Review by dlrosebyh - An Ember in the Ashes

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dlrosebyh 's review for:

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

4.5

adventurous dark 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

The Martial Empire punishes disobedience with death. Those who do not promise their bodies and blood to the Emperor run the possibility of seeing their loved ones put to death and losing everything they cherish. Laia lives in this harsh, ancient Rome-inspired environment along with her grandparents and older brother. The family makes do in the squalid underbelly of the Empire. They don't take the Empire on. They know what occurs to those who do it.

However, Laia is compelled to select a choice when her brother is detained for treason. She will risk her life to spy for the rebels from the Empire's top military academy in exchange for their assistance in rescuing her brother. Elias, the best soldier at the school—and secretly its least eager—meets Laia there. Elias merely wants to be free from the oppression he is being prepared to impose. He and Laia will soon understand that their fates are interwoven and that their decisions will affect the Empire's course as a whole.

I can't believe I let so much time pass before reading this book, even though I knew I would adore it. I absolutely adored it; Laia and Elias are some of the most resilient people I know, and I would die for them.

I am aware that Laia has been criticized for caving to Mazen, but how could you expect someone without a support system to respond? It goes without saying that they will turn to a kind person because their survival depends on it.

I did find Helene and Keenan fascinating because I enjoy moral ambiguity, but I despised practically everyone else. I need the next book in my hands right away since I'm so eager to read it.

Content Warnings