Book Review: An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Title: An Ember In The Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Published: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Razorbill 

 

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.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. No payments made between me and the publisher.

It's been a while since I've read a book that I will enjoy, I was under the reading slump spell *lol* and this book pushed me out of it. I like how the author wrote the setting of the book, like a combination of the a roman empire and tribal era, aside from that it has a magical side of the story. Every character is special, they have a hidden ability that comes out without them noticing.

Laia is a slave who used to live with her grandparents until before her brother was incarcerated by the people they called Masks. Keenan, is part of a rebel group named Resistance, he hates Laia the first time they met because he thinks she will just bring danger to them. Elias, is a soldier, he's one of the Masks, but at the same time he wants to turn his back from the empire and be free. Helene, is Elias' best friend and a soldier too. Laia and Keenan's rapport is better than Laia and Elias, that was just my observation while reading the book. I'm thinking of them and I'm getting more excited when Keenan and Laia meets. Laia and Elias on the other-hand is good but it was more like they are just friends or just an acquaintance but then, I am hopeful and looking forward to reading the second book A Torch Against the Night.

Despite the character's romance confusion, I still enjoyed the story. It is a promising and interesting book. I do recommend this book to readers who love young adult or dystopian type of books.

Question for the readers: Who do you think is the best guy for Laia? is it Keenan? or Elias?

My Ratings

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.

Source: Goodreads