Author: Sabaa Tahir
ISBN: 978-0-00-759327-9
RRP: $27.99
An Ember In The Ashes is a fantastic debut by Sabaa Tahir, one that has caught the attention of Paramount Pictures and is already optioned. It is brave, it is bold and it is not for the faint-hearted.
This book is something very different for our book club, I don’t think we have had a fantasy title, so I think this is very exciting and I will look forward to hearing what our readers have to say about it.
The story is told from two first person perspectives in alternating chapters, and Laia and Elias have two very different perspectives. Born to different peoples of the Empire they are sworn enemies but their destinies may just be intertwined.
The Martials conquered Scholar lands half a millenia ago and have kept the Scholars downtrodden ever since. Laia has lived with fear for most of her life, fear of the Empire and fear of the Martials. She lives with her grandparents and her brother, a simple existence helping Nan with cooking and jams for the traders and learning healing from Pop. Until the night they are raided and she is the only one left of her family.
Laia runs, hoping only to survive the night and find the Resistance.
Elias is a Martial just days away from graduating Blackcliff Academy as a Mask, one of the elite Empire soldiers. The problem is Elias doesn’t want to graduate, he doesn’t want to become a Mask and he certainly doesn’t want to become an Empire killing machine. He doesn’t agree with the Empire on most things and just wants to be free from the killing and the Empire rule. This might prove to be a little difficult for the heir of one of the Empire’s leading Martial families, and only son of the Commandant of Blackcliff Academy.
Laia finds the Resistance and is given a mission, one that no-one thought she could possibly succeed in, to spy on the Commandant of Blackcliff Academy. Her time as the personal slave of the Commandant gives a great insight into what life is like for Scholar slaves, especially those who come in contact with the ice-cold and ruthless Commandant.
This story is rife with intrigue, conspiracies and betrayal; overshadowed only by the violence. It is easy to see why Elias would want to escape this life, though it takes time to discover why he feels so differently about the situation than all of his classmates.
Blackcliff Academy is the training ground of the Masks, 6 year old children are chosen and whisked off to the Academy and if they manage to survive through all that will be expected of them they will graduate and become Masks. It is no surprise to discover, after you find out what their schooling entails, that only about half of them will survive to graduate.
What fantasy would be complete without supernatural beings foretelling the future, and in this case it’s the Augurs. They foretell the future and can read minds. They are also really good at telling the major players what they need to hear to align the characters in the best way to get the outcome they want. Their role is definitely not to watch and not interfere, they are more than willing to step in where they see the need.
Tahir’s characters are vivid and breathtaking, they push their limits and go beyond what they thought themselves capable of to finally follow their own paths.
Laia runs in the first chapter and doesn’t seem like she will ever forgive herself. She spends every second trying to make up for that decision. She had to run, we can see it and I think over time she will come to see it too. She doesn’t recognise her strength and her courage and the unwavering code that she grows into.
Elias is an interesting character, both for his parentage and his feelings for the Empire. He is faced with some horrific choices and you are never quite sure how things are going to turn out. He is complex and troubled, willing to fight for what he believes in but refuses to become a killing machine for the Empire. He is one who will always be haunted by his choices.
Fantasy tales are generally stories of epic proportions, which seems reasonable when you think of all the work that goes into world building. Tahir’s world building is sound though I would have liked a bit more fleshing out of the other two peoples, perhaps that will come later on. An Ember In The Ashes begins on the cusp of a revolution and Tahir has written it well.
Tahir has written a compelling debut that had me hooked. I look forward to reading the sequel and would not be surprised to find that this becomes at least a trilogy.
20 of our lucky readers are going to be reading An Ember In The Ashes as well so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments below. Personally, I can not wait to hear what they think.
An Ember In The Ashes is available now through HarperCollins, Bookworld, Angus and Robertson and where good books are sold.
You can find Sabaa Tahir on her Website, Facebook and Twitter.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
Sounds like a really good story…
A great review read about the book. It sounds like a fantastic read I would thoroughly enjoy.
Sounds really interesting. Will look forward at reading other reviews on this one 🙂
I absolutely loved An Ember in the Ashes!! The story is completely engrossing, with danger and violence, gripping action, romantic entanglements, political intrigues, a touch of the supernatural and characters that are both complex and engaging. If you like the Hunger Games mixed with a good dash of Game of Thrones – then like me, you will thoroughly enjoy this book!!
The world in An Ember in the Ashes is dark and brutal. Defiance is met with death. Those who do not pledge their blood and bodies to the Martial Empire risk having their loved ones murdered and their lives destroyed. Set against this backdrop the interlaced stories of the two main characters Laia and Elias emerge.
Laia, is an unassuming 17 year old girl, from the once learned and influential, but now oppressed, illiterate and enslaved Scholars tribe. She lives a quiet and humble life with her older brother Darin and grandparents, eking out a living in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets, but in constant fear of one of the Empire’s notorious raids.
Elias, is a 20 year old member of the ruling elite, and, as well as being the Commandant’s son, is the star pupil of the Blackcliff Military Academy where he has been training since 6 years old to become a Mask – one of the Empire’s deadly soldier assassins. But Elias has serious doubts about the Empire’s tyrannical ways and is secretly plotting to escape the Mask way of life.
Laia and Elias’s worlds collide when Laia’s home is raided, and her brother Darin is arrested and taken away by the Masks for questioning on suspicion of treason. Laia is determined to find and free Darin, and seeks help from the Resistance, a group of outlaw Scholar rebels who are trying to bring down the Empire. However, they will not help her for free and demand that in return she must enter Blackcliff Military Academy undercover as a slave, in order to spy on the Commandant. It is there that Laia meets Elias and their destinies intertwine.
An Ember in the Ashes is a rich and powerful story and while it is a fantasy novel, it also poses a number of moral dilemmas, including the distinction between loyalty and thinking for yourself, the double sidedness of power, the meaning of freedom and its cost and the subjectivity of “right” and “wrong”.
All in all An Ember in the Ashes is a great read and believe me when you get to the end, it really does leave you wanting more! (And while apparently the book was written as a standalone work, it reads like it’s the first book in a series and thankfully from what I’ve since found out, it sounds like a sequel is coming – I can’t wait!)
I thoroughly recommend this book – it is fantastic !!
Others have outlined the tale in their reviews, so I won’t.
You can tell how you feel about a book by the your feelings when you reach the last page. Was it a marathon, where you drudge to the end,hoping never to see the characters again? Or was it a sprint, fast and forgettable? Was it an endurance race? Do you get to the finish line and look around for loved ones?
I got to the end of “An Ember in the Ashes” disappointed, very disappointed. Saddened that it had finished. Saaba Tahir has built a potrayal of Laia and Elias so vivid and sympathetic that you want more of their tale, you want to know where they’ll end up next. You have witnessed their growth through moral dilemmas that you want to know where their growth and their journey has taken them.
Laia’s and Elias’ world is brutal, it is harsh; it could be an analogy for the Roman Empire, or the Third Reich. Or is it a tale of morality on ourselves, where knowledge is considered defiance and must be crushed out? The Martials could be the gamers of the modern world, snuffing out literature.
This is a book that would normally be aimed at teens and science fiction geeks, however as an adult I loved it. (My teen son has requested it next, and my science fiction buff husband wants it after that.) It is well written, fast paced and thrilling. While a ‘formulaic’ type of genre, it does it well – very, very well. Tahir keeps the reader both engaged and guessing at what will happen next.
Sabaa Tahir has a fan in this reader, and if there is a sequel I am definately reading it.
Four and half stars out of five – a definite read!
Thank you Beauty and Lace for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel. Fantasy novel are not what I usually read, but I thoroughly enjoyed An Ember In The Ashes and was so totally engrossed in it that I couldn’t put it down until I had finished it.
There are 2 main characters in the book Laia a 17 year old girl from the Scholar tribe and Elias a 20 year old boy from the ruling Martials who conquered the Scholars 500 years ago.
Laia has lost all her family apart from her older brother Darin, who has been imprisoned by the Martials and she will do anything to free him.
Elias was abandoned by his mother the brutal Commandant of Blackcliff Academy, which is the training ground for Masks and has been at the Academy since he was 6 years old. He is just days away from graduating as a Mask, but doesn’t want to become one of the Empire’s killing machines and has been planning to escape that way of life, but if caught trying to escape would be killed.
Laia went to the Resistance movement to seek help in freeing Darin and they would only help her if she agreed to go to the Academy working as a slave to the Commandant, spying on her and reporting back to the Resistance any news that would help them in their fight against the Empire.
I was a little disappointed with the ending of this novel, but am sure that there will be a sequel to tie up all the loose ends and I look forward to reading it.
I definitely recommend An Ember in the Ashes – Sabaa Tahir has certainly written a very compelling story.
Thank you for letting me read this book.
It was so totally different from my usual reading style that it took me a little while to get into it but once it got me then I was hooked.
The different chapters going from one characters moment in time to the next characters look at the same incident was unique and mind capturing. I really liked this idea.
Laia is a slave, Elias is a soldier, neither is free.
Elias must choose between Helene and Laia, and Laia must choose between Elias and a resistance fighter.
The story is so intense. I’ve never read anything that felt quite like this book did. I kept holding me breath wanting for that blade to fall.
This book is a little like The Hunger Games and a lot not like The Hunger Games.
It was interesting and involving and I loved every minute.
Can’t wait for the next one to see where it can lead.
I also loved this story, it held my interest from the very beginning. I was swept up in their world of brutality and torment feeling their pain and anguish. This book is really well written and is not a chore to read as some of the fantasy books are. At the end of every chapter I wanted to keep reading to see what happens next!
Anyone that loves this genre would find this a great read and I did feel perhaps there was room for more when it ended. I can absolutely see this story being made into a movie, it would translate really well. Thanks for the opportunity to review this book and I certainly look forward to more from this author.
Wow, from the moment I started this book I found it hard to put down. My interest was grabbed within the first page and I was upset when the second chapter changed characters, only then for the the third chapter to swap back! My desperation to keep finding out what was going to happen next to the main characters had me on the end of my seat.
I love the fine line that was developed between brutality and the need to keep alive. Which decision would you make, run and hide or stay and fight?
The characters were well defined early on but gained so much depth as the book progressed, it really was a pleasure to read. I loved the roller coaster of pain and suffering, love and freedom, and the struggles that life can through at you.
A great book to snuggle up with in front of an open fire, a glass of wine and no one to interrupt you!
It took me a little while to get the hang of the world, words, and alternating chapter pov. But it was worth it! I definitely don’t recommend it to young teens as their is a lot of violence and seeing characters in such a constricting world is a bit depressing at some points in the novel. But once it starts it never stops! The maps at the start, usually indicate to me that the book will be an adventure and this does not let me down. Fighting, romance, and magical elements are the whole package to me. I really hope the story line with the Jinn -I won’t name names, plays out to be spectacular.
I felt like I spent more than the short amount of time we had with the characters, and even though I didn’t always connect with characters like Laia- I wanted to keep going. I wanted THEM to keep going.
If you want action, adventure and a hint of love put this on your to read list. Because fighting against the system which seems so corrupt and dark…well sometimes its worth the pain. That’s this story.
I hope the series goes on to see how bright the embers can burn, because like in a classic Tamora Pierce series I see Laia and Elias have the potential to be awed by the magical world around them and in turn help show others the truth in Issat.