Ember in the Ashes (Tahir) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Tahir's exploration of the many ways in which we fall prey to one another, and to ourselves, strengthens the fiber of this action-driven book…There's a duality at work in An Ember in the Ashes: The novel thrusts its readers into a world marred by violence and oppression, yet does so with simple prose that can offer moments of loveliness in its clarity. This complexity makes Ember a worthy novel—and one as brave as its characters.
Marie Rutkoski - New York Times


This novel is a harrowing, haunting reminder of what it means to be human—and how hope might be kindled in the midst of oppression and fear.
Washington Post


This epic fantasy set in the Martial Empire has it all: danger and violence, secrets and lies, strong characters and forbidden romance and a touch of the supernatural.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution


Fast-paced, well-structured and full of twists and turns, An Ember in the Ashes is an evocative debut that has left me invested in knowing what happens next.
NPR


Sabaa Tahir spins a captivating, heart-pounding fantasy.
Us Weekly


An Ember in the Ashes mixes The Hunger Games with Game of Thrones...and adds a dash of Romeo and Juliet.
Hollywood Reporter


Blew me away...This book is dark, complex, vivid, and romantic—expect to be completely transported.
MTV.com


Once you get caught up in the story, it’s addictive, and there’s no way you can put it down before you figure out what happens to the characters you have fallen for over the course of the 400 some-odd pages. So I didn’t.
Bustle
 

One thing I can say for sure: this is a page-turner. There comes a moment when it's impossible to put it down. Sabaa Tahir is a strong writer, but most of all, she's a great storyteller.
Huffington Post


(Starred review.) Tahir’s deft, polished debut alternates between two very different perspectives on the same brutal world, deepening both in the contrast.... [A] tale brimming with political intrigue and haunted by supernatural forces.... [Age 14 & up.]
Publishers Weekly


Tahir's world-building is wonderfully detailed and the setting is an unusual one for fantasy novels. All of her characters, even minor ones, are fully realized..... The author doesn't pull any punches; her descriptions of torture, punishment, and battle are graphic and brutal, and her realistic depictions of the treatment of slaves include rape and physical abuse. [Gr 9 & up.] —Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ
School Library Journal


Readers may wince at the cruelty of the trials, which pose friend against friend, and require the competitors to kill others. The trials seem repetitive at times, and the heroics sometimes impossible. A fair amount of double crossing adds to the tension, but the ending is unexpectedly satisfying. [Ages 12-18.]
VOYA


Predictably, action, intrigue, bloodshed and some pounding pulses follow; there's betrayal and a potential love triangle or two as well. Sometimes-lackluster prose and a slight overreliance on certain kinds of sexual violence as a threat only slightly diminish...[this] truly engaging if not fully fleshed-out fantasy world. [Ages 13 & up.]
Kirkus Reviews