Review: A Torch Against the Night

Ember Quartet Book #2 proved to be just as much of a page-turner as its predecessor, however I didn't enjoy it quite as much. Laia and Elias work their way toward Kauf prison to rescue Laia's brother Darin with the help of tribal connections Elias made as a child. In the meantime, Helene struggles to establish her authority as the new Blood Shrike and come to terms with a very difficult choice: hunt down and kill her childhood friend, or let her family suffer the new emperor's wrath.

The chapter-by-chapter flipping of POVs continues to be a bit disorienting for me, largely because the chapters are fairly short, so the switches are frequent. Probably doesn't bother many people, but it breaks the immersion for me when I have to realign myself with whomever the new chapter is being told through every 10 pages or so. A minor complaint, but relevant to my enjoyment so I'll include it in my review.

Once again, Sabaa's prose keeps me engaged and hungry for more, moving the story along even if it seems to meander a bit. Lots of world-building/scene-setting in

this book, which I don't usually mind. Even here, it was interesting enough to keep me reading, even if some of the directions the story took were...strange... Cohesive for the most part, but one major development involving Elias and the Forest seemed sideways. I guess he was too strong a character and needed a handicap? I don't know.

If I sound disinterested, it's because I left this one feeling a bit lukewarm. A large part of that was Laia's obnoxious flip-flopping between Keenan and Elias. She doesn't seem capable of identifying what (or who) she actually wants, and it grated on me pretty hard throughout the first half of this book. I still don't like her much.

Elias and Helene, on the other hand, I enjoyed quite a bit. Elias eventually takes matters into his own hands and sets off on his own to try and reach Darin before the Martials purge the Scholar population of the prison. Did I mention genocide is a big part of this book? Hard-core, merciless, cultural genocide, folks. Though the MCs only brush against the fringes of it, Sabaa still describes it in unflinching terms. When Elias reaches the prison, he witnesses these atrocities up close, along with all the 'ordinary' terrible goings-on inside that have been occurring since he was stationed there as a child (and long before). It's Sabaa's unapologetic approach to these difficult topics is part of what keeps me coming back.

While Elias tries to infiltrate the prison and Laia is off making doe-eyes at Keenan and stumbling along toward Kauf, Helene is fighting an impossible battle of her own. Her family's very lives are at risk if she doesn't deliver Elias to the emperor for execution, and the Commandant has a spy in her ranks. While she works on tracking down the man she loves, she must decide what to do with him once she finds him. I really liked how much we got to see of Helene in this book, and her chapters were right up there with Elias' on my favorites. And the ending. Ugh. My heart bleeds for you, Helene...

I'm already well into Book #3, so hopefully I'll have a review for that in the next week or so.