Dear Chaol Haters...are we reading the same book?

Tower of Dawn is the sixth book in the Throne of Glass series, and as an unpopular opinion, I'm gonna say it...I think this is better than Empire of Storms. The expanded worldbuilding is intriguing, especially to see a society that does not seem as eurocentric as the rest of the settings in the series. Do I think it could have been about 300 pages shorter? Yes, but so could half the other books. Do I think this should've been a novella? Also yes, but I appreciate the Nesryn page time.
The reason I think a lot of readers despise this book is because it's Chaol's redemption story. There are some minimal murder mystery vibes going on in the background and some political maneuvering on Nesryn's behalf, but at its heart, this is about Chaol and his physical AND emotional recovery. I know a lot of readers hate this book because it tries to redeem a character they hate and spends 600 pages on his journey, but I think thematically it makes sense to take a step back and focus on a character who is, realistically, a normal person. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I could write so many essays on the hatred towards Chaol and how I may not like him, but I understand him. That being said, this book was a little on the slow side, but I was here for the vibes, and also, the last 30% did pick up the pace.
This book also takes a much-needed break from certain other characters. I still don't like Chaol as a person, but I find him interesting as a character. I really like Yrene, and I think her dynamics play off Chaol's very well. Nesryn kind of grew on me, though I still think her POVs are mildly boring. I've always been a fan of giant, flying birds in fantasy, so the ruks were greatly appreciated. Sartaq was okay, but the rest of the characters were relatively irrelevant.
Tower of Dawn is the penultimate novel in the Throne of Glass series and acts as what I would consider an essay on redemption and what it means to discover oneself.

3.75/5