An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1) in SpecFic Buddy Reads

Jan 17, 2019 Aqsa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, buddy-reads-read-along

Read for January Buddy Read in Buddy Reads.

Safety’s an illusion I know never to trust.

So how do I review this? This book that I devoured so quickly? That had me wishing I had started it sooner? One moment I was at Chapter 1 and the next, I was done with the book I didn't want to start! This book had me rooting for so many characters, most of them against each other. I still love them. This book had all its effects on me. And I couldn’t stop, or pause. I tried to, but I found myself reading it ag ...more

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Sep 25, 2015 Bradley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

The beginning was the most difficult time for me. I had the most horrible suspicion that we were only going to get a fantasy knock off of the Hunger Games mixed with a bit more GrimDark elements than we usually get in a YA novel.

I can't tell you just how relieved I was when it spun out of that orbit and became a rich tapestry of characters, plot twists, and an exploration of what it means to be free.

Sure, we've got a lot of budding and fraught romance elements, too, and mommy dearest was one of The beginning was the most difficult time for me. I had the most horrible suspicion that we were only going to get a fantasy knock off of the Hunger Games mixed with a bit more GrimDark elements than we usually get in a YA novel.

I can't tell you just how relieved I was when it spun out of that orbit and became a rich tapestry of characters, plot twists, and an exploration of what it means to be free.

Sure, we've got a lot of budding and fraught romance elements, too, and mommy dearest was one of those little extreme pleasures that makes my head swim with just how Evil she is, but all of that takes a distant back seat to the plot. I honestly had a hard time getting into it for the first third of the novel until right about that time when the Augers started making everyone's lives extremely difficult, and then I settled in comfortably for a nice ride.

The trials weren't too onerous, and I could sympathize well with Elias's desire to get the hell out, even if it meant becoming Emperor to do it. The fact that he was willing to give up everything in order to NOT cross that line just made him a real hero in my eyes, no matter how horrible the consequences. I really liked Helene. She had her own cross to bear, and it was no less interesting than Elias's, and the revelation of that one was both a comfort and a delicious source of pain we can revisit endlessly in the upcoming novels.

Laia also came into her own nicely, and it wasn't a moment too soon. Her story was merely becoming a long line of abused trust and a strange orbiting of Elias. The moment she got her agency and took control over her life was the moment I fairly cheered aloud, much to the consternation of my little daughter, who thought I had stubbed my toe.

Perhaps I had, but I had stubbed my toe on the entire book. It was painful some of the time, and definitely annoying at the beginning, but it certainly made me perk up and pay attention to where I was going afterwards.

I'll just say one thing. MAGIC IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. I loved all the hints and the history of it, though, and the old stories were some of the best in the entire novel. It's a lighthouse for the future of the story, I bet. In the meantime, let's see where this little ember of a revolution will take us, shall we? ...more

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Sep 13, 2015 Emma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, fantasy

First time round I couldn’t finish this book and gave it a 2 star rating. This time it’s 5 stars. I guess I just wasn’t in the mood when I first picked this up! What persuaded me to try again? You did- all the Goodreads friends who consistently gave this book a high rating. I felt you couldn’t all be wrong. And you weren’t. I really loved it this time- Elias, Laia, Helene, Issy, Cook, the Commandant were well fleshed out characters. The shadow world I hope to hear more about, also the fate of th ...more

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Oct 07, 2015 Justine rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015-read

3.5 stars

I liked, but did not love this one, which is surprising since this is usually the type of book that is easy for me to love.

There was nothing wrong with the story or the characters or the writing, except for the fact that it was all just OK. Nothing really stood out for me as particularly exciting or fresh, but, that may be due more to the fact that I just finished reading Cuckoo Song, which was brilliant, and that has unfortunately had the effect of making this book pale by comparison. ...more

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Feb 15, 2018 Lata rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: bipoc-actor, x2018-read, auth-f, kids-and-ya, sf-f-h, bipoc-author

I skimmed the remainder of this book after enduring the first two thirds; I couldn’t take anymore of Vittorius (or whatever his name is) or the other aspirants and soldiers-in-training, and the constant threat of rape by most of the male characters. The writing wasn’t particularly enjoyable either, though I did like the development of Laia’s and Izzy’s friendship. I want Laia to succeed in getting her brother back, but, I can’t be bothered to read any further instalments in this series.

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Jun 07, 2015 Robyn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015

This was one I wasn't sure I'd like but I found it very readable. I may just not have read the relevant books, but I found the story-line unique - sure, there's romantic attraction between people who shouldn't like each other, and the Roman-inspired setting isn't entirely new, nor the idea of Trials, but somehow it didn't all feel familiar. I liked the main characters and I am itching to know how this will resolve. ...more

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Jun 07, 2015 Helen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Listening to others I can see the resemblance to Red Rising and Potter, however these didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story.

There are some brutal scenes here, we're talking dark people! There are also some very light romantic moments and edge of seat peril.

I stayed up over an hour after bedtime to finish despite an early train journey today. ...more

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Jun 24, 2014 Amber (Books of Amber) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

reread in 2021!

Review from 2015:

An Ember in the Ashes completely hooked me with that synopsis. After hearing about a book set in a Rome-like world, I had my eyes set on it and I waited eagerly for its release. I’m happy to say that An Ember in the Ashes didn’t disappoint.

My favourite thing about the book was the world building. I’m a giant sucker for anything related to ancient history, and Ancient Rome is one of my favourite things ever. An Ember in the Ashes didn’t disappoint in terms of the f reread in 2021!

Review from 2015:

An Ember in the Ashes completely hooked me with that synopsis. After hearing about a book set in a Rome-like world, I had my eyes set on it and I waited eagerly for its release. I’m happy to say that An Ember in the Ashes didn’t disappoint.

My favourite thing about the book was the world building. I’m a giant sucker for anything related to ancient history, and Ancient Rome is one of my favourite things ever. An Ember in the Ashes didn’t disappoint in terms of the fantasy world in which it is set. There are Martials, an Emperor, terrible laws, a segregated society… everything I wanted. The only thing I could have wished for is more. More of everything, please.

The pacing was also fantastic. An Ember in the Ashes is one of those books that you don’t realise you’re flying through until you reach the end. You could pick this one up anywhere and get hooked into the story straight away. It was such a thrilling read and I couldn’t put it down for long.

The characters weren’t, in my opinion, particularly stand-out, although they were good enough. An Ember in the Ashes is told from two points of view: Laia’s and Elias’. Laia is a girl whose brother has been taken by Martials, and in order to get him back she has to become a slave and spy on the Commandant. This is where she meets Elias, a young man who’s training to become a Mask – one of the elite. What Laia has to go through during this book is sad and, at times, horrific. I felt so sorry for her, but I loved that she kept a strong mind and stuck to what she needed to do.

As for Elias, I connected with him a lot less than I did with Laia. He’s not exactly a spoilt brat, but he’s a favourite at the Academy and this makes his life slightly easier. That said, he does have a complicated childhood and I feel a bit sorry for the guy. But overall he was just an okay character that I didn’t mind reading about, but I didn’t love either.

I’m really looking forward to the recently announced sequel (you took your sweet time, Penguin) because I want to see more of this world and the powers that the characters are just discovering. Everything has changed after that ending, so I’m interested to see where this series goes next. While An Ember in the Ashes wasn’t quite the story of revolution that I was expecting, I’m hoping the series gets more intense and in-depth as it goes on. ...more

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Jul 09, 2015 Amanda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.5 rounded up to 4. Slow start then had some really good parts a couple of things that happened at the end held it back from being a true 4 star but I enjoyed it enough to look forward to the next one.

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Sep 10, 2020 Susy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, fantasy

4.5 stars
A month has passed and still I'm not sure whether to round it up to 5 stars or down to 4. I truly liked the story: it has action, unlikable bad guys, dubious characters, mysterious characters, nice MCs, even the female MC isn't as annoying as they usually are in YA fantasy books. It was a fast read and I'm really looking forward to reading the next instalment. Hmm, I guess this means I will be rounding it up ;) ...more

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Oct 11, 2015 Juliana rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-sent-to-me-by-justine

3 1/2 stars.

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Mar 14, 2019 Dayna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Loved this book! Wasn't sure of Laia at first, too timid for me, but I'm glad I stuck with her. She embraced her inner badass. Also adored the crap out of Elias. Knew he was going to be my favorite. And Izzy as well. As for Helene, well, it was a toss up. I like her character, like how she's written. She might just beat out Laia and Elias as my absolute favorite. Heck, I love them all. Can't wait to read the next book! ...more

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