A Torch Against the Night

An Ember in the Ashes, Book 2

By: Sabaa Tahir

Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan, Fiona Hardingham, Steve West

Length: 15 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

The Number-One New York Times Best Seller

One of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time

Book two in the New York Times best-selling series

A USA Today best seller

A Wall Street Journal best seller

“Spectacular.” (Entertainment Weekly)

“Fresh and exciting...Tahir has shown a remarkable talent for penning complex villains.” (A.V. Club)

"Even higher stakes than its predecessor...thrilling." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“[An] action-packed, breathlessly paced story.” (Booklist, starred review)

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 Kauf - the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison - to 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, Helene - Elias’ former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike. Bound to Marcus' will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own - one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape...and kill them both.

©2016 Sabaa Tahir (P)2016 Listening Library

Critic reviews

Named one of the best books of the year by:

Time

Entertainment Weekly

Buzzfeed

Amazon

PopSugar

Bustle

Paste Magazine

PopCrush

“The stakes here are high and the plot runs like a well-oiled machine, ratcheting up the tension with every chapter.” (NPR.org)

“An adrenaline rush till the very last page.” (Buzzfeed)

“The sequel to Tahir’s bestselling smash An Ember in the Ashes finally comes out in August, and let me tell you, it does not disappoint.” (Book Riot)

Excellent Narration of a great story

The voice actors did a great job bringing a good story to life! Tahir kept the characters challenged and often crushed as they worked toward their goals. There was language and sexual content.

Yes

The narrators were amazing. First book I have heard with more than one Narrator. Made for a very great listen. The story was equally as good.

A Torch

I really cannot wait for the 3rd book to be available. Thank U Sabaa for the gift of these characters!!

Loved it!

I love the way the narrator's bring characters to life! Easy listening and engaging story....

Must Read Sequal

Tahir's writing is amazing when it comes to character development and easily plunging the reader into the action and mayhem of every scene. Helene has her own chapters and now I've grown to love and respect her. She has grown tremendously. There are distinct voices for each character POV. It's very clear to me who these characters are, where they come from, and where they wish to be. Each have their own philosophies, motivations, weaknesses and strengths. It's easy to fall in love with such well developed and admirable characters.

Unlike most YA writers, Tahir does not write forced and unrealistic romances, or neglects world building. And her characters feel real, instead of seemingly perfect. I can't say enough good things about her series. Elias is still my favorite character. I love Helene's plot lines the best since I enjoy chapters on the Empire, but prefer Laia as a character. Overall, I love all three of them and my heart will break if they don't get a happy ending.

Great twists

Would you listen to A Torch Against the Night again? Why?

I would, there was a lot of little plot moves that made the story really interesting.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the Elias' plot line, it was great how he had to deal with his very real guilt and what choices that lead him to make.

Which scene was your favorite?

Towards the end, breaking out of the prison.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

You definitely could listen in one sitting. All the characters have such different story lines that your attention is always grabbed.

Another Point of View Character!

Sabaa Tahir is a gift. The "An Ember in the Ashes" series is easily my favorite discovery of 2018. The world is detailed, the villain awing, the sacrifices heart-wrenching. The new point of view character in "A Torch Against the Night" has become my favorite in the series. There are so many difficult choices the characters have to make, between what is right and what is easy. Read it!


Reaper at the gates has a stunning performance by all three readers. Highly recommend anything read by these three.

#StrongFemaleCharacter #RomanInspired #MagicSystems #FemaleProtagonist #Suspenseful #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

The Best

This has instantly become one of my favorite series. Brilliantly written! It is a must read.

Fantastic book

This book is a wonderful sequel to the first. I enjoyed the characters, the narration, the thrills, the action, the slight romance. The character development is fantastic and I cannot wait for the next book.

Loved it!

I've absolutely loved the first and second book so far! Excellent writing and story telling. I keep recommending it to everyone I know who is into YA fantasy books.