"A torch against the night" by Sabaa Tahir (An ember in the ashes series): Review

“Your emotions make you human. Even the unpleasant ones have a purpose. Don't lock them away. If you ignore them, they just get louder and angrier.”

P.S: If you’re interested in reading “An ember in the ashes” series, you may find below some spoilers!

It was about damn time! After reading “An ember in the ashes”, you couldn’t know how excited I was to start the sequel, especially that the ending left me wanting to know what will happen.

We continue the story of Elias and Laia where we have left it: they’re running from Blackcliff, and they’ll try to free Laia’s brother, Darin, from prison, who is the key to the scholar’s survival. But for that, they have to fight different obstacles: the newly empire Marcus, the ruthless commandant, the supernatural creatures, but most of all, Helene, Elias’ best friend, and the empire's newest blood shrike.

This is one of the best sequels I’ve read in my entire life! Sabaa Tahir exceeded herself, she gives us a breath-taking book that you can’t put down. As I said, the story began where we first left it in “An ember in the ashes”, and it’s fast paced from the beginning. The middle gives us a little break, and then we start again with more and more action. Counter to “An ember in the ashes” which features two POVs: Laia and Elias’; we have an additional one: Helene’s one. If you’ve read my review about the first book, I wanted to know more about Helene. Well, Sabaa Tahir fulfilled my wish. We get to know more about her origins, her family, and her personality. Was she one of my favorite characters? I don’t know: p Her loyalty to the Blackcliff was annoying sometimes. But after all, she gives off the woman power vibes. And we can’t blame her, she’s the Empire’s blood shrike, and she’s been through a lot.

Laia is still my favorite character. She has one of the most beautiful character development. From chapter to chapter, she becomes more fierce, more responsible and more powerful. Her brother was taken away from her at a young age, and seeing her determined to do everything to save him was so cheerful.

Elias is so messed up, and this sequel just proves it more. He’s ready to do everything to save Laia’s brother, and by everything, I mean EVERYTHING. He needs a break because he’s been through a lot. But he’s a true hero. If you liked him in the first book, well prepare yourself to adore him in this one. And can we talk about the chemistry between Laia and Elias! The tension between these two was so present it made me love seeing them together more and more.

And the plot! It scotches me to my bed, I couldn’t put the book down, and it’s torturous to not have the third book right now! Sabaa Tahir knows how to write a fantasy, a sequel, a magnificent book, and a terrible villain. This sequel features more action, and by that, I mean more violence, more blood, more bad decisions, more revelations, shocking ones, and a lot of twists and turns. Every part of this book was brutal, and yet that’s what made it beautiful. I wasn’t disappointed by this sequel, in fact, I was shocked. I loved “An ember in the ashes”, well I died reading “A torch against the night”. This is one of the easiest five stars!