Reviews tagging 'Death'

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

236 reviews

notapenguin's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Slavery

Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual violence

Minor: Suicide, Abortion, and Death of parent

emilywemily6's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

Wow. Just wow… this book was a lot emotionally. I found myself so invested that I couldn’t look away even if I was so scared for the fates of these characters. There are high stakes all over the place!! The writing is beautiful, the characters are dynamic and nuanced, and I just want more. While classified as a YA fantasy, it wasn’t written with immature characters or simplistic writing. Even if it was put in the adult section, I would still give this five stars. I cannot start the next book fast enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Bullying, Grief, Slavery, Physical abuse, Torture, Racism, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Police brutality

Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Death of parent, Cursing, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Child death

Minor: Suicide, Vomit, Medical content, and Pregnancy

theresamothinmyroom's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Vomit, Abandonment, Child death, Classism, Torture, Sexism, Sexual assault, Rape, Violence, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gore, Medical content, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, and Misogyny

Moderate: Abortion, Confinement, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

1.0

again the issue might really just be that I'm a hater but there is something wrong if rape threats are making me roll my eyes. bad writing, unclear worldbuilding, flat characters, terrible love square that overwhelms the actual (thin in and of itself) main plot, sexual violence as a constant random unaddressed plot device given nowhere near its appropriate weight.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Slavery, Colonisation, Violence, Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, Classism, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Child abuse

Moderate: Trafficking, War, Death of parent, Rape, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Abortion, Abandonment, and Suicide

maddie_rae_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

✨YA Fantasy Book Review✨
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir 

This series has been on my TBR for a few years now, and they keep staring at me from the shelf, so I FINALLY jumped in. I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook through my library on the Libby app. Let me just say-I am so glad I did! 

This is a YA Fantasy set in a brutal world of militant rule and subservient scholars. We follow the POVs of a rebel daughter Laia as she fights to save her brother, and a graduating Silver marshal Elias as he discovers the world is not as it seems. Who do you trust?

I like that the POVs are of two people from very different backgrounds. It allowed different aspects of the world to be built up in a natural way without heavy monologuing and gave the story a fuller perspective of the world. The extended relationships sometimes felt superficial, but the immediate relationships built nicely. Dialogue was pertinent and definitely added to the current mood of the story-frustrating, happy, worrisome, etc. while also moving the story along. 

Since it’s the first in a 4-book series, there are a lot of unanswered questions and it ends on a fabulous cliffhanger. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Physical abuse

kdsmoove's review against another edition

dark sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Slavery, Sexual violence, Torture, Death, Gore, Death of parent, Rape, Xenophobia, and Physical abuse

tabookish's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Child death, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Genocide, Murder, Grief, Death, Abandonment, Blood, Slavery, and Confinement

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

mj1588's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Body horror, Child death, Abandonment, Blood, Gore, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Slavery, Torture, and War

megsssss_'s review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Death

amelia_rose_20's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

10/10 | "An Ember in the Ashes" is a standout read that masterfully combines a profound exploration of ethical dilemmas and personal growth with meticulously crafted characters and a plot that is as emotionally engaging as it is action-packed. This book is both provocative and immensely satisfying, making it a must-read for fans of rich, complex narratives.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Colonisation, Death, Blood, and Child abuse

Minor: Sexual harassment, Rape, and Sexual violence