the Torre’s most skilled healers, is assigned to treat him as her final test before she is permitted to leave Antica for the war in the North. Yrene initially reacts with hostility due to Adarlan’s conquest of Fenharrow and her mother’s death. During her examination, she determines that Chaol’s paralysis is not solely physical. Dark, knotted magic coils around the site of his injury, rooted in both trauma and Valg corruption originating in Morath.
Nesryn reconnects with her extended family in Antica and begins spending time with Sartaq, one of the khagan’s sons and leader of the rukhin, aerial warriors bonded to giant ruks. Chaol attempts to gain intelligence about the northern war from the eldest prince, who controls information networks, but receives little cooperation.
Yrene begins structured healing sessions with Chaol, during which she enters memories tied to his injury and confronts the lingering darkness in his body. As part of her research into Valg corruption, she explores restricted sections of the Torre library and senses a hidden presence. While escaping, she stumbles across a young healer bearing her resemblance, murdered. The attack raises concerns that Valg agents are already active in Antica but the investigation yields no immediate suspect.
Hasar, the khagan’s second-born child, pressures Yrene to provide information about Chaol’s political objectives. Yrene agrees to limited updates. Through Hasar’s assistance, she gains access to the Aksara Oasis. There, she and Chaol discover ancient ruins and a Fae burial site, supporting the theory that Fae once settled on the Southern Continent and that the Torre’s origins may be tied to them.
Sartaq invites Nesryn to travel to the Tavan Mountains to visit the rukhin aeries. They are received by Houlun, hearth-mother of the rukhin, and by Borte. They learn that ancient Stygian spiders have resumed attacking ruk nests. Falkan Ennar, a merchant revealed to be a shapeshifter who once bargained twenty years of his life to the spiders in exchange for spidersilk, confirms their existence and joins the investigation.
Sartaq, Nesryn, and Falkan travel into the Dagul Fells to confront the spiders and are captured by the Kharankui. The spider recounts Maeve’s origins: she is not Fae but a Valg queen from another realm. She was wed to Orcus, eldest of the Valg kings — Orcus, Mantyx, and Erawan. Maeve discovered how to cross between worlds, fled her realm, and entered this one. She manipulated two Fae queens into believing she was their sister and altered the memories of their court to secure her place in their history. She stole the Wyrdkeys from the Valg kings, sent two of them back to their world, and remained hidden. Aware of Brannon Galathynius’s fire, she built defensive measures and retained control over healers in preparation for future conflict. The spiders remained behind to guard the world-gate she had used.
Sartaq and Nesryn escape execution when Falkan distracts the spiders long enough for Kadara and reinforcements to arrive. They return to Antica and report Maeve’s true identity and the renewed Valg threat.
In Antica, Yrene continues working through the final layers of darkness in Chaol’s spine. During a decisive session, she removes the Valg corruption and restores his mobility. Following his recovery, they acknowledge their commitment to one another.
Soon after, Yrene and Chaol discover Hafiza bound and gagged in hidden tunnels beneath the Torre. Following disturbed tracks, they enter an underground Fae necropolis containing sarcophagi and stored treasure. There, they encounter the youngest princess, who is heavily pregnant and possessed by a Valg demon. She reveals she murdered her sister after her sister became suspicious of her behaviour. She attempts to force a Valg ring onto Yrene to enslave her.
During the confrontation, Chaol is struck in the spine by concentrated dark magic, re-damaging the injury and causing fatal internal harm. Yrene attempts to heal him but finds the damage beyond her capacity alone. The healers of the Torre assemble and form a living chain, channelling their combined magic through Yrene. She accepts a binding cost to restore him. A life-bond is formed between them: his ability to walk becomes dependent on the strength of her magic. When her power is depleted, paralysis returns. Their lives are now tied to the same thread.
After stabilising Chaol, Yrene removes the Valg ring from the youngest princess. With members of the royal family restraining her, Yrene enters the princess’s mind and burns out the demon entirely. The exorcism succeeds. The princess survives, and her unborn child remains unharmed.
The events are presented before the khagan and royal court, and the youngest princess confirms the possession. When the khagan offers any reward, Yrene requests a single favour: military aid for her homeland.
The khagan agrees to commit forces. One thousand ships are dispatched under Hasar’s command alongside the imperial fleet. One thousand rukhin riders, led by Sartaq, accompany them as additional forces prepare to mobilise.
The khagan names Sartaq Heir. Sartaq states his intention to lead the rukhin to war alongside Nesryn.
Chaol and Yrene marry in a private ceremony before departure.
As the fleet sails north, Yrene remarks that she no longer needs the note she has carried for years. Chaol reads it and recognises the handwriting as Aelin’s, written years earlier when Aelin unknowingly funded Yrene’s journey to Antica.
The Southern Continent mobilises its fleet and aerial forces and sails toward the northern war.
Next in Series
The next book in the Throne of Glass series is Kingdom of Ash. It is the final novel, reuniting all major characters for the concluding battle against Erawan and Maeve.
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