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An Ember in the Ashes

(An Ember in the Ashes #1)

Sabaa Tahir (Goodreads Author)

4.28 · Rating details · 177,729 ratings · 22,592 reviews

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 ...more

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Kindle Edition, 457 pages

Published April 28th 2015 by Razorbill

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Average rating 4.28 ·

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Start your review of An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1)

Sep 03, 2014 Emily May rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, arc, coverly-love, 2015

“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

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Feb 06, 2015 Sasha Alsberg rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

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

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Apr 23, 2015 Jesse (JesseTheReader) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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*

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Apr 30, 2015 Regan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-owned-read

4.5

This book is totally going to have a sequel.

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Oct 28, 2014 Kiki rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: choking-noises, dystopian, ya, lolwut, lost-the-will-to-live, never-call-me-again

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. So I started rereading this with a promise to write a "very, very scholarly review" similar to the ones I wrote for Twilight and Wicked Saints. But the thing is that, with those books, I genuinely had strong feelings; I was motivated to sit down and bang out a review that sizzled, paired with graphics and artwork and intertextual and historical analysis. Those reviews were written out of an actual desire to do them, not because I had nothing better to do.

The thing is this. This is the thing: I So I started rereading this with a promise to write a "very, very scholarly review" similar to the ones I wrote for Twilight and Wicked Saints. But the thing is that, with those books, I genuinely had strong feelings; I was motivated to sit down and bang out a review that sizzled, paired with graphics and artwork and intertextual and historical analysis. Those reviews were written out of an actual desire to do them, not because I had nothing better to do.

The thing is this. This is the thing: I really don't care about this book anymore. The first time I read it, I got testy about it because, at that time in my life, when I was depressed and struggling to find a reason to get out of bed in the morning - or really at any time of day - getting fired up about books was a lifeline for me. It was feeling, and it was creative engagement when my own artistic well, which is so vitally important to me, was empty.

These days, things are kind of okay. Like, life's not exactly great, but it's fine. People who haven't known me for that long probably don't care about any of this shit, but I do feel the need to provide some context as to why I reviewed this book in a fit of rage, then deleted the review and replaced it with another rant, then promised a review that's never going to materialise. It's because, at this point in my life, I really don't feel the need to use books and misdirected internet anger just to feel something.

The verdict on this book is that I don't like it, and I never will. It's a series that I don't have ay desire to continue. My feelings did change, though, on this reread: I liked Laia as an everygirl heroine bravely struggling to survive in a hostile environment, and I saw potential in this story that I couldn't fathom before. It's yet another story that I think could have greatly benefitted from being reworked as an adult novel, but at the same time, I get why people like it for what it is. The world building is kind of thin and doesn't make a modicum sense as an allegory for Ancient Rome (seriously; this is not even remotely reflective of Rome, and it's weird to see it being touted as "Romanesque" when it's got nothing to do with it) but would I call it bad? Probably not. It is what it is. Given the clean, deft, emotive writing and the aforementioned potential, I'd definitely give Sabaa Tahir's work another try when she moves on to something else.

That's it. That's genuinely all I have. Cheers. ...more

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May 09, 2015 Christine Riccio rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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Jul 12, 2016 The Burning Rose (Jess) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, fantasy, favorites, young-adult

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. 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. Hate, for the bad and cruel people. Empathy, for Elias who cannot carry the burden of the Blackcliff. Sympathy, to Laia who lost her entire family to death by the empire. Sadness, about the way we lost loads of amazing characters throughout the book. Pride for Izzi, who took courage and finally began to break her cruel routine as a slave.

This book has a lot of cruel and brutal parts. I guess there are people who can't read it because the details can go far. But I think, as much as this book is brutal, it teaches us about humanity. And about inhumanity.
“I see humans, but not humanity”
This is a quote I really love, from the time I was a child. I understood that long ago. I had an uneasy childhood and a cruel life, and I realized that the world is full of human beings, but not all of them are human inside. When I told people about it, they tended to laugh at me and say I'm pessimistic, that people are generally good, that people are people. That every person who is bad, has some good in him too. but it‘s not correct. There are people who breathe the same air I breathe, live in the same world I live. But deep down inside, they lost their hearts and souls.

Something else I loved about the book - there is a lot of love in it. Love between good friends. Love between people of different classes. One-sided love. Physical attraction against love from within.
Still, this book did not shout "Look! I'm a YA book and I love to get lots of readers! " No.
First, this book shows that not every story and plot is supposed to be about love. The reader can be fascinated by the story even without it.
Secondly, I really like the fact that Elias only came across Laia in the middle of the book. First of all we got to know them, and once they found their way and met, we already knew who they are, we knew how similar they were.
Plus, to be honest, you can also see that, even in a cruel and almost inhuman place, you can hold on to love and see one light in the other.

This book taught us what friendship, loyalty, compassion, love, cruelty, strength, fear and more, are. It’s an amazing achievement.

It's time for me to read the second book. ...more

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Mar 05, 2015 Cristina Monica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: love-triangle, fantasy, forbidden-love

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 s 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 series of events that superbly form a story. A story that will grip.

We follow the path of two main characters: Laia and Elias. Laia is a Scholar in search of her brother. This latter has been imprisoned and Laia’s only goal is to free him. To do so, she aligns with the Resistance, believing they will free her brother if she helps them. Elias, on the other hand, is a Mask and the Commandant’s soon. He and a few other of his ‘‘rank,’’ need to show their skills in the trials and attempt to win them. Whoever wins will become the next emperor.

‘‘Don’t tell me you believe in myths of junn and efrits and wraiths that kidnap children in the night?’’
‘‘No.’’ I think of the raid. Of the mark. My lightness melts away. ‘‘I don’t need to believe in the supernatural. Not when there’s worse that roams the night.’’

Not bad, don’t you think? I was wholly engrossed in the story. While it was slow-paced and the action not present throughout, I never felt the lack of it. A good balance was offered. Some characters were indeed shockingly pitiless or rudely villainous, some emotions so strongly raw that they had an impact on my state of mind, the atmosphere thick and oppressive… but everything was bearable and, instead of discomforting me, it made me want more. It made me want to kick some asses, to break that infectious system of theirs and hold tight to unlucky dear Laia.

A love-triangle can be manageable and, under some circumstances, quite pleasurable but, two? … No, thank you. I tried to let it go. I tried to visualize it and tell myself that it’s alright, that it makes sense and it’s definitely justified, but I couldn’t come to be fond of it. The problem, I shall tell you, is that Laia didn’t make a choice. She let both guys pursue her heart. But then there’s the other love-triangle. That other one – two girls for a boy – could have been avoided. It wasn’t necessary to the plot. I believe a girl and a boy can truly and only be friends… sigh.

I look up at the stars hanging low in a sky that makes me think I’m seeing the infinite. But beneath their cold gaze, I feel small. All the beauty of the stars means nothing when life here on earth is so ugly.

The other thing is the ending. If this is a standalone set in stone really and unchangingly, it is probably the most infuriating I have ever read, because of the monumental amount of questions that remained inside my head. It would feel as if the story has been cut in two for unknown reasons. If this turns out to be the first in a new series though, it is one hell of a starter!
...more

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Jan 20, 2014 Steph Sinclair rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommends it for: People, I guess?

Shelves: young-adult, why-the-hype, penguin, 2015-release, audio-books, i-totally-saw-that-coming, zzzzz, cool-author, 2015-reads, can-t-believe-i-finished

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

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Feb 23, 2015 karen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: live-through-this, why-yes-i-ya, free-from-work

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

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Dec 15, 2014 Katerina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

“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*

description

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 ~~stalker~~ fan

The story

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

...more

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Jul 07, 2018 Warda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: author-of-colour

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

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May 16, 2016 Dana Kenedy (Dana and the Books) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2016, young-adult, fantasy, favourites

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

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Apr 02, 2015 Kai rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, overrated

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

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Nov 22, 2018 jessica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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Jul 25, 2014 Sara Raasch rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book will destroy you.

(PS: Elias is mine shhhh no one understands him like I do)

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Feb 08, 2014 Wendy Darling rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian-post-apocalyptic-utopian, action-packed, april, fantasy, 2015-favorites, read-2015, to-review, 2015-publication, young-adult, own-dtb-tbr

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

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Jan 10, 2015 Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, fantasy

HOLY SHIT

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Jun 06, 2015 Robin Hobb rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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Mar 19, 2015 Kainat 《HUFFLEPUFF & PROUD》 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: love-hate

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

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Feb 14, 2017 Ashley Nuckles rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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Jul 21, 2015 Sarah rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: a-failed-romance, how-very-original, dark-haired-male-entity, let-s-talk-about-war, fops-and-fools, the-vomitorium, where-have-all-the-heroines-gone, isn-t-that-convenient, blond-haired-female-entity, where-is-the-plot

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

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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

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Oct 04, 2016 ♥ℂĦℝΪՖƬΪℕÅ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, romance, favorites, dystopia-and-utopian, magic, finished-buddy-read, young-adult, 2016-reading-challenge, 2018-reading-challenge

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 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 held my attention the whole way through. An Ember in the Ashes is a real page-turner and it will leave you gasping for more! It was so hard putting this book down during the buddy read because I could have easily read this in one sitting :) Yeahhhh, It was that kinda good. The word "good" though, is such a small word to describe what this was. So here are a few better-fitted words to drive my point across- Amazing, alluring, addictive, awestruck, captivating, fantastic, powerful, wonderful, etc... Sabaa Tahir has created something really special here. The plot, the writing style, the world, and the characters are EVERYTHING that makes a story incredible!!! The Martial Empire is a brutal dark world, a place where any form of defiance is punishable by the Commandant and usually those who are stupid enough, find themselves DEAD! Slaves are lower than dirt and are disposable. You can do whatever you like to a slave... NOTHING, I mean NOTHING is off limits! In this book, you are introduced to a world that was overtaken years ago by the Empire. It's a horrifyingly terrible place, that is run by fear and death. A world of loyalties, lines crossed, futures foretold, treachery and of course the Resistance. The heroine is Laia, she comes across as cowardice at first but eventually, she finds her inner Lioness. She is a very likable person and easy to sympathize with. The hero is Elias, and he's a mask. Masks are to be feared but Elias is different from the rest. He hates the life that was chosen for him. More than anything he just wants to be free from it all. Elias is strong and courageous. I LOVE him so so so much ;) An Ember in the Ashes surpasses all the hype and I highly recommend this book/series to everyone looking for something dark and that will draw you in completely.

*This cover is beautifully done and with that title, I really had no choice but to read it!*

“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.” ...more

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Jul 30, 2017 Chelsea Humphrey marked it as dnf-lost-interest · review of another edition

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.

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May 11, 2015 Natalie Monroe rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bad-beginning-loved-the-rest, copycat, typical, when-sparks-don-t-fly, not-worth-the-hype, pleasantly-surprised, i-spy-something-pointy, mommy-why-is-the-villain-bad, guilty-pleasures, insta-love-add-water

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

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Dec 02, 2017 Beth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-reads, book-series, 5-stars, characters-i-loved, 2018-reads, 2020-reads, swoony-swoony, audiobook, faves, 2019-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

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May 06, 2016 Mohammed Arabey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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Jun 18, 2017 Sana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: boring-af, fantasy, cut-my-left-nut-off-instead, romance, young-adult, badass-chicks, daddies, dystopian, unfinished-series

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

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Aug 04, 2017 Candace rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: listened-to-audio-version, childhood-loves, kidnapped, dangerous-hero-themed-books-read, forbidden-romance, dark-themes, love-triangles, paranormal, shocking-twists

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 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 to resist.

Among the most feared of the emperor's forces are the specially trained soldiers known collectively as the "Masks". Highly trained fighters, they are known for their skill and loyalty to the empire. They are what nightmares are made of for the oppressed scholars.

When Laia's home is raided by the Masks, her grandparents are killed. Her older brother is taken as a prisoner, accused of espionage. Laia manages to escape, but lives with unbearable guilt for being such a coward.

Determined to rescue her brother and make up for abandoning him at the time of his arrest, Laia sets out to find the Resistance. Whispered about, but never seen, the Resistance fighters are the only ones that can help her. After all, Laia believes that it was her brother's involvement with this group of rebels that made him a target in the first place.

Once she makes contact with the Resistance leaders, she finds them reluctant to help. Finally, agreeing to place herself in the midst of the danger as a slave in exchange for breaking her brother out of prison, they reach a deal. Laia has no idea of what she's agreed to.

As the new, pretty slave, Laia quickly attracts some unwanted attention. However, Elias Veturius, the son of the feared Commandant, seems to constantly come to her rescue. The two form a tenuous friendship.

Elias is one of the most skilled Masks, but questions his future within the empire. He resists the loss of his soul and the bonding with his mask. Despite the darkness of the life he leads, he still has some goodness. He recognizes the evil of the empire and wants nothing more than to escape this life that he was forced into.

Battles, betrayals and danger abound. I was never bored while listening to this audiobook. It kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

Although there is some romance and sweet moments, the love story is subdued. Don't expect any type of sordid love affair with this one. It just doesn't happen.

However, this was still a highly entertaining and captivating story with beautiful imagery. I lost myself completely in this world and the plight of Laia and Elias. It was wonderful! I dived into the second book immediately.

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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.” — 1538 likes

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