An Ember in the Ashes - starting July 8th

[Mary]

this is for Madeleine and me to buddy read An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, anyone else is of course welcome to join :)

[ღℑEℕℕႸ]

oh, I was planning to read it in July too, 8th is great, I'll join you))

[ღℑEℕℕႸ]

Are you going to read the whole series? or just the first book? maybe depends how it will go?

[Caitlin]

This book is good am reading the whole series and am on the final book, hope you enjoy it too.

[Mary]

ღℑEℕℕႸ wrote: "oh, I was planning to read it in July too, 8th is great, I'll join you))"

Sure! And I'm generally planning on continuing with the whole series as I have the feeling I will like it, but of course it depends on if that turns out true or not :D

[Mary]

Caitlin wrote: "This book is good am reading the whole series and am on the final book, hope you enjoy it too."

thank youu I hope I'll love it, it sounds so promising and 4 books already out is so nice to look forward to :)

[Book_Fairy]

Hey, I just started reading this today, and I am feeling feelings.

[Book_Fairy]

Chapter Three:
(view spoiler)[ Okay, I knew that the grandparents were going to die. Though I was hoping Laia and Darin wouldn't have to see. WTF, I haven't Laia suffered enough, I mean losing her parents and sister when she was young, and now she is watching her grandparents die right in front of her and her brother going to jail. I hope she becomes stronger from this though, she is fantastic, and she will be hopefully stronger from this. (hide spoiler)]

[Book_Fairy]

Chapter Four
(view spoiler)[ I feel like, in the beginning, I didn't know why Elias wanted to leave, but now I most definitely do. All of them seem like robots, with no thoughts of their own, but it also seems super culty. Also, I almost stopped reading when the commandant whipped the boy; I HATE GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, especially kids and animals. Though, I am pushing my feelings away. Just this chapter gave me the freaking chills. (hide spoiler)]

[Book_Fairy]

Chapter Six
(view spoiler)[ Can I please punch Marcus? He is getting on my nerves. He is like a child, trying to pull on Elias's pigtails. Ewww, no, I don't want them to like each other. In the end, the hooded guy freaked me out. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter Seven:
(view spoiler)[ WHY DIDN"T LAIA TELL THEM ABOUT HER PARENTS??? Clearly, they are somehow related to the resistance, Oh yeah, and Sana seems super cool, and Keenan seems like the bad boy you don't want to like but do anyway. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter Eight:
(view spoiler)[ I was literally on the edge of my seat when the augur said they knew about Elias's want to disappear. I was like, oh no, he is going to have that same fate as the ten-year-old. Then, I ended with WHY SO MANY DANG CLIFFHANGERS EVERY CHAPTER. I know they want us to keep reading. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter Nine:
(view spoiler)[ YAYYYYY!!!!!! She told them I am so happy, though their parents don't seem like good parents, especially their mother. OMG, Laia and Elias should start the children of bad parents club. Though I have mixed feelings about her spying, that will definitely end badly; it's probably how Laia and Elias meet. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter Ten:
(view spoiler)[ Okay, I expected that he would say yes because it's either evil or evil. Maybe if he takes the job of being Emporer, he can try to change things. Though maybe I am just hoping for things that can't be. (hide spoiler)]

[ღℑEℕℕႸ]

keep reading) there is more to come)))

[ღℑEℕℕႸ]

Spoiler Marcus is not like a child, is mad, and I hope you'll survive after reading what he will do later...

[Book_Fairy]

ღℑEℕℕႸ wrote: "Spoiler Marcus is not like a child, is mad, and I hope you'll survive after reading what he will do later..."

I kind of figured, and I am not excited, but also horribly enthralled.

[Mary]

Ahh, I only started this morning and I'm only on chapter 4 rn haha.
But I really love the premise so far, I love these empire settings and Laia seems like a great female MC from the start, I hate these "oh no I'm so weak whatever shall I do" girls in fantasy settings...I mean ofc she's scared but at least she can think :D

[ღℑEℕℕႸ]

yeah she is great, she is not like Super heroine with powers, but she is an interesting heroine))

[Book_Fairy]

I feel like she is a great character so far, sometimes you have to go through something big and awful to find your strength.

[Mary]

Ok, I really really liked the first part of the book! I'm usually not a great fan of the first person narration and flipping back and forth every chapter between two first person narrations feels like it should give me whiplash but it makes it so fast-paced and I really enjoy it.

Chapter 18
(view spoiler)[ and daaamn I hope the commander is getting what she deserves. Also I don't like Mazen, if he ends up being the traitor I wouldn't be surprised, he seems fishy (hide spoiler)]

[Book_Fairy]

Mary wrote: "Ok, I really really liked the first part of the book! I'm usually not a great fan of the first person narration and flipping back and forth every chapter between two first person narrations feels l..."

(view spoiler)[I think that Mazen might be the traitor, but sometimes the people who seem nicer are the ones who are actually bad. (hide spoiler)]

[Book_Fairy]

Chapter 12:
(view spoiler)[Okay, first, I feel bad for Elias because that has to suck not knowing what will happen with your future. Then I hate his grandpa because fuck his misogyny. I get why Helene does everything she can to follow the rules and fight as hard as possible to be part of the masks. I get it; it's the culture of that time, but seriously, the Commandant is ruthless and awful, but she is a woman too, and his daughter. I DO NOT LIKE HIS GRANDFATHER; I do not care how much he is helped Elias throughout the years.

I love how Elias is so great with defending her, though. Though Elias, you are allowed to have her as a friend, you don't have to be anything more. In some way, you only really like Helene because she is a girl, and you are close to her. Though it's obvious, she likes him, but she also thinks she doesn't want to. Since,

(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13-14:
(view spoiler)[ I knew things would be bad for Laia; I must remember to keep pushing through the story and not freak out too much about the graphic moments.

I am happy that Elias and Helene want to change things within the Empire if they win the trials.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16:
(view spoiler)[It might seem cruel, but I think it was great that the first test is to have each participant face their biggest fears.

At first, I thought that Marcus and Zak attacked because of the trial, but actually, the actual reason made a lot more sense. The Augers do know all of this probably, and I would honestly usually say it is all to cause drama, and I think it is.

I am so happy they made it and showed up the Commandant!!
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 17-22:
(view spoiler)[It almost seems like Spiro Teluman is a good man, with just a rough exterior. At least, this is what I hope to be accurate; I want him to be good to Laia.

Keris is an awful woman; she deserves the karma that is coming for her. I am not surprised by the statement of her choosing the Farrar brothers over her son. I wonder what happened, that she got pregnant and decided that her son wasn't worth having in her life. Did she get pregnant by a scholar or something?

I know that Laia wants to say that she shouldn't complain about her troubles since she only has been there for 11 days, and Izzi has been there almost her whole life. I understand what she is saying, but nobody should compare their pain with others because everyone has a brutal past and has been through their own set of pain that they go through. Also, who is Cook to Izzi? Did Cook think of Izzi as a daughter of some kind?

I don't think Zak is as bad as his brother; he seems almost scared of his brother and everyone else. I knew it!!!!!

I did not honestly expect that Cook would figure out what is going on with Laia first. I already wasn't sure about Mirra (aka Lioness), but how Cook talks about her shows that she is worse than everyone says.

I wish the saying of "All bark and no bite" were true for Marcus; it would be so much easier. This second trial is crazy, having everybody fighting to kill you.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 23:
(view spoiler)[I can't believe that Darin is not working for the resistance or the marshals. He was working for a former marshal who wanted to help the scholars now. Wow, I did not expect that.

Whattttttt, Keris is talking to the Nightbringer, and anyone, please tell me why? There are too many times within fantasy books where one of the main character's parents is EVIL.

I am glad that she didn't involve Izzi; she is too young to deal with all of that, though I feel bad because I think Izzi wants to have a purpose and a reason to keep living.

NO, I DON'T WANT DARIN TO BE KILLED. I like Keenan and hope he doesn't turn out to be bad.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 24:
(view spoiler)[WHAT A GREAT start to the chapter, all the great use of imagination and details. You can picture that. As I thought, Helene is definitely into Elias in a more-than-friend way.

That physician quote, "A southern poultice, of my own making. I've used it many times, I confess, but with you, I've gotten the formula perfect." It reminds me of Harry Potter and how Madame Pomfrey has a bed with his name on it. Oh, and Keris is either Bellatrix or Voldermort, Marcus is Lucius or more like Pettigrew.

Helene has magical singing; that is so cool.

Helene is supposed to win the trials, YAYYYYYYY!! I want her to be the Emperor; since then, she can help everyone, and Elias won't have to.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 25-27
(view spoiler)[I hope Izzi doesn't get hurt because that young girl deserves better.

I wouldn't say I like Helene right now since she sounds so mean and awful. I know that she might be jealous of Elias liking another girl, but she is saying things that are just wrong. I defended her so much this whole time and was so happy that she agreed with Elias, but she doesn't. She only cares about her people; it's that entire Us vs. Them concept. Helene is okay with enslaving "Others" because her people won the war and the "Others" didn't. Elias wants everyone to live peacefully, without anyone being enslaved or hurt because of who they are.

I knew that there was something wrong; it gets me annoyed that Mazen sounds like he will not do his part of the plan, which is unfair. I mean, Laia is risking her and her brother's life every day that she is at Blackcliff, so it would be awful if Mazen didn't go through with his part. He said he could get her brother out and now is backing out of it since he has nothing in the deal. This new plan will not do much better, and there will be people killed who don't deserve it.
I can't believe Keenan and Laia have a sort of moment.
(hide spoiler)]

[Mary]

Omg Ok so I just finished this and I absolutely loved it!
I forgot to take notes so I can only ramble without giving chapter pointers sorry :D (long spoiler ahead oops)

(view spoiler)[ I totally agree with your last assessment of Helene! Like, I want to like her because she is the only girl in the school and she totally is a badass but damn, she is indoctrinated. But on the other hand I can't really blame her, as they have been there since they were little kids and it must be easier suriving if you force yourself to belief everything you do is what is right and expected and your destiny. I like that we can see her mask (literally :D) slip sometimes when she decideds to help Laia and Elias and how she had that spark of jealousy. But idk, we'll see what happens with her.

And I kinda knew Marcus would end up winning the trials, but ugh. The trials themselves I felt were really easy to see coming, they were kinda like gruesome fairytales where you know what the morale will be based on certain storytelling formulas. But I thought it was really cleverly done with the was the augurs just used the trials to get the destiny they foretold to come to live.

I really need to know more about the augurs and all the mystical creatures in the next books though! The augurs are so weird and I love stories about djinn, so I'm excited to see how that will be portrayed in this world. Also the Nightbringer? Why would a mighty djinn king need the stupid commandant lol?? Hope we see more about that.

My biggest questions right now are: WHO is Cook and what happened to her, who is Elias' father and who is the traitor??
And I really really hope this is not the last we see of Izzy, I really liked her. And I wonder how that blooming love quartet is gonna play out, I'm usually not a fan of love triangles (and here's two potential interests for both of them lol) but all the involved characters are interesting so I guess it's okay :D (hide spoiler)]

[Book_Fairy]

Chapter 34-40:
(view spoiler)[Wow, I am so glad Marcus didn't do anything serious to her and happy that Helene and Elias stopped it before it could have gotten worse.

I'm not too fond of Helene, and I don't trust her, and I think she means harm to Laia somehow. Though then, she sings when she knows it's magical and healing for Laia, which seems like a good thing. I wish it weren't for Elias and instead because of her fundamental decency.

I feel like Helene made a deal so Elias wouldn't die during the trials or that she will be in second in command with Marcus or something.

I like Keenan; I trust him and hope that he will continue to be a good character. Okay, it seems like Mazen isn't as bad, but I still don't trust him because he doesn't seem right. I still like Sana, though, and I think she will always be a great character.

Okay, I thought that this third trial would involve killing off the participants, but now I am guessing they have to go against fellow masks not participating. Okay, a combination of both, and what kind of Hunger Games crap is this!!! There is a reason why I stopped reading those books, I hate graphic violence and hate deaths of likable characters.

I appreciate that this story showed that people, in general, are greedy, no matter what race. It shows that there was at one time a sense of peace between all of the creatures.
That honestly surprised me that the NIghtbringer went that far to get revenge for his kind, which is in some ways good.
I think it's crazy that the Nightbringer shapeshifted into one of the resistance members and betrayed them, though I think there would have to be a way for him to do that and some betrayal. I feel sad for the Jinn for all the things they went through, but I wish it didn't end up that way.
The resistance itself is an enemy of the Nightbringer since they are scholars, which are the ones who hurt the Jinn. Also, in the way for them to get revenge, he needed to team up with the Martials, the enemy of the resistance.

I feel like that whole third trial was only set out for the participants to only think about an enemy as an enemy, even if they are your friend. I cried so much for all the character deaths within this chapter, especially Zak weirdly because even though he was awful, he didn't deserve to die. Honestly, I would have probably cried for Marcus's death as well; this is all so awful. I knew that Zak would have to die, but I honestly wasn't ready for it, especially from the hands of his brother.
I think that they need to understand that it's not about pity, it's about realizing that they all went through a lot today, and they need to help each other through it. If they can't do that, they will have to forgive themselves for this; eventually, they can't change what happened. Within the masks' training, they learn to see an enemy as an enemy and kill them, no matter who the enemy is.
(hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

omg i love this book!!!