NO SPOILER Book Review of An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

"I have waited a whole year to read this book……A WHOLE YEAR?!?! 

Synopsis 

    This book is about a harsh world, inspired by ancient Rome, that is ruled by The Martial Empire, where people who resist or defy the empire are imprisoned, tortured, killed, or all of the above.  Laia lives with her grandparents and her older brother, a family who keeps their head down and tries to stay out of the wrath of the Empire.  

    But unexpectedly Laia's brother is arrested by the empire and her whole world has been yanked from beneath her feet. Fearful over her brothers impending death, Laia seeks out help from rebels who agree to save her brother if she completes a mission for them. The mission: spy and report from within Blackcliff, the Empire's greatest military academy. There Laia meets Elias, the school's finest soldier, who is also the most unwilling. Laia and Elias will soon learn that their destinies not only are intertwined but the choices they make will change the Empire for better or worse. 

My Review

"Laia is a slave.

Elias is a soldier.

Neither is free."

    Picking up this book for the first time and reading those large gold-colored words on the dust jacket intrigued me. It literally gave me an "AND I OOP" moment.

 I bought this book last year and only started reading it at the beginning of June. I waited a whole year to read this book……..A WHOLE YEAR!!?! When I did start reading this I felt myself being completely immersed in the plot and the world-building.

    An Ember in the Ashes is 446 pages and is told from the perspectives of both Laia and Elias. This is a young adult fantasy novel and the first in a series of four books. This novel is never boring. I was never reading this novel and wondering if a chapter was going to be over quickly. I took my TIME reading this just because it was so good and I wanted to be with these characters longer. 

     I can tell that the author, Sabaa Tahir, really dedicated a lot of time and effort in the world-building and creating layered characters. I fully could empathize with Laia's fears and worries of not being able to handle the mission given to her. I think the way she handled situations was very true to her character and the way she was gradually getting more determined and more sure of herself was realistic. There's this quote that this character, Spiro Teluman, said to Laia which I felt was impactful to her when she truly was becoming more determined: 

“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. Your heart.”

    When I read that part it felt like I was watching one of those sports motivational videos where they include a clip from Remember the Titans to keep the team mentally strong and hyped. 

    The other main character, Elias, is such a thoughtful character. I really did feel for him and the loss of a childhood he barely had because he was forced into this role that he hates, even though he's the best at it. You really get to understand the military academy and how the Empire harms not only people who resist them but also people that they put in charge to control the resisting. Elias thinks not only of himself but of the consequences his actions could have on others and he tries his best to fit into the mindset of the Marital people, but he just can't. I enjoyed reading the internal-external struggles Elias faced when reading his perspectives. The guy literally couldn't catch a break. 

    The side characters in this novel also have layers to their personalities and reasonings that don't just feel like they're there to push the plot onward. 

    There is also romance in this book! It’s not the main trope but I enjoyed it nonetheless…..well I kind of enjoyed it. There is a love triangle and I'm not much of a fan of that trope but it wasn't a big deal in this novel. We'll see how I feel reading the other books. I already know who I want Laia to end up with and if you've seen my book twitter tweets, you would too. 

    Overall, I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads and I was just so satisfied with how this ended. It made me want to immediately get the next book, A Torch Against the Night. I can't wait to see where Sabaa Tahir takes Laia and Elias into the next book and the growing obstacles they will face. 

Have you read An Ember in the Ashes? What did you think of it? If not, what is your favorite fantasy book or series?