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 bestsellerFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa TahirAmazon’s Best Young Adult Book of 2015People’s Choice Award winner – Favorite FantasyBustle’s Best Young Adult Book of 2015 “This novel is a harrowing, haunting reminder of what it means to be human — and … 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.
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The whole series is one of my favorites. Sounds stupid but the way the books are written has a rich texture to them. The characters and situations literally jump off the page. Can’t wait for the next book.
Immersive world building and a great set of characters. Prepare for a series full of hewrtbreak.
I love the complexity of the characters. Some are likeable and others your really hate but together they make a great story.
Seriously, one of my favourite series of all times!!!
Such an excellent series!!!
If you like YA fantasy and strong-girl characters, check out AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir. I loved it so much that I didn’t want the book to end! It completely sucked me in. I loved the characters–especially Laia and Elias–and their emotional journeys, inner change, and becoming better people so much. It was a fantastic ride with an emotionally satisfying ending, even though it was clear there would be a sequel and they would continue their journey. There were also things that reminded me of THE HUNGER GAMES (in a good way), and also that reminded me of my experiences as a torture and cult survivor. I highly recommend it.
This is a great book with a hidden truth that not everyones life is easy let alone similar to another persons. But still has star cross lovers.
Oh, my god! This story oh my god oh my god oh my god. I read this book because it’s the Book of the month for the group A Book Nirvana this month. I’ve had this book like for the most part since it came out and I just honestly couldn’t be bothered to read it, there’d been a lot of hype and we all know how I feel about hype when it comes to books.
This book had so many twists and turns I honestly had no idea where this book was going, and now finishing it I have so many feels and I have no idea what to do with them! I really can’t wait to read the next book it’s going to be so good! So I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this book because my fantasy lately has been hit or miss so I picked it up anyway. I loved it. PS non-spoiler.
The plot was so complex like there were so many different strands to the plot and so many sub-plots but it all went together perfectly and all together. Some things that happened I totally guessed though there were quite a few things that really didn’t come as a surprise to me. That was the fact Helene was in love with Elias that was totally obvious to me like how could he not notice?! I also guessed the thing at the end but I won’t spoil that. Not the end end like the bit before the end. Either way, it was a brilliant plot and executed fantastically.
I feel like if there was ever a character I felt like I could relate to in this type of situation it would be Laia like her reactions and her actions they just were so funny and sometimes unexpected and the fact she is willing to put her life on the line for her brother and risk everything. Although she had her own motives she wasn’t willing to risk anybody’s life in the Commandant’s house like Izza (I think her name was) and Cook. The bond that formed between the three of them was really nice and even knowing the risks of what could happen even just for having those friendships. Her relationship with Elias honestly made me smile the fact she didn’t really know whether to trust him and yet, in the end, she still chose to trust him. Keenan I really liked their relationship although I was conflicted about that sometimes but it was still developed well.
Elias his character I fell in love with immediately just his personality and the fact he didn’t actually want to be a mask and was planning to desert, he really intrigued me his personality and it was amazing. So complex and just the fact he was willing to sacrifice so much to sometimes help Laia and even refusing to conform to what his peers and elders wanted him to be.
Helene, sometimes she was a doosh and at times I could understand because she was totally in love with Elias which I guessed immediately I may add. She got jealous when he wanted to help Laia and keep an eye on her, Helene was a conflicting character for me just because she would have conflicting views and some of the things she did are questionable.
The resistance the dude who runs that is a fucking asshole I guessed the thing that would happen too, from the moment Laia encountered them they felt very dodgy to me and I didn’t trust them and I turned out right so yay for me!
Izza (Think is her name) the fact she is willing to sacrifice her safety to be able to help Laia with whatever she needed even though knowing the risks. I loved that about her and even though she had traumatic things happen to her like losing an eye she was still willing to do it.
Cook, we never find out her real name and I really don’t know what to think about her, I don’t know what happened to her and the resistance and I feel like I want to know what this is, as soon as I know that I could feel I could trust her but we enver find that out. In the end she does help Laia too but can’t say how as that reveals the ending.
Loved this book!
this series is absolutely AMAZING!
I freakin’ loved Ember in the Ashes. It’s a refreshing fantasy based off ancient Rome, with magic and mayhem thrown in. The pacing is excellent and the characters felt alive in ways only the best authors manage. My favorite character was Elias – a soldier whose merciless upbringing should have beaten all the compassion out of him. But those beatings only made him more compassionate. Unable to imagine a life inflicting torture and death upon the helpless, he wants nothing more than freedom.
Laia was a little harder to relate to, simply because she seems to escape her blunderings through luck or outside help rather than her own pluck. And yet, her remarkable growth throughout the novel and her proactive decisions at the end make this forgivable.
I don’t mind a love triangle (or in this case, a square) if it’s exceptionally well done, and this one was close – it’s only detraction is when a simple conversation would have solved the problem, but characters refuse to talk.
My favorite part of the whole book was when Elias realizes there are some lines he won’t cross no matter the consequences. I’m familiar with plot points, so I know where Tahir is going with this, but I think most readers will be surprised where it is heading.
All in all, I give this book a solid 5. I can’t wait for the rest of the series.
I picked up this book unsure what to expect but it was a good read and I have now read the sequel and the third installment. I think what I loved about this book was the two main characters and how different they are from each other in every way except for within their heart of hearts – they both want to escape the world they live in and find a better place. Tough luck though – looks like they will have to fight for it. You’ll also enjoy the world building in this series and the original ideas encompassed. Fun read.
Surprised by how into it I got! I expected something simple and fun but got something with more depth and breadth.
The Holy Roman Empire- but with old world magic and a gripping storyline. I picked An Ember in the Ashes up and tore through it in about 2 days- and it only took that long because I had to stop and work on writing my own books.
The story evolves at a fast pace, the ever-shifting POV’s between the main characters gives the reader a unique insight into the evolution of the world and everything that’s going wrong. The Trials and tribulations will suck you in, you’ll find yourself appreciating Roman culture a little more, and you’re going to hate The Commandant- you’ll understand why when you read the novel.
You should read this. Now.
You can also find my review here: https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress.com/2018/06/06/an-ember-in-the-ashes-by-sabaa-tahir-review/
OMG! I’m really glad I gave this book a real chance when I gave up on it way too early. The world is complex and interesting and I loved seeing the roles the main characters would play. There is much to really like about this book and its so hard to explain, but the way this world is run is amazing, and I can’t wait to read the next book.
Bad ass with a touch of Roman empire style world.
A fun, quick read, but not necessarily a book that will pull you in and make you want to invest in the characters.
I really enjoyed this. The characters are likable, and the world well developed. Ethical and plot challenges are interesting. Nothing earth shaking and not going to ruminate for days over this but a fine, entertaining read.
To me it was one of those books where when you start reading it, you can’t stop and you are always wondering what’s gonna happen next.