Her storyline was laced with politics, bloodshed and mistrust, and the horrors she witnessed forged her into a mighty weapon to shatter her enemies. In the city of Serra, Helene Aquilla finds herself bound to the will of the Empire’s twisted new leader, Marcus. 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. There is nothing, absolutely nothing about him that can be considered unexpected or unpredictable, nothing that isn’t perfectly in line with the type of person it was at the beginning of book one.

A Torch Against the Night picks up right where we left off and, if you enjoyed the first one, it's very easy to be pulled back into the rhythm of the story and world without recapping. 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. Elias - Okay, well, I'm sure you have a good reason for risking both our lives (and countless others) for this mission right? But I liked that instead of drowning in guilt, she turned a critical eye against her actions and learned from them.And I can guarantee that's what is probably going to happen in the third novel, because wheels have been finally been put into motion. In one episode I thought she was nice, in another I thought she was annoying, in another I said to myself "Oh!

If you don't understand what the hell I'm talking about -because I'm a completely complicated person who can't explain herself- I'll explain now. Fellow readers, please, for your own good, go read Kat's, Sarah's, and Nastassya's reviews- I just did it, and I know I will be laughing for hours. Instead of moving along the same plot line, we get multiple new branches, and a lot of magic elements. One thing that you should know going into this series is that the author isn't afraid to kill off characters. Sometimes I cringed at her choices, but given the circumstances, and what she would lose if she failed the horrible emperor she served, I couldn’t help but sympathize with her.In this novel, we really come to know Helene Aquilla, coming into contact with not only her family, but also her most private thoughts. Yet, you cannot help but love her strength as she tries to protect herself, her people, and her family from the antics of a mad Emperor and a cunning, power-hungry Commandant.

While a lot of readers may find her struggles annoying, I found her growth to be realistic; after all, one simply does not transform into a soldier after years of living a sheltered and privileged life. She was so scared of him and was convinced she had to hate him because he was a Mask, but now she knows he is nothing like that and it’s so good! I appreciated this element, however if you prefer a more laid-back sort of pace, then you might not. Other things worth mentioning: the Aquilla family; Avitas Harper (omg you're gonna love him and I hope he plays a bigger part in the following books); KEENAN HOLY SHIT KEENAN; Izzzzzzyyyyyy; COOK; Shaeva (oh, sweetie); Afya, the most badass and honorable Zaldara ever; Elias with children around -- you're not up to it, I'm telling you.Not even his fate at the end of this book could surprise or thrill me, probably because it felt like a random choice. Overall this is a great sequel with a fun adventure but even though this book is thick, I wish we had more Helene. The sequel to the explosive New York Times bestselling debut An Ember in the Ashes, that’s captivated readers worldwide.