An Ember in the Ashes (Ember Quartet, #1)

by Sabaa Tahir

[kimbacaffeinate]

I love a good dystopian, it is what drew me to the young adult genre and when I saw reviews for An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir I was excited about the promise of a roman-world with violence, oppression and dual narratives. When an opportunity to review the audio presented itself, I dove headfirst. I am so glad that I did. An Ember in the Ashes was beautifully written and executed.

The first in An Ember in the Ashes series, Tahir brings us a roman like world filled with gladiator type military schools, slaves and an oppressed society ruled by violence and fear. The author did an excellent job of bringing the world to life from the impressive academy to the slums.

Dual perspectives give us both sides of the story. Elias is a solider at the academy who dreams of freedom and an escape from the violence that rules his life. He unwittingly finds himself competing to be the next Martial emperor. Laia is a Scholar, living under the control of the emperor, but when her brother is arrested and her grandparents murdered, she soon finds herself working undecover in hopes of freeing her brother. The chapters alternate between the two and I immediately became wrapped up in their stories. Laia is an unlikely hero, in fact if given a choice she would be in hiding, but it is her love for her brother that drives her and her transformation alone was worth the ride.

Tahir delivers a dark tale that touches on the darker side of war, and the sacrifices on both sides. The emperor faction is dark and blood thirsty, with political maneuvering and quests for power. Scholars and slaves are treated like commodities in this quest. In the middle of it, all we have a rebel group. The Revolutionist, and learn that Laia has ties to them; she uses that connection to aid her brother.

What strengthened this novel and gave it its heart were the protagonists. Both are struggling and see tremendous growth and enlightenment throughout the story. The tale is surprisingly romance free although seeds have been planted. I loved these little teasers they gave a little hope to all the darkness. I thought a triangle was in the making, but with one line, Tahir squelched that and I was delighted. An Ember in the Ashes is dark and falls on the higher end of young adult genre making it a great crossover novel.

Fiona Hardingham and Steve West did a splendid job with the narration allowing us to feel Laia’s and Elias’s internal struggles, fear and growth. The choice to use two narrators was a good one and I hope these two continue the series.

Audio provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer