Reviews with content warning for Torture - A Sky Beyond the Storm

I thought this was a really good ending to the series! I wish that we had actually seen a little more of the Elias/Laia interactions throughout the series because I feel like they didn’t actually get to spend a lot of time together before they fell in love and were separated.

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I absolutely loved Helene and Avitas and I so wish we got more of them. His death hit me the hardest cause he might not have been perfect but he was so sweet to Helene. I hope she finds happiness because her character arc was incredible and I feel so bad for her.

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shahdhazem's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved this so much like the rest of the series it was a great conclusion. The plot was led out nearly perfect I loved how the author managed to explain everything flawlessly. There was a HUGE character development for both Laia and Helene which I absolutely loved. The series discuses themes of slavery and colonisation in a very complex way and it also lights a spot on mental health and how to find your self in the middle of absolute chaos also themes of losing loved ones. I'd strongly recommend this series but like I said before and will say again now check the trigger warnings before you read. I think that's it it was a really beautiful experience for me I got attached to the characters and got my heartbroken but still I can see myself re-reading the series in the futures cause it's exactly my type.

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booking_along's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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plumpaperbacks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I’ve finally finished this series, and I have more emotions than I know what to do with. This is undoubtedly my favorite book in the series, even though (because?) it broke my heart the most. Sabaa Tahir is not afraid to rip my heart out, stomp on it, and then glue it back together. I respect that but also hate it. (Nothing against Sabaa. She’s great. But also, how dare she??)

I read Reaper back in 2018, and looked up a recap of that book before starting this one. It’s a sign of Tahir’s skill that as soon as I started reading, I fell back into the world as if it hadn’t been three years since I did so last. I was sucked into the story immediately, and terrified for all of the characters.

Unexpected things I loved: Helene, Helene and Harper’s relationship, Laia and Helene’s friendship. The theme here is that, despite sometimes wishing her chapters didn’t interrupt me reading about Laia and Elias, the girl really grew on me. I have so much respect for her, even if, at times, I was internally shrieking because she was being so dense regarding her love life. Also, her and Laia bonding over how much men suck was the quality content I didn’t know I needed in my life. Such a small thing, but a great one.

I knew I loved Laia and Elias, but in between Reaper and Sky, I forgot just how much. They caused me SO MUCH PAIN as I was reading this freaking book, I don’t know how to express it all. The romantic tension between these two and Elias’ tendency to nope out of literally every conversation because he couldn’t handle his own feelings… oh my god. I mean, that specific part of Elias did make me giggle occasionally, but for the most part, I was just internally screeching. When she brought him a mango. When he helped her with her hair. SO MUCH SCREECHING. So help my hopeless romantic heart.

Characters aside, the plot was also brilliant. No one ever caught a break. I never knew what was about to happen. Nothing ever felt repetitive, and there were certainly no easy victories. I think Tahir took the story with the jinn in a very clever direction, one I personally didn’t expect. The war certainly didn’t go the way I expected. I was getting closer and closer to the end, and more and more stressed because of how few pages were left and how much was still wrong. I love books that scare me that way. I’m only being a little bit sarcastic. :)

As for the ending…

Spoiler

I can’t believe both Harper and Darin are dead! That’s so cruel. That’s evil. My poor girls. Helene lost her boyfriend, Laia lost her brother… I’m honestly not sure who broke my heart more. Thank every deity out there that, miraculously, Laia’s mom was alive and took over the role of Soul Catcher so that Laia at least had Elias. If she lost her brother AND they weren’t endgame, it was extremely likely that I would’ve thrown the book across the room.

So much heartbreak. So much pain. But a surprise came in and sort of saved the day, a little bit, so not everything was awful. The last couple of chapters actually had quite a few happy moments, including for Laia and Elias, and if not for the fact that it was after 2 in the morning and I share a small apartment with my family and didn’t want to wake anyone up, who knows how loudly I would’ve squealed. Internally, I was squealing very loudly. The last couple of pages fixed my broken heart with their Elaia content. I’m choosing to focus on that more than… other things.

Spoiler

I’m happy for Helene too, and I think something might eventually happen with her and Musa?? But I was 90% focused on my ship, and wow, did Sabaa deliver. My heart was about to explode when Elias gave Laia the engraved armlet, especially since he got all flustered at the end. It was ADORABLE.

This review is a mess because I finished the book at nearly 3 in the morning and now it’s 4 a.m. and I’m also a mess. But it’s definitely honest, and even though I seriously did ramble, it got my point across. I loved this book so much, despite the emotional turmoil I experienced while reading. Like I said, it’s my favorite in the series, followed by Torch, then Reaper, then Ember. I think. It’s been a hot minute since I read the first three, but anyway. The whole series is spectacular, and I can’t wait to read more from Sabaa Tahir. 🖤

Representation

protagonist, love interest, and side characters of color

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theespressoedition's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Well well well, this might be my favorite book of the series - and that's saying something, considering I still didn't really enjoy it all that much.

Just like the rest of the books, it was insanely slow with a ton of depressing sequences filled with torture and gore. I also got really confused while reading this one because of all the different kinds of mystical creatures: jinn, ghosts, fey, etc. - they all began to muddle together, especially as Elias went back and forth between "himself" and The Soul Catcher. That was another confusing bit: everyone seeming to have multiple names. Helene was also Blood Shrike, Nighbringer was formerly Keenan and also Meherya and The King-of-No-Name. I couldn't keep up with all of the terms and characters as they changed forms or went back and forth in the storyline.

I think my favorite part (sarcasm) was the fact that after Helene

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lost her parents and one of her sisters, her other sister is killed before her eyes and then her lover is murdered as well.

Can this girl get a break?? It was the last book and while she's definitely not my favorite character, I wanted some kind of happy ending for her.

In addition to that, I did NOT want Keris to have any kind of positive ending. The fact that

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she was able to go to The Waiting Place and pass on with her mother felt way too generous for someone as horrific as her.

Okay, so let's be honest, I could actually pick apart this book in every way, which kind of breaks my heart. Towards the end, I was actually interested for the first time throughout the entire series - and I even cried once (GASP). I only wish it could have been like that earlier on. All-in-all, this series receives a 2-star rating from me. It just isn't the best.

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aseel_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

aw, I cried during the ending! i really liked the ending of the series and this was definitely my favourite one in the whole series (I did have to Google all of the world history because I had forgotten them from the previous books).

i liked the writing and atmosphere, k enjoyed the character banter and dynamics, so much KILLING OF CHARACTERS (she did not hold back, all the consequences), andII loved how it resolved too

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ehmannky's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Overall, a solid finish for the Ember series and I liked where all of the main characters wound up. This book really goes deeper into the pitfalls of revenge v justice and emphasizes the ideas that if your forbearers did harm to a population, it is your responsibility to make it right as best you can. All of that wrapped up with incredibly fast-paced action, wonderful characters (also, I was about to tear my hair out with Elias and Laia for like 9/10ths of this book and it ruled. The pining was magnificent), and what I considered a pretty solid ending.

However, I did have some problems with the ending I think that my biggest qualm came with the ending on a more philosophical scale (I was fine with all the deaths and the personal ends of the main characters).

Spoiler

I don't know how I feel about the fact that the Martials still get to have an empire and that an Empress (even if that empress is Helene) is in charge of this country. I feel like I would have personally felt a more equitable ending would be...I don't know, giving the Tribal people complete independence (or at least a vote on if they wanted to leave) and the Scholars should have gotten either a full on country supported by the Martials or every Scholar should have gotten so much money and land since they just went through another genocide. As I said, the book does reiterate the point that you are responsible for making right the sins of your forbearers, and that even if you didn't personally do something that you need to make it right. Also, I would have loved it if Tahir had kept with the idea that Helene is not going to be forgiven by all she hurt and she would have to be okay with that, rather than implying that she is eventually forgiven by those like Mamie Rilla.

As my rating indicates, I didn't find it *that* much of a hinderance in my enjoyment of the series, and I can accept this ending as fair to the extent that the world Tahir will allow it to be.

I honestly can't wait to read whatever Tahir comes out with next, because if I like it half as much as I liked this series, I'm going to love it.

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ohkmurr's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was everything I wanted and more. I laughed, I cried, I celebrated, I cried some more… (seriously, I was in tears from around page 450 to the end). The absolute perfect way to cap off an amazing series.

Spoiler

I love that we finally get to see Laia and Helene (Blood Shrike) team up. Their dynamic is so fun and so deep. I didn't realize how similar their experiences are throughout the series, especially related to their families and Elias. We stan two women kicking ass and agreeing that men are trash while they do it. Also, Tahir delivers on all the slow-burn romances she set up throughout the series. I spent 3.75 books waiting for Laia and Elias to finally ~express~ their love and let me tell you: it was worth the damn wait.

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