Scan barcode
A review by thebookesquire
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
4.5
I love Sabaa Tahir she is such a fantastic writer. Her two main strengths are her plot work and her character development.
This book does fall into common pitfalls of many fantasy YA novels - the beginning was uninteresting to me because (1) a lot of info dumping was happening without the readers having any real stakes / caring for any of the characters & (2) the YA dialogue and inner dialogue was just cringeworthy to me.
However, once you’re past the 20% mark this book truly transforms. The characters are interesting with vivid depth and you grow to love them dearly. The plot keeps you guessing until the very last page because she does a phenomenal job of tying in the plot with world building elements that are unknown to the reader but logically track given all the stepping stones she’s placed.
This is one of those books where you don’t know how much you’ve enjoyed it until you finish it and it haunts you. Literally sitting, staring at a wall, wondering how the heck you’re supposed to get back to real life.
Well done Tahir, but I can’t say I’m surprised after reading the masterpiece that is All My Rage. Well done.
This book does fall into common pitfalls of many fantasy YA novels - the beginning was uninteresting to me because (1) a lot of info dumping was happening without the readers having any real stakes / caring for any of the characters & (2) the YA dialogue and inner dialogue was just cringeworthy to me.
However, once you’re past the 20% mark this book truly transforms. The characters are interesting with vivid depth and you grow to love them dearly. The plot keeps you guessing until the very last page because she does a phenomenal job of tying in the plot with world building elements that are unknown to the reader but logically track given all the stepping stones she’s placed.
This is one of those books where you don’t know how much you’ve enjoyed it until you finish it and it haunts you. Literally sitting, staring at a wall, wondering how the heck you’re supposed to get back to real life.
Well done Tahir, but I can’t say I’m surprised after reading the masterpiece that is All My Rage. Well done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Torture