A Reaper at the Gates Book Review

I think all of us are aware of the failures of dystopian trilogies: they lag in the middle, we lose sense of the world somewhere in between, and the ending is usually unsatisfying. The occasional hero trilogy will break through, but dystopia is pretty messy. Fantasy is anything but. It combines a world we can escape into with characters we feel intimate connections with. There is no lagging middle, no losing sense of the world, and definitely never a dull moment. Sabaa Tahir is one of the best fantasy writers, as her third novel is a heart-stopping, breath-taking, soul-shaking tribute to humanity, suffering, love, and so much more. With plot twists that will make you gasp and a cliff hanger that leaves you on the edge of your seat, you don't want to miss a single word from A Reaper at the Gates. 

Sabaa Tahir is the #1 New York times bestselling author of An Ember in the Ashes series, which has been translated into over 35 languages. She grew up in California's Mojave Desert at her family's eighteen-room motel. 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. You can find Sabaa at her website SabaaTahir.com or on Twitter @SabaaTahir. Find more of my reviews of Sabaa's works here. 

Helene Aquilla, the Blood Shrike, is desperate to protect her sister's life and the lives of everyone in the Empire. But Emperor Marcus grows increasingly unstable and violent, while Keris Veturia, the ruthless Commandant, capitalizes on the Emperor's madness to grow her own power. Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows that 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 she 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 devotion--even if that means abandoning the woman he loves.

Laia has grown so much as a character over the three books thus far. I still remember when she could hardly look herself in the mirror because of how guilty she was over fleeing from her brother when he needed her. Now, she's just as determined as ever about freedom, and no longer just for Darin, but for the Scholar people. She is so determined to stop the Nightbringer that it almost leads to her death. Her fierce determination and her big heart is what defines her, and why she can be a champion for her people. Tahir, more so than in the first two books, highlights the oppression of the Scholars more so than ever. Laia, battling against not just one, but two prophecies, is battling for people who have been oppressed by the Empire for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Laia has a lot of enemies to battle against, and I can't wait to see how she will face them all. 

Much like Helene's arc in the previous novel, Elias is undergoing a series of de-humaning throughout this novel to tap into a magical source, all to become what Shaeva made him: the Soul Catcher. This plot twist at the end of A Torch Against the Night seriously had me gasping, but it made so much sense. But that didn't mean it wasn't utterly heartbreaking to watch. Laia's and the Blood Shrike's chapters were compelling because of their humanities and how that propelled them, and Elias's were compelling for the opposite reasons. Tahir really taps into human emotions the most with Elias, I think, because it's harder for readers to relate to something that's not human--but with all those feelings driving the writing, that's how Tahir can make Elias's the most heartbreaking. 

Strangely enough, I think the Blood Shrike was one of my favorite characters in the book. After her remaking and her destruction of Helene Aquilla, the Blood Shrike is powerful in her ability to think only about war and deception. And yet she still retains her humanity: her ability to heal, and she uses it multiple times on all different sorts of people. I think the Blood Shrike is the most interesting characters because she is the in-between of Laia and Elias: Elias is no longer really human, and Laia is almost "too-human" if there's such a thing. The Blood Shrike exists in the in-between. Her ability to cast everything but battle out of her mind is a skill, as is her innate need to help those who can't help themselves. I can't wait to see what more comes for her character in the next novel, after her agreement with Laia. 

This quartet has easily become about the entwined fates of Laia, Elias, and Helene, so opening the book to see the first chapter was in the Nightbringer's point of view was shocking. And yet, it set the tone for the whole novel, stating subtly that this is the beginning of the end. Tahir is setting the stage for the big game about to unfold, and that is made clear by the last Nightbringer's chapter. Opening the book in his perspective, I think, gave us insight into what to expect as far as larger forces and suffering and vengeance. But I know that we won't know how it plays out until the very last page in A Sky Beyond the Storm is reached. 

The final installment of the Ember in the Ashes series came out in December 2020. A Sky Beyond the Storm is most likely the last we'll see of Laia of Serra, Elias Veturius, and Helene Aquilla, so you better not miss it! Find my review of Sky here!

*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*