An Ember in the Ashes

Debut author Sabaa Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes is the first book of the series of the same name.

Laia is a slave.

Elias is a soldier.

Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother.  The family ekes out an existence in the Empire's impoverished backstreets.  They do not challenge the Empire.  They've seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia's brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision.  In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire's greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school's finest soldier- and secretly, it most unwilling.  Elias wants to be free of the tyranny he's been trained to enforces.  He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined- and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

The Breakdown:
1. I very much enjoyed reading this book.  Tahir was a master of the dual perspective, which many authors cannot pull off well.  Elias and Laia had very unique voices and personalities that made reading both their chapters enjoying and different.

2. Tahir, also, mastered the subplots that really gave this book so many layers. She kept me guess at every turn at to what the end game was going to be, and what side all the characters would fall on.  Her characters are complex, and many of them had me wondering whether they were really friend or foe.

3. Loved both the characters of Laia and Elias.  Laia who loves her family, but is so afraid she is not brave enough, and not smart enough to be her dead parents legacy.  Despite how terrible things have gotten, she is determined to save the person that matters the most to her.  She has a quiet bravery and an unwavering loyality that I love about her. Elias is amazing is that he has not let the harshness of his schooling break him.  He is determined not to become a cruel man or let the darkness he sees in his mother overtake him.

4. Tahir created an amazing world in this book.  A mix of ancient Rome with bits of Persian legends and magic.  It makes for a interesting situations and settings.  I think one of my favorite scenes was at the Moon Festival where she presented the Scholar's not being beaten down, and where Laia and Elias really first encounter each other without having their guards up.  She uses such lovely imaginary that it was easy to see the colorful clothes and hear the music being played.

5. Wow, that ending really had me on the edge of my seat.  She sure knows how to end with a bang, and leave me dying for the next book. I cannot wait to see how things will play out, and how relationships will change because of it.

To Read or Not to Read:
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