An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1)

by Sabaa Tahir

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.

Obey, conform, and keep your mouth shut.

In the Empire, only Scholars are treated like trash.

one day, you’ll go a whole minute without feeling the pain. Then an hour. A day. That’s all you can ask for, really.” His voice drops. “You’ll heal. I promise.”

“Death before tyranny,”

All the beauty of the stars means nothing when life here on earth is so ugly.

“Laia’s a person, Helene. Someone’s daughter or sister. If you or I had been born to different parents, we might be in her shoes instead of our own.” “What are you saying? That I should feel sorry for the Scholars? That I should think of them as equals? We conquered them. We rule them now. It’s the way of the world.”

“Beauty’s a curse when one lives among men.

But there are two kinds of guilt, girl: the kind that drowns you until you’re useless, and the kind that fires your soul to purpose.

Life is hard enough without having to avoid entire rooms in my own head.

Draw a line in your mind. Never cross it again.