A Reaper at the Gates Book Review

So I just finished reading A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir! This is the third book in the An Ember in the Ashes series. I read Ember and Torch for the first time this year, and to be honest, I plowed through them so fast that I forgot a lot of what happened before Reaper…oops. But Sabaa Tahir is a writing savior, so thankfully the details in Reaper were enough to catch me up. Anyway, there will be spoilers beyond this point.

SPOILER WARNING….

A Reaper at the Gates was a little slow in the beginning, especially in Elias’s POV, but once it got going…oh my gosh I could not put the book down to save my life. I absolutely loved loved loved Helene’s—excuse me, the Blood Shrike’s—perspective in this book! I think that Helene is quickly becoming my favorite character in this book. She’s so loving and caring about everyone around her, and she’s always strong even when it seems impossible. Throughout the series, Helene has been through so much, emotionally, physically, the girl has seen literally everything, yet she can somehow still fight. And like a true Aquilla, she is loyal to the end. I think another part of The Blood Shrike’s chapters that was so entertaining to read was the politics. I love a good fight scene in a book, and when I was seeing the plot through the Shrike’s eyes, it was always packed full of adrenaline, action, drama, and military strategizing. And oh my gosh, can I just stop and fangirl for a moment…I hardcore ship Helene and Avitas Harper. Despite being a Mask, Harper is literally one of the kindest, gentlest, and caring characters I can imagine. Throughout the book, there were just these little moments that had my brain screaming for the obvious in seconds. I truly appreciate Tahir’s addition of benevolent Martial characters in the book. Prior to Reaper, the story was mainly told in Laia and Elias’s POVs, and both characters, though justly so, had pretty negative opinions on the Masks as a whole. I’m grateful that the Blood Shrike’s perspective can reveal the humanity behind the Mask.

As for Laia, she’s the same fierce, witty fighter that was portrayed in Ember and Torch. Sabaa Tahir really added a whole new dimension to Laia’s story by diving more into her past, her parents’ legacy, her relationship with her brother, and her battle against the Nightbringer. I especially loved Darin’s presence through most of the story. Based on the first book, I already knew that Darin was intelligent and loving, but after his ordeal in Kauf, Reaper really exposes his inner demons and the full capacity of Darin’s talent. It was so captivating to read about Laia and Darin as they battled about values and priorities and struggled with their mother’s legacy as the Lioness, including the rumors surrounding Mirra of Serra (speaking of which, THAT PLOT TWIST THOUGH…WHAT EVEN?!) My reverence for mothers has honestly grown since reading Reaper. All the brave, honorable mother figures in this book; Cook, Livia, Shaeva, Tahir really expresses how much mothers are willing to do and suffer for their children, and it’s one of the best aspects of the book, in my opinion.

To me, Elias’s perspective was…different. I missed Elias’s presence in the rest of the story, and reading his POV always felt so lonely and isolated, probably because he was isolated from his friends and Laia in Reaper. I adored Elias and Shaeva’s friendship, and it was devastating when Shaeva died at the hands of the Nightbringer. Sabaa Tahir did a phenomenal job of bringing out Elias’s torment and struggles with Mauth and his duties as Soul Catcher through the pages of the book. I almost cried when Elias left Laia after seeing her for the last time as himself…it really was a sacrifice that cut to the feels. However, one thing I did love about Elias’s POV was the insight that it provided readers about the background of the jinn and the Nightbringer. It really calls the balance of justice into question, and I have a really big hunch that Elias, or The Soul Catcher, will be a huge part in fighting the Nightbringer and his army/family of jinn. I’m really excited to see how the next branch of An Ember in the Ashes is going to play out, and I can’t wait for the next book.

Anyway, that was my review for An Ember in the Ashes! This series is truly one of my top favorite high fantasies, and if you haven’t read it yet, I’d highly recommend checking it out very, very soon.