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A review by deeb_reads
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
4.0
A riveting, terrifying, and hopeful story, darker and more mature than most YA.
The plot was unpredictable and surprising, including the reveals and magic. The cruelty feels real, and adds an element of anxiety to the escalating events. I liked the characters, especially Laia, because she's inexperienced and not a Mary-sue. She runs more than fights. We all like to think we'd go fearlessly into a suicide mission, but I'm pretty sure most of the time, it's not true. Helene and the
Commandant were probably my favorite characters. The Commandant is a convincing female villain, and I'm hoping we'll see more of her backstory in the second book. Overall, the female characters were the best I've seen in a while.
The thing I didn't like was the double love triangle. Blech.
The plot was unpredictable and surprising, including the reveals and magic. The cruelty feels real, and adds an element of anxiety to the escalating events. I liked the characters, especially Laia, because she's inexperienced and not a Mary-sue. She runs more than fights. We all like to think we'd go fearlessly into a suicide mission, but I'm pretty sure most of the time, it's not true. Helene and the
Commandant were probably my favorite characters. The Commandant is a convincing female villain, and I'm hoping we'll see more of her backstory in the second book. Overall, the female characters were the best I've seen in a while.
The thing I didn't like was the double love triangle.