A Reaper at the Gates

3.5 Stars

Initial Thoughts:It took a while for me to get into this book. I really love the 3 characters, but I feel like Sabaa had them changing into different people that did not align with how I felt their characters would act. Once I was over 1/2 through this book, I felt it picked up and I enjoyed it significantly more. This series may be starting to suffer from Sabba expanding the world and the story but going too far. After finishing both book 1 and book 2, I felt satisfied and the story felt complete, with this installment it left more questions than answers and it just felt like a different story to me. I honestly am not as excited about the final book as much as I thought I would be which is unfortunate because I really love Helene, Elias, and Laia.

What can I say about the book that made me stay awake all night because I couldn't imagine sleeping without knowing what was gonna happen next in the story.

While I assumed that this third book would be much more bleak and hopeless, and there were many dark things that happened, it was also a very interesting book to read and I enjoyed the history of the world so much. We also get to see so much more of the empire as well as the surrounding kingdoms, and it was great to visit all these new places. There is also a lot more political intrigue in this one than I expected along with action, and this was a perfect balance by the author.

I think I can finally say that I'm a total Helene Acquilla fangirl. She may not always be a great strategist, especially when it comes to handling the cunning Commandant; but she is the most loyal person I've met in this whole series and her love for her people and her sister was even more pronounced in this book. She definitely is prejudiced towards the Scholars but I can see that changing slowly and I hope she becomes even more formidable in the final book. I also like her bond with Harper and the way he is always protecting her is very admirable. I've also really come to like Dex, Faris and Livia a lot and I can't wait to see much more of them.

Laia and Elias are both trying their best to do their duties and their paths went in directions I did not see coming. They are both their formidable selves but I can see them both individually becoming forces to reckon with in the finale and I hope they can find their way towards each other again.

To conclude, this was an excellent third book and now I realize how much of a wait everyone else must have felt when the books were releasing. I'm lucky I got to binge read the three but now I'm gonna join all the fans in the wait for he finale which I know will be explosive. I'm just scared because Sabaa has promised there will be lots of tears and heartbreak and I don't know how I'll ever be ready for that. Let's wait and watch.

All. Of. The. Emotions. I was ill prepared for the amount of feelings that this series, and specifically this book, would make me feel. This series is the third installment in the An Ember in the Ashes series, and we continue to follow Elias, Laia, and Helene after the events of A Torch Against the Night. I still have so many questions and crave resolution for these characters that I am clearly over attached to. The genius that is Sabaa Tahir... y'all. The writing in this series is superb, and there are so many touches that just are so small but impactful. There is a developing romantic connection that I am craving resolution to because the tension is so thick. In this book, we begin to see the unveiling of some of the secrets that have been building throughout the series. The series is just so raw in the best way. The story is just so raw and beautifully written. I feel like I am experiencing the journey with all of these characters. I cannot wait to dive into book 4 soon and start to see how the story ends. The series has been building up beautifully and I can't wait to see the culmination of the characters' stories.So far, there have been so many unexpected twists and turns and mysteries. I have been thoroughly moved by this series so far, and I honestly think it may become of of my favorites of all time. This is a young adult fantasy, 16+ for violence and themes.

I FINALLY FINISHED THIS BOOK. It was literally sitting for six months waiting to be finished.
I loved this so much! I think it actually helped that I left it alone for six months after reading like 90 pages because everything I remember about the beginning was really fucking depressing. When I started reading again things were finally picking up and getting more exciting!
Can I just say I am such a hoe for the Avitas/Helene ship, like I am all the way here for it, from the second I started reading the book again I was just like “I NEED THIS, I WANT THIS, GIVE IT TO ME!”
Like, Avitas is just so chef's kiss.
Helene's singing literally saves their asses so many times, like we wouldn't be here if it weren't for that. We'd all be fucking dead. Thank god for her singing. And also, thank god she didn't stay an emotionless blop, I was so scared I would be mad at her the entire time, but I wasn't. I actually love her, even though it's annoying how she always underestimates the Commondant, and I need her to trust Harper more because he's smart and knows things, but all that is besides the point that I really fucking love her.
Until Laia was making her way to Antium, her storyline was by far the least interesting. Every time we went back to her, I was just like “no! i want more Helene!!” Elias's was also interesting, but that one was quite frustrating because it was really just a waiting game on when things would start to go to shit.
I cannot BELIEVE Cook, I cannot- like I can't- I just- I can't. I really fucking can't. And Darin knows, but I can't for the life of me figure out how the fuck he knows! He's only a couple years older than Laia, it makes no sense that his tiny little brain would have been like “must remember, must notice, must gather information.” Because Spiro did not tell him all this. So how??? In Kauf? The Commondant???? I DON'T KNOOOOOOOOW. Also, I really thought he was lying about knowing how to make the steel. He was way too hesitant... I'm sure the next book will let me know.
Speaking of the Commondant, when is this bitch going to fucking die off, I cannot with this piece-of-shit lady, I just- ugh, you can't see me but I'm pinching the bridge of my nose just thinking about her. And honestly, the jinn? They are only a single step below the Commondant on the scale of terribleness, like A SINGLE STEP. Because they are fucking shitty AF too, like why y'all gotta be so manipulative???? The fuck did these people do to you, they weren't alive A THOUSAND FUCKING YEARS AGO WHEN EVERYTHING WENT TO SHIT. I just can't.
I have this theory, that something is up with the Commondant's health, like for some reason I think she's poisened or something and will die slowly, in like a year. I'm either remembering something subtly mentioned in another book, or it's just wishful thinking. I don't know.
Also can we just talk about Laia and her rash decisions for a second because a bitch is fed up, okay. She jumps to conclusions in a second, and it's not cute, Laia, it makes you look real fucking stupid. EVERYTHING IS NOT ABOUT YOU! Don't project yourself onto things that obviously aren't you! Like, shit, just sit the fuck down and think about it, geez.
When we got to the last chapter, I was confused about where Elias was at. I wanted him to jump in and be like “hey! how's ending humanity going?” but he didn't, so I guess he was preoccupied, but like, with what? HE'S IN THE FUCKING FOREST.
Anyway, I don't think I have much else to say. It was really really good, I loved it. It's a rough plot, but like I mentioned, I think it helped me to be seperated from the terribleness of the beginning and get back into when things were heating up. It's sad because it's war, but I didn't think it overpowered everything, it didn't feel like it was just war, war, war, with more war. It was really balanced and I loved that. It was just really well done, in general, and I just can't wait for the next one! It was so good!

I think this review can be best summarised by the fact that I don't think I will read another book in this series, and I won't be picking up a physical edition of this book.

I can't even say I hated it, I was simply bored by everything going on and I felt like some of the big reveals felt like I'd figured them out quite a while back. In some points the naivet?? and shortsightedness of Helene drove me mad. She is highly trained, yet acts with about as much thought as Laia.

The first book was great, the next two were disappointing.

This series continues to deliver stunning and heartbreaking plot. The writing is rich and brilliant. I'm very intrigued about how the revelations in this book will play out in the finale. I also thought the addition of the nightbringer chapter was pretty cool.

There were parts that i felt weren't as gripping as the previous installments (especially regarding Elias). But everything i enjoyed in the story is still there and Helene's chapters are more than enough for me to get invested into the book. She's one of my all time favorite characters at this point.

I'm not sure if i'm emotionally ready for the final book. This series easily became one of my favorites. It's been a while since i've felt so much for a story and characters.

DNF at 40%

Despite enjoying immensely this world and loving book 1, the further I got into the series, the more frustrated I felt.

I started to realise that the way this author tells her stories does not work for me whatsoever.
More specifically, I find the way she introduces and resolves conflict boring and unsatisfying.
Her characters are interesting, but inconsistent, which can drive any character driven reader crazy.

As such, I choose to DNF this series, at least for the time being.

Unfortunately after loving the first two books, this instalment was just a bit of a disappointment and I think it's that we've pretty much lost the character of Elias. His chapters just seemed so out of place in between the high intensity and dramatic chapters from Leia and Helene. I also feel like there are a lot of aspects of his situation which weren't explained, it just was.

I'm hoping book 4 is a great series ender and this is just the odd one out.

A Reaper at the Gates, and it’s just as fantastic as the first two books. The stakes are higher than ever, and the characters continue to evolve in compelling ways. The world-building and political intrigue are on point, and the pacing keeps you hooked from start to finish. The romance and tension between the characters are still beautifully done, and every interaction feels meaningful.

However, my only qualm with this installment is the sheer number of cliffhangers at the end of nearly every chapter. It induces a bit of anxiety exhaustion because you’re constantly left hanging, desperate to know what happens next. While it keeps the intensity high, it can be a bit overwhelming at times. That said, it doesn’t take away from the overall greatness of the book. The emotional depth, complex relationships, and powerful storytelling still make this a must-read. If you loved the first two, this one won’t disappoint—you just might need to take a breather now and then!