Reviews tagging 'Blood'

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

134 reviews

amre23's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book was dark and violent but believe the start to a great story. This starts about a girl thrown into conflict larger than simply finding and saving her brother and a boy who is trying to escape the expectations and confines of his life. She is adamant to find her brother but constantly is navigating who her true allies are and how to complete the requests from everyone around her. He is constantly navigating between the "mask" he wears for everyone and who he wants/wishes to be.

The Dual POVs made the story progress faster. Was nice to see when the 2 main characters weren't interacting how their actions and inactions impacted each other.

At times could truly feel her worry and anxiety through the pages. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Violence, Slavery, Physical abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexism, Genocide, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Blood, and Classism

Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Grief, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, and War

Minor: Medical content, Self harm, Abortion, Alcohol, and Pregnancy

risten's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Classism, Child abuse, Blood, Murder, Death, War, and Child death

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Grief, Gore, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Trafficking, and Suicide

Minor: Stalking, Sexual content, Vomit, Self harm, Abortion, Alcohol, and Animal death

c_l_ara's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, Slavery, War, Physical abuse, Blood, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Death of parent, Genocide, and Torture

booktalkwithrae's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I took way too long to read this book, and I absolutely loved it. I was afraid that because it’s been so long since the book was published that it might be updated but I enjoyed every minute of it.

This book has action, political entry, secrets, romance, friendships, relationships, family and more. There are some brutal scenes in this book that I did not expect but I really think it added to the story and understanding slavery, different class systems, etc. there were some things that I found were a little little predictable, but most of it was an exciting surprise. 

The characters felt so real. They were all unique and diverse, and even characters that didn’t have a lot of dialogue in the book still felt very memorable. I really hope we will see more of these characters in future books. 

The romance was excellent. It was not rushed, It was not insta love and the author leaves you wanting more by the end. There is a big of a love triangle, but it’s very well written and I love it.

If you’re looking for a fantasy series, filled with action, political entry, and ember in the ashes, multiple POV’s and romance then definitely pick this one up !!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Violence, and Slavery

jordosba's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence and Slavery

Minor: Child death, Death, Confinement, Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Rape

sahramahtab's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Sabaa Tahir's "An Ember in the Ashes" is a poignant journey that managed to draw tears — something that very few books manage to achieve. The story is a tapestry of characters, with Laia and Elias at the forefront, each layering complexity to the narrative. Their authenticity makes it impossible not to invest emotionally, and I found myself eagerly rooting for their struggles and triumphs. The desire for interactions between them kept me turning page after page. The supporting characters add depth to the story, although

Helene's actions left me perplexed, creating a sense of frustration. Keenan's intentions remain shrouded in mystery,

adding an intriguing layer that begs further exploration. Yet, the unresolved mysteries have me hooked, and without a doubt, I'm sprinting to grab the sequel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Blood, Confinement, Murder, Torture, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, and Slavery

Moderate: Rape, Abandonment, Child abuse, Grief, and Emotional abuse

annaszell's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

EASY 4.5 stars, it was close to perfection.

I was reading it as part of a book club, and I must say... I did not expect to love it this much! I think besides The Empyrean books, this was the big surprise of the year, and I immediately want to continue the series. Thankfully, it's a finished one as far as I know, so I can binge-read it during my holiday break.

I really liked that the FMC & MMC chapters are one after the other, so we get both POVs for important events but still, it's not a duplication if that makes sense. Since it's YA, I expected the characters to be immature, and while they definitely started out that way, I think there was character growth for both of them, especially for Laia.

I think it was an interesting twist that both main characters had other "love interests", it kept me on edge a bit, but it wasn't like a Feyre and Tamlin type of situation. Also, I kind of like the Augurs, I really hope we learn more about them in later books, they are one of the most fascinating elements of the world that Tahir built.

And last but not least, I hate the Commandant. I can't decide whether I hope or not there will be a redemption arc for her.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Slavery, Murder, Death, Violence, Physical abuse, and Blood

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 I have had this book on my shelves for years, and finally made the time to read it.
"An Ember in the Ashes" is the first book in a high stakes fantasy series, and stars Laia and Elias. Laia is a slave, and after witnessing the brutal murder of her family, she is determined to do whatever it takes to get her brother back. Laia's brother was arrested and placed into prison after being accused of treason, so, Laia seeks help from the only group she believes can assist her: the rebels. Elias is a solider, but he is not in a much better place than Laia. Elias dreams of his own freedom and is planning to leave his oppressive life as soon as he graduates. When the pair meets, they quickly realize they have much more in common than they initially thought, and they may be able to help one another.
I was not expecting to be so captivated by this story, but I was! I devoured this book, and I cannot wait to pick up the sequel. Laia is such a strong character, and I really enjoyed reading from her perspective. Her love for her brother is admirable, and even when she continued to learn things about her family that she had no idea about, she remained fearless and focused on her mission to free her brother.
Elias was an equally interesting character to read from. He could have so easily fallen into his life and accepted his fate, but he did not believe in the Empire's mission, so he planned to escape. He is so intelligent and good-hearted.
I loved the scenes with Elias and Laia together. Two strong characters who feed off of each other so well was captivating, and their chemistry really comes off of the page. I am dying to see where their story goes in the next book!
This was my first book from Sabaa Tahir, but I have heard for years how talented a writer she is. I am thoroughly impressed with her talent, and I was shocked to see that this book was a debut. Sabaa has immense talent for storytelling, but more importantly, world building. This world felt so real to me, but I never felt like the book was info dumping.
I HIGHLY recommend starting this series if you have not! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Classism, Violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, War, Murder, Blood, Grief, Death, Slavery, and Death of parent

mar1333's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Although the pace of the story is quite slow at first, about halfway through the book I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed watching the characters grow and make better choices as the story progressed. The plot also gets more exciting toward the end, and I am looking forward to reading the next book to see what happens.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child death, Sexual violence, Death, Torture, and Slavery

Moderate: Blood and Sexism

Minor: Abandonment, War, Suicide, and Death of parent

emjen16's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, Gaslighting, Murder, Slavery, Blood, Torture, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Rape