Back of Book: 

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. 

Book Number: One

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Book one in Sabaa Tahir's iconic fantasy quartet! 

Laia is a poor girl living in a brutal Empire, but at least her family has enough to get by. The Empire takes everything from its people and demands loyalty at all costs. When Laia's brother, Daren, gets involved with the wrong people, a group of the emperor's elite Masks come knocking on Laia's door. With her grandparent's dead and her brother taken by soldiers, Laia must turn to the Resistance for help. The Resistance sends her to Blackcliff Academy, the Empire's top military school, as a spy. Upon arrival, she learns that life as a slave is worse than she can imagine. Luckily, she meets the school's top soldier, Elias, and learns that not everyone who works for the Empire is evil. Desperate to both earn their freedom, they must survive all the obstacles that stand between them and life beyond the walls of Blackcliff Academy. 

"An Ember in the Ashes" is one of those iconic series that I knew I'd read eventually. When one of my friends picked this one out for me to read, I was excited to finally check this one out! I've only heard great things about it, and I agree that this book is a truly exciting read! 

The epic fantasy world of this series is a tad vague but super engaging at the same time. There is this Empire that is super controlling, and anyone that steps out of line gets punished severely. I guess this one was inspired by ancient Rome, which I didn't pick up on at all while reading (I was more fascinated by all the Arab elements), but I can see it post reading this book. This world is truly brutal, with its vicious military camp, apathetic views towards slaves, and deadly trials that Elias is forced to undertake. 

My favorite thing about this one was the pacing. I have definitely been craving a fast-paced YA fantasy as of late, and this one definitely scratched that itch. It reads similar to other dystopian books written in this era such as "The Maze Runner," and it was fun to return to this intense dystopian era. 

This one actually reminded me a ton of "The Prison Healer" by Lynette Noni. I definitely enjoyed that book more, but the vibes are very similar, so if you like one, you'd probably like the other. They both include intense trials, characters trapped in prison environments, and intensely misled rebel groups. 

Laia and Elias are both cool characters, though I didn't find myself overly attached to them from the start. I feel as this series progresses, I'll come to have stronger feelings towards them. Laia is a timid girl who wants to be stronger and braver for her family. It would be super hard to do so in this savage society, so I give Laia kudos for trying. Elias wants to escape from the brutal life that he has grown up in. He has been trained as a killer since he was six years old and haunted by his vicious mother who always seems to be several steps ahead of him, especially when it comes to inflicting pain on him. Speaking of the Commandant, she is a terrifying woman, and I feared for our main characters' lives every time she graced the page. *shudder*

The trial element of this book was another of my favorites. In order to choose the next Emperor, four young Masks compete in four deadly trials that only one can emerge victoriously from. These trials were some of the most brutal events/battle scenes I've read about, and my heart really went out to Elias. He's been trained to fight, but that doesn't mean he wants to. I'm interested to see how long it takes him to evade this lifestyle he can't seem to escape.

Overall, "An Ember in the Ashes" is an exciting start to the quartet of the same name. It was such an intense read that I flew through it in only a few sittings. Laia and Elias are both gentle people stuck in a vicious world, and I'm super curious to see how they grow as their journeys continue. I really like the trial element of this one, and the way that it tests our main characters as people. This book can be gory and absolutely brutal at times, but the heart of the story is in the right place. I look forward to reading future installments of this series very soon! 

Back of Book: 

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. 

Book Number: Two 

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Another great installment in the "An Ember in the Ashes" quartet! 

Elias and Laia are on the run. They've just narrowly escaped the academy, but the entire Imperial guard is hot on their tails. The two unlikely allies are heading to Kauf Prison in the hopes of finally rescuing Laia's brother, Darin. Unfortunately, it seems the entire world is trying to stop them from reaching their goal. First and foremost is Elias' ex-best friend, Helene, who is now the Emperor's Blood Strike and must obey his every command if she is to keep her family safe. All three are fighting to protect the people they love, but not everyone can get what they desire when their goals don't align. 

I honestly thought the first book in this series was a thrilling ride, so I was so excited to dive into book two. I must say, it definitely drags for the first half of the book, but it does pick up in pacing eventually. 

For the first half of this book, it's mostly just Laia and Elias running away from Helene. This book also features Helene's perspective, so it then shows us Helene chasing after Laia and Elias. I found this to be rather repetitive and a tad annoying, but I'm glad to report that this book was fire as soon as the plot actually picked up. It was a bummer that the good stuff doesn't really occur until all three of our MCs are apart from each other, but alas. Hopefully they'll spend more of book three in each other's presences.

Despite my complaining, I did think it was nice to get into Helene's head a bit. It would be an impossible situation to pick between your best friend/crush who has been by your side for years and one's blood family that raised you. She faces it all with a brave face and her strength is honestly inspiring. It sucks that there was no way her story was going to go well throughout the course of this book, but I really hope she ends up on the right side in the end. I could see her becoming another tragic character death at some point though. 

Something I've really come to appreciate about this series is that Tahir is willing to put it all on the line. She isn't afraid to literally kill half of the characters we are familiar with from book one and give us a completely new cast of characters to acquaint ourselves with before book three. I fear that not many authors have the guts to do this, and it adds to the believability in a world as savage as this one. 

I thought Kauf Prison was a great main setting for this book. Huge prisons in dystopian societies are always so freaky and add the best sort of tension. That was certainly the case in this one. I would just instantly die if I was brought to a place such as Kauf, so it gives me immense respect for Elias and Darin. 

I wasn't a huge fan of the love triangle element going on here, but I also know that Laia is going to make the decisions that are right for her in the end. Elias and Keenan both have their faults, but it's easy to tell who loves her unconditionally already. 

The inclusion of mythical creatures such as jinns and efrits truly bring the magic to this series. It would read more historical set in an alternate world if these divine beings didn't roam this universe, so I appreciate the fantastical elements. The way that Elias and Laia both get tied to these creatures are very intriguing, and I'm interested to see how these elements will evolve in future installments. 

Once more, the ending of this book goes off with a bang and has me wanting to get my hands on the next book very soon. I'll aim for picking this one up next month when I do my next big library run. 

Overall, I thought that "A Torch in the Night" was a great follow-up to "An Ember in the Ashes" despite its slow start. I'm really coming to enjoy Elias, Laia, and Helene as characters and am interested to see how their stories will play out. This series has a great blend of intense moments, magical creatures, and a subtle slow burn romance that has me curious to see how all the different threads will wrap-up. I'm super excited to read "A Reaper at the Gates" in the near future! 

Back of Book: 

Beyond the Martial Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger.

Helene Aquilla, the Blood Shrike, is desperate to protect her sister's life and the lives of everyone in the Empire. But she knows that danger lurks on all sides: Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable and violent, while Keris Veturia, the ruthless Commandant, capitalizes on the Emperor's volatility to grow her own power—regardless of the carnage she leaves in her path.

Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. But in the hunt to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would help her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she'd have to fight.

And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that demands his complete surrender—even if that means abandoning the woman he loves. 

Book Number: Three 

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

The third installment in Tahir's "Ember in the Ashes" series, in which full-blown war is breaking loose. 

In the Martial Empire, the threat of war is ramping up. The Blood Shrike is doing her best to protect her younger sister and her people, but she knows a mass amount of death is on the horizon. Laia of Serra knows that there is something beyond human comprehension that she is the only one that can stop. If she can't procure the Blood Shrike's ring before the Nightbringer gets it, the jinn could overwhelm the human realm. Elias is trying to get used to his new role as the Soul Catcher, but leading souls to their next destination is no easy task. If he can't get them to listen, the blood of many others may stain his hands. Three people want to prevent war and bloodshed, but destiny has torn them apart, making their goals more challenging than ever. 

I am really starting to have mixed feelings with this series. Book one was pure fire. The first half of the second one was immensely boring. And I couldn't care less about most of the plot points that went down in book three. This one really felt like set-up for the fourth and final installment of the main series, so hopefully "A Sky Beyond the Storm" is absolutely amazing and restores my joy for this series. 

The Blood Shrike's story is definitely the most interesting in this one. At every turn, she is looking to outsmart Commandant Keris Veturius, which is no easy task. She is trying to save the Empire from falling as war looms as well as protect her sister, who is the only hope for an heir to the throne that the Blood Shrike can help guide. The Nightbringer is also constantly on her back, so it's obvious that he wants something from her, though it isn't clear what. 

Laia's quest felt like a wild goose chase from the start. I really couldn't believe that stopping the jinn was as easy as stealing a single object from another main character. Most of her PoVs are super boring, though some shocking details do come to light in the last fourth of this book. I maybe should have seen them coming, but I wasn't paying close enough attention to piece it together. 

Elias also isn't really up to much, but he also has the fate of the world on his shoulders at the same time. He has just become the Soul Catcher and is learning all that entails. He is having a hard time keeping the ghosts of the dead at bay, which could have some deadly consequences for the living. Elias isn't willing to give up the human side of himself, which is causing the ghosts to mistrust him. His entire PoV really felt like a losing battle in this one; I hope he plays a more prominent role in the final book, otherwise we should really cut him as a main perspective we are following.

Despite my less than optimistic attitude about this one, I am excited to finish off this series and check out more books set in this world. Keris Veturius really needs to be overthrown and I'm pretty sure that it will take all of book four to do so. I am looking forward to seeing how the Empire will heal and who will become Emperor after the dust settles. 

Overall, I really struggled to finish "A Reaper at the Gates," but I'm still excited to read the final book in this quartet. The Blood Shrike's story was the only thing keeping me engaged in this book as she works to protect the Empire and outmaneuver Commandant Veturius. This one is filled of a ton of battle scenes that I didn't care for, but war is upon the characters, so it makes sense. Here's to hoping that book four will be just as good as book one in this series! 

Back of Book: 

Picking up just a few months after A Reaper at the Gates left off...

The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning.

By his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family.

Laia of Serra, now allied with the Blood Shrike, struggles to recover from the loss of the two people most important to her. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory—or to an unimaginable doom.

And deep in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher seeks only to forget the life—and love—he left behind. Yet doing so means ignoring the trail of murder left by the Nightbringer and his jinn. To uphold his oath and protect the human world from the supernatural, the Soul Catcher must look beyond the borders of his own land. He must take on a mission that could save—or destroy—all that he knows. 

Book Number: Four (Last Book) 

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: ?