A Torch Against the Night (Ember Quartet, Book 2)

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You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it. It's amazing how you always stay thirsty for more, how you can't put the book out of your hands. How you keep expecting something and still enjoy it when you receive it. This second book provided a deeper look into the events that led up to the rise of the Martial Empire. The details were very enlightening and cast a different light on current events. It became clear that there were far more players and influences than were previously known. So you've made a few bad decisions. So have I. So has Elias. So has everyone attempting to do something difficult. That doesn't mean that you give up, you fool. Do you understand?”

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If it’s a story of war, it’s going to be a story of survival as well. A Torch Against the Night touches that, but truly, the heart of the story is the girl who dared and the boy who rejected his destiny that is built on systematic oppression. I seriously cannot believe Helene has not been mentioned in the blurb. While all other things are happening for Elias and Laia, it's also the story of Helene. Her part is so big in this sequel and her story is just growing big. Behind me, the catacombs echo with angry shouts and the screech of metal. My eyes dart to the grinning skulls lining the walls. I think I hear the voices of the dead. Tahir’s deft, polished debutalternates between two very different perspectives on the same brutal world, deepening both in the contrast. In a tale brimming with political intrigue and haunted by supernatural forces, the true tension comes from watching Elias and Laia struggle to decide where their loyalties lie.”— Publishers Weekly, starred review Elias is Helene's first love and "the worst thing that ever happened to her." They are mutual best friends.

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Torch Against The Night: 9780008160371 - AbeBooks Torch Against The Night: 9780008160371 - AbeBooks

An Ember in the Ashes] thrusts its readers into a world marred by violence and oppression, yet does so with simple prose that can offer moments of loveliness in its clarity. This complexity makesEmbera worthy novel—andone as brave as its characters.” —The New York Times Book Review If there’s one thing I got from Helene’s character is she thinks the martials are the superior race than the Scholars and the tribal people. To her Scholars, who are canonically brown people, who has been enslaved and systematically murdered on their own land are subhuman. For Helene, they should merely accept their destiny as slaves. To her, they don’t deserve to uproot their lives and dream. This is what makes Elias and Helene different. Elias with his given maternal’s privilege and station, he saw through everything. His eyes are wide open and conscious with the imperialism that is going on around him. Like Helene, he was brainwashed by the empire too; but he stopped himself before he become a harbinger of destruction. Helene had that chance. He showed her the terrifying lives of the Scholars. She chose not to be moved.a b Breznican, Anthony (September 2, 2016). "A Torch Against the Night author Sabaa Tahir lights fantasy with dark truths". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved July 11, 2021.

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And yes, I might surprise you again, but I love Helene more than Laia. (And like I said, that's probably the reason for my distancing from Laia's character, too).The next morning is graduation. Elias and his friends end up getting into a fight with Marcus and his cronies after Marcus kisses Helene without her permission. The Commandant interrupts the fight, and everyone goes to the school’s amphitheater for the graduation ceremony. After the students are declared graduates, the Augurs make an unexpected appearance. Cain declares the current dynasty will fail and it is time for the prophesized Warrior Emperor to be chosen through the Trials. Elias is chosen to be one of four Aspirants, along with Marcus, Helene, and Zak. Beside me, Elias releases another blade from its sheath. His shoulders are relaxed, his hands loose around the knives. But when I catch sight of his face—brows furrowed, jaw tight—my heart clenches. He meets my gaze, and for a breath, I see his anguish. He does not wish to deliver death to these men. Elias releases a pent breath. “Come on,” he says. “If that patrol was sweeping the area, there will be more. We need to get to the escape passage.”

A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes) A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes)

The days go by, and Elias and Laia finally escape the tribesmen. Deciding that they need help if they plan to survive much longer, Laia wants to break her brother, Darin, out of prison. With his help, they can build an army against the Emperor. She rallies old friends to her cause, and they plot their next move. Thrilling…Tahir meticulously plots these novels, ramping up the suspense and including plenty of surprises.”— The Buffalo News

Before they get far, Elias passes out. It turns out that the Commandant stabbed him with a poison-tipped blade. Laia drags him to a healer, but the news is not good—the poison is fatal and Elias only has five months to live. Laia is determined to find a cure, but Elias wants her to focus on her own survival and run far away from the Empire. And now, what everyone was waiting for (except me. I’d actually like to be able to erase all this shit from my mind.): the romance.