An Ember in the Ashes

Literally, I am so incredibly shook by this book! I should probably take some time to process before writing my review, but I'm riding the high. This book moved me in ways I didn't think I could be moved by a YA fantasy. The storytelling in this book is impeccable. The whole experience of reading it was incredibly immersive. The imagery, the characters, the struggles, the pain... every bit of it was so well done. This is book 1 of 4 in the An Ember in the Ashes Series, and let me tell you, I will be downloading book 2 immediately after I write this review. @sabaa tells us the story of two individuals find themselves in desperate situations. One character craves freedom from a life of cruelty and the other longs for family. Both of these characters come together with a common goal of doing the right thing for the right reasons. Laia is a great female main character. Her longing and determination throughout the book are deeply felt. Elias... Oh Elias. This poor tortured and damaged man tugged on my heartstrings throughout the entire book. Reading his POV often created a visceral response from me. The way the author describes his desperation to be free and the things he has to do and witness stirred up all the feelings for me. I'm getting slow burn romance vibes, but we only get slight glimpses of that in this book... obviously hoping for more in future books! This book evoked so much emotion from me. I was angry one page, crying on others, cheering on my favorites the next. I love when a book checks all the boxes, and this one certainly did. There is a trials sequence, which has me on the edge of my seat with my heart pounding nearly every single trial. This is a YA Fantasy series, I personally think 16+ for themes and violence.