A Torch Against the Night

The Ember Quartet begins with An Ember in the Ashes, published in 2015. The novel quickly became a New York Times #1 bestseller and was named one of “The 100 Best YA Books of All Time” by Time magazine. A Torch Against the Night was published in 2016, followed by the final two books in the series, A Reaper at the Gates (2018) and A Sky Beyond the Storm (2020).

An Ember in the Ashes establishes the characters and the long story arc of the series, introducing Laia of Serra, a Scholar, and Elias Veturia, a Mask for the Martial Empire. In the world of the series, a number of distinct cultures exist, including Martials, Scholars, Tribals, and Mariners. While the Tribals and Mariners have forged treaties with the Martial Empire that stop the Martials from invading their lands, the Scholars have been conquered and subsequently enslaved by the Martials.

The Martial Empire is modeled on the real-world Roman Empire, reflected by the naming conventions, military hierarchy, and brutal warmongering of the society. When An Ember in the Ashes begins, Laia lives with her brother, Darin, and her grandparents; her parents and older sister, who were deeply involved in the Scholar rebellion, an underground faction planning to revolt, were captured and killed. Now, Laia’s family home is invaded by Martial soldiers; her grandparents are killed and Darin taken, but Laia escapes into the neighborhood and evades capture. She quickly becomes fixed on one goal: to save her brother from Martial prison.

Meanwhile, Elias has nearly completed his training to become a Mask at Blackcliff Academy. As elite soldiers, he and his friends, including his best friend, Helene Aguilla, will serve under the Emperor. However, Elias is having second thoughts, and he has decided to desert Blackcliff when his training is complete.

Laia and Elias’s stories intersect when Laia is placed by the Scholar rebellion inside the household of the Commandant, the fearsome military leader in charge of Blackcliff, who is also Elias’s mother. Laia works with fellow enslaved Scholar Izzi and the mysterious Cook as she works to gain information for the rebellion, whose leader has promised to help her free Darin if she gives them information about Blackcliff. Laia discovers that Darin has knowledge that is crucial to overthrowing the Empire and becomes even more committed to finding and freeing him.

Elias faces off against enemies and friends in an event known as the Trials, in which the new Emperor, Marcus Farrar, is chosen. Elias’s desire to walk away from the life of a Mask becomes even more firm. By the end of the Trials, both Elias and Laia are fugitives from Blackcliff and wanted by the Empire. The end of An Ember in the Ashes leaves Elias and Laia fleeing into the tunnels beneath the academy, Martial soldiers at their heels, and A Torch Against the Night begins in those same tunnels, with both characters running for their lives.