Discussion Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
An Ember in the Ashes
Behind 464 Pages
Released: 27 April 2015
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Harper Voyager Australia
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At the Other End:
Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, AN EMBER IN THE ASHES is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.
What if you were the spark that could ignite a revolution?
For years Laia has lived in fear. Fear of the Empire, fear of the Martials, fear of truly living at all. Born as a Scholar, she’s never had much of a choice.
For Elias it’s the opposite. He has seen too much on his path to becoming a Mask, one of the Empire’s elite soldiers. With the Masks’ help the Empire has conquered a continent and enslaved thousands, all in the name of power.
When Laia’s brother is taken she must force herself to help the Resistance, the only people who have a chance of saving him. She must spy on the Commandant, ruthless overseer of Blackcliff Academy.
Blackcliff is the training ground for Masks and the very place that Elias is planning to escape. If he succeeds, he will be named deserter. If found, the punishment will be death.
But once Laia and Elias meet, they will find that their destinies are intertwined and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. In the ashes of a broken world one person can make a difference.
One voice in the dark can be heard. The price of freedom is always high and this time that price might demand everything, even life itself.
Sabaa Tahir grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s eighteen-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash, and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks, and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her family.
Find Sabaa: Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram
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Kristy: So, your thoughts on the book? I really liked it. What a horrible, horrible world! It is full of despair and terrible people, but I loved every second of it. And the book certainly doesn’t shy away the violence that is ingrained in this world, including sexual violence. I think that this aspect may turn some people of the book. I fear there are people who aren’t going to like this book due to the reference to rape.
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Gina: I loved it, actually. But *see spoiler section*
That’s true. But it can go by with others because it doesn’t actually go into detail and no one actually gets raped; just states that this person wants to rape this person and threaten them. It is included, but it’s not overpowering in the way that it would turn people off the book.
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Kristy: I don’t mind the mention, threat or attempted rape being a part of this story, It rang true for the environment they were in. It would be a real risk, a real possibility, a real threat. But people can sensitive about this topic and won’t like the constant threat of it weaved into the book.
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Gina: I know what you mean! Especially because there were slaves and it would have happened constantly, so it just made it all the more real and scary.
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Kristy: I like the fact the threat of rape wasn’t covered up - it was real for this world and it was put out there as a real thing.
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Gina: Yes, definitely. It gave the book more depth by including it, even if it was always just something in the background and never a major thing.
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Kristy: Oh my god. Wasn’t the commandant a price of work???
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Gina: Gawd, I know right!! *see spoiler section for more*
Highlight to read.
*You have been warned - the conversation below will provide major spoilers for the book!!*
This novel was received for review via Harper Voyager Australia. This review/discussion is entirely my own, no bribery or any deals have been made to sway this review/discussion or change my personal opinion of the novel.
What do you think?
[…] An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1) by Sabaa Tahir): Brutality, darkenss, determination and rawness at it’s very best! This series had an amazing start with An Ember in the Ashes, with amazing world building, both engrossing and gorgeous, as well as being not shying away from a world filled with despair and deplorable characters. My review can be found here. […]