Book Review : A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir

Official Book 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.

Book review(no spoilers) :

In this novel we follow Laia,Elias and Helene.Laia and Elias have escaped and they are going to take Darin out of prison. Marcus is now the Emperor which is not good for the Empire and Helene is the Blood Shrike.

It took me a little longer to finish this book, but it was good. I was not amazed and I did not love it as much as the first book but it was not bad either. It has some action and a touch of supernatural which I really enjoy. I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars. I believe that it is really worth reading and I am looking forward to reading A Reaper At The Gates! If you liked the first book you will definitely enjoy this one as well.

[spoilers ahead!]

In this book I actually liked Helene more but I still did not love her. I can't feel connected to her although her chapters were really well written suprisingly! Once I saw that we are gonna follow her point of view too I was like ''Whyyy??'' but she really grew on me. I feel sympathy for what happened to her family, although I believe this will make her stronger, which kind of scares me a little bit haha.

I don't even want to talk about Elias. I am so heartbroken. So his mother poisoned him with a forbidden poison that has NO ANTIDOTE! I was thinking ''No this is not true. He must be mistaken. This is not happening. NO. WAY.'' But it did happen. He did die. And then became the Soul Catcher! I did like Elias in this book as well, except the part where he left Laia by only writting her a letter. But I hate what happened to him! I was so furious. There has to be some way for this to become undone. It is possible.

As for Laia, my love for her in endless. I mentioned before that she is my favorite character in the series and this book did not change my mind at all! She has become stronger physically and even more mentaly (than she was before). She also discovers she has the ability to be invisible which I find really cool and I really want to know more about it.

I knew Izzi was going to die. I've known it since the first book, I sensed it. It really broke my heart that she died. She was one of the closest person to Laia. It was so unfair that she died but at least she died saving someone else and now is at peace.

Keenan. Freaking Keenan. He was so weird in this book. Something felt really wrong about him. And it was. He is the freaking Nightbringer. And as if this was not enough..he had sex with Laia. That beast... I just hate him.

Marcus always got in my nerves. I never liked him, I don't think anyone did. But he is not as bad as I thought. Keris Veturia is THE REAL DANGER! She wantes to become Empress. And if she does (I think she will succeed eventually) everything is going to go to hell. Things will be ten times worse than it already is.

I can't wait to read the next book! Please Sabaa don't hurt my babies (Laia and Elias) espacially Elias after what happened to him.Thank you.

So that was it for this review guys. I will definitely write a review on A Reaper At The Gates as soon as I read it. Goodbye!

Written by : Anna