An Ember in the Ashes
BOOK ONE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES • One of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy and 100 Best YA Books of All Time • People's Choice Award winner • Bustle's Best Young Adult Book
“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
A gorgeous, collectable look for this beloved and bestselling fantasy series that “glows, burns, and smolders.” (Huffington Post). The deluxe paperback editions each feature tip-ins with exclusive character art!
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.
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR FROM The Wall Street Journal • Buzzfeed • LA Weekly • Bustle • Paste Magazine • Indigo • Suspense Magazine • The New York Public Library • Popsugar • Hypable
“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
A gorgeous, collectable look for this beloved and bestselling fantasy series that “glows, burns, and smolders.” (Huffington Post). The deluxe paperback editions each feature tip-ins with exclusive character art!
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.
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR FROM The Wall Street Journal • Buzzfeed • LA Weekly • Bustle • Paste Magazine • Indigo • Suspense Magazine • The New York Public Library • Popsugar • Hypable
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Community Reviews
With phenomenal world building that's both beautifully written and captivating, 'An Ember in the Ashes' pulled me back into my love for fantasy books, effortlessly. Although I wouldn't necessarily categorize it as Young Adult, it was still an incredible read I would highly recommend to lovers of the fantasy genre.
In a nutshell, this book is a high stakes fantasy that graphs a story that challenges themes of revenge, freedom, politics, love, loyalty, and family. Laia will do whatever it takes to rescue her brother, Darin - even if that means becoming a slave to The Commandant, the brutal + merciless leader of Blackcliff, in order to infiltrate a militant academy of trained soldiers - in a society run exclusively by a strong militia. We travel through this foreign world governed by an system of ancient politics and strict martial laws, where freedom comes at a cost that can sometimes be the difference between life and death + reading + writing are forbidden (like...can you even imagine!?)
Along the way, we're introduced to Elias Venturius, who's moral compass is pushed beyond its limits at every turn; Kenaan, a rebel of The Resistance that wishes to defy and overthrow the emperor; Elias' best friend, Helene, a fiercely dedicated warrior; and an complete cast of morally grey characters + some with souls that are dark as night, all of whom will fight to the death for what they believe in. And when Laia has to navigate who's the enemy and who's not through trial and error, she's unearths something within that brings her mission to the forefront + develops her character in a way even she didn't see coming.
Can't wait to get into book 2 of The Ember Quarter (although I heard through the grapevine that there's a book 5 that was released this year (?)) + venture deeper into the fascinating world that was so eloquently laid out for the readers.
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read
In a nutshell, this book is a high stakes fantasy that graphs a story that challenges themes of revenge, freedom, politics, love, loyalty, and family. Laia will do whatever it takes to rescue her brother, Darin - even if that means becoming a slave to The Commandant, the brutal + merciless leader of Blackcliff, in order to infiltrate a militant academy of trained soldiers - in a society run exclusively by a strong militia. We travel through this foreign world governed by an system of ancient politics and strict martial laws, where freedom comes at a cost that can sometimes be the difference between life and death + reading + writing are forbidden (like...can you even imagine!?)
Along the way, we're introduced to Elias Venturius, who's moral compass is pushed beyond its limits at every turn; Kenaan, a rebel of The Resistance that wishes to defy and overthrow the emperor; Elias' best friend, Helene, a fiercely dedicated warrior; and an complete cast of morally grey characters + some with souls that are dark as night, all of whom will fight to the death for what they believe in. And when Laia has to navigate who's the enemy and who's not through trial and error, she's unearths something within that brings her mission to the forefront + develops her character in a way even she didn't see coming.
Can't wait to get into book 2 of The Ember Quarter (although I heard through the grapevine that there's a book 5 that was released this year (?)) + venture deeper into the fascinating world that was so eloquently laid out for the readers.
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read
Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir creates a world that opens the door to adventure and bravery. Inspired by ancient Rome, oppression from the emperor pushes Laia to the point of desperation as she does all in her power to find her lost brother. Even Elias struggles with his identity which leads him down a journey of self-preservation. You begin to respect the characters in the book including one of the best love triangles/squares you can get your hands on! I would definitely recommend this book to someone who loves a good series and to get lost into a society where the resistance is needed to overthrow the injustice of the nation.
The premise and setting were great, but I just didn't like the characters. I didn't care about them in the slightest even halfway through the book... Laia, we get it, your brother Darin is in prison. And why was Elias so horny? In fact, why were all the characters constantly lusting after one another in the midst of battle? Every time Elias 'noticed the shape of Helene's body' while they were on the brink of death I laughed out loud in disbelief.
I found that the writing wasn't amazing either, although that is to be expected with YA of course.
I found that the writing wasn't amazing either, although that is to be expected with YA of course.
Pacing
AN EMBER IN THE ASHES started off a little slow. The first 3-4 chapters dragged on, leaving me wondering when the real plot and action was going to kick in. However, the wait was worth it. After the intro the book picked up and sailed through the rest of the story. I found it hard to put it down, but sleep always takes presedence for me. :p
Dual Point of View
I loved how the dual-viewpoints of Elias and Laia offered a compare and contrast effect. The reader gets to see the city, Blackcliff, and even society from two differing perspectives. Thus, the reader was really able to explore the mechanics of the world and, as a sucker for good world-building, this story mesmerized me. I found myself wanting to jump into the book and go off exploring other parts of the land of the Martial Empire.
Good vs. Evil
This book really delved into themes of ‘good vs evil’. Often times we view people as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but we don’t always know what’s going on inside. We don’t know what’s driving them to act the way they do. Perhaps they’ve been scorned and now will do anything for retribution. Or perhaps they’re just trying to stay alive and will do whatever it takes to do so, even if it means forfeiting their souls in the process. Whatever the case, people may not always be what they seem and you may find allies in the most unexpected places.
AN EMBER IN THE ASHES started off a little slow. The first 3-4 chapters dragged on, leaving me wondering when the real plot and action was going to kick in. However, the wait was worth it. After the intro the book picked up and sailed through the rest of the story. I found it hard to put it down, but sleep always takes presedence for me. :p
Dual Point of View
I loved how the dual-viewpoints of Elias and Laia offered a compare and contrast effect. The reader gets to see the city, Blackcliff, and even society from two differing perspectives. Thus, the reader was really able to explore the mechanics of the world and, as a sucker for good world-building, this story mesmerized me. I found myself wanting to jump into the book and go off exploring other parts of the land of the Martial Empire.
Good vs. Evil
This book really delved into themes of ‘good vs evil’. Often times we view people as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but we don’t always know what’s going on inside. We don’t know what’s driving them to act the way they do. Perhaps they’ve been scorned and now will do anything for retribution. Or perhaps they’re just trying to stay alive and will do whatever it takes to do so, even if it means forfeiting their souls in the process. Whatever the case, people may not always be what they seem and you may find allies in the most unexpected places.
4.5, amazing start to this series, I know I'm going to love it. Not sure how some of the characters survived (and thrived) on such little sleep but good for them ig
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