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ashleywithrow

The Never-Ending Bookshelf

I was born with a reading list I will never finish.

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Daughter of Dusk (Midnight Thief)
Livia Blackburne
Empire of Shadows
Miriam Forster

An Ember in the Ashes

An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir

Holy jumping Jesus!  This was phenomenal!  I loved every aspect of this book.

 

The opening sequence sucked me in immediately and I was lost in the world of this book from that point forward.  I became totally invested in the characters and loved following this journey with them.  I am truly impressed with Sabaa Tahir.

 

Elias was a wonderful character.  He was strong and powerful while still holding his humanity.  Unlike some lead characters he wasn't a total ass the entire time and then suddenly tried to become likable.  He was torn throughout the book in a realistic way that made him more likable and relatable. 

 

Helene was a great female character.  Most female characters are written as weaklings and treated as props to move male story-lines forward.  Hel, however, was solid and independent.  Even when her feminine side is being shown it doesn't weaken her characters strength and doesn't undermine how dangerous she can be.

 

Laia was a fantastic character for me.  Her behavior was relatable and fit the story-line and her history well.  I thought the connection between her and Elias was well written and didn't overshadow the overall plot.  The connection with Keenan seemed one of survival rather than true feeling for Laia.  They were similar so they connected but her connection with Elias is far more interesting for me.

 

Keenan, Izzi, and Cook were all worthwhile characters for me as well.  Commandant is terrifying in a way that Marcus could never be and was a great addition to the cast.  I honestly cannot think of a character that I didn't like or that didn't belong in the story.

 

The Augurs!  Wow....what a creepy bunch of super powerful beings.  I loved the weaving of supernatural elements throughout the plot and the Augurs were a huge part of that.

 

I am really hoping this becomes a series.  Immediately after finishing this I started to wonder about the next steps for these characters.  I would absolutely read any follow up that Sabaa Tahir produces.  

 

Fantastic work!