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cemmalyn12's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Racism, Colonisation, Death, Murder, War, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Rape, and Genocide
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- 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
"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!
Graphic: Physical abuse, Classism, Violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, War, Murder, Blood, Grief, Death, Slavery, and Death of parent
emjen16's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Classism, Death, Gaslighting, Murder, Slavery, Blood, Torture, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Rape
chronicacademia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Blood, Slavery, Torture, Classism, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Racism, and Child abuse
Moderate: Abandonment, Gore, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Hate crime
eliselerario's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Classism and Slavery
Minor: Sexual assault
janelle__x's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Rape, Sexual harassment, Classism, Death, Sexual assault, Murder, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, and Abandonment
what_karla_reads's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Torture, Kidnapping, Blood, Bullying, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Death, and Classism
rachelfayreads's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Torture, Slavery, Death, Police brutality, Murder, Grief, and Classism
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
esconce's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Genocide, Classism, Cursing, Hate crime, Death, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual harassment
kaylaboevers's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Classism, and Death