---
product_id: 23700161
title: "An Ember in the Ashes"
price: "₪101"
currency: ILS
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reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.co.il/products/23700161-an-ember-in-the-ashes
store_origin: IL
region: Israel
---

# An Ember in the Ashes

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## Description

desertcart.com: An Ember in the Ashes: 9781595148049: Tahir, Sabaa: Books

Review: A intense read that you can't put down! - Have you ever had a book you couldn't stop thinking about? You run over the plot and characters in your mind while at work? You stalk the author for any information regarding book 2? Well...this was me for An Ember in the Ashes. This book blew me away. An epic story full of courage and wonderful diverse characters. A unique fantasy world that was cruel and wonderful at the same time. I just couldn't put this book down. Today's book is An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. I honestly can say only one other book had me glued to the pages and kept by my side until finished. That was Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen. Now I found another book to hold me captive. An Ember in the Ashes was masterfully written. The pace flowed steadily to the point I just read and read. The world the book centers around is brutal, ruled by the Martial Empire who enslave scholars, taking from them libraries, books and their freedom. Scholars live in poverty serving the Martials as slaves. They aren't allowed to read or write for the punishment is death. To maintain such order, the Empire has special warriors with deadly weapons to keep the Scholars in their place. If a Martials' child is accepted into the Blackcliff academy, they train to become these deadly warriors known as The Masks. They must wear silver masks 24/7, so they can form over their faces like second skin, given the name. However, there is a resistance that has been rising for years against the Empire. Striking out when they least expect it. The book moves from two different point of views. Laia is a young Scholar who knows how to read. One night a Mask comes to take her brother Darin away, for illegally drawing images of weapons, burns their house down and kills her grandparents. She can only do one thing, join the resistance and go undercover in Blackcliff to spy so her brother can be freed. It's in the resistance she meets the handsome fighter Keenan who helps her during her time at Blackcliff. She endures much cruelty, especially by the Commandment, the leader of Blackcliff. A woman with much power and cruel determination to search out traitors from the resistance. Elias is a highborn student at Blackcliff, training to be a Mask. But he wants no part of it and plans to desert only to be pulled back in by the Trials. Whoever wins these tests become Emperor. Those that lose die. He must compete against his best friend Helene under the watchful eye of his mother, the Commandment. Elias starts to have conflicting feelings for his friend Helene and the slave girl Laia. His story was my favorite part of the book. I loved his turmoiled emotions and how he sets out to do the right thing. Love triangle haters beware, this book has a double whammy of a love triangle. I really don't like love triangles. Elias has feeling for both Helene and Laia. Laia has feeling for Keenan and Elias. But Elias and Laia's emotions are more connected with the moment rather than true feelings. He likes Laia's looks and it seems to be based on that throughout the book rather than her wit. So who knows where it will lead. I love the connection between Elias and Helene and look forward to see what happens in the next book. They seemed the most perfect for each other. So the love triangle wasn't really that bad because the story is what the book is all about. Sabaa did a wonderful job weaving a realistic story in this fantasy world. It's violent with bloody scenes that make the story much more intense. I gasped. I cringed. I yelled. I was a ball of nerves. The description of the world brought to life every detail of the characters and setting. The action was non-stop and with each turn of the page some sweat gathered on my forehead with concern for Elias...oh and Laia! Sabaa did a wonderful job at this debut novel. I can't wait to see what she has next because I eagerly wait for the sequel..which we will get! Wahoo! Should you read it? YES! What are you waiting for? This masterpiece of a story is something you can't miss. You won't put it down. Trust me. It's a wonderful add to your library collection.
Review: I really enjoyed watching the book community rally around Sabaa Tahir - I was so excited to read this book! And why not? The cover is gorgeous, the plot intriguing, and oh the hype! I really enjoyed watching the book community rally around Sabaa Tahir, and quickly elevate this book to a MUST READ! But, when I finished An Ember in the Ashes I came away feeling….undecided. Did I like the book? Yes. Did it leave me with burning questions and haunt me for days after reading? No. What I liked: The Characters Sabaa Tahir did so many things well in this book. An Ember in the Ashes is written from the dual perspectives of Laia, a Scholar slave, and Elias, a Martial training to be an elite assassin. Tahir moves between their stories effortlessly. The characters are so well developed, that even if the chapters weren’t labeled accordingly, there wouldn’t be any doubt who’s POV we were reading. What I loved most was that every single character was strongly written and well fleshed out, even the secondary characters. You walked away feeling that you knew Cook, Izzy, and Keenan just as well as Elias, Helene, or Laia. The Commandant is scary guys. JUST SAYING. The World Building As a product of her environment, the world of Ember is equally as terrifying as the Commandant. The Empire Is broken into the Scholars and the Martials. The Scholars are a conquered people living under the iron rule of the Martials. The Martials train their children to be assassins, carrying out the will of the Empire. Horrifying thought, right? The only confusing part for me was that some Scholars were slaves while others lived free. But Ember’s world is so much bigger than that. We are briefly introduced to the land of Marinn and the Tribal deserts that boarder the empire as well. Tahir fills Ember with vivid imagery and expertly weaves in touches of folklore and mythology until the world becomes a living breathing thing that jumps off the page. The Romance What I found really interesting is that Tahir didn’t fall back on the expected romantic plot devices. Was there a love triangle? Kind of. It was more like a quadrangle….rectangle…. diamond? Each of the main characters had more than one love interest. Elias had Helene and Laia, but Laia had Elias and Keenan. Laia and Elias never made sense to me. I was, and still am, firmly entrenched in Camp Helene. She’s his girl, mark my words. I also liked that Tahir kept it clean. What I didn’t like: There’s not much. It was a rough read in terms of the wanton brutality of the Martial class. I can’t count how many times I read the word rape. It wasn’t a pleasant aspect of the book or the world. Tahir did a pretty good job of tying up all the loose ends while still leaving you with a WHAT HAPPENS NEXT feeling. There was only one part of the book that I didn’t feel was tied up in a neat little bow by the end. Midway through, we are introduced to a…..ally of the Commandants. She calls him by a certain title and we hear a reference to him in one of the stories told to Laia. We get the idea that this ally is the one behind the scenes, pulling the strings, yet we never really hear anything more. All and all, I did enjoy this book. I was very fond of Elias and Helene. Their strength and honor were very appealing to me, as was their tried and true friendship. The world had a brutal beauty that was equally horrifying and mesmerizing. And while it didn’t necessarily leave me wanting for more, it’s solid!

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #16,062 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #31 in Teen & Young Adult Dystopian #50 in Teen & Young Adult Epic Fantasy #52 in Teen & Young Adult Fantasy Romance |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 20,300 Reviews |

## Images

![An Ember in the Ashes - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/8180W7UObeL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A intense read that you can't put down!
*by T***Y on May 22, 2015*

Have you ever had a book you couldn't stop thinking about? You run over the plot and characters in your mind while at work? You stalk the author for any information regarding book 2? Well...this was me for An Ember in the Ashes. This book blew me away. An epic story full of courage and wonderful diverse characters. A unique fantasy world that was cruel and wonderful at the same time. I just couldn't put this book down. Today's book is An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. I honestly can say only one other book had me glued to the pages and kept by my side until finished. That was Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen. Now I found another book to hold me captive. An Ember in the Ashes was masterfully written. The pace flowed steadily to the point I just read and read. The world the book centers around is brutal, ruled by the Martial Empire who enslave scholars, taking from them libraries, books and their freedom. Scholars live in poverty serving the Martials as slaves. They aren't allowed to read or write for the punishment is death. To maintain such order, the Empire has special warriors with deadly weapons to keep the Scholars in their place. If a Martials' child is accepted into the Blackcliff academy, they train to become these deadly warriors known as The Masks. They must wear silver masks 24/7, so they can form over their faces like second skin, given the name. However, there is a resistance that has been rising for years against the Empire. Striking out when they least expect it. The book moves from two different point of views. Laia is a young Scholar who knows how to read. One night a Mask comes to take her brother Darin away, for illegally drawing images of weapons, burns their house down and kills her grandparents. She can only do one thing, join the resistance and go undercover in Blackcliff to spy so her brother can be freed. It's in the resistance she meets the handsome fighter Keenan who helps her during her time at Blackcliff. She endures much cruelty, especially by the Commandment, the leader of Blackcliff. A woman with much power and cruel determination to search out traitors from the resistance. Elias is a highborn student at Blackcliff, training to be a Mask. But he wants no part of it and plans to desert only to be pulled back in by the Trials. Whoever wins these tests become Emperor. Those that lose die. He must compete against his best friend Helene under the watchful eye of his mother, the Commandment. Elias starts to have conflicting feelings for his friend Helene and the slave girl Laia. His story was my favorite part of the book. I loved his turmoiled emotions and how he sets out to do the right thing. Love triangle haters beware, this book has a double whammy of a love triangle. I really don't like love triangles. Elias has feeling for both Helene and Laia. Laia has feeling for Keenan and Elias. But Elias and Laia's emotions are more connected with the moment rather than true feelings. He likes Laia's looks and it seems to be based on that throughout the book rather than her wit. So who knows where it will lead. I love the connection between Elias and Helene and look forward to see what happens in the next book. They seemed the most perfect for each other. So the love triangle wasn't really that bad because the story is what the book is all about. Sabaa did a wonderful job weaving a realistic story in this fantasy world. It's violent with bloody scenes that make the story much more intense. I gasped. I cringed. I yelled. I was a ball of nerves. The description of the world brought to life every detail of the characters and setting. The action was non-stop and with each turn of the page some sweat gathered on my forehead with concern for Elias...oh and Laia! Sabaa did a wonderful job at this debut novel. I can't wait to see what she has next because I eagerly wait for the sequel..which we will get! Wahoo! Should you read it? YES! What are you waiting for? This masterpiece of a story is something you can't miss. You won't put it down. Trust me. It's a wonderful add to your library collection.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I really enjoyed watching the book community rally around Sabaa Tahir
*by A***) on May 12, 2015*

I was so excited to read this book! And why not? The cover is gorgeous, the plot intriguing, and oh the hype! I really enjoyed watching the book community rally around Sabaa Tahir, and quickly elevate this book to a MUST READ! But, when I finished An Ember in the Ashes I came away feeling….undecided. Did I like the book? Yes. Did it leave me with burning questions and haunt me for days after reading? No. What I liked: The Characters Sabaa Tahir did so many things well in this book. An Ember in the Ashes is written from the dual perspectives of Laia, a Scholar slave, and Elias, a Martial training to be an elite assassin. Tahir moves between their stories effortlessly. The characters are so well developed, that even if the chapters weren’t labeled accordingly, there wouldn’t be any doubt who’s POV we were reading. What I loved most was that every single character was strongly written and well fleshed out, even the secondary characters. You walked away feeling that you knew Cook, Izzy, and Keenan just as well as Elias, Helene, or Laia. The Commandant is scary guys. JUST SAYING. The World Building As a product of her environment, the world of Ember is equally as terrifying as the Commandant. The Empire Is broken into the Scholars and the Martials. The Scholars are a conquered people living under the iron rule of the Martials. The Martials train their children to be assassins, carrying out the will of the Empire. Horrifying thought, right? The only confusing part for me was that some Scholars were slaves while others lived free. But Ember’s world is so much bigger than that. We are briefly introduced to the land of Marinn and the Tribal deserts that boarder the empire as well. Tahir fills Ember with vivid imagery and expertly weaves in touches of folklore and mythology until the world becomes a living breathing thing that jumps off the page. The Romance What I found really interesting is that Tahir didn’t fall back on the expected romantic plot devices. Was there a love triangle? Kind of. It was more like a quadrangle….rectangle…. diamond? Each of the main characters had more than one love interest. Elias had Helene and Laia, but Laia had Elias and Keenan. Laia and Elias never made sense to me. I was, and still am, firmly entrenched in Camp Helene. She’s his girl, mark my words. I also liked that Tahir kept it clean. What I didn’t like: There’s not much. It was a rough read in terms of the wanton brutality of the Martial class. I can’t count how many times I read the word rape. It wasn’t a pleasant aspect of the book or the world. Tahir did a pretty good job of tying up all the loose ends while still leaving you with a WHAT HAPPENS NEXT feeling. There was only one part of the book that I didn’t feel was tied up in a neat little bow by the end. Midway through, we are introduced to a…..ally of the Commandants. She calls him by a certain title and we hear a reference to him in one of the stories told to Laia. We get the idea that this ally is the one behind the scenes, pulling the strings, yet we never really hear anything more. All and all, I did enjoy this book. I was very fond of Elias and Helene. Their strength and honor were very appealing to me, as was their tried and true friendship. The world had a brutal beauty that was equally horrifying and mesmerizing. And while it didn’t necessarily leave me wanting for more, it’s solid!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Everything I love about YA Fantasy
*by K***E on January 30, 2016*

This is what YA Fantasy should read like. An Ember in the Ashes had everything I love about YA in one fantastically gripping book. It had a dystopian society, it had a wondrous world, it had heartbreak and angst, it had strength and cunning, it had a swoon worthy romance, and a bit of paranormal sprinkled throughout. Two protagonists, Two story lines. I wasn’t sure when they would connect, but when they did it was magical. Laia’s home was just invaded by the Masks. They took her brother and killed her grandparents. Her parents are long dead after being caught and killed as rebels to the empire. Laia is on the run and catches up with the rebels to see if they could free her brother. They strike a deal and all Laia has to do is spy on the Commandant to get information. Her servitude to the Commandant is heartbreaking. Will she get enough info before getting herself killed in order to save her brother? Elias has just graduated. His next mission is to go into the trials. He will fight to become the emperor, the emperor’s second, like his mother before him, or die trying. He hates it. He is thinking of leaving. He is so disillusioned by the empire, he just wants to desert. He is caught the night before by his mentor, Cain. Forced to go through the trials, he discovers more about himself then he thought possible. Each story is gripping. Laia is a fantastic heroine. She is “normal” and very conflicted. She is beautiful and driven. She is tortured in this book and then she gets to interact with Elias. ELIAS! *sigh* I need a heroine like that. He is strong and damaged. He has a conscience and wants more for his world. He goes for the girl most likely to be complicated. They were both very developed characters. We also get a good look at their motivation. Even the secondary characters had great appeal and stories of their own. We get so much out of each person and they don’t exist just to move Elias and Laia together. Nothing is easy for these two and I loved that things don’t just magically fall into place for them. This ship is complicated. I still ship them both so hard. The world building in this book was fantastic. We get to see an ancient Rome in all its treachery through a fictional mask. Speaking of masks, their is a whole militia of them to enforce the Emperor’s rule, and Elias is the front runner in a trial for the power to rule the empire. The trials are brutal and heart wrenching. This world is full of brutality. There is child abuse and abandonment, slavery, and rape. Despite all of the dangerous aspects of this world there is this underlying feeling of hope throughout the story. It is hard for me to write a review about this book since I loved it so much.This book destroyed me. I thought I knew good writing, I was wrong. Considering An Ember in the Ashes was a debut book, I was expecting so much less. I am blown away. Bring on the sequel.

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*Last updated: 2026-01-27*