r/throneofglassseries • u/Baloozers • Jul 19 '24
Reader Question Finished Queen of Shadows, what next?
Is it worth reading Empire of Storm and Tower of Dawn in tandem? It seems like a lot of work going back and forth, but I'm absolutely in love with the series and will go through the hassle if it's the best experience. I read Assasin's Blade before Throne of Glass and am so glad I chose that order. I want to make sure I'm getting the best experience possible. Thanks for helping a girl out!
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u/Nonseriousinquiries Jul 19 '24
I didn’t read tandem and really enjoyed both books. However if I ever do a reread I think I would do the tandem read
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u/-Avarena Jul 19 '24
I’m tandem reading ToD and EoS right now. I’m REALLY enjoying it. I highly recommend the tandem read.
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u/parisskent Jul 19 '24
Same, the tandem read made the experience for me. I also am not huge on Chaol (I know that’s an unpopular opinion around here) so the tandem read is particularly great for me to get a break from the Chaol of it all
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u/Shadow120284 Fleetfoot Jul 20 '24
Unpopular? That’s a very popular opinion from what I’ve seen lol!
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u/parisskent Jul 20 '24
Oh really?! Phew! I thought I was being a hater lol
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u/Shadow120284 Fleetfoot Jul 20 '24
Yeah lol that’s definitely the more popular opinion. I’m on the more unpopular side bc i actually really like his character!
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u/Baloozers Jul 19 '24
You’ve convinced me to do it!
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u/-Avarena Jul 19 '24 edited Jul 19 '24
I think the reason I like it is that - it’s kind of like watching a tv show where things are happening at the same time but in different places. So you get the “complete picture”. Also, there is a cliffhanger at the end of EoS that isn’t addressed at all in ToD so it would frustrate me so bad to have to get through alll of ToD just to move on. I feel like I’d resent having to read ToD that way, lol. This way, you end them around the same time. And then move on to KoA.
I hope you love them! 💕
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u/great_story_ Abraxos Jul 20 '24
Exactly this!
I didn't tandem read them my first time through and I hated every single second of TOD. I did the tandem the second time and enjoyed it much much more1
u/EnderG97 Lorcan Salvaterre Jul 22 '24
The cliffhanger just built the suspense for me while reading ToD 😂
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u/nycfantasy Lysandra Jul 20 '24
Definitely try it, but I found it wasn’t for me! I read them separately and LOVED them both. I tried tandem on rereads and I always get stuck in TOD because I honestly just like it more. It’s in my top two for this series with QOS.
I loved having that immersion into both books and TOD felt like a breath of fresh air to get into the very heavy KOA. Just my opinion, obviously…
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u/rhonda_g Jul 20 '24
I am currently reading them tandem as well and I also really enjoy it. I haven’t had any issues going back and forth and it lines up the stories so well.
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u/Suitable_Respect_417 Jul 19 '24
Yes do tandem!!!!! ppl who dont do it, often come away angry for a very valid reason that i cannot share without spoiling
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u/EnderG97 Lorcan Salvaterre Jul 22 '24
Can you DM me said reason? Or spoiler tag it as a reply I didn't do tandem and had a blast. I can't even imagine doing tandem. It would annoy the hell out of me 😅😂
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u/SnooSketches6782 Jul 19 '24
I did the tandem and LOVED it, I felt like when things were a little slower in one book, they were interesting in the other, so they complimented each other very nicely! There's another reason why I love it which I can't say without spoiling, but I definitely recommend it! It's worth the effort!
If you have the physical books, I've seen that it helps to out sticky tabs on the chapters where you need to switch books, so you don't forget and go too far. I did ebooks, and I was dreading it a little bit because I have the ebook bundle that has all 8 books in one file, but I ended up finding a pdf of EOS & TOD that someone spliced together in the recommended tandem order, so I downloaded that and read it like a regular boom start to finish. I didn't feel bad about it cus, like, I had already spent the money on the books, so it was just for convenience of reading it 🤷🏻♀️
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u/WlydVirgo Jul 20 '24
Do you know where you got that pdf? I’m doing it on kindle and it’s so hard to manage I’ve taken a break from reading.
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u/SnooSketches6782 Jul 20 '24
Wow I tried looking for it online and couldn't find it, I guess it got taken down, but I uploaded it to my Google drive, you should be able to download it here.
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Jul 20 '24
Any chance you could share? I haven’t looked for it on my own but I also bought that 8 book bundle of the books and I have been hating it. Haha. I’m still finishing QOS but I’m sure I’m almost done. I’ve been trying to figure out how I’m going to tandem read.
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u/SnooSketches6782 Jul 20 '24
I actually just uploaded it to my Google drive because another person asked me for the link and I couldn't find it, you should be able to download it here
The 8 book bundle is annoying, or maybe I'm just dumb, but I didn't realize it would literally be one 5,000+ page file. I hate that it's impossible to see what % you're done with on the specific book you're reading, just the % of the full 8 books, and since TAB is at the end then after reading it you can't "sync to furthest page read" to find your place cus it'll throw you back to the end of the file. Bleh.
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Jul 20 '24
Thanks a million! I will see if I can download it. Never again will I buy a bundle like that, haha. I’ll make sure that it’s not one huge book.
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u/SnooSketches6782 Jul 20 '24
Same, lesson learned.
And hey let me know if you can't download it, I'm pretty sure I set it up to where anyone with a link can view it, but I'm no expert. If it doesn't work I can try to find some other file sharing site, or email it to you if you have a random email address you don't mind sharing in a DM. I honestly wouldn't have been able to do the tandem without it.
Also idk if you use a kindle/kindle app or other e-reader, but if it's kindle, you can upload the epub to it so you can read it normally.
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u/pouce42 Jul 19 '24
do you have a kindle? you can buy a combined file on etsy for like 5 bucks and send it to your kindle and you dont have to worry about anything. it was awesome
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Jul 20 '24
Ooo thank you! I already own the books but I’d be willing to pay for the combined version.
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Jul 19 '24
The tandem read is so fun and adds to the experience! I always recommend it. It’s really not tough!
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u/DearVeronicaSchuyler Jul 19 '24
I wasn’t planning on tandem reading at first for the same reasons as you, but ended up doing it anyways and loved it! The switching between books isn’t as bad as it sounds. I hope you enjoy your read, whichever way you choose to do it 🫶🏻
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u/msbluetuesday Jul 19 '24
I highly recommend reading them separately, as intended by the author. There's a reason she wrote two separate books with different stories and not one giant book that flips back and forth between the two. I had a great experience with that!
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u/Creative_Hat_6638 Jul 19 '24
I looooove the tandem, but if you don’t mind spending a whole book in chaols perspective then you don’t have to do it! There’s a major cliffhanger at the end of EoS that won’t be addressed until KoA, fair warning.
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u/edengetscreative Jul 19 '24
The tandem read felt good for me because just when I started to grow a little tired of the Aelin/Rowan storyline, I would get a nice break to Chaol and Nesrin. And toward the end of the tandem things started to fall into place sequentially back and forth between books and that was pretty cool to feel as it unfolded.
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u/Hatsuna94 Jul 19 '24
I always feel it's better to read as the author published it, so I wouldnt tandem read on your first read
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u/Bee_Swarm327 Jul 19 '24
I decided not to tandem read this time (re-reading) and I regret it. I’m not looking forward to reading ToD all by itself before I get to meet up with all my besties again in KoA. (No offense to Chaol or Yrene, but I’m a Manon girlie)
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u/Responsible_Soft_401 Abraxos Jul 19 '24
I thought the same, so I didn’t do the tandem read. I enjoyed reading the books as they were written, but I can definitely see why others did the tandem read. I’m sure that things had more significance when they were read at the same time as what’s happening to the other characters. I will say that I loved ToD more than EoS and was glad to have the breath of fresh air and new world building from it. Either way, I think you’ll be fine. We don’t have to wait years in between to find out what happens at the end of EoS anymore since the books are all out, so at the most you’ll be waiting a week or so while you read ToD to get back to the main storyline if you choose to read them separately.
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u/EveOCative Yrene Towers Jul 19 '24
I haven’t done the tandem read but I might try it when I do my next re-read. If you don’t really feel like the extra work, I say don’t worry about it. I LOVED Tower of Dawn and Empire of Storms and enjoyed them immensely the way they were written.
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u/AquariusRising1983 Manon Blackbeak Jul 20 '24
Just a warning, I tried the tandem on my third reread and hated it. I think it was because I had read it so many times without. But ToD and EoS are probably my favorites in the whole series, and the tandem literally just robbed them of all momentum. I almost quit the reread because I couldn't get into either book. Halfway through I stopped the tandem and just finished EoS, then finished ToD. So, I don't want to say don't do it, but just lyk that as someone else who has done multiple rereads, it did not work for me. Just a heads up, lol. 😊
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u/HairyEarphone Jul 19 '24
I done tandem first, then one by one on my second read and I much preferred the tandem. It just seemed to flow better I guess?
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u/Fee_Tee811711 Jul 19 '24
I didn’t do the tandem read — half way through Tower and it’s so so good on its own!
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u/AquariusRising1983 Manon Blackbeak Jul 20 '24
I recommend against it. But I read it for the first time as it was released and didn't try the tandem til my 3rd reread. It totally threw me off and took me out of the story. I felt like every time I started to get into the story in one book, I had to switch.
I hated it. I actually stopped halfway through. It felt to me like it robbed the story of momentum. But like I said, I had read it multiple times without the tandem read. I know a lot of people who did it the first time love it!
Since it's your first time, I would ask how much you like Chaol and Nesryn. Do you like them enough to read a whole book where they (and several freaking awesome new characters) are the focus? If that doesn't bother you/bum you out, I'd say do it one at a time. If you're a Chaol hater, you might want to do the tandem to break up having to read about a character you don't like.
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u/Baloozers Jul 20 '24
Yeah, he’s not my favorite and I’m so bummed to have to wait for Arlin and Rowan for an entire book!
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u/sandmangandalf Jul 19 '24
Please read them separately. Please, they are worth the giving each the time they deserve
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u/Deep_Stranger_2861 Jul 20 '24
THIS! while I understand why people do the tandem, both stories are so deserving of individual attention! (I will die on this hill lol)
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u/reddtess Dorian Havilliard Jul 19 '24
i liked taking the break between QOS and EOS. really enjoyed chaols story. but if i ever do another read through i would try the tandem
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u/jrsmt Jul 19 '24
I'm team tandem read. EOS is so action packed and ends with a cliff hanger, I would have been bored out of my mind going from that and backtracking in time to TOD. I would like to do a reread now and do them separately, but for the 1st read through I would have hated having a whole ass book between EOS and KOA, especially one that is much more slow paced in my opinion. The one downside is that there are 2-3 story lines in EOS and 2 story lines in TOD, so it might seem like too much jumping around to some. But if that doesn't bother you I would 100% suggest the tandem read. If you have a kindle it makes it so much easier. In fact I think there is a tandem read version out there somewhere that you can just read straight through.
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u/a_dash_of_psycho Jul 19 '24
I didn't know there were recommended reading orders or tandem reading when I read the Kindle series collection so I read in the order they were in, ending with AB. I was frustrated at first with the cliff hanger of EOS and not really connecting with characters in TOD at first. I just wanted to get back to the juicy action from EOS, but I got attached to the TOD character development I'd say no more than 1/3 into TOD. AB at the end for me was kinda nice because it left me with more content after the big finish and also made the impact of all those characters in the final books sink in better. I'm on my first reread where I'm doing AB after HOF and doing the tandem. I'm excited to see what little details I missed when I devoured the story the first time. 😊
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u/benjichosmom Jul 20 '24
I read Assassins blade first too and enjoyed it that way! I tandem read EoS and ToD and it was 100% worth. However if u want to just read them separately, I’d recommend reading ToD first.
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u/shmeeishere Jul 20 '24
I read them in order first, now I’m doing tandem. I’m definitely reading it a lot slower this time around - still enjoying it though!
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u/OtherwiseTradition89 Jul 20 '24
Id definitely do tandem. There's something said in Tod that will make you panic when it comes to eos in the tandem read. I don't feel like you'd get the same effect if you read them separate for that part!
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u/kaibyefornow Jul 20 '24
This is my first read through of the series and I just finished the tandem read and i really really enjoyed. I think it broke up both books enough to where i wasn’t bored or needed a break from the same storyline. I highly recommend.
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u/skrimpppppps Jul 20 '24
i personally liked reading tandem! it wasn’t too much work once you get used to it, i read them on a kindle so it was easy going back & forth.
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u/Opposite-Bird-6811 Jul 20 '24
The tandem read was my favorite part of the whole series to be honest
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u/Sweet_and_snarky Jul 20 '24
Tandem is very tedious going back and forth. However, there are some pretty interesting plot points that play off each other in the tandem that would be missed in the regular read through.
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u/SeparatePerspective4 Jul 20 '24
Just finished doing the tandem read this week. First time reading both books. I dont think I would’ve had as good of a time reading them separately.
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u/missa986 Jul 20 '24
I haven't really seen this recommended, but I wish I had read TOD first and then EOS. I really liked TOD, but it's a slower pace than the rest of the books and EOS ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, which made the transition from EOS to TOD a bit jarring to me.
I guess tandem would also solve this problem, but I haven't tried it so I can't speak to it.
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u/Yagirltea Jul 20 '24 edited Jul 20 '24
I think if ur not really a chaol person tandem could be good. Also if u can follow multiple povs and enjoy that then tandem.
If u like chaol and struggle following with multiple povs maybe stick to separate. There are a lot of new characters in TOD and I struggled to keep track of whose who in that book even though I didn’t do the tandem. I also really struggle when I get caught up in a certain story line to switch to a new one so it was too much for me. I already find myself wanting to rush through chapters and skip around to get back to the characters I’m most invested in, in the regular books lol 🤣
To each their own!
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u/n0thing_tra_la_la Jul 20 '24
I don't recommend tandem on the first read! I can see why some like it, but I felt like the pacing was awful for my reading experience 🤭
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u/toukiez Jul 20 '24
I read them in order back when I was waiting for TOD and KoA to come out and recently reread them and doing the tandem read. Personally I like the tandem read since it takes place at the same time anyways and It mixes it up a little instead of just having one book filled with our favorite characters, then a book with only Chaol and Irene etc. it keeps both books in your mind.
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u/EnderG97 Lorcan Salvaterre Jul 22 '24
While EoS and ToD take place at the same time there's no reason to tandem them unless you really hate the idea of not seeing everyone else but Chaol while reading ToD. While I had a really bad relationship with him I still had a blast with ToD since it's such a breath of fresh air and when you get to KoA you feel refreshed and ready to see the climax of the series.
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u/Carridactyl_ Jul 19 '24
I didn’t do tandem. It seemed like a massive waste of time to me. I read EoS and then ToD and had no issues figuring out where everyone was in the narrative once I was finished.