An Ember in the Ashes

by Sabaa Tahir

Rating 4.5/5

Now this is the way to write a debut novel! Sabaa Tahir took everything I was expecting from this book added everything I did not even fathom could happen and came out of the gates with one stellar of a debut novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat!!

An Ember in the Ashes is about a girl name Laia and a boy named Elias. Laia is a scholar, the lowest class of The Empire. Elias is almost done with his training to become a Mask, the highest ranked soldier and the most deadly. After Laia’s brother is imprisoned for treason she turns to the rebels for help and agrees to spy on Blackcliff, the academy for Masks. Elias hates The Empire and wants to be free of his destiny. The two meet at Blackcliff and soon realize that both their fates are intertwined in the others.

This book is written through dual points of view and is done very well. It was so easy to tell the difference between the minds of Laia and Elias. Laia, the scholar, thinks poetically and metaphorically. While Elias, is very mathematical and passionate. The great thing is that the two story lines are so separated from each other that it doesn’t sound repetitive. It’s like two ropes on choppy water that are floating parallel to each other and only every now and then do they touch. It kept the story alive and moving, which in turn made it impossible to put down. I tried to spend as much time as possible reading this because I knew I was not going to want it to end.

The great thing is that I did not find this book overly predictable. Every time I thought the story was gonna go one way it went the complete opposite. I was getting so mad at trying to figure out the direction it was taking that I finally just stopped, relaxed, and enjoyed it! I was blown away by the world that was created. It seemed complete. I wasn’t looking around for holes. I never really had to question why anything was a certain way and if I did, the question was answered.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and I am so happy there is going to be a second book! When I finished this and there was no news on whether Penguin picked up a second book option I was screaming. Like nooooooo! You can’t just end it like that, I need to know what happens next!! I am really excited for the next one to see where Tahir takes us next in this compelling world. And I hope the POV’s work so seamlessly like they did in this book. The way the two story lines danced together in a beautiful waltz never stepping on each other’s toes was what made this debut novel one that exceeded the expectations and hype that had been around for months. Now just give me more!

Favorite Quotes

“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.”

“Or I’ll be a leaf lost in the wind, which is a fancy Augur way of saying dead.”

“I look up at the stars hanging low in the sky that makes me think I’m seeing the infinite. But beneath their cold gaze, I feel small. All the beauty of the stars means nothing when life here on earth is so ugly.”

“I live with the guilt. But there are two kinds of guilt, girl: the kind that drowns you until you’re useless, and the kind that fires your soul to purpose.”

“Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing. Then one day, a single moment comes along to define every second that comes after. Such moments are tests of courage, of strength.”

“There are two kinds of guilt. The kind that’s a burden and the kind that gives you purpose. Let your guilt be your fuel. Let it remind you of who you want to be. Draw a line in your mind. Never cross it again. You have a soul. It’s damaged, but it’s there. Don’t let them take it from you, Elias.”

“Fear can be good, Laia. It can keep you alive. But don’t let it control you. Don’t let it sow doubts within you. When the fear takes over, use the only thing more powerful, more indestructible, to fight it: your spirit. Your heart.”