An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Synopsis
Laia is a Scholar, a people who were conquered hundreds of years ago by the Martials. When her grandparents are killed in front of her and her brother is taken prisoner, she manages to escape. She finds her way to the Resistance, a rebel movement which her parents once led, and for which they lost their lives. In exchange for help in getting her brother out of prison, Laia agrees to spy for them in the very heart of Martial society: Blackcliff, the academy where the terrifying Masks are trained.
Elias is one of those Masks--in fact, the best the school has seen in decades. But he finds himself disillusioned with the blood and violence loved by Martial society. On the eve of his escape, the fulfillment of a prophecy brings him right back into the center of everything he hates as he fights friend and foe for the chance to be Emperor. He wants to be free, but will it cost him his soul?
Meanwhile, ancient evils stir, and Laia and Elias are brought together in unlikely ways as they navigate treachery and secrets from those they thought they trusted, and learn to trust those they thought they hated.
Review
The book is told in alternating chapters of Laia and Elias' perspectives, and this was pulled off extremely well. We sometimes get to see events from both perspectives, adding insight and depth to the story. Both Laia and Elias are extremely compelling characters; both have strengths and are flawed, yet it feels natural and not underscored a thousand times (unlike many YA characters, who seem to be arbitrarily given flaws and have them emphasized over and over, as if to say, LOOK I'M FLAWED AND REAL!). For Laia it was her self-confidence and her guilt over her brother; for Elias it was his struggle as he rebels against everything he was taught and brought up to believe, even as he is pushed to be the monster he fears. There were times I wanted to smack Elias and say "You dummy! Just be chill!", but they are believable mistakes and it all works well in the story. I could feel his pain as he struggles, and it made him a sympathetic and very likeable character. The few secondary characters, while we don't see as much depth to them due to the viewpoint, are nevertheless three-dimensional characters and not just floating heads with a role assigned to them.
The first two chapters drop us right into the middle of the story and build up from there. There are several plotlines throughout the book which are woven together seamlessly. The story is paced well, with events and plot developments building off each other and no lagging in the storytelling. The conclusion to the book is extremely satisfying, with loose ends being brought together and enough set-up for the story to continue and expand in the second book.
The romance was just enough to keep me interested and added another level to the plot, but didn't overwhelm the overall story. The dual viewpoint allowed for two different love triangles: one with Laia and Elias and Keenan, a fellow resistance fighter, and the other with Elias and Laia and Helene, Elias' lifelong friend who is also a Mask. I liked that Laia's love triangle was not a central focus to her story of personal growth, but rather something that is happening gently alongside it. In Elias' case, the love triangle is a bit more in the forefront, but it is connected to the main plot that is happening. The love triangle cliché can kill YA novels for me, especially when it's the main focus and the characters just act like total idiots. But these relationships felt natural, the struggles and questions felt real, and, as I mentioned, who ends up with who is not the main focus of the story and serves more to move the plot along.
This book tackled several themes: loyalty, courage, prejudice, guilt, love, destiny. Each character, including the secondary characters, explores these themes in their own way and come to their own verdicts. The answers aren't black and white. They talk to other characters about their experiences and try to come to terms with differences of opinion; for example, Loyalty. Helene is loyal to the Empire and sees it as her duty, as a way to protect those she loves. From her perspective, it makes sense. It isn't a blind loyalty, a random character trait that the author just stuck onto them. We see her own struggles with the concept and how she comes to her resolution, just as we see Elias struggle and come to a different one.
The world is fascinating. It is loosely based on Ancient Rome, with the Martials having names like Elias Venturias or Helene Aquilla. I'm not sure who the Scholars are based on, but the Tribesmen were inspired by Bedouin or Arab culture, and a few other peoples mentioned were also reminiscent of various ancient cultures. In any case, I enjoyed it. I love an author that has obviously given a lot of thought about the people in her world--the different cultures and languages and fashions and ethnicities and customs, etc., all of which Sabaa Tahir has shown or hinted at in this book. I'm itching for the second novel because I know that other areas of this world will be explored in more detail.
When I got to the last pages of the book, my reaction was "Hot DAMN that was a good book!" Sabaa Tahir has built a fascinating world, a intricate multi-layered plot, interesting and well-developed characters, with good, tight prose that moves the story along.
Rating
I give this book 5 stars.
Details
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Sex: The characters talk about rape, and there are a couple scenes where it is attempted or threatened, but there are no actual sex scenes in this book.
Violence: The book is extremely violent, as the world is very brutal. There are several graphic battles and times when characters are beaten almost to death, or are cruelly tortured by other characters.
Language: There was no heavy swearing.
Synopsis
Laia is a Scholar, a people who were conquered hundreds of years ago by the Martials. When her grandparents are killed in front of her and her brother is taken prisoner, she manages to escape. She finds her way to the Resistance, a rebel movement which her parents once led, and for which they lost their lives. In exchange for help in getting her brother out of prison, Laia agrees to spy for them in the very heart of Martial society: Blackcliff, the academy where the terrifying Masks are trained.
Elias is one of those Masks--in fact, the best the school has seen in decades. But he finds himself disillusioned with the blood and violence loved by Martial society. On the eve of his escape, the fulfillment of a prophecy brings him right back into the center of everything he hates as he fights friend and foe for the chance to be Emperor. He wants to be free, but will it cost him his soul?
Meanwhile, ancient evils stir, and Laia and Elias are brought together in unlikely ways as they navigate treachery and secrets from those they thought they trusted, and learn to trust those they thought they hated.
Review
The book is told in alternating chapters of Laia and Elias' perspectives, and this was pulled off extremely well. We sometimes get to see events from both perspectives, adding insight and depth to the story. Both Laia and Elias are extremely compelling characters; both have strengths and are flawed, yet it feels natural and not underscored a thousand times (unlike many YA characters, who seem to be arbitrarily given flaws and have them emphasized over and over, as if to say, LOOK I'M FLAWED AND REAL!). For Laia it was her self-confidence and her guilt over her brother; for Elias it was his struggle as he rebels against everything he was taught and brought up to believe, even as he is pushed to be the monster he fears. There were times I wanted to smack Elias and say "You dummy! Just be chill!", but they are believable mistakes and it all works well in the story. I could feel his pain as he struggles, and it made him a sympathetic and very likeable character. The few secondary characters, while we don't see as much depth to them due to the viewpoint, are nevertheless three-dimensional characters and not just floating heads with a role assigned to them.
The first two chapters drop us right into the middle of the story and build up from there. There are several plotlines throughout the book which are woven together seamlessly. The story is paced well, with events and plot developments building off each other and no lagging in the storytelling. The conclusion to the book is extremely satisfying, with loose ends being brought together and enough set-up for the story to continue and expand in the second book.
The romance was just enough to keep me interested and added another level to the plot, but didn't overwhelm the overall story. The dual viewpoint allowed for two different love triangles: one with Laia and Elias and Keenan, a fellow resistance fighter, and the other with Elias and Laia and Helene, Elias' lifelong friend who is also a Mask. I liked that Laia's love triangle was not a central focus to her story of personal growth, but rather something that is happening gently alongside it. In Elias' case, the love triangle is a bit more in the forefront, but it is connected to the main plot that is happening. The love triangle cliché can kill YA novels for me, especially when it's the main focus and the characters just act like total idiots. But these relationships felt natural, the struggles and questions felt real, and, as I mentioned, who ends up with who is not the main focus of the story and serves more to move the plot along.
This book tackled several themes: loyalty, courage, prejudice, guilt, love, destiny. Each character, including the secondary characters, explores these themes in their own way and come to their own verdicts. The answers aren't black and white. They talk to other characters about their experiences and try to come to terms with differences of opinion; for example, Loyalty. Helene is loyal to the Empire and sees it as her duty, as a way to protect those she loves. From her perspective, it makes sense. It isn't a blind loyalty, a random character trait that the author just stuck onto them. We see her own struggles with the concept and how she comes to her resolution, just as we see Elias struggle and come to a different one.
The world is fascinating. It is loosely based on Ancient Rome, with the Martials having names like Elias Venturias or Helene Aquilla. I'm not sure who the Scholars are based on, but the Tribesmen were inspired by Bedouin or Arab culture, and a few other peoples mentioned were also reminiscent of various ancient cultures. In any case, I enjoyed it. I love an author that has obviously given a lot of thought about the people in her world--the different cultures and languages and fashions and ethnicities and customs, etc., all of which Sabaa Tahir has shown or hinted at in this book. I'm itching for the second novel because I know that other areas of this world will be explored in more detail.
When I got to the last pages of the book, my reaction was "Hot DAMN that was a good book!" Sabaa Tahir has built a fascinating world, a intricate multi-layered plot, interesting and well-developed characters, with good, tight prose that moves the story along.
Rating
I give this book 5 stars.
Details
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Sex: The characters talk about rape, and there are a couple scenes where it is attempted or threatened, but there are no actual sex scenes in this book.
Violence: The book is extremely violent, as the world is very brutal. There are several graphic battles and times when characters are beaten almost to death, or are cruelly tortured by other characters.
Language: There was no heavy swearing.
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