Review | An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

[TheBookNerdEmily]

Rating: ♡♡♡♡♡ 5/5 hearts

“Vow your blood and body to the empire.

Keep your heart for yourself.”

I have wanted to read this book pretty much since it was listed on Goodreads. When there was no gorgeous cover, no glowing 5 star reviews, just the above quoted and a vague description. Starting this book I was afraid. Afraid of the shear amount of hype being generated over this book. Rarely does a book live up to the hype, but I do believe that this one does.
“This life is not always what we think it will be,”Cain says.“You are an ember in the ashes Elias Venturius. You will spark and burn , ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.”
I loved the characters, their relationships, their personality. No one was black and white, no one was simple . This book actually keeps you guessing from the start about, well, everything.
I flew through this book, and I highly recommend it for anybody looking for good YA or good fantasy, or just simply looking for a good book.
Because An Ember in the Ashes deserves the hype .

[K_Frizz1992]

Let me just start off by saying that this book is an addiction! From page one you are swept into these two characters lives and you will not be able to put it down. Laia is an orphaned Scholar girl whos brother is taken away by a Mask soldier for treason. In order to recue her brother, Laia most spy for the resistance at the military academy (Blackcliff). Elias is a Mask soldier on the verge of graduation and desertion. He wants nothing more than to be free of Blackcliff and the Empire. Before Elias can escape he is named Aspirant for the throne. He is chosen by the Augurs, a mysterious race of immortal profits. This book will leave you begging for the next book to come out!

[lmoses]

Thanks for your post about this book! I agree that the hype has been so strong about this book but little is being said. I have this on my "to read" list on goodreads.com but keep passing over it because often times the hype behind the book is no where near the truth. I definitely have plans to read it now that I know others agree it is worth the read!

[EdeeIvey]

This book kept popping up on my radar, but I read the description: wasn't interested. Books usually make me wary when they switch in point of views, so I ignored it for a while.
Then, during one lonely weekend, I decided to go for it; I hit the download button and got sucked into this world of danger. Rather than distract, the alternating viewpoints actually enable a richer portrayal from the author. She hardly spares one character from layers of complexity. The two main characters, each in their own worlds of expectations that occasionally clash, both grow slowly as their world shapes them. Laia must harden her resolve underneath her mistress, subjecting herself to pain for the sake of her brother. While she despises her own cowardice at the beginning of the novel, she gradually begins to build her strength. Elias needs a different kind of strength, one that questions his mercy in a merciless world. As both of them attempt survival, they gravitate toward each other, not out of love, but through an understanding. Tahir does not deliver an easy romance, or even one at all in the first novel, reinforcing the difficulty of the world in which these two characters live as the novel ends in preparation for the next stage of their journey.

[gali]

I have read this book recently and loved it! I eagerly await for the sequel.

[Shelby Fryar]

I too was skeptical on whether this book would live up to the hype or not. Once I started reading, I could not put it down. I think there is something in this book that everyone can relate to whether it be understanding how difficult it can be to make some choices, similar to what we saw the characters go through or the reward for fighting for what we love and believe in, even with possible dangerous outcomes. Since having read this book, I have recommended it to many teachers and friends, they have all loved it and found things to relate to in this book.

[little_wonderland]

This book has many interesting features. The one that you’ll notice at first that is is written from 2 points of view. We follow a story of Laia, the Scholar, and Elias, the Mask. Although there is this trope ‘rich-guy-poor-girl’, I don’t mind it that much in this book because none of these 2 characters are either arrogant because they’re rich, or whiny because they’re poor. So it’s okay. Laia is a bit whiny in the first half of the book because she’s not like her mother and she’s not brave, blablabla… but thanks to her amazing character development, it changed.

I love that this book is mainly character driven, that’s what I look for in books.

The first half of the book was little slow but after that, things got more interesting and gripping. When I finished, I was only glad and happy that I read this… treasure (I exaggerate but, believe me, you won’t regret reading this). And I need the second book.

There was one thing that I didn’t enjoy… I don’t hate it but it just made me confused and I found it unnecessary. Love triangle. And not just one, but two. I think I know, for about 60%, which couple is an endgame but I cannot be 100% sure. I’m super confused. I can’t trust any ship too much or I’ll be disappointed.

The fact that it was inspired by the Roman Empire is what made me even more hooked on and I loved it! It was delivered very well. The book was dark, there was a lot of talking about rape, not to mention the whoring. From time to time it’s not a bad thing because it makes the whole world more realistic… but there was this one person who was seriously horny the whole time and in a very sick twisted way… it made me uncomfortable, he’s scary!!!

I hope I can get my hands on A Torch Against the Night as soon as possible.

[martha87]

I can't wait for the sequel!

The book drops the reader immediately into an action filled scene- Laia's home is broken into by the Martial's led by a mask. The first couple of pages are a bit disorienting since the reader doesn't know enough of the back story to understand who the Martials are or what a mask is. This feeling of disorientation lasted throughout most of the book. But, rather than being off putting, the disorientation helped me feel more connected to the main character. Although the book is told by two narrators, I felt like Laia was the main character. This might be due to the fact that we learn most of the important back story pieces through her character- such as how the empire began. Laia was also the character with the most development. She begins as a bit whiny and unsure of herself and ends as a courageous freedom fighter.

The rest of the story line is told through Elias. He presents the Martial Empire through the lens of a mask, adding a sympathetic character from the Empire. His character was intriguing, but I didn't feel like he did much more than progress the story line. His character advances the plot and provides the love interest, but I am hoping that in the next book we see his character grow like we saw with Laia.

[MerryLove]

This book does have a bit of a slow start, but the two stories that unfold are well worth it.

Laia has grown up fearing the brutality of the Masks, the Empire's best military fighters. When one arrests her brother for treason and murders the rest of her family, she can only think of one place to turn. She asks the Resistance to free her brother. In return, she must become a slave for the high Commandant of the military school as their undercover spy. Her slaves don't usually last a week.

Laia goes through a complete change throughout the course of the book. She starts out as a very naïve little girl, but she quickly grows to see how she can make at least a small difference in the world. She's a very real, down to earth character.

Elias is this generation's best Mask, and days away from graduation. He longs to be free of his fate through, and is planning to escape. He doesn't agree with the morals and philosophies taught to the masks. He ends up becoming a part of the trials taking place, and the story follows his journey through deciding what is right versus what is his duty.

I have to say that I liked Elias's story more than I liked Laia's. I felt like he had so much more depth, even from early on, than Laia did. And some of his experiences were heartwrenching. I love book that makes me feel, and Elias's story had me on an emotional roller coaster at times. I loved it.
The book as a whole is definitely on the dark side. The Commandant is outright cruel, to Masks and slaves alike. Elias has to make quite a few moral decisions that his life usually depends on. This is not a fluffy read, but that's what makes it so good. It is these elements that made me care about these characters and their decisions in the first place.

I did think the book's description was a little misleading. It makes it sound like Laia and Elias are intertwined in their stories, but they really aren't for most of the book. They are in the same place, sure, and they run into each other on occasion; but really, most of the book features their very separate and different stories.

I thought the ending was well executed. It was exciting, it had a solid end, and left me satisfied and excited for the sequel at the same time.

Rating

Overall, I'd rate this book a 4 out of 5. After the slow beginning, this turns into a great book.

[Monet_va]

I loved this book! The unique setting and different concept really made it an enjoyable read, and I felt like Sabaa Tahir told a story that was unique and captivating.

[RoxieReads]

I bought the first two books in this series and am very excited to start reading them!

[dianaterrado]

Absolutely in love with this brutal, beautiful, exciting book! Sabaa Tahir is such an amazing storyteller! I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!

[Barkha95]

It was a fabulous book. I can't wait to read rest of the series. Its damn special series. I loved laia and elias but i also loved keenan. But i am having a institutions that keenan will be the one to betray laia.. Can't wait to read it

[Leigh__k]

It sounds like a good book I'll add it to my tbr