Bookish Collision Discord’s February readalong pick was the famous YA series starter, An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. If I remember correctly this was one of my nominations as I own a signed edition of the second book in the series and needed an incentive to actually read the book. Unfortunately for me, this one just didn’t hit the mark.
Check out my previous read 
In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation by Alexandra Vasti
Genres: FantasyPublisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: April 28, 2015
Source: Library
Format: e-book/audiobook
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.
“You are full, Laia. Full of life and dark and strength and spirit. You are in our dreams. You will burn, for you are an ember in the ashes.”
I was really excited to read this one based on all the hype I’ve seen and read about it throughout the years since its publication; but once I got into it…well I just couldn’t see the hype. The story follows our two main characters, Laia who is a slave girl literally doing anything and everything she can to rescue her brother after he was taken in a night raid that slaughtered the rest of her family; and it follows Elias, a recent graduate in the service of the Empire who so desperately wants to runaway.
Here is the thing, if this book was solely told through Laia’s POV and only her POV–I think (and emphasis on think) I would have really enjoyed this book more. Though we got a lot of world building and a different perspective of life under the Empire’s ruling, I just could not stand Elias as a character. I felt like every chapter he was in was very repetitive in what he was thinking or planning on doing (or not doing since he could never make up his mind). I wanted more from him but rather all I got were constant back and forth ponderings of whether he should kiss his best friend, Helene, or not.
The pacing was kind of awkward in the beginning, but I chalked it up to a new fantasy finding its footing. I really enjoyed the moments we had in Laia’s POV and really felt like she was the strongest voice in the story so far. Other than that, I really don’t feel like there is anything that makes this novel stand out against other fantasy series of its time. I had higher hopes for this one, and I’m just not sure if I’m invested enough to continue the series.
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