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.
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.
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Find An Ember in the Ashes Sabaa Tahir in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
Find An Ember in the Ashes Sabaa Tahir in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
3 books in catalog
High-stakes worldbuilding and intense character dynamics define the high-fantasy novel An Ember in the Ashes, a bestselling debut that launched an internationally acclaimed young adult fantasy series translated into over thirty-five languages. Sabaa Tahir reached #1 on The New York Times bestseller list with this epic fantasy saga, becoming the first Pakistani-American fantasist to reach the YA list.
Beyond her fantasy writing, her contemporary fiction has earned major literary honors, including the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for her novel All My Rage.
Tahir grew up in California's Mojave Desert, living at her family's eighteen-room motel off the main road in an isolated town. She spent much of her childhood devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother's comic book stash, and playing guitar badly. She attended UCLA, interning at The Washington Post during her college years, and later worked nights as a newspaper editor at The Washington Post.
It was during her night shifts as a newspaper editor that she began writing An Ember in the Ashes. Becoming a professional author in 2015 following its publication, Tahir expanded the story into a four-book series and published contemporary fiction. Her non-fiction reviews and essays have appeared in publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Vox. Outside of writing, she enjoys thunderous indie rock, garish socks, and all things nerd.
Drawing from her background in journalism and her upbringing in a desert motel, Tahir combines fast-paced narrative action with nuanced explorations of trauma, resilience, and personal identity. Her fantasy books portray military empires and systemic oppression, examining the moral choices individuals face under tyranny.
In her contemporary work, she draws on personal history to portray the Pakistani-American immigrant experience, grief, and family ties. Her work has received recognition across major media lists, including spots on TIME Magazine's lists of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time and 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time.
3 books in catalog
High-stakes worldbuilding and intense character dynamics define the high-fantasy novel An Ember in the Ashes, a bestselling debut that launched an internationally acclaimed young adult fantasy series translated into over thirty-five languages. Sabaa Tahir reached #1 on The New York Times bestseller list with this epic fantasy saga, becoming the first Pakistani-American fantasist to reach the YA list.
Beyond her fantasy writing, her contemporary fiction has earned major literary honors, including the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for her novel All My Rage.
Tahir grew up in California's Mojave Desert, living at her family's eighteen-room motel off the main road in an isolated town. She spent much of her childhood devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother's comic book stash, and playing guitar badly. She attended UCLA, interning at The Washington Post during her college years, and later worked nights as a newspaper editor at The Washington Post.
It was during her night shifts as a newspaper editor that she began writing An Ember in the Ashes. Becoming a professional author in 2015 following its publication, Tahir expanded the story into a four-book series and published contemporary fiction. Her non-fiction reviews and essays have appeared in publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Vox. Outside of writing, she enjoys thunderous indie rock, garish socks, and all things nerd.
Drawing from her background in journalism and her upbringing in a desert motel, Tahir combines fast-paced narrative action with nuanced explorations of trauma, resilience, and personal identity. Her fantasy books portray military empires and systemic oppression, examining the moral choices individuals face under tyranny.
In her contemporary work, she draws on personal history to portray the Pakistani-American immigrant experience, grief, and family ties. Her work has received recognition across major media lists, including spots on TIME Magazine's lists of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time and 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time.
An Ember in the Ashes
An Ember in the Ashes
