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Book two in the New York Times bestselling series • One of Time Magazine ’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time • A USA Today bestseller “ Fresh and exciting ...Tahir has shown a remarkable talent for penning complex villains.” — A.V. Club The beloved and bestselling fantasy series that “glows, burns, and smolders.” ( Huffington Post ). Elias and Laia are running for their lives. After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire. Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars' survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom. But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene—Elias’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike. Bound to Marcus's will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own—one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape...and kill them both. Review: Amazing, fantastic sequel! I need more! - It's true, guys. Five stars. Five bleeding, burning stars. Another 5 star rating for the year. I don't give these out easily but with Tahir's sequel to An Ember in the Ashes which I loved to pieces, I knew the sequel had to be great--it just had to be, and what's brilliant is that it didn't disappoint me! This book kept me up past my bedtime. I read at work when I was supposed to be working. I savored the last 100 pages. I savored the final chapter even more. All the characters I loved and even ones I didn't think I would are back and if this book doesn't give you a reason to follow Tahir throughout her writing career, look again. Tahir holds nothing back. There's blood, death, violence, manipulation, but edging its way in all the dark places is light and hope and love. A Torch Against the Night was everything I wanted it to be. It picks up right after the first book left off. Laia and Elias are on the run, escaping Blackcliff in hopes to save Laia's brother, Darin, from a slow death in one of the deadliest prisons in the Empire, Kauf Prison, where he's been imprisoned for supposedly harboring the prints to weapons that could give the enslaved Scholars a chance at fighting back at the Empire. But the newly crowned Emperor Marcus, his second-in-command and Elias's best friend the Blood Shrike Helene Aquilla, and Elias's own mother known as the Commandment all seek Elias and Laia. And Helene's first mission as Blood Shrike is to find Elias and kill him. Here's what I love the most about this book: two fantastic, strong, contrasting female characters: Laia and Helene. They grew up in completely different worlds and the world Helene thought she knew so well is crumbling at her feet while Laia seeks to bring freedom to her people to topple the Empire. My heart hurt for both of them: for Laia being betrayed by someone she loved, by Helene fighting for her life and that of her family all while fighting the war within herself about Elias. The best (or worst?) part is that I can't even hate Elias. He is good. There is goodness in him and he wants to see that in everyone, wants to take everyone's responsibilities and make them his own but that's also his tragic flaw. I wanted to see more of the Augurs in this and while they appear VERY rarely, it isn't enough to satiate me. I don't know whose side they are on and it confounds me. I'm immensely curious about the Commandment, struggling to comprehend why she is the way that she is especially (view spoiler). I love that we learn more about Elias's upbringing. Mamie Rila is one of my favorite characters in the books so to come across the various Tribes, to have that sneak peek into Elias's life before he was taken, he clings so hard to that life and it breaks my heart. There's nothing I really dislike about this book. Laia felt weak in the beginning of the book but she grew into herself and after what happened with Keenan, I expected her to falter a bit but she held strong and true. She's been that way throughout the first book, too--strong where I myself would crumble and that's all the more why I admire her. We also see there's underlying magic working it's way throughout the Empire and I'm thrilled to see how that plays out in books 3 and 4 of the series. Now the problem will be actually waiting for the other books. *cries* Review: and getting back to this brutal yet beautiful world. We pick up right where we left ... - I was really looking forward to this book after reading its predecessor, An Ember in the Ashes, and getting back to this brutal yet beautiful world. We pick up right where we left Elias and Laia and hit the ground running from there. So much so that I actually had to go back and re-read the first book in a couple of places just to refresh my memory because I could not recall all of the details I needed to be full ingrained into this world again. Elias, despite all his faults, is my favorite character in this series. Blackcliff tried to beat the good out of him, but he strives so hard to atone for his past sins and I love that about him. He is still struggling in this book with his issues and that does lead him to some choices that might not have been the best, but they made sense for his character. Laia on the other hand, drove me a little crazy in this book. I know she is still finding her way, but I thought by the end of Ember in the Ashes she had transformed into a stronger person. She lost some of that in A Torch against the Night, which led her to make some decisions that I wanted to throttle her for making. I did not think they made sense for her mindset to be the way it was in some places, and I am hoping that whenever the next book does come out, she comes back to the girl we saw at the end of Ember in the Ashes. The book was very well written though and the pace was pretty good for 90% of the book. I did feel like it could have been 50 pages shorter and that would have moved the plot along a little better, but that could be me just nitpicking. The world Tahir has created is absolutely amazing. The characters, places and action just leap off the page and when I am reading it, I am completely immersed in it and soak up all of the incredible details that are woven throughout. While the world is amazing, it is also heartbreakingly brutal and I really, really want the Commandant to die (I know that might be spoilery but there are going to be four books, you know she is not going to get what is coming to her in book two). Seriously, I am not sure if I have seen many villains as truly evil as she is and she continues to surprise me with more ways of tormenting the people around her. I was literally in tears at two points of the book and she was at the root of both of those incidents. I don’t normally cry in books, I get sad sure, but tears are not a normal occurrence for me which just shows how powerful a connection Tahir has created for me and these characters. I know there are supposed to be four books (as of now), but at this point, I feel like Tahir could wrap it up in just three, so I will be interested to see how she continues on in this world from here. That being said, I will still read these books no matter how many come out because they are just great books. They are not light reading, they will grab hold of you, make you pay attention to every word and suck you in so you forget the world around you, which to me that is the mark of a good book. I cannot wait for the next book, whenever it is being released so I can get back to this world and see how the plot continues to unfold.










| Best Sellers Rank | #166,564 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #61 in Teen & Young Adult Epic Fantasy #66 in Teen & Young Adult Fantasy Romance #671 in Teen & Young Adult Literature & Fiction |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 16,349 Reviews |
N**N
Amazing, fantastic sequel! I need more!
It's true, guys. Five stars. Five bleeding, burning stars. Another 5 star rating for the year. I don't give these out easily but with Tahir's sequel to An Ember in the Ashes which I loved to pieces, I knew the sequel had to be great--it just had to be, and what's brilliant is that it didn't disappoint me! This book kept me up past my bedtime. I read at work when I was supposed to be working. I savored the last 100 pages. I savored the final chapter even more. All the characters I loved and even ones I didn't think I would are back and if this book doesn't give you a reason to follow Tahir throughout her writing career, look again. Tahir holds nothing back. There's blood, death, violence, manipulation, but edging its way in all the dark places is light and hope and love. A Torch Against the Night was everything I wanted it to be. It picks up right after the first book left off. Laia and Elias are on the run, escaping Blackcliff in hopes to save Laia's brother, Darin, from a slow death in one of the deadliest prisons in the Empire, Kauf Prison, where he's been imprisoned for supposedly harboring the prints to weapons that could give the enslaved Scholars a chance at fighting back at the Empire. But the newly crowned Emperor Marcus, his second-in-command and Elias's best friend the Blood Shrike Helene Aquilla, and Elias's own mother known as the Commandment all seek Elias and Laia. And Helene's first mission as Blood Shrike is to find Elias and kill him. Here's what I love the most about this book: two fantastic, strong, contrasting female characters: Laia and Helene. They grew up in completely different worlds and the world Helene thought she knew so well is crumbling at her feet while Laia seeks to bring freedom to her people to topple the Empire. My heart hurt for both of them: for Laia being betrayed by someone she loved, by Helene fighting for her life and that of her family all while fighting the war within herself about Elias. The best (or worst?) part is that I can't even hate Elias. He is good. There is goodness in him and he wants to see that in everyone, wants to take everyone's responsibilities and make them his own but that's also his tragic flaw. I wanted to see more of the Augurs in this and while they appear VERY rarely, it isn't enough to satiate me. I don't know whose side they are on and it confounds me. I'm immensely curious about the Commandment, struggling to comprehend why she is the way that she is especially (view spoiler). I love that we learn more about Elias's upbringing. Mamie Rila is one of my favorite characters in the books so to come across the various Tribes, to have that sneak peek into Elias's life before he was taken, he clings so hard to that life and it breaks my heart. There's nothing I really dislike about this book. Laia felt weak in the beginning of the book but she grew into herself and after what happened with Keenan, I expected her to falter a bit but she held strong and true. She's been that way throughout the first book, too--strong where I myself would crumble and that's all the more why I admire her. We also see there's underlying magic working it's way throughout the Empire and I'm thrilled to see how that plays out in books 3 and 4 of the series. Now the problem will be actually waiting for the other books. *cries*
A**N
and getting back to this brutal yet beautiful world. We pick up right where we left ...
I was really looking forward to this book after reading its predecessor, An Ember in the Ashes, and getting back to this brutal yet beautiful world. We pick up right where we left Elias and Laia and hit the ground running from there. So much so that I actually had to go back and re-read the first book in a couple of places just to refresh my memory because I could not recall all of the details I needed to be full ingrained into this world again. Elias, despite all his faults, is my favorite character in this series. Blackcliff tried to beat the good out of him, but he strives so hard to atone for his past sins and I love that about him. He is still struggling in this book with his issues and that does lead him to some choices that might not have been the best, but they made sense for his character. Laia on the other hand, drove me a little crazy in this book. I know she is still finding her way, but I thought by the end of Ember in the Ashes she had transformed into a stronger person. She lost some of that in A Torch against the Night, which led her to make some decisions that I wanted to throttle her for making. I did not think they made sense for her mindset to be the way it was in some places, and I am hoping that whenever the next book does come out, she comes back to the girl we saw at the end of Ember in the Ashes. The book was very well written though and the pace was pretty good for 90% of the book. I did feel like it could have been 50 pages shorter and that would have moved the plot along a little better, but that could be me just nitpicking. The world Tahir has created is absolutely amazing. The characters, places and action just leap off the page and when I am reading it, I am completely immersed in it and soak up all of the incredible details that are woven throughout. While the world is amazing, it is also heartbreakingly brutal and I really, really want the Commandant to die (I know that might be spoilery but there are going to be four books, you know she is not going to get what is coming to her in book two). Seriously, I am not sure if I have seen many villains as truly evil as she is and she continues to surprise me with more ways of tormenting the people around her. I was literally in tears at two points of the book and she was at the root of both of those incidents. I don’t normally cry in books, I get sad sure, but tears are not a normal occurrence for me which just shows how powerful a connection Tahir has created for me and these characters. I know there are supposed to be four books (as of now), but at this point, I feel like Tahir could wrap it up in just three, so I will be interested to see how she continues on in this world from here. That being said, I will still read these books no matter how many come out because they are just great books. They are not light reading, they will grab hold of you, make you pay attention to every word and suck you in so you forget the world around you, which to me that is the mark of a good book. I cannot wait for the next book, whenever it is being released so I can get back to this world and see how the plot continues to unfold.
J**.
Incredibly Awesome!
A Torch Against the Night is Sabaa Tahir's second book in the An Ember in the Ashes series (that's right SERIES! As when I write this today, Sabaa announces an additional two books will be added to the series at large!). Which is a good thing because this one ends with so many loose-ends and whatnot that I would be most unhappy if that was the actual end for our characters. Even with one more book, as I initially thought this would be a trilogy would feel rushed with all the need to tie up those loose-ends! But I'm getting ahead of myself here! While a great deal of things happen in this one, on the same hand not much truly happens. But this is in no way a bad thing. I enjoyed all the buildup to things to come. And I am pretty sure the next book is going to be explosive! We have Laia and Elais on the run from the Commandant and certain death while they try to make their way to Kauf, the prison where Darin, Laia's brother, is being held prisoner. Not long into their journey they are joined by Keenan and Izzi, who I was most excited to see! I always liked Keenan and his broody moods, but yet how he developed a softer side when it came to Laia. And Izzi is truly one of teh most bravest characters I've met in this series! Plus she's a very loyal friend to Laia. The danger is amped up a bit when we learn that Elias has been poisoned and doesn't have long to live, but he will do everything possible to rescue Darin before his time comes to an abrupt end. This I think truly adds to the danger and pacing because I couldn't reas fast enough to see if he would make it or not. Then there's Helene, who's got a few chapters of her own. She's now the Blood Shrike to the emperor--Marcus--and her first mission is to find Elias and bring him back for a public execution. Which Helene will have to administer. Helene has a lot of inner battling going on because a part of her still loves Elias, but then she's also hurt because he essentially chose Laia over her. This definitely makes the love complication I talked about in the first book even more messy, for Laia and Elias still have that other person who they care for, but they still care for one another. The love complication, as I said, remains to be messy in this one. Though it does seem Helene is trying to do her duty to the emperor and also because she needs to protect her family. Then there's Laia and Keenan and of course Elias. I always enjoyed Keenan's character like I said and I must say I was completely surprised by how this love complication gets settled. At least on one side. it's too soon to say for the other half. Plus, more obstacles still stand between....everyone! There's a lot of detail to what happens in here and I don't want to get into all of it because of spoilers. But you can know that this was a remarkable read filled with lots of tension, action, suspense, and of course some stolen moments of romance. There's secrets abound in this one too! There's so much mystery surrounding a certain character that we've been getting hints at for two books now. I can't wait for clear answers! Obviously, we can gather some things about what's going on, but for me, I'm the kind of reader who needs to know exactly what's what! LOL! The ending to this one was good! It's not entirely cliffhangery, but a nice pause in the actiony moments. There's still a great deal to come for all our characters involved. And I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Marcus gets a few chapters pov's next time, because he too is going through somethings that we only get hints of! A Torch Against the Night was an incredibly alluring read and I am anticipating the release of the third book to see what fates await all our favorite characters! If you haven't started this series yet, I highly recommend it! It's a nice fantasy read that isn't overly hard to understand its world and rules and naturally, it's one dangerous place to live in! Good thing I'm just a reader on the outside! LOL! Yet another fabulous read from the talented Sabaa Tahir that leaves me craving for more...but at least this time I am not screaming in agony while I wait! ;) Overall Rating 5/5 stars
Q**E
From Ember to Torch...the flame grows hotter.
Author Sabaa Tahir was in Portland last night on tour promoting her latest book, A Torch Against the Night. She’s funny, literate, sharp and completely in love with her characters. She absolutely loves the Commandant (insert horrified gasp here) and Helene (loud applause). When asked about writing “kickass” female characters she answered that she doesn’t feel the need to write a “strong female character” because just being female makes that character strong (wild cheering and stomping). So, how was Torch? Did it measure up to An Ember in the Ashes? I’m glad you asked. Torch picks up right as Elias and Laia (pronounce Lie-ah, I found out) escape Blackcliff Academy. Helene, the new Blood Shrike, gave Elias a Mulligan and let him go free with the warning that they were enemies now. Because he is the self-sacrificing sweetheart that he is, Elias promised Laia he would help her free her brother Darin from prison so he can advance the Scholar v. Empire revolution that is brewing, big time. Elias had been planning his escape since page 1 of Ember so it struck me as quite interesting that he is willing forego his freedom to help Laia, a girl he has known barely a month to save a man he doesn’t even know. Meanwhile, Helene, Blood Shrike Supreme, has to deal with her b**stard of an employer, Emperor Marcus, plebian at large, AKA the Snake. The man is evil incarnate and I was surprised he kept his physical distance from her. Don’t get me wrong, the guy tortures her in so many other ways, but whenever he comes near her, thankfully there is something that stops him from making me throw the book across the room. He orders her to find, publicly torture and execute her best friend, Elias. But first she has to deal with all the disrespectful misogynists in her Black Guard. Goddess forbid, they must follow orders given by a woman, but she does show you don’t need brass b***s to be a leader. You just need secrets and know where to twist the knife. The plot is a simple “Get Darin out of prison” tale. What happens in-between is full of juicy betrayals, freaky twists, a mortal deadline, a chase through the desert, an illicit night in a cellar, dead souls, torture, a love triangle (not the one you think), sacrifices, regrets, death, and even more death. This book goes to darker places than Ember did. Cringe-worthy dark. While this book does not romantically complete the Elias and Laia story (keeps your knickers on, there are 2 more books in the works) it does leave them in a rather unorthodox relationship at the end. Not sure how I feel about it yet, ask me after book 4. We do learn a big something about the identity of Elias’ dad (I guessed it before the end, woo-hoo!). And now that the Commandant appears to not have an academy to dominate and torture, she does have a plan for her future (typical monomaniacal little witch move). Helene learns what it means to be broken and truly become the Blood Shrike. And Marcus, well I can’t wait to find out why he gets all twitchy when he comes near Helene (I think I have a good idea, though). Some readers feel Torch suffers the accursed ‘second book syndrome’ with the characters acting differently and not their usual lovable/hateful/despicable selves. I beg to differ. That is going to happen when circumstances surrounding the characters change. Ember was a book about personal trials and a contest to the death to become leader of an empire. Torch is about personal trials and a contest to the death to become a better person and make a better empire. This will make characters react differently and change into different, more complex, people. If they can roll with it, so can I. Tahir writes a good tale with memorable and strong characters (males included). She also writes beautifully—her imagery is vivid and flows without being flowery or overdone. There are some light-hearted moments that are much needed in such dark chaos. And her magical world building is phenomenal and advances even more in this second book. It’s a great, robust, addictive series and I cannot wait for the third book…and the fourth book.
A**A
It's getting pretty dicey!! Can't wait for the next book
***Review posted on The Uncharted Word blog*** A Torch Against the Night starts right where it left off in An Ember in the Ashes: with Laia and Elias running for their lives as they are pursued by the Martials of the Empire. They are desperate to evade these men, as well as the Commandant, and to find their way towards Kauf where Laia’s brother is being held captive. Of course not all goes to plan, and there are some unforeseen events that take place along the way that ultimately provide a wide range of twists and turns that had me gasping out loud in some places, especially towards the end. First, I have to say that Tahir is a gifted storyteller. Her writing is precise, powerful, and emotive. She doesn’t rely too often on embellished description nor does she attempt to elongate events that are not worth our time. As a result, the story is fast-paced and downright thrilling. Rarely do we have a moment to just breathe. There’s always something going down. Someone running for their lives, hiding, hunting, haunting, observing, scheming, lying, loving. The sequel is just as brutal as the first book, if not even more so in its own way. Tahir isn’t afraid to harm her protagonists. Often in YA fantasies, the MC(s) are placed in a horrendously tragic world where all the bad things happen to everyone else around them. But not in this world. We learned this in the last book. Laia was beaten and scarred, and Elias was forced to do an unspeakable action that continues to haunt him to even the end of this book. Tahir doesn’t shy away from placing her characters in harm’s way and she makes sure to let us readers know that these events have weight and actively affect her characters’s behavior and actions. There is just enough action to keep me invested and the romance was, thankfully, held in check. I’m just about done with insta-love connections, and so I’m grateful that Tahir chose a different path, one in which Laia has affection for two boys, and makes certain decisions that break her heart, but in the end, keeps it whole. It’s a slow-burn romance, so don’t expect too much romantic affairs in this one. Elias is a wonderfully flawed, but still lovable character who can steal the heart of any girl. He is brave, competent, charming, intelligent, caring. All things good, basically. But I want to focus on the women for a second. This book was Laia’s book. This was her time to shine, to grow, to harden, and to rise up as a leader. She made many mistakes, but in the end she learned her lesson. Her character development was by far the best. My biggest disappointment in this book just happens to be Helene. “But you, Helene Aquilla, are no swift-burning spark. You are a torch against the night – if you dare to let yourself burn.” Yeah, she wasn’t burning bright enough, to be honest. I was excited to learn she would be given her own POV, but her chapters often fell flat for me. Her thinking was very much the same as the last book, and she didn’t rise up and take out Marcus from the inside as I had hoped. But there was some character development, just not in the way everyone would expect, which I suppose is a pretty smart choice for Tahir. Predictability in a book is never fun, so I suppose Tahir did well to keep us on our toes. The villains are just as nasty as they were in the first book. The Commandant’s presence was dialed back a bit so Marcus’s character could be highlighted a bit more. He’s just as terrible as before, even more so if possible, but somehow, some way, Tahir made me actually feel sorry for him. He’s suffering from his horrible decision in the last book and his guilt and shame are constantly haunting him. Tahir adds some humility to his character and reminds us that even though he’s a despicable human being, he is human nonetheless, and his actions have taken a toll on him. The book was, all in all, a very well-developed story with great characters, action, romance, and mystery. It’s definitely a powerful sequel to An Ember in the Ashes, and is quite possibly better than its predecessor. I can’t wait to see how this story ends.
D**O
Laia was never a favorite of mine
A Torch Against the Night is a book filled with non-stop action and it captivated me from the very first page. An Ember in the Ashes was originally intended to be a standalone book, however as readers we can't tell that by reading this book. Tahir drops us right where we left off from book one, Laia and Elias are on the run from the Empire. Helene is now Blood Shrike to Marcus, he who is now Emperor. One major thing that Tahir did in this book was to build on her characters. Laia was never a favorite of mine, however she continuously stepped up to the plate and did just as much heroics as Elias did. She is no damsel in distress. The empire hunts them both. At the helm of that hunt is none other than Elias' mother the Commadant. She's ruthless, cunning, and most certainly has an ulterior motive. Elias and her cross blades, and he comes away a little worse for wear. I won't say too much, but their fight was a huge turning point for Elias' storyline. Elias begins to traverse between the living and the death and this opens up a huge paranormal theme-like plot. It becomes the major focus of Elias' chapters and I found them deeply intriguing. Elias takes off his "mask" and you see a tender side to him that we haven't quite seen before. While Elias fights for his life, Laia is there almost every step of the way, and even when she isn't, she's fighting her hardest to return back to Elias. Their goal is to break out Laia's brother who knows the secrets of Serric Steel, which could ultimately cripple the Empire's power. During their journey, they not only meet the Commandant, but they also cross paths with Helene. Helene was hands down my favorite character and storyline in this book. Her internal struggle of being loyal to the Empire while also wanting to be loyal to Elias was so intense to read about. She's cunning, strong, and I loved the power struggle she had against the Commandant. We found out she's in fact what the book title is referencing, "A Torch Against the Night". Towards the end of the book, we see that she's the only one who can truly protect the Empire from what's to come. War is coming on all sides, and she may be the only one who can honestly save them all. There were plenty of "OMG" moments, one in particular towards the end. I was not expecting it, and that shows you how talented Sabaa Tahir really is. A Torch Against the Night is gritty, emotional, full of in-your-face violence, and doesn't apologize for it's dark seducing themes. It encompasses a cast full of characters who all move with a purpose, and each of them will fight tooth and nail to see that purpose come to fruition. This was a stellar sequel, and I look forward to see how this series will end with the next book. Happy Reading!
K**R
Brilliant Sequel!
Wow, I loved this book! When I first started reading, I was enjoying the story. I really liked Ember in the Ashes so of course I was looking forward to the sequel. And for the first 70%, it was good but it didn’t blow me away. I already had it in my head that I was going to rate it 4 stars, just like the first book. The plot seemed to be what I expected- Laia and Elias escape Blackcliff, Laia and Elias head to Kauf to break out Laia’s brother Darin, Helene deals with her new status as Blood Shrike and struggles with her loyalty to the empire and her love for Elias, and the Commendant is as evil as ever. However as I read further into the story, it really started to pick up and the last 30% blew me away. There were multiple plot twists that I could have never predicted and Tahir took her character development to a new level. This book is brutal, heart wrenching, devastating and absolutely perfect. This book will rip your heart out and leave you wanting more. The story is told again through alternating points of view. We have chapters from Laia and Elias, as well as Helene in this book. Helene’s point of view was a welcome and necessary addition to the book. As these three were often in different locations, it was helpful to get the bigger picture. In terms of the characters, well the characters were wonderful. If you didn’t already love Elias Veturius you absolutely will now. Elias is just so good despite his upbringing. His violent past haunts him, yet he must rely on his abilities as a Mask to survive. Helene Aquilla shines in this novel. Sabaa Tahir, what a beautifully complex, broken and terrifying character you have created. She is constantly struggling with her loyalty to the Empire and her love for Elias and her family. She wants to do the right thing, but she isn’t sure what the right decision is. As Blood Shrike, she must hunt down and kill Elias. The idea repulses her, but is one life worth the entire fate of the Empire? I loved reading Helene’s story. Its not always a happy one- she goes through considerable heartbreak and grief and the future looks bleak. Helene is quickly becoming one of my favorite book characters. The title also seems to be a tribute to Helene: ” ‘But you, Helene Aquilla, are no swift-burning spark. You are a torch against the night- if you dare to let yourself burn ‘” Page 267 Helene’s story also introduces us to a new character, Avitas Harper. Oh, I really hope we get to see more of Avitas Harper. I have a feeling he has a lot more depth to him than we saw in this book and I am excited to see his character explored in the next book. I adored Laia throughout the story and I was surprised to see so much hate for Laia in other reviews. Sure, she sometimes makes the wrong decision, but Laia’s singular goal continues to be to get Darin out of prison. Laia’s unwavering loyalty and determination was the reason I loved her so much in the first place. Laia is still the same fierce, no-nonsense girl we met in Ember in the Ashes so I was confused when I read other reviews saying she was weaker and didn’t take charge. There was also a development about Laia’s character that will be very interesting to explore in the next book. I also wanted to say that I still ship Laia and Elias so much. While the book isn’t necessarily romance-centered, it has its moments and those moments are adorable. This book was better than the first. Tahir never shies away from exploring raw human emotions and bloody, brutal scenes. I remember at one point I thought, “She’s not going to go through with this is she?” …and yes, she did. This book is amazing and I cannot praise it highly enough. There are still so many aspects of the book I want to discuss so I think I will have another spoiler discussion post soon, so keep your eye out for that. I hope you all enjoy this book as much as I did!
A**R
One of our main lead gets shoved in the corner.
It’s easy to say that An Ember in the Ashes is one of my favorite books out there. Without a doubt it’s one of the best YA books that uses the demographic writing style in the right way. The biggest strength of the this series is our main leads who both have very simple and understandable goals to obtain. Laia and Elias play well off each other and they aren’t your typical bantering YA couple who don’t belong together. They are gentle souls who want piece in their lives but are forced into action like heroes of myth. This aspect is what made EA a great read and it is another reason why A torch Against the Night wasn’t the best in my opinion. Spoilers ahead. You see in the first book Elias has this grand role in the story where it makes you wonder where his destiny goes despite him wanting a simple free life. He is always chained down by something and by the end of the first book you hope that there is a some beginning of an journey for his freedom. I was wrong. You see I love the plot of Elias and Laia going to save her brother from prison. It’s a great idea for an adventure story and world building. The beginning of ATAN is great fast paced chace that leads to a sluggish middle where our main guy is basically dragged around like a corpse because he is literally turning into one from poison. I feel like Elias Character really got cheated in this story and all his moment for most of this book are him have fever dreams and a painful death. It’s not till the end where he gets glory again but nowhere is he on the same important level as in the first book where he is central to the plot. You can basically take him out of the 2nd book and it be fine heck even third book. I feel like his intended part went to our new third POV helane who got a lot of great action. Extra heavy spoiler: I absolutely hate how he became the soul catcher. I don’t like this direction of his story because Elias path was set else where in the first book. Now it’s all fantasy elements with him and i like that he was more on the military aspect of the story.
D**I
A great and progressive story
If you liked the first book in this series, you will love this book. It picks up the story where it left in the first book. The bloodshed and brutality is as it was expected given the plot in the story. Elias, i love him even more in this book. Laia has emerged as more bold and strong character, and more determined taking her own decision in this book. Helen has outshined everyone else. She played a small but very important role in the first story and i had expected more from her in the second one. True to that, she is the torch against the night. She took all the right decision for the Empire as the newest Blood Shrike, even though it broke her heart into pieces. As in the first book, at every step the reader will worry about Elias and Laia, about their safety and their future, and their mission. The otherworldly characters, nightbringer and jinns adds the unexpected twists and give direction to the story. [***SPOILER ALERT*** Death is so close to Elias at every step. I just wanted Elias to be always there for Laia. And he stayed and helped Laia in her mission. I had expected that he will have to give up his last chance at freedom. I really love him for his struggle to fight against the poison in his body and keep moving and take the lead and right decision in his limited time to help Laia to free his brother from the most dangerous prison Kauf of the Empire. After getting captured in Kauf and being brutally interrogated by the sadistic Warden, he kept himself strong against all odds and used his presence of mind and skills to make the mission a success. Laia’s character has improved very strongly in this book, from a mere timid Scholar girl in the first book. She had confusions and doubts but she took her decisions very determinedly. But she had her feelings fluctuating between Elias and Kennan. I think that’s because she didn’t wanted to hurt both. But Elias never felt bad to see Laia with Kennan, though he was rough with Kennan, might be because he knew that he is going to die soon. Laia discovers her hidden power. She emerged more smart and more strong in this story. I felt Helen as the most strong character in this story. It was heartbreaking to see her family killed before her own eyes. Her struggle to capture Elias, the fugitive, and to kill him will make one cry. Everyone she loved was killed. The cunning and bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus blackmails her with her family members. And the merciless Commandant plans a plot to keep her away from the Empire. Helen does everything right for the Empire. She is one shining star who outshines everyone one, and the Emperor Marcus and the Commandant does not deserve her. I want her to take revenge from both for what they did to her family. My feeling for Avitas Harper softens by the way his behavior and action changes for Helen by the end. I had never liked Kennan. Though he helped Laia many times, i had a feeling that he has his own selfish reasons behind it. I felt bad when Elias left on horseback to fulfill the mission, when he got the knowledge the he is left with very less time. I could not imagine Laia alone with Kennan. Now I know why. I loved the way how Afya turned up, when least expected, in the end to help out Laia when she was all alone, boosted her confidence and moral level and kept her promise. The mission was a great team work, with Elias and Laia as the mastermind. Everyone who helped them both for this, there contribution was very valuable including the efforts and risks taken by the scholar slave kids Tas and Bee. A great and progressive story. The ending has left so much more to explore in the next book to come. (hide spoiler)] “So long as you fight the darkness, you stand in the light.” "Failure does not define you. It's what you do after you fail that determines whether you are a leader or a waste of perfectly good air."
A**Y
Une torche dans la nuit
Exceptionnel. ೃ⁀➷ 5⭐️ Lisez si vous aimez : 🎇 : personnages badass 🎇 : révélations / plot twist 🎇 : triangle amoureux Vraiment cette saga un bonheur à l’état pur, je la bois, je la snif, je la bouffe c’est bon ? Un deuxième tome à la hauteur du premier, voir même mieux punaise quelle grâce, quel pain. Laia, Elias, Darin ?????, Afya, Izzy, Helene ………….. je les aimes punaise. Des personnages aussi complexes que différents, chacun a son caractère et ils apportent tous quelque chose à l’histoire. Chaque relation est particulière et j’aime tellement la tournure que CHACUNE d’elle prend. Bon j’aime moins quelqu’un d’autre mais bon… C’était rempli de rebondissements, d’action qui menaient à une résolution, de découverte de secrets ou bien de découverte de soi(je parle des perso hein pas de moi mdr) J’ai vibré avec eux je suis ravie d’avoir vécu cette expérience littéraire. Je vais très vite lire le tome 3, je vous cache pas que je croise les doigts qu’il soit aussi bien que le 1 et 2 🫶🏼
T**Q
Great read!
Like the other one, entertained the wife enough for me to play video games!
Z**R
Old dirty
Book is dirty and old that’s not what i‘m paying for
M**A
I like it
Perfect condition
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