Author: Sabaa Tahir
Series: An Ember in the Ashes #2
Genre: Fantasy/Magic/Adventure
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: August 30th, 2016
Edition: Hardcover, 452 pages
Source: Purchased, B&N
Synopsis:
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've had this book for a while. I think I got it not too long after it came out, it was on sale at Barnes and Noble. I just never read it, the reason is long-winded and, ultimately, not that important. But I finally read it, and OH MAN, this was a good sequel.
There were some small pacing issues I had that puts this a tiny notch down from the first book. The first book, I flew through that. But it might also be that I re-read it before reading this one and I don't remember how fast I read the first one. (I'm also a faster reader these days). There was a lot of "downtime", with Laia and Elias.
Helene kind of was the main character of this book, I really enjoyed her chapters. I didn't really care one way or another most of the first book about her, but this book *chef's kiss* I can't wait to see where her character goes.
Laia probably goes through some of the most character development. It just all happened in the last 1/3 of the book. She was doing great until Keenan showed up again, and then things went downhill from there for her. We find out much, much later why that happened, and I like that reveal (I accidentally got spoiled for it so it wasn't as shocking as it should have been), but it was a good plot twist, and once it happened all the small details that were once overlooked seem so obvious.
Elias, oh Elias... you fool. He is so reckless, and I hope he stops in the next book. For all this posturing about wanting to uphold his promise to Laia he sure doesn't think about his own safety enough to make sure he's alive to do that. Though I do wonder how he'll get himself out of the situation he's in at the end of the book.
The overall plot of this book, I'm not exactly sure what the main focus was supposed to be. Things weren't quite as tied together as they were in the first book. Everyone was kind of on their own missions. This feels like some really intense setup for the rest of the series. I plan to read the rest through my library since I don't have physical copies of them. I will buy the rest of the series, I just got a lot of books this summer and I haven't read any of them yet. Self-imposed rule to read at least 3 of them before I get more.
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