Sabaa Tahir

Prepare for the jaw-dropping finale of Sabaa Tahir's beloved New York Times bestselling An Ember in the Ashes fantasy series, and discover: Who will survive the storm?

A Sky Beyond the Storm (Ember Quartet, Book 4)

A Sky Beyond the Storm

Ally

...even though he is a Martial and a Mask to boot, he could be an ally.

I nod to my hands and, very slowly, spell out my question. Have you ever broken free?

For nearly a minute, hedoes not so much as twitch. Then he nods, once.

But the jinn turns, eyes on the Mask as if sensing his internal rebellion. She narrows her eyes and he jerks his head forward like a puppet, lips sealed tight.

Fear is only your enemy if you allow it to be.

Elias takes a step back. "The voices in your head, Laia. Beware of it. Such creatures are never quite what they seem."

Stay with me, I think. Stay with me so I can remind you of who you used to be.

I chant the word to the throb of Elias's heartbeat. The rhythmic thud is a reminder that despite his vow and his magic, his detachment and his distance, he is still human.

"Neither do you." Elias's words make me shudder, for they are delivered in the flat, cold voice of the Soul Catcher. Of a Mask. "Leave."

The darkness can feel like an enemy. Let it be a friend instead.

Breathe in. Let the air nourish you. Breathe out. Expell your fears.

"Why did I have to fall in love with a vengeance-obsessed fire creature, and then with a noble idiot who, who-"

Who gave up his freedom and future so Darin and I could live. Who chained himself to an eternity alone because of a vow he made.

Angelica brown

Laia sighs. "Men are a terrible waste of air." "Utter garbage," I agree. "Useless rubbish,' she adds, grinning.

Ember Quartet (4)

A Sky Beyond The Storm

Oona Walraet

But as the days turned into weeks and months, I grew accustomed to the pain- the same way I learned to live with the scars on my face. And instead of hating my heart, I began to marvel at its strength, at the fact that is tuds on insistently. I am here, it seems to say. For we are not done, Helene. We must live.

'Haven't you learned?' I say. 'You don't get to decide if you deserve my love or not. I decide that. You are worthy of my love. You are worthy of the love Mamie has for you, and the love the bloodshrike feels. You've done terrible things? So have I. We were born into war, Elias. It is all we've known. You're mistakes only define the rest of your life if you let them. Don't let them.'

'I have defied him and survived him again and again. He has tried to hurt me. But I will not alow myself to be hurt. He has tried to break me. But I will not alow myself to be broken. And I will not be dictated to by a man so afraid to fight the jinn that he must criticize a woman to make himself feel bigger.'

'You are broken. But it is the broken things that are the sharpest. The deadliest. It is the broken things that are the most unexpected and the most underestimated.'

For me, Elias, desire is not simple. It is not shelter. It is not warmth. It is a fire that offers no light, only heat, ruinous and consuming. The longer you deny it, the hotter it burns. You forget shelter. You forget warmth. There is only that which you want and cannot have, and the desolation that follows.

The world's not only full of bad things, you know.

Gabi🌸🌷

Volio bih imati tisuću života jer bih se onda tisuću puta zaljubio u tebe. Ali ako imamo samo ovaj život i ako ću ga dijeliti s tobom, onda više nikad neću poželjeti nešto drugo.

Svoje srce više nisam mrzila - počela sam se čuditi njegovoj snazi i spoznaji da ono uporno kuca. ( Nismo još gotovi Helena. Moramo živjeti. )

Obitelj ti može nanjeti bol, obitelj može pogriješiti, no ona ti nikad nije na teret. Nikad.

Patnja je čaša iz koje oboje piju. To je jezik kojim oboje govore. To je oružje kojim oboje sijeku.

Kimmy Hobden

“I wish I could live a thousand lives, so I could fall in love with you a thousand times,” he says. “But if all we get is this one, and I share it with you, then I will never want for anything.” 

Dinah De Vries

"'Suffering is the cup from which they both drink.' I quote Talis as I meet my father's gaze. 'It is the language they both speak. And it is the weapon they both wield.'" 

couldn’t rate it past 3 stars. what an ass ending. and sure, somehow everyone managed to live except avitas and all of helene’s family. what kind a sick ass world she lived in

all that world building just to have it turned out to be a fucking mess of supernatural fantasy

hana

couldn’t rate it past 3 stars. what an ass ending. and sure, somehow everyone managed to live except avitas and all of helene’s family. what kind a sick ass world she lived in

all that world building just to have it turned out to be a fucking mess of supernatural fantasy

Prepare for the jaw-dropping finale of Sabaa Tahir's beloved New York Times bestselling An Ember in the Ashes fantasy series, and discover: Who will survive the storm? Picking up just a few months after A Reaper at the Gates left off... The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning. By his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family. Laia of Serra, now allied with the Blood Shrike, struggles to recover from the loss of the two people most important to her. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory--or to an unimaginable doom. And deep in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher seeks only to forget the life--and love--he left behind. Yet doing so means ignoring the trail of murder left by the Nightbringer and his jinn. To uphold his oath and protect the human world from the supernatural, the Soul Catcher must look beyond the borders of his own land. He must take on a mission that could save--or destroy--all that he knows.

loisesya

I knew it would go there and it kinda ruined

Annabella

myra musick

A ​Sky Beyond the Storm

Ashley Wendt

And that is how you end a series! Perfection. That was an incredible ending with such an important message of holding onto anger & grief & resentment and persecuting the present for the sins of the past. Wow! This was such a journey and one that was so fulfilling to the end.

Sky Beyond the Storm

Savannah Winchell

I think what bothered me most is how close to great it kept coming only to get yanked in another direction again and again

catia

“I wish I could live a thousand lives so I could fall in love with you a thousand times,”

I don't have enough words to explain how much I loved this series! A masterpiece, A MASTERPICE I SAY!!

This book kept me on my toes and got me so emotional, I could only cry towards the final chapters. I love it so much and this story will stay with me.

If I had one word to describe this book, it would be: restless. By the time you’ve made to this book, you’re bruised and battered but we got one more fight left. Sabaa has left mercy behind, but despite this I was satisfied with the book (well mostly but I’ll leave that part to the spoilers down). 

My greatest satisfaction comes from the culmination of every revelation and plot line being resolved. Not a single side character or side plot is left behind. There are even things bought up from the very first book that proves a major significance to current events going on in this book. She really is a master when it comes to writing.

I’m breathless by the end of point and in an emotional upheaval that was good? The best fantasies leave you feeling all kinds of emotions, and a yearning to the characters and/or world. 

Do I recommend? I haven’t fully escaped into a high fantasy completely in a long time, what an addictive series this was. Highly highly recommend! 

Jawahir M

If I had one word to describe this book, it would be: restless. By the time you’ve made to this book, you’re bruised and battered but we got one more fight left. Sabaa has left mercy behind, but despite this I was satisfied with the book (well mostly but I’ll leave that part to the spoilers down). 

My greatest satisfaction comes from the culmination of every revelation and plot line being resolved. Not a single side character or side plot is left behind. There are even things bought up from the very first book that proves a major significance to current events going on in this book. She really is a master when it comes to writing.

I’m breathless by the end of point and in an emotional upheaval that was good? The best fantasies leave you feeling all kinds of emotions, and a yearning to the characters and/or world. 

Do I recommend? I haven’t fully escaped into a high fantasy completely in a long time, what an addictive series this was. Highly highly recommend! 



mrs sabaa tahir, you will always be famous!

this is easily the best and most solid ya fantasy series and it did it while being hopeful and not grimdark. what a concept, what a talent!

Juliette Fontaine 

The world building is one of the best I've ever read. The stories of the different characters overlap, and yet are never confusing. The magic is simple and anchored in the history of the land, so it doesn't seem like it's popping out out of nowhere. The strong female characters are far from cliché, they are perfect villains and imperfect heros.
I have stayed up all night reading this series, I recommend it to avid readers of intricate fantasy novels

Flavia Louise

Did some of this fly over my head? Yes.
Did I still like it? Also yes.

Ipshita Kanungo

Ok so...i had expectations. It didn't meet it.
First off, it's this book with 72 chapters, and some of the details are like so unnecessary like I get it it's fantasy but like why so much? It was too much detailed for my taste like some stories and anecdotes in it were just so not needed. Then she killed of a character whose death was like totally unnecessary like I get it it's a war, you can't decide who dies but this one??? Like it didn't even contribute to shock factor like i wasn't sad like i was when fred died in HP i was plain angry. Even after so many unnecessary killings the book ended in a cliche note. It bored me, tbh. I even skipped some of the parts. It wasn't worth so much time but..well it had its moment but still.

Joel J Hamill

Addison Miller

Helene deserved better, and I'll leave it at that.

Vera Sokolyanskaya

I have feelings about this series and the final book was no exception. I'm a fan of the series, I've been following it since 2016 and I've re-read first three books before the final book came out. I even read A Thief Among the Trees: An Ember in the Ashes Graphic Novel this summer (and there was one whole reference to it in the book!)
I'm also a fan of Sabaa Tahir - I follow her on Instagram and I love how she interacts with readers and shares insights into her writing and editing process. I also have great respect for her as a person and I also like her sense of humour. 

This book is a satisfying conclusion to the series. It's not a perfect book (slow part in the middle, I'm looking at you) but it ties up all the storylines and it gives all characters an ending and a new beginning. Not all characters survived the series and as much as some of the deaths broke my heart (view spoiler)[( Harper, I had a suspicion you're not going to survive this war since book three but it still hurt) (hide spoiler)], I actually prefer characters dying when there is a war, it verifies that the stakes are high and there is a cost to it.

There are so many things I like about the series:
 - World building and Magic. We have discovered something new about the world in every book, I loved that we learned more and more about the history of the world, its magical creatures, their motivation and relationship, its artefacts, its countries and nations.
 - Character development. Laia, Elias, Helene went through exceptional character development journeys.
 - Great villains. Both Commandant and Nightbringer had thrilling story arches and we kept learning about their background stories. Commandant is probably the most hateable book villain I have ever met.
 - The way this fictional story is rooted in reality: empires, immigrants, wars, world division, politics, feminism.
 - How it all ties together. A lot of times when I'm finishing a series I feel like the author lost control of the story and the last book can be described as "random shot happening", this is not the case here. Sabaa laid ground for all the endings in the previous books and even though I can't say any of the outcomes surprised me ((view spoiler)[with the exception of Mirra's surprise return (hide spoiler)]), I see this as a good thing - it means that the author has built up to the ending. 
 - And in the end - it's a book about love and belonging. Very simple but makes me cry all the time.

I can't wait to see what Sabaa Tahir does next!

Sahi K

This was a spectacular finale but I’m gonna need some time to gather my thoughts and write a review.

Tatiana 

How far is too far when you are suffering?

POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1 + 2 + 3

Picking up just a few months after A Reaper at the Gates left off... The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning. At his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family. Laia of Serra, now allied with the Blood Shrike, struggles to recover from the loss of the two people most important to her. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory--or to an unimaginable doom. And deep in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher seeks only to forget the life--and love--he left behind. Yet doing so means ignoring the trail of murder left by the Nightbringer and his jinn. To uphold his oath and protect the human world from the supernatural, the Soul Catcher must look beyond the borders of his own land. He must take on a mission that could save--or destroy--all that he knows.

Let’s talk about the series. I finished it earlier today, and I’m ready to talk about it. 

This is going to be a bit of a quicker review, but I want to go into a bit more depth than before. 

This series, it came into my life at the right time. It really sucked me in with it’s amazing world building, incredible characters, and epic fights. When you know it’s the right time, this series is a perfect read. 

I’ve waited a long time to read these books. I’ve had them on my shelf for over a year now, and even though I regret I didn’t read it earlier, I’m glad I read them when I did. 

Something I love about this series is the topic and pain and suffering and sorrow and hope and kindness. I love how the author, even with such suffering in the world, made there be so much happiness and hope. I love how the little happy moments were emphasized, because that’s what should be the focus. You could feel the sorrow and suffering throughout everything, even at the end, but you could also feel that people were slowly making peace. 

I did not cry, like many people did, over this book. Even so, this book really left a mark on me. The pain and suffering and everything about it just stayed with me, even when I finished. They gave up everything for the world. 

I really am trying to explain my feelings, but this book… 

CHARACTERS (let’s focus)
Laia - character development was incredible shes so cool. The ending was perfect. 

Elias - sweet as ever 🥺🥺🥺. Also he and Laia are perfect together. 

Helene - MY GODDESS WE PRAY TO YOU. I LOVE YOU. BEST CHARACTER EVER. 

I’m so glad I didn’t give up after the first book, and I’m really proud of myself for knocking another series off my TBR. 

I think that’s really all that I have to say about this book. Special thanks to the two people who pushed me to read it (you know who you are 👀) I’m so glad you did. 

Rebecca Laparra

A perfect ending to a stunning story. This series will long be one of my favorites. Well done, Sabaa. I’ve cried all the tears.

Megan Dent

** spoiler alert **
           I REALLY REALLY wanted to love this one just as much as the others. It was a great book, and I have given it 4 stars because I did enjoy the complex ending to the story.

HOWEVER - I must admit, I have a few bones to pick.

I'm not sure why the voice actor for Elias changed for this last book. I don't know what happened to Jack Farrar, because I can't find him anywhere on the internet, so I'm not exactly sure why he was not on the voice acting cast for the last book in the series. Don't get me wrong, Joe Gaminara did an amazing job, but there was a very high standard set by Jack. Having listened to the entire series on audio book, it totally broke the flow of the narrative having a very different voice for Elias. It took me a full ten minutes to understand that the voice actor had changed and it completely ruined my immersion. I also believe at times Elias sounded too hopeful/joyful for the events that were taking place in his life, what is perhaps supposed to be the peak of his suffering, making me miss Jack Farrar's gravelly performance of Elias in the previous books.

My immersion was also broken at a later point in the book. When Helene and Harper are in battle together, and she panics when she thinks she sees him fall, it is absolutely ruined by Helene's proclamation of her love for Harper. It was evident in her panic and fear when he disappears mid-battle, and in the later scene when she sees him in a hallway and her heart starts pounding like crazy, that she loves Harper. It really ruined the mood when she said something akin to 'That was when I realised I was absolutely and irrevocably in love with Harper'. Yuck!! Definitely did not need that and I know Sabaa Tahir can write so much better than this!

Candyce Kirk

Anya Poppy Hartwig

This was the most beautiful ending to a series I have ever read. Proceed with caution is my advice: it broke my heart and put it back together over and over, for every victory there was downfall, for every survival there was death. Each character was beloved by suffering and pain in their own ways. Each changed throughout the story,  some from a woman unwilling to admit she was afraid, some from a girl who was. Some from a boy who loathed his life, from twins who didn’t until they lost everything. Besides the character development, the writing flowed without interruption, and the split viewpoints were written with expert precision, thought and consideration. From a girl who had never before cried over a book to future unknowing readers, be warned, but also know that whatever pain this puts you through - I’ll give you my therapist’s number ;)

But also enjoy it while it lasts it’s by far my favourite quartet and perhaps my favourite series overall. 

A Sky Beyond the Storm (Ember Quartet, Book 4)

Reviews

Highlights