An Ember in the Ashes, Book 1
By Sandie Angulo Chen,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Gripping romantic fantasy in an alternative universe.
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Based on 7 parent reviews
for those looking for a dark, compelling fantasy story
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What's the Story?
AN EMBER IN THE ASHES is a dual-narrative fantasy novel that follows two characters in the Martial Empire, an alternate universe with a strict caste system. Laia is a Scholar (the oppressed class) whose brother has been arrested for treason, and Elias is a precocious soldier in the Empire's elite military academy, Blackcliff. Laia joins the underground trying to overthrow the Empire in exchange for their help in getting her brother out of harm's way, but her mission is dangerous: to work as a slave for Blackcliff's ruthless Commandant. Elias, who happens to be the Commandant's estranged son, must compete in a series of trials to be the Empire's next ruler, but secretly he wishes he could run away -- especially when he meets his mother's beautiful and new intelligent slave.
Is It Any Good?
Despite some derivative aspects and a slow-going start, An Ember in the Ashes has a compelling story line and fascinating, well-rounded supporting characters. (Elias' best friend and classmate, Helene, who's not-so-secretly in love with him, is particularly wonderful.) But it's true that author Sabaa Tahir's novel is bound to remind readers of The Hunger Games (a series of trials with only one winner; one person can fan the flames of uprising), Red Rising (an oppressed minority secretly plots to overthrow their oppressors), and aspects of Divergent (strict hierarchy, multiple tests to prove you're brave and worthy).
Readers who prefer fantasies with a heavy dose of romance will cheer at all the longing looks and tender feelings described in the story, but they may be confused by the love "square" involving Helene, Elias, Laia, and Keenan, her handsome "handler" in the underground. Given who the main characters are, it's no secret who ends up together, but it's rare for an author to expand a love triangle to include a fourth potentially viable love interest. The novel is a treatise on the importance of standing up to oppression and the difference that individuals can make when they work together toward a better future. Unanswered questions leave readers want more, which they'll find in Book 2: A Torch Against the Night.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the growing popularity of books set in alternative universes with strict social castes. Why do such strict societies compel readers?
What do you like best about fantasy books set in an alternate reality? Does this universe resemble any historical times or societies?
How does this book portray romantic relationships? Instead of a love triangle, there's a love "square." Is it believable that a person would have strong feelings for two people? How does this compare with a love triangle?
Book Details
- Author: Sabaa Tahir
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Friendship
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Razorbill
- Publication date: April 28, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 18
- Number of pages: 464
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 5, 2022
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