Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.
We’re pleased to share an exclusive first look at the new cover for the paperback of An Ember in the Ashes, due out on February 9th from Penguin! Sabaa Tahir’s New York Times bestselling debut was recently named one of the best books of the year by Amazon.com. If you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy of this one yet, check out the excerpt below for a sneak peek! And look for book 2, A Torch Against the Night, in August 2016.
