A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes Book 4)

I’ve finally finished this series, and I have more emotions than I know what to do with. This is undoubtedly my favorite book in the series, even though (because?) it broke my heart the most. Sabaa Tahir is not afraid to rip my heart out, stomp on it, and then glue it back together. I respect that but also hate it. (Nothing against Sabaa. She’s great. But also, how dare she??) I read Reaper back in 2018, and looked up a recap of that book before starting this one. It’s a sign of Tahir’s skill that as soon as I started reading, I fell back into the world as if it hadn’t been three years since I did so last. I was sucked into the story immediately, and terrified for all of the characters. Unexpected things I loved: Helene, Helene and Harper’s relationship, Laia and Helene’s friendship. The theme here is that, despite sometimes wishing her chapters didn’t interrupt me reading about Laia and Elias, the girl really grew on me. I have so much respect for her, even if, at times, I was internally shrieking because she was being so dense regarding her love life. Also, her and Laia bonding over how much men suck was the quality content I didn’t know I needed in my life. Such a small thing, but a great one. I knew I loved Laia and Elias, but in between Reaper and Sky, I forgot just how much. They caused me SO MUCH PAIN as I was reading this freaking book, I don’t know how to express it all. The romantic tension between these two and Elias’ tendency to nope out of literally every conversation because he couldn’t handle his own feelings… oh my god. I mean, that specific part of Elias did make me giggle occasionally, but for the most part, I was just internally screeching. When she brought him a mango. When he helped her with her hair. SO MUCH SCREECHING. So help my hopeless romantic heart. Characters aside, the plot was also brilliant. No one ever caught a break. I never knew what was about to happen. Nothing ever felt repetitive, and there were certainly no easy victories. I think Tahir took the story with the jinn in a very clever direction, one I personally didn’t expect. The war certainly didn’t go the way I expected. I was getting closer and closer to the end, and more and more stressed because of how few pages were left and how much was still wrong. I love books that scare me that way. I’m only being a little bit sarcastic. :) As for the ending… So much heartbreak. So much pain. But a surprise came in and sort of saved the day, a little bit, so not everything was awful. The last couple of chapters actually had quite a few happy moments, including for Laia and Elias, and if not for the fact that it was after 2 in the morning and I share a small apartment with my family and didn’t want to wake anyone up, who knows how loudly I would’ve squealed. Internally, I was squealing very loudly. The last couple of pages fixed my broken heart with their Elaia content. I’m choosing to focus on that more than… other things. This review is a mess because I finished the book at nearly 3 in the morning and now it’s 4 a.m. and I’m also a mess. But it’s definitely honest, and even though I seriously did ramble, it got my point across. I loved this book so much, despite the emotional turmoil I experienced while reading. Like I said, it’s my favorite in the series, followed by Torch, then Reaper, then Ember. I think. It’s been a hot minute since I read the first three, but anyway. The whole series is spectacular, and I can’t wait to read more from Sabaa Tahir. 🖤 Representation -protagonist, love interest, and side characters of color Content Warning: blood/gore, body horror, violence, death/murder, war, genocide, grief, sexism, mentions of parent/family death and slavery

"Would that we all knew the cracked terrain of each other’s broken hearts. Perhaps then, we would not be so cruel to those who walk this lonely world with us." I hate saying good bye to a series. Well not a permanent good bye, I will definitely reread this series sometime in the future. A Sky Beyond the Storm had great pacing and action and it was a fantastic conclusion. I found this installment addictive, that I didn't want to put it down. There were a few twists and turns, that surprised me and it seemed like no matter what our main three do, something always goes wrong. These moments were frustrating and heartbreaking! At times it was so difficult to read, that I had to put it aside because I couldn't hold back my tears. There were also a fair number of light-hearted and beautiful moments of tenderness and love between our characters. Just typing that makes me teary eyed. I think my main take away from this amazing series is: family, love, hope, and perseverance. If you have not picked up this series, I highly recommend it. While this is marketed as YA, the themes in this books can be enjoyed and cherished by all. I cannot tell you as mother, wife, sister, friend how thankful I am to have read this. Sabaa is an incredible Kehanni storyteller. Thank you for telling Laia's, Elias's and Helene's story to all of us.

This conclusion was a gripping, wild ride, and I always wanted to read more. By this point in the series, I was deeply invested in the characters and plot. The romances were turned up a heat level, the stakes soared to new heights, and the plot was exciting. I was, unfortunately, a bit disappointed in how the climax played out. There were several points I thought could've used more foreshadowing, and I wanted something a little more from one character's backstory in particular. I'm not upset about where the characters ended up, but I felt the final confrontation could've been better executed. Also this book was spicier than the previous ones, and I could've done without that. That being said, I still mostly enjoyed the read and found the whole series to be highly engaging. I recommend it to readers who might be looking for a YA fantasy series with epic scope, difficult choices to be made, and passionate romances. Content: Romance - two open-door scenes, a few fade-to-black scenes, lots of kissing and seduction Foul Language - mild foul language Violence - death, blood, brutality, and war; this series as a whole is extremely violent

De levering was vroeger dan gepland dus dat scheelt ivm strandbezoek. Nu kon een boek mee 😊

Any book by this author is great, there is not a lot of profanity or set in her books but she is such a great writer her books are hard to put down .

“Diladhardha means ‘to know the heart of pain,’ ” Mamie says. “We seek truth, Laia. And when we find it, we must approach it with empathy. We must understand the creatures, fey or human, who populate our tales. Respect them. Love them, despite the villainous things they do. We must see them. Else how will our stories echo in the hearts of those who hear them? How will the stories survive beyond one telling?” This is one story that will stick with me for a lifetime. The characters were villainous and yet we love them. The battles were brutal and yet we cant turn away. The story, it clings to your soul. It warms you, and it breaks you and at last it rebuilds. Sabaa Tahir is the mistress of cruel. She weaves her beautiful web, catches you and destroys you. In the best possible way. Thank you Sabaa for this wild ride.

友人へのギフトとして購入しましたが、注文から配送までとてもスムーズで、破損なく安全に届きました。迅速で丁寧な対応のおかげで、安心して贈ることができ、贈り物に最適だと感じています。

Received what I expected!