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olivialandryxo 's review for:
An Ember in the Ashes
by Sabaa Tahir
« second read, March 2018 »
CW: child abuse/murder, human trafficking, attempted rape, torture
When I read this for the first time two years ago, I found it rather average and wasn’t impressed enough to continue the series. This time around, I liked it much more. I wouldn’t consider it a favorite, but rereading was definitely worth it.
I said before that I didn’t remember anything, so it would be as if I was reading for the first time. However, as I went on, I was able to recall some details. Many of the events in the last third of the book didn’t have as big an impact on me as they might have if I’d never read it before.
In general, I found all of the characters much more likable than I did previously. Mazen, Marcus, and the Commandant can all go back to whatever hell they crawled out of, but otherwise I found myself getting attached. Laia, Elias, and Helene are all flawed characters with their own struggles and strengths, and the dynamics between them were part of what kept the story interesting. Keenan wasn’t present enough for me to really have an opinion on him, but I didn’t not like him. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Izzi is such an underrated character. When Laia met her, she’d been with the Commandant for about twelve years. She endured all sorts of horrible things, including losing an eye, yet she still went out of her way to be Laia’s friend and help her gather information for the Resistance.
I already own the second one and I’ve heard it’s better, so I‘m going to dive right in!
———
« first read, February-March 2016 »
3.5 stars
An Ember In The Ashes was a great book and I enjoyed reading it, but it didn’t quite live up to the hype that surrounds it. The resemblance to Legend was strong, Elias was kind of plain, the love square was slightly overwhelming, and there were no surprising twists. Nonetheless, I plan on picking up the sequel, A Torch Against The Night , when it releases in August. ;)
CW: child abuse/murder, human trafficking, attempted rape, torture
When I read this for the first time two years ago, I found it rather average and wasn’t impressed enough to continue the series. This time around, I liked it much more. I wouldn’t consider it a favorite, but rereading was definitely worth it.
I said before that I didn’t remember anything, so it would be as if I was reading for the first time. However, as I went on, I was able to recall some details. Many of the events in the last third of the book didn’t have as big an impact on me as they might have if I’d never read it before.
In general, I found all of the characters much more likable than I did previously. Mazen, Marcus, and the Commandant can all go back to whatever hell they crawled out of, but otherwise I found myself getting attached. Laia, Elias, and Helene are all flawed characters with their own struggles and strengths, and the dynamics between them were part of what kept the story interesting. Keenan wasn’t present enough for me to really have an opinion on him, but I didn’t not like him. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Izzi is such an underrated character. When Laia met her, she’d been with the Commandant for about twelve years. She endured all sorts of horrible things, including losing an eye, yet she still went out of her way to be Laia’s friend and help her gather information for the Resistance.
I already own the second one and I’ve heard it’s better, so I‘m going to dive right in!
———
« first read, February-March 2016 »
3.5 stars
An Ember In The Ashes was a great book and I enjoyed reading it, but it didn’t quite live up to the hype that surrounds it. The resemblance to Legend was strong, Elias was kind of plain, the love square was slightly overwhelming, and there were no surprising twists. Nonetheless, I plan on picking up the sequel, A Torch Against The Night , when it releases in August. ;)