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A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes, #3)

Sabaa Tahir

Start date: June 1, 2023

Finish date: June 30, 2023

Discussion: Book of the Month

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What Members Thought

Sep 24, 2018 TheYALibrarian rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, to-eventually-re-read, strong-female-protagonist

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Rating 5 Stars

Oh boy I purposefully kept this review off for a while since this book was all kinds of crazy and all kinds of awesomeness at the same time.

I have so much love for this series I have been routing for Laia and her brother since the beginning. They had their whole world ripped away from them just because of their class and they have been fighting to save it ever since. Laia herself has grown into quite the badass woman that I can't help but admire. She went through hell and back and Rating 5 Stars

Oh boy I purposefully kept this review off for a while since this book was all kinds of crazy and all kinds of awesomeness at the same time.

I have so much love for this series I have been routing for Laia and her brother since the beginning. They had their whole world ripped away from them just because of their class and they have been fighting to save it ever since. Laia herself has grown into quite the badass woman that I can't help but admire. She went through hell and back and still works tirelessly to stop the genocide against her people called the scholars. She also had to deal with the fact that she fell for a man that ultimately was not what he was and that the man she truly loved sacrificed himself for her. Alot to have weighing down her shoulders but she soldiered on.

The Bloodshrike aka Heleen dealt with her own demons in this book as well. In the last book she had to watch her family get murdered right in front of her while the ruthless, disgusting rapist of a King took her sister as his bride. Now she had to play the loyal servant to a King she despised as he used her sister as a piece of leverage against her. Then there is Keris who has been always lurking in the shadows, ready to shrike since the trials of the masks that determined who would be emperor and who would be he or she's bloodshrike. Her lust for power is great and I learned more details of the horrible evils she inflicted on people, the worst to really hear about being Laia's parents and sister. It was her who caused Marcus to kill Heleen's family and who has been trying to sway all of the paytas to her favor. She's a thorn in the side and it makes her a great villain that I love to hate with all my being.

The politics in this book is far past my comprehension. There is so much detail that Tahir weaved into this world that I would totally forget it was not real. I'm still flabbergasted at how seamless Tahir was able to do this and how she was able to develop the characters smoothly as well is something that should be praised. She should also be praised by giving us reader's some justice to chew on in King Marcus's death and the new beginning of a hopefully better emperor with Marcus and Lydia's child. The commandant is still at large but she at least did not get her hands on the throne. BUT there is also the matter of Elias that is still breaking my heart.

Elias is a character I also loved from the beginning. He was never for the cruelty of the mask and he did everything to protect Laia from the commadant's wrath. He was a offspring of violence but he himself rejected that part of his genetics. I still had hope he would be able to get out of his imprisonment as the new soul catcher but with Shava's death he had no choice but take over her role as soulcatcher. The dijinn hated him for it but he still accepted that he had to give over what made him human to be the proper creature that would help the souls of the dead move on from one world to the next. It's awful to know that he is now truly the soulcatcher and that Elias could be truly lost forever but I'm hoping Tahir has plans to change that I need my Elias with his good looks, compassion, and humility. We never get that in men in YA anymore!! Give me back my Eliass!!!
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*Ahem* anyway it's going to be hard waiting for the next installment as usual but I'm apparently a masochist since this is far from the first time I have had to wait. ...more

20 likes · Like · see review

Aug 11, 2020 Aly rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020, romance, audiobook, ya, 2025, fantasy, april-2025

Okay, what just happened here? I'm listening to this, thinking it's kind of boring (except for Helene's parts) and then the last third of the book sucker punched me! December never seemed so far away...

Helene continues to be the rockstar of this story. She's constantly in this hard spot, trying to save her people, her family, and stop Marcus from going completely insane and kill Keris, who continues to undermine her. I'm so glad Helene found some loyal friends she can rely on, particularly Harpe ...more

16 likes · Like · see review

Jul 27, 2018 Kelechi rated it really liked it

Shelves: magic, romance, paranormal-fantasy, ya, kick-ass-heroine

HELENE DESERVES THE WHOLE WORLD

8 likes · Like · see review

Aug 17, 2020 Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) rated it really liked it

Shelves: all-of-the-feels, great-side-characters, young-adult, 2020, fantastic-hero, completed-series, 4-stars, fantastic-heroine, fantasy, romance

4 stars. That was intense. Such a fantastic installment to the series and is definitely my favorite book of the three so far. I’ve had this book just sitting on my shelf since it came out and I’m glad that I finally picked it up.

There was so much action, so many reveals and twists and turns that I never saw coming. It was a very fun ride. All of the characters go through some fantastic character development, particularly Laia and Helene. I don’t want to say too much because of spoilers, but dam ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Aug 30, 2024 Linda C rated it really liked it

Shelves: paranormal, horror, travel, romance-historical, young-adult, fantasy

The last volume had a surprise revelation that I didn’t see coming but this volume made that a minor revelation. There are several revelations that brought the current situation for many of the players into better perspective. All three of the main characters have lots to suffer through before this book ends. Bloody is an overall description for the action. But even with all the action I felt this book was a long set up for what I hope will be a glorious finish. Elias is in a tug of war emotiona ...more

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