Rating
5 stars+ (!)Date Read
09/08/2015 - 10/08/2015
Age Group
15+
General Thoughts
Captivating.
A page-turner.
Seriously, I even downloaded it on my phone so that I could read everywhere: bus stops, cars, beaches.
An Ember in the Ashes is an addictive read. Although dystopian, it hints at historic facts and, although there are several paranormal elements and out of this world creatures, the cruel realism leaves me breathless. Life wasn't easy for any of the characters. But as Nan would say "where there is life there is hope". And this book I couldn't for the life of me put down.
It didn't do wonders on my mood though. Reading it left me melancholic and confused and eager to to get my hands on it again. I was torn between wanting to finish it as quickly as possible so that I could read something more upbeat and not wanting it to be over. I was very pleased when the ending made it almost stand alone, although I'm certainly planning on purchasing the next installment. When it comes out.
(Small intervention: Something that picked my interest -and I even found myself enjoying- was the fact that despite the tag "romance", there isn't an insta-love in this. Not even close. The main characters, however attracted to each other, do not even engage in a conversation until 20 per cent through and they certainly don't admit their feelings to any one. In fact, their main connection point is their thirst for freedom)
Characters
Laia
It was easy to relate to Laia. Kind and smart and pragmatic, she doesn't make reckless, brave and completely unrealistic decisions, she doesn't have impossible strength or unwavering faith. She questions her courage. However, she fights for what she believes is right, her ethics are the less than questionable and her slowly building confidence, fueled by her love for her brother and her need to right her wrong, marks her as she matures, learns to trust herself and finds her voice.
Elias
Elias' hard life shows in his confused feelings. He questions everything others just shallow, the supernatural, the authority, the brutality of the law, the unfairness of the rules. But just on the inside. On the outside he is cold and hard and unyielding, the best student of Blackcliff, a deadly Mask. Through the book he starts acting on his impulses, standing up for slaves, voicing his doubts and maturing until he finally finds what he had been searching all along: his freedom.
Narrative
The book altrernates between Laia and Elias' POV. Laia's voice, small and scared at first, matures as she grows and realises her own courage. On the other hand, the glimpse into Elias mind is always engaging, his mind sharp and his heart big, his doubt of the Empire and need for freedom constantly bugging him. Very pleased to say that he sounded as much as of boy as it could get, distracted by girls, trying to find answers, never losing his courage. Sabaa pulled off the alternating POVs perfectly, making it impossible not to sympathiase and eventually admire Laia, not to question the authority of the Empire, dream of freedom and fall for Elias.
Writing
The thoughts of the main characters are real and raw, the dialogues effortless. The author writes like breathing, and it draws you into a different world, painted with cruelty and unfair rules, and characters so vibrant that they come alive.
All in All
This wasn't a quick summer read. It was a brutal, brilliant book with gripping concept, questionable punishements, page-turning action, excellent character development and praise-worthy execution. The cruel, hard brushstrokes of the set, inspired by ancient Rome but finally becoming a place and an era if its own, paint a dystopian world with such wonderful clarity that I feel like I'm walking down those streets, scared of the Blackliff-trained Masks, listening to the rich voice of a Kehanni woving stories of jinn and wraiths. 
A new favourite.
*clapping
PS. Songs: (!!!, yes, I know, a lot of exclamation points. But I'm feeling excited so whatever)
- Black English (formerly NO) The Long Haul (for Elias)
- Coldplay Paradise (for Laia)
PSS 31/7/16
I just preordered A Torch Against The Night and sent a couple of question through goodreads to compete for a place in an interview with Sabaa Tahir:
Dear Goodreads Editorial Team,
Two questions:
1. Laia and Elias were bound to be attracted to each other, but An Ember In The Ashes was not typical a romance novel, considering the two main characters are not exactly each other's love interest.
I realise that what actually connects them is their thirst for change and freedom, their renegade spirits and their rebellion towards authority, even if they each have different reasons behind it.
But will they connect further in the second installement, will their romance bloom through their journey and shared fight?
Or will they just remain two soldiers who share a cause, and saved each others life, with nothing more between them?
2. The first book alternates between Laia and Elias' POV. Laia's voice, small and scared at first, matures as she grows and realises her own courage. On the other hand, the glimpse into Elias mind is always engaging, his mind sharp and his heart big, his doubt of the Empire and need for freedom never far from his thoughts.
Will Helene qualify for her own POV in A Torch Against the Night? If so, does that mean we'll have three alternating POVs?
Best,
Another overexcited blogger (http://purebookobsession.blogspot.com/)
PS. Not that Sabaa Tahir needs any more praise but:
An Ember In The ashes wasn't a quick summer read. It was a brutal, brilliant book with gripping concept, questionable punishements, page-turning action, excellent character development and praise-worthy execution. The cruel, hard brushstrokes of the set, inspired by ancient Rome but in the end becoming a place and an era if its own, paint a dystopian world with such wonderful clarity that I can't wait to get my hands on the next book!
XOXO
Aggie Pearson
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