An Ember in the Ashes, Book 1

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.