A Torch Against the Night
A Torch Against the Night is a fantasy novel written by Pakistani-American author Sabaa Tahir. It was published on August 30, 2016 by Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Random House.[1][2] It is the second book in the An Ember in the Ashes series, preceded by An Ember in the Ashes and followed by A Reaper at the Gates. The story follows Laia, a former slave; Elias, a former Mask, who are on a mission to save Laia's brother and Helene, the blood shrike; who finds her destiny through torturous events. The novel is narrated in the first-person, alternating between the points of view of Laia, Elias and Helene.
 First edition book cover | |
| Author | Sabaa Tahir |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | An Ember in the Ashes |
| Genre | Young adult, fantasy |
| Publisher | Razorbill |
Publication date | August 30, 2016 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback), audiobook, e-book |
| Pages | 452 |
| ISBN | 978-1-101-99887-8 |
| OCLC | 948088459 |
| LC Class | PZ7.1.T33 To 2016 |
| Preceded by | An Ember in the Ashes |
| Followed by | A Reaper at the Gates |
Plot
Set in a rich, high-fantasy world inspired by ancient Rome, Sabaa Tahir’s AN EMBER IN THE ASHES told the story of Laia, a slave fighting for her family, and Elias, a young soldier fighting for his freedom.
Back for a second book, in A TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT, Elias and Laia find themselves running for their lives.
After the unexpected 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. They face a long serious of challenges, setbacks and hardships but their purposes help the two to continue forward.
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 and victory in the longstanding battle against their slavers, the Martial's'. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom.
But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene; Elias’s former best friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.
Bound to Marcus’s will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own—one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape…and kill them both.
References