REVIEW: A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

Elias and Laia are running for their lives. After the events of An Ember in the Ashes, soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire.

Laia remains determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars’ survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom.

But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against them. The pair must fight to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene—Elias’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.

I enjoyed this second book. Tahir seems to hit a narrative stride with the pacing and multiple stories developing.  The characters show depth not always found in YA fiction. I particularly found the addition of Helene's voice as Blood Shrike compelling. 

What is most interesting to me is the artful blend of ancient Roman and Middle Eastern influence. I am very intrigued by where the series will go for the third book in 2018.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

REVIEW: Betrayals (Cainsville #4) by Kelley Armstrong

Betrayals is book 4 of 5 in the Cainsville series from Kelley Armstrong. Here's the story thus far:

• Olivia discovered she was not the adopted child of a privileged Chicago family but of a notorious pair of convicted serial killers!
• She found a refuge in the secluded but oddly welcoming town of Cainsville, Illinois
• She discovered the truth about her parents' crimes in an investigation that also revealed the darker forces at work in the place that had offered her a haven (cue eerie supernatural music!)
• Olivia also found out that she, Gabriel and her biker boyfriend Ricky were not caught in an ordinary sort of love triangle, but are hereditary actors in an ancient drama in which the elders of Cainsville and the mysterious Huntsmen who opposed them had a huge stake. (Talk about a complicated love life!)

For this installment, readers learn that someone is killing young women living on the street , and the police have tied Ricky to the crimes. Setting out with Gabriel's help to clear Ricky's name, Olivia once again finds her own life at risk. Soon the three are tangled in a web of betrayals that threatens their own strange relationship, pushing them toward a hard choice.  They must decide if they will fulfill their destinies by trusting each other and staying true to their real bonds, or if they'll succumb to the forces trying to win an eternal war by tearing them apart.

Armstrong is a terrific writer known for her character development, world building and stellar narratives.  I love this series because it is rooted in the supernatural but reads like a great mystery/thriller.  While I enjoyed the book, I'm antsy for the series resolution.  As a character, Gabriel is making great strides, but I want more. I didn't see that ending coming and right now it doesn't sit well with me. We'll have to see what come of it with the final book in 2017.

Another slight grumble is the lack of an audio edition thus far to go along with the others.  An oversight which has been promised will be fixed before the release of the last book. I missed the feel of the narrative I've experienced with the audio of Omens, Visions, and Deceptions. 

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Follow the author on Twitter: @KelleyArmstrong

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