An Ember in the Ashes

A Scholar girl by the name of Laia lives in the Martial Empire with her grandparents and brother Darin in the city of Serra. Their existence is a grueling one as they are seen as second-class citizens by the ruling Martial elite. Darin is arrested by Martial forces and accused of being an anti-Empire rebel. Laia seeks out the help of the anti-Empire group called the Resistance, and agrees to infiltrate an infamous military school for them if they help her break her brother free from prison.

At the school, called Blackcliff Academy, Laia meets a student named Elias Veturius. Along with his best friend Helene Aquilla and his two rivals Marcus and Zak Farrar, he has been chosen to take the Trials, a series of tests that will decide who the next ruler of the Empire is. But Elias has no wish to take the tests, or be ruler. He wants to escape the Empire.

When Elias meets Laia, the two realize that their destinies are more intertwined than they could have ever dreamed.

Five hundred years ago, a warrior named Taius led the Martial clans to take over the Scholar Empire. He named himself Emperor and established his dynasty. He was called the Masked One, for the unearthly silver mask he wore to scare his enemies and the silver scims he battled with. His legends live on in Blackcliff Academy, a school built to prepare and identify the future Emperor; now a training ground for the Empire’s deadliest soldiers—the silver-faced Masks.

Scholars – The Scholars are a race of oppressed individuals who once ruled the land that has since been occupied by the Martial Empire. Many Scholars are enslaved by the Martials, and those who are not enslaved live a difficult, poverty-stricken life. The Resistance is a secretive group made up of Scholars seeking to overthrow the Empire.{{Cite web|title = World - An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir|url = http://anemberintheashesbook.com/world/|website = anemberintheashesbook.com|access-date = 2015-12-17}}

Masks – "Named for the eerie silver masks that cover their faces, these soldiers are the Martial Empire’s most ruthless enforcers. They fight with speed and skill that is almost inhuman. Martial children destined for Maskhood are taken from their families at the age of 6, and trained at Blackcliff Military Academy for 14 years."

Tribes – The Tribes are a group of nomads inspired by the Bedouin tribes of North Africa.{{Cite web|title = AUTHOR CRUSH FRIDAY: SABAA TAHIR {{!}} Glitter Magazine|url = http://glittermagrocks.com/connect/2014/12/05/author-crush-friday-sabaa-tahir/|website = Glitter Magazine|access-date = 2015-12-17}}

Resistance – The Resistance is a band of Scholars that work in secret to overthrow the Empire. The Resistance leaders are the best and the bravest of the Scholars. Elusive as the rebels are, they’re the only weapon the Scholars have against the Empire and its soldiers.

Augurs – "The Augurs are a group of 14 Martial holy men and women who are believed to be immortal, and who are revered as advisors and seers."

Laia – Laia is described on the official An Ember in the Ashes web site as "a Scholar living with her grandparents and brother under the brutal rule of the Martial Empire. She and her family eke out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets, trying their best not to draw attention to themselves. But one night, Empire soldiers raid Laia’s home—and life as she knows it changes forever."{{Cite web|title = Characters - An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir|url = http://anemberintheashesbook.com/characters/|website = anemberintheashesbook.com|access-date = 2015-12-17}}

Darin – Laia's brother is older by two years, apprentice to Spiro Teluman, and designs his own weapons

Elias – This character is described as "the finest soldier at Blackcliff Military Academy—but secretly, its most unwilling. The scion of one of the Empire’s finest families, Elias wants only to be free from the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce."

Helene – Helene Aquilla is Blackcliff Academy's only female student and also best friend to Elias.

Commandant – The cruel head of the military academy, Blackcliff, as well as the mother of Elias, and is considered "one of the most powerful people in the Empire."

Marcus – An ignorant soldier in Blackcliff who was one of the four chosen for the trials, becoming emperor at the end."

Zacharias – The twin brother of Marcus Farrar. "

Tahir formed the idea for An Ember in the Ashes in 2007 and wrote the book over a period of six years. She cites her hometown Ridgecrest in the Mojave Desert,{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/redeye/redeye-ember-in-the-ashes-author-sabaa-tahir-interview-20150507-story.html |title='An Ember in the Ashes' author Sabaa Tahir makes a big debut |last=De Los Santos |first=Elise |date=May 7, 2015 |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=March 7, 2021}} as well as music as inspirations. While working at The Washington Post, Tahir read an article about Kashmiri women whose male family members were kidnapped by the military and never returned. She asked herself what she would do if she were one of those women.{{Cite web|title = Literary Rambles: SABAA TAHIR INTERVIEW AND AN EMBER IN THE ASHES GIVEAWAY|url = http://www.literaryrambles.com/2015/04/sabaa-tahir-interview-and-ember-in.html|website = www.literaryrambles.com|access-date = 2015-12-08}} The book's Martial Empire system is based on the social stratification of ancient Rome.{{Cite web|title = World-building + An Ember In Ashes (Guest Post From Sabaa Tahir)|url = http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/2015/04/world-building-an-ember-in-ashes-guest-post-from-sabaa-tahir.html|website = www.perpetualpageturner.com| date=20 April 2015 |access-date = 2015-12-08}}

The book's success led to the acquisition of a sequel almost immediately after its release. The sequel, entitled A Torch Against the Night, was released in August 2017. The third book, A Reaper at the Gates, was published on June 12, 2018.{{Cite book|url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/550653/a-reaper-at-the-gates-by-sabaa-tahir/9780448494500/|title=A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir {{!}} PenguinRandomHouse.com|language=en-US}} The fourth and final book, A Sky Beyond the Storm, was published on December 1, 2020.{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/books/author-interviews/sabaa-tahir-ember-quartet-finale-preview/ |title=Sabaa Tahir teases the end of her Ember quartet — and reveals the final cover |last=Canfield |first=David |date=March 2, 2020 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=March 7, 2021}} A trilogy of prequel graphic novels to the series is set to be published by Boom! Studios.{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/an-ember-ashes-fantasy-series-getting-graphic-novel-trilogy-1244284 |title=Boom! Studios' trilogy of prequels to Sabaa Tahir's novels will launch next summer with 'A Thief Among the Trees.' |last=McMillan |first=Graeme |date=September 30, 2019 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=March 7, 2021}} Its first installment, A Thief Among the Trees, co-written by Tahir and Nicole Andelfinger with art by Sonia Liao was released on July 14, 2020.{{cite web |url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/a-thief-among-the-trees-ember-in-the-ashes-gn-preview/ |title=PREVIEW: Meet the Fivers in A THIEF AMONG THE TREES, the first AN EMBER IN THE ASHES prequel GN |last=Grunenwald |first=Joe |date=July 3, 2020 |work=Comics Beat |access-date=March 7, 2021}}

An Ember in the Ashes debuted at #2 on the Young Adult New York Times Best Seller list.{{Cite news|title = Success of 'An Ember in the Ashes' Leads Publisher to a Sequel|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/18/business/media/success-of-an-ember-in-the-ashes-leads-publisher-to-a-sequel.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 2015-05-17|access-date = 2015-10-17|issn = 0362-4331|first = Alexandra|last = Alter}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2015/05/17/young-adult/ |title= Young Adult - May 17, 2015 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 17, 2015 |access-date=October 17, 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170127214925/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2015/05/17/young-adult/ |archivedate=January 27, 2017 |url-status=live }} It debuted at #64 on the USA Today Best-Selling Books list.{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/books/best-selling/week/2015/19/page/7/ |title=USA Today Best-Selling Books list |newspaper=USA Today |date=May 7, 2015 |access-date=October 17, 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511065053/http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/best-selling/week/2015/19/page/7/ |archivedate=2015-05-11 |url-status=live }} It was included in the Time (magazine) The 100 Best Fantasy Books of all Time {{cite web | url=https://time.com/collection/100-best-fantasy-books/5898497/an-ember-in-the-ashes/ | title='An Ember in the Ashes' is on TIME's List of the 100 Best Fantasy Books }} as well as in the Time (magazine) The 100 Best YA Books of all Time.{{cite web | url=https://time.com/collection/100-best-ya-books/6084489/an-ember-in-the-ashes-ya-book/ | title='An Ember in the Ashes' is on TIME's List of the 100 Best YA Books }}

It has garnered generally positive reviews. The Huffington Post said "An Ember in the Ashes glows, burns, and smolders—as beautiful and radiant as it is searing."{{Cite web|title = An Epic New Fantasy That's Sure to Set Readers' Hearts Ablaze|url = http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lelia-nebeker/an-epic-new-fantasy-thats_b_7067164.html|website = The Huffington Post| date=23 April 2015 |access-date = 2015-10-17}} Amazon named it one of the best books of May, as well as the best young adult book of 2015{{Cite web|title = Amazon.com: Best Books of 2015: Books|url = https://www.amazon.com/b/ref=s9_acss_bw_cg_boty15_5e1?_encoding=UTF8&node=13127736011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_r=0K3WZ94KMX0D24DWDE5H&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=2272542322&pf_rd_i=13108091011|website = www.amazon.com|access-date = 2015-11-28}} and the fourth best book of the year. The New York Times called it "a worthy novel—and one as brave as its characters".{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/10/books/review/an-ember-in-the-ashes-by-sabaa-tahir.html |title='An Ember in the Ashes,' by Sabaa Tahir |first=Marie |last=Rutkoski |newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 8, 2015 |access-date=October 17, 2015 |issn = 0362-4331}} However, the Chicago Tribune found that "the characters never fully spring to life under the author's ever-present hand."{{cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/ct-prj-young-adult-roundup-cost-of-all-things-20150514-story.html |title=Young Adult roundup: 'The Cost of All Things' and more |last=Heppermann |first=Christine |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=May 14, 2015 |access-date=2016-10-28}} CNN included the book in the list of best summer beach reads.{{cite web|title=Amazon's best summer beach reads|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/18/living/amazon-best-summer-beach-reads-2015/|publisher=CNN}} Publishers Weekly starred review called Tahir's debut "deft and polished" and the story "brimming with political intrigue".{{cite magazine |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-59514-803-2 |title=An Ember in the Ashes |magazine=Publishers Weekly |date=May 28, 2015 |accessdate=October 17, 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501185147/http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-59514-803-2 |archivedate=2015-05-01 |url-status=live }} Time (magazine) called it a "bruising ... young adult novel".

Film rights were optioned by Paramount Pictures in a seven-figure deal in 2014, well before the book's publication, and Mark Johnson (Breaking Bad, Chronicles of Narnia) has signed on to produce the film.{{Cite web|title = Book Cover Reveal: 'An Ember in the Ashes' by Sabaa Tahir (Exclusive)|url = https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/06/23/book-cover-reveal-an-ember-in-the-ashes-by-sabaa-tahir-exclusive/|first = Barbara|last = Chai|website = WSJ Blogs - Speakeasy|date = June 23, 2014|access-date = December 17, 2015}} As of April 2025, there is no information as to the progress of this production.{{Cite web|title = 4 book adaptations we would rather watch than a new Harry Potter TV series|url = https://winteriscoming.net/2023/04/21/book-adaptations-rather-watch-than-harry-potter-tv-series-kingkiller/3/ |first = Bryce|last = Olin|website = WinterIsComing - Speakeasy|date = April 21, 2023|access-date = April 30, 2025}}

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