A Torch Against the Night

by Sabaa Tahir · 2016

A Torch Against the Night is the second installment in Sabaa Tahir's New York Times bestselling An Ember in the Ashes series. Following the Fourth Trial, fugitives Elias and Laia flee the city of Serra, pursued by Martial soldiers and the ruthless Empire. Laia seeks to infiltrate the dreaded prison Kauf to rescue her brother, while Elias strives to protect her even at the cost of his own freedom. Their journey pits them against Emperor Marcus, a merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and Helene—Elias’s former friend turned Blood Shrike. The novel blends high‑stakes political intrigue, brutal combat, and deep personal sacrifice, earning praise for its complex villains and vivid world‑building.