Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Synopsis
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. But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies. Sabaa Tahir grew up in California's Mojave Desert at her family's eighteen-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother's comic book stash, and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks, and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.
Is A Torch Against The Night (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Ember in the Ashes) appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 14 and up.
This YA fantasy features strong violence including torture and battle scenes in a brutal empire setting, with a romantic subplot involving kissing and tension but no explicit content. Contains moderate language and intense emotional situations.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, mild sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include torture, graphic violence, captivity, and death (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will be gripped by the desperate prison break mission, the forbidden romance between Laia and Elias, and the high-stakes adventure through a dangerous empire.