Every single one of those is an absolute force. But when you stop and think about the critical story characters, so many of them are female: Laia, Helene, Cook, the Commandant. Yes, we have Elias and the Nightbringer and some other male characters here and there. I also love that this is such a female-centric story. And I find her transformation totally believable. Now she’s about to lead the rebellion against the whole empire. At the beginning of the first book she could barely stand in the presence of soldiers. I think one of the things I like so much about the series as a whole is how much Laia has grown. Which isn’t to say I loved Laia and Elias any less in this book. Of all the characters facing all the situations, I felt the most moved by her story– especially her love for her sister and Harper. This might be my favorite book in the series.

But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that will stop at nothing to ensure Elias’s devotion–even at the cost of his humanity. But while hunting for a way to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would aid her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she’d have to fight.Īnd in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher.

As Helene searches for a way to hold back the approaching darkness, her sister’s life and the lives of all those in the Empire hang in the balance.įar to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable, while the Commandant capitalizes on his madness to bolster her own power. The Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, is assailed on all sides. Published JAmazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads About A Reaper at the Gatesīeyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger. A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3)

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