Read This: A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

Hopefully you found time to fit in an #EmberReRead because A Reaper at the Gates is HERE and it is a whirlwind of a heartbreaker. No idyllic HEA awaits readers at the end; there’s one book still to go in the series and clearly a lot of story left to be told. And Sabaa Tahir likes to keep her beloved characters in constant mortal peril, so consider this your only spoiler:

_Source

YEAH THAT’S YOUR HEART BY THE END OF THIS BOOK.

There’s a Reaper at the Gates, and he does not leave empty handed

Reaper opens with a surprising look at the Nightbringer before he was, well, the Nightbringer. And it’s…sad to see how far he’s come from his origins. It helps to explain why he’s the twisted, vengeful creature that he is now, and even gives you a modicum of sympathy for him.

This book is TOUGH, and heavy. It’s so well written, but it’s also full to the brim with death, suffering, and sacrifice. Just a warning, in case that’s not something you want to immerse yourself in right now. There’s so much going on in this plot that I can’t even begin to summarize it’s twists and turns, but since our three main characters spend most of the book on their own I’ll break it down into their individual story lines.

Laia

_Source

She and Darin have been spending their days rescuing Scholar and Tribal slaves from slave trains using her handy invisibility trick. A deadly encounter with the Nightbringer soon propels her and Darin on a quest to The Great Library in Adisa, where they’re told to seek the help of a mysterious figure called the Beekeeper. There they witness the horrific persecution of the Scholar people. There’s a clear call to make Laia the face of the Scholar resistance (*cough*Mockingjay*cough*). Laia discovers vital information on how to stop the Nightbringer, but completing the task seems impossible. Torn between fighting for her people or fighting for the world, Laia risks losing those she loves no matter what she does. And a huge, devastating reveal threatens to shatter her already ravaged heart.

Helene

_Source

Oh, Helene. You beautiful, noble, strong, deadly jelly fish.* Some day you will be happy. Helene is the shit, guys. If you didn’t figure that out in the first two books, then Reaper will knock you over head with it. She is a shining beacon of loyalty, honor, and selfless duty, while also being completely savage. I want to be her.

Helene is hell bent on laying a trap for Keris Veturia, desperate to finally outsmart and vanquish her. She’s spurred on by the sick knowledge that Emperor Marcus will continue torturing her sister Livia, his wife, until she is successful. She follows Keris to the port town of Navium, where a barbarian army, led by a creepy warlock, is attacking. As always, Keris is two steps ahead of Helene. When Helene finally discovers what Keris is really up to, she must scramble to prepare the Empire for a battle to end all battles. AND keep from ripping Harper’s clothes off in a supply closet. AND figure out why the Nightbringer keeps doing nice things for her. (*Ahem* See my previous prediction on that matter here)

_{*It’s a Parks and Rec thing}

Elias

_Source

Elias has a slightly easier time of things. OH WAIT. Of course he doesn’t. Everything sucks for him, too. WHY, SABAA. WHY.

Ghosts are continually arriving at the Waiting Place and Elias can’t pass them on fast enough. The borders strain against the mass of seething dead, and Elias fears they might eventually break free. That would be exceedingly bad. (Which makes the odds of it happening pretty high, because it’s Sabaa). He struggles to connect with Mauth, the power of the forest, a power that demands he forget those he loves. Furthermore, his foster family is in increasing danger, and Elias is continually torn between aiding them and keeping the ghosts contained. He just can’t win. As his desperation grows, he allows more and more of himself to succumb to Mauth. Will he lose all of himself in the end?

The Romances

Romance is definitely there, but it’s in the back seat. Elias and Laia are separated for much of the book, but still manage a steamy encounter or two. Tragically, I still feel nothing for this couple. I wish them the best and all, and love them individually, but I just don’t feel the magic. Because…

HELENE AND HARPER ARE WHERE IT’S AT. Initially I was “bleh” about them as well, because I worried Harper could never be more than a poor (wo)man’s Elias. I was so wrong. I won’t spoil what kind of progress their relationship makes in this book, but it’s enough to bring me on board the Harlene ship (pretty sure I just made that up, btw).

The Antagonists

One thing I love about Sabaa Tahir is the way she writes the bad characters. There’s no ‘One Size Fits All’ generic evil monster. In Reaper she peels back the layers of Keris Veturia and the Nightbringer, giving them a complexity and history not often seen in YA. She makes them compelling without compromising their villainy. Not enough to make you like them, but perhaps enough to make you understand them a little better. Maybe even feel sorry for them. Everyone is dealt pain and tragedy; the difference between the heroes and the villains is how they deal with it. There’s enough hints dropped to assume that we still have a lot to learn about Keris’ motivations, and that the next book will focus more closely on her.

What to Read Next

So now you’ve finished A Reaper at the Gates, and your book hangover has you sipping Gatorade and lying prone on the couch with the drapes closed. How to recover? There is only one solution.

_Source

The only cure for the ending of a great book is the beginning of another one. So if you want…

A fun, fast rom-com: You need Always Never Yours by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka (fun fact: they’re a couple). Unlucky-in-love girl meets dreamy aspiring playwright while starring in high school play. Flirting and epic cuteness ensues.

To dive back into YA Fantasy: Try The Smoke Thieves by Sally Green. Hailed as Game of Thrones for younger readers, it follows five very diverse youths-a princess, thief, soldier, traitor, and demon hunter- as they try to keep their countries from destroying each other.

A Sci-fi thriller with a female lead: Marie Lu (The Young Elites) is back with exciting new novel Warcross. A teenage lady hacker, a mysterious billionaire, an addicting and dangerous video game…find out what all the fuss is about before the sequel drops in September!