I’ve finally finished this series, and I have more emotions than I know what to do with. This is undoubtedly my favorite book in the series, even though (because?) it broke my heart the most. Sabaa Tahir is not afraid to rip my heart out, stomp on it, and then glue it back together. I respect that but also hate it. (Nothing against Sabaa. She’s great. But also, how dare she??)
I read Reaper back in 2018, and looked up a recap of that book before starting this one. It’s a sign of Tahir’s skill that as soon as I started reading, I fell back into the world as if it hadn’t been three years since I did so last. I was sucked into the story immediately, and terrified for all of the characters.
Unexpected things I loved: Helene, Helene and Harper’s relationship, Laia and Helene’s friendship. The theme here is that, despite sometimes wishing her chapters didn’t interrupt me reading about Laia and Elias, the girl really grew on me. I have so much respect for her, even if, at times, I was internally shrieking because she was being so dense regarding her love life. Also, her and Laia bonding over how much men suck was the quality content I didn’t know I needed in my life. Such a small thing, but a great one.
I knew I loved Laia and Elias, but in between Reaper and Sky, I forgot just how much. They caused me SO MUCH PAIN as I was reading this freaking book, I don’t know how to express it all. The romantic tension between these two and Elias’ tendency to nope out of literally every conversation because he couldn’t handle his own feelings… oh my god. I mean, that specific part of Elias did make me giggle occasionally, but for the most part, I was just internally screeching. When she brought him a mango. When he helped her with her hair. SO MUCH SCREECHING. So help my hopeless romantic heart.
Characters aside, the plot was also brilliant. No one ever caught a break. I never knew what was about to happen. Nothing ever felt repetitive, and there were certainly no easy victories. I think Tahir took the story with the jinn in a very clever direction, one I personally didn’t expect. The war certainly didn’t go the way I expected. I was getting closer and closer to the end, and more and more stressed because of how few pages were left and how much was still wrong. I love books that scare me that way. I’m only being a little bit sarcastic. :)
As for the ending… So much heartbreak. So much pain. But a surprise came in and sort of saved the day, a little bit, so not everything was awful. The last couple of chapters actually had quite a few happy moments, including for Laia and Elias, and if not for the fact that it was after 2 in the morning and I share a small apartment with my family and didn’t want to wake anyone up, who knows how loudly I would’ve squealed. Internally, I was squealing very loudly. The last couple of pages fixed my broken heart with their Elaia content. I’m choosing to focus on that more than… other things.
This review is a mess because I finished the book at nearly 3 in the morning and now it’s 4 a.m. and I’m also a mess. But it’s definitely honest, and even though I seriously did ramble, it got my point across. I loved this book so much, despite the emotional turmoil I experienced while reading. Like I said, it’s my favorite in the series, followed by Torch, then Reaper, then Ember. I think. It’s been a hot minute since I read the first three, but anyway. The whole series is spectacular, and I can’t wait to read more from Sabaa Tahir. 🖤
Representation
-protagonist, love interest, and side characters of color
Content Warning: blood/gore, body horror, violence, death/murder, war, genocide, grief, sexism, mentions of parent/family death and slavery
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From the Publisher
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| Heir | An Ember in the Ashes | A Torch Against the Night | A Reaper at the Gates | A Sky Beyond the Storm | All My Rage | |
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| Price | $21.99 | $8.97 | $10.39 | $9.29 | $11.39 | $9.79 |
| Read more by Sabaa Tahir | An Ember in the Ashes book #1 | An Ember in the Ashes book #2 | An Ember in the Ashes book #3 | An Ember in the Ashes book #4 | ||
| Prepare for the action-packed, ruthless, and romantic new fantasy from the #1 New York Times bestselling and National Book Award winning author Sabaa Tahir about love, legacy, and vengeance. | Set in a rich, high-fantasy world inspired by ancient Rome, Laia is a slave fighting for her family, and Elias is a young soldier fighting for his freedom. | After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire. | Beyond the Martial Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger. | Prepare for the jaw-dropping finale and discover: Who will survive the storm? | From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir comes a brilliant, unforgettable, and heart-wrenching contemporary novel about family and forgiveness, love and loss, in a sweeping story that crosses generations and continents. |
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Reviews with images
Review - A Sky Beyond the Storm
Initial ThoughtsAs mentioned in my review of Reaper, I finished book 3 and waited approximately 30 minutes for the release of book 4. If I had waited 18 months, I’d have lost my mind.Some Things I LikedEmifal Firdaant. I can’t even tell you how much I cried when I read this. I won’t say much more because it’s a little spoiler-y but, every time this came up, I cried.HARPER. Didn’t think I could fall in love with a fictional character any more than I fell for him in Reaper, but Sabaa Tahir did it again. Harper was everything I wanted for Helene and he was the most incredible side character. I especially loved the Musa moment with Harper and Elias. It was very Rowan from TOG.Closure. This book gave me what I wanted. An ending that I was satisfied with but long for more of. I’d keep reading about these characters any day of the week, but I loved the way everything tied up. It wasn’t neat, it wasn’t perfect, but it was right.My forever buddy reader @lianne_the_bibliophile pointed out something to me that I just absolutely loved:An Ember in the Ashes = LaiaA Torch Against the Night = HeleneA Reaper at the Gates = EliasA Sky Beyond the Storm was the conclusion they all deserved. Sabaa Tahir did these incredible characters justice with this ending.Favorite Quotes“You are a torch against the night – if you dare to let yourself burn.”“Emifal Firdaant.”Series ValueI would reread this series a million times over. I’m obsessed. What’s more, I would read any and all sequels, spinoffs, side stories, novellas, whatever, that Sabaa Tahir wants to write in this world or about these characters.Final ThoughtsI don’t think I’ve cried this much while reading a book since I read Kingdom of Ash last year. Sabaa Tahir tore my heart out, stomped on it, put it back, and left a smiley face bandaid over it. This was by far the best series I read all year. I have a feeling no series will top this for a long while.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Recommendations for Further ReadingDark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen – if you enjoyed the legion and Roman inspiration in this series as well as the multiple POVs, try this series. Book 3 as well as a prequel novella are set to come out early in 2021.Caraval by Stephanie Garber – this seems like a crazy recommendation but hear me out. The lush righting and heartbreaking moments I lived for in Ember are all over the Caraval series. If you enjoyed the drama and twists, try this series.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2021
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2020
Initial Thoughts
As mentioned in my review of Reaper, I finished book 3 and waited approximately 30 minutes for the release of book 4. If I had waited 18 months, I’d have lost my mind.
Some Things I Liked
Emifal Firdaant. I can’t even tell you how much I cried when I read this. I won’t say much more because it’s a little spoiler-y but, every time this came up, I cried.
HARPER. Didn’t think I could fall in love with a fictional character any more than I fell for him in Reaper, but Sabaa Tahir did it again. Harper was everything I wanted for Helene and he was the most incredible side character. I especially loved the Musa moment with Harper and Elias. It was very Rowan from TOG.
Closure. This book gave me what I wanted. An ending that I was satisfied with but long for more of. I’d keep reading about these characters any day of the week, but I loved the way everything tied up. It wasn’t neat, it wasn’t perfect, but it was right.
My forever buddy reader @lianne_the_bibliophile pointed out something to me that I just absolutely loved:
An Ember in the Ashes = Laia
A Torch Against the Night = Helene
A Reaper at the Gates = Elias
A Sky Beyond the Storm was the conclusion they all deserved. Sabaa Tahir did these incredible characters justice with this ending.
Favorite Quotes
“You are a torch against the night – if you dare to let yourself burn.”
“Emifal Firdaant.”
Series Value
I would reread this series a million times over. I’m obsessed. What’s more, I would read any and all sequels, spinoffs, side stories, novellas, whatever, that Sabaa Tahir wants to write in this world or about these characters.
Final Thoughts
I don’t think I’ve cried this much while reading a book since I read Kingdom of Ash last year. Sabaa Tahir tore my heart out, stomped on it, put it back, and left a smiley face bandaid over it. This was by far the best series I read all year. I have a feeling no series will top this for a long while.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommendations for Further Reading
Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen – if you enjoyed the legion and Roman inspiration in this series as well as the multiple POVs, try this series. Book 3 as well as a prequel novella are set to come out early in 2021.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber – this seems like a crazy recommendation but hear me out. The lush righting and heartbreaking moments I lived for in Ember are all over the Caraval series. If you enjoyed the drama and twists, try this series.
As mentioned in my review of Reaper, I finished book 3 and waited approximately 30 minutes for the release of book 4. If I had waited 18 months, I’d have lost my mind.
Some Things I Liked
Emifal Firdaant. I can’t even tell you how much I cried when I read this. I won’t say much more because it’s a little spoiler-y but, every time this came up, I cried.
HARPER. Didn’t think I could fall in love with a fictional character any more than I fell for him in Reaper, but Sabaa Tahir did it again. Harper was everything I wanted for Helene and he was the most incredible side character. I especially loved the Musa moment with Harper and Elias. It was very Rowan from TOG.
Closure. This book gave me what I wanted. An ending that I was satisfied with but long for more of. I’d keep reading about these characters any day of the week, but I loved the way everything tied up. It wasn’t neat, it wasn’t perfect, but it was right.
My forever buddy reader @lianne_the_bibliophile pointed out something to me that I just absolutely loved:
An Ember in the Ashes = Laia
A Torch Against the Night = Helene
A Reaper at the Gates = Elias
A Sky Beyond the Storm was the conclusion they all deserved. Sabaa Tahir did these incredible characters justice with this ending.
Favorite Quotes
“You are a torch against the night – if you dare to let yourself burn.”
“Emifal Firdaant.”
Series Value
I would reread this series a million times over. I’m obsessed. What’s more, I would read any and all sequels, spinoffs, side stories, novellas, whatever, that Sabaa Tahir wants to write in this world or about these characters.
Final Thoughts
I don’t think I’ve cried this much while reading a book since I read Kingdom of Ash last year. Sabaa Tahir tore my heart out, stomped on it, put it back, and left a smiley face bandaid over it. This was by far the best series I read all year. I have a feeling no series will top this for a long while.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommendations for Further Reading
Dark Shores by Danielle L. Jensen – if you enjoyed the legion and Roman inspiration in this series as well as the multiple POVs, try this series. Book 3 as well as a prequel novella are set to come out early in 2021.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber – this seems like a crazy recommendation but hear me out. The lush righting and heartbreaking moments I lived for in Ember are all over the Caraval series. If you enjoyed the drama and twists, try this series.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2024
Top reviews from other countries
Storm Stroom
Fantastisch op tijd aangekomen
Reviewed in the Netherlands on June 16, 2022
Ilona
Loved it!
Reviewed in Germany on May 26, 2022
Ilona
Reviewed in Germany on May 26, 2022
This is a good series for people that are looking for a fantasy series that has an amazing story line, plot twists, found family, friendship, fighting for what you believe in, strong female MC, a little romance but also darker things that make you angry and sad at the same time.
These books really take you on a journey!
Images in this review
