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.
An Ember in the Ashes Review
I have heard about An Ember in the Ashes for years, and finally decided to pick it up. Boy, I’m so glad I did. This book is incredible!
An Ember in the Ashes follows Laia, a slave who tries to free her brother after the Empire arrests him. Because of this, she works as a spy for some rebels at the Empire’s military academy.
One of the best aspects of An Ember in the Ashes is the characters. Laia is incredible strong, brave and loyal. Because of her love for her family, she’ll do anything to see her brother again. It’s an amazing drive for the plot of the story.
While Elias is quiet and reserved, he’s not weak. He is kind and oh-so generous, especially to Laia. I particularly enjoyed his conflicting emotions, especially with the Commandment. He’s honestly my favourite character!
Another thing I love about Elias is his relationships with both Helene and the Commandment. The both play such an important role in his decisions as well as Laia’s actions. The Commandment is definitely my new favourite villian!!
This book is also full of action! I constantly wanted to know more and I love when a book makes me want to give all my time to it. This book certainly does this!
Sabaa Tahir’s writing is beautiful. Not only does she make the characters leap off the page but she also has such vivid world-building. I certainly can’t wait to see how things develop in A Torch Against the Night!
Overall, An Ember in the Ashes is a captivating story. It’s emotional and heartbreaking but it also highlights strength, bravery and perseverance.
I highly recommend checking it out because it’s such an immersing book!
Rating: ★★★★★
Favourite Quote
Fear is only your enemy if you allow it to be.
About the Author
Sabaa Tahir grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s 18-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.
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Lovely review! I’ll add this to my TBR 🙂
Definitely do that! It’s an amazing series!
I just love these kind of books.
They’re the best, aren’t they?!
I have to read this book! It’s been on my TBR for forever!
Ah, yes! It was the same for me and I’m so glad I finally read it. Such an amazing book! Hope you love it when you read it!