Is the TANDEM Read Worth It?

Two books. Over 1,300 pages. One very large, intimidating read.

One of the most controversial parts about the Throne of Glass series is not the content, but the reading order. There are a ton of different ways that you can read the series, such as the romance and the publishing order.

However, when it comes to reading the fifth and sixth ones, there’s a new way that everyone suggests reading — the TANDEM read. Basically, it’s when you read both Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn at the same time by flipping back and forth between the two. There is a little guide online that I used, which was so helpful. I am not going to give a summary of the two, because I don’t want to spoil the Throne of Glass series for those who haven’t read it.

Now, what is the logic of this insanity?

The logic is to be able to jump right into Kingdom of Ash without having to go back to Tower of Dawn, because the way that Empire of Storms ends on such a cliff hanger that you’re not going to want to go back and read Tower of Dawn. You’re going to want to dive right into Kingdom of Ash. However, you’d have to go back to the events in Tower of Dawn, and all you’re going to want to do is read Kingdom of Ash.

As someone who just finished the TADEM read, I am so happy that I did it that way. At the time, I questioned my sanity, but it was worth every second.

Many people question whether or not flipping between the two books is confusing. It is not. Basically, Empire of Storms follows the majority of the Throne of Glass cast while Tower of Dawn just follows one character and his journey. What a lot of people do not realize is that both books take place at the same time. Therefore, one doesn’t spoil the other in any way. And, by following a reading guide like I did, it paces it just right.

Doing the TANDEM read was definitely a challenge. For one thing, it was challenging just carrying the two books. To read both books, it took a grand total of two weeks. That being said, the books were slow for a while. However, in true Sarah J. Maas fashion, the last 200 pages dropped major bombs, and left me drained of all emotion.

That being said, there were times that I wish that I could have stayed in one longer and dreaded flipping, especially when the plot started to get more and more intense. However, that being said, the books were amazing.

Now, if you’re considering the TANDEM read for yourself, there are a few things that you can do to get through it.

The first thing that I thought was the most helpful was tabbing the books so I knew the exact moment when I would need to switch novels. I found that so helpful, because I didn’t have to worry about carrying the checklist around.

The second I would say is to just read as much as or as little as you feel like during one reading session. It’s going to be a long commitment, so you shouldn’t have to force yourself to read.

Overall, I’m happy that I decided to do the TANDEM read versus reading them individually, and highly recommend doing the same if you’re reading the series. By doing so, you become so attached to the characters and dread when the end is coming.

Now to Kingdom of Ash. . .