is set in a world that is very closely related to Ancient Rome and Sparta. The protagonists are Laia and Elias, two people who both know different lives, struggles, hopes and dreams. Laia's mission is to rescue her brother by joining a group of rebels; Elias's is to be in a competition which will determine his fate and his freedom, either as emperor or as defector to the entire empire. Inititally, I didn't connect with Laia at all. I wanted her to be more aggressive, stronger. Basically, I wanted her to be what she herself wanted to be. The more that I read of her perspective though, I understood why she was not bold, wasn't obviously daring; she needed to survive and find a way that was uniquely hers. I began to actually scream at the pages, stalking back and forth to my back porch to smoke a cigarette after such intense fear, admiration and rage against her antagonists. She became in my own head like a sister or a friend whom I wanted desperately to shield from the darkness of her world. Elias grabbed me quicker than his counterpart, mostly due to his having such a complicated existence. I felt myself in awe of his loyalty which was also his Achilles' heel. Right from the beginning the action was evident and I was sucked right into the school where he was being taught to become a monster; to become much like a knife, cold and unfeeling, thoughtless and used by someone else without consciousness or guilt. My heart hurt at his loneliness and his desire to be good, really good. The mythology is totally fascinating, the setting lush, the stories gut-wrenching. I have rated it an entire five stars simply because it was so entirely captivating. I cannot wait for the sequel--seriously, I physically and emotionally cannot do it. I'm considering cryogenically freezing myself until it is released, Eric Cartman style.
Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do. But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.
The Review
I'm not going to lie, this review is going to be incredibly difficult for me. I was a little leery after reading so much hype regarding this book, and I'm usually left feeling more disappointed than satisfied when I've finished reading a book that is projected to be as amazing as this one was. To my surprise, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to wait an entire year for the next installment to this series. (Yes, there ARE going to be more!)
An Ember in the Ashes is set in a world that is very closely related to Ancient Rome and Sparta. The protagonists are Laia and Elias, two people who both know different lives, struggles, hopes and dreams. Laia's mission is to rescue her brother by joining a group of rebels; Elias's is to be in a competition which will determine his fate and his freedom, either as emperor or as defector to the entire empire.
Inititally, I didn't connect with Laia at all. I wanted her to be more agressive, stronger. Basically, I wanted her to be what she herself wanted to be. The more that I read of her perspective though, I understood why she was not bold, wasn't obviously daring; she needed to survive and find a way that was uniquely hers. I began to actually scream at the pages, stalking back and forth to my back porch to smoke a cigarette after such intense fear, admiration and rage against her antagonists. She became in my own head like a sister or a friend whom I wanted desperately to shield from the darkness of her world.
Elias grabbed me quicker than his counterpart, mostly due to his having such a complicated existence. I felt myself in awe of his loyalty which was also his Achilles' heel. Right from the beginning the action was evident and I was sucked right into the school where he was being taught to become a monster; to become much like a knife, cold and unfeeling, thoughtless and used by someone else without consciousness or guilt. My heart hurt at his loneliness and his desire to be good, really good.
The mythology is totally fascinating, the setting lush, the stories gut-wrenching. I have rated it an entire five stars simply because it was so entirely captivating. I cannot wait for the sequel--seriously, I physically and emotionally cannot do it. I'm considering cryogenically freezing myself until it is released, Eric Cartman style.
