An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir - 4.5 stars

[annapi]

Wow. Excellent fantasy! Imaginative, perhaps not quite as fresh in ideas as N.K. Jemisin, but similar and I like the characters just a little better.

The story is told from the points of view of two characters, Elias the military academy cadet, and Laia the daughter of scholars whose family has ties to the Resistance. The story opens with the military raid on Laia's family, which captures her brother and she barely escapes. Then it switches to Elias, and we learn that he is the elite of the elite cadets, but he hates what he is trained to become, hates the cruel and ruthless Empire that would make him an assassin. But this is more than a good vs. evil adventure; it has much more depth than that.

This book takes off running and doesn't stop. It's difficult to put down, and the transitions between the two characters work seamlessly. I was invested in all the characters from the start, and their development does not disappoint. We are left with questions about the motives behind the mysterious immortal Augurs who seem to control the Empire, and the two factions of the Resistance. And while it does leave us wondering how our protagonists can succeed in their goal, it ends this first book without frustrating the reader too much. After all, August 30, when book 2 will be released, is not that far off.

My rating is 4.5 stars; I dithered between rounding up or down, but really I like this much better than the many 4-star books I have been reading lately, so I'll round up.

Oh, and thank you to all of you who reviewed this and intrigued me! That's why I love this group, though my TBR is groaning again.

[Susie]

I'm really looking forward to reading this!

[Olivermagnus]

This was one od my favorites last year. I'm going to do a reread before the next one comes out.