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An Ember in the Ashes #1-3

An Ember in the Ashes / A Torch Against the Night / A Reaper at the Gates

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Ember in the Ashes Series 3 Books Collection Set By Sabaa Tahir:

An Ember in the Ashes:
Read the explosive New York Times bestselling debut that's captivated readers worldwide. Set to be a major motion picture, An Ember in the Ashes is the book everyone is talking about.Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death.When Laia's grandparents are brutally murdered and her brother arrested for treason by the empire, the only people she has left to turn to are the rebels.

A Torch Against the Night:
After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt Elias and Laia as they flee the city of Serra.Laia and Elias are determined to break into the Empire's most secure and dangerous prison to save Laia's brother, even if for Elias it means giving up his last chance at freedom.They will have to 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.

A Reaper at the Gates:
Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger.The Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, is assailed on all sides. Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable, while the Commandant capitalizes on his madness to bolster her own power. As Helene searches for a way to hold back the approaching darkness, her sister's life and the lives of all those in the Empire hang in the balance.

Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

12 people are currently reading
772 people want to read

About the author

Sabaa Tahir

21 books36.6k followers
**My apologies if I don't respond to emails or friend requests right away! Come find me on Twitter or Instagram @sabaatahir, or on my web site: www.sabaatahir.com

Sabaa Tahir grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s 18-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.

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Community Reviews

5 stars
140 (58%)
4 stars
61 (25%)
3 stars
27 (11%)
2 stars
4 (1%)
1 star
7 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
2 reviews
January 20, 2021
This is one of favorite series! I just finished book 3 and plan to start on book 4 tomorrow! I also read the first two books to my students (edited version) and they loved them too!
Profile Image for Alexa.
8 reviews
August 12, 2021
This series is really god. I finished the first book in a day and immediately ordered the rest of the series and overall it was enjoyable.
Profile Image for To__the__stars__who__listen.
24 reviews4 followers
February 10, 2022
Overall review: 3.5/5
Ok guys…this review is going to be a weird one and I thought I’d let you know that right off the bat 😂
Objectively speaking, A Torch Against the Night was a well written, engaging read with good pacing and a nuanced storyline. However, I didn’t enjoy it 😂 There are a couple of reasons why and I’ll outline most of them below. I hardly ever DNF books (I haven’t done so since junior school) but I started A Reaper at the Gates (book 3) about two days ago and the only reason I haven’t given up on it yet is because I already bought book 4 😂

The story:
As I said, the storyline of this book was objectively good. The method of storytelling switched from dual POV to multi POV which I actually enjoyed. Unlike the switch that happened in the TOG series, I didn’t find that there was an overload of information or any sort of transitional period where you had to get used to different characters. My gripe is more so with the broader storylines I know are at play. So you might ask: Asma, how do you KNOW what the broader storylines are? Listen friend, I’m the type of person that occasionally googles spoilers and I’m not ashamed of that 🤷🏻‍♀️😂 However, this time the spoilers I found weren’t ones I liked. Generally speaking, I found out that a certain characters story arc was basically pointless as it ended in a very unsatisfactory way and that kind of makes the whole read seem silly to me. (SPOILERS AHEAD). For those of you who have read the series, the fact that Elias’ fate is to become Mauth (death) and forget who he is, his love for Laia and his moral obligation against the Empire kind of makes the entire series seem somewhat counterproductive. Elias is a huge part of the main story and knowing that is his fate, makes the entire story less satisfying. (END OF SPOILERS).

The characters:
Although I enjoyed the multi POV, I found it slightly difficult to really connect with any of the characters since they’re all kind of enemies. The multi POV was a great storytelling choice and really enhances that aspect of the book but if you’re a character driven reader, this read probably isn’t for you.

The ship: (SPOILERS AHEAD)
reading those spoilers made me realize that THERE IS NO FREAKING SHIP!! Listen, as much as I love romance (especially interspersed within fantasy), I can do without it if I know that’s what I’m getting myself into. However, this book literally markets itself as a romance!! I expected earth shattering romance between Laia and Elias or at least Helene and Harper and I now know that I’m not going to get either of those things 🤷🏻‍♀️
1 review
September 6, 2021
Really had high hopes for this series due to all the great reviews. The story definitely have potential but the characters are flat. After finishing the 3rd book I still don’t know the characters. I don’t care about them. I don’t understand them. I don’t know how Laia can become invisible or how Helene can heal with song. There’s no backstory, no explanation. The relationships are not believable. There is not enough substance. 2 stars because I don’t hate it. Although I do feel cheated of time as I cannot possibly read all the great books within my lifetime and I hate the idea of wasting time on a bad book😞
59 reviews
November 1, 2020
To-date these are my favorite young-adult fantasy novels. It's a solid, tight plot where the fantasy elements are well integrated in a believable world. The characters have well defined personalities, and the characters develop and grow over the course of the story. Best of all the women, young and old, are the authors of their own lives and time and again prove themselves the heroes.

I'd recommend these to any young woman who likes fantasy. Note: some of the violence is a bit graphic, so I'd say 16 is the youngest someone should be to read them.
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5 reviews
July 14, 2021
i’m currently reading the third book and i’m in LOVE. tbh my favorite book yet is a torch against the night.
something about the excitement of what’s about to come next and Elias and Laia getting to know each others was justtt🥺🥺
2 reviews
October 5, 2024
Loved the complex and complicated characters. This series kept me on the edge of my seat, anticipating what would happen next. There were a couple of curveballs I did not see coming. Loved every minute of this series.
74 reviews
April 12, 2025
An exciting YA dystopian favorite! An evil empire, oppressive regime, enslaved class. Child soldiers. Themes of loyalty, questioning authority, courage. Fast paced and very violent.
Books 1 and 4 are the best
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22 reviews1 follower
December 6, 2021
Iubesc aceste cărți și abia aștept vol. 4!
Profile Image for Sarah Pittman.
35 reviews
December 14, 2023
Was very good book however don't read if your mental health isn't here for some heart break
Profile Image for Sharon Fooshe.
51 reviews
January 23, 2024
This is not the usual kind of book I gravitate toward. It started more violently than I like and somehow it roped me in and kept me intrigued. It was good and I ended up really enjoying it enough to want to read the next book book in the series. Very fantasy Think complete other kind of world.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews

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