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emilinkaa'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? No
4.75
An Ember in the Ashes is based on Ancient Rome, and is griping. You alternate between Laia and Ellias' perspectives and while they're both main characters, they have very different goals. But both of them are trying to be better, to save the people they love and themselves. I couldn't read fast enough. Then tension between the two main characters, as well as a host of secondary characters, had me staying up way too late to finish this novel, and immediately reaching for the second in the series.
The book is not light by any means, and I can't check enough content warnings for it. But it's griping, and wonderfully written, and shows that sometimes, the thing that makes us human, is our need to persevere, even when the odds are against us.
Graphic: Trafficking, Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Torture, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Death, Rape, Medical content, Hate crime, Gore, Animal death, Death of parent, Child death, Murder, Slavery, Sexual violence, Police brutality, and Sexual assault
ranjanireviewsreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I thought I could start this review with what I liked - honestly, it's not a lot. I liked the romantic tension, which doesn't count for much in the face of the novel as a whole.
So here are the things I didn't like:
--> The characters are extremely half-baked. I understand that many YA novels are about some kind of character growth, but this one just didn't hit the nail on the head. This is the first book in a series, yes. But I should have seen something. Some growth, some decline. Instead, these characters fall flat.
--> The plot. It's simple. Too simple. In the face of developing characters, I would expect the plot, other characters (mainly the antagonist), or the world politics to take over. Alas, that did not happen here.
--> The sadism. I just read the description of this novel on Goodreads and it's supposed to be based on Rome?
But where are the positive Roman attributes of this empire? This novel focused on the deaths, the slavery, the wars, the bitter reality of being conquered. But Rome also had a well-formed legal system. They were open to gaining and using knowledge from their conquered.
This novel was a mess; the military-based leadership would not get along with the religious sect. How did they maintain peace in the first place?
Maybe the last point and my thousands of questions about the world get answered in the next book. Who knows. I will be reading A Torch Against The Night but mainly for the romance and to hopefully get answers.
Graphic: Trafficking, Classism, Physical abuse, Slavery, Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, and War
oliviaferlazzo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Blood, Torture, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Minor: Abortion, War, Rape, Pregnancy, and Grief
helpme71'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Slavery, War, Violence, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexism, Physical abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Torture and Grief
maggieed'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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Death of parent
jackiepreston'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, and War
Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape
Minor: Pregnancy
c45p1n'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? It's complicated
5.0
there’s so much potential and room for so many different theories that i’ve started theorizing myself. like Cook’s background, Keenan and Mazen, hell even Aquilla.
this book(and series) is definitely not for the feint-of-heart and you should definitely check the trigger/content warnings before reading!!!!
Graphic: Slavery, Murder, War, Violence, Blood, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Rape, Medical content, Gore, and Grief
Minor: Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexism, Physical abuse, and Mass/school shootings
caregorman'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Rape, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, and War
Minor: Abortion
chattycali'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
4.25
Graphic: Violence and Gore
kilic'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Violence