"An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

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 finest soldier - and secretly, it's 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 willl change the fate of the Empire itself.

THIS BOOK.

Oh my gosh, I loved it so much. I've heard a lot of hype about this book and I'm so glad that it lived up to all of it. I really didn't know much about the story itself going in which I think helped since everything was still a surprise. And I'm going to keep this review as spoiler free as possible going forward so that all of y'all who haven't read this can go do that.

Because it's so worth reading! The story is fast paced and gets going very quickly. The characters are interesting. But what I loved the most was the world! I'm slightly obsessed with ancient Rome in books so a world inspired by it is basically my favorite thing. Plus, who doesn't love a good evil empire? It's a good trope for a reason.

I'm such a sucker for a resitance and an evil power. Plus, lurking ancient evil!? I'm obsessed with this story already and I can tell that it's only the start of what promises to be a pretty epic adventure. Luckily, the next two books are out and I cannot wait to read them!

Overall, I loved the story, the characters and the world. I can't wait to see more of it in the next couple of books. It's a good read for those who enjoy YA fantasy with elements of ancient rome, some magic and the classic evil empire.

Rating: 5 stars