With A Reaper at the Gates Sabaa Tahir continues to expand the world of her best-selling series, diving deeper into Roman-inspired political struggles and East Asian folklore ...The book deftly handles serious such issues as the costs of genocide and war. Both action-packed and emotionally engaging, A Reaper at the Gates is the perfect summer read.
Elias, now the Soul Catcher and urgently needing to heighten his powers, is up to his eyebrows in despairing ghosts and angry jinn. Laia, who loves him, is desperate to foil the world-destroying machinations of the Nightbringer while also saving her people, the Scholars, from destruction ... Meanwhile, wars (and rumors of wars) threaten to bring the empire to its knees ... Tahir has created another compelling story that defies readers to stop turning the pages.
With multiple points of views and storylines going at once while the characters are all scattered, one recurring theme that stood out most was that of the power of love and the sacrifices that are made surrounding it ... From Nightbringer to Helene, almost everyone had decisions to make that had major consequences for their actions. Helene Aquilla, now known as the Blood Shrike, having already watched her family die, has to choose between a battle being fought and being there for the birth of her nephew. Her sole remaining family member, Livia, has been forced to marry Emperor Marcus and Helene believes that Livia’s only chance for survival is for her son to be born to be the next emperor. The plan, to keep Livia safe, crumbles as she gives birth during the battle for Antium.
