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.
An Ember in the Ashes is one of those books that you can't put down.
With compelling world building and engaging characters, this story will guide you through love, loss, joy, pain, and so much more. There are exciting reveals, with the perfect amount of surprise and foreshadowing, and heartbreaking revelations, rich in emotion, along with making everything feel that much more alive.
All in all, a fantastic book.
We recommend this series for 16+, as it depicts sex, violence, and mentions & attempts of rape.
-Crow
An Ember in the Ashes is told from the perspectives of Laia and Elias.
Laia is a Scholar, a nation of people conquered and currently ruled by the Martial Empire. Under their iron-fisted rule, rebellion is met with death, and with the Martial's Serric Steel—a metal stronger than normal steel—there's no way to fight back. But then Laia's brother, Darin, is found with the diagrams showing how to create the metal. He is arrested, their grandparents are killed, and with no other family, Laia is on the streets (this is literally the first chapter I'm not kidding). She's forced to turn to the Scholar Rebellion for help, once led by her parents before they were caught and killed. After some convincing, Laia is sent to spy as a slave in the best military academy. In return, the rebels will help her break Darin out of prison. This girl has had a rough life, and boy oh boy it's only going to get worse.
Elias is training to become a Mask—the highest and most lethal warrior in the Martial Empire. Training at their military academy, Blackcliff, Elias is the best of his class. He's also the son of the Commandant of said academy, but he bares little resemblance to her and even less emotional attachment. Set to graduate the next day he has a very dark secret. He doesn't really like being a Mask...or killing....or the Martial Empire. In fact, he plans on deserting, but the night before the ceremony, a mystical Augur—one of twelve, who Elias previously believed didn't have any magical ability whatsoever—creeps Elias out enough that he stays through the entire ceremony the following morning. Luckily he did because now he knows that a set of trials will take place to choose the next emperor (as the old one is 70 and has no kids). Even more lucky, Elias is chosen as one of the four contestants, along with his best friend Helene, and twins Marcus and Zak whom he hates. The only reason he stays around is that the emperor has a right-hand man, The Blood Shrike, who will also be chosen in the ceremony. The best part? they can be honorably discharged. No running for the rest of his life. Elias's plan is for Helene to win, him to be Blood Shrike, then be honorably discharged. Nothing could go wrong...right?
This book isn't afraid to make you feel horribly powerless, depressed, angry, miserable, may I go on? Through the rich storytelling, the perfect reveals, and deep lore, this is definitely a book to read.
I will admit it doesn't feel much different than other YA Fantasies. It has a unique plot, but a unique plot in the way that most in this genre do. A different combination of the same ingredients in a new package. Regardless, the story is still intriguing, and the characters are more so. there's a large amount of character growth and change throughout the story, truly feeling making these characters feel like real people.
My personal favorite character is Helene, previously stated as Elias's best & childhood friend. While, on the surface, she seems to serve the purpose of a love interest (I still can't get over the relationship/love triangles in this series) in book one, there's still a deeper struggle between what she's been brought up to believe about Martials and what is right. This conflict continues throughout the series, along with her unwillingness to open up to Avikas (wonderful love interest #2, also brother to Elias. She...has a type.) Her character growth is realistic and beautifully written.
With a satisfyingly bittersweet ending to A Sky Beyond the Storm, I would say this is a worthwhile four-book read. Just be prepared to feel the feels.