The final book in the An Ember in the Ashes series, A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir has officially crushed my soul. Did I expect to be upset once the series ended? Yes. Did it still hit me hard? Absolutely. I cried like a little baby once the story was over and I’m just so glad I was able to follow along this journey. Here is my spoiler free review!

A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir
Published: December 1st, 2020
Publisher: Razorbill
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pages: 516
Goodreads

Prepare for the jaw-dropping finale to the beloved New York Times bestselling series.

The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning.

By his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family.

Laia of Serra, now allied with the Blood Shrike, struggles to recover from the loss of the two people most important to her. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory—or to an unimaginable doom.

And deep in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher seeks only to forget the life—and love—he left behind. Yet doing so means ignoring the trail of murder left by the Nightbringer and his jinn. To uphold his oath and protect the human world from the supernatural, the Soul Catcher must look beyond the borders of his own land. He must take on a mission that could save—or destroy—all that he knows.

First things first, if you haven’t read An Ember in the Ashes, A Torch Against the Night, or A Reaper at the Gates – this review will definitely spoil you, just based on the book description alone. This review will not spoil A Sky Beyond the Storm though, so if you haven’t read the final book yet, no worries!

Okay, diving in, I did not expect the heartbreak that I felt. There were so many emotions I felt, especially for Helene. So much happens to all of the characters, but I think Laia and Helene get the short end of the stick by the end and it makes me so mad. I just wanted to give their characters massive hugs!

For the actual plot, I like how Sabaa concludes this series. She doesn’t do it without carnage, but I was happy with what we ended with. We get views and perspectives from several characters, including Laia, Helene, Elias, and the Nightbringer. Plus, we got a POV from a character that I didn’t expect to see in this book and actually cried during. So that was cool.

Oh yeah, this book will make you sob. I cried at several different moments and when I finished the story, and closed the book, I cried like a little baby. No longer would I be able to see these characters stories – there would be no more books – and it broke my heart. I have been following along with this series since 2016, before A Torch Against the Night was released, so 4 years of my life has been reading and loving these books. I was, and still am, very emotional that this series is over.

Sabaa has hinted and joked about destroying us and torturing her characters and she did not lie. I had several moments of anger that these characters had to suffer, that anyone had to suffer, and it makes me so sad. There was a certain thing that happens in this book that I thought was kind of a cop out though. Did it makes me ridiculously happy that it happened? Yes! Did I also think it was somewhat of an easy way out? Also yes. But, in the end, I was happy with the ending all circumstances included. I honestly think with how Sabaa set this final book up, there was no way it wasn’t going to end like this, and I think I’ve finally accepted that.

This book is a great mix of action and intimate moments between characters. The culmination of everything that has happened in the first three books comes to a close, and it’s intense. If you’re a crier, you will sob your way through this story. I’m so thankful I was able to read these books as they came out and while I’m so sad there will be no more, I’m so glad I got to read the ending and know what happens to my beloved characters.

This book, and the entire series, gets a // 5 stars from me!