An Ember in the Ashes (Ember Quartet, Book 1)

’You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy.’ ’An Ember In The Ashes’ is a series that I’ve been meaning to read for years now and I truly could kick myself for failing to have done so sooner. Fantasy is pretty much my go to genre and the series is an immensely popular one so I really don’t know how I’ve only just got around to reading it now. I’m happy to say that it lives up to its immense hype though and I’m itching to carry on and devour the rest of this series. Setting wise this book has truly blown me away. Brutal seems too tame a word to describe the school where much of it takes place and there will surely be many a moment to make most readers shudder. There’s an almost dystopian feel to the twisted system at play in the world and the divide between different citizens is an incredibly brutal one. There’s a wealth of history to unravel and gloriously intriguing supernatural elements that come into play. Plus there’s a powerful group called the Augurs who I can’t quite decide what to make of but leave me brimming with curiosity. Needless to say I’m hooked. The narrative is dual perspective and works wonderfully for this world. It allows you to see through the eyes of individuals from immensely different backgrounds, both of who I found infinitely fascinating. Elias whose somehow held onto his humanity despite the brutal world that he was raised within and Laia who was born into the horribly mistreated Scholar class. The Commandant makes a chilling villain to try and unravel and the connections that both individuals form are fascinating to learn about. There’s never a dull moment in this truly non-stop plot and I honestly could not put this novel down. There’s so many twists and turns throughout; so much drama, danger, darkness and intrigue. It’s an immensely addictive novel which is absolutely riveting but simultaneously highly uncomfortable to read at times due to its horrors. Needless to say I recommend this novel and can’t wait to dive into the rest of this series. The world and characters fascinate me to no end. The mixture of military brutality and supernatural intrigue intrigues me infinitely. If you haven’t already done so – especially if you’re fond of fantasy and dystopian novels – then please do check this book out immediately.

“You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.” This book had some serious hype to live up to. Thankfully, it was up to the challenge. Anyone who knows me knows that I have an unbridled passion for anything remotely related to ancient Greece and Rome. So when the blurb for this book was released it automatically went to the top of my 'Most Anticipated' list. It was, perhaps, less Rome-like than I was hoping for, but there is absolutely no doubt that it draws heavily upon Roman culture from the naming conventions to slave brutality. This book definitely has a lot going on. We follow two main characters - Elias and Laia - in alternating chapters in which we come to learn their stories and meet the supporting casts of both their lives. The alternating narratives gives us a wonderful insight into the polarity of their lives, and yet how they still manage to maintain the same core ideals. It actually takes a while before the two meet, but once they do the story kicks into overdrive and all the things start to happen. But between the two character's stories and arcs there is a lot going on. However, instead of being overwhelming or confusing, Tahir manages to keep the plot tight and neat and through her wonderful writing has it running effortlessly. The writing is gorgeous and makes reading this book a dream. “The voice is deep and soft, not a sound so much as a feeling. It is storm and wind and leaves twisting in the night. It is roots sucking deep at the earth, and the pale, sightless creatures that live below the ground. But there’s something wrong with this voice, something diseased at its core.” That doesn't, however, take away from the gravity of the novel. This book is dark and gritty. Tahir does not shy away from the gruesome topics we are confronted with; topics such as rape and torture and child abuse which Tahir explores with unapologetic realism. This book is evocative. It makes you feel so completely for the characters and the things they are forced to endure in their attempts to do what they believe is right in a world which will see them dead for trying. Laia as a female MC was surprising to me. Mostly for the fact that I quite like her. Her journey from start to finish is wonderfully done. She begins as a timid, scared young girl who has lost her family and who lives in constant shame that she will never have the courage that her Mother had. When we leave her at the end of the book Laia is strong and capable and has found the courage that she needs to move forward and save her brother. It's satisfying watching her grow as a person through everything that happens to her. “My brother is still fighting, and his screams slice right through me. I know then that I will hear them over and over again, echoing in every hour of every day until I am dead or I make it right. I know it.” Elias when we meet him is a dispirited soldier who is on the verge of fleeing a life, and Empire, he has come to hate. His character arc is more complicated than Laia's and I did find it slightly more compelling. Elias, first and foremost is a soldier - a Mask, elite. Taken at the age of six and then raised to manhood within the walls of Blackcliff. And yet, he has the strength of character to maintain his own ideals about what he believes is good and right. We watch a young man on the verge of desertion grow into something so infinitely more. I can't really say much without heading into spoiler territory - but trust me, there is a reason this guy is a love interest to two women! The supporting cast of Resistance and Mask characters are diverse and irresistible. The Commandant is one of the most chilling villains that I have come across in a long time. My level of hatred for her is right up there with Dolores Umbridge. Helene is one of the characters that is hard for me to come to terms with; we see her through Elias' eyes and so through his narrative she is cast into a favourable light, and yet we are given enough information about her to know that she is, inherently, not a nice person - anyone who can agree with the enslaving of an entire nation and the annexation of their lands purely because she believes that "might makes right" does not strike me as a good person And yet it his Loyalty to Elias and her willingness to do anything for him that stops her from becoming one of the bad guys. The augurs are a great plot device and are very, very cleverly done. If this does have a second book, I can certainly see that there is a lot more to them and their story than we have been led to believe. And Izzi. Poor Izzi. She is the Neville Longbottom of our story: scared, timid, but someone who wants to fight and has a heart made of fire and hope. And this is just a small sample of the wonderful secondary characters that we come across. The love quadrangle - or whatever it was - is what lost this book a star for me. Mostly, the instalust! between Elias and Laia is what I found it hard to cope with. Tahir does a good job of making the feelings between Helene and Elias feel real, but then the rest all feel very forced. I think it's because it's more a case of Tahir has told us instead of shown us and I couldn't connect with their feelings. Still, it is definitely better done than a lot of romances that I've come across. The book has an exciting start, slows down briefly and then is explosive for the last 50%. I think one of the things I like best about this book is that it constantly kept me guessing but never gave enough away that I knew what was coming. The plot twists were big surprises and it made for a much more exciting read. A phenomenal book that is worth the hype and is more than worth the read! If you liked this, you'll definitely like Sacrificed by Emily Wibberley. “You are full, Laia. Full of life and dark and strength and spirit. You are in our dreams. You will burn, for you are an ember in the ashes.”

If I look back at the feelings I’ve had for Young Adult books the last couple of years, I have to admit that have been mostly negative. Especially when books got quite the hype, somehow I didn’t get it. So I was a bit reluctant to believe the hype that surrounded this book. With a Goodreads rating of 4,32 stars and a synopsis that hinted at typical Young Adult storylines, I was scared that this was going to be another book that just wasn’t for me. But somehow, I loved it. It has all the elements that should make me not like it, but somehow Sabaa Tahir managed to weave it into a story that hooked me completely. Laia lives with her brother and her grandparents in the poorer neighbourhoods of the Empire. They are all so called ‘Scholars’, which is a class of people defined by the exact characteristic the name refers to. They are ruled by the Martials, a wealthy and ruthless class of people that are trained specifically to stay in power. Her parents were rebel leaders of the Revolution and were murdered by the Martials. Her brother has been sneaking out during the night for the last few months, but Laia doesn’t want to ask why. When he comes home one night and asks her to hide his sketch book that he always carries with him, she alarmed that he might have done something dangerous. Their house gets raided by Martials and a specially trained assassin, a Silver Masks, because they suspect her brother of working together with the underground rebels who want to overthrow them. They take her brother into custody. Laia manages to escape and tries to find the rebels her parents leaded so long ago and together with them hatches a plan to infiltrate the Martial academy to get inside information in return for their help in freeing her brother. The other point-of-view character is Elias Veturius, a boy who is in his last year of training at the Military Academy to become a Silver Mask. However, he doesn’t feel comfortable being this cold, ruthless person they want him to be and he plans to run away after his graduation. He has a best friend, Helene, who he has this strange chemistry with, but his mind is more on escaping his military future than on anything else. His grandfather, Quin Veturius, is the patriarch of the genus Veturius and a powerful, rich man. The curious character in his family though is his mother who is also the Commander of the Military Academy. There’s no love lost between mother and son, which has also soured her relationship with her father, Quin. When the mysterious and almost mythical Augurs come to fulfil a prophecy they made a long time ago regarding the next Emperor, he has a difficult dilemma put before him. Will he leave, or will he stay and fulfil his destiny and try to make the Empire a better place? I’ve read some reviews pointing out that the names for the different layers of the society (Scholars, Martials, etc.) are a bit easy and unoriginal. I think I will have to agree with them on this point. It’s not very imaginative and it probably could have had more exotic, made-up names that went with the fantasy world. However, it simplifies the story to a certain degree and that’s not always a bad thing. It gave more room to focus on the character development instead of the world. It is quite obvious that at some point both main character’s paths will cross and as I mentioned before, this does have typical elements of a Young Adult book, so it seemed pretty likely that they would fall in love. However, both also have other love interest, which make it a bit more tense and uncertain. In the end I really liked the chemistry between all these characters and how it led to certain confrontations, but never seemed to resolve into one particular relationship. It leaves a lot open for the next book, which will have the more romantic souls among us definitely yearning to read more. I’ve always been a fan of a sort of “games” format in books, where there are for example different trials for the main character(s) to overcome. That’s probably another reason why I liked this book so much. An Ember in the Ashes chose to utilise a darker side of this. These particular scenes were some of the most cruel and emotionally heavy, but somehow it fit very well with the story and only made it stronger. The fact that I didn’t know what the trials were going to be and how they would turn out, added that element of surprise that I love when reading. I really enjoyed most of the characters. Elias is definitely a complex character and his part of the story was probably my favourite. His internal struggle to do the right thing while being born on the wrong side of the good-evil balance was really powerful. He also had some difficult choices to make and he definitely decided to follow a path I would never have chosen. Another one of my favourites was Helene, his best friend. She’s such a strong and vulnerable person at the same time, it left me rooting for her. She is very loyal to her family and to the Martials, but her loyalty for Elias rivals that which gives her a lot to think about too. The chemistry between them is palpable and made for some enjoyable reading. I think my third favourite character was the kitchen slave Izzi, who grew up in the Military Academy as a kitchen slave to the Commander. She’s like a delicate flower that completely blooms open throughout the book. I think you can see from this review that the character development for most of the characters was definitely one of the main positives in this book, along with the actual storyline. I already aluded to it earlier, but in terms of worldbuilding we don’t get a lot. It didn’t bother me personally, there was enough going on to distract me from it, but I would love to see a bit more in the next book. In the end I was really sad when I finished the book because I wanted more. I can’t wait to buy the second book and get reading again, because the book ended on quite a surprising note and I’m dying to know what happens next.

Laia and Elias lead very different lives, but fate intends to bind them together in a world that is slowly falling apart. Ten hells, this is a good book! I admit, it was a little slow to start with. Or, not exactly slow, as there's a lot of action and intrigue from the start - more that you try and grasp Laia's world, just to be thrown into Elias' very different life. But once you establish the basics, everything runs smoothly. I really liked that the story doesn't bring together Laia and Elias until about half-way, which allows both plots to run alongside each other, both strong and exciting. Even after their friendship starts to develop, it doesn't overcome their very independent ambitions, or any other aspect of their lives. It is so refreshing to read a story of this genre that doesn't devolve into doe-eyes and obsessed thoughts. The other thing that stands out about this book, is that it is BRUTAL. This may be classed as YA, but it is full of physical and psychological torture; threats of rape; violence; murders, etc. Just as you get used to the level of pain and violence, something else arises (the third trial - absolutely crushing!). The Martial Empire only recognises strength, and emotions are only there to be broken. It thinks nothing of killing its slaves; its own children; or even the soldiers that devote their life to the Empire. I loved all the characters. Laia and Elias are flawed in their own way, and make excellent central characters, but the supporting cast are just as strong. Izzy, Marcus, Cook all shine when they get to be part of the story. But my favourite is easily Helene. She's the only female Mask (loyal and brutal soldiers trained from a young age) in a generation, and has survived the brutal training. She is one of the guys, and has proven herself to be one of the best. She is loyal to the Empire, but isn't afraid to bend the rules and risk punishment, if she can help her friends. Helene is always the level-headed one that can be relied on to keep her friends in check and out of trouble. She is a true leader, and even though she accepts her emotions, she rarely lets them affect her. So yeah, she's pretty awesome. I can't wait to see where her path leads in the next book, and how her fate has been sealed by Elias' choices. I would definitely recommend checking this one out, and I can't wait to start A Torch Against The Night!

★★★★ (4 Stars) What a gripping read! An Ember in the Ashes had me hooked almost instantly — Sabaa Tahir knows exactly when to pull readers in and keep the tension just high enough to make you turn page after page. There were moments I felt completely immersed, like I was right there in the middle of the action. That being said, I did find myself wishing some of the pivotal scenes, like the Trials, were given more weight. They came and went so fast that I didn’t have time to fully feel the danger or consequences. The stakes were supposedly high, but sometimes it didn’t quite translate — the build-up was great, but the payoff felt rushed. I wanted to feel more fear, more uncertainty, more urgency. The betrayal arc? Predictable — but oddly satisfying. Even knowing it was coming didn’t stop me from enjoying how it played out. I appreciated that the story didn’t lose itself in too many subplots; the focus stayed sharp on the main storyline, yet there were still flickers of tension and chemistry between the characters, hinting at deeper bonds forming. I still can’t believe this was originally supposed to be a standalone — there’s way too much worldbuilding and unresolved potential for that. I’m really excited to see how everything evolves in the rest of the series. Elias stood out most to me — strong, complex, and layered. Laia’s voice felt intentionally uncertain, and that contrast worked really well to highlight their different paths. The dual POV kept things fast-paced and engaging, with the story never feeling dull for a second. This was a solid start to what I know will be an intense series. Brutal, fast-paced, and emotionally engaging. If I haven’t convinced you to read this yet here are the tropes: ✅Rebel vs Empire ✅Secret identity ✅Forced trials ✅Oppressed heroine ✅Slow-burn romance ✅Multiple POVs ✅Chosen one energy ✅Morally conflicted hero ✅Prophecies and fate

I didn't expect to like this book. I didn't even like the cover! But this is easily the best book I have read in a number of years. It sucks you straight in, drags you along like a high speed chase and spits you back out at the end with carpet burn all down your legs. And I absolutely loved it! The characters are complex, cleverly developed and made me smile in public places. The world-building is intricate, unique and felt so real I could picture each nuance in my mind. And the plot. Wow. That's some twisty-turny stuff right there; I had no idea what was going to happen at any point - this author isn't afraid to kill anyone, change direction at the drop of a hat and do the unexpected. Welcome to Serra, a World dominated by the Empire. It's people, the Scholars, squashed under the self-righteous thumb of the military elite army known as "Masks". Within Serra lives a girl, Laia. A girl you're about to wish you actually knew, for she has quite a journey ahead of her and is one hell of a character. Laia is a Scholar, but when Masks come into her home and slaughter her family and throw her brother into a pretty well fortified prison, she does all she knows how. She runs. The guilt eats her up, so she strikes a deal with a Resistance army. To save her brother, she must pose a slave girl and infiltrate Blackcliff. Blackcliff is essentially a training academy for the military elites, the Masks, and houses many young soliders training to become such elite killers. I absolutely loved the way this place is developed. Tahir really brings it to life in such a convincing way - the soldier heirarcy, nasty Commandant and the tortured slave Scholars keeping the place together really peaked my interest the whole way through. Within Blackcliff's walls is Elias. A Mask. Not the usual cold-blooded human weapon though. Elias, though very weapon-esk, has a soft spot for Laia. And his friend Helene. Another weapon. But let's not worry about that little love triangle for now. Masks are so named because they are faceless commanders of the law. They wear a silver, semi-magical, Mask which, over time, effectively becomes their face as it moulds and embeds itself into the skin. Elias' mask has yet to embed, a rare thing for his kind. But a lucky thing also, because he desperately wants to rip the ugly magic thing off and desert. A crime punishable by death. "You will burn, for you are an ember in the ashes. That is your destiny." The two characters paths inevitably cross of course and the interactions between them were not as I anticipated. This is not a love story that you might expect it to be. This is an ugly, tortuous almost animalistic love story which never quite materialises because of the epic risks and nastiness this author weaves throughout the story. It's perfect. Perfectly not mushy, not instalove-y, not sparkly in the slightest but still has elements that made me, unashamedly, fall in love with Elias and Laia. "For a second, I forget my name". This novel kept me chomping at the bit for the entire read. It is so full of secrets. I couldn't stop reading. I didn't care about how much that 6am alarm clock was going to hurt. I didn't care about anything but this book. And that has been a long time coming. I'm so tired of the same old, same old in YA books right now. Everything seems to follow a set formula with a happy ending and superficial, boring and predictable characters. If you love YA, as I do, you absolutely must read this book. It towers above the others within it's genre. Tahir writes truly beautifully. And I don't say that often. Her dialogue is witty, often humorous without being forced and makes the characters genuinely come alive for the reader. "Shadows will bloom in your heart, and you will become everything you hate." A fantastical, slightly magical, ever changing novel with more twists and turns than a maze and beautiful, realistic, complex characters with an even more complex villain. I don't think we have even seen the best of this series yet, there are so many hints throughout this book for a magic-ridden, ghoulish sequel with a humongous dark villain and a totally unpredictable plot. I cannot wait. How could you resist?

An Ember in the Ashes is a very dark story that doesn't shy away from the dark side of human nature. It's a very harsh world and there's a lot of death, killing and torture. I found it easy to get into despite the writing being very dry, the world around the characters isn't described much. At one point Laia goes to a moon festival at night and it's all lit up with lanterns. This should have been vibrant and full of life but it felt flat. I couldn't picture it in my mind. The speech and behaviour are very modern, which sounds odd in the historical setting. I do like the way the two different viewpoints of Laia and Elias were written though and I like how it takes a while for them to start being aware of each other. Laia I really enjoyed reading. She starts off quite timid and scared and we get to see how she grows and gets braver. There's not much romance, which I liked. There's a bit too much worrying about who fancies who (and seriously, these people have bigger things to be worrying about), but no proper romance, and definitely no insta-love! I found it strange how the characters have gone through some very traumatic things but still act like normal teenagers (even though Elias is supposed to 20). Their life experiences don't seem to have had much emotional impact on them. The trials Elias goes through are physically and emotionally difficult. They're aimed at choosing a new Emperor and removing the old one and people die in the process, but somehow it feels like they're not that big a deal, they're no more important than a big exam or a job interview. Elias is more worried about if his friend fancies him or not, and does he fancy her back. The whole thing seems unrealistic, but I would say suspend disbelief if you can because the story is good. It's full of twists and turns and I didn't want to stop reading and go to work or to bed. I know I like a book when my other half has to forcibly remove it from my hands.

This is why I bloody love this genre so much, books like this one!! I have fallen in love with it from the very first page. I knew straight away that I had a special book in my hands. While I am totally late to the party, I am rather glad that I don't have to wait long for the next one. This is almost like a Romeo and Juliette story in a way, Laia and Elias couldn't be more different. Laia looses her family, either murdered or locked up. To save her brother she asks for the help of the rebellion. They send her on a mission into the greatest military academy, where she is to be the slave of the leader. Elias is about to graduate this academy and about to become exactly the same as the person that has murdered her family. They should be enemies, however they find themselves drawn to each other instead. What neither of them knows is that every choice they make could have a massive impact on the Empire itself. Will they make the right one? This book is AWESOME, in every single way. I have loved the characters and the whole forbidden love thing. I couldn't put it down, i didn't want to. And while I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, at the same time I never wanted it to finish. This book makes me so glad so many in this genre are series instead of stand alone's, because I want to stay with this world and its characters for a long time still. Beside amazing main characters there is many more I love to. This story has a villain that literally made my blood boil over. Brutal, disgusting and hateful. But it made for some very powerful reading. The rebels have some interesting characters too and its really hard to say who we can trust and who we cant. But another favorite character is Helene. She is BADASS, I love her. She is fierce, loyal and the person you need on your side. This book is full of everything I love about a good book and more. A new favorite. I don't think there is that many people who haven't read this yet, but if you haven't then what are you waiting for? This is the one you shouldn't miss. I am now waiting for my preorder of A Torch Against the Night to arrive and I am seriously so excited.