An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir is the first book in the series. Laia, who witnesses the murder of her grandparents and her brother getting arrested, must risk her life as a spy for the rebels by going into the Empire’s greatest military academy as a slave. Elias, who is a soldier in the academy, plans to desert, but deserting isn’t easy. If Elias gets caught, it could cost him his life. Both Elias and Laia want to seek freedom but find out it’s harder than they think.
I thought this book was pretty good. If you're into dystopian fantasy novels, then you should consider reading this book. The story went in a really good flow, and I really like the relationships of the characters. I honestly think that the book should’ve had a better and bigger plot because there weren’t any surprising events that happened that you couldn’t already see coming. The book does end in a cliffhanger but not one that really makes you want to read the second book. I’m not a big fan of main characters not being able to fight, and the girl in this book can’t fight. I’ll still read the second book to see if it’s better. Overall, I rate this book a 3 out of 5.