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4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir @sabaatahir
What to say, what to say. This story follows the events of a war ending in a face off between the Nightbringer and the rest of our beloved characters. This book was action packed and fast paced. There are multiple POV which led to the overall view of the same story. We get some additional views from Karis and the Nightbringer which I enjoyed quite a bit. Overall, I think this book did a good job tying up loose ends and completing the series.
I gave this book 3.5 stars. I don't think I would reread this because it just didn't hit hard enough for me to leave me wanting. I would recommend this if you've already the previous books.
A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir @sabaatahir
What to say, what to say. This story follows the events of a war ending in a face off between the Nightbringer and the rest of our beloved characters. This book was action packed and fast paced. There are multiple POV which led to the overall view of the same story. We get some additional views from Karis and the Nightbringer which I enjoyed quite a bit. Overall, I think this book did a good job tying up loose ends and completing the series.
I gave this book 3.5 stars. I don't think I would reread this because it just didn't hit hard enough for me to leave me wanting. I would recommend this if you've already the previous books.
how to give 20 stars
genuinely might be one of the best books i’ve ever read how dare you sabaa tahir i am literally in your walls. every character here is so precious i am going to cry just thinking about them
SUCH A GOOD SERIES
genuinely might be one of the best books i’ve ever read how dare you sabaa tahir i am literally in your walls. every character here is so precious i am going to cry just thinking about them
SUCH A GOOD SERIES
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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:
Yes
“You’ve done terrible things? So have I. We were born into war, Elias. It is all we’ve known. Your mistakes only define the rest of your life if you let them. Don’t let them.”
When I first started the Ember series back in late 2016, I knew it was going to be a different level of YA fantasy. There was just something about how Tahir wrote the characters that hit a little differently. I could tell from right off the bat that the lore and the worldbuilding was going to be immaculate, crafted with the level of skill that comes from a strong passion. The first two books of the series were great, but then the atmosphere of it all changed with the third. Tahir was really trying to emphasize the stakes of what was going on and just how serious all of it was, and I felt that when I started the third. I felt it even more when I opened the fourth and final book of the series, A Sky Beyond the Storm.
Spoilers ahead for the first three books of the Ember series (none for this one).
This book blew me away. I don’t know how Tahir did it (well, yes, I do – she’s an astounding writer) but she managed to pack every single one of this book’s 464 pages with action, emotion, and love. It picks up five months after the end of A Reaper at the Gates, yet despite all the time that has passed, I never felt like I was missing out on anything. Usually time jumps leave me feeling a little lost, like the characters have done important things during that gap that I wasn’t privy to, but this didn’t have those vibes at all.
One of my favorite parts of this series is how Tahir utilizes the points of view. In this one, Helene is ‘The Blood Shrike,’ Elias is ‘The Soul Catcher,’ and Laia is simply Laia. They change throughout the story, as they have in the previous books, and it’s a very subtle yet useful tool in terms of character development. And ho boy, there is so much to talk about with this book’s character development.
All three of our MCs are given wonderful chances to grow and learn without being attached to their significant other or otherwise depending on someone else to make them grow. First, Helene. She wrestles so much with vulnerability and how to love people, yet it isn’t in the cringey “I can’t ever let anybody in” way. It feels so genuine and heartbreaking coming from her, and as a result, her storyline is an emotional journey with an action-packed background. Helene has always been my favorite, so I’m glad she was given just as much attention as Laia and Elias (although she isn’t on the cover, for some dumbshit reason. She literally has a third of the book dedicated to her??).
Laia goes through some really hard times in this book and I think that she learns what it means to be a leader, and to persevere. Of course, she had these attributes earlier on in the series, but after the events of book 3, she’s matured quite a bit and it’s very easy to tell. She’s a lot wiser yet she’s still driven by the passion and love that makes her Laia of Serra.
I’ve always been somewhat indifferent to Elias, but he was really fascinating in this book. He’s become the Soul Catcher, and as an aftereffect of that, all his memories of his ‘human’ life have been wiped away by Mauth (death, and his boss). Of course, this is an extremely tragic event for all of us Laia/Elias fans, but fear not. There is plenty of sadness, hope, anger, relief, and a million other emotions throughout their storyline here. Romance aside, Elias has to learn how to reconcile the Soul Catcher with his former life and the memories that keep trying to break through, and how to balance this Soul duty that he really values with what Laia, Helene, and the world at war are asking of him. By the end, I really loved Elias and his quiet, emphatic character. Like everyone else, he has grown immensely.
As I said in the beginning, this story has very urgent, moody, end-of-the-world vibes to it that are heavily emphasized, and you’re reminded of just how dire things are with every single page. The plot twists are fantastic and totally unpredictable, and they’re incorporated in a way that feels very natural and streamlined. The whole thing is absolutely devastating, too. I was at about a 4-star rating throughout the book, and then I got to the last 15% and I was just weeping the entire time. The last chunk is brutal, and it’s worth reading the entire book just for that part alone. The storylines are beautiful, as usual, woven together with precision and excitement. Even though this world has already been created, Tahir still manages to make it intriguing and vivid with the way she writes.
While I disagree with a few aspects of the ending, that’s just personal opinion. Objectively, A Sky Beyond the Storm is a fast-paced, emotional conclusion to the Ember series that Tahir has poured her heart and soul into. These characters aren’t likely to leave my mind anytime soon, and I’m glad that I had the chance to know them. I’d highly recommend Ember to pretty much anyone who has ever read a smidge of YA fantasy before – although maybe don’t read it as your intro to the genre, because you’re going to be disappointed in everything you read afterwards.
When I first started the Ember series back in late 2016, I knew it was going to be a different level of YA fantasy. There was just something about how Tahir wrote the characters that hit a little differently. I could tell from right off the bat that the lore and the worldbuilding was going to be immaculate, crafted with the level of skill that comes from a strong passion. The first two books of the series were great, but then the atmosphere of it all changed with the third. Tahir was really trying to emphasize the stakes of what was going on and just how serious all of it was, and I felt that when I started the third. I felt it even more when I opened the fourth and final book of the series, A Sky Beyond the Storm.
Spoilers ahead for the first three books of the Ember series (none for this one).
This book blew me away. I don’t know how Tahir did it (well, yes, I do – she’s an astounding writer) but she managed to pack every single one of this book’s 464 pages with action, emotion, and love. It picks up five months after the end of A Reaper at the Gates, yet despite all the time that has passed, I never felt like I was missing out on anything. Usually time jumps leave me feeling a little lost, like the characters have done important things during that gap that I wasn’t privy to, but this didn’t have those vibes at all.
One of my favorite parts of this series is how Tahir utilizes the points of view. In this one, Helene is ‘The Blood Shrike,’ Elias is ‘The Soul Catcher,’ and Laia is simply Laia. They change throughout the story, as they have in the previous books, and it’s a very subtle yet useful tool in terms of character development. And ho boy, there is so much to talk about with this book’s character development.
All three of our MCs are given wonderful chances to grow and learn without being attached to their significant other or otherwise depending on someone else to make them grow. First, Helene. She wrestles so much with vulnerability and how to love people, yet it isn’t in the cringey “I can’t ever let anybody in” way. It feels so genuine and heartbreaking coming from her, and as a result, her storyline is an emotional journey with an action-packed background. Helene has always been my favorite, so I’m glad she was given just as much attention as Laia and Elias (although she isn’t on the cover, for some dumbshit reason. She literally has a third of the book dedicated to her??).
Laia goes through some really hard times in this book and I think that she learns what it means to be a leader, and to persevere. Of course, she had these attributes earlier on in the series, but after the events of book 3, she’s matured quite a bit and it’s very easy to tell. She’s a lot wiser yet she’s still driven by the passion and love that makes her Laia of Serra.
I’ve always been somewhat indifferent to Elias, but he was really fascinating in this book. He’s become the Soul Catcher, and as an aftereffect of that, all his memories of his ‘human’ life have been wiped away by Mauth (death, and his boss). Of course, this is an extremely tragic event for all of us Laia/Elias fans, but fear not. There is plenty of sadness, hope, anger, relief, and a million other emotions throughout their storyline here. Romance aside, Elias has to learn how to reconcile the Soul Catcher with his former life and the memories that keep trying to break through, and how to balance this Soul duty that he really values with what Laia, Helene, and the world at war are asking of him. By the end, I really loved Elias and his quiet, emphatic character. Like everyone else, he has grown immensely.
As I said in the beginning, this story has very urgent, moody, end-of-the-world vibes to it that are heavily emphasized, and you’re reminded of just how dire things are with every single page. The plot twists are fantastic and totally unpredictable, and they’re incorporated in a way that feels very natural and streamlined. The whole thing is absolutely devastating, too. I was at about a 4-star rating throughout the book, and then I got to the last 15% and I was just weeping the entire time. The last chunk is brutal, and it’s worth reading the entire book just for that part alone. The storylines are beautiful, as usual, woven together with precision and excitement. Even though this world has already been created, Tahir still manages to make it intriguing and vivid with the way she writes.
While I disagree with a few aspects of the ending, that’s just personal opinion. Objectively, A Sky Beyond the Storm is a fast-paced, emotional conclusion to the Ember series that Tahir has poured her heart and soul into. These characters aren’t likely to leave my mind anytime soon, and I’m glad that I had the chance to know them. I’d highly recommend Ember to pretty much anyone who has ever read a smidge of YA fantasy before – although maybe don’t read it as your intro to the genre, because you’re going to be disappointed in everything you read afterwards.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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:
Yes
Screaming, crying, throwing up because this was THE perfect finale to this incredible series. I’m only mad I didn’t read the books consecutively so I could stay fully immersed in this world - I think I’m already due for a reread.
Sabaa Tahir has shredded my heart and healed it again - a little broken still - with this book. The way the three main characters have grown over the course of the series, through battles and tragedies beyond belief, really shone here. Sure, some of the political elements require suspension of disbelief, and sure, some elements of the ending were a little ~too~ convenient - but despite that I still loved the plot and the direction Sabaa decided to take its ending.
Mostly, though, the characters were what kept me emotionally invested. Helene is my favorite angel baby forever, and I must say Ms. Tahir, she didn’t deserve any of that. Keris is the only character I wish we got to know more to really understand the source of her evil.
Sabaa Tahir has shredded my heart and healed it again - a little broken still - with this book. The way the three main characters have grown over the course of the series, through battles and tragedies beyond belief, really shone here. Sure, some of the political elements require suspension of disbelief, and sure, some elements of the ending were a little ~too~ convenient - but despite that I still loved the plot and the direction Sabaa decided to take its ending.
Mostly, though, the characters were what kept me emotionally invested. Helene is my favorite angel baby forever, and I must say Ms. Tahir, she didn’t deserve any of that. Keris is the only character I wish we got to know more to really understand the source of her evil.