A Torch Against the Night has no competition, it is simply the best YA Fantasy of the year.
An Ember in the Ashes was merely a prelude to the sinister follow up. The story remains about oppression, but unlike the first book this is where readers could vividly see the resistance at first hand. The stakes are higher. There is more gore, and violence.
My heart is very delighted with the intricate political prose, but there are truths on it as well that parallels our past and contemporary times.
There are scenes that would undoubtedly take a dig at your heart such as this:
I look to the little boy in his arms. Ayan. Tiny dark crescents curve beneath his lower lashes. His eyes meet mine, and I touch his cheek, soft…show more content… A Torch Against the Night touches that, but truly, the heart of the story is the girl who dared and the boy who rejected his destiny that is built on systematic oppression.
We have a tyrannical emperor who is beyond ruthless, and a commandant who is also beyond salvation.
Let’s talk about Helene Aquilla’s dangerous feminism.
I could understand the allure of her character. She’s a woman who carved a path for herself in an environment that undermine women. She’s a sword wielding, loyal to the empire-to her duty, family, and Elias. But, her firm stance on Scholars are threaded with racism. This is very important, since I’m getting the vibes the narrative is brushing it off under the rug. This is not the first time she made an offhand comment about the oppression of the slaves. She made countless of remarks on book one as well.
“Didn’t the Scholar rebels understand what they would unleash when they revolted? Didn’t they realize the death and terror the Empire would rain down upon them?
“I’ve never seen the Scholars as enemies, exactly. An enemy is someone you fear. Someone who might destroy you. But the Scholars will never destroy the Martials. They can’t read. They have no steelcraft. They are a slave class-a lesser
