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An Ember in the Ashes
(An Ember in the Ashes #1)
by
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 o ...more
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 o ...more
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Hardcover, 446 pages
Published
April 28th 2015
by Razorbill
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Start your review of An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1)

“This life is not always what we think it will be,” Cain says. “You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.”
I think a lot of people will understand me when I say that the best kind of books are those that provoke strong emotions in you. My favourites are made up of books that filled me with happy excitement or, alternatively, books that ripped my heart out and made me cry. An Ember in the Ashes, however ...more
I think a lot of people will understand me when I say that the best kind of books are those that provoke strong emotions in you. My favourites are made up of books that filled me with happy excitement or, alternatively, books that ripped my heart out and made me cry. An Ember in the Ashes, however ...more

HOLY SMOKES THAT WAS GOOD. I'm sososo happy that there's going to be a sequel. I'D BE SO MAD IF THEY JUST LEFT ME HANING LIKE THAT. YOU CAN'T DO THAT. YAY FOR SEQUELS. *throws confetti*
...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Really enjoyed this one!!! Flew through it - here's my booktalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUzvC... =D
...more

5/5 stars.
This is the third time I'm reading this book. And the third time I finish this book with my mouth open. The third time I was rocking through strong emotions - with the characters, about the characters. This is the third time that I am proud of the author and delighted that this book exists. Because I think every person should understand how to write a book in the most incredible way.
In this book you can experience all kinds of emotions. Fury, about the world where the characters live. ...more
This is the third time I'm reading this book. And the third time I finish this book with my mouth open. The third time I was rocking through strong emotions - with the characters, about the characters. This is the third time that I am proud of the author and delighted that this book exists. Because I think every person should understand how to write a book in the most incredible way.
In this book you can experience all kinds of emotions. Fury, about the world where the characters live. ...more

My original review for this book consisted of the following statement:
Ugh. So boring.
And for some reason those three words have kinda pissed peeps off and landed me in some hot water elsewhere. But no matter. I feel like enough time has passed for me to give my true feelings.
So here they are:
This book is mediocre. There's nothing special about it. Nothing groundbreaking is contained in its pages. In other words, it's average. And that's what a 2 star rating for me is. I'm one of those reviewers ...more

sometimes you read a book and you know instantly - this is going to be huge. whether it's the quality of the writing, the freshness of the premise, the way it piggybacks onto something already immensely popular, or just a case of right time/right zeitgeist - you just know.
and this book is going to be a star.
and it should be. this book is a perfect example of crossover YA. there is nothing juvenile about it, and it will have broad appeal to adults as well as teens. it has fantastic world-buildi ...more
and this book is going to be a star.
and it should be. this book is a perfect example of crossover YA. there is nothing juvenile about it, and it will have broad appeal to adults as well as teens. it has fantastic world-buildi ...more

“The field of battle is my temple. The swordpoint is my priest. The dance of death is my prayer. The killing blow is my release.”
One word.
E*X*P*L*O*S*I*V*E*

Dear Book Gods,
I beg you to forgive me for not reading this masterpiece sooner. I will graciously accept any punishment you deem appropriate. I would also like to thank you for bringing this book into my life. You guys rock!
Sincerely, Sabaa Tahir's new

The story
“You are full, Laia. Full of life and dark and...more

This is very technically a reread...and comes with the most morose little story of how I read it back in 2015 and it just, wow, it did not click for me. But I always felt confused by that, because it's exactly the story I usually love (plus I follow the author online and she's hilarious). So you know?! I tried it again, 5 years later, via audio and ...[chef's kiss] The mood was right. The stars aligned. THIS was what I needed. And my brain is like a dismal sieve so I actually remembered 20% from
...more


Nope.
I know Sabaa Tahir hardly received any criticism and absolutely everybody is amazed.
Not me.
I'm the opposite of amazed.
For starters, the concept is ancient. Boy and Girl are actually enemies but fall for each other. There is a spark. There is a revolution. There is a trial where the competitors have to fight until only one survives.
Much creative.
Still, some authors are able to work out a thrilling story. Sabaa Tahir was not.
Next thing, the characters are shallow. There is no character depth ...more

"The swordpoint is my priest. The dance of death is my prayer. The killing blow is my release."
An Ember in the Ashes is a double PoV fantasy+dystopia novel that takes place in the Martial Empire , an alternate universe with an uncompromising class system.
Elias is a soldier, a Mask (elite class) in a military academy: The very much dreaded and torturous, Blackcliff.
Laia belongs to an oppressed class, that of Scholars and her brother has been charged with treason. Laia joins the Res ...more
An Ember in the Ashes is a double PoV fantasy+dystopia novel that takes place in the Martial Empire , an alternate universe with an uncompromising class system.
Elias is a soldier, a Mask (elite class) in a military academy: The very much dreaded and torturous, Blackcliff.
Laia belongs to an oppressed class, that of Scholars and her brother has been charged with treason. Laia joins the Res ...more

What a whirlwind! This book was just so damn exciting to read! I felt high constantly, because Sabaa Tahir was not letting her readers breath for even a moment. Well, she’ll give you a minute or two, then it’s back to chaos again, AND IT WAS AWESOME!
I can’t believe this was actually intended to be a standalone at first. As if they were planning to leave us with that ending and so many plot lines left open.
I did fear at first that the plot was taking centre stage and there wasn’t going to be any ...more
I can’t believe this was actually intended to be a standalone at first. As if they were planning to leave us with that ending and so many plot lines left open.
I did fear at first that the plot was taking centre stage and there wasn’t going to be any ...more

This review can also be found on my blog, Dana and the Books.
This book was amazing. Sabaa Tahir, I love you.
An Ember in the Ashes has been hovering on my to-read list ever since it's release about a year ago. It got a lot of praise, a lot of hype, and it's all totally warranted. It even earned a spot on my 'favourites' list.
Laia's grandparents are murdered and her brother taken prisoner; her only course of action is to join the resistance against the empire to save her brother. Elias is a sol ...more
This book was amazing. Sabaa Tahir, I love you.
An Ember in the Ashes has been hovering on my to-read list ever since it's release about a year ago. It got a lot of praise, a lot of hype, and it's all totally warranted. It even earned a spot on my 'favourites' list.
Laia's grandparents are murdered and her brother taken prisoner; her only course of action is to join the resistance against the empire to save her brother. Elias is a sol ...more

⚔️Most favourite character : Helene Aquilla
⚔️What surprised me: The unexpected turn of events towards the end.
Now we can expect more than one strong villian in the sequel.
⚔️What worked out that made me jumped to the next book without even waiting for a blink:
The confusion between the characters worked out quite well towards the end and there's so much to look forward to. The writing doesn't waste words. So yes, 400 something pages awaits me for more chilling reading.
⚔️Elais and Laia:
These chara ...more
⚔️What surprised me: The unexpected turn of events towards the end.
Now we can expect more than one strong villian in the sequel.
⚔️What worked out that made me jumped to the next book without even waiting for a blink:
The confusion between the characters worked out quite well towards the end and there's so much to look forward to. The writing doesn't waste words. So yes, 400 something pages awaits me for more chilling reading.
⚔️Elais and Laia:
These chara ...more

okay. in 2019, some things are going to change. i am going to take the whole ‘new year, new me’ to heart, beginning with not waiting YEARS to read a book that everyone has told me to read. because i really havent been living my best life without this.
this was the fantasy story ive been needing recently. i was very much impressed with the world building - this introduced a lot of different aspects, and whilst not everything immediately affected the plot of this particular book, i felt like there ...more
this was the fantasy story ive been needing recently. i was very much impressed with the world building - this introduced a lot of different aspects, and whilst not everything immediately affected the plot of this particular book, i felt like there ...more

It took me forever to read this book, and the reason is that it never really engaged me.
Tahir is a good writer and the story has much to recommend it. The story is delivered through two first person points of view in present tense – which is a bold and refreshing approach. I’m just not the reader it’s aimed at.
Ember in the Ashes is the first book I’ve read (all the way through) in decades that wears its YA colours so boldly. Many things that are complex in reality are made simple. The “factions ...more
Tahir is a good writer and the story has much to recommend it. The story is delivered through two first person points of view in present tense – which is a bold and refreshing approach. I’m just not the reader it’s aimed at.
Ember in the Ashes is the first book I’ve read (all the way through) in decades that wears its YA colours so boldly. Many things that are complex in reality are made simple. The “factions ...more

An Ember in the Ashes is a deceptively simple read. The writing is as smooth as silk and keeps one reading long after the lights should have been out. Short chapters and the youthful viewpoints might put this book firmly in the Young Adult category.
But the questions considered in this book are the very questions that must be considered as one moves into adulthood. How much should an individual be willing to suffer ‘for the greater good?’ Is it foolish to struggle if one can avoid extreme pain b ...more
But the questions considered in this book are the very questions that must be considered as one moves into adulthood. How much should an individual be willing to suffer ‘for the greater good?’ Is it foolish to struggle if one can avoid extreme pain b ...more

Well, damn. There had better be a sequel for this book! Penguin, you can't just leave us hanging there!
The first few chapters are absolutely riveting (you can read an excerpt here, btw: http://www.mtv.com/news/2051414/exclu...), and the cruel, merciless world these characters inhabit is well drawn. The feel of this book reminded me of the Legend trilogy, actually, though I think Ember is more complex in plot, characters, and setting. It's fantasy that feels a bit dystopian, which is pretty inter ...more
The first few chapters are absolutely riveting (you can read an excerpt here, btw: http://www.mtv.com/news/2051414/exclu...), and the cruel, merciless world these characters inhabit is well drawn. The feel of this book reminded me of the Legend trilogy, actually, though I think Ember is more complex in plot, characters, and setting. It's fantasy that feels a bit dystopian, which is pretty inter ...more

Throne of Glass has been *forgive me* dethroned as my favorite horrible book of all time. An Ember in the Ashes has raised bad literature to an art form. As a fantasy, it’s dismal. As an alternate history, it’s atrocious. As a romance, it’s cringe-worthy. As a poignant bildungsroman that poses tough questions, it fails utterly. As a self-contained, standalone novel, it is a disaster—but that, at least, was always the plan.
Part I: World-Building
We find ourselves in a harsh desert. Once this land ...more
Part I: World-Building
We find ourselves in a harsh desert. Once this land ...more

Dec 02, 2017
Beth
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2017-reads,
5-stars,
book-series,
characters-i-loved,
swoony-swoony,
faves,
2018-reads,
audiobook,
2019-reads,
2020-reads
"There are two kinds of guilt. The kind that's a burden and the kind that gives you purpose. Let your guilt be your fuel. Let it remind you of who you want to be. Draw a line in your mind. Never cross it again. You have a soul. It's damaged, but it's there."
Spoiler Free Review
I'm in utter bliss after reading this!
ALL OF THE STARS, every single one! I am unashamedly in LOVE with this and everything about it. I can't believe it has taken me this long to actually read it! An Ember in the Ashes has ...more
Spoiler Free Review
I'm in utter bliss after reading this!
ALL OF THE STARS, every single one! I am unashamedly in LOVE with this and everything about it. I can't believe it has taken me this long to actually read it! An Ember in the Ashes has ...more


Nice Natalie: Let's start this civil. After you.
Cynical Natalie: Don't mind if I do. An Ember In The Ashes is cliche tripe—
Nice Natalie: But we enjoyed it!
Cynical Natalie: Pipe down and wait your turn. As I was saying, it's your generic dystopian fantasy. Evil government+class divide+forbidden romance. Its only saving grace is that it's mildly better than Red Queen, which is like saying being dipped in acid is less painful than being burnt at stake.
Nice Natalie: Are you done?
Cynical Natalie: No. ...more

Reread May 2018: 5 stars easily. SO much better the second time around omfg
4.5 stars!!
OHHHMYYYYGOOOOODDDD
Even though it took me about 100 pages to actually start understanding and enjoying the book, I STILL LOVED IT!
As I was reading I kept imagining Laia as the girl on that famous Nat Geo magazine with the bright eyes and IT MADE THE EXPERIENCE SO MUCH BETTER.
I loved how both Laia and Elias developed in this book! (Though I did enjoy Elias' POV more at most parts, maybe just because it was m ...more
4.5 stars!!
OHHHMYYYYGOOOOODDDD
Even though it took me about 100 pages to actually start understanding and enjoying the book, I STILL LOVED IT!
As I was reading I kept imagining Laia as the girl on that famous Nat Geo magazine with the bright eyes and IT MADE THE EXPERIENCE SO MUCH BETTER.
I loved how both Laia and Elias developed in this book! (Though I did enjoy Elias' POV more at most parts, maybe just because it was m ...more

Buddy reread with my baby, Hayley!
WOW is all i have to say right now.
I'll edit my review later.
------------------------------------------
“Once, i'd have wanted someone to tell me what to do,
to fix everything. Once, I'd have wanted to be saved."

WOW! I really don't know what to say without spoiling everything. The beginning was a little slow but what came after was totally worth it!... Who said this is a stand-alone novel?? HELLO? Did you miss that heart wrenching ending? There is no way i ...more
WOW is all i have to say right now.
I'll edit my review later.
------------------------------------------
“Once, i'd have wanted someone to tell me what to do,
to fix everything. Once, I'd have wanted to be saved."

WOW! I really don't know what to say without spoiling everything. The beginning was a little slow but what came after was totally worth it!... Who said this is a stand-alone novel?? HELLO? Did you miss that heart wrenching ending? There is no way i ...more

Mar 06, 2019
Zainab
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
all-time-favourites
I've been throwing four and five stars here and there recently but it's not my fault that every other book I read turns out to be a gem.
All these (good) books came out during the time when even the word 'fantasy' would make me cringe but I've grown to like the genre so I'm lucky in this way that I have so many books to read now.
Anyway, this book is thrilling. The story is very different from other books in it's genre. The characters are so loveable (and some equally hateable. I'm looking at you ...more
All these (good) books came out during the time when even the word 'fantasy' would make me cringe but I've grown to like the genre so I'm lucky in this way that I have so many books to read now.
Anyway, this book is thrilling. The story is very different from other books in it's genre. The characters are so loveable (and some equally hateable. I'm looking at you ...more

Jul 30, 2017
Chelsea Humphrey
marked it as dnf-lost-interest
Maybe the hype train altered my expectations for this one or maybe I'm entering a dreaded slump, but I think I'm going to put this one down for now and try to come back to it when I'm not feeling so distracted.
...more

5 Bleeding, burning skies! STAR'S
“The field of battle is my temple. The sword point is my priest. The dance of death is my prayer. The killing blow is my release.”

“Fear is only your enemy if you allow it to be. Too much fear and you're paralyzed. Too little fear and you're arrogant.”

Buddy read with my VK/GR bestie Tania Parvin
*Reread*
Wowww! I love 'An Ember in the Ashes'!! It was even better the second time around if that's even possible! Again... It captured me from the very first page and hel ...more
“The field of battle is my temple. The sword point is my priest. The dance of death is my prayer. The killing blow is my release.”

“Fear is only your enemy if you allow it to be. Too much fear and you're paralyzed. Too little fear and you're arrogant.”

Buddy read with my VK/GR bestie Tania Parvin
*Reread*
Wowww! I love 'An Ember in the Ashes'!! It was even better the second time around if that's even possible! Again... It captured me from the very first page and hel ...more
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**My apologies if I don't respond to emails or friend requests right away! Come find me on Twitter or Instagram @sabaatahir, or on my web site: www.sabaatahir.com
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 ...more
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 ...more
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“Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing. Then one day, a single moment comes along to define every second that comes after. Such moments are tests of courage, of strength.”
—
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“There are two kinds of guilt. The kind that's a burden and the kind that gives you purpose. Let your guilt be your fuel. Let it remind you of who you want to be. Draw a line in your mind. Never cross it again. You have a soul. It's damaged but it's there. Don't let them take it from you.”
—
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