An Ember in the Ashes: Volume 1

Sabaa Tahir

Apr 2015 · An Ember in the Ashes Book 1 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

BOOK ONE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES

One of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time
One of Time Magazine’s 100 Best YA Books of All Time
Instant New York Times bestseller
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir
Amazon's Best Young Adult Book of 2015
People's Choice Award winner - Favorite Fantasy
Bustle's Best Young Adult Book of 2015

“This novel is a harrowing, haunting reminder of what it means to be human — and how hope might be kindled in the midst of oppression and fear.” — The Washington Post

“An Ember in the Ashes could launch Sabaa Tahir into JK Rowling territory…It has the addictive quality of The Hunger Games combined with the fantasy of Harry Potter and the brutality of Game of Thrones.”—Public Radio International

"An Ember in the Ashes glows, burns, and smolders—as beautiful and radiant as it is searing."—Huffington Post

“A worthy novel – and one as brave as its characters.” —The New York Times Book Review


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 the 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, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. 

Ratings and reviews

I loved this book!!! Best one I've read all year. I didn't care much for Laia at first, as she read as a reader insert sort of character, but I loved her interactions with all the other characters, especially Elias (who is my favorite character). The entire cast felt so real and complex, as if they could leap right off the page (even the commandant). I also appreciated how well Tahir portrayed the dynamic of 2 different stories coming together. I've read so many books that failed at this, so EITA was a breath of fresh air. I got really emotional at certain parts, especially with Elias' story. Already bought the sequel and can't wait to see what happens next.

Can't describe right now what I just finished reading at 5:30 in the morning. But one thing is for certain, I found this book far more engaging than much of the current fantasy being pushed off bookshelves lately. Read it. It's worth every second.

Read it in one day, mainly because I didn't want to let go of the story, perfect mix of romance, but with an actual GOOD story being told instead of the romance taking over, aka not twilight. I'm already dieing inside knowing the next one is nine months out. Great book, I recommend it to anyone over the age of 16-17, because it does get into some controversial matters. ENJOY.

About the author

SABAA TAHIR is a former newspaper editor who grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s eighteen-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, listening to thunderous indie rock, and playing guitar and piano badly. Her #1 New York Times bestselling An Ember in the Ashes series has been translated into more than thirty-five languages, and the first book in the series was named one of TIME’s 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time. Tahir’s most recent novel, All My Rage, won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction and Poetry, and was an instant New York Times bestseller.

Visit Sabaa online at SabaaTahir.com and follow her on Instagram @SabaaTahir and TikTok @SabaaTahirAuthor.