A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir is the fourth book in the An Ember in the Ashes series. I have had this book since it released in 2020, but got distracted by other series I was in the middle of reading. Now, I figured it was time to experience the ending of this great series. I listened to the first three books on Audible so the story was fresh in my mind before starting A Sky Beyond the Storm. Like always, I will not have any spoilers for A Sky Beyond the Storm.
SPACE
Plot
Now that the newly freed jinn are out, they are creating vicious chaos throughout both villages and cities. However, vengeance towards the humans is just the beginning for the Nightbringer.
Alongside the Nightbringer, Commandant Keris Veturia has named herself Empress and demands the heads of those who defy her claim. Enemy number one? Helene Aquilla, the Blood Shrike and what’s left of her family.
Ally of the Blood Shrike, Laia of Serra, fights to recover from losing two of the most important people to her. With the apocalypse imminently approaching, Laia is determined to destroy the Nightbringer and stop him. However, she awakens an ancient power during this which could either ensure her victory or her doom.
Lastly in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher only wants to forget not only the life he left behind, but also his love. However, while trying to forget, he ignores the signs of murder left by the Nightbringer and the jinn. In order to keep the oath he made and protect the humans from the ghosts, the Soul Catcher must set his sights beyond the border of the Waiting Place. With that comes a missions that could either save or destroy everything he knows and loves.
Review
Since I didn’t do reviews for the first three books, due to reading them years ago, I’ll start by discussing the three main characters from how they started and where we find them in A Sky Beyond the Storm. First there is Laia of Serra who starts as a frightened girl desperate for help. Now Laia is a trusted leader against the Nightbringer and chosen to be the one to defeat him. Second there is Elias Veturius, unwilling mask of the Empire who just wanted to be free. Now he’s the Soul Catcher, chained to the Waiting Place and detached from humanity. Lastly, there is Helene Aquilla, mask and best friend to Elias. Now she is the Blood Shrike, fighting for the Empire and resisting becoming Empress. I love all three of them, how they’ve grown and unexpectedly come together.
Now A Sky Beyond the Storm is the most action packed and gut wrenching of the four books in the series. Despite knowing all three of the main characters need to go through hardships and struggle both alone and together, I believe A Sky Beyond the Storm wasn’t fair to any of them. I mean come on, hadn’t they all suffered enough? Out of all of them, I feel the most for Helene. Now she was truly and fully broken, time after time. Despite Laia and Elias also breaking, Helene went through it on a whole different level. I am happy with how A Sky Beyond the Storm unfolded and ended, I just wanted more for Helene.
Favorite Quotes
“Where there is life, there is hope.”
“Your heart is the only thing that can be trusted.”
“Even then, she was an ember ever burning, no matter how much the world tried to quench her fire.”
“Love isn’t just a luxury for you. It’s a rarity. It’s a gift. Don’t throw it away.”
“You are broken. But it is the broken things that are the sharpest. The deadliest. It is the broken tings that are the most unexpected, and the most underestimated.”
“There are some things that do not die. No matter how many blades we put into them.”
“”Ah, no, my love.” He gathers me close. “You cannot go first. I could not make sense of the world if you did.””
Star Rating: 
/5
Spice Rating: 0
/5
Add it to Your List: Add to your Goodreads
Snag a Copy: I will always suggest getting the hard cover, but buy in any format on Amazon
Interested in other books that I’ve read? Check out my other book reviews here!
