Monday 16 January 2017

A torch against the night - Sabaa Tahir

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. 

My thoughts:
Two days later, as always...I also want to make this short cos I am 2 reviews behind...

It was good, but nope, not AS good as the first one. That one was darker, and even if this one was dark, it felt...YA dark (that is not a good thing.)

Elias was a ghost of himself and did not do a lot. Sure I wanted him to live, but at the same time meh.

I think I did not really care for Laia in book 1? I can not remember, but here I sure did not. What a forgettable boring girl. She is no heroine in my eyes.  And that whole guy thing, *eyeroll*

Helen, hmm, I do not really want a happy ending for her, because she is killing a lot in this book. I get that she is second to the Emperor now, but sheesh, that guy is insane. Stop killing people. I hope you die, even if you are the most interesting person in the book. Also she was so, oh Elias!

The whole book is about them getting to that prison. It did not have the same edge. It bordered on ok at times.

But I will read more, I want to know what happens. And even if it was good I was disappointed. Nothing was the same as book 1. Not the characters, not the story, not the world.

Cover
boring

Hardcover, 452 pages
Published August 30th 2016 by Razorbill
An Ember in the Ashes #2
Fantasy YA
Library

38 comments:

  1. Always a good thing when you want to read the next book to see what happens!

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  2. I'm glad I waited and didn't read the first book. This sounds like a dud. I hate it when second books are dull!

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    1. It lingered on that which had been good, but honestly, eh. Will only read book 3 if the library gets it

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  3. I hadn't read the 1st but got this at ALA - then read a few reviews for this one and decided to skip the whole thing. I have too many books already lol

    Karen @For What It's Worth

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    1. If the library gets book 3 I will read it..oh wait, is it 4 books? Arghhh

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  4. Sounds dark, darker than I'm into at this time. Glad you liked it for the most part though.

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  5. Sounds pretty interesting. Sounds like I'd want to start with book 1, though.

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  6. Hmmm...still undecided about starting this series...

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  7. Considering I tend to like YA fantasy more than you do AND you still liked it enough to continue, I do think I need to try this series. :D

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    Replies
    1. It was not bad, but no where as good as book 1. it all depends on that next book, can she get the awesomeness back

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  8. Hope the next one is awesome :)

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  9. Hmm. Sounds like needed a little more spunk to the book. Thanks.

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  10. I thought this was darker, but I listened on audio..not sure if that changed my perspective.

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    Replies
    1. I really do not how to explain it, yes it was dark, but it felt forced and silly

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  11. Is this the sequel of the book we read?

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  12. At least you still want to read more.

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  13. Hmm so mixed response, liked it enough to want to know what happens next but meh about these characters.

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    1. I think you nailed it there, yes I want to know what happens to the world but not the characters....interesting

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  14. I still need to read this, but it is not looking like I will do it anytime soon. I despised Laia in the first book, she was so spineless and yet everyone seemed to worship her. Based on your comments, I can't see myself warming up to her in this one either.

    ~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum

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    1. Oh then you will sure not like her here. I so do not get why everyone loves her. SHE DID NOTHING

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  15. Sorry to hear this wasn't as good as the first! Sounds like the romance plot lines got a bit too silly.

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  16. I haven't read the first book yet, so I skimmed this review, but sorry to hear it wasn't as good as the first one!

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  17. I hope it becomes better again

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  18. Harshly judging their font choices on the cover - not enough differentiation between the author and the title.

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  19. I really hope that the next book is better than this one.

    Melanie @ Hot Listens & Rabid Reads

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  20. This one is on my list since I'm challenging myself to read all the books nominated in YA Fantasy category (Final round). I look forward to reading the first one. I hope the next one is better for you.

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