“Life is made up of so many moments that mean nothing. Then one day, a single moment comes along to define every second that comes after. The moment Darin called out- that was such a moment. It was a test of courage, of strength. And I failed it.” -Laia
“The field of battle is my temple. The swordpoint is my priest. The dance of death is my prayer. The killing blow is my release.” -Elias
Genres: YA, Fantasy
Published January 1st, 2015, An Ember in the Ashes quickly became a best-seller thanks to its gripping plot, brutal setting and dramatic writing-style. It’s set in a world inspired by Ancient Rome, where the Martial Empire holds the once powerful Scholar people as slaves and impoverished peasants. The story follows Laia, a scholar who’s forced to work as spy for the resistance in order to save her brother from execution in prison, and Elias, a Martial soldier who wants only to escape the cruel system that he’s been trained into for most of his life. The second installment in this four book series, titled A Torch Against the Night, was released August of this year. I recently read the second book, thought it was amazing and decided it was high-time I reviewed the first.
About the author:
Sabaa Tahir was born in London and grew up in California’s Mojave Desert, where she spent most of her time reading fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash and playing guitar badly. After graduating from UCLA, she started working as a newspaper editor for The Washington Post. It was while working nights there that she began writing An Ember in the Ashes.
Rating:
Review (Spoiler Free):
Now there are two main things I didn’t like in this book. The 5/5 rating means that the pros far outweighed the cons for me but I’d still like to mention them starting out:
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The Love… Square?: Helene loves Elias, who seems to be into both her and Laia, who likes both him and Keenan. It’s like any male and female who spend more than five minutes with each other MUST be in love. The almost-kisses, the several observations of just how attractive this or that person is, and the ceaseless comparisons made of the love interests all equate to a strange, fickle and pretty unnecessary romantic sub-plot. The second book develops it much better (and redeems its existence in general) mostly thanks to its focusing a lot on Helene’s point of view (which was stellar, might I add) but the way their attractions were portrayed in the first book still irk me.
- There are many allusions to rape and countless sexist remarks. I know this is because the book’s world is based on ancient Rome, but understanding can only extend so much. In the end, I found these statements were far overused and overdone. Each and every time one of them appeared (there were so many; seriously, take a shot every time you see one and have yourself some fun at least), I either cringed, rolled my eyes or made some sort of unappreciative noise. I lost my patience for them. I’m a firm believer that rape (or the threat of it) as a plot device for shock factor is just way too over utilized in media and I’m just not having it. At least, the second book fixes this problem as well.
If these two criticisms don’t turn you off, read on for some gushing about what was great about this book.
I chose to start off with two quotes because the novel switches back and forth between their perspectives, and because it is exceedingly quotable and narrowing it down to just two was near impossible. The main characters were very engaging; their distinct voices and emotions really came through and made me care about them. Especially Laia, who we see slowly come into her own throughout the novel, as she’s constantly battling with her self-perceived cowardice and overwhelming guilt, all while proving how truly brave she is. I must admit I enjoyed her chapters more than Elias’, simply because I’m a sucker for well-written character development. But, he was still a great character and his chapters were action packed, which provided a nice contrast to the tension and reflectiveness of Laia’s. Both characters loathe what they feel to be their true nature, killer and coward, but they constantly push past their guilt and self-perceptions in order to save each other, which I just ate right up. Loved them both!
Apart from our protagonists, two of my standout characters are Helene and the Commander, Keris Veturius. The latter of which is the biggest among the many threats which made this book so compelling, frightening and intense. Because both main characters hold such strong feelings for her, she remains a pervasive presence throughout the novel and her each of her scenes are filled with apprehension and mystery. They can’t figure her out and neither can we. Then there’s Helene, the absolute bae. She’s fiercely loyal to the Empire and to Elias, but those loyalties end up conflicting strongly for her. She’s a no-nonsense character who doesn’t dream about escaping the Empire, but of changing it for the better.
The world in which we see these characters’ lives play out is chock-full of injustice, abuse and deception. Both published novels in the series are fast-paced and engaging reads that I would definitely recommend!
Favorite character: Laia, because her development is great. It would be Helene, but I must admit I only fell in love with her because of the second book, which in my opinion is better than the first.