An Ember in the Ashes takes place in a world similar to ancient Rome, but it is difficult
to pinpoint exactly the origin of this world, as I personally have not
encountered any like it. Regardless, it is a world of intrigue, of violence, of
fantasy and mythical creatures, and, so much of the time, blood-curdling horror.
The narration is divided between Laia and Elias, both with
very different roles in life. Laia is a Scholar, coming from a people that are
impoverished and often illiterate. When her grandparents are murdered and her
brother is arrested for treason, she will stop at nothing to save him. As the
child of deceased Resistance leaders, she seeks sanctuary from the organization,
dismayed to find the only way they will help her is if she accepts an
impossible bargain. She must willingly submit herself to slavery, to not only
survive brutality and humiliation but to glean whatever information she can
from her mistress, the Commandant.
Elias is the son of the Commandant and also a Mask, one of
the most respected and feared kinds of soldier. He is itching to escape from
this world, to break free and flee his life of hostility and confinement. He is
on the cusp of freedom when everything changes, when he is forced to take part
in the prophesied and bitter competition to become emperor.
The romance is a bit jumbled. Both of our narrators have
love interests aside from each other, but it is clear from the start that each
is interested in the other. This is a little disappointing, as I personally
root for the romances with the side characters, Laia with Keenan and Elias with
Helene. The lack of commitment to whom they are attracted at first led me to
think they are weak characters. But then, it was quite invigorating to realize
that this lack of monogamous attraction makes them more real than just about
any other trait could.
But let me just say that romance is not the primary focus of
this novel, and for that I applaud it. The love triangles are a nice addition
to the other, greater parts of the story. It’s a great complement to the vivid
world, to the subtle yet efficient violence, and to the rich, compelling
characters.
The best word to describe this book is evocative. Not only can you see everything and hear everything the
narrators do; not only do you appreciate the
poetic fluency with which the story is told; you also feel everything, absolutely everything. This story jumps right off
the page and drags you down into it.
You feel the desperation of Elias as struggles with his
impossible situation. You feel the physical pain of Laia’s torture. You feel
the fear and the anguish and the despair that permeates each and all of their
waking moments. You are swept away by both characters’ separate lives, but you
applaud how subtly and beautifully jointed they come to be.
The book is written with a sort of prose so eloquent that it
keeps you reading regardless of whether or not you actually like what is on the
page. The dialogue is smooth and flowing; the imagery can be seen with ease;
the story itself is paced so that it is neither overwhelming nor mundane. All
in all, this is a breathtaking experience from start to finish.
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