"A Torch Against the Night" by Sabaa Tahir is as Good as the First in This Series!

After reading An Ember in the Ashes, I went right into the next book--A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir and loved it too.  In this one, Helene's point of view is added in the telling of the story and it is exciting right from the start.  Much of the book is Elias and Laia on the run with Helene and her three black guards chasing after them but the author has a way of having things happening in different places at the same time and making great use of cliff hangers at the end of the chapters to keep your interest.  There are some sad parts and the characters did some things I didn't like or understand; however, it did make for a good story.  I really like Helene who is put through the ringer in this book. 

This book has some surprises and again, some tight situations where. I felt I was on a roller coaster with all the ups and downs in this book.  It moved a bit slow at the beginning, but the last third of the book made up for it!  I had to take a break after several of the chapters to let things sink in and then go right back to it to see what would happen next. I look forward to reading the rest of this series!   
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir is the follow-up to Ember in the Ashes.  Usually I have trouble getting into book Twos because it was so long since I read book 1, but not so with this one.  I was into it from page 1!  It was so good to re-connect with Laia and Elias!  Both are wonderful characters.  This book flows very well and I was surprised more than once.  A lot happens in this which made it just as good as book 1, if not better.  I LOVED it!
(Gerard's review 10/5/16, 5++ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Midnight Dog Walkers" by Annie Phenix

The Midnight Dog Walkers--Positive Training and Practical Advice for Living with a Reactive or Aggressive Dog by Annie Phenix is non-fiction.  The author works with overly aggressive dogs and their owners.  She tells about the way she trains dogs.  The best part of this book was when Annie told about the dogs she owned.  If you have an aggressive dog or just love dogs in general (like I do), this you would probably like this book too!
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday

Gerard's:

She had a feeling Rowan would very, very much enjoy the task of shredding Darrow into little pieces.  She also had the feeling that she'd very, very much enjoy joining him.


From page 55 of Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas.


Karen's:

 Any elation I felt at destroying Blackcliff Academy or rescuing Elias from execution vanishes.  The Empire hunts us.  If it catches us, we die.

From page 3 of A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir.

"And I don't want to compete with you, Elias.  The moment we start working against each other is the moment we let Marcus and Zak win."

From Page 109 of An Ember in the Ashes by by Sabaa Tahir.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading. 

Happy Reading!

"An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir is Fantastic YA Fantasy

Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir lives up to all the hype and I agree with the reviewers who loved this book.  The characters are well developed and very interesting.  The story is told from alternating points of view of Laia, a slave girl who is a spy trying to find and free her brother who was arrested by the Empire because of his weapon drawings in his sketchbook, and Elias (a mask), a soldier of the Empire who really wants out because he does not want to kill innocent people.  He has been trained at Blackcliffe to kill since he was 6 yrs. old along with his best friend, Helene--the only girl mask in their class.

I loved this book and am glad I finally got around to reading it.  Can't wait to see what happens in the second book of this series!  The world building in this one is pretty simplistic (which I liked) and the action and dialogue if fun to read.  There is a lot of personal dilemmas that different characters face as well as the overall plot of Laia trying to rescue her brother before he gets killed.  Helene, Izzi and Cook are also fantastic supporting characters!  The woman commandant of the school is unbelievably cruel, even to her own son but it makes for a great story! 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)


(Gerard's review 5/27/15, 5++ stars):
 An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir is told by two people.  Laia and her brother are captured by the empire forces.  Laia becomes a slave girl all the while trying to find a way to get her brother out of prison--even to the point of being a spy.

Elias is the best soldier in the empire forces and stands a very good chance to become the head of the empire.  The problem is he does not want this at all.  Elias wants to escape this life and become free.

Does Laia free her brother?  Does Elias get his freedom?  Read this to find out!

This is a fantastic read especially for an author's first book!  I was glued to this book right from the beginning.  If you like YA fantasy, this is a must read!  It kept me turning pages for sure.   I hope there is a book two!  Click here to view my video review of An Ember in the Ashes.


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Obsession" by Karen Robards is Quite the Page Turner!

Obsession by Karen Robards begins with a mystery right off the bat and is filled with action, mystery and suspense throughout. This is a book about an FBI investigation against the head of the CIA whose personal assistant, Katherine, is caught up in the middle and in great danger throughout the book. Katherine doesn’t know who to trust and finds herself in several life and death situations. This novel is full of betrayal, suspense, mystery and action with a bit of humor and romance.

This book kept me guessing all through, but at least I picked the right person that Katherine should trust, well, sort of. This has a wild plot and interesting characters. I especially liked Katherine’s cat, Muffy! Loved the ending! The one explicit sex scene I could do without, but other than that, I liked this contemporary thriller which is a page turner I recommend to anyone who enjoys a good mystery and unusual plots.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!