A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

Categories Science Fiction & Fantasy
Author Sabaa Tahir
Publisher Razorbill; Reprint edition (September 1, 2020)
Language English
Paperback 480 pages
Item Weight 1.25 pounds
Dimensions
6 x 1.4 x 8.9 inches

I. Book introduction

A Reaper at the Gates is a fantasy novel written by Pakistani-American author Sabaa Tahir. It was published on Jun 12, 2018 by Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Random House. It is the third book in the An Ember in the Ashes series, preceded by A Torch Against the Night and followed by A Sky Beyond the Storm. The story follows Laia, a scholar girl, on a mission to defeat the night bringer; Elias, the current soul catcher, tries to learn the ways of soul catcher and Helene, the blood shrike; tries to defeat the enemies of the empire. The novel is narrated in the first-person, alternating between the points of view of Laia, Elias and Helene.

BOOK THREE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES

“Thrilling and hard to put down, readers will absolutely devour Tahir’s latest.” –BuzzFeed

An Entertainment Weekly Summer Reads pick!

“The perfect summer read.” —The Washington Post

The highly anticipated third book in #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir’s EMBER QUARTET.

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

Helene Aquilla, the Blood Shrike, is desperate to protect her sister’s life and the lives of everyone in the Empire. But she knows that danger lurks on all sides: Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable and violent, while Keris Veturia, the ruthless Commandant, capitalizes on the Emperor’s volatility to grow her own power–regardless of the carnage she leaves in her path.

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 in the hunt to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would help 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 demands his complete surrender–even if that means abandoning the woman he loves.

Editorial Reviews

“The book deftly handles serious issues like the costs of genocide and war. Both action-packed and emotionally engaging, A Reaper at the Gates is the perfect summer read.” —The Washington Post

“Tahir has created another compelling story that defies readers to stop turning the pages.” —Booklist, starred review

“Fans of the series will not want to miss this action-packed installment.” —Bookish

About Sabaa Tahir

Author Sabaa Tahir

Sabaa Tahir is a Pakistani-American young adult novelist best known for her New York Times-bestselling An Ember in the Ashes and its sequels.

– Two of her novels, An Ember in the Ashes and A Torch Against the Night, were listed among Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time in 2020. In 2022, her novel All My Rage won the 2022 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.

– Sabaa Tahir grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s eighteen-room motel. Her parents emigrated from Pakistan to the United Kingdom before moving their family to the United States. She attended UCLA, during which time she interned at The Washington Post. After graduation, she took a job there as a copy editor. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash, and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks, and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.

– For more information, please visit Sabaa at SabaaTahir.com or on Twitter @SabaaTahir.

II. [Reviews] A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

Review A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

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1. EMILY MAY Review A Reaper at the Gates

“There are worse things than death,” I say. “Shall we learn about them together?”

4 1/2 stars. When it comes to heart-racing action scenes, I cannot think of another YA author who does it better than Sabaa Tahir. She plunges you into the chaos almost immediately and once again, for the third book in a row, she keeps the drama and bloodshed coming until the very end.

The ONLY reason I rated this book slightly lower than An Ember in the Ashes and A Torch Against the Night is that I felt like Elias’s perspective didn’t contribute as much to this installment until close to the end, and some of his chapters felt like superfluous filler. But maybe it was that Laia’s and Helene’s (sorry, the Blood Shrike’s) perspectives were just so damn good that Elias’s ghostly wanderings paled in comparison.

If you’ve been enjoying this series up until now, there’s no reason why your love shouldn’t continue on with this book. The stakes keep getting higher and the war keeps getting bigger, leading to the kind of dramatic climax we would expect from this series. The body count is high, the reveals are exciting, and I am even more desperate for the next book than I was for this one.

Just when you think things can’t possibly get any worse in A Reaper at the Gates, the delightfully evil Ms Tahir chuckles maniacally at her keyboard and – you guessed it – things get a whole lot worse.

I will sing you such a story—a story that was long untold. The story of a name and its meaning. Of how that name matters more than any other single word in existence. But I must prepare myself, for such stories are dragons drawn from a deep well in a dark place. Does one summon a dragon? No. One may only invite it and hope it emerges.

I’m not going to say too much about the story in case those reading this review haven’t checked out the first two books yet. But I will say I like how the author created some more depth in a couple of the villainous characters in this book, turning them into fully-fleshed out human beings who are not just mindlessly evil (though they are still despicable). I also find the Nightbringer very interesting and I can’t wait to read more about him.

Overall, it’s a bloody, nasty book in a bloody, nasty series. It’s filled with prophecy, creepy ghosts, and jinn seeking vengeance. There’s romance, but not that much. And it seems to promise some very dark and terrible things to come. I can’t wait!

2. THARINDU DISSANAYAKE Review A Reaper at the Gates

“Ghosts, it turns out, love to gossip.”

I am so relieved! Considering what I had expected based on the first book, the second book -A Torch Against the Night- did not deliver the enjoyment I had hoped for, which left me feeling a little uneasy as to whether or not this series would work out for me. But A Reaper at the Gates fixed all that, bringing me back from the status of ‘undecided’ to ‘likely fan’. I liked this way better than the second!

“Wights”—I raise my eyebrows—“are sweet?”

The main-plot picks up where we left things off with the second one, and the author introduces a Nightbringer’s POV chapter to get things started (which was a nice change). After that, we’re moving with our three POVs, except for the very last chapter where the Nightbringer returns to end things in style. The main complaint I had on this series (putting aside the present tense narrative) was regarding the villains. They were one dimensional – just pure evil. But at last, it has changed. A Reaper at the Gates delivers what I had been expecting from the villains in this series. Sure, there is even more death and destruction, but it is not as pointless as it was with the second one. The plot-lines of the three POVs are equally eventful, but I liked the Blood Shrike’s one best here. And for the first time, it felt that Laia’s thread is the least significant out of the three.

“Love. I sigh. Love is joy coupled with misery, elation bound to despair. It is a fire that beckons me gently and then burns when I get too close. I hate love. I yearn for it. And it drives me mad.”

The pace of the story is also reduced to a much better level with this one. Tahir takes her time building up to the big ending, leaving no stone unturned. There is not lack of twists throughout the book, to keep the suspense in check. She’s also giving more weight toward world building compared to the first two books, which is always nice. Even though I will never become a fan of this first person – present tense narrative, the immersiveness of the main plot made up for it, just like with the first book.

“Life is rarely so simple, Laia.”
“Work with what you have, not what you want.”

For me, A Reaper at the Gates is what brought this series home for me. For a penultimate book, it did everything right, by preparing an excellent atmosphere, while leaving enough room for unpredictable, mysterious possibilities for the final book. I hope the final book will deliver along the same lines, to bring the series to a great ending.

“I wish for you joy and a family that loves you, adventures that shape you, and true friends to have them with.”

The field of battle is my temple. The swordpoint is my priest.
The dance of death is my prayer. The killing blow is my release.

3. RENÉE AHDIEH Review A Reaper at the Gates

RENÉE AHDIEH Review A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

whyyyyy, sabaa, whyyyyyyy???

(aside: mwahahahahahaha)

you know how they tell you that good things come to those who wait? i never bought into this school of thought bc i’m pretty much veruca salt when it comes to books. but, holy hell, is A REAPER AT THE GATES worth it. i was immediately drawn back into this darkly dangerous world and all its amazing characters. each POV is distinct and painstakingly wrought. the action is intense, and the angst made my heart hurt for days afterward. it’s smart, sexy, and gut-wrenching. exactly what you’ve come to expect from the brilliance of sabaa tahir.

all i’m saying is that i need more. now. in veruca salt singing voice: DON’T CARE HOW, I WANT IT NOWWWWWWW.

4. ALANA Review A Reaper at the Gates

It’s amazing how we willingly pay to be traumatized, but honestly I’d do it all over again if I could. I have to say, there is no one in the writing game quite like Sabaa Tahir when it comes to opening up EVERY book with heart-pounding intensity. With that being said I was already terrified to start this book knowing that and also because, let’s face it, Sabaa is also not the kindest to her characters. When I read the first 80 pages of this book I NOPED and put it down so fast not because it wasn’t good, but because things were not going well for the characters and I knew it was about to get SO MUCH WORSE.

Spoiler alert: it did.

After almost a month of a hiatus from this I decided I just needed to rip the bandaid off and get it over with. So despite knowing that my heart was about to get stomped on I willingly dove myself back into the story of Laia, Elias, and Helene for the third time and I was not disappointed. Heartbroken and absolutely terrified for book four? YES. Disappointed? Never. I honestly don’t think there is a word that can accurately describe how afraid I am for book four. I think after this book I may actually like Laia a little bit more. If you know me you know she and I never really connected and forget about me shipping her with Elias. It’ll never happen. But nonetheless, I did find myself feeling something slightly other than nothing for Laia. Helene, on the other hand, oh how my heart bleeds for her. Some things will never change. She is my queen.

Anyway, I really struggle with writing reviews multiple books into a series because just about everything is a spoiler, so I’m going to keep this as simple and as vague as possible. Laia, Helene, and Elias are all doing their own thing. The Commandant is still being a selfish bitch. War is coming. People are dying left and right. Hearts are breaking. Necks are snapping. War is now here. The Nightbringer is trying to wreak havoc on the world. NOTHING IS OKAY. Yep, that’s basically a summary of the book.

Three things I loved most about this book are:

  1. Finding out Cook’s backstory, if you know you’re probably sobbing with me
  2. Helene and Harper’s slow burn romance?!?! SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY
  3. The wild ending battle absolutely annihilated my hopes that this will have a happy ending but ya girl is still trying to gather the pieces of my shattered hopes and dreams. They might be slipping through my fingers, but I’ll never give up on these characters, especially my queen.

Favorite Quotes

“Pain is a choice. Succumb to it and fail. Or defy it and Triumph.”

“Strange how monsters can reach from beyond the grave, as potent in death as they were in life.”

“Mercy, Blood Shrike. That is my order. I do not deserve it. I do not even wish it. But you’ll give it to me anyway. Because you’re good.”

All in all, this book will take your heart on a treacherous journey of emotions and you will never be the same. But you still need this book in your life. If you haven’t started this series I would HIGHLY recommend it and if you have started this series just know I’m sorry and you’ll probably need a large dose of therapy by the time it’s over!

5. AVID READER Review A Reaper at the Gates

I gave this four stars because despite my issues with it which I will explain below, I still think its pretty good writing especially given what’s out there in the fantasy genre these days.

My major issue with this book was that having gone through two whole books already in the series, I was sadly disappointed to see very little growth in the main characters. I will explain below. *Spoiler alert*

Elias: How on earth did Elias justify choosing to give Laia a feel good hug at the cost of letting ghosts escape to wrack havoc and kill so many? I would have thought Shaeva’s death would have taught him a thing or two about the cost of emotional distractions. Reading this book I found myself forgetting that he was a fully trained mask. He often was just getting played by the situation and reacting instead of outplotting his foes.

Blood Shrike: I was disappointed by how she kept insisting on under estimating Keris and making asinine excuses all so that she could keep her hand firmly in the sand when there were so many warning signs that Keris was once again, on the verge of springing a trap. Instead of going into mask mode and thinking like her enemy so as to better anticipate her moves she just kept running around in circles and making the same errors over and over again.

Laia: Ah as for Laia, she really disappointed me. This character had so much potential to grow into a really formidable opponent for the Nightbringer and Keris but she keeps being so foolish and childish. for example going into the Jinn grove despite fully knowing the consequences. Then choosing a very inopportune time to throw a hissy fit at Cook for doing what she had to to save her family from a worse evil.

The only characters who show any growth, cunning or adaptability are the evil ones like Keris and the Nightbringer.

6. PAUL TAPNER Review A Reaper at the Gates

PAUL TAPNER Review A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

Third volume in the series of fantasy novels entitled ‘The Ember Quartet.’

This one is most definitely not a jumping on point, so new readers should go to book one, ‘an ember in the ashes.’

Regular readers, read on.

This volume runs for four hundred and fifty eight pages. It has five parts, and is further divided into fifty eight chapters.

As with previous volumes, it does have a fair bit of violence and some adult stuff, so it’s not really for younger readers.

Picking up from where book two left off, it once again gives us Helene Laia and Elias as viewpoint characters. Each of them narrating alternating chapters in first person present tense. Although two important chapters do give someone else that duty..

Marcus is getting worse by the day. Thus Helene is struggling to hold things together. To keep her sister safe. And to deal with the actions of the commandant. And to stave off some very big threats.

Laia is looking for a way to stop the nightbringer. And has some hard choices to make.

And Elias has to struggle with the role he now has, as a result of the big choice he made. Can he and Laia ever be together again?

There’s no exposition in this to remind you of what came before. So frankly I really struggled a bit to get into this one at first, and it was a while before I got used to the writing style once again, and all the characters and the situation fully came back to me.

But do stick with it. Because steadily, it does get there. it doesn’t really get hold of you till gone sixty pages, and it’s not a book to read fast. It really has to be savoured to get the best from it. As with book two though, it really benefits from Helene being a viewpoint character as well as the other two, because her strand of the story is a really gripping one.

This not being the last book in the series means it does have a fair bit of setting things up to do. And plot details to reveal. But unlike some middle or late series books that have to do that, none of this feels forced, and nothing ni here is a slave to the demands of the plot.

It steadily does get rather epic indeed in terms of action. It does have you wanting to know what is going to happen next. And there are a couple of moments that will really make you gasp.

Big things have happened by the end. And lots is left in the balance as well. It should be a memorable final instalment.

Stick with this because it does become a very good read, and another great entry in a great series.

7. Z.V.ADAMS Review A Reaper at the Gates

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir is the third book in the An Ember in the Ashes series, which is a YA fantasy. Following on from the events of the previous book, war is rising within and beyond the Empire. As Emperor Marcus becomes increasingly unstable, seeing the ghost of his brother, his Blood Shrike, Helene, is trying to keep order, stop the war and protect what remains of her family. Scholar Laia is trying to stop the threat of the Nightbringer, and Elias’ devotion to becoming the Soul Catcher begins to wear at his humanity…

I really enjoyed this! Whilst I did think it was slow to get back into the flow of things, and for me to also remember what happens beforehand, the action is soon amped up. Laia is still continuing to grow as a character, which is wonderful to see. Helene is fast becoming a favourite challenge – the things she has endured over the series in ensuring that duty comes first makes my heart ache, and I’d like her to have a happy ending.

The Nightbringer perspectives were a nice change, and I just can’t hate him, no matter what he has done or will do. I find the real villain to be Keris, the Commandant, the Bitch of Blackcliff – she is on a quest for power and will not stop. The themes of motherhood and love are present throughout and I loved this so much – everyone has different experiences, but they are always there, somewhere, even if they are hidden. There are plenty of plot twists, and I can’t wait to see what will happen in the next book.

8. JAMI Review A Reaper at the Gates

“Curse this world for what it does to the mothers, for what it does to the daughters. Curse it for making us strong through loss and pain, our hearts torn from our chests again and again. Curse it for forcing us to endure.”

Look, I’m gonna do something a bit weird here and start with the negatives I REALLY, really enjoyed reading this book but at the same time I had some niggling little issues that I was waiting for some action on and it never came. I need to talk about them.

this is an excellent series in terms of characters. I love the main characters so much. Sabaa Tahir has meticulously worked on her characters individual arcs. The difference between Helene, Elias and especially Laia from the beginning of the series to where it is not is astounding. The best character work is so subtle you don’t even notice it’s happening and that is what Sabaa Tahir does every. single. time But with that being said, I feel like Sabaa Tahir underused some characters so badly here, and it was extremely disappointing. The climax that A Torch Against the Night ended on, and the anticipation for what she would do with THAT character, was completely killed when that character barely appeared in the book at all. I felt there was so much wasted potential and I was waiting for something that never happened to happen. The lack of payoff and that climax/cliffhanger pretty much going nowhere was so disappointing. A new character who was really interesting was introduced in this book, and I felt not enough was done with him either. On top of that, I really disliked Elias’ story arc and where it’s going. I just can’t get invested in it. But despite my criticisms on character I still really, really loved Laia and Helene’s storylines. I really liked the role Laia has stepped into and the political/military heavy nature of Helene’s story arc.

My other criticism that I want to get out of the way ties into the above and that is the plot had no clear focus for the first half. The characters current motivations were a little bit unclear, and it felt like characters were just running around the Empire with no goals. The initial focus on making Serric steel was thrown completely out the window midway through. I felt I needed to be more grounded in the plot, especially in the middle section which was a little big wandering.

That being said, and that is ALL my negatives, the plot overall was really well constructed. The second half especially was explosive and gripping. Sabaa Tahir nails her endings every single time. There was a lot of things HAPPENING with the plot, which was something I really loved. Even though I felt a bit lost at times, I never felt bored, and in a YA fantasy hitting nearly 500 pages thats so important. I found this one way more entertaining than A Torch Against the Night.

One thing I totally loved about this was how much Sabaa Tahir has increased the scope of her world. we’re taken to so many new places which I totally loved. I also loved the expansion of the politics with The Mariners and the Warlocks starting to play a larger role in the wars. Whilst the first and second book were quite contained, in this book we follow the characters across the span of the Empire with each view point taking place in a completely different location and I loved that.

I also loved how the worldbuilding was expanded and more mythology and information around the mythology was added. I loved that the jinn and other magical creatures are starting to play a much, much larger role.

“Love. I sigh. Love is joy coupled with misery, elation bound to despair. It is a fire that beckons me gently and then burns when I get too close. I hate love. I yearn for it. And it drives me mad.”

I continue to really love this series. Even though I had some issues that stopped me rating it 5 stars, I had so much fun reading this. I adore these characters so much. Laia especially is just incredible. She’s such a freakin badass but she doesn’t have to kickass to be that way. She’s just really emotionally strong and persistent and determined and I think it makes her such an excellent heroine to follow. I think Sabaa Tahir does so many things right. The romance is spot on, the characters ares are perfect and the political intrigue is written perfectly. I cannot wait for the next book in the series, I am sure its going to end me.

tw: marital/spousal abuse, violence, mentions of rape, torture, murder of children

9. LENA Review A Reaper at the Gates

LENA Review A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

I need sleep. Desperately.
……………………..

”Curse this world for what it does to the daughters. Curse it for making us strong through loss and pain, our hearts torn from our chests again and again. Curse it for forcing us to endure.”

8 hours later and I’m still in denial. I mean, what in the hells was that fucking ending???????? Sure, go ahead and rip the very soul from my body, laughing while you do it, won’t you?!

All I can say is that this book and series definitely live up to their hype and I’m not kidding when I say this is probably the best one so far? Laia, Helene and Elias all suffer tremendous losses in this book and they hurt. Oh, they hurt. War is looming in this sequel to A Torch against the Night and our characters are right in the middle of it. We get POV’s from Laia, Helene AKA Blood Shrike and our beloved Elias. From all their thoughts I think I might’ve liked Helene’s the most, with her unwavering loyalty to the Empire, her people and her sister. Am I the only one living for her and Harper’s slow burn love? Plus her chapters were probably the most action packed out of the three. I hated Marcus with everything I had and will never forgive him for what he did to Helene’s family. He’s a little…hmmm, how to put this…unstable in this book, being haunted by his brothers’ ghost and all and I was never able to predict what he’d do next.

That being said, Laia is regretting all that happened with the Nightbringer and is desperately trying to mend things and to prevent him from freeing the jinn. But how dare you do this to me?! I can’t believe it but my love for her is even bigger now after finishing this mountain of a book. Laia was unbelievably stubborn at times and tried everything to save people from an inevitable doom, but still, she kept on going, she kept on fighting.

Elias however, oh my. Where do I even begin? The Waiting Place and the magic within kept tugging at him which resulted in my baby boy being ripped away from essential moments and scenes where Laia really needed him, it was maddening and frustrating. Their forbidden love is what kept me going through moments of pure despair for I am trash for this ship. All in all Elias’s chapters hurt the most and I honestly don’t know what I’ll do when the last book is out. I felt like stomping my feet in frustration reading his chapters, it just isn’t fair to him or anyone and can we please stop trying to rob him of his humanity?!

The fuck am I gonna do now 😭😭😭

10. YUMIKO Review A Reaper at the Gates

I’m sorry, Leigh Bardugo. I really am. But Sabaa Tahir has taken the throne, and she is not stepping down.

That’s right, mortals. Sabaa Tahir is now my favorite author of all my favorite books in the entire world.

There is just so much shit that happens in this book. Good shit. I genuinely don’t know how I’m speaking coherently for this review. It will probably end in gibberish, but honestly, I don’t care. As long as I get my point across.

The writing: The inside of Sabaa Tahir’s mind? It is gold. I have no idea what it looks like, but whatever’s in there, I can rest assured that’s it beautiful. Or tragic. They’re pretty much the same thing. I am just so obsessed with the way she writes. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before, and I don’t know if I’ll ever find anything as good as her work.

The world-building: The world-building is flawless. I have no complaints whatsoever. I love the “ten hells” and “bleeding skies” and all that other bullshit. I love Sabaa Tahir. I love anything and everything she writes. I could never hate it. Never. The world-building really takes you into a different world and allows you to see the ways of the Empire. You also get perspectives from the Scholars and the people in power so you always know what each side is up to, which I thought was beautiful and fascinating.

The plot: There was always some shit going down. Always. Every. Single. Chapter. Literally, as every chapter comes to a close, your heart is beating fast, you’re whispering to yourself oh no, oh shit and your brother is telling you to shut the fuck up. The plot was so amazing. I love the Nightbringer’s plan to destroy the three champions (hate the Nightbringer). His plan is brilliant, but he won’t win. He won’t. (bro i’m wishful thinking so hard rn. NO DEATHS AND NO HEARTBREAKS PLS)

The characters: *gibberish*

Helene Aquilla: The. Love. Of. My. Life. She is my queen. Hands down. Out of all the YA Fantasy books I’ve ever read, this goddess holds my heart. She’s so imperfect and cold and heartless, and I love it. I love Helene so much. She is a role model and she goes through hardships and she shows you how to get past them. I love Inej, but Inej is already strong. She knows her worth and she doesn’t need to fight for her. She hardly has inner turmoil. But I love Helene even more for her inner battles, fighting for respect, and many attempts to best Keris. Because it shows her imperfection and it makes me resonate more with her. I swear no other female protagonist has ever held my heart so deeply. I would die for her.

Laia of Serra: I dare you to say Laia is boring or stupid or scared or whatever the hell you want. I’ve heard so much shit about her and I’m tired of it. Laia is so wonderful and amazing and I love her to death. She has grown so much since AEITA from this scared, powerless girl to one that demands respect and will not cower from someone’s gaze. She is such a beautiful person, I love her so much, and I will never give her up for another human to love.

Elias Veterius: Another character I would die for. He is just the kind of character I love, yet somehow so completely different from any that I’ve ever read about. Strong, intelligent, resilient, kind, hilarious. His personality feels so immensely real, like he’s an actual person.

Harper Avitas: My new book boyfriend. The love of my life. Harper is utter perfection. There is nothing I would change about him. He loves Helene and he deserves her, because he is so imperfectly perfect and I would never give him up for anything. I have high, high hopes for this ship.

This leads me to my next point. The main reason why I love AEITA books is because these fictional characters are cast into a fictional world inside a fictional book and nothing is real. But out of any novel I have ever read, I can feel these characters come alive as if they are real people living inside a real world.

My copy of SKY is literally about to come, and I am just honestly quaking because I 104% know that I’m going to fall in love with it, and that it is going to break my heart. Surprise, surprise, Sabaa Tahir said she loves Reader Tears. Every single person who has ever talked about SKY has said they are empty. I want to know what’s going to happen, but at the same time, I am terrified for my life. I’m ready, but I’m not ready. Elias can die. Laia can die. (I DONT FUCKING MEAN IT, I’M JUST DESPERATE.) But Helene and Harper CANNOT DIE. NO ONE CAN GET THEIR HEARTS BROKEN. PLEASE

III. [Quote] A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

Quotes From A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

The best book quotes from A Reaper at the Gates

“Curse this world for what it does to the mothers, for what it does to the daughters. Curse it for making us strong through loss and pain, our hearts torn from our chests again and again. Curse it for forcing us to endure.”

“Hope is stronger than fear. It is stronger than hate.”

“Skies save me from the men in my life and all the things they think they know.”

“You are my temple. You are my priest. You are my prayer. You are my release.”

“Love. I sigh. Love is joy coupled with misery, elation bound to despair. It is a fire that beckons me gently and then burns when I get too close. I hate love. I yearn for it. And it drives me mad.”

“You are cruel, Elias,” she whispers against my mouth. “To give a girl all she desires only to tear it away.”

“This isn’t the end for us, Laia of Serra.” I cannot give up what we could have. I don’t care what bleeding vow I made. “Do you hear me? This is not our end.”

“You’ve never been a liar.” She dashes her hands against the wetness in her eyes. “Don’t start now.”

“I wonder if my entire life will be a series of moments in which I realize I’m an idiot long after I can actually do anything about it. Will I ever feel like I know what I’m doing?”

“Needing protection is not a weakness. Refusing to trust your allies is.”

“Strange, how silence can speak as loudly as a scream.”

“My song is not one of peace. It is one of failure and pain. My song is one of battle and blood, death and power. It is not the song of Helene Aquilla. It is the song of the Blood Shrike.”

“The stories we tell have power, of course. But the stories that go untold have just as much power.”

“I’m not—” I consider. “Never mind. I am jealous. Tell me he’s old, at least? Or grouchy? Or maybe a bit stupid?” “He’s young. And handsome. And smart.” I snort. “He’s probably rubbish in be—” Laia smacks me on the arm. “Battle,” I say quickly. “I was going to say battle.”

“First you will be unmade. First you will be broken.”

“Strange how monsters can reach from beyond the grave, as potent in death as they were in life.”

“I will find you, Laia. I will find a way. This is not our end.”

“You cannot walk in the shadows as long as I have and not become one.”

“I have survived this feeling before, and I will survive it again. In this fiery hellscape of a world, this mess of blood and madness, justice exists only for those who take it. I’ll be damned if I’m not one of them.”

“Everyone believes that nothing concerns them until the monsters are knocking on their doors!”

“There is a price for greed and violence. We do not always know who will pay it. But for good or ill, it will be paid.”

“The ocean waves thunder on, and it is man who must swim amongst them. The wind blows, cold and brittle, and it is man who must protect against it. The earth shakes and cracks, swallows and destroys, but it is man who must walk upon it. So it is with death. I cannot surrender.”

“You are young to stand so deeply in the shadow.”

“We are, all of us, just visitors in each other’s lives.”

“The truth is ugly,”

“I wonder if my entire life will be a series of moments in which I realize I’m an idiot long after I can actually do anything about it.”

“Because I know this feeling sweeping through me all too well, the feeling that all my effort, all I have worked for, means nothing. That everything and everyone is a lie. That all is cruel and unforgiving and that there is no justice.”

“Everyone believes that nothing concerns them until the monsters are knocking on their doors!” She winces at my shriek, but I do not care. “Until they are burning down your homes and destroying your lives and killing your families!”

“The freedom of this place, the ease of it—it feels like none of it is for me or my people. All this belongs to others, to those who do not abide at the crossroads of uncertainty and despair. It belongs to people so used to living free that they cannot imagine a world in which they are not.”

“Remember that fate is never what we think it will be.”

“Love cannot live here.”

“wonder what he has become in the months we’ve been apart. Has he changed? Is he eating? Taking care of himself? Skies, I hope he has not grown a beard. I hated his beard.”

“You humans give your loyalty so willingly for just a little hope.”

“There is success,” I say. “And there is failure. The land in between is for those too weak to live. Duty first, unto death.”

“The Tribespeople say that the heavens live under the feet of the mother,” he says. “So great is their sacrifice. And indeed no one suffers in war more than the mother. This war will be no different.”

“But I must prepare myself, for such stories are dragons drawn from a deep well in a dark place. Does one summon a dragon? No. One may only invite it and hope it emerges.”

“The permanence of death will always feel like a betrayal”

An Ember In The Ashes (4 book series)

Book excerpts: A Reaper at the Gates By Sabaa Tahir

Part I THE KING OF NO NAME

I: The Nightbringer

The nightbringer 1 - A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

The nightbringer 2 - A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

The nightbringer 3 - A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

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An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes is a fantasy novel written by Pakistani-American author Sabaa Tahir. It was published on April 28, 2015 by Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Random House. It is the first book in the An Ember in the Ashes series, followed by A Torch Against the Night.

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