Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Synopsis: Laia lives in a world run by people who hate her people, the Scholars. Her parents, once part of a rebel group, were killed long ago, and now, she is faced with their legacy as she becomes part of the rebel group they lead in order to save her brother's life. Sent on a secret mission to Blackcliff Academy, a school that trains children to become killers for the empire, Laia meet Elias, a reluctant student at Blackcliff with dark secrets of his own. What happens while these two share the halls of Blackcliff changes their worlds forever, from making and breaking friendships and romances, to putting lives in danger.

Review: An Ember in the Ashes is full of intrigue, passion, and uncensored violence. Between intense fight and battle scenes, moving relationships, both platonic and romantic, and the cry-worthy inner-struggles of each character, this novel shines through like, for lack of better wording, an ember in the ashes.

Through immensely dark happenings and plot points, there is something in this novel that shines a light on what it means to be human. It reminds readers that there is beauty in hurting, that there is something in every emotion felt, whether it be fear, guilt, or grief, that can drive us towards something better, or at the very least, a simple means of survival in the face of adversity and hardship.

Every character was beautifully crafted. Each wanted something so strongly that their faults were revealed in their want to succeed, and this is exactly how I like my characters written. It makes them real and raw to the reader. It makes them stand out in my mind as people who I want to cheer for, but also who I want to cry for and hug. These characters are beautiful and flawed and everything you could ask for in a novel like this. Honestly, if the characters were not so interesting, I probably would not have been so instantly grabbed by this book.

The plot was well-paced, though there were some moments where I did feel like I was waiting for something to happen that was taking just a bit to long to come. For the most part, though, things moved quickly and intensely, especially towards the end of the novel.

The world-building was done fairly well. I think it helped to have rotating perspectives between Elias and Laia for this, because readers truly get a glimpse at both sides of the empire, both those at the top of the totem pole and those at the bottom. This helped in seeing new perspectives, and for really getting to the bottom of who the true antagonists are in this novel.

One of the things I didn't care for was the amount of violence. There were a couple of chapters that seemed like all they contained were killing sprees. Though these chapters were essential to the plot and the character development, it was still a bit too much for me. I guess this serves as a warning to those who may not like a lot of violence. To those who don't mind or who even like reading violent stuff, this book is definitely for you. Tahir is harsh and doesn't shy away from killing multiple characters in a short amount of time (like sentences/pages).

The romantic relationships were also something that I had mixed feelings about. I like Elias and Laia, but I'm not sure how I feel about them being together. They both have others who are interested in them, and I spent most of the book wanting each of them to be with these people, but towards the end, I found myself conflicted about who should be with who. Elias and Laia just have such similar souls and characters that their connection, though not something I immediately liked, was something that grew on me. It will be interesting to see where the romances end up in the next book.

The next book in this series, still untitled and without a cover, is slated to come out in April 2016. I will definitely be getting this next book.

I would recommend this novel for fantasy lovers looking for something a little different, for those who like well-crafted stories that will leave you thinking about it for days, and for those who like their romance on the side and not the main point or focus of the novel.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Cups of Tea


Your Pemberley Reader,
Acacia