An ember in the ashes by Sabaa Tahir, thought bank book review (Spoilers)

Honestly, why do I even tell you lot that this contains spoilers when I've never written a non-spoiler blog in my life. They're so boring, like who even cares about writing style when we can talk about that sex scene between our favourite enemies to lovers ship? If you actually considered that question, find another teenage blogger who has some etiquette or you know, taste, this blog is not for you my dear. 

 Dear reader, 

After recently finishing the throne of glass series I thought it was time to allow myself to start a new series. Scanned my shelf (yes I have a whole shelf of unstarted series's, yes I have a problem, yes we have established this, you must be new!) and saw this book and was reminded of when I was brought this book. I was on a day trip up to Brighton in which I spent half of in their brilliant Waterstones buying unnecessary purchases! Where I was lucky enough to meet a gorgeous lad who yes, turned out to be gay, but was also my soul sister. After I told him how great the book he was holding was (illuminae) and he told me I needed to buy the one I was holding (city of Brass) as he was on the 3rd book and he and his boyfriend were loving it, we talked for about an hour and he ended up, the absolute sweetheart, buying me this book with his Waterstones points, claiming it was one of his favourites. In memory of my lovely mate, who since that faithful day I have not seen or talked too, I decided to pick it up. Unnamed gorgeous Brighton boy, this blog is dedicated to you. 

First off, oh my gosh this book just reminded me of everything. For about 100 pages every character reminded me of one in Six of Crows and I was desperate to re-read it. I remember this brief thought because I have a WHOLE PAGE listing character links and my theory of Helene being Matthias's long lost daughter. I think I just don't remember I have to actually read this shit when I write the review haha. Not only that but it really reminded me of Scythe, when they had to do the trial where Zack dies, the trial Goddard sets up for Rowan where they all have to die- but they get revived! I expected the Aurors to bring everyone back or it to be a simulation. That was one of my favourite scenes, and also made me really sad. There are about four books in this series, and I thought after finishing ACOWAR that I'd found my new inner circle with Dex and the rest of the lads! Well, I was mistaken as about six of them died in one paragraph in the first book. Talk about depressing. I have a lot of questions about the Aurors. One, are they related to the Jinn? When we discussed them both them seemed oddly similar, but then obviously we think the Jinn are dead so probably wrong about that ah, me and my bloody theories. And two, oh my god why are they literally the Volturi!? Before you tell me I'm wrong, think about it... I know right?! The Volturi always freaked me out and the Aurors are bloody terrifying too, but also kind of cool. Cain is LITERALLY Scythe Curie. Again before you tell me I'm wrong... I KNOW RIGHT!!??

This book is sort of like the first throne of glass book, how we have these trials and we might the kind of main three or four characters and just get a hint of something much bigger that's wrong like the eye of Elena and in this, the Nightbringer. Last link up I promise, Marcus really reminded me of Cardan’s friend in The Cruel Prince, I can’t remember his name, but I really pictured them as the same person. It is sort of strange that I considered this book to have lots of links with all these books when really those books have nothing in common and this world is based on the Roman Empire. Ah, me and my bloody theories. 

A trial with this book was when I finished I had that massive question, of who do I even ship? Do I ship anyone? The pre-kiss scenes and the kiss scenes were fabulous for this book, they left me right on my toes they did. We had a big old love pentagon in this book, and most of the time I didn't really understand why Elias and Laia were so bothered about each other when they each had a really significant other, their ship felt quite forced in this first book. Okay, okay, who else is predicting Izzi and Keenan get together in the next book? It's such a Lorcan and Elide situation! I can't wait. 

This book was bloomin' confusing with its characters titles, the Commandment was referred to as Sir which kept throwing because, you know, my brain is that easily thrown. I would of been hopeless with an audiobook. The whole book definitely grew on me more towards the end, as I just really fancied Elias for the first half and wondered why we had to follow Laia when Elias was so damn interesting and sexxayyy. God, aren't I just the most profesh book reviewer ever?

The first time I really was like ‘Yes bitch, you go girl.’ Was when she didn’t get on the boat when Keenan told her too. I felt like that was a bit of a Volta for her as she finally did something that wasn’t dictated by a man.

I am so excited to see Helene’s journey as blood shrike, I think it will be so interesting and hopefully watch her destroy scummy Marcus when she realises he’s got an invisible WYRDCOLLAR ON.

You know what felt highly irrelevant? Finding out Zack loved Helene, I’m sorry, was this ever previously hinted at? Pretty sure it wasn’t, seemed like a pretty big declaration for something we never mentioned ever again. Other than that, I really liked how most of the time our characters didn’t just have those classic miraculous self-discovery moments were they realise everything is just so WRONG! Those ‘my whole life is a LIE!’ Moments just bore me because that’s not how It works. The only characters that experienced self-conflict in this book had a known and developed backstory that made this probable and it still is shown that it took them a while to get where they are on this matter. A good example of what I’m getting at here is with Helene, she doesn’t just fall in love with Elias and then completely abandon everything she’s ever stood for, the inner conflict is clear and not forced. For me, this made her believable and a really lovable character.

I also liked that we saw both sides of the revolution and both sides of the empire. I always think having a clear villain and a clear hero is a trope that we should move past by now, it always makes for a better book when you believe in both of your side’s causes. However, I didn’t feel this way about Elias’s mother. When we have that slight heart to heart with her in the cell, I don’t think we really got a clear enough explanation why she’s the psychotic way she is.

But who gives a shit about the commandment when we have the question of who the FORK is cook? This bugged me way more than it should have, this question we never got the answer for. I had two theories one of which is not a complete shit storm; I toyed with the idea that Cook was Laia’s mother, but this didn’t have enough evidence or sense to it so my newww theory is that Cook was the Lioness’s lesbian lover that she left for her husband. Alright, alright it’s not great but her hate for Laia’s mother seemed like the kind of hate that only emerges from a really intense love.

When we found out Helene was fuckin’ repunzel, with her healing singing voice, honestly I was like what is this Disney princess trash? But I suppppooosssse it could be interesting. I wonder if she can bring people back from the dead?! Sing a bit of thriller on the battlefield and have a whole colony of un-living start doing the dance behind her, now that’s a thought. It did give her character a softer edge, but I was enjoying how badass she was. I wish she could sing people to death, that’s a bit more Helene, and we can be sisters because I also possess that talent.

Gooood, who else hated Elias a little bit every time he said some dumb shit like ‘Oh my goyssshh, I forgoyyt she had a vaginnaaaa’ Oh F off Elias. He literally would say that anytime she wasn’t being a stone-cold bitch. Of course, she’s a girl, girls don’t say stupid shit like that. Helene was such a badass, she’s my new Manon Blackbeak, I’ve decided. 

Did anyone notice we got a copy of the Blackcliff map? I thought that was a nice touch since we know there’s no real map of Blackcliff. We have the ppppooowwweeerrr. A fault of this book, which is a common fault in most first instalments in fantasy books was we got handed most of the information. We never had to work hard to get any of our key information and we got told most of what we needed to know. I understand it’s hard enough to build a world in 450 pages but being handed it on a plate always makes us feel a little less at home in this new world. I think it’s important for authors to realise that if their story is worth their reader's patience, we won’t mind taking our time to explore that world and writing that drags out the world-building so it’s more of a long adventure than a textbook explanation is always worth waiting for.

One thing that I really want to see in the next book, which I’m not too sure we will but would be very interesting indeed; more point of views as our characters split off. Some of the ones I want to see:

-The Commandments, as I mentioned I don’t completely understand her character yet, I think this way we could really get a look at the inner workings and understand her more.

-Izzi and Keenan’s on their journey, I neeeeeeed to see that so bad.

-Helene on her journey as Blood Shrike, I don’t really get what the role entails so I’m very curious about what she’s going to have to do.

-DARIN! We hear so much about Darin but barely see him and I think we would be a great addition once we bust his ass outa Kauf.

And Obviously continuing watching the sexay tenssshhiooon between Elias and Laia through their POV’s.

Overall, this book was enjoyable, the ideas were fresh, and it was a great fantasy concept and structure for what I can imagine will be a fantastic series. I can’t imagine myself reading the next one anytime soon however, I would like to continue with the series. I can sense its potential, especially surrounding the little we know about the Nightbringer and the Commandments plan to control Marcus and the Uprising. Lots of questions mean lots of Possibilities, I’m excited to see where it goes…

I’m currently reading Pride and Prejudice in English and Aurora Burning which I will probably do a bit of a flash review of later this week.

Until next time,

Issy

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