A Torch Against the Night
An Ember in the Ashes #2 by Sabaa Tahir
Source: ARC provided by Harper Reach, thank you!
My Rating: 5 stars
Summary:
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.
*****
I don’t
know how to begging to tell you how much I loved this book. It’s not that I
loved everything about it, it’s more about that feeling in my gut, that rush to
devour every page and love some characters (Elias!) so deeply!
Thanks
so much to Harper Reach for the chance to read this book earlier, it was a
privilege.
I have
to confess, I requested A Torch Against The Night before I read An Ember In the
Ashes, because I knew I’d love it. I had a feeling it was for me, but I had no
idea it would become the best book I’ve read this year.
A Torch
Against The Night was just as brutal and beautifully written as EMBER. Sabaa
Tahir once again did a perfect job creating a fast paced read full of twists
and turns, betrayals and heartache.
When I
read the synopsis I wasn’t sure having a Helene POVs would be wise to the story,
but it gives this amazing world a very different perspective and against all
odds, it became one of my favorite parts to read. Helene is such a fierce,
loyal and loving character.
Even
though EMBER had a great character development, TORCH gave our favorite
characters a new setting to reveal her weakness and strengths. Some keep making
mistakes. Some show their true heart. And some are deeply unmade.
A Torch
Against The Night was an action packed roller coaster. The world-building is
bigger here. There’s more magic and answers to many questions. But it also has
a lot of bloody scenes and gore. It was heartbreaking.
There
are so many things I love about this series, but there’s no doubt I love Elias Veturious the most. I love him to
pieces and I just want him happy.
And that’s
why this time Laia was my least favorite character half of the book. In so many
ways she was selfish and ungrateful. I like her, but I don’t like her very much
right now.
But the
thing I hated the most was the romance. God, I hated it. I despised that I
thought I was free of the love triangle and there it was, again. And the worst
part is that it involves Keenan, the only character I hated since book one.
I don’t
want to spoil anything, but even if I hated how Laila felt about Keenan, it
didn’t ruin the book for me. I loved too many things. And Elias alones deserves
all the stars in the world.
A Torch
Against The Night was a perfect sequel to such amazing debut. I’m so glad to know
there will be more books and I can’t wait to read them.
