Book Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

 Book title: An Ember in the Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Genre: YA Fantasy
Published: April 28, 2015
446 pages
My rating: 3/5

“There are two kinds of guilt. The kind that’s a burden and the kind that gives you purpose. Let your guilt be your fuel. Let it remind you of who you want to be. Draw a line in your mind. Never cross it again. You have a soul. It’s damaged but it’s there. Don’t let them take it from you.”

Seventeen-year-old Laia knows not to defy the Martial Empire that has occupied her land—she has already lost her parents because of the Empire. But when her brother is arrested for treason, she turns to a group of rebels to ask for their help to free him. In exchange, she promises to spy for the rebels within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, she meets Elias, who is training to become an elite soldier, but who is secretly planning for his escape.

An Ember in the Ashes is the first book in Sabaa Tahir’s young adult fantasy series. I listened to this book as an audio book, and it significantly affected my experience. I found the writing of this book (it’s Tahir’s debut novel) clunky and full of clichés. I’m sure that if I had been reading the book, it wouldn’t have bothered me as much as it did in the audio format.

Book Review: A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

 Book title: A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent
Author: Marie Brennan
Genre: Fantasy
Published: February 5, 2013
351 pages
My rating: 5/5

You continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart—no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon's presence, even for the briefest of moments—even at the risk of one's life—is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten.

Isabella, Lady Trent, is a world-famous dragon naturalist. In the first part of her series of memoirs, she narrates how she became obsessed with dragons as a little girl, how that passion led her to choose a husband who would allow her to continue her study of dragons, and how she embarked on her first expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made her first discoveries.

Marie Brennan’s A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent is the first book in the adult fantasy series The Memoirs of Lady Trent. The book is set in a fantasy world that vaguely resembles the 19th century world. Isabella grows up in Scirland (the fantasy equivalent of Great Britain) with a growing fascination with dragons. The worldbuilding with its many nations and cultures is intricate, and this first book seems to only skim the surface of the fantasy world.

August Wrap-Up and September Hopefuls

 

August Reads

 

August Wrap-Up

• Finished: 4
• Started but not finished: 2
• Total pages read: 1,409
• Average rating: 4

I finished three fantasy novels and one nonfiction book in August. Amélie Wen Zhao’s Chinese-inspired young adult fantasy Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White (4/5 stars) is the second book in a duology and a satisfying ending to the series. Lena Jeong’s Korean-inspired young adult fantasy And Break the Pretty Kings (3/5 stars) was more of a disappointment, and although younger teen readers might enjoy it, I don’t think I’ll be continuing with the series. M.L. Wang’s adult fantasy standalone Blood Over Bright Haven (5/5 stars) was an amazing read and one of my favorite books I’ve read this year.

Book Review: Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

Blood Over Bright Haven By M.L. Wang

 Book title: Blood Over Bright Haven
Author: M.L. Wang
Genre: Fantasy, dystopian
Published: July 25, 2023
428 pages
My rating: 5/5

“Brilliant men—even moderately intelligent men—in this city get showered with opportunities to succeed. Brilliant women have to fight for those opportunities, and, when we get them, we have to defend them tooth and nail, or they’ll be snatched away.”

27-year-old Sciona Freynan has worked hard to become a Highmage at the University of Magics. When she finally becomes the first woman to get a position there, she finds herself undermined by her colleagues. Instead of getting a lab assistant, she is paired with Thomil, a janitor. But Thomil turns out to be exactly the assistant Sciona needs to succeed in her research and uncover centuries-old secrets.

Blood Over Bright Haven is M.L. Wang’s adult dystopian fantasy standalone. It has been recommended to me left and right, and I’m so glad I read this book. What an amazing read and worth all the praise it gets! This book is truly dark academia—a story where the academia itself is the source of evil. The story explores the themes of sexism, classism, racism, and the persecution of native peoples.