An Ember in the Ashes – serie

Set in a rich, high-fantasy world inspired by ancient Rome, Sabaa Tahir's AN EMBER IN THE ASHES told the story of Laia, a slave fighting for her family, and Elias, a young soldier fighting for his freedom.

Now, in A TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT, 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 Kaufthe Empires most secure and dangerous prisonto 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, HeleneEliass former friend and the Empires newest Blood Shrike.

Bound to Marcus's will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her ownone that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape...and kill them both.

BOOK THREE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES: An Entertainment Weekly Summer Reads pick and New York Times bestseller!

Beyond the Martial Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger. Helene Aquilla, the Blood Shrike, is desperate to protect her sister's life and the lives of everyone in the Empire. But she knows that danger lurks on all sides: Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable and violent, while Keris Veturia, the ruthless Commandant, capitalizes on the Emperor's volatility to grow her own power - regardless of the carnage she leaves in her path.

Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. But in the hunt to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would help her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she'd have to fight.

And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that demands his complete surrender - even if that means abandoning the woman he loves.

This novel is a harrowing, haunting reminder of what it means to be human and how hope might be kindled in the midst of oppression and fear. The Washington Post An Ember in the Ashes could launch Sabaa Tahir into JK Rowling territory It has the addictive quality of TheHunger Games combined with the fantasy of Harry Potter and the brutality of Game of Thrones. Public Radio International An Ember in the Ashes glows, burns, and smolders as beautiful and radiant as it is searing. Huffington Post A worthy novel and one as brave as its characters. The New York Times Book Review A deft, polished debut ( Publishers Weekly, starred review), Sabaa Tahir s AN EMBER IN THE ASHES is a thought-provoking, heart-wrenching and pulse-pounding read. Set in a rich, high-fantasy world with echoes of ancient Rome, it tells the story of a slave fighting for her family and a young soldier fighting for his freedom. Laia is a slave.Elias is a soldier.Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They ve seen what happens to those who do. But when Laia s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire s greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school s finest soldier and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.