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The Magic Sapphire (The Decoders #1)
8.0
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Steve, Matt, and Jenny always dreamed of becoming detectives. One day, their dreams become reality...
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
GUYS, THIS IS THE LAST REVIEW I'M EVER WRITING THIS YEAR. (Totally not the last post.)
In the Martial Empire, Laia lives as a scholar – until her brother is arrested by Masks. To save her brother, Laia looks for the rebellion, going undercover as a slave in an academy for Masks and spying for the rebellion in exchange for her brother's safety. She meets Elias, a soldier at the academy who has no desire to become one of them.
<i>An Ember in the Ashes</i> took forever to <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">read</span> listen – and I mean <em>forever</em> (which basically means two months).
I'm not exactly as hyped as everyone else. Primarily, I think this is just due to the fact <i>An Ember in the Ashes</i> is <em>sooo</em> bleeping long and my attention span is equivalent of a fly's when it comes to debut novels that are really long (I'm a lot more tolerant to authors whose works I'm familiar with). In Tahir's case, though, I just feel the descriptions and details are a little too long – but I certainly can't complain about it because I adore details that mean world building is taking place.
I will, however, complain about the academy in general, and the love triangle. Favoritism by the Commandant is obviously being played here – there are just so many levels of wrong when no explanation is needed when you're caught doing something wrong. >_<
And well... Keenan. He still feels like a stranger to me, so if I'm going to ship, I'll go ship Laia and Elias. I understand Elias, and I understand Laia. I secretly adore them, even if the book is whoppishly huge. And I will go down with that ship until I warm up to stranger boy Keenan who seems to not have a desire to be a part of a corrupt-ish rebellion, but does not seem to have a life otherwise.
And if the sequel does not have me warming up to stranger boy, then I will make a stranger danger sign.
Anyways, not jumping on the hype train.... (aside from best title ever).
It could also just be due to the fact Fiona Hardingham and Steve West (the entire narration, honestly) are just really, really quiet and I had to bring the volume to top notch to even hear clearly. I know audiobooks are more quiet compared to music – I just think bringing the volume up to the maximum is a horrible, horrible thing for me to have to do for clarity (it's all about my ears). In all honesty, though, they're not bad narrators – they bring out the perfect amount of accent without being too heavy.
Hands down, though, I think I would have enjoyed <i>An Ember in the Ashes</i> immensely if it weren't so daunting and didn't take so years.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/audiobook-review-an-ember-in-the-ashes-by-sabaa-tahir/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
In the Martial Empire, Laia lives as a scholar – until her brother is arrested by Masks. To save her brother, Laia looks for the rebellion, going undercover as a slave in an academy for Masks and spying for the rebellion in exchange for her brother's safety. She meets Elias, a soldier at the academy who has no desire to become one of them.
<i>An Ember in the Ashes</i> took forever to <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">read</span> listen – and I mean <em>forever</em> (which basically means two months).
I'm not exactly as hyped as everyone else. Primarily, I think this is just due to the fact <i>An Ember in the Ashes</i> is <em>sooo</em> bleeping long and my attention span is equivalent of a fly's when it comes to debut novels that are really long (I'm a lot more tolerant to authors whose works I'm familiar with). In Tahir's case, though, I just feel the descriptions and details are a little too long – but I certainly can't complain about it because I adore details that mean world building is taking place.
I will, however, complain about the academy in general, and the love triangle. Favoritism by the Commandant is obviously being played here – there are just so many levels of wrong when no explanation is needed when you're caught doing something wrong. >_<
And well... Keenan. He still feels like a stranger to me, so if I'm going to ship, I'll go ship Laia and Elias. I understand Elias, and I understand Laia. I secretly adore them, even if the book is whoppishly huge. And I will go down with that ship until I warm up to stranger boy Keenan who seems to not have a desire to be a part of a corrupt-ish rebellion, but does not seem to have a life otherwise.
And if the sequel does not have me warming up to stranger boy, then I will make a stranger danger sign.
Anyways, not jumping on the hype train.... (aside from best title ever).
It could also just be due to the fact Fiona Hardingham and Steve West (the entire narration, honestly) are just really, really quiet and I had to bring the volume to top notch to even hear clearly. I know audiobooks are more quiet compared to music – I just think bringing the volume up to the maximum is a horrible, horrible thing for me to have to do for clarity (it's all about my ears). In all honesty, though, they're not bad narrators – they bring out the perfect amount of accent without being too heavy.
Hands down, though, I think I would have enjoyed <i>An Ember in the Ashes</i> immensely if it weren't so daunting and didn't take so years.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/audiobook-review-an-ember-in-the-ashes-by-sabaa-tahir/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Barbeque: A Global History
Jonathan Deutsch and Megan J. Elias
Book
From the first barbecues of ancient Africa to Fijian pig and Chinese char siu, meat that's been...
Merissa (13770 KP) rated Into The Storm (Full Circle #2) in Books
Dec 8, 2021
INTO THE STORM is the second book in the Full Circle series, a follow-on from The Base and, it seems, with references to another series too, The Island. In this one, we meet with Elias, Abernathy, and Riley -- three boys who each have a lot to learn about their pasts before they can move forward.
Once again, this story references situations and incidents in other books, as well as characters who I've never met before but have their own backstories that are relevant to this story. This makes it increasingly difficult to read as I feel as though I'm only getting half a story.
It appears I am in a minority feeling this way, and I can only presume other reviewers have read the previous books/series. The bit I could understand was good; I just didn't get the whole picture.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Once again, this story references situations and incidents in other books, as well as characters who I've never met before but have their own backstories that are relevant to this story. This makes it increasingly difficult to read as I feel as though I'm only getting half a story.
It appears I am in a minority feeling this way, and I can only presume other reviewers have read the previous books/series. The bit I could understand was good; I just didn't get the whole picture.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Half a Soul (Regency Faerie Tales #1) by Olivia Atwater
10.0
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It's difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you're a young lady with only half a soul. ...
Historical Fantasy
Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) in Books
Feb 21, 2018
I had been listening to this audiobook for about a week during my commute to and from work, and when it ended on my way home, I couldn't believe it. It couldn't end there. It just couldn't. I wasn't ready. I wanted to know, no, needed to know what happened next! While not a cliff-hanger, there are so many things left unresolved at the end of this story, so many things left to be done, that I really hope Ms. Tahir has at least another 2 or 3 books up her sleeve. (NOTE: Since writing this review I have scoured her Goodreads page and found that yes, book #2 is in the works. I can breathe a little easier now...)
An Ember in the Ashes is the story of Laia, a Scholar girl, and Elias, a soldier in training for the Empire's army. The Scholars are the lowest class citizens in the Empire, and many of Laia's people have been killed or enslaved. Her own parents and older sister were killed for being rebels. Elias is just finishing his training as a Mask, one of the Empire's elite soldiers. When Laia's remaining family is raided one night, she goes undercover as a slave at the military academy to try to gain information she can trade to the Scholar resistance, so that they will help her find and free her brother who was captured during the raid.
There was a bit of a love triangle, which I usually hate, but each individual seemed so real, each with his own flaws and redeeming qualities, that it was easy to understand Laia's feelings. And I loved Laia herself. She was no super-woman, just a frightened girl determined to do whatever she had to in order to save the only family she had left. She was scared, she second guessed herself, but she never gave up. I admired her determination, and it's been a long time since I read a book that made me care so much about what happened to its characters.
I have to mention the narrators as well. I thought both of them did a great job, and having both a male and female narrator helped distinguish the point of view for each chapter. I hope they will be available to read again when the next book in this series is ready!
An Ember in the Ashes is the story of Laia, a Scholar girl, and Elias, a soldier in training for the Empire's army. The Scholars are the lowest class citizens in the Empire, and many of Laia's people have been killed or enslaved. Her own parents and older sister were killed for being rebels. Elias is just finishing his training as a Mask, one of the Empire's elite soldiers. When Laia's remaining family is raided one night, she goes undercover as a slave at the military academy to try to gain information she can trade to the Scholar resistance, so that they will help her find and free her brother who was captured during the raid.
There was a bit of a love triangle, which I usually hate, but each individual seemed so real, each with his own flaws and redeeming qualities, that it was easy to understand Laia's feelings. And I loved Laia herself. She was no super-woman, just a frightened girl determined to do whatever she had to in order to save the only family she had left. She was scared, she second guessed herself, but she never gave up. I admired her determination, and it's been a long time since I read a book that made me care so much about what happened to its characters.
I have to mention the narrators as well. I thought both of them did a great job, and having both a male and female narrator helped distinguish the point of view for each chapter. I hope they will be available to read again when the next book in this series is ready!
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) in Books
Aug 21, 2018
This book review can also be found on my blog, among all other awesome things:
https://gipostcards.wordpress.com/2017/10/19/a-torch-against-the-night-an-ember-in-the-ashes-2-sabaa-tahir-book-review/
A huge thank you for sending me over this amazing book!
Even though I didn't have the opportunity to read the first book, I had the chance to read this one, and it was definitely breathtaking.
There are, of course, parts that are connected to the first part, but after the first 30ish pages, you get the hang of it, and the story just follows itself, and you can't even feel that you haven't read the first one.
This book is full of adventure, different background stories, unexpected moments and actions that will make your jaw fall on the ground time after time.
All of the characters are unique, special, and I fell in love with all their personalities. Especially Helene, with her strong character and strength. I also fell in love with Elias and his caring about others, even though he would never admit.
I would definitely recommend this book for all out there that love adventure and glorious moments!
https://gipostcards.wordpress.com/2017/10/19/a-torch-against-the-night-an-ember-in-the-ashes-2-sabaa-tahir-book-review/
A huge thank you for sending me over this amazing book!
Even though I didn't have the opportunity to read the first book, I had the chance to read this one, and it was definitely breathtaking.
There are, of course, parts that are connected to the first part, but after the first 30ish pages, you get the hang of it, and the story just follows itself, and you can't even feel that you haven't read the first one.
This book is full of adventure, different background stories, unexpected moments and actions that will make your jaw fall on the ground time after time.
All of the characters are unique, special, and I fell in love with all their personalities. Especially Helene, with her strong character and strength. I also fell in love with Elias and his caring about others, even though he would never admit.
I would definitely recommend this book for all out there that love adventure and glorious moments!
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The Seeker: 1: Damian Seeker
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