Mariam's Reviews > An Ember in the Ashes

Reread: 10/6/18
Reread: 11/19/17

"What about our destinies? Our souls?"
"They took our souls a long time ago, Elias."

A fantasy/dystopian version of the brutal Roman Empire makes for a unique, thrilling novel- a lovely change from the typical YA books that seem to plague the shelves. Although An Ember in the Ashes is not A Game of Thrones vicious, it is certainly lacking the light-hearted, comic relief scenes that are incorporated in most books.

This does not take away from the delicately crafted world-building and plot; action scenes take place only when needed and do not overwhelm the stories like some YA books *cough.*

Emboldened, I reach out and pull at the edge of his mask. I want to see the face of the boy I've speaking to all night, not the Mask I always thought he was. So I pull harder, and the mask falls into my hands with a hiss. The back is bent into sharp spikes wet with blood.

Elias and Laia's slow burn romance resembles the dynamics of Day and June's relationship from Legend. Although the book progresses a little too hastily, each scene was invigorating and I found myself unable to put the book down. On the downside, there is a love square. Yes, you heard me right. UGH.