An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1) in What's the Name of That Book???

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

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

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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Sep 20, 2016 Trin rated it did not like it

Shelves: american-lit, fantasy, 2010s, ya

I honestly do not understand what everyone likes about this. To me, it seems like yet another patchwork YA -- there's a fight for a poorly defined empire, a set of deadly trials to draw the Hunger Games crowd, first person narration shared between a heroine who's "relatable" (read: utterly lacking personality) and a Morally Conflicted Hero, and some romance of the "what is this feeling in my chest?" variety.

Tahir's only variations from these formulae seem to be the additions of some vaguely Midd I honestly do not understand what everyone likes about this. To me, it seems like yet another patchwork YA -- there's a fight for a poorly defined empire, a set of deadly trials to draw the Hunger Games crowd, first person narration shared between a heroine who's "relatable" (read: utterly lacking personality) and a Morally Conflicted Hero, and some romance of the "what is this feeling in my chest?" variety.

Tahir's only variations from these formulae seem to be the additions of some vaguely Middle Eastern mythology, which to me is neither compelling nor richly drawn, and sexual violence. SO MUCH SEXUAL VIOLENCE. Is there a female character in this book who isn't threatened with rape? I think this book averages something like one rape threat per chapter. Even George R.R. Martin -- nay, George R.R. Martin's characters are like, "Whoa!"

To me, the reliance on sexual violence to create "drama" is a) gross, and b) lazy. Just so, so lazy. It means nothing interesting or dynamic is actually happening, so the author felt the need to "up the stakes" with rape threats. It does nothing to enhance the plot or anyone's character, it's just -- as previously mentioned -- gross. Especially, I'd argue, in a YA novel.

Some other questions:

1. What does Blackcliff actually look like? Can anyone describe it to me? This is yet another YA novel that could take place entirely in a black box theater, for the amount of description we're given.

2. What's the human equivalent of a black box theater? Because that's also how I felt about Laia's character. Describe her personality to me. Use an adjective other than "determined." What are her interests? What does she care about, other than saving her brother?

3. How do the masks work? Why does Tahir sometimes describe what characters' faces look like under the masks when they're wearing them? Are there nostril holes for Marcus to get a bloody nose through? What's with the descriptions of Helene's lips if she's wearing a mask -- is there a fetishy mouth hole? Actually, if Helene is presumably wearing a mask through this entire book, why is she never described that way? Does a single thing about these damn masks make sense?

4. Seriously, what does ANYTHING in this world look like and how does ANY of it work?

5. WHY DO PEOPLE LIKE THIS BOOK? ...more

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Jul 20, 2015 Nadine in NY Jones rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-and-sci-fi, young-adult, lotsa-buzz, r2015-in-2015

Some books live up to their hype ... some books don't. This book did not, at least for me.

I was expecting AMAZING, I was expecting to be immediately engaged in the story, I was expecting something new and different, with sparks flying! What I got was .... a pretty great YA fantasy, but nothing extraordinary. The ending felt very satisfying, however, which bumped up my enjoyment. The final resolution was pretty predictable, but how they got there was satisfying, so a three star book got bumped u Some books live up to their hype ... some books don't. This book did not, at least for me.

I was expecting AMAZING, I was expecting to be immediately engaged in the story, I was expecting something new and different, with sparks flying! What I got was .... a pretty great YA fantasy, but nothing extraordinary. The ending felt very satisfying, however, which bumped up my enjoyment. The final resolution was pretty predictable, but how they got there was satisfying, so a three star book got bumped up to four stars.

This switches between the POV of Laia, a poor girl living fairly happily in the Scholar Quarters, and Elias, A young man about to graduate the elite military school for Martials. Usually the alternating POVs are chronological, but sometimes they are not, which annoyed me. It feels like a device when used that way. In this world, the Martials are similar to the Romans, conquering other societies, and the Scholars are a conquered society. (We get some backstory towards the end about the Scholars and see that they have not always been the innocents, which I thought added a satisfying twist.)

Laia starts the book as a scared little bunny, she is seventeen and still a child, needing others to structure her life and make sure all is well. Then all hell breaks loose in her life and we see her start to grow, to rely on herself, to be less afraid. She faces some tough trials. She survives where others have not, but a lot of that was based on luck, not her own wiles and toughness. The book pretty much revolves around Laia's growth and changes. But I think we are supposed to feel like SHE succeeded where others failed. Well, no. People help her - people come crawling out of the woodwork to help her. Mean people are not nearly as mean as they could be to her. Her luck is always decent. Suddenly we learn that she is outrageously gorgeous but doesn't know it (oh that sad tired trope) and all the boys are lusting after her, two guys in particular. A love triangle rears its head. But that's okay, I enjoy a good love triangle.

And here we have title for Laia (an Augur named Cain, a mystical semi-human being, is speaking to her):

"You are full, Laia. Full of life and dark and strength and spirit. You are in our dreams. You will burn, for you are an ember in the ashes. That is your destiny."

Elias starts the book and ends the book as pretty much the same guy: hardened, aggressive warrior at the top of his class, with a secret heart of gold. Elias is tormented with indecision: he wants to be free of the killing and violence, but he doesn't know how. I liked his character, but it felt very btdt at the same time. A love triangle rears its head for Elias, too. Double love triangles! But they aren't equilateral triangles: it's pretty clear who Elias and Laia really really want.

And here, we have title for Elias (again, he is speaking with Cain) - it's some pretty cool imagery:

"... you are the one I remember best. For the Augurs dream the future: all outcomes, all possibilities. And you are woven through every dream. A thread of silver in a tapestry of night."

"And here I thought you drew my name out of a hat."

"Hear me, Elias Veturius." The Augur ignores my barb, and though his voice is no louder than it was a moment ago, his words are wrapped in iron, weighted down in certainty. "The Foretelling is truth. A truth you will soon face. You seek to run. You seek to abandon your duty. But you cannot escape your destiny."

"Destiny?" I laugh, a bitter thing. "What destiny?"

Everything here is blood and violence. After I graduate tomorrow, nothing will change. The missions, the rote viciousness, will wear me down until there's nothing left of the boy the Augurs stole fourteen years ago. Maybe that's a type of destiny. But it's not one I'd choose for myself.

"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 like that they both get title.

Elias's mother, the Commandant (the leader of the Martial school) is an interesting character. In lesser hands, she would be one-dimensional evil, but Ms Tahir does a good job of making her complex and multi-dimensional. She is Elias's mother, after all, and somewhere deep inside her are tender memories of his birth. Maybe. But at some point she grew to despise Elias. Here is a parting shot she gives him when he seems to be at death's door:

For the first and probably the only time in my life, I see something a little like sadness in her eyes.

"It's a hard truth, but there is no going back. tomorrow, you'll die. Nothing can stop it. Not me, not you, not even my indomitable father, though he's tried. Take comfort in knowing that your death will give your mother peace. That the gnawing sense of wrong that has haunted me for twenty years will be set right. I'll be free."

For all my grumping here, I am definitely looking forward to the next book. This time I'll have my expectations set appropriately. ...more

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May 03, 2016 Debbie Barr rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobooks

Loved this book! Excellent writing, interesting world building, great characters. Now I just have to wait until August for the sequel! *sigh*

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Jan 14, 2015 Jennie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fya-review, fantasy, fya-book-club

This would be five stars if there was going to be a sequel for sure. As a standalone, the ending isn't satisfying enough. (Yay, there will be a sequel! So, upgraded to 5.)

FYA review: http://foreveryoungadult.com/2015/05/... ...more

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Jul 14, 2020 Emma rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Couldn't do it. I thought maybe I’d be able to handle the violence. Super wrong. The constant threat of rape was also unsettling. Aside from that the entire opening stressed me the hell out. I can almost see the appeal but I'll have to observe it from afar. ...more

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