Author: Sabaa Tahir
Started: December 2, 2018
Finished: December 9, 2018
Pages: 456
Genre: Young Adult
First Sentence: How did they find us so fast?
Summary: [From BN] Set in a rich, high-fantasy world inspired by ancient Rome, Sabaa Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes told the story of Laia, a slave fighting for her family, and Elias, a young soldier fighting for his freedom. Now, in A Torch Against the Night, 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.
Thoughts: No sophomore slump here! Book 2 of the Ember in the Ashes series was even better than the first. The world expanded beyond the walls of Blackcliff and Serra. A Torch Against the Night finds our main characters not only exploring places new to the reader, but also encountering more mystical beings. That growth makes for a dramatic story with high-reading interest. The relationship between Elias and Laia keeps the story centered even when they are miles apart.
What I enjoyed best about this book was the characters. Tahir has a skill for crafting complex people and beings. They all have their own voices, motivations, and histories. They come to the tale as complete which adds a richness that can be missing from books with such complex world-building. All of the characters weave in and out of the plot in a way that moves the story forward without feeling like information dumping or drama for drama's sake. Even though there are jinn running about, the world feels real and fully populated.
As for the story, oh man does it grab you. Laia is determined to save her brother and that is the main narrative. Her story pulls in everyone else. At the same time, she is uncovering secrets about herself that start to build her story beyond her quest to get to Kauf. The side stories in the novel only add to the narrative. They continue to build the world and set the scene for what Laia and Elias are experiencing.
I enjoyed An Ember in the Ashes in the way that I usually enjoy YA - compulsively reading the story because it's fun. This book goes beyond this. Yes, I binge read it as often as I could, but the story had such richness and vibrancy that my reading went beyond enjoyment. I started to see and respect Tahir's story-crafting and world-building.
Give this series a shot.
Rating: 8/10 [Terrific]
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