An Ember in the Ashes

Have you ever had a book you couldn't stop thinking about? You run over the plot and characters in your mind while at work? You stalk the author for any information regarding book 2? Well...this was me for An Ember in the Ashes. This book blew me away. An epic story full of courage and wonderful diverse characters. A unique fantasy world that was cruel and wonderful at the same time. I just couldn't put this book down. Today's book is An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. I honestly can say only one other book had me glued to the pages and kept by my side until finished. That was Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen. Now I found another book to hold me captive. An Ember in the Ashes was masterfully written. The pace flowed steadily to the point I just read and read. The world the book centers around is brutal, ruled by the Martial Empire who enslave scholars, taking from them libraries, books and their freedom. Scholars live in poverty serving the Martials as slaves. They aren't allowed to read or write for the punishment is death. To maintain such order, the Empire has special warriors with deadly weapons to keep the Scholars in their place. If a Martials' child is accepted into the Blackcliff academy, they train to become these deadly warriors known as The Masks. They must wear silver masks 24/7, so they can form over their faces like second skin, given the name. However, there is a resistance that has been rising for years against the Empire. Striking out when they least expect it. The book moves from two different point of views. Laia is a young Scholar who knows how to read. One night a Mask comes to take her brother Darin away, for illegally drawing images of weapons, burns their house down and kills her grandparents. She can only do one thing, join the resistance and go undercover in Blackcliff to spy so her brother can be freed. It's in the resistance she meets the handsome fighter Keenan who helps her during her time at Blackcliff. She endures much cruelty, especially by the Commandment, the leader of Blackcliff. A woman with much power and cruel determination to search out traitors from the resistance. Elias is a highborn student at Blackcliff, training to be a Mask. But he wants no part of it and plans to desert only to be pulled back in by the Trials. Whoever wins these tests become Emperor. Those that lose die. He must compete against his best friend Helene under the watchful eye of his mother, the Commandment. Elias starts to have conflicting feelings for his friend Helene and the slave girl Laia. His story was my favorite part of the book. I loved his turmoiled emotions and how he sets out to do the right thing. Love triangle haters beware, this book has a double whammy of a love triangle. I really don't like love triangles. Elias has feeling for both Helene and Laia. Laia has feeling for Keenan and Elias. But Elias and Laia's emotions are more connected with the moment rather than true feelings. He likes Laia's looks and it seems to be based on that throughout the book rather than her wit. So who knows where it will lead. I love the connection between Elias and Helene and look forward to see what happens in the next book. They seemed the most perfect for each other. So the love triangle wasn't really that bad because the story is what the book is all about. Sabaa did a wonderful job weaving a realistic story in this fantasy world. It's violent with bloody scenes that make the story much more intense. I gasped. I cringed. I yelled. I was a ball of nerves. The description of the world brought to life every detail of the characters and setting. The action was non-stop and with each turn of the page some sweat gathered on my forehead with concern for Elias...oh and Laia! Sabaa did a wonderful job at this debut novel. I can't wait to see what she has next because I eagerly wait for the sequel..which we will get! Wahoo! Should you read it? YES! What are you waiting for? This masterpiece of a story is something you can't miss. You won't put it down. Trust me. It's a wonderful add to your library collection.

This is one of those stories that I let the hype surrounding it get to me too much. I really try hard to not let the reviews of others (which I don't read before I've read a book) influence me too greatly. This was one book though that was hard to avoid comments about it. Everyone, everywhere, seemed to love it. So I had it built up really high in my head. Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed this story a lot. But unfortunately it didn't quite live up to the massive amount of (positive 5 star) hype that I had seen. The world building is incredible! This is one of those stories that has many plots going on at once; many characters with individual backgrounds; many groups of people all fighting for survival of a different purpose or cause. Within the story itself there are myths and rumors and stories of old that the groups of people pass around. It was incredible really to think that Sabaa has all of this mapped out in her head in a way that's both entertaining for the reader and interesting without being overwhelming. Before you read the story, check out the maps in the front (for me they were in the beginning of the Kindle version book). Study it enough to familiarize yourself with the world these characters live in. It was very handy for me with trying to picture and imagine what was being described throughout the story. I can't begin to explain the depth of what comes along with these characters and what they are going through. The one piece that was lacking more for my personal taste, was a deeper romance added in the story line. There are romantic interests but its nowhere near the focus of the story. But even within those romantic interests, I would've like to have seen more development with them. Both main characters have a connection with someone else and they also find themselves having a connection with each other too....but neither romances were really satisfying to me as they weren't explored more. With one character you had the connection with the lifelong best friend but the feelings don't seem to be fully reciprocated. Then you've got the other character who has an insta-connection (attraction?) with someone they really know nothing about. Both of those scenarios left me with a "meh" feeling...until the two main characters meet each other and my hopes soared for the possibilities only to be let down. Again, this is MY personal preference for what I like to see in books - I don't have to have romance be the sole purpose of the book but I definitely like my love stories to take at a minimum semi-center stage. For those who may not know much about the story, Laia is a scholar (lower-status free born person) whose family is murdered and her only brother arrested. To help rescue him she seeks out the help of the Resistance and agrees to pose as a slave for them in the Empire's military academy, where no spy has ever lived to tell about the secrets within its walls, in exchange for their help. It's heavily fortified and the 3,000 military students within it are taught to not show any mercy, especially to slaves and those beneath them. While there Laia meets Elias, one of the top students, ruthless in battle but is battling an inner war of something much greater. If you love Young Adult Fantasy stories, and stories historically inspired, stories with battles and inner-self struggles, this is one you don't want to miss out on! Favorite Quotes: "The Foretelling is truth. A truth you will soon face. You seek to run. You seek to abandon your duty. But you cannot escape your destiny." "But there are two kinds of guilt, girl: the kind that drowns you until you're useless, and the kind that fires your soul to purpose." "Fear can be good, Laia. It can keep you alive. But don't let it control you. Don't let it sow doubts within you. When the fear takes over, use the only thing more powerful, more indestructible, to fight it: your spirit. You heart." Language Rating: 1 (light) Mature Content Rating: 0 (none) Final Rating: a very strong 4 stars

Guys. GUYS. THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. I really can’t say enough about this series and I’m definitely kind of obsessing about it these days. This audiobook happened a few weeks ago before I decided to start writing reviews, but I had to include it because I’m still reeling. Everything about this was amazing and listening to the audiobook only heightened the experience because the narrators were top notch. Buckle up kids, this is gonna be a long one. THE REHASH It starts in the perspective of Laia, a lowly scholar girl who lives with her brother and two grandparents. She’s noticed lately that her brother Darin has been keeping odd hours and carrying around a sketchbook everywhere he goes. When she catches a glimpse into said sketchbook, it’s filled with doodles of weapons—concerning behavior to say the least. A group of masks (or a fancy word for soldiers) comes to their home one night, killing their grandparents and accusing Darin of treason. The two siblings try to escape, but quickly get caught and Darin tells Laia to run. She listens without thinking, barely making it to safety and spends the rest of the book berating herself for leaving Darin all alone. There’s no friends or family she can turn to for help, so she goes to the only connection she has left—the resistance. Through her interaction with members of the resistance, we learn that Laia’s parents used to be a part of it before they were killed and apparently were pretty bad ass. With some aggressive negotiating, the resistance decides to help Darin escape prison if Laia will pose as a servant and gather information for them in return. Feeling guilty with her recent abandonment, she readily agrees. We also get to hear the perspective of Elias—a.k.a. my new fictional husband—who has spent most of his life training to be a mask at the very strict and very prestigious Blackcliff Academy. He’s been there for years and has finally made it to graduation, but he hates it. The life of a soldier is not one he wanted and he’s planning to escape. Elias has spent months hiding rations and supplies and he’s finally ready to blow the joint after the graduating ceremony. As luck would have it, he’s stopped right before he can get away by an Augur, which is basically a big scary-looking fortune cookie that can see the future. For anyone who has read The Mortal Instrument series, they’re pretty much exactly like the Silent Brothers. Anyway, the Augur tells Elias to reconsider his escape plan, saying freedom won’t be all it’s cracked up to be and he’ll have a chance to create his own freedom if he has the will to stay. Since he hasn’t mentioned his plans to anyone, even his best friend Helene, he takes the Augur’s warning seriously. After graduation, it is announced that the Augurs want to look for a new Emperor and have created a competition for four specially selected students to fight for the title. And guess who gets chosen?! There are four trials to this competition and the first person to win two will become the new Emperor. Elias only hesitates a moment before he accepts, remembering the Augur’s words from earlier. All four competitors are forced to meet with the Commandant, one of their superiors (who happens to be Elias’s mother) and a god damn she-devil with no soul. During this meeting Elias happens to notice that his mother has a new servant who is none other than Laia in disguise! DUN DUN DUN!! While Laia tries to dodge blows from the Commandant and gather insider information, Elias has to compete in the nightmare-inducing Emperor trials. All of the character’s lives get intertwined in unexpected ways and there’s an amazing ending that will literally blow your freaking socks off. THE GOOD Oh man, where to even begin. Laia is such an amazing female main character and I love how independent and strong she is throughout the entire novel. The same goes for Helene because even though she had a tendency to get on my nerves, that didn’t take away from her intelligence or killer fighting skills. Reading a young-adult book with strong, independent female leads is always a good day in my opinion. Woo feminism! On the flip side, Elias was also a great character to read about and I loved the alternating perspectives between the two. He’s a strong soldier with heart of gold who just wants the chance to live his own life, and who doesn’t love that?! After watching Elias show kindness to everyone around him while still being smart on the “battlefield,” you can’t help but fall into the old rooting-for-the-underdog trap. And the villains!! Oh my god, I have never hated a character more than I hate the Commandant. All too often I encounter fictional bad guys that are more annoying than evil. You’re not scared of them, you just want them to get out of the way and stop ruining the story. This was different though. Marcus and the Commandant seriously scared the crap out of me. Both of them are so emotionless and determined in their scheming, it makes you wonder if they can even be defeated! Some hardcore Cersei Lannister vibes up in here. The setting is really brilliant too and Tahir has done a great job building up this universe, down to the last detail. Just looking at all the maps makes it evident how much time and thought was put into this. I even listed this book on my website under historical fiction (technically it’s not but…) because The Empire really feels like ancient Rome. That’s not a time or place we hear very often about these days, especially in young-adult books, so it was a refreshing perspective. In terms of narrators, the two voice actors did a great job and really brought life to Laia and Elias. Right now I’m actually reading a hard copy of the sequel A Torch Against the Night and I can hear their voices in my mind as I read. That might be weird of me, but it’s hard to care when I have smooth sounds of Steve West’s accent in my noggin. THE UGLY NOTHING. THIS BOOK IS PERFECTION. FINAL WORD If you haven’t noticed from this incessantly long and rambling review, I loved this novel. Whether you read a hard copy or listen to the audio book, just freaking read it. You can thank me later.

I have received this book from Penguin First To Read in exchange for an honest review. This has no affect on my opinion of the book or the content of my review. my review bugsThere is this nasty thing floating through the bookish community, I like to call it the hype monster. It sinks its claws into people by promising them a truly riveting story. This monster is very deceiving and fools even the most seasoned reviewer. That being said, EVERY SINGLE RAVE YOU HAVE HEARD REGARDING THIS BOOK IS TRUE!! The brutally terrifying setting paired with characters who are willing to risk it all for freedom, makes An Ember in the Ashes one of the hands down most thrilling, edge of my seat, nail biting reads I have ever had the pleasure to encounter. I’m sure by now you get the gist of the story. This is about Laia, a girl who’s family was brutally murdered in front of her eyes and her only living relation, her brother Kian is captured for treason. Laia then does the only thing she can think to do now that her home has been razed to the ground. She goes in search of the Rebels, a group of Scholars like herself, who try to fight the tyrannical Marshall rule. The most fierce and deadly of these Marshall’s are an elite group of soldiers called Masks. Not only are they the most perfectly crafted solider ever to exist but they are ruthless and unfeeling as well making them damn near invincible. With there silver masks that bond to their faces as a sign of loyalty to the empire, they reminded me exactly of these fellows from the movie 300. photo immo_zpsknqk3zdk.gif Elias is the most elite of the elite, the top performing soldier in his squadron so it’s not a surprise that he is picked for the Trials, a brutal series of tests that will determine who will be the next ruler of the Martial Empire. The only thing is Elias was ready to desert the night before. After a disturbing warning from a source he thought was a myth, Elias is now on the fast track to the life he never wanted, the life he was ready risk death to escape from. The alternating perspectives between Elias and Laia gives a clear, concise picture of how each faction differs from the other. One lives and breathes brutality and the other’s life is nothing but fear. Not only were the characters flawed to perfection but the the setting couldn’t have been more atmospheric. The rich yet disturbing scenes that bloomed before my eyes were quite often brutal but done in a way that not only probed the mind but the heart as well. Should loyalty be absolute in all cases? Do a few dare defy the masses? I was kept guessing though the entirety of this lengthy book! The romance was a slow kindled work of art. Even though I’m sure some could claim love triangle if they really wanted to, I didn’t see it that way. There was some attraction but not LOVE hence, NOT A LOVE TRIANGLE. I’ll try to bring my ranting about this work of art to a close now. Even as I write this review I long to re-read this story since there were so many meticulous details I’m sure I can pick up on something I missed. Just so you know how rare an automatic re-read is for me, the only other books I have done so with are The Hunger Games series, Deathly Hallows, Crown of Midnight/Heir of Fire, & A Song of Ice & Fire. This book is truly among the elites in my mind. You will not regret preordering this in the least. If you do well…. :-P.

THE PLOT Laia is a Scholar. Elias is a Martial. Under the Martial Empire's iron fist, the Scholars are fighting to survive. If you are a Scholar, you are either working class or a slave, and few rebels (or suspected rebels) are left unharmed or undetected. When Laia's brother is taken from her, she is willing do anything to save him—even if it means going into Blackcliff and never coming back. Blackcliff is a military academy where Martials like Elias Veturius are trained to become Masks, the assassin-soldiers of the Empire. Supervised and lead by the cold-hearted Commandant, even Blackcliff's students must face the violence and cruelty of the Empire. This cruelty and violence is part of the reason that Elias Veturius plans to desert. An Ember in the Ashes is a breathtaking dystopian novel based on the Roman Empire with fantastical and mythical elements woven in. As long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by not only Roman mythology, but Ancient Rome in general. The politics, military strategy, and social structure of that era is a fascinating topic in history, and I'm happy to say that Tahir's twist on the era did not disappoint. THE CHARACTERS Before focusing in on Elias and Laia, I'd like to take a second and point out that Tahir did a phenomenal job crafting the slew of characters seen in An Ember in the Ashes. Even the characters with the smallest role in the novel were three-dimensional—not a single one seemed flat or a copy of any other character. I often find that secondary and minor characters are not as finely crafted and can seem very similar to one another, but I was pleasantly surprised by Tahir's cast of characters. She truly honed in on each and every one of her characters, big and small, and thought through how each of their minds worked and how they'd play a role in the plot. These seemingly minor details about the lesser characters really helped me appreciate An Ember in the Ashes even more, and proceeded to further my understanding of the main characters and their emotions as well. Elias “Always victorious." The words of Elias Veturius' grandfather and the motto of Gens Veturia always ring in Elias' mind. As the heir to Gens Veturia and the star student at Blackcliff, it is only understandable the immeasurable amount of pride his grandfather feels towards him, and also the immeasurable pressure put on Elias as a result. Yet fame and strength are not on Elias' mind—all Elias truly wants is freedom. I absolutely adore Elias as a character. He is a strong character who knows right from wrong even when others do not. Although he makes mistakes (he is human after all), he is willing to make amends and fix his errors. In a society where it is easy to accept social standards and leave people to suffer and die, Elias is willing to fight for justice. He is an extremely caring person who looks out for his friends and even for people he doesn't know. Laia “But I’m not strong. I’m weak, and I’m sick of pretending I’m not.” Laia lost it all, and she's struggling to reclaim the one person she might be able to save—her elder brother, Darin. Although she may be able to save him, she knows it won't be easy, yet she's still willing to take the risk. Laia has a lot of expectations to live up to, and tries her best to do everything she can to make her dead family, and her brother, proud. I admire Laia's determination and strong will. Although she falters once in a while, she always finds the strength to get back up and fight again. I believe that despite her flaws, and despite her belief that she is weak, she is in her own way unbelievably strong for trying over and over and over again. FINAL THOUGHTS Tahir's writing is exquisite, and I was captivated from beginning to end. She was able to perfectly mix the world-building, character development, dialogue, and action. The book was a delectable treat that went beyond satisfying my recently book-deprived heart and soul. Tahir told Laia and Elias' story beautifully, and I cannot wait to see how the rest of their lives unfold. "You will burn, for you are an ember in the ashes."

The novel An Ember in the Ashes written by Sabaa Tahir is her fantasy novel. This novel is about a slave girl named Laia and a Martial Soldier named Elias. Laia is working with the resistance in order to help free her brother who was captured by a Mask in the middle of the night. Meanwhile Elias just graduated from Blackcliff Military Academy, where he was training to be a mask and is the best in his class. However, he hates the empire and wants to run away and be free, however a wrench is thrown in his plans when he is one of four selected to be in the Trials, which is a test of survival to become the next Emperor. Laia doesn’t start out as a slave girl, instead she is in a home living with her grandparents, because her parents were killed. One night the Empire raids their house, kills her grandparents, and captures her brother Darin. She escapes and runs to find the resistance. The resistance then sends her to spy on the Commandant in Blackcliff Military Academy in exchange they will break her brother out of jail. The Commandant is one of the cruelest people in Blackcliff and is known for torturing and even killing slaves that work for the resistance. Elias has to go through hard trials in order to prove that he is worthy to be Emperor; however, he does not want to be Emperor. He just wants to run away and be free from all the killing. Through the trials Elias struggles to find who he really is. He doesn’t want to kill but that is what he has been trained to do all his life. Laia is going through struggles of her own mainly with the Commandant. She has been abused many times most notably being when the Commandant carved a K into her chest. Elias and Laia end up meeting and share their goals of freedom. They find a way to work together for a common goal of freeing Laia’s brother. I really enjoyed reading this fantasy novel. It was one of those novels that took you to another place, where you completely forgot about reality and were lost in the story. I couldn’t stop turning the pages. It was like I could feel the characters struggles and successes. I also love how the book was written in the first person of two characters. The first chapter was about Laia and the second was about Elias and it alternated throughout the whole book. I’ve never seen this type of writing style, but I really enjoyed it and liked how I got to see two different perspectives throughout the book. There are many Roman mythology references throughout the book; from the chapters using Roman numerals to the Empire. The character development brought out the theme of loyalty and duty to self, family, and country as they struggled to find the balance in loyalties. While many may consider it a dark novel with many skirmishes and deaths, I found it to be an inspiring story of overcoming one’s destiny and survival to pursue one’s passions. I plan to read the sequels in order to continue the journey with Laia and Elias.

“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.” Warning! LONG REVIEW AHEAD! Please Lord tell me there is a sequel. If this book does not have a sequel I might just punch somebody. That was the most dramatic and tense ending to a book ever! I was nervous and I was afraid for the characters in ways I rarely ever am. In books I never feel as if I should fear for the characters because nothing bad ever happens to them. They are put through trials but you never really see them get hurt. The MC's never get broken. In this book the characters get destroyed. They get split open and ripped to pieces and you never know if they are going to make it out completely whole and I live it. I love this book so much. It was both tense and intense. There was so much happening. So many secrets and so many lies and so many hidden agendas. The plot of this book was of epic proportions. After her brother is accused of working for the resistance, Laia witnesses her grandparents brutal murder and has no choice but to run as her brother is captured and take to one of the worst prisons in the Martial Empire. Feeling guilty for leaving him behind she makes a deal with the resistance: free Darin and she will spy on the most vicious, most dangerous woman in the Empire, the Commandant of Blackcliff Academy, the training grounds of the Masks, the most dangerous and most feared soldiers in the land. On the other side of this is Elias, a Mask in training just a day from graduation. He is the highest ranking Mask at Blackcliff yet he wished for nothing more than freedom. After planning his escape and dreaming of his freedom for months it is all taken from him when he is chosen as an Aspirant, one of four Masks to compete for the ultimate prize, the crown to the Empire. Where any other soldier would be honored and proud Elias regrets his missed opportunity at freedom and dreads his future as either Emperor, Blood Shrike, or dead. Now the thing I loved most about the plot was that it was two separate stories that weaved together to make one. The two characters, Laia and Elias were their own separate people and we got to see that. We got to see their individual lives and who and what they were before we got to see how they were together. In fact they are apart for like 90% of the entire book. This way we get to see all the things that are happening in all the different places and all the characters that make the story whole. Another thing about the separation was that the characters sounded different. I could tell which was Laia and which was Elias. I did not need to look at the name on top of each chapter because they characters minds were so distinctive that there was no worries for confusion. In many occasions we even see the two thinking similar thoughts which sound so different coming form the different minds. Then there was the romance. You know the best part?! There was none. That's right! NONE! I mean sure there is attraction but hey, Elias is a pretty hot guy and Laia isn't bad looking herself. They see each other and thing “wow that person is good looking”. Then they keep going with their lives because they both realize they have bigger problems to deal with. They don't sit in their rooms thinking of each other all day because they have things to do. They aren't lovey dovey or any of that because in truth, THEY DON’T LOVE EACH OTHER!!! There is no declaration of love or loyalty or any of that crap and it was awesome. The fact that they were apart for most of the book does help though. This brings me to the supporting cast of characters. More specifically Helene. Helene is the only female student at Blackcliff. She is as beautiful as she is deadly and almost as powerful as she is loyal. She and Elias love each other. Not in a romantic way but in a way that is so much deeper than that. They have been best friends since they were six years old and have been watching each other's backs for over 12 or so years. Elias loves her. Again, not romantically, but he loves her. He is loyal to her and she to him. Helene is more important to Elias than Laia and that is the way it should be considering that Helene is the 12 year friend and Laia a slave he met 3 days ago. I love Helene. I may not have always agreed with her and her methods but she stuck by Elias until the end. She was stubborn but loyal and those are the best of all people. The rest of the supporting characters were great too. I love Elias grandfather. He was barely in the book but he looks so cool in a powerful and dangerous sort of way. And the commandant was such a terrible human being and that's what made her a good villain. She was cruel and without remorse. She put the characters through hell and she reveled in it. If the villain was not as villainous then I doubt the heroes would have come out as heroic. Even Marcus and Zak were real and believable. Is it wrong that I feel bad for them? Then there was the world. It was filled with strange creatures and unknown beasts that even the characters don't full know what's going on. It was a wonderful twist of fantasy into this ancient dystopian world. This is one of my favorite books of the year so far and I cannot wait for more. I mean, there has to more right. THERE HAS TO BE A SEQUEL!!!! I recently met The author and she does not currently know if there will be a sequel but is hoping there will be. A book this awesome deserves to continue! But anyway, this is a book I recommend to everyone. Admittedly, the book does have long moments in which little action happens so if you like really quick books this may not be for you. But if you are patient and calm and can get excited about nothing then this is the book for you. I have no doubt that Sabaa Tahir will go on to do great things. I am ready to read whatever she writes. P.S. Watch the book trailer! Its awesome!

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir is a perfect book if you enjoy a good fantasy with a touch of romance. Set in a whole new, richly imagined world, this book is tough to put down. This novel’s plot is filled with so many twists and turns, I found myself reading on well after I should have turned out the lights! ❀ INTRICATELY PLOTTED WORLD An Ember in the Ashes is set in such an intricately plotted world that readers will easily picture themselves in it. Tahir’s descriptions of each hallway and secret passage of the story’s main setting, the academy, are so meticulous that readers can envision these easily. This setting is so different from other fantasy novels, which really sets it apart and makes it a really interesting book. ❀ EXTRAORDINARY AND UNIQUE The plot in An Ember in the Ashes is so extraordinary and unique. As I was reading, I thought of this book as a bit of a cross between Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling and Legend by Marie Lu. Similar to Harry Potter, An Ember in the Ashes, in Elias’s perspective, is about a game that takes place in an academy for those who had to earn their position. Like Legend, Laia is a spy who is sent to discover secrets about the game called the Trials. She spies on Elias and their paths cross. I really enjoyed how there are two different stories about two different people that connect to create a fantastic fantasy. An Ember in the Ashes has such an unpredictable plot that is nearly impossible to put down! ❀ OPTIONED FOR FILM Another thing that really impresses me about An Ember in the Ashes is the fact that this YA book series has already been optioned by Paramount Pictures. It really deserves the highest of accolades, even before publication! I am excited to see if the film will accurately portray the book and its characters. ❀ WILL KEEP YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir is definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year! I highly recommend it to everyone, especially those who love the fantasy genre. It is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games. The setting and unpredictable plot will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Muito lindo, muito bem feito, chegou bem embalado, perfeito !!!

I love the history, and the characters. Is about freedom of the soul, freedom of the body. There is not black nor white. They will have to ask themselft were there true loyalty resides. War, cruelty, and love.

I loved this book, and cant wait to read the rest of the series. It was a very unique world and story, and i got swept in it right away. Really recommend!!!

If I look back at the feelings I’ve had for Young Adult books the last couple of years, I have to admit that have been mostly negative. Especially when books got quite the hype, somehow I didn’t get it. So I was a bit reluctant to believe the hype that surrounded this book. With a Goodreads rating of 4,32 stars and a synopsis that hinted at typical Young Adult storylines, I was scared that this was going to be another book that just wasn’t for me. But somehow, I loved it. It has all the elements that should make me not like it, but somehow Sabaa Tahir managed to weave it into a story that hooked me completely. Laia lives with her brother and her grandparents in the poorer neighbourhoods of the Empire. They are all so called ‘Scholars’, which is a class of people defined by the exact characteristic the name refers to. They are ruled by the Martials, a wealthy and ruthless class of people that are trained specifically to stay in power. Her parents were rebel leaders of the Revolution and were murdered by the Martials. Her brother has been sneaking out during the night for the last few months, but Laia doesn’t want to ask why. When he comes home one night and asks her to hide his sketch book that he always carries with him, she alarmed that he might have done something dangerous. Their house gets raided by Martials and a specially trained assassin, a Silver Masks, because they suspect her brother of working together with the underground rebels who want to overthrow them. They take her brother into custody. Laia manages to escape and tries to find the rebels her parents leaded so long ago and together with them hatches a plan to infiltrate the Martial academy to get inside information in return for their help in freeing her brother. The other point-of-view character is Elias Veturius, a boy who is in his last year of training at the Military Academy to become a Silver Mask. However, he doesn’t feel comfortable being this cold, ruthless person they want him to be and he plans to run away after his graduation. He has a best friend, Helene, who he has this strange chemistry with, but his mind is more on escaping his military future than on anything else. His grandfather, Quin Veturius, is the patriarch of the genus Veturius and a powerful, rich man. The curious character in his family though is his mother who is also the Commander of the Military Academy. There’s no love lost between mother and son, which has also soured her relationship with her father, Quin. When the mysterious and almost mythical Augurs come to fulfil a prophecy they made a long time ago regarding the next Emperor, he has a difficult dilemma put before him. Will he leave, or will he stay and fulfil his destiny and try to make the Empire a better place? I’ve read some reviews pointing out that the names for the different layers of the society (Scholars, Martials, etc.) are a bit easy and unoriginal. I think I will have to agree with them on this point. It’s not very imaginative and it probably could have had more exotic, made-up names that went with the fantasy world. However, it simplifies the story to a certain degree and that’s not always a bad thing. It gave more room to focus on the character development instead of the world. It is quite obvious that at some point both main character’s paths will cross and as I mentioned before, this does have typical elements of a Young Adult book, so it seemed pretty likely that they would fall in love. However, both also have other love interest, which make it a bit more tense and uncertain. In the end I really liked the chemistry between all these characters and how it led to certain confrontations, but never seemed to resolve into one particular relationship. It leaves a lot open for the next book, which will have the more romantic souls among us definitely yearning to read more. I’ve always been a fan of a sort of “games” format in books, where there are for example different trials for the main character(s) to overcome. That’s probably another reason why I liked this book so much. An Ember in the Ashes chose to utilise a darker side of this. These particular scenes were some of the most cruel and emotionally heavy, but somehow it fit very well with the story and only made it stronger. The fact that I didn’t know what the trials were going to be and how they would turn out, added that element of surprise that I love when reading. I really enjoyed most of the characters. Elias is definitely a complex character and his part of the story was probably my favourite. His internal struggle to do the right thing while being born on the wrong side of the good-evil balance was really powerful. He also had some difficult choices to make and he definitely decided to follow a path I would never have chosen. Another one of my favourites was Helene, his best friend. She’s such a strong and vulnerable person at the same time, it left me rooting for her. She is very loyal to her family and to the Martials, but her loyalty for Elias rivals that which gives her a lot to think about too. The chemistry between them is palpable and made for some enjoyable reading. I think my third favourite character was the kitchen slave Izzi, who grew up in the Military Academy as a kitchen slave to the Commander. She’s like a delicate flower that completely blooms open throughout the book. I think you can see from this review that the character development for most of the characters was definitely one of the main positives in this book, along with the actual storyline. I already aluded to it earlier, but in terms of worldbuilding we don’t get a lot. It didn’t bother me personally, there was enough going on to distract me from it, but I would love to see a bit more in the next book. In the end I was really sad when I finished the book because I wanted more. I can’t wait to buy the second book and get reading again, because the book ended on quite a surprising note and I’m dying to know what happens next.