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water_violin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Whew! What a saga! I don’t think I can really review only this book (it was really just a small part of the entire story), but: it was so good. Heart wrenching. Beautiful. There is so much to love and so much to grieve. The story is gritty and real and doesn’t pull punches. It is full of violence and love and horror and hope. Although the resolution is gorgeous and satisfying, do not start reading this series expecting a happy story. You’ll learn to love so many fascinating, diverse characters and... some of them won’t make it to the end. Overall, these books are heavy, but beautifully written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Child death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
ehmannky's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Overall, a solid finish for the Ember series and I liked where all of the main characters wound up. This book really goes deeper into the pitfalls of revenge v justice and emphasizes the ideas that if your forbearers did harm to a population, it is your responsibility to make it right as best you can. All of that wrapped up with incredibly fast-paced action, wonderful characters (also, I was about to tear my hair out with Elias and Laia for like 9/10ths of this book and it ruled. The pining was magnificent), and what I considered a pretty solid ending.
However, I did have some problems with the ending I think that my biggest qualm came with the ending on a more philosophical scale (I was fine with all the deaths and the personal ends of the main characters).I don't know how I feel about the fact that the Martials still get to have an empire and that an Empress (even if that empress is Helene) is in charge of this country. I feel like I would have personally felt a more equitable ending would be...I don't know, giving the Tribal people complete independence (or at least a vote on if they wanted to leave) and the Scholars should have gotten either a full on country supported by the Martials or every Scholar should have gotten so much money and land since they just went through another genocide. As I said, the book does reiterate the point that you are responsible for making right the sins of your forbearers, and that even if you didn't personally do something that you need to make it right. Also, I would have loved it if Tahir had kept with the idea that Helene is not going to be forgiven by all she hurt and she would have to be okay with that, rather than implying that she is eventually forgiven by those like Mamie Rilla. As my rating indicates, I didn't find it *that* much of a hinderance in my enjoyment of the series, and I can accept this ending as fair to the extent that the world Tahir will allow it to be.
I honestly can't wait to read whatever Tahir comes out with next, because if I like it half as much as I liked this series, I'm going to love it.
However, I did have some problems with the ending I think that my biggest qualm came with the ending on a more philosophical scale (I was fine with all the deaths and the personal ends of the main characters).
I honestly can't wait to read whatever Tahir comes out with next, because if I like it half as much as I liked this series, I'm going to love it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual violence, Torture, and Vomit
danaleelin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Genocide, Slavery, Grief, and Murder
in_love_with_bookish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
#1 : An Ember in the Ashes : 4 Stars
#2 : A Torch Against the Night : 5 Stars
#3 : A Reaper at the Gates : 5 Stars
I’m strongly overwhelmed over the ending of a series I loved for years. I’m beyond emotional That it came to an end and we won’t have more of this journey and the characters. I’m also feeling guilty for not loving this book as much as I loved the others. And honestly, I don’t know what to do with all these feelings.
You are broken. But it is broken things that are the sharpest. The deadliest. It is broken things that are the most unexpected, and the most underestimated
I think this book is a perfect conclusion for this epic journey, It honored the characters and their arcs, honored the story and the message behind it and it honored the books before it. But at the same time, there were some moments where I felt frustrated and betrayed by the events in this book.
Your mistakes only define the rest of your life if you let them. Don’t let them
I guess it’s a great thing that I felt so many feelings reading this conclusion from love to hate, from despair to hope, from rage to empathy, I felt the characters pain, I felt their loss and grief, I rooted for their battles and I cherished every moment they gave us. Even though I didn’t feel as connected to them as I was before, I was still deeply moved by their losses and triumphs and I felt so alive watching them grow and soar and challenge everyone and everything for what they believed in.
How much pain exists in the world because we cannot get past what has been done to us, because we insist on inflicting pain right back?
Although I didn’t like the pattern of sacrificing the minor characters just to motivate the main ones into acting in a certain way to move the plot forward. I felt betrayed on behalf of those characters because I felt like they didn’t matter as much as the main three even though they lost and they suffered and they fought as much as them.
When it comes to the plot, I’m going to be honest and say that I was confused a lot of times. I read the last book three years ago so I forgot a lot about the story and the world-building and the lore which made navigating the story really challenging for me this time.
Would that we all knew the cracked terrain of each other’s broken hearts. Perhaps then, we would not be so cruel to those who walk this lonely world with us.
In the beginning, I was completely lost story-wise but with time, I started to engage more and more. Sabaa Tahir has a way of telling a story and makes it so addictive, so wild and so engrossing it’s impossible to put it down. I love her way of navigating the conflicts of the story and bringing together both heroes and villains and create complex fascinating dynamics between them filled with emotions and angst. Even though I wasn’t fully at ease with the story and what’s going on, I was pulled into it and I felt my heart in my throat with how intense the story was.
Even though it broke my heart in million different ways, the ending was beautiful and true to what the story was about all along. This has been such a stunning journey for me and I’m grateful to Sabaa Tahir for giving us this tale.
I wish I could live a thousand lives so I could fall in love with you a thousand times. But if all we get is this one, and I share it with you, then I will never want for anything
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
ohkmurr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was everything I wanted and more. I laughed, I cried, I celebrated, I cried some more… (seriously, I was in tears from around page 450 to the end). The absolute perfect way to cap off an amazing series.
I love that we finally get to see Laia and Helene (Blood Shrike) team up. Their dynamic is so fun and so deep. I didn't realize how similar their experiences are throughout the series, especially related to their families and Elias. We stan two women kicking ass and agreeing that men are trash while they do it. Also, Tahir delivers on all the slow-burn romances she set up throughout the series. I spent 3.75 books waiting for Laia and Elias to finally ~express~ their love and let me tell you: it was worth the damn wait.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
plant_the_read's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder