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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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Community Reviews
(showing 1-30)
“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
4.5 stars, reeeaaally close to being a 5 star book for me! This was so awesome and engaging, I had trouble putting it down to take breaks for food and sleep! AND THIS IS SO NOT A STANDALONE. I'm glad the sequel is officially happening, because I need more!
I thought both main characters were great. I did prefer Elias' chapters because they were more action packed, though Laia went through some excellent character development! As for secondary characters/the romances, I wasn't a huge fan of Keenan ...more
I thought both main characters were great. I did prefer Elias' chapters because they were more action packed, though Laia went through some excellent character development! As for secondary characters/the romances, I wasn't a huge fan of Keenan ...more
An Ember in the Ashes is truly a unique and captivating book that I recommends everybody reads! Cannot wait for the second book in this series =D
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*
4.5
This book is totally going to have a sequel.
This book is totally going to have a sequel.
Really enjoyed this one!!! Flew through it - here's my booktalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUzvC... =D
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
3 1/2 stars.
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.
An Ember in the Ashes is THE book I was looking most forward to in 2015. I can’t say that I’m completely pleased with the way it turned out, because, being my most anticipated title, I naively envisioned this to be P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-O-N or, at least, perfectly enjoyable. But, don’t worry, Sabaa Tahir clearly did a fine job at putting together an intensive ser ...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.
An Ember in the Ashes is THE book I was looking most forward to in 2015. I can’t say that I’m completely pleased with the way it turned out, because, being my most anticipated title, I naively envisioned this to be P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-O-N or, at least, perfectly enjoyable. But, don’t worry, Sabaa Tahir clearly did a fine job at putting together an intensive ser ...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 strength and spi...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
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
This book will destroy you.
(PS: Elias is mine shhhh no one understands him like I do)
(PS: Elias is mine shhhh no one understands him like I do)
This one will be popular.
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
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
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 in ...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 in ...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
Jul 30, 2017
Chelsea Humphrey
marked it as dnf-paused
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.
Never expected a YA that mature..
An 'Amber' in the Ashes..
A fine crafted Novel..every element perfectly measured.
Very well paced, exciting world..With deep, well developing characters..
In a world with the magical atmosphere of Arabian Nights tales...even with hints of Game of Thrones, Hunger Games..even HP's Goblet of Fire,
Yet emerges An original tale,An Ember in the Ashes.
Complete with amazing epic kinds of Love and attractions, long life friendship and new ones.. courage and Honor..Izzat ;Whic ...more
An 'Amber' in the Ashes..
A fine crafted Novel..every element perfectly measured.
Very well paced, exciting world..With deep, well developing characters..
In a world with the magical atmosphere of Arabian Nights tales...even with hints of Game of Thrones, Hunger Games..even HP's Goblet of Fire,
Yet emerges An original tale,An Ember in the Ashes.
Complete with amazing epic kinds of Love and attractions, long life friendship and new ones.. courage and Honor..Izzat ;Whic ...more
If you're looking for a fantastic story full of action and adventure, 'An Ember in the Ashes' is a great place to start. There was never a dull moment in this book. Some sort of danger was always brewing and I never knew what was going to happen next.
The story centers on Laia, a young lady who lives under the terrifying rule of the Martial Empire. Subjected to the tyrannical rule of the Emperor, Laia's people live in constant fear. Those who don't submit are hunted, tortured and killed. Few dare ...more
The story centers on Laia, a young lady who lives under the terrifying rule of the Martial Empire. Subjected to the tyrannical rule of the Emperor, Laia's people live in constant fear. Those who don't submit are hunted, tortured and killed. Few dare ...more
DNF @ 65%
This book could have been good. But it needed a lot of additional work to get there.
The opening pages show its simplicity and lack of imagination when introducing the people. We have The Martials - a militaristic gaggle of elitist vulgarians who conquer and subjugate with glee - and The Scholars - a peaceful and learned culture currently being oppressed by the former.
Laia, the female lead, is a scholar. She lives with the daily threat of being captured and sold into slavery. Her paren ...more
This book could have been good. But it needed a lot of additional work to get there.
The opening pages show its simplicity and lack of imagination when introducing the people. We have The Martials - a militaristic gaggle of elitist vulgarians who conquer and subjugate with glee - and The Scholars - a peaceful and learned culture currently being oppressed by the former.
Laia, the female lead, is a scholar. She lives with the daily threat of being captured and sold into slavery. Her paren ...more
Buddy read with Jahanzaib who i ditched lmao
Also, spoilers. Some won't be marked.
So, this review is not 100000 years late, I don't know why y'all starin' at me like that, okay.
The first 40% of this book was unbearable and I was going to dnf if it weren't for this buddy read. However, I am so glad I pushed through the beginning of this book because boy did this get so much better.
There's this shitload of info dump and slow, boring plot towards the beginning that made me want to shoot myself in t ...more
Also, spoilers. Some won't be marked.
So, this review is not 100000 years late, I don't know why y'all starin' at me like that, okay.
The first 40% of this book was unbearable and I was going to dnf if it weren't for this buddy read. However, I am so glad I pushed through the beginning of this book because boy did this get so much better.
There's this shitload of info dump and slow, boring plot towards the beginning that made me want to shoot myself in t ...more
5 Bleeding, burning skies! ★'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 besttie 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 held ...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 besttie 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 held ...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
HOLY SHIT
THIS REREAD WAS EVEN MORE EPIC THAN THE FIRST READ IN 2014. Love this book and the audiobook was AMAZING. My first audiobook ever. Off to go read/listen to A TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT for the first time!
"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
Woot boy, this will be a TOUGH one to review.
I anticipated this book for months. It literally crushed me when I was rejected on Edelweiss, even though I expected no other outcome. A fantasy world with a roman-esque setting? A world that was defined by its brutality and suffering? I desperately, desperately needed it; every fiber of my being demanded to consume it. Thankfully, Dahlia Adler (who's a great author so you better check her out!), generously sent me an ARC of this book, which I promptl ...more
I anticipated this book for months. It literally crushed me when I was rejected on Edelweiss, even though I expected no other outcome. A fantasy world with a roman-esque setting? A world that was defined by its brutality and suffering? I desperately, desperately needed it; every fiber of my being demanded to consume it. Thankfully, Dahlia Adler (who's a great author so you better check her out!), generously sent me an ARC of this book, which I promptl ...more
Who’s excited for A Torch Against the Night in August? I know I am, that much so I thought I’d revisit this review. This was such an eloquently written book, one that's left me in suspense for an entire year.
I actually surprised myself with this. I didn't think I'd like it as much. Whenever I read novels like this there is normally some really annoying feature that irks me so much that I end up hating the book. With this, however, I have no criticisms. I literally have nothing bad to say about ...more
I actually surprised myself with this. I didn't think I'd like it as much. Whenever I read novels like this there is normally some really annoying feature that irks me so much that I end up hating the book. With this, however, I have no criticisms. I literally have nothing bad to say about ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fantasy Buddy Reads: An Ember in the Ashes [July 11, 2018] | 63 | 32 | 1 hour, 22 min ago | |
| The Fandom Entries : An Ember in the Ashes Buddy Read | 5 | 14 | Jul 08, 2018 12:44PM | |
| Nothing But Readi...: An Ember in the Ashes, by Sabaa Tahir (Young Adult BOM) Start Date 22 May 2015; Buddy read Revisit June 19, 2018 | 125 | 538 | Jul 01, 2018 07:42PM | |
| Who is cook, really? | 28 | 541 | Jun 30, 2018 05:03PM | |
| HopelessBookAddic...: An Ember in the Ashes | 1 | 1 | Jun 15, 2018 06:11PM | |
| YA Buddy Readers'...: An Ember In The Ashes Series by Sabaa Tahir - Restarting June 8th 2018 | 160 | 273 | Jun 14, 2018 11:11AM | |
| Ember in the ashes | 1 | 3 | Jun 05, 2018 02:03PM |
**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
More about Sabaa Tahir
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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An Ember in the Ashes
(4 books)
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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.”
—
1347 likes
“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.”
—
995 likes
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