Blog post: http://sonichreads.tumblr.com/post/16... 
 Review: As we all know An Ember in the Ashes had been a major hype in the YA bookworm community last year. And dear god, I was one of those who were stumbling on their heels just to get their hands on this book. I read it and I loved loved loved loved it. Now here comes the sequel. I was really excited since I enjoyed the first book tremendously. And I was not disappointed, not even a little bit. 
 "When the fear takes over, use the only thing more powerful, more indestructible, to fight it: your spirit." 
 Sabaa Tahir's writing style was really captivating and addictive. I was really satisfied even I was merely a chapter in. I loved how she connects each chapter with each other and that makes the readers even more curious and hooked to the book. Every page was flying, in my experience. 
 The plot was fantastically well done. It was perfectly well organized and very fast-paced that I had to review every chapter before taking some notes. It constantly put me on the edge of my seat. I knew that it wasn't very original and I couldn't help but think about this and that while reading it, but I could not love any other book more this. It brought out the emotions in me. I gasped, I giggle, I cried, I released the breath I didn't knew I held. I felt the pain in every character's heart. 
 We started with what we were left off from An Ember in the Ashes so that was how everything was put back into place. Personally, I needn't reread the first book to even remember what happened. I was taken and buried right back into this beautiful and intriguing world. 
 The book alternated with three different narrators and I loved all of them. I would like to talk about Helene first because she was such a badass character. She was strong, smart, thoughtful. 
 "I am the Blood Shrike of the Martial Empire. I will leave this dungeon on my own two feet." 
 I loved her character development in this book. In the first book, I thought she wasn't as smart and supportive towards Elias and I always had love-hate relationship with her, but right now, it's over. I fully loved her. She always had inner conflict in her mind, which made her stay loyal and selfless. It was undeniably beautiful. Moving on to Elias, he was also a smart character, though sometimes he let all of his emotions stood before what he should do, but isn't that what humans do? See, relatable. I loved Elias because he would put his promises before his own freedom which made him truly faithful. Laia's character was believably convenient to get to know. She was kind and helpful. Lastly, the Commandant. She was utterly merciless. A few chapters in, I thought she could be likable and Tahir would develop her character into something else. But it wasn't that. She was still cruel and brutal. And that made me love to hate her. She was one hell of a character and I loved that. 
 Overall: I loved this book. I devoured it whole. I loved the plot, I loved the characters, how addictive it was. I went through such a great adventure. I adored everything that happened in this book and the first. I could not wait another year for another book. 2017, please come faster.