I finally righted my wrongs and read An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir and wow what an amazing start to a YA Fantasy series. I realized after reading Heir and feeling like there was something that I missed that indeed there was. I missed an entire freaking series. And, even though I probably spoiled myself for so much that will take place in this quartet I had to read it to get a better understanding of the world and prepare myself for the next installment of the Heir duology. Let’s talk about why I’m morphing into a Sabaa Tahir fan and why I loved this book so freaking much.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Synopsis
When the Martial Empire led by Taius conquered and enslaved the Scholar Empire 500 years ago a deep enmity developed due to the barbaric and inhumane treatment the Martials meted out to the Scholars.
Now, young Scholar Laia daughter of parents who gave their lives to The Resistance and fought against the tyranny of the Martial Empire is thrust into this battle when her brother Darin is found out to have a sketchbook containing drawings of secrets only known to the Martials is branded a traitor and imprisoned. Terrified of losing her remaining family member she seeks out the help of The Resistance the same people that her parents led and fled from years ago only to be betrayed by one of their own and murdered. She now places her trust in this band of revolutionaries in hopes that they can help rescue her brother from a certain death. They decide the only way they’ll help is if she performs a mission to become a slave to the Commandant and spy on her passing information to them. Laia agrees fearing this is the only way to save her brother.
Elias has come to abhor all that the Martial Empire stands for and detests the future that awaits him as a Mask, a highly skilled, and trained solider that metes out destruction and terror to any that come across them. He crafts a plan to desert following his graduation to pursue a life of freedom where he isn’t ruled or has to serve the Empire. Only his plan is discovered by Caius the Auger who speaks to him of a destiny and a future where he will find and gain the freedom he seeks. So, he decides to remain and then realizes that he’s one of the chosen to endure The Trials an epic and deadly test used to determine who the next Emperor and Blood Shrike will be. Elias participates believing the only way out is to fight through the madness.
Review
I loved this book and I’m excited to continue with this series. Tahir is a talented writer who knows how to cause intense emotion in the reader. It’s all in the way she writes her scenes, develops her characters, and utilizes gut-punching elements that tear your heart out of your chest. And, I love it!
Content:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This story included darker elements and themes surrounding colonialism, systemic racism, a corrupt political system, and sexism. Tahir explores these themes in such a beautiful way allowing space for nuance regarding how complex and complicated they are. We see morally grey and straight-out pitch-black characters on both sides of the struggle.
The way she captures trauma and the plight of the human condition underneath an oppressive rule based on greed, power, and superiority is astonishing. Making this story so real and palatable.
Writing Style:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
We follow two points of view Laia a Scholar trying to survive under the harsh rule of the Empire and Elias a Martial who desperately wants to escape the Empire. In providing these two viewpoints with characters on opposite sides of the conflict the reader can see the world learning more about the conflict, the people, and all the little idiosyncracies that make up this world. This was such an effective world-building technique that didn’t rely on info-dumping to navigate the reader through this world.
Her prose was simple and concise yet still retained emotion which Tahir used to manipulate the emotions and feelings of the reader. She was also wonderful at making your question and debate your allegiance as I found I had conflicting emotions regarding characters from each opposing side. Also, she knows how to write an action scene in such a way that you literally want to burst into tears and shrivel up in anxiety.
Readability:🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Did I experience great anxiety and fear while reading this book? Absolutely. But did I love every minute of it? You bet! This book had me on an emotional rollercoaster. I found it easy to become invested in this story as from the beginning Tahir didn’t waste time jumping into the thick of it leaving you quivering with anticipation and wonder as you tore through the pages. The characters were enjoyable, the stakes were high and realistic and there was always something unfolding leaving no time to become bored.
Plot Development: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
As I just mentioned there was always a twist or revelation that helped to move the plot along. Despite this book being on the longer end, coming in at about 480 pages for the paperback edition, I never felt like it was drawn out or that the story was stagnant. Every scene and every element served a greater purpose for the overall story.
I also like how the two narratives become intertwined. You believe that the two viewpoints will intersect at some point but are unclear as to how. However, when they do it leads up to an epic conclusion that solving one problem opens the door to so many others.
The pacing was also incredible her ability to simultaneously build a world through separate narratives while also staying true to the point and utilizing every piece of information to navigate and steer this tale is commendable.
Characterization: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The characters in this story were developed with thought and intention. She didn’t create characters that appealed to the masses they were flawed and had their shortcomings because that is what it is to be human. However, despite this they were endearing and you empathized with them. Their actions and behavior aligned with their backstory and history giving credibility to the decisions they made, their actions, and thought processes.
When it comes to the side characters they weren’t chump change. They also added another layer to the story and revealed things about the main characters while also having a direct impact on the plot and the character arc for our main characters. Their backstories were also interesting and written in such a way that you get the feeling there’s more to come from them in future books. I love how she leaves you hanging utilizing foreshadowing to allude to more and getting you hyped for the next book.
These are my initial thoughts on the An Ember in the Ashes series. I plan to continue forward and read the next book A Torch Against the Night as soon as possible. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy high-stakes Young Adult Fantasy. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
