Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s burning to be told.
Laia is a scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.
Elias is the academy’s finest soldier— and secretly its most unwilling. He is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.
When Laia and Elias’ paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined—and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.
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“This strong debut featuring two characters who battle to survive a brutal society is perfectly enhanced through its narration…Fiona Hardingham’s soft, cultured tones convey both Laia’s overwhelming fear and sheer determination to overcome the horrible abuses she experiences. Alternately, Steve West calls forth the tension in Elias as he struggles to maintain his morality while unwillingly competing to become the next emperor. Secondary characters are well nuanced…Listeners will find themselves drawn in as the narrators bring this society, suggestive of the Roman Empire, vividly to life. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award.”
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