A review by bkc
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Rating: 4.5/5

I really enjoyed Parts 1 and 3 of the book but Part 2 was slower. The pacing was generally quite fast and I adored the writing style, especially the way that the lore and world building was explained. It was arranged into the writing rather than just info dumped. Also, the plot was interesting and I was invested. My issue was with one of the main characters - Laia.

Initially, I found Laia understandable but disappointingly cowardly. As the story continued, her behaviour got more irritating, from her gravitating towards the nearest guy who gave her attention, to being harsh to Helene when Helene had saved her. She also kept running off when Spiro was trying to help her. I enjoyed her growth in terms of mental strength and adapting to the war, but she needed to get a grip.

Furthermore, I didn't really enjoy her point of view because too many bad things happened to her and she wasn't strong enough for it. Izzi should have been the hero because she was incredible. Generally speaking, why did bad things only happen to the women in the book?

I hated The Resistance. They seemed dodgy from the start and were just as bad as The Martian Empire. Keenan was especially suspicious and even though he helped Laia, I didn't trust him. Cook and Spiro seemed like the only honest people to help, going as far as warning Laia about The Resistance.

Elias was amazing. His point of view was the most captivating and it was such a contrast to Laia's. I wasn't sure about how I felt about Helene though. She was clearly amazing but not as invested in those below her as Elias. She also needed to get over Elias because even though he was great, she deserved better. I just wanted to add as well that Elias' mother was a piece of work! I wondered if the Augers had already seen her downfall?

Overall, I enjoyed this book and want to see where the story goes.