Saba tahir coal in the ashes 2. Saba tahir - coal in the ashes

My review can be safely dubbed . I am that rare person who came to admit that he did not like the book “An Ember in the Ashes”. I don’t know, maybe I got some other text, maybe a draft version, maybe a cheap Chinese copy, but I don’t share everyone’s enthusiasm.

There are theories that I did not like the book for two reasons: either the book is not mine, or high expectations played a cruel joke on me. I would like to refute them right away. The book is just mine, since YA and dystopia are my favorite genre. Because, as my good friend said, “It’s not yours, so you’re pissed off” doesn’t work in this case. There were expectations, of course, but they were not the reason for the low rating, since I did not evaluate them, but still the book.

I won’t dwell on the plot; if not everyone, then most certainly know it. I want to explain why I didn't like the book.

Heroes. He is strong, brave, handsome, the best graduate of Blackcliff Academy. He doesn’t like his fate, he wants to desert (which is punishable by death) and become free. Even his mask did not blend into the skin like others, because he is not like all Masks. She is a beauty, a sufferer, ready to sacrifice her life to save her brother. If not everyone, then almost everyone wants it, because it smells like sugar and fruit. And the parents are not just anyone, but the coolest leaders of the Militia in the last 500 years. Mary and Marty Sue, come out, I burned you. The secondary characters are written much better, they are more interesting (the same Helen Aquila). It's a pity that the story isn't about her.

Language. Quite simple, sometimes even primitive. Ridiculous and funny descriptions and comparisons where they are not needed, a complete lack of conveying the emotions and experiences of the characters, which left them like cardboard. Internal dialogues are more likely to make you smile. The number of mistakes is amazing: sometimes we have fresh bruises that had already healed a week ago in the previous chapter, sometimes the sun sets at night... And this is far from the limit. And the more mistakes like this you find, the angrier you get, and then you openly laugh. Maybe this is a comedy, but I don’t understand?

Plot. It’s immediately obvious how much he captured me if I paid attention to all possible mistakes. It wasn't until the last 100 pages that things really got interesting. Yes, there were some mistakes in them, but at least they weren’t so obvious.

Love line. Erase and write again. All these geometric shapes are more annoying than exciting. Moreover, here the triangle turned out to be not enough, and the author went even further. The main characters are completely unsuited to each other, but the author stubbornly pushes them together at the first opportunity and every time they all burn with passion. In any incomprehensible situation, especially in the most dangerous one, even though everyone is stronger.

World. Remained unsolved. I did not understand the system of the Empire, nor the goals of the Militia, nor the intrigues of the Prophets. I think this can be improved in the next books, but here everything is very raw.

And I also didn’t understand this fetish with SMELLS. But okay, to each his own.

Until recently, I couldn’t find anything good in the book, and I kept wondering whether it was possible to rate the novel a - point. As a result, the last 100 pages and Aquila gave Coal 2/5, I couldn’t put more, no matter how they assured me that the book was not as bad as I thought.

There are two heroes in this book. Young Laya is from the enslaved people of scribes. When her beloved older brother Darin is captured by the conquerors, the girl joins the underground and becomes a spy... Elias is an Imperial, one of the best cadets at the military academy. But he does not want to become a fighter in the elite Mask Guard, dreaming of escape. When Laia and Elias meet, it becomes a harbinger of changes to come in the Empire.

Sabaa Tahir
An Ember in the Ashes
Novel
Genre: historical fantasy, youth fantasy
Year of publication in original language: 2015
Translator: E. Sholokhova
Publishing house: AST, 2015
448 pp., 7000 copies.
"An Ember in the Ashes", part 1
Similar to:
Guy Gavriel Kay "Celestial Empire"
Morgan Rhodes "Doomed Kingdoms"

The debut novel by the American writer Saba Tahir became one of the sensations of the past year on the English-language market and was quickly published in Russia. And not only there - the rights to release were bought by publishing houses from three dozen countries. And the film adaptation of the book will be done by the Hollywood giant Paramount Pictures. Overall, an unqualified success. And, it is worth noting, it is well deserved.

The novel is a youthful pseudo-historical fantasy that makes you remember the books of Guy Gavriel Kay. Like the Canadian master of the genre, Tahir constructs a world based on a modified real past. Before us are the southern provinces of a state very reminiscent of the Roman Empire. Palestine? Judea? In any case, the Sadducean scribes are a clear hybrid of Jews and Arabs. Once upon a time, the empire of the scribes was very powerful and proud, but could not resist the onslaught of the “barbarians” who possessed the secret of making the perfect bladed weapon. Thanks to their swords, the northerners were victorious, conquering not only the scribes, but also other nations. This is how the Empire of the Swordsmen arose, which has unconditionally dominated the world for several centuries.

The author managed to paint a fairly convincing picture of a totalitarian oligarchy. Maybe because you didn’t have to come up with much? After all, before us is actually Rome at the apogee of power, although some pages (especially those showing morals in the Academy of Masks) make us remember Nazi Germany. Let us note that the world invented by Tahir is almost hopeless. For, as it becomes clear as the story progresses, the Empire of Swordsmen, with all its injustice, actually has no alternative. The resistance of the scribes is a cesspool. A sea of ​​lofty words and an ocean of meanness - just some kind of Middle Eastern terrorists. Moreover, by the end of the novel one gets the impression that the Empire is quite worthy of reform, and not at all of overthrow. Perhaps the heroes in subsequent volumes will have to face precisely this difficult task?

The characters are another strength of the book. Especially the minor ones. There are a lot of them, and almost all of them are extremely bright, ambiguous and psychologically verified characters. Particularly memorable is the proud Helen Aquila - Elias's friend, comrade-in-arms and at the same time rival. And the commandant of the Academy, who is also the protagonist’s mother, is just a reinforced concrete bitch! But there are questions about the images of the main characters.

It was so foolish to hope that, despite the cruelty in which I was raised, I could escape from all this. After so many years of flogging, mistreatment, and bloodshed, there was no need to be so naive.
Elias

Here is Elias Viturius - smart, quite calculating, but at the same time he can be hot-tempered and unrestrained. A controversial and attractive image. The main question is how did the hero manage to remain a “humanist”, being subjected to devilish drills from early childhood? All those around him, in their views and behavior, are pure SS, “blond beasts.” And Elias seems to be from another planet. Why?.. As for Laia, she is a home girl who got into serious trials without being at all ready for them. Compared to other bright heroes, the seventeen-year-old beauty cannot boast of any special achievements. Only by the will of the author does she succeed in her endeavors. And therefore the weakest element of “Coal in the Ashes” is its romantic line. Why Elias (for all his shortcomings, a rather bright personality) fell in love with this stunted creature is completely incomprehensible. This can only be explained by the controversial theory that strong men are always drawn to weak women, whom they need to protect and cherish. True, at the end of the book, Laya demonstrates her character, so perhaps in subsequent volumes the heroine will diverge further.

And judging by the plot, the characters will need character and other strong qualities. The plot is fascinating, forcing you to feverishly turn page after page - another plus of the book. Of course, there were some logical inconsistencies, but it is very likely that in the sequel they will all find a reasonable explanation. At least, I want to believe so.

Result: very worthy book. Of course, she is far from genius, but in many respects the novel deserves high marks. And above all, as a gorgeous debut - we hope that, having gained experience, Tahir will delight readers with even more brilliant works.

Desert Girl

Saba Tahir spent her childhood in the Mojave Desert, where her family ran a small motel. There was no Internet there, so the girl spent a lot of time reading books. After graduating from the University of California, she worked for several years as an editor at The Washington Post. And then she quit and wrote a novel that became a national bestseller.

Saba Tahir

Torch in the night

How did they manage to find us so quickly?

Angry shouts and the clang of metal flew after us and echoed through the catacombs. Looking at the eerie grins of skulls lined in rows along the walls, I seemed to hear the voices of the dead.

“Faster,” they seemed to whisper. “If you don’t want to share our fate.”

“Faster, Laia,” urged Elias, who was running ahead. His armor gleamed in the dim light of the catacombs. “If we hurry, we’ll be able to get away from them.” I know a tunnel that will lead us to the city. If we manage to get there, we will be safe.

There was a creaking sound from behind, Elias quickly looked over my shoulder, and his hand, shining with a bronze tan, immediately reached for the sword hanging behind his back. There was so much danger lurking in such a simple movement. This reminded me that he was not just my guide. He is Elias Viturius, heir to one of the most noble families. A former mask, that is, one of the best soldiers of the Empire. And he is my ally, the only one who can rescue my brother Darin from the infamous Swordsmen prison.

Just one step and Elias was next to me. One more step - and he is already ahead. His movements were filled with amazing grace, despite his height and powerful muscles. We looked back at the tunnel we had just passed through. His pulse beat like a drum in his ears. There was no trace left of the passion that had gripped me after the destruction of Blackleaf Academy and the rescue of Elias. The Empire was after us. If we get caught, we're dead.

Sweat soaked through his shirt, but despite the suffocating heat of the catacombs, a chill ran through his skin and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. I thought I heard the growl of an unknown, but dangerous and hungry creature.

“Run,” my instinct screamed. “Get out of here quickly.”

“Elias,” I whispered, but he pressed his finger to my lips.

Then he took out one of his six chest knives. I pulled a dagger from my belt and strained my ears, trying to make out something besides the chirping of tarantulas and my own breathing. The disturbing feeling that we were being watched disappeared. But now we could smell the smells of tar and fire, which were a hundred times worse. Voices were heard, getting closer every minute.

Soldiers of the Empire.

Elias touched my shoulder and pointed to his legs, then to mine. Follow my footsteps. Then he turned around and quickly walked away. Carefully, almost without breathing, I followed him. We reached a fork and turned right. Elias slid into a deep, shoulder-high hole in the wall: there was nothing there but a huge stone coffin.

“Climb inside,” he whispered, “until the very end.”

I ducked into the crypt and immediately heard the creaking of a tarantula, a local inhabitant. I began to tremble, and the hilt of the sword hanging behind my back loudly clattered on the stones. I tried to pull myself together. Don’t make a fuss, Laya, no matter who’s crawling here, these are minor things.

Elias dived after me, with his height he had to bend over to his death. In the cramped crypt our hands touched. Elias's breathing became ragged, but when I looked at him, he was looking towards the tunnel. Even in the dim light, the gray eyes and hard lines of his face, to which I had not yet gotten used to, struck me to the core. Just an hour ago, when we were running away from Blackleaf, destroyed by my efforts, his features were hidden by a silver mask.

Bowing his head, he listened intently to the approaching footsteps of the soldiers. They walked quickly, their voices echoing in the stone corridors of the catacombs, reminiscent of the cries of birds of prey.

-...Perhaps he went south. If he has even a shred of sense left...

“If he had even a grain of reason left,” responded the second soldier, “he would have passed the Fourth Test and become Emperor, and we would not have to swear allegiance to this plebeian.”

The soldiers turned into our tunnel, one of them illuminated the neighboring crypt with a lantern.

- Crap! – he jumped back, looking inside.

Next was our crypt. Everything inside me clenched, the hand grasping the dagger trembled. Elias unsheathed another dagger. His shoulders relaxed and he held the knives freely, but then I saw his brows furrow and his jaw clenched, and my heart sank. Catching Elias's gaze, I saw for a moment his torment. He didn't want to kill these people.

However, if they find us, they will raise the alarm, the guards will come running to their call, and soon the Empire’s soldiers will fill the entire tunnel. I squeezed Elias' hand reassuringly. He pulled up his hood and covered his face with a black scarf.

Walking heavily, the soldier came closer. I could already smell him - the smell of sweat, steel and dirt. Elias tightened his grip on the knife's handle. He stood up all over, like a wild cat about to jump. I touched the bracelet, my mother’s gift. Tracing the familiar pattern with my fingers, I calmed down.

The flashlight beam stroked the edge of the crypt, the soldier lifted it... Suddenly, a dull thud was heard at the far end of the tunnel. The soldiers turned around and, baring their blades, ran towards the noise to find out what had happened. A few seconds later the light from the lanterns faded. The sound of footsteps gradually died down.

Elias exhaled heavily.

“Come on,” he called. – If a patrol is inspecting the area, there will be others. We need to find a way out.

As soon as we got out of the crypt, the walls of the tunnel began to tremble. Skulls fell to the floor, raising a cloud of centuries-old dust. I stumbled, Elias held me by the shoulder and pushed me against the wall. He snuggled next to me. The crypt remained intact, but ominous cracks crawled along the ceiling of the tunnel.

- What in the name of God was that?

- It looks like an earthquake. – Elias stepped forward and looked up. “But there are no earthquakes in Serra.”

Now we walked even faster. Every second I expected to hear the footsteps and voices of the guards, to see the lights of torches in the distance.

Elias suddenly stopped and I flew into his broad back. We found ourselves in a round burial hall with a low domed vault. Ahead, the tunnel forked in two. In one of the corridors, torches flickered in the distance, though too far away to discern anything. Crypts were hollowed out in the walls of the hall, each of which was guarded by a stone statue of a warrior dressed in armor. The skulls, crowned with helmets, looked at us with empty eye sockets. I shuddered and took a step towards Elias. But he did not look at the crypts, or the tunnels, or the torches in the distance. He did not take his eyes off the little girl standing in the middle of the hall. Dressed in rags, she pressed her hand to a bleeding wound on her side. I managed to notice the graceful features inherent in scribes, but when I tried to look into her eyes, the girl lowered her head, and strands of black hair fell onto her face. Poor thing. Tears left two tracks on dirty cheeks.

Ember in the Ashes - 1

At some point you realize that you cannot close this book without finishing it. Saba Tahir is a strong writer, but most importantly, she is a wonderful storyteller.

A mixture of The Hunger Games and Game of Thrones with a pinch of romance in the spirit of Romeo and Juliet.

“An Ember in the Ashes” is at the top of this year’s must-read list.

I was so engrossed in this book that I even missed my flight. Explosive, heartbreaking, epic debut. I hope the world is ready for Saba Tahir.

He deftly jumped over the window sill, silently stepping on his bare feet. Then a hot desert wind rushed in and rustled the curtains. His album fell to the floor, and with a quick movement he kicked it under the bed, like a snake.

Where have you been, Darin? In my mind, I mustered up the courage to ask him about it, and Darin responded by confiding in me. Where do you always disappear to? Why? After all, Pope and Nan need you so much. I need you.

Every night for almost two years I've been meaning to ask him about it. And every night I don't have the courage. Darin is the only one I have left. I don't want him to distance himself from me like he does from everyone else.

But today everything is different. I knew what was in his album. What does it mean.

You should sleep. - Darin’s whisper distracted me from my anxious thoughts. This almost cat-like instinct he got from his mother. He lit the lamp and I sat up in bed. It's no use pretending to be asleep.

The curfew had started long ago, the patrol had already passed three times. I was worried.

I know how to avoid getting caught by the soldiers, Laya. This is a matter of practice.

He rested his chin on my bed and smiled tenderly and mockingly, just like my mother. And he looked the way he usually does when I wake up from nightmares or when we run out of grain supplies. Everything will be fine, his eyes said. He took the book from my bed.

“Those who come at night,” he read the title. - It's creepy. What is it about?

I just started, about genies... - I stopped. Smart. Very clever. He loves hearing stories as much as I love telling them. - Forget. Where have you been? Pope saw at least a dozen patients this morning.

And I had to replace you, because he couldn’t have done it alone. And so Nan was forced to bottle the jam herself. But she didn’t have time. And now the merchant won’t pay us, and we will starve in the winter. And why, oh heavens, don't you care at all?

But I said all this mentally. The smile had already disappeared from Darin's face.

“I’m not fit to be a healer,” he said. - And Pope knows about it.

I wanted to remain silent, but I remembered what Pope was like this morning, I remembered his shoulders, hunched as if under a heavy burden. And I thought about the album again.

Pope and Nan are depending on you. At least talk to them. More than one month has passed.

I thought he would say that I don’t understand. That she should leave him alone. But he just shook his head, lay down on his bunk of bed and closed his eyes, as if he didn’t want to bother himself with answers.

“I saw your drawings,” the words hastily left my lips.

Darin immediately jumped up, his face becoming inscrutable.

“I wasn’t spying,” I explained. - Just one leaf came off. I found it when I was changing the mats this morning.

Did you tell Nan or Pope? They saw?

No, but…

Laya, listen.

Ten circles of hell, I didn’t want to listen to anything! No excuses for him.

What you saw is dangerous,” Darin warned. - You shouldn't tell anyone about this.

Saba Tahir is an American writer, the author of the bestselling book “An Ember in the Ashes,” which has captivated readers around the world. She mainly writes in the fantasy genre with elements of an adventure novel. Despite her strong focus on teenagers, the writer is not afraid to raise serious issues in her books, which makes her a favorite of readers of all ages and genders.

Saba Tahir: biography

The life of this young author is quite unusual. The fact is that she grew up in the Mojave Desert, which is located in California. Her family owned a small motel with eighteen rooms. The atmosphere of the desert, as well as the constantly changing people with their own stories and destinies, impressed the young girl. That is why Saba Tahir, whose books you can see on our website, had an extraordinary imagination and a thirst for adventure from an early age. The girl played the guitar and was fond of reading adventure novels and comics in the absence of a TV. At first, Saba Tahir, whose books would later reflect her character, dreamed of becoming a doctor. However, forced circumstances that put her in the hospital and observation of its internal structure forced the girl to abandon this idea.

When she was seventeen years old, she left the musty and calm desert and went to Los Angeles. There she applied to the University of California and, easily passing the entrance tests, became a student majoring in journalism. After completing her studies, Tahir immediately got a job at the authoritative Washington Post, where she worked for several years.

But the broad soul, thirsty for adventure, did not give rest. Working as a news editor and sitting on night duty in the editorial office, the girl began working on the novel “An Ember in the Ashes,” which was later destined to gain fame around the world. Feeling that work on the book is going well and it requires much more time than the night hours allow, Tahir quits the editorial office in order to devote all his time to creating his novel.

“An Ember in the Ashes” combines all aspects of the young author’s characters, as well as the breadth of her interests. The training of Roman legionnaires, the traditions of Muslim states, Arabian fairy tales, mysticism, intricate love affairs, the thirst for freedom, passion, elements of horror - all this is reflected in one novel. Also, the softness of presentation and simple style were loved by the younger generation.

Saba Tahir, whose list of books is presented below, gives a magical story in which it is so pleasant to live and dream.