We have ALL cried over a fictional character’s death at some point, and Sabaa Tahir has a knack for making us sob every.single.time. So, in continuation of our #EmberCountdown to A Sky Beyond the Storm, here are the most memorable character deaths from the series so far!

SPOILERS AHEAD for An Ember in the Ashes, A Torch Against the Night, and A Reaper at the Gates! 

Laia’s grandparents

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Considering this happens only a few pages into book 1, we’re pretty sure that Sabaa was warning us from the first chapter that our feelings were going to be hurt a LOT.

Zacharias Farrar

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Oof. As if we didn’t hate Marcus enough already, but killing his brother to get a step closer to being emperor? Brutal.

Helene and Elias’s friends

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Tristas, Demetrius, Leander, and Darien. We’re still recovering from when the Augurs forced Elias and Helene to lead armies of their own classmates against each other in An Ember in the Ashes.

Izzi

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You cried. We cried. Everyone cried. Izzy DESERVED BETTER.

Helene’s mother…and father…and sister…

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We repeat: AS IF WE DIDN’T HATE MARCUS ENOUGH. A Torch Against the Night hurt our feelings bad.

Cook

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Cook and Laia’s relationship may have been a little rocky to start out, but when Cook sacrifices herself in A Reaper at the Gates, all we wanted was for these two to have just a little more time together.

Shaeva

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Nooo! And she had so much more to teach Elias!!

Marcus Farrar

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Considering all the cruelty Marcus put everyone through, especially Helene, it was truly a full circle moment when she took her final revenge.

Pre-order your copy of A Sky Beyond the Storm here!

We’re counting down to A Sky Beyond the Storm with our favorite series moments! See the best romantic moments from An Ember in the Ashes here!