I’m slowly working my way through my library’s fantasy collections on Overdrive, which is how I found An Ember in the Ashes, the first book of Sabaa Tahir’s YA fantasy series. My reading goals this year are to a) not buy books (only bought one so far this year!); and b) read more female fantasy writers (I made it to July without reading any dudes, and I read more than I usually do!) So, as I quite enjoy YA fantasy, I added this one to my […]
Huge case of middle book syndrome.
Project: Catch Up On Review Backlog, review #7 out of 11 This is honestly one of the worst cases of middle book syndrome I’ve ever seen. I know the first two books haven’t been everyone’s cup of tea, but I really enjoyed myself while reading them. They were fast reads with smart characters, and while utilizing some tropes, sure, Tahir also seemed to be constructing a plot using several things I’d never seen before, and that was exciting! I couldn’t really predict where she was […]
Another YA series where the protagonists will fight an evil Empire
3.5 stars Spoiler warning! Some spoilers for the early parts of the book in this review (although some of it is already spoiled in the book’s blurb). We’re back to me reviewing books I read a month ago, so Goodreads will have to help me out here: Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those that do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved […]
The best thing about this review is how by the end I completely take back everything I say in the first paragraph.
This is one of those books you enjoy while reading, but after a couple of weeks, you can’t really remember why. I’m not sure why that is. Second book syndrome, I guess. I remember for sure that I did like it, although not quite as much as I liked the first one. What can I say, I like bright, shiny new things. One thing I will say, I’m not entirely sure where this story is going, and that feels good. Tahir made a bunch of […]
An addictive page-turner
Such a fun book! The story is told through two perspectives: Laia and Elias. Laia is a slave whose grandparents were just murdered in front of her and whose brother was just arrested for treason. Laia barely makes it out alive and only has the rebels to turn to for help. In return for helping her, she makes a deal to infiltrate the Empire’s greatest military academy as a servant for the most sadistic leader working there. Elias is unhappily the school’s best soldier-in-training and […]
I can’t really review this with the detail it deserves. But trust me, it was really good.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…I went on vacation and read a bunch of wonderful books. And I am still struggling to catch up with those reviews. Sadly, the two book reviews that will suffer the most from my lack of reviewing effort are two of the best — Red Shirts by John Scalzi, and this one. A few Cannonballers have already read this (honestly, I’m shocked that this hasn’t been more of a “thing”): you can read excellent reviews from narfna and ElCicco that […]