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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
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
An Ember in the Ashes was decent, but not amazing. The world itself was really well done, brutal, intense, and inspired by ancient Rome, which gave it a solid foundation. But the fantasy elements, they felt underdeveloped. The magic didn’t feel well-integrated into the world at all, it kind of just appeared when convenient, without any real explanation or world-building behind it. That part really pulled me out of the story.
I liked Laia. She felt very real, scared, unsure, trying her best to help her brother even when she felt completely useless. Elias was a good character too, struggling to stay true to himself in a system built on violence and control. Their perspectives kept the story moving.
One of my bigger annoyances was the whole dynamic between Elias and his best friend. It felt like the author was trying to leave the door open for romance just in case, but didn’t actually commit to it. I wish it had either stayed strictly platonic or gone all in, because the middle ground didn’t work for me.
In the end, the book was fine. Entertaining enough to finish, but the lack of depth in the fantasy elements and some underdeveloped character relationships brought it down for me. Not bad, just not great.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
✧ ࿐࿔ ˚ 4 stars ˚ ࿐࿔ ✧
“The field of battle is my temple. The swordpoint is my priest. The dance of death is my prayer. The killing blow is my release.”
“The field of battle is my temple. The swordpoint is my priest. The dance of death is my prayer. The killing blow is my release.”
Alright, I loved this. In some ways, it reminded me of The Hunger Games, with all the pain Laia endured trying to save her brother and then the Trials thing. (I really need to stop comparing books with trials of any sort to thg) I really, really loved Laia. She's so strong, and I hope that she gets a happy ending because, my god, that girl has gone through too much. Elias was also a fantastic POV.
I love that Sabaa is NOT afraid to kill people off. No one is safe.
Marcus paled as a villain in comparison to the Commandant. She is an absolute terror. Marcus is the worst, and I can't wait for him to die, but as of right now, I just feel like he's a pathetic little troll. My only complaint is that we didn't see his third Trial play out because I would've loved to read that play out. I bet it was wild.
I don't understand what Laia sees in Keenan, but maybe that's because Elias is the OBVIOUS choice.
As of right now, I'm on the fence about Helene. I feel like she's teetering on the edge of realizing just how fucked up her mindset and the Empire she serves is and I really hope she does. Because come on, girl.
I really want to know more about Cook and her connection to Laia's mom. Idk why, but I get the feeling that they're related somehow. Like, is Cook her aunt or something? But she hasn't mentioned any aunts or uncles, so maybe not....
(spoiler)
I feel like the Augurs are the Coven who helped to destroy the jinn.
I love that Sabaa is NOT afraid to kill people off. No one is safe.
Marcus paled as a villain in comparison to the Commandant. She is an absolute terror. Marcus is the worst, and I can't wait for him to die, but as of right now, I just feel like he's a pathetic little troll. My only complaint is that we didn't see his third Trial play out because I would've loved to read that play out. I bet it was wild.
I don't understand what Laia sees in Keenan, but maybe that's because Elias is the OBVIOUS choice.
As of right now, I'm on the fence about Helene. I feel like she's teetering on the edge of realizing just how fucked up her mindset and the Empire she serves is and I really hope she does. Because come on, girl.
I really want to know more about Cook and her connection to Laia's mom. Idk why, but I get the feeling that they're related somehow. Like, is Cook her aunt or something? But she hasn't mentioned any aunts or uncles, so maybe not....
(spoiler)
I feel like the Augurs are the Coven who helped to destroy the jinn.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First thing I want to mention: this book gets put on a lot of lists that are like, "If you liked the game Dark Souls, read this!" And, I just wanna say...I do not get that. It's dark fantasy, yes, but it's nowhere near the sort of lonely, decaying world of the Souls series.
Anywho, this is a book filled toe to crown with YA staples: fantasy school, arbitrary social categorizations, a damn love-square, and so on. But, everything is played so straight and so genuine, it's easy to buy into. By the second half, Tahir fully brought the narrative into its own. Laia is such a great protagonist—I love her arc of being a "coward" and learning how to wield her fear. And, I really loved how the ending turns one of fantasy's biggest tropes on its head. The first-person present tense was also refreshing in this genre. Looking forward to the next entry!
Anywho, this is a book filled toe to crown with YA staples: fantasy school, arbitrary social categorizations, a damn love-square, and so on. But, everything is played so straight and so genuine, it's easy to buy into. By the second half, Tahir fully brought the narrative into its own. Laia is such a great protagonist—I love her arc of being a "coward" and learning how to wield her fear. And, I really loved how the ending turns one of fantasy's biggest tropes on its head. The first-person present tense was also refreshing in this genre. Looking forward to the next entry!
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
tqm Elias nada me hace más feliz de que por fin seas libre