A Torch Against the Night

This highly anticipated sequel to An Ember in the Ashes takes readers into the heart of the Empire as Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia's brother from the horrors of Kauf Prison. nTHE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER nBook two in the New York Times bestselling series nA USA Today bestseller nA Wall Street Journal bestseller n nSpectacular.--Entertainment Weekly n nFresh and exciting...Tahir has shown a remarkable talent for penning complex villains.--A.V. Club n nEven higher stakes than its predecessor... thrilling. --Publishers Weekly, starred review n n An] action-packed, breathlessly paced story. --Booklist, starred review n n nSet in a rich, high-fantasy world inspired by ancient Rome, Sabaa Tahir's AN EMBER IN THE ASHES told the story of Laia, a slave fighting for her family, and Elias, a young soldier fighting for his freedom. n n Now, in A TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT, Elias and Laia are running for their lives. n nAfter the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire. n n Laia is 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. n nBut dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way 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. n nBound to Marcus's will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own--one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape...and kill them both.n