A Torch Against the Night immediately follows up the events at the end of An Ember in the Ashes, and therefore, pulls us immediately into action-filled scenes, pulling our behinds at the edge of the chairs. And doesn‘t stop.

In this sequel, we face adventures, action, conspiracies, threats, and stakes than I thought it would be possible. All while we get to explore the world of the An Ember in the Ashes series more, as Laia and Elias make their way to Kauf, with Helene close on their tail. I loved how this book didn‘t make me sit still at all, not even when there wasn‘t someone throwing knives because of the characters taking over the angst. This book is as much plot-driven as it is character-driven, and the balance is masterfully crafted. Not a scene felt unnecessary as every tiny moment was either leading up to another dangerous event, a big revelation, or sprinkles of what is yet to come, making my head dizzy with trying to puzzle it out only to be slapped with a twist I didn‘t see coming. Honestly, the titles of these books speak for themselves. Because when book one truly is an ember in the ashes, this one is a torch against the night.

The additional POV of Helene in this book opened up new paths and aspects of this world that I was enjoying a lot - especially since Laia and Elias were too focused on their mission ahead of them. The love for the Blood Shrike is evident to me now. While I had enjoyed Helene in the first book, her posing as a potential love interest for Elias dulled my excitement a little for her characters. In A Torch Against the Night, however, Helene proved herself a strong and complex character and one that will make things hopefully very interesting in the following books. But as much as my admiration for Helene grew, so did my frustration but with all of the characters, and unfortunately the most with Laia. She still remains a convincing and likeable heroine, and while I try to tell myself that the bad choices she had made throughout the books will only help her grow, I often wanted to grab her shoulders and shake some sense into her. However, that wasn‘t the most frustrating aspect. It was her relationship with Elias. Whether you name this slow-burn or just them being idiots, is up to you once you read it. I for my part would have wished to see more time of them bonding before the utter havoc happened. Especially with the events taking place with Keenan, I wasn‘t truly able to grasp the deeper connection between Laia and Elias because some things felt missing. Which saddened me more than you can imagine since I am rooting for them, like an idiot myself.

Nevertheless, A Torch Against the Night is a wonderful sequel that you will devour, no doubt. And now I shall go crazy because OF EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED AT THE END AAAAAH!