An Ember in the Ashes (book review)

An Ember in the Ashes is set in a mid-evil time with magic and warriors, emperors and princesses. The story begins when a seventeen year old girl named Laia discovers that her brother may or may not be working with the resistance who are fighting for their peoples freedom of the empire. Their people are known as scholars who are enslaved by the evil emperor. Laia's mother and father died fighting with the resistance. When Laia's grandparents are killed and her brother taken, she runs away and finds the resistance and asks them to help her get her brother free. The resistance leader asks her to spy on the Commander in trade of breaking her brother out of jail. It is dangerous, but she must do it for her brother. But is the resistance trustworthy? The Commander is a cruel woman who runs Blackclif; a training school for fighters known as Masks; talented and ruthless fighters who serve the empire. but her son, whom she hates with everything in her, doesn't agree with the empire. his name is Elias. He isn't like other Masks and is kind to scholars. he was raised by a people known as tribes men because his mother abandoned him at birth.
Both Laia and Elias long to escape the empire and they are both faced with difficult trials.

Coming from Razorbill in April 2015

I read this book in less than a week. the writing was so fluid, i got lost in it. The plot was well thought out and intricately woven. Saba Tahir writes as if she is setting up an intricate expanse of dominoes and then narrates as if she has tipped them over to create a beautiful design. The story is riddled with love triangles, feelings of resentment, longing, twists and turns. Tahir keeps you guessing the whole way through. Who loves whom? Who will be with each other?
She keeps you on the edge of your seat, waiting with bated breath at what will happen next. She engulfs you with her words so you can't get out, and you don't want to.