I’m finally picking up this series again after reading the first two books a few months ago. Being back in the world of the An Ember in the Ashes series was a lot of fun.
So without further ado, let’s get into my spoiler-free review of A Reaper at the Gates.
Book: A Reaper at the Gates
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Genre: YA Fantasy
“My song is not one of peace. It is one of failure and pain. My song is one of battle and blood, death and power. It is not the song of Helene Aquilla. It is the song of the Blood Shrike.”
A Reaper at the Gates is the third book in the An Ember in the Ashes series, set in an Ancient-Rome-like world. Check out my review of book 1, An Ember in the Ashes, and book 2, A Torch Against the Night.
Warning: spoilers for books 1 and 2
The Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, wants to protect her sister and the people of the Empire, but between the unstable Emperor and the ruthless Commandant, the task becomes increasingly difficult, especially when the Empire’s enemies start closing in.
Laia of Serra has finally freed her brother from prison, but her struggles are far from over. In order to take down the Nightbringer, she’ll have to decide if she can be the leader her people need.
Elias Veturius has vowed to become the next Soul Catcher, the person who moves spirits on to the afterlife. But to do that, he must decide if he can leave behind his previous life and the people he loves.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
A Reaper at the Gates – My Review
Overall, I liked this book more than the second one and probably just as much as the first one. The pacing was great. The plot was thrilling. I liked the new characters who were introduced (especially Musa), and the existing characters went on interesting journeys and developed in exciting ways.
While Elias was my favorite character in books 1 and 2, the Blood Shrike has taken over the position. I love Helene so much! Every time I came to a chapter in her POV, I got so excited. I loved seeing her trying to take down the Commandant and grow wiser in her role as the Blood Shrike. In book 2, she stumbled in her new position, but, though she still has more to learn, she has more confidence in her role in this book. Her arc was excellent, and I can’t wait to see her grow more.
I also love Harper and how he’s always there for Helene. He’s so steady and wise, which is exactly what Helene needs. If he turns out to be in league with the Commandant, I will riot.
Elias’ journey in this book is so tragic yet so compelling. I loved watching him struggle with his humanity, which is very on theme for him. In book 1, he couldn’t imagine being a Mask any longer because of his humanity. In A Reaper at the Gates, he revisits this struggle but there’s a new twist. I have high hopes for where his character will go in the final book; I hope I’m not disappointed.
Laia’s story was less compelling for me in this book. In the first part of the story, I found myself a bit disappointed when I reached the chapters in her POV. However, once a certain thing relating to her character was revealed, I was much more interested. I also enjoyed seeing her trying to decide what kind of leader to be, and I’m glad she and Darin got to spend some time together.
I wish the story could have seen our 3 main characters interact with each other more; however, even with few interactions, their stories never felt lacking or disconnected.
It seems like we’re going to learn more about the Commandant in the final book, which I am so excited about. Some of what we’ve learned explains why she is the way she is, but not fully. I want to know everything.
The Nightbringer is another fascinating character, and I’m excited to see more of him in the final book.
I continue to be impressed with the world Tahir has created. This book reveals even more about the past, particularly the Jinn’s past, and it fits so naturally with what we already know. Everything we learned in this book only made me want to learn more. I’m particularly curious about Mauth.
Like the other books in this series, this one ends with a big cliffhanger, which has me excited to dive into the final book.
Thanks for reading my review of A Reaper at the Gates. You can read more reviews here. Let me know in the comments if you’ve read this book and what you thought of it.
