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An Ember in the Ashes

By: Sabaa Tahir
Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham, Steve West
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Editorial reviews

Editors Select, April 2015 - Violence and secrecy allow for a startling and gripping start to Sabaa Tahir's debut novel

An Ember in the Ashes. Tahir's YA epic fantasy tale has been receiving a lot of incredible advance praise from some pretty impressive authors (such as Brandon Sanderson), I just had to see if it lived up to the hype. I was not disappointed. Tahir's original world-building matches the talent of seasoned authors, and the higher-stakes Romeo and Juliet narrative at the core of her book is heart-wrenching and captivating. Told from the alternating perspectives of Laia, an orphan on the run, and Elias, a soldier,

An Ember in the Ashes fills a void in the YA fantasy canon we didn't know we had.

--Katie, Audible Editor

Publisher's summary

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It's a story that's literally burning to be told.

Laia is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire's greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim they will help to save her brother from execution.

Elias is the academy's finest soldier - and secretly its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he's ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias' paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.

©2015 Sabaa Tahir (P)2015 Listening Library

Critic reviews

Named one of the best books of the year by:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

The Wall Street Journal

Buzzfeed

LA Weekly

Bustle

Paste Magazine

Indigo

Suspense Magazine

The New York Public Library

Popsugar

Hypable

“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] 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.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“Sabaa Tahir spins a captivating, heart-pounding fantasy.” (Us Weekly)

Featured Article: Books Like Game of Thrones—Best Epic Fantasy Books & Series


It's time to branch out and find some new material to fill that dragon-shaped hole in your listening life. If you liked Game of Thrones, these epic fantasy books are your next best listen. Some are standalone novels, some are the start of a new series, and others are the first in a completed series. Oh, and they're all excellent. And as Tyrion Lannister said, "... a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge."

Editor's Pick

The start of a mesmerizing series
"Violence and secrecy allow for a startling and gripping start to Sabaa Tahir's debut novel An Ember in the Ashes. The high-stakes Romeo and Juliet narrative at the core of this series—told from the alternating perspectives of Laia, an orphan on the run, and Elias, a soldier—is heart-wrenching and captivating. Fiona Hardingham and Steve West deliver gorgeous performances—despite the tension of this world, I could listen to them all day (and on many days, I have) "
Katie O., Audible Editor