Staff Pick
This exciting sequel picks up right where An Ember in the Ashes left off. I was thrilled to read a second book following Laia and Elias through the twists and turns of attempting to escape the Empire. This is a fantastic read full of adventure, unexpected peril, questions of loyalty, and a little bit of romance. Recommended By Jennifer H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Elias and Laia are running for their lives.
Following the events of the Fourth Trial, an army led by Masks hunts the two fugitives as they escape the city of Serra and journey across the vast lands of the Martial Empire.
Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—and save her brother, whose knowledge of Serric steel is the key to the Scholars’ future. And Elias is determined to stay by Laia’s side…even if it means giving up his own chance at freedom.
But Elias and Laia will have to fight every step of the way if they’re going 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.
Helene’s mission is horrifying, unwanted, and clear: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape…and kill them both.
Review
"Most Spectacular Sequel" Entertainment Weekly Summer 2016 Must List
Review
"This sequel has a darker tone and even higher stakes than its predecessor, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Review
"Tahir proves to be a master of suspense and a canny practitioner of the cliffhanger, riveting readers’ attention throughout.…[An] action-packed, breathlessly paced story." Booklist (Starred Review)
About the Author
Sabaa Tahir grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s eighteen-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.