An Ember in the Ashes

BOOK ONE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES

One of Time Magazine's 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time
One of Time Magazine's 100 Best YA Books of All Time
Instant New York Times bestseller
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir
Amazon's Best Young Adult Book of 2015
People's Choice Award winner - Favorite Fantasy
Bustle's Best Young Adult Book of 2015

"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." -- The Washington Post

"An Ember in the Ashes could launch Sabaa Tahir into JK Rowling territory...It has the addictive quality of The Hunger Games combined with the fantasy of Harry Potter and the brutality of Game of Thrones."--Public Radio International

An Ember in the Ashes glows, burns, and smolders--as beautiful and radiant as it is searing.--Huffington Post

"A worthy novel - and one as brave as its characters." --The New York Times Book Review

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.

Author: Sabaa Tahir
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: 04/28/2015
Pages: 464
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.50lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.30w x 1.60d
ISBN: 9781595148032
Audience: Young Adult

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5
Point Value: 19
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 173347 / Ember in the Ashes


Award: Tayshas Reading - Commended


Review Citation(s):
School Library Journal 01/01/2015 pg. 116
Booklist 01/01/2015 pg. 88
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2015
Publishers Weekly 02/02/2015
Romantic Times 05/01/2015 pg. 58 - Very Good
Shelf Awareness 05/05/2015
New York Times Book Review 05/10/2015 pg. 25
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 06/01/2015
Voice of Youth Advocates 08/01/2015 - Recommended - Better Than Most
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2015 pg. 141 - Recommended, Satisfactory
PW Children's Starred Reviews 12/02/2015 pg. 101

About the Author
Sabaa Tahir grew up in California's Mojave Desert at her family's eighteen-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother's comic book stash, and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks, and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.

For more information, please visit Sabaa at SabaaTahir.com or on Twitter @SabaaTahir.