November 2018

Tap the cover to buy online!

This book has long been in our TBR pile. Now that the entire series is finished, we decided we were safe to start reading. By all accounts, once you start the story, it’s impossible to stop. That’s the kind of story we love to talk about. A New York Times bestselling novel, An Ember in the Ashes was written by former Washington Post editor, Sabaa Tahir. The first in a trilogy, it was a People’s Choice Award winner for Fantasy and Bustle’s Best Young Adult Book of 2015. With all the hype, we’re definitely looking forward to finally tackling this series.

So, what’s it about? The publisher, Razorbill (an imprint of Penguin Random House), says:
​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 school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its 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 will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Needless to stay, we’re more than a little excited to dive into this story. We’re expecting something pretty epic. Plus, a story that has so many characters walking the line between good and evil, friendship and betrayal, romance and violence, will always bring about an interesting conversation.

The YA book club meets at the bookstore on the last Sunday of the month, November 25th at 6:30pm. We will have drinks and snacks to share with everyone. Even if you didn't finish the book or didn't like it, we'd love to see you at book club and hear your opinions. You can get your copy from the bookstore today with the 15% discount on book club titles. You can also RSVP to the Facebook event here. 

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You can also get the book in other formats from us online:
Digital Audiobook 
Hardcover
Paperback​ 
eBook

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Relevant Reviews & Interviews

The New York Times Review -- "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Huffington Post Review -- "Sabaa Tahir's 'An Ember In The Ashes' is an Imaginative YA Page-Turner"
Bookstr Interview -- "Interview with the Intriguing Sabaa Tahir"