An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir.

This book is: a well-written, engaging story with multiple badass women characters.
Other elements: duty, fate, violence, revolution, doing what is right vs what you’re expected to do.
Read it: if you like stories about revolution, sword-fighting, adventure, or really interesting, strongly crafted characters. Bonus: women kicking butt.
Overall rating: 9.25/10

Oh man. I enjoyed this book so much.

I was having a rough week, so I asked my Book Riot buddies to recommend some good escapism. An Ember in the Ashes more than did the trick – I was completely enraptured by its vivid, intricate world and powerful characters.

The Ember in the Ashes is written from dual points of view: the reader switches between the perspectives of Laia, orphaned member of a subjugated people who is willing to do whatever it takes to free her captured brother and Elias, a young warrior and scion of one of the ruling class’s most powerful families who seeks to escape his fate.

I’m not always a fan of the split perspective technique, but it works beautifully here. The different halves of the story complement each other, giving the reader a better overall perspective. The writing is tight and clean, the pull of the story inescapable.

Bonus: multiple powerful women, and I mean “powerful” in all senses of the world. Women who make change, who lead revolutions, who enact quiet defiance, who survive adversity, who kill people with swords. Badass ladyheros galore. Yes, yes, and yes.

An Ember in the Ashes is already being made into a movie, so be sure to read it before you see it in theaters (or before inconsiderate moviewatchers spoil the plot for you).

Warning: this is an unfinished series. You’re going to want to know what happens next, but we’ll all have to wait for the next book to come out. It’s scheduled pub date is in the 2nd half of 2016.

For more reads anytime, check out my Amazon recommended books store. This post contains affiliate links.