Read for: Audio Challenge and I love this series so far!
Synopsis: "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’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.
Bound to Marcus’s 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."
My Review: As soon as I finished An Ember in the Ashes, I knew I had to read this one too. I really love the audio book versions of both these books, with a cast of narrators, one for each point of view, it really helps distinguish them and draws you into the story. And boy did I get drawn into this story, I think the audio book is 15 hours long and it certainly seemed to fly by far to quickly. I enjoyed how the story developed from where it left off in the first book and while there wasn't constant action, the storyline kept moving at a steady pace. I also really liked the addition of Helene's viewpoint because I wasn't a fan of hers in the first book. Sabaa Tahir also did not pull any of her punches and threw some twists into the story that leave you gasping, some with joy some with pain. Elias still remained one of my favorite characters, though the way his character developed wasn't what I had hoped to see. I was also worried that the romance element hinted at in the first book was going to overtake the plot line as it does so often in these YA books, but I was thrilled to see that it really took a back seat and I really like how Tahir handled the love triangle that developed. All in all if you love fantasy, you really need to check out these books, but it might just kill us all waiting for the next book that isn't due for release until 2018!
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’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.
Bound to Marcus’s 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."
My Review: As soon as I finished An Ember in the Ashes, I knew I had to read this one too. I really love the audio book versions of both these books, with a cast of narrators, one for each point of view, it really helps distinguish them and draws you into the story. And boy did I get drawn into this story, I think the audio book is 15 hours long and it certainly seemed to fly by far to quickly. I enjoyed how the story developed from where it left off in the first book and while there wasn't constant action, the storyline kept moving at a steady pace. I also really liked the addition of Helene's viewpoint because I wasn't a fan of hers in the first book. Sabaa Tahir also did not pull any of her punches and threw some twists into the story that leave you gasping, some with joy some with pain. Elias still remained one of my favorite characters, though the way his character developed wasn't what I had hoped to see. I was also worried that the romance element hinted at in the first book was going to overtake the plot line as it does so often in these YA books, but I was thrilled to see that it really took a back seat and I really like how Tahir handled the love triangle that developed. All in all if you love fantasy, you really need to check out these books, but it might just kill us all waiting for the next book that isn't due for release until 2018!
My Rating: I really loved this book, I don't think it was better than the first but definitely on an equal level! I highly recommend the audio version of this book (though I will be obtaining a print copy to grace my shelves as well). I give it a rating of Four Paws and a Stump Wag!
This is one of those series I'm going to get peer pressured into reading for sure. Maybe I'll wait till the third book is out though.
ReplyDeleteHaha probably, that is the reason I finally started it (that and the pretty covers). For a high fantasy series they read rather quickly and the world building is so well done and integrated into the story you don't get that info dump we all dislike. I highly recommend the audio books though, the cast of narrators is awesome!
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