Name: Jamieson's review of An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Item: An Ember in the Ashes
Rating: 3
Author: Jamieson

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

Ellaline Cami

"This life is not always what we think it will be, Cain says. You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.' kclilt

'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.

Elena M.

Life is hard enough without having to avoid entire rooms in my own head.

Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing. Then one day, a single moment comes along to define every second that comes after.

BOOK ONE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES 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.

annika

Dinah De Vries

anna ˖*°࿐

'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. What if you were the spark that could ignite a revolution? For years Laia has lived in fear. Fear of the Empire, fear of the Martials, fear of truly living at all. Born as a Scholar, she's never had much of a choice. For Elias it's the opposite. He has seen too much on his path to becoming a Mask, one of the Empire's elite soldiers. With the Masks' help the Empire has conquered a continent and enslaved thousands of Scholars, all in the name of power. When Laia's brother is taken she must force herself to help the Resistance, the only people who have a chance of saving him. She must spy on the Commandant, ruthless overseer of Blackcliff Academy. Blackcliff is the training ground for Masks and the very place that Elias is planning to escape. If he succeeds, he will be named deserter. If found, the punishment will be death. But once Laia and Elias meet, they find that their destinies are intertwined and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire. In the ashes of a broken world one person can make a difference. One voice in the dark can be heard. The price of freedom is always high and this time that price might demand everything, even life itself.

Matilda Stener

Jamieson

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.

Deepika Ramesh

Tatiana

An Ember in the Ashes is the kind of book that is enthralling while you read it, and you cannot stop thinking about it when you're not. This series gained A LOT of hype and I have to say, it earned every single bit of it.

The writing is incredible and the split perspective between Elias and Laia works like a dream (You won't need a Midnight Sun for this series!) The way Sabaa Tahir has brought the characters to life is incredible. Seriously, I think I went through the five stages of grief while reading this book. 

The pacing, storyline, everything is a work of art. It has everything one may want in a book, exciting and daring adventure, romance, magic, mystery, even a bit of a heist. I believe this book, if not the entire series, will be a favorite for readers everywhere for an extremely long time.

Izzy

💌

i’m speechless 
this book is AMAZING!! it has so many elements and depth and ahhhh i’m in love

Jaden Nelson

This is my second time reading this book because I want to read "A Torch Against the Night" and I all I really remembered about this book was that I loved it. And I do have to stay I loved it just as much now as I did before. This is truly probably one of my favorite books I have ever read for some reasons I cannot explain. It is one to the longest books I have read in a while, but also one of the fastest. While the book is in fact a chunker, there is an amazing world packed into these 446 pages. I have so many jumbled thoughts on this masterpiece that I could ramble for probably days. The characters are so well developed and thinking back in the book, unlike most books I read, I cannot pick out one moment in the book that I felt unnecessary or boring. The work development is extraordinary. I have a feeling that if this book was made into a movie, 1 they would probably ruin it for me in so many ways, 2 I would freak out and go see it instantly, and 3 there is so much that happened, that I think it would have to be at least 2 parts. Anyways, this will always remain one of my favorite books in existence (as far as now) and I can see my self re-re- and re-reading this many times. Anyways, would highly recommend to anyone into fantasy, fighting/combat, or basically just any person because it is a great book. NOW ONTO A TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT YAY

“All the beauty of the stars means nothing when life here on earth is so ugly.” 


There is something ridiculously hard about going into books that are massively hyped. Everywhere I looked I saw 5* ratings for this book and glowing reviews. It seemed like An Ember in the Ashes could do no wrong. AND THAT SCARES ME. I have so much difficulty going into books with that hype - either I overly critique it and end up hating it, or I set my expectations too high and end up disappointed. 

I am GLAD TO REPORT I didn't hate this !!! I actually really, really enjoyed it. There are ALOT of things to like about this book, I UNDERSTAND THE HYPE GUYS. For once I get it 


  “There are two kinds of guilt. The kind that's a burden and the kind that gives you purpose. Let your guilt be your fuel. Let it remind you of who you want to be. Draw a line in your mind. Never cross it again. You have a soul. It's damaged but it's there. Don't let them take it from you.” 


AN EMBER IN THE ASHES is set in a fictional world, and follows the dual perspective of Elias and Laia. Laia is a member of the oppressed class known as the Scholar, while Elias is part of the ruling military class called the Masks. The reason I was so sceptical on this book at first is because that felt very DONE to me. (( The division of class is literally Mistborns okay. ))

BUT ANYWAY, it doesn't matter because there is soo much about this world and this story that is original and amazing and made it all worth it. I don't wanna spoil anything (and also I think this is one of those books you just don't wanna know too much about) but I LOVED the trials throughout the book. The trials were absolutely intense and gory af but I loved them. They were so entertaining, and even though they were honestly an awful experience for the characters, they were a good time for me.

It took me about 100 pages to get into this. I really wasn't sure about it at all toward the beginning, but I'm glad I gave it time because once I finished Part One, I had a much better time with this book. That first 100 pages wasn't a slog, but it felt a little tedious. 


  “The field of battle is my temple. The swordpoint is my priest. The dance of death is my prayer. The killing blow is my release.” 


I did not expect this book to be as fucking BRUTAL as it was. Please know this book is gory and violent !! (Also, there are trigger warning for rape and sexual assault) but I kind of like that about it. It definitely made it feel like the characters were in a more desperate and hopeless situation, and it made the things they had to do that little bit more horrendous. This book was genuinely shocking as in you were appalled people had to do what they had to do. The violence of this world rivals The Hunger Games for me, and I always say THG as being pretty darn violent. 

One thing I LOVED about this is that it really did suck you in. I was able to sit for hours reading this and not even notice the passing time - which actually doesn't happen to me that often anymore. When that started happening I knew it was a good book. This is one of those books that's full of action and always seems to end each chapter on a little cliffhanger kind of thing so you had to keep going on. It made it seem like I was reading it so much faster and that was one element I really loved about it.

I really LOVED the themes and ideas explored! I'm a big one for discussions on power and the effect power can have on people and I loved that this book really explored that. I also liked the exploration of humanity and what it means to be a good person, and where people draw a line between right and wrong. I know lots of people don't worry about books thematically but I really do, so I was stoked those ideas were focussed on. 

I also loved the amount of diversity in this book! That was just something I picked up on and really liked. I know this world is vaguely based upon the Roman Empire, but I liked that setting wise it kind of felt Middle Eastern to me. 

Character wise, it maybe wasn't the STRONGEST (oh yeah, love square alert). I really liked the characters, especially Laia who I thought was a greaat character, but I thought there could have been more places the characterisation could have gone. I loved the character development we do see, with Laia becoming more courageous and accepting her own weaknesses and strengths, and Elias standing up for his beliefs and becoming more defiant. But despite that I just felt it could have been more 

That's basically how I felt about this whole thing. DON'T GET ME WRONG HERE BECAUSE I REALLY,REALLY LIKE IT. 

But the extra 5* could have come just with a little more. I wanted more on the characters histories, but I really wanted to see how their world was effecting them more. I really wanted more world building and more history of the world. I wanted more explanations because sadly I was a little confused by all the names and terms used. and I wanted to see more interactions of substance between some central figures. I felt this book left me with a million things I NEEDED.

I am hoping the sequel can give me some of that !! 

SOME THOUGHTS I JUST WANNA DISCUSS !!! SPOILERS AHEAD !!! 

PLS READ THIS IS ME GUSHING ABOUT THSI BOOK PLS DISCUSS WITH ME
(view spoiler)[
-- I am so annoyed at Elias for Helene ???? IDK I just thought Hel was an awesome character, and SHE DESERVED SO MUCH BETTER OKAY. I am annoyed at Elias for sooo mcuh about her. One for never trusting her, two for betraying her over and over, three for treating her like a child at times and underestimating her, four for leaving her with MARCUS HER ABUSER !!!!
Like ok maybe he didn't have many options

BUT MARCUS !! IS !! HER !! ABUSER !!

Like I get he didn't want to kill Laia, and I get killing Laia was only partly about it being her, and was ultimately about him being unable to cross that line in his mind again but I just .......... she's your best friend since you were 9
and like listen, why didn't they like ....... watch Marcus TBH

ANYWAY I literally cannot w/ the sequel ...... when Hel meets Elias again I will be reduced 2 tears no doubt like I honestly was lovin their friendship n yeah

Also the third trial where they had to kill their friends WAS AWFUL I hated that so much it was such a terrible, terrible thing I couldn't believe the brutality of that scene 

ALSO the commandment is THE WORST person I hate her so much ??????? But also I really liked when she came to see Elias bc I felt like it showed there was much more to her and I'm excited to see that

also can I just say Keenan is the most pointless love interest of all time since its ?? p clear Elias is in w/ Laia

BUT ALSO um !!! the Augurs were so weird but I really liked them ? I liked how the mind reading worked that was pretty neat

OH and I almost forgot !! Whats the deal with the Jinn/ King Jinn thing ??? that seemed a bit saucy I'm keen 2 see where that goes. Interesting that the Scholars used to be the ... not nice ppl

ALSO I call it now that either Mazen or Sana is the traitor in the resistance but I think it's Sana the most

OMG like just so much happened in the last 100 pages it got me super keen for the sequel

pls discuss w/ me I'm so hype abt these points

 (hide spoiler)] 


  “Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing. Then one day, a single moment comes along to define every second that comes after. Such moments are tests of courage, of strength.”


Anyway, all in all I'm pretty happy I got to this in 2016!! It was a pretty good piece of YA fantasty, and even thought they're all starting to merge into one I really, really think this one stood out. Maybe I'm not in for ALL the hype, but I still 100% get it.

Jamieson &
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Jamieson &An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Jamieson &
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir