Name: An Ember in the Ashes
Rating: 4.315733672603901 (1179 reviews)
ISBN: 9781595148049

Sabaa Tahir

"Laia is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire's greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution"--

A Novel

An Ember in the Ashes

Lila Raymond

Anya Poppy Hartwig

Matilda Stener

anna ˖*°࿐

Dinah De Vries

Steph

what a solid debut! i love everything from the characters to the plot and worldbuilding. it was just so well done and i finally get why people are raving about this series! 

'Keeps one reading long after the lights should have been out' ROBIN HOBB Read the explosive New York Times bestselling debut that's captivated readers worldwide. Set to be a major motion picture, An Ember in the Ashes is the book everyone is talking about. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. When Laia's grandparents are brutally murdered and her brother arrested for treason by the empire, the only people she has left to turn to are the rebels. But in exchange for their help in saving her brother, they demand that Laia spy on the ruthless Commandant of Blackcliff, the Empire's greatest military academy. Should she fail it's more than her brother's freedom at risk . . . Laia's very life is at stake. There, she meets Elias, the academy's finest soldier. But Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he's being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined - and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Mage

First of all, the world building was amazing! The start of the book was slow, but it gave an idea of what the world is like in An Ember in the Ashes. It is about Laia who is determined to save her older brother, Darin and became a spy for the rebels. Whereas Elias wanted nothing but freedom away from the Empire. What I love about Laia was that she has strong deternination and courage to spy on the enemy, even though it was a huge risk. She shows great determination to save her brother and shown her caring side when it comes to her allies and friends she’d made. Elias was a great soldier who longed for freedom away from the Empire. I also admire how he faced his dilemma––recognizing that some things were wrong and refused to sit idly by. He stepped up and did what he believed was right. Cannot wait to read the next book to see how his character will develop. Overall, I love how when Elias and Laia met, they don’t immediately fall in love with each other and they got acquainted with each other. But there were some hints that Elias was infatuated with Laia after he met her. I love that Sabaa Tahir let us read and see how they both develop as individuals, seeing their flaws and weaknesses too. There is only one thing I do not like, was the love triangle. I despise love triangles and it gets in my nerves sometimes. Overall, An Ember in the Ashes was such a very intriguing and complex book I’ve ever read. I would recommend it if anyone loves suspense, intense and an action-packed book.

Cameron Voytko

3.5 stars I liked it, but not enough to commit to the whole series. Some more thoughts: Characters: A pretty mixed bag. A lot of them die without the reader being given much reason to care, like Laia's family and most of the Blackcliff students we meet throughout. Others are mystifying and uniquely powerful. Cain and Cook don't necessarily have much depth to them, but they were so were so shifty about their knowledge and intentions that they ended up being my favorites to read. As for our mains, I found myself gravitating slightly more towards Elias. I thought his history and motivations to be really compelling. Laia was okay- I wished we had gotten more involved with her family life and history before rushing into the events of the story (the simultaneous hatred and reverence people hold for her mother is so interesting, I wanted more), but she grew on me. Relationships: The two separate love-ish triangles spinning throughout didn't bother me at all, which is a small miracle. I even liked Keenan and Helene and their respective dynamics with the leads, and it gave me something to look forward when our two mains are kept apart for most of this book. I was really impressed and struck by the interactions between Elias and his mother, the Commandant. Painful and gripping to read every time, with special shoutout to the conversation they have towards the end while Elias waits in his holding cell for execution. It's maybe my favorite scene in the book. Plot: Sometimes it felt like there was too much of it. I thought the Trials to become emperor were dreadfully boring to read, and mostly predictable every time. For whatever reason, the urgency and stakes of the story got sucked out of these sections. This novel so badly wants the reader to care about the Resistance uprising and it's inner conflict between factions, the trickery behind the Emperor's murder, whoever the Nightrider is, this apparent war on the horizon, and I just don't. Maybe it was overly complicated or under explained, but I know I much preferred the quieter moments of character and relationship building throughout. Oh! The idea of the silver masks fusing to the Blackcliff's students' faces overtime was really cool! Liked that a lot. Writing: Fairly easy-reading and simplistic. I like a little more flair as a reader, but it wasn't bad or anything. It sometimes felt inadequately equipped to support much of the darker material. I also felt like the book was too long, but that's more due to the sheer amount of plotting done, as explained above. So yeah! Invested for a short time, but not a long time.

‘Tahir spins a captivating, heart-pounding fantasy’ Us Weekly Read the explosive New York Times bestselling debut that’s captivated readers worldwide. Set to be a major motion picture, An Ember in the Ashes is the book everyone is talking about.

An Ember in the Ashes (Ember Quartet, Book 1)

alexys <3

objectively very good. however i’m not going to lie… i only cared about the romance. i know i know i know, abbey, the world building. abbey, the mystery. abbey, the crazy trials. abbey, the very dark themes. sure, i’m there, i see it. but my brain only hears “ok shut up, let’s get these two together and now kiss”. this isn’t something i do for every romantasy, but for some reason, it was the only thing that really grabbed my attention about this one? idk. it’s objectively good though, very well written, very dark, lots of potential to continue thru the series. 

big ab

the beginning was kinda slow for me so it took me a while to get into it. overall though i did enjoy it but i just wanted more on certain characters, world building / history etc. i know it’s only the first book in the series so i’m hoping as i continue it gets better!

millie

'Tahir spins a captivating, heart-pounding fantasy' Us Weekly Read the explosive New York Times bestselling debut that's captivated readers worldwide. Set to be a major motion picture, An Ember in the Ashes is the book everyone is talking about.

Had to reread so I can finally continue this series but it was quite good to be honest. I love Elias and I love Laia, but I wish they had more time Together, so I definitely appreciate the time which Sabaa Tahir managed to slot them together in. 

surtified™

smashing the five STARS I LOVE YOU HELENE AQUILLA

hana

there's just something about fast-paced fantasy series that gets me every. time.

Linara K.S

This was a reread and I absolutely loved it ! It was way better than the first time I read it !

OMG I think this is one of my favourite series in 2018 !! This is totally amazing !! so small summary : Laia , of the Scholar race , must become a slave at the Martial Academy to spy for the Resistance hoping that she could save her captured older brother from prison. Elias, a student at the Martial Academy, he wears a mask that all the students must wear . They both live different lives but as the story goes on Laia discovers a ruthless way of living and is betrayed . Elias is trying to escape this academy but fails and is now in a difficult position.

Third reread update:
Still love the book though my excitement for the rest of the books did die down a bit perhaps it's because I knew what the twist was lol. Anyways can't wait for the reread of the second book. Rating this a solid 4.5/5 stars 🌟 because it lacked description and the pace was a bit too slow for my taste.

Nice. I really liked the incorporation of politics. The only issue was that even though I could connect to the characters, it was not a lot. Anyway, I will definitely read the next book in the series.

Linta

might not continue the series, didn’t intrigue me much

clau☁️

Hanna Rybchynska

I loved this book! It's amazing YA. 

In a dystopian society, based on antique Rome, everyone against the empire is punished. Laia's brother is accused of treason and he is sent to prison. Laia joins the rebels and she infiltrates the military school to save him!

I loved the main characters and the plot. It was a little bit predictable (as any YA is) but it was sooo enjoyable.

Ashley shackelford

Nova

3.5 

i feel like me from 2 to 3 years ago would’ve liked this more. i’m not sure if it’s because i’m not fully immersed in it, but i only kept reading because i’m attached to the characters. i loved the worldbuilding and am still curious to learn more about the history—especially the tribals. how the words were woven together is also really caters to my taste, it’s not too fancy but sophisticated enough without being hard to read.

BOOK ONE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES One of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time Instant New York Times bestseller From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir Amazon's Best Young Adult Book of 2015 People's Choice Award winner - Favorite Fantasy Bustle's Best Young Adult Book of 2015 “This novel is a harrowing, haunting reminder of what it means to be human — and how hope might be kindled in the midst of oppression and fear.” — The Washington Post “An Ember in the Ashes could launch Sabaa Tahir into JK Rowling territory…It has the addictive quality of The Hunger Games combined with the fantasy of Harry Potter and the brutality of Game of Thrones.”—Public Radio International "An Ember in the Ashes glows, burns, and smolders—as beautiful and radiant as it is searing."—Huffington Post “A worthy novel – and one as brave as its characters.” —The New York Times Book Review Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do. But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

loisesya

Luke Harkness

5 star because it had everything

This book had absolutely everything. 

Characters you genuinely cared about to a point where you care so much you struggle to read on at points! Some lovely and caring, others horrible and inconceivably cruel, all flawed and, as a result, very believable!

A storyline you constantly want to read the next chapter of to see where it is taking you, hoping what you thought was going to happen happens and then ether satisfyingly does or also satisfyingly takes a brilliant twist.

It's a book I feel the author could have kept on writing and I would have kept on reading. But I'm glad there's a sequel (and another book coming soon) as it allows me to break it up and get myself ready for the next installment as there's a lot of unanswered questions and little holes I want them to explore more!

Selin Igten

akynn 

i made a great decision to ignore their ages completely and i am glad.

This reminded my why I love reading. It was so beautiful and sad and thrilling. Elias and laia are going to break my heart. When I wasn't reading this I was thinking about reading it.

Ellen Ivey

Zahra

This book is such a sweet surprise because I had no expectation when I first started it and ended up loving it. 

It's the kind of book that will keep you guessing and wondering what's gonna happen next. I had so much fun putting all the pieces together and trying to grasp what the heck is happening.

An Ember in the Ashes A Novel

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