Book Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

The Ember in the Ashes is awesome, but let me not get ahead of myself . I got this book from the library and I think it was my final read of 2016. 

From Goodreads [linked]: 

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.
 
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’s 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.

My Two Cents:

I've actually read the second book since I started drafting this post, so I'm only going to say a few things about the story, just in case I've already forgotten which book contained which part of the story. 

I can tell you that I loved this book (both books). You already know from the description that Laia joins the rebellion hoping to free her brother and you already know that Elias is getting ready to turn his back on his training. You also know that this whole thing has been done and done and done and done to varying degrees of goodness. 

What makes this story stand out is:

The Characters: Elias and Laia are good. Their back stories are interesting and, more importantly, they seem consistent. I hate when halfway through a story the characters start acting like strangers! But this book is full of other characters that are also fleshed out and interesting. Laia's little side kick is a strong one- eyed fire cracker. And the gypsy queen is a force to be reckoned with. The vast majority of the primary characters are female, I think, though we still get to see a bit about the lopsided nature of gender roles. Of course. If the cook turns out to be who I think it is, I'll be a tad disappointed. But I don't think it will.  

The Magic: There's some weird shit going on in this world, y'all. The fae that have long since gone underground are back in action, signaling a change that most are unprepared for.

The Revolution: Ok. It's not different. But it's good!

I'll be honest. I'm a little worried that the story is going to go on too long. There are a few unresolved questions/ situations at the end of book two. And there are TWO more books planned for the series. It's hard to maintain this level of goodness through four books. Let's all hold hand and pray for Ms. Tahir that she may deliver up to the series finale with continued skill and awesomeness. 

And now, I will stop babbling so that we can take a look at some fan art I found on the internet!! Pictures are linked to the internet sources.

I have no idea how people get their fingers to make thinks happen like this. I think it's a super power.