Hey Bibliophiles!!
Today I'm here with you to review one of the most staggeringly amazing books I've ever read!! A book that made its mark on the New York Times Bestseller List, whose words burned through my heart and made me swoon over and over again. It has not only solidified its place in my all-time favorites shelf, but also happens to be written by one of the most hyped Asian-American authors.
YES, I am talking about non other than An Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir!!
Officially known as the Ember Quartet, it is a YA fantasy series consisting of 4 books, me have having read all of the published 3 and the 4th will (hopefully) release this year( and I literally can't wait!!)
So if you don't know what this is about, the first book An Ember in the Ashes follows the story of this Scholar girl named Laia and a Mask (special soldiers of the Empire) named Elias. He is the top student at Blackcliff, but is secretly planning his escape.
The world is inspired by the Old Roman Empire and is set in this continent named the Empire which is ruled by the cruel Martials who essentially conquered these other people called the Scholars and made them their slaves. So when Laia's loved ones are heartlessly murdered and her brother captured by the ruthless Martials for treason, she is forced to go undercover as a slave in the Blackcliff Academy (training school of the Masks) to help break her brother out of prison.
The atmosphere and the vibe is very intense. It handles a lot of heavy topics like slavery, racism, grief, death and corruption. It is brutal and real and harsh. It talks about what it really means to be human, have a soul, a conscience. Sometimes you will notice that the political elements will override the magical and fantastical elements. The writing is somehow lyrical, with a flowery prose style and yet so straightforward and descriptive at the same time that you can so easily immerse yourself in the world and get lost in the book. I don't know how Sabaa does it but WRITING GOALS, man!!
And don't even get me started on the characters!! Oh lord!!
I have never seen so well-developed and realistic characters ever!! And let me tell you Why- It is one of the very few books that have a strong female character that has nothing to do with physical strength, or is just who is just innately courageous and righteous. No, Laia is a coward. She is not the cliche fearless and strong teenage character, but she has flaws. She makes mistakes. And that's what makes her so real and relatable.
And not just the typical protagonists, but even the other characters like Helene and the Commandment and the Nightbringer are my favorites because even though you can classify them as "villians", you can still understand why they are doing what they're doing and what made them the way they are. (It may have something to do with my twisted love for villians). ALL of the characters are so perfectly fleshed out, they feel so real because they make such bad decisions....The perfect recipe to make me fall head over heels in love with all of them.
I was literally crying and hyperventilating inside my brain while I was reading this!! It honestly had so many huge twists and turns plot-wise too that it will leave your head spinning and your heart pounding.The characters are put through so much torture and hardships. There is soo much that happens in each book.
If it wasn't obvious with all this ranting of mine, I highly, highly recommend reading this series. Trust me, you will NOT regret it.
Reading Order- 1) An Ember in the Ashes
2)A Torch AgainstNight the
3) A Reaper at the Gates
4) A Sky Beyond the Storm
So tell me what you thought of this post. Have you read the book?? Did you love them as much as I did?? Who was your favorite character? Let me know in the comments down below...Let's spread the love and positivity in these difficult times!!
Wishing you Happy Reading,
Your Favourite reading buddy,
Aamna