Review: A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3) by Sabaa Tahir

Summary from Goodreads:

The highly anticipated third book in Sabaa Tahir's New York Times bestselling EMBER QUARTET.

Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger.

The Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, is assailed on all sides. Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable, while the Commandant capitalizes on his madness to bolster her own power. As Helene searches for a way to hold back the approaching darkness, her sister's life and the lives of all those in the Empire hang in the balance.

Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. But while hunting for a way to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would aid her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she'd have to fight.


And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that will stop at nothing to ensure Elias's devotion--even at the cost of his humanity.

My Review:


What I Liked:

Characters. I loved going back of these three main characters, the multiple points of views work well in this series. Elias, Laia, and Helene are some of my favorite fantasy characters. They each have their own complete story lines and none of them are boring or disconnected from the main plot. 

Pacing/Length. My favorite thing about this series is how well it flows. The story or writing did not drag like some fantasy does. Plus, I feel that Tahir does a good job of keeping her books short and ends them at the right moments. 

Plot. I had to read recaps from books one and two because I have a horrible memory. But once I did that it was so easy to slip back into the story. I did not see a lot of the twists coming and the intensity of the novel made not want to put it down. 

Writing. I tend to struggle with the names of characters/places but find Tahir's writing style easy to read. It flows well and conveys so much emotion in the short character chapters. 

Action/Plot Twists. I forgot how intense this series is! Tahir does an amazing job building up the emotion and suspense with her writing. I also love how to writes the battles, the pacing is good and they never feel too long. I also did not feel let down by the ending of the fact that there will be a book four. I want more from this world!

I recommend checking out this amazing fantasy series with an intense plot and well-written characters. 

My Rating:

4.5 Stars Out of 5 Stars