An Ember in the Ashes follows a boy named Elias, a trained soldier for the Martial Empire, and a girl named Laia, a slave girl fighting for the freedom of her family. The novel follows their journey of interacting with one another and fighting against a world filled with danger, betrayal, and supernatural elements.
I found Tahir’s writing to be extremely impactful and beautiful, as the word choice she uses instills emotion. Her characters are also extremely well thought out, as I even found myself curious about the villains in the story. One thing to note is that the world is extremely complex and difficult to understand at first. Elements are explained in more depth in later books, however, the worldbuilding is fantastic from the start. One thing I also loved was the representation in the book. The book’s protagonist is a South Asian woman, who is described to be extremely beautiful and strong. Overall, I’d recommend this book to those looking for a fantasy novel with likable characters, a fast-paced story, and romance.
TA (Gum Spring Library)
LoCo Teen Book Review 