An Ember in the Ashes is a fantastic telling of two interwoven stories. It follows the perspective of Laia, the cowardly Scholar girl who faces slavery for the chance to free her heroic but captive older brother; and Elias, the golden-boy Militial who secretly wants to abandon his destiny of violence and escape into the crowd. However, when the Augurs announce that the emperor will soon have a replacement, Elias and Laia find themselves facing their greatest challenges before their paths even cross. The world is spectacular and the characters are powerful and vivid. I would recommend this book to several friends who enjoy different worlds and cultures populated with strong characters like Helene and Izzi and the ever forboding Commandant. However, I give it 4/5 stars because something felt missing and I struggled with the protagonist Laia being such a coward. I would highly recommend and I will certainly read the 446 pages again. (less)
The world is spectacular and the characters are powerful and vivid. I would recommend this book to several friends who enjoy different worlds and cultures populated with strong characters like Helene and Izzi and the ever forboding Commandant. However, I give it 4/5 stars because something felt missing and I struggled with the protagonist Laia being such a coward. I would highly recommend and I will certainly read the 446 pages again. (less)