Overview:
Title: An Ember in the Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Published: February 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Themes: Family, Destiny
One sentence summary: Set in a world of twisted empires and rulings, two strangers become destined to change the fate of the empire.
One sentence review: This quote sums up my experience perfectly: “Trapped in a pocket of unending violence”.
Review:
Laia is desperate for any information on her brother and will do anything to save him. Even if it means going undercover to a place not many leave alive.
Elias was not meant for the path set before him, but deserting all he’s known is punishable by death. Is it worth it for his freedom?
Set in a world of twisted empires and rulings, two strangers become destined to change the fate of the empire.
What to say about this book that hasn’t been said? This was a lot of fun to get stuck into, but I think the best way to describe my feelings while reading this book is that quote above.
With a slow start, it sucks you in slowly until its claws are buried deep and you can’t put it down for fear of what you might be missing on the pages.
There’s violence and hurt by the bucketload, but there’s defiance and determination for a better world and that’s what we hold onto.
If you like your fantasy set in unjust worlds, with some dark academia backgrounds, with twists and turns and something that doesn’t shy away from brutality, this one’s for you.
Have you read this one? This series? Let me know?
If you’d like to get yourself a copy, you can support local bookshops and my work while doing so on Bookshop.org for the physical copy with this link here or on audio with Libro.fm for the audiobook here.
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And don’t forget to check out my other blogs and reviews – you can find books with similar themes in the same folder link below, or click back onto blogs to see the whole offering.
Last updated 02/11/2026
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