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A review by drridareads
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
5.0
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
So in December the final book comes out; when I heard that then saw the cover for it; and with the lockdown; I knew it was time to finally jump onto the Ember Train. I planned to read the series with a few books in between or at least one (which I do for most series) so it finished only some time before the final book’s release. I did not expect to have this much tension and panic based on these that I would devour all three in a week.
I cannot begin to tell you how much I loved this book. It got my heart pounding so much that for the first time I’m going to consider reading as some sort of workout.
Plot:
I have a story for you. It has no hero or heroine.it has no happy ending. But it’s a story you need to hear
If you haven’t already heard/read it..
The scholars are enslaved by the Martials. We start off with Laia; in just the beginning everyone is loves is killed except for her brother who is taken as a prisoner. Laia only escapes through the bravery of her brother. She joins the resistance and makes a deal; they free her brother and she’ll be their spy by working as a slave in Blackliff; a military academy that makes Martials into Masks which are basically weapons of human destruction.
Enter Elias; our brooding young character; a student at the evil school who has a conscience unlike the others and so would like to desert and be free of all this killing. When he gets found out; he is told is if he stays and takes part in the trails he’d achieve freedom of body and soul
The trails sort of reminded of the Triwizard Tournament except 100 times more brutal.
There is brutality, love and blood. I assure you I’m no sadist but I love it.
TW: attempted rape and mention of it casually. Not graphic
Warning for the faint of heart. This book does not shy away from torture. I mean Ten Burning Hells the book starts with a raid and murders. Real actual one; not like how it’s in mostly YA books. In fact I wouldn’t consider this book YA. I don’t know how old Laia is, but Elias and Helene are 20. So it’s New Adult. There’s misogyny (which I’m sad was not addressed but this was written 4 years ago when some problematic thoughts were common; #metoo from 2017 really affected everything for the better whether you believe it or not). Rape is so casual:
“Did he rape you?” so easily she asks such an abhorrent question. As if asking my age or my name.
Characters
fanart by @loweana.art (which you should check out yourself)
Laia:
You are full, Laia. Full of life and dark and strength and spirit. You are in our dreams. You will burn, for you are an ember in the ashes.
Laia is the most ordinary character. She is your day to day girl. She’s not a heroine or exceptionally brave. She did not go back for her brother. Her guilt haunts her. She is freaking terrified as any normal person would be in her shoes. What I love about her as that she is not extraordinary; I mean she’s relatable. Not everyone does brave at the first sight of danger; people run. All the moments when she wants to give up; she thinks about how Darin (her brother) might already be dead and all her misery is for nothing; she thinks that if he’s dead maybe she could die and they’d all be reunited in death. She might not be likable to most; but she is a fully dimensional realistic character. To have expectation you can’t fill because you’re the Lioness’s daughter. What keeps her going are the memories of her family and her nana’s words;
As long as there is life, there is hope.
Even in the midst of these trying times she makes a friend despite the warnings. Because let’s be any situation is made at least a little better by not feeling lonely and having a friend by your side.
Elias:
You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.
Elias is your typical guy; except with a mask’s training. So he can kill you in less than a second but also gets distracted by a little display of skin and girls
So in December the final book comes out; when I heard that then saw the cover for it; and with the lockdown; I knew it was time to finally jump onto the Ember Train. I planned to read the series with a few books in between or at least one (which I do for most series) so it finished only some time before the final book’s release. I did not expect to have this much tension and panic based on these that I would devour all three in a week.
I cannot begin to tell you how much I loved this book. It got my heart pounding so much that for the first time I’m going to consider reading as some sort of workout.
Plot:
I have a story for you. It has no hero or heroine.it has no happy ending. But it’s a story you need to hear
If you haven’t already heard/read it..
The scholars are enslaved by the Martials. We start off with Laia; in just the beginning everyone is loves is killed except for her brother who is taken as a prisoner. Laia only escapes through the bravery of her brother. She joins the resistance and makes a deal; they free her brother and she’ll be their spy by working as a slave in Blackliff; a military academy that makes Martials into Masks which are basically weapons of human destruction.
Enter Elias; our brooding young character; a student at the evil school who has a conscience unlike the others and so would like to desert and be free of all this killing. When he gets found out; he is told is if he stays and takes part in the trails he’d achieve freedom of body and soul
The trails sort of reminded of the Triwizard Tournament except 100 times more brutal.
Spoiler
In fact there was moment in the 3rd trial I think where just for a moment I thought maybe the soldiers weren’t in actual danger like in the 2nd task of the tournament when their loved ones are being held captive by merpeople and Harry saves them all but then is told they weren’t in any actual danger. Then that moment ended and I thought of how many Sabaa Tahir has already killed..There is brutality, love and blood. I assure you I’m no sadist but I love it.
TW: attempted rape and mention of it casually. Not graphic
Warning for the faint of heart. This book does not shy away from torture. I mean Ten Burning Hells the book starts with a raid and murders. Real actual one; not like how it’s in mostly YA books. In fact I wouldn’t consider this book YA. I don’t know how old Laia is, but Elias and Helene are 20. So it’s New Adult. There’s misogyny (which I’m sad was not addressed but this was written 4 years ago when some problematic thoughts were common; #metoo from 2017 really affected everything for the better whether you believe it or not). Rape is so casual:
“Did he rape you?” so easily she asks such an abhorrent question. As if asking my age or my name.
Characters
fanart by @loweana.art (which you should check out yourself)
Laia:
You are full, Laia. Full of life and dark and strength and spirit. You are in our dreams. You will burn, for you are an ember in the ashes.
Laia is the most ordinary character. She is your day to day girl. She’s not a heroine or exceptionally brave. She did not go back for her brother. Her guilt haunts her. She is freaking terrified as any normal person would be in her shoes. What I love about her as that she is not extraordinary; I mean she’s relatable. Not everyone does brave at the first sight of danger; people run. All the moments when she wants to give up; she thinks about how Darin (her brother) might already be dead and all her misery is for nothing; she thinks that if he’s dead maybe she could die and they’d all be reunited in death. She might not be likable to most; but she is a fully dimensional realistic character. To have expectation you can’t fill because you’re the Lioness’s daughter. What keeps her going are the memories of her family and her nana’s words;
As long as there is life, there is hope.
Even in the midst of these trying times she makes a friend despite the warnings. Because let’s be any situation is made at least a little better by not feeling lonely and having a friend by your side.
Elias:
You are an ember in the ashes, Elias Veturius. You will spark and burn, ravage and destroy. You cannot change it. You cannot stop it.
Elias is your typical guy; except with a mask’s training. So he can kill you in less than a second but also gets distracted by a little display of skin and girls