An Ember in the Ashes
Ratings326
Average rating4.1
3 1/2 stars really.
Pros
Great premise. The world was really interesting (not at all reminiscing of rome btw). The masks were the highlight, very intriguing. Additionally, there are hints of other magical aspects that can be expanded on in the future. The augurs were also really interesting and i hope we get to learn more of their motivations.
Some of the characters. Helene and her struggles, the commandant too, and although a little whiny, elias was interesring.
Ending. Although not groundbreaking, the ending fixed some of the character of laia.
Cons
The resistance. Just all of it.
Laia. Super gullibe, super predictable, very annoying and whiny and save me save me type. She got slightly better by the end, so i guess she had some growth throughout.
Other people's relationship with laia. We have to protect her instantly even though she things of no one but her brother and believes everything thrown at her, complains a lot about being weak while having everyone come in and save her (in the end gets a little better)
Love stories. I usually need them in my fantasies and although some in here are realistic, there's a good dose of instalove or this is a woman and so i must sort of guys. I mean these guys... (also laia)
Anyway, I'll continue with the series, as I said the world is very interesting and can be expanded upon, the characters can get better and I want to know more about some of them. If you don't mind some inner whinning from the MC, you could kind of get lost in this story.
An Ember in the Ashes
☆☆☆☆
Status: Finished
Type: Trilogy
Series: An Ember in the Ashes
This book was awesome! Whoo, that was a roller coaster ride that was blast. Boy, did I have fun reading this book. Trickery, betrayal, death, and a little bit of romance! Beware of the love triangle between Helene, his best friend, and Laia, but Helias all the way. (Found out in the second book that Elias is twenty. A twenty with a seventeen-year-old? I'm sorry but I just don't support dating way older guys if you're under the age of nineteen. Plus, Elias and Helene are too perfect for each other.)
Anyway, I had fun with this book, although some of Laia choices could be gotten her caught. Other than that, great with stellar and original writing and plot!
PROS
▪Pace keeps moving
▪Keeps you at your toes
▪Really evil characters
▪All original
CONS
▪(Elias potentially dating a teenager)
▪Some of the choices Laia made
Overall, I rate An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, four out of five stars.
“I've never thought about all the empty spaces at the Moon Festival, all the places where the disappeared, the dead, and the lost should be.”
I don't really know how I feel about this book. I liked it, but maybe my timing was just off. It took me awhile to get through it, due to work and and falling asleep from exhaustion. Sometimes I only read a couple of pages per day. But... The story was a lot darker than I expected, it's a cruel, harsh world. I did enjoy the dual narration, it worked really well in this book. It was a bit repetitive in the middle. I really liked the ending though, because that's when the characters decided to do something for themselves rather than wait for things to happen to them. By the end it feels like they is a lot of potential going into the next book. The last quarter of the book was very good and I hope the next book can pick up and maintain that momentum. I will continue the series.
I reread this last night, and it's still the best YA romantasy I've ever read. It's got everything you could want: enemies to lovers, betrayal, political intrigue, and the tension of a war college setting. The world-building is rich, with an immersive blend of magic and fae lore that keeps you hooked from the start. The characters are complex, each dealing with their own struggles, and their growth is woven beautifully into the story.
I typically don't enjoy YA because the romance often feels immature, and the lack of spice can be frustrating. But this book does none of that. The romance is mature, well-paced, and doesn't fall into the usual YA traps. In fact, adding spicy scenes wouldn't have added any depth to the story, unlike what you often see with other YA novels. Every twist keeps you guessing, and the slow-burn romance adds tension without overtaking the plot. Whether you're in it for the battles or the relationships, this book delivers on every front. It's a must-read for romantasy lovers who want a story that doesn't let up until the very end!
This has been on my TBR forever and I can't believe I waited for so long. It was grittier and darker than expected for it being YA, and begs the question why do we label things without explicit sex YA. I'm not saying young adult readers shouldn't read this they absolutely should, I'm just saying if this was written by a man it would just be a fantasy book.
It was a little slow to start but that's only because I can tell she has so much world to build. The characters really feel fleshed out from the beginning, at the lowest of their lows and just begging for a character arc.
Read this if you are okay with being emotional devastated numerous times in each book.
Sooooo good. I don't know what to rate it though, is it worthy of a 4.5 stars or is it only 4 stars material. I would rate it a 4.25 stars but that's really getting into the ratings
An Ember in the Ashes is what I would describe as a grimdark fantasy. Slavery, violence, brutality, betrayal. An Empire with a stranglehold on the populace and a brutal military school sets the stage for a a dark, tense and rather enjoyable read
So many of the scenes and descriptions of what some of these characters have to endure brings out so much in the way of feelings of empathy. I found myself really caring about the characters and hoping to see them succeed.
If you are a fan of grimdark I feel like you will enjoy this one
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obsessed. i immediately borrowed the second book on libby after i finished. on track to be one of my favorite series
I started to like both main characters but that stopped early and then I just disliked both of them. I sort of liked Laia a bit more than Elias. I was, however, annoyed at Laia quite a bit and that didn't stop in this book. Laia's shown as this strong character, and she is, but the constant, constant mentions of needing to find her brother... did get annoying and repetitive. Especially when she kept saying that her need to save her brother was immediate and then took her time. I get needing to make plans but it just seemed like she kept forgot her urgent need to save him every time she saw Elias.
I'm hoping that Elias gets better and learns when he's away from the military school. I don't like it when the character says or does things because they have to fit in or to ensure others that they're not sympathetic. In here, mind you, they won't like it if Elias is being sympathetic to slaves... and treat them like they're people.
I can guess at the end romantic couple but I really hope they won't do a love triangle because I just can't see it. I do like Helene a bit more than Elias and Laia but not enough that I want her as a romantic contender. Also I just didn't really see enough reasons for the possible romantic couple to be together anyway.
I liked some of the world-building but I thought it was a lot to put in the first book. And then Tahir started to focus more on the characters and plot so the proper world-building was put on the back burner. I love world-building but don't like it when it's set aside for other aspects of the book (unless the other aspects are done well and I like them.
Sabaa Tahir's “An Ember in the Ashes” is a poignant journey that managed to draw tears — something that very few books manage to achieve. The story is a tapestry of characters, with Laia and Elias at the forefront, each layering complexity to the narrative. Their authenticity makes it impossible not to invest emotionally, and I found myself eagerly rooting for their struggles and triumphs. The desire for interactions between them kept me turning page after page. The supporting characters add depth to the story, although Helene's actions left me perplexed, creating a sense of frustration. Keenan's intentions remain shrouded in mystery, adding an intriguing layer that begs further exploration. Yet, the unresolved mysteries have me hooked, and without a doubt, I'm sprinting to grab the sequel.
Sabaa gives us an external tragedy in Laia - a girl out to do something, to save what matters most to her - and an internal tragedy in Elias - a boy who does not want to become what he is being made into. Both of them face impossible odds but keep up a spirit of hope.
On top of a gripping young adventure/is this love? tale, we get magic, mythology, and new fantastical beings.
I was a little put off at first by the simplified groupings of peoples: Martials (killers), Scholars (mostly slaves), Mariners, etc. But, I think the author decided to go with that and finish her book rather than come up with some other separation of peoples. Also, besides keeping the already beaten down Scholars in check, it is not entirely obvious in this book why the Martials are so, er, Martial. The current politics are not given (or I missed it).
3.5 ⭐️
My feelings on this book are conflicted.
There were SO MANY things that I loved about it. The side characters - Izzi and Helene were my favorites in the entire book, and I really wished at times that they were more present than they ended up being. I also loved a lot of the action stuff from the second half, with the Trials being (mostly) really compelling and interesting to watch, and I also really enjoyed the dynamic with all the characters in Laia's POV - It was really engaging, and I really liked what we were able to see of them!
And yet, there was a lot that I disliked - The slow first half, the frustrating miscommunication in Elias' POV, and the GODAWFUL love square. Seriously - why did this have to be in the book?? It was so painfully obvious who would end up together, and just felt like a waste of time - Not to mention how both characters that didn't end up in a relationship got the absolute worst outcomes afterwards. The way Elias and Helene's dynamic turned out made me so, so frustrated!! Did we really need to have Helene banished to being the “not-love-interest” girl who gets written out of the spotlight??
(I also just think that Laia and Elias would've worked a lot better as a platonic relationship, not a romance
Beautifully written. So full of life, heartbreak, and adventure. I am so glad I have three more books to follow these characters and live in this world Sabaa created.
I'm giving it 2 stars just because it's not for me personally. DNF @ 7%. This rating has nothing against the book. The story just seems too brutal for my personal reading tastes. I like lighthearted books and they've already talked about enslavement, torture, murder, and rape by chapter 7. No thank you. I'm going to stop reading here before I get upset. The story seems interesting, but it's literally mentioned that the main character might get raped by one of the bad guys during like chapter 3 and this made me nervous. I'm not down for reading anything about sexual assault. I looked into the reviews and it seems like threats of rape are thrown around as plot devices in this book which makes me very uncomfortable. Also, there is some kind of love triangle/ love square going on and that is one of my most hated romance tropes. So the romance is a no for me and the brutal details of the reality these people live in are too violent for my tastes. I will not be finishing. On a positive note, the writing style is fantastic.
Ease of reading/following along: 5
Character development: 5
Character enjoyment: 4.5
Plot development: 4.75
Ploy enjoyment: 4.25
Vibe check: 4.25
=4.625
I was following along fairly well on my drives to work listening to the audiobook. To be honest, I didn't realize how attached I'd gotten to the characters until the book was over and I was itching to find out how it all turned out.
I must say the audiobook is VERY well read, it felt like a little movie in my head the whole time.
Ya. Al fin lo terminé. Que conste que le doy 3, porq los protagonistas me desesperan, dan ganas de aventarles sillas a la cabeza