Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Synopsis:  Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
 
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

First thing first. I have never read a book so violent and gory yet so emotionally crippling and igniting. This book had ALL the feels that both broke you and made you feel all things lovely.

Saaba Tahir is one of the most wonderful author’s in the world. Her writing is brilliant and so beautiful. Her writing just sucks you in and makes you become one with the book. Tahir’s writing looks so deep into human feelings, the betrayal, love, the hatred, the fear. There’s no cliche’s or overused thoughts and emotions. It’s all genuine, everything is so raw in her writing.

The relationships in this novel are amazing. First thing first, there’s no insta love. One of the major turn offs in the Throne of Glass is the insta love. It’s not insta love compared to other YA novels, don’t get me wrong, but it’s about a female assassin, it’s got to be bad a$$ and those relationships Maas strung together in her first novel just was a major turn off. Tahir’s relationships are the exact opposite and so much better in my opinion. For one, as you probably guessed, there’s no insta love between the characters or other characters Tahir’s writing makes you live each relationship as if you were there in their shoes the day the characters in the relationship first met. Each relationship in Tahir’s story presents a different purpose, whether it be love, betrayal, fear, or anger. Some of these relationships are just so unique and unexpected! You wouldn’t think to see the animosity between certain characters, certain beings, but you do and your mind just doesn’t know how to handle it!

Ah, the betrayal. I loved the betrayal in this novel. It starts off subtle and just builds is way into such a plot twist that you couldn’t have guessed while reading it. Those last past twenty pages made me want to scream and just cry out in frustration, for the book to be done, and in shock. I don’t know if people yell when they’re shocked and surprised but I was screaming in my head, probably would have out loud if I wasn’t on school property lol.

I love the setting of this novel. After reading it, it’s not a spoiler don’t worry, you can see the historical influence that Saaba Tahir incorporates into her plot. I don’t know if you’ll catch it when you’re reading but there’s this whole Roman vibe from her setting that just is compelling. The only author who did Roman setting justice is Rick Riordan and he is, well… Rick Riordan 😉

I have only one complain in this novel and that is the technical terms that come with the mystical setting of the novel. I can’t say too much without giving it a way but I think that a glossary in the beginning of the novel would have helped a little.

This is a heart pumping novel that starts off, I’ll admit, a bit slow but trust me when I tell you that you want to keep pushing through the slow beginning. Things kick off after the first 100 pages, a little before page 161, that’s where my book started getting slaughtered with sticky notes. The sequel to this book is definitely on my most anticipated reads so can’t wait for August!

I give this novel 4 out of 5 stars 🙂