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 end of the school year is coming and I have more work to do than I can even imagine, but guess what, Lara has just found herself a new book to obsess over. I’m practically dead after finishing this, thanking every mysterious force that made me pick this book up just now cause it pulled me out from a big slump that has bothered me for a time. Tahir’s work was a novelty for me, but I didn’t get to a third of this book when I realized how talented and brilliant of an author she is. Every single aspect, from the world building to character development, left me wordless and impressed me utterly and completely – I don’t think words can describe my absolute love for this world I have just started to know. I think these books are on a road to becoming one of my favorites xd


So, what is An Ember in the Ashes about?

Tahir’s story is set in a high fantasy universe in the time of The Empire’s rule. Scholars are the ancient people enslaved and oppressed by the Martials (The Empire). Martials are led by their Emperor fro the line of Taius, and his Blood Shrike by his side. The Augurs are 14 holy Marital men and women who are considered to be immortal and counsel the Emperor, but they have another role: Namely, a prophecy has said that the dynasty of Taius will fail and the Emperor will be killed, so Augurs founded a school for warriors at the Blackcliff – the Masks. They are the chosen, taken from their families at the age of 6 to be trained, hoping they can survive to serve the Empire, or maybe one day, be worthy enough to compete in the Trials and become the next great Emperor.

Helena and Elias are two of the four most promising Masks in Blackcliff. They both have their secrets to hide and problems to solve, but they become way more serious when the Emperor is murdered and they’re elected to be contestants in the first ever Trials.

Laia was a Scholar girl, living perfectly fine with her brother and grandparents. Well, until a bunch of Masks invades her home, kills her grandparents and imprisons her brother. She manages to escape and finds herself in the Resistance (a group of Scholars working against the Empire) quarters asking for their help. She can get that help, under one condition: she is to go undercover, and spy on the possibly the most dangerous person alive – the Commandant of the Blackcliff.

Characters

Character development was by far the most amazing thing this book has to offer. I mean, if you want to have your mind blown, your heart ripped apart then put back together than shredded in a blender of confusion and angst, then this is a perfect book for you. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with such a deep and thorough character that left me speechless since Bardugho’s Six of Crows. The sheer complexity of their personalities and interrelationships takes all characters on a level where it is practically impossible not to relate with every one of them in some aspect of their past and actions.

Elias

Elias Veturius embodies a perfect mix of strength and innocence. He is Commandant’s bastard son but was raised in Tribe Saif as Mamie Rila’s foster son, and one of them. He has known love and family for the first six years of his life until he was dragged and taken for education as a Mask in Blackcliff. Although he is one of Empire’s most promising students, for years he has had nothing on his mind but escapes. Things he has done as a Mask haunt him and he despises the idea of being a tool for oppressing conquered people, no matter the honor and power it would bring him, and his family. Elias has always understood injustice and Empire’s wrongdoing, but at the time of his escape comes closer, he has trouble hiding his disdain towards Empire from his comrades, and more importantly, his best friend. I just love him so much, ugh just his purity and unselfishness and steady courage make him the biggest cinnamon roll ever.

Laia

Although I usually have very little tolerance towards weaklings, Laia did a complete glow up, from frightened Scholar girl to badass Resistance spy. She grew her courage from infinite love for her family, that desire to save her brother. She was tortured, used and manipulated for months, but she endured it silently and did sacrifice everything to make up for her biggest mistake – leaving her brother behind. *spoiler* I don’t know how she can become invisible but I can’t wait to find out.

Helena

Helena Aquilla doesn’t even have a POV but she completely stole the show. Her blind loyalty to the Empire despite its flaws make her a really complex character; she does everything for the Empire, but not for the enslaving and problematic one, but the one she believes in and want’s to create. Her friendship and later love, for Elias take a big part of her character, especially her willingness to do anything for him, and the pain of knowing he never loved her. There is a constant conflict inside her, a constant flow of impossible choices, her family of the Empire, Elias or being a mask… She is definitely the most tragic, but also the most badass and complex person. I love her uwu she deserves to be happy.




Love triangles – love square?

I used to be pretty skeptical towards any kind of love triangle, that is, until I read some of the newer YA triangles with well-developed characters and no pathetic drama. Tahir’s characters are all so complex, that even mutual chemistry and two love interest aren’t annoying, but rather make things more interesting and intense. I definitely know who I’m rooting for, although I can’t neglect the obvious chemistry between Laia and Elias. But instead of using love triangles to create drama and conflict, Tahir only deepens interrelationships and makes my love for all characters stronger.

Laia and Keenan are cute, but I don’t particularly care for them, where on the other side Helena and Elias are so perfect. That long friendship turned into strong love from Helena’s side, but Elias still does not have any feelings for her because he never got the chance to parts of her that aren’t just Empire’s pet and a loyal mask. So much cuteness and angst agh they’re going to be the end of me.