Sabaa Tahir
Author of An Ember in the Ashes
About the Author
Sabaa Tahir grew up in California's Mojave Desert at her family's 18-room motel. After graduating from UCLA, she worked at The Washington Post for five years. She is the author of the An Ember in the Ashes series. The first book in the series, An Ember in the Ashes, made the New York Times show more Bestseller list in 2016. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Sabaa Tahir
Reirin {short story} 1 copy
Associated Works
From a Certain Point of View: 40 Stories Celebrating 40 Years of Star Wars (2017) — Contributor — 1,074 copies, 41 reviews
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Tahir, Sabaa
- Legal name
- Tahir, Sabaa
- Birthdate
- 1983
- Gender
- female
- Education
- University of California, Los Angeles
- Occupations
- journalist
author - Organizations
- The Washington Post
- Agent
- Alexandra Machinist
- Short biography
- Tahir grew up in the Mojave Desert in Ridgecrest, California with her parents and two older brothers. Her parents emigrated from Pakistan to the United Kingdom before moving their family to the United States. She attended UCLA, during which time she interned at The Washington Post. After graduation, she took a job there as a copy editor. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Tahir's first novel, An Ember in the Ashes, was published on April 28, 2015. The story takes place in an ancient fantasy world where a teenage girl is fighting to save her brother from prison, and a soldier battles to free himself from the regime. The novel instantly jumped to being a New York Times Bestseller where it held the number two spot. Amazon ranked it the best book for May, the best young adult book for 2015, and the fourth best book overall.
Tahir's second novel was published on August 30, 2016 and is a continuation on the story from her previous novel. Penguin Random House describes this addition to the series as such: “Set in a rich, high-fantasy world inspired by ancient Rome, Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes told the story of Laia, a slave fighting for her family, and Elias, a young soldier fighting for his freedom. Now, in A Torch Against the Night, Elias and Laia are running for their lives."
Sabaa Tahir's latest book, A Reaper at The Gates, was published on June 12, 2018. The story follows Laia, a scholar girl, on a mission to defeat the night bringer; Elias, the current soul catcher, tries to learn the ways of soul catcher and Helene, the blood shrike; tries to defeat the enemies of the empire. The novel is narrated in the first-person, alternating between the points of view of Laia, Elias and Helene. - Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- London, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Mojave Desert, USA
San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA - Map Location
- USA
Members
Reviews
CW: violence, on-page violent deaths of loved ones, war, difficult child-birth
Well I utterly loved this dramatic, violent, beautiful book!
Fifteen minutes from typing the above line and I have eaten a large punnet of lovely fresh cherries (on special for $5 at New World supermarkets) whilst staring at my screen and thinking what to write in my review....
Okay.
In my opinion, Sabaa writes intimate and emotional connections between characters incredibly well. The strength of the story comes from show more the love and emotional investment Readers have for the relationships between people. Whether it is Elias and Taz, or Helene and her sister, or any of the romantic relationships, the love and chemistry bleeds off the page. Without giving spoilers I confess that I had a few sliding tears in moments where these believable connections were facing challenges.
The action sequences were brutal and gripping. I won't say too much more other than, for me, the ending was perfection. show less
Well I utterly loved this dramatic, violent, beautiful book!
Fifteen minutes from typing the above line and I have eaten a large punnet of lovely fresh cherries (on special for $5 at New World supermarkets) whilst staring at my screen and thinking what to write in my review....
Okay.
In my opinion, Sabaa writes intimate and emotional connections between characters incredibly well. The strength of the story comes from show more the love and emotional investment Readers have for the relationships between people. Whether it is Elias and Taz, or Helene and her sister, or any of the romantic relationships, the love and chemistry bleeds off the page. Without giving spoilers I confess that I had a few sliding tears in moments where these believable connections were facing challenges.
The action sequences were brutal and gripping. I won't say too much more other than, for me, the ending was perfection. show less
I used to live, eat, breathe, and sleep YA novels. They were my thing, and then I drifted away from them. I found it harder and harder to get back into YA since there were so many and I couldn't keep up. I had been admiring this book from afar, and then I finally bit the bullet and ordered it. Lucky for me, this book was a real keeper and reminded me of how much I LOVE YA fantasy.
Sabaa Tahir has created an incredible world with her magnificent writing style. She pulls you in, makes you show more addicted, and then you're hooked. I seriously need the rest of this series, but I have no idea when they'll find their way to me. All I know is that Sabaa Tahir has a new fan out of me!
This fantasy world full of war, deceit, and murder is brutal. There's politics, there's war crimes, there's kidnapping, and there's godlike men. There's also a hint to demons and ghouls, which makes me more intrigued about what plan Sabaa has in store for this series. She has clearly thought it through, and I am ready to binge as soon as possible.
I found the writing style easy to read and it was a fast read. I kept reading on and on, and I wouldn't realize that I had still been reading. That's the best kinds of books - the ones where you drift away into another world and don't want to escape. Add in that the book is fast paced and moves between two characters with synchronisity... You've got a real winner!
Our main characters were relatable in their own ways. Each of them had unique points of views and reasons for their actions. I worry about Marcus, as he seems like an unhinged insane man... but we'll see where he goes. Assaulting women and then killing your own brother does sound like a wee bit of a problem... Or a bit more than a wee bit, a lot.
Elias and Laia seem like they might have to cross paths again in the grand scheme of things. They are quite the pair, even if we have a sort of love square going on. I love their dynamics, and I seriously can relate and feel for both of them. They were put in horrible situations but somehow do their best.
I'm also really interested in the prophecy that has been hinted at...
There's just so much to this series it's like a Russian doll. Honestly, you need to grab this book if you love fantasy, YA, and a splash of romance. There's a lot of action, suspense, and mystery throughout the pages as well.
Five out of five stars! New fave series alert! show less
Sabaa Tahir has created an incredible world with her magnificent writing style. She pulls you in, makes you show more addicted, and then you're hooked. I seriously need the rest of this series, but I have no idea when they'll find their way to me. All I know is that Sabaa Tahir has a new fan out of me!
This fantasy world full of war, deceit, and murder is brutal. There's politics, there's war crimes, there's kidnapping, and there's godlike men. There's also a hint to demons and ghouls, which makes me more intrigued about what plan Sabaa has in store for this series. She has clearly thought it through, and I am ready to binge as soon as possible.
I found the writing style easy to read and it was a fast read. I kept reading on and on, and I wouldn't realize that I had still been reading. That's the best kinds of books - the ones where you drift away into another world and don't want to escape. Add in that the book is fast paced and moves between two characters with synchronisity... You've got a real winner!
Our main characters were relatable in their own ways. Each of them had unique points of views and reasons for their actions. I worry about Marcus, as he seems like an unhinged insane man... but we'll see where he goes. Assaulting women and then killing your own brother does sound like a wee bit of a problem... Or a bit more than a wee bit, a lot.
Elias and Laia seem like they might have to cross paths again in the grand scheme of things. They are quite the pair, even if we have a sort of love square going on. I love their dynamics, and I seriously can relate and feel for both of them. They were put in horrible situations but somehow do their best.
I'm also really interested in the prophecy that has been hinted at...
There's just so much to this series it's like a Russian doll. Honestly, you need to grab this book if you love fantasy, YA, and a splash of romance. There's a lot of action, suspense, and mystery throughout the pages as well.
Five out of five stars! New fave series alert! show less
I've been waiting for the conclusion to this series for actual years. Then the end of 2020 stretched into most of 2021 and I only barely got around to reading it.
I haven't read a book so ruthless in such a long time. I laughed, felt my heart ache, screamed, squealed, and everything in between.
The Jinn have been released reeking havoc among the villages and Elias the Soul Catcher is left to deal with the mess of souls entering the waiting place all while trying to forget his human life. A show more dormant power has awoken within Laia after she defied the Nightbringer and plots to use it to bring the creature she once loved to his doom. Keris has proclaimed herself Empress and Helene the Blood Shrike is tasked with keeping the true Emperor, her nephew, alive and away from Keris and finding a way to take back the empire. That means no time for romantic trysts no matter how deep her feelings for Avitas Harper are getting.
The mysterious Nightbringer has more of a point of view in this finale. It brings up his past life as a jinn and what led to his hatred of humans. My favorite villain Keris doesn't quite get a POV but Elias learns about the origins of her blood thirst which makes her end very satisfying.
Tahir was ruthless I tell you. Just when you think things are going to work out another bomb is thrown into the mix and you're left wondering why Elias and Laia can't just have one happy moment together.
In the end I was actually okay with how things ended. War stories aren't full of roses and rainbows. It makes sense that some sacrifices had to be made in order to succeed. I'll keep a look out for whatever Tahir's next project is because I kind of liked how she took her time to tie up loose ends and finish a story instead of cramming everything in less than 300 pages just to be done with it. show less
I haven't read a book so ruthless in such a long time. I laughed, felt my heart ache, screamed, squealed, and everything in between.
The Jinn have been released reeking havoc among the villages and Elias the Soul Catcher is left to deal with the mess of souls entering the waiting place all while trying to forget his human life. A show more dormant power has awoken within Laia after she defied the Nightbringer and plots to use it to bring the creature she once loved to his doom. Keris has proclaimed herself Empress and Helene the Blood Shrike is tasked with keeping the true Emperor, her nephew, alive and away from Keris and finding a way to take back the empire. That means no time for romantic trysts no matter how deep her feelings for Avitas Harper are getting.
The mysterious Nightbringer has more of a point of view in this finale. It brings up his past life as a jinn and what led to his hatred of humans. My favorite villain Keris doesn't quite get a POV but Elias learns about the origins of her blood thirst which makes her end very satisfying.
Tahir was ruthless I tell you. Just when you think things are going to work out another bomb is thrown into the mix and you're left wondering why Elias and Laia can't just have one happy moment together.
In the end I was actually okay with how things ended. War stories aren't full of roses and rainbows. It makes sense that some sacrifices had to be made in order to succeed. I'll keep a look out for whatever Tahir's next project is because I kind of liked how she took her time to tie up loose ends and finish a story instead of cramming everything in less than 300 pages just to be done with it. show less
Heir by Sabaa Tahir
HEIR by Sabaa Tahir is one of those stories that both underwhelms and yet still manages to make an impression at the same time. I say it underwhelms because it is a slow read, especially for a fantasy story. Ms. Tahir takes her time building her characters, allowing us to become intimately acquainted with them before any major events occur in the story. Most fantasy stories, especially those in the "romantasy" genre, are faster paced, racing from one revelation to another, something HEIR show more does not do until the final quarter of the book.
In addition, the slow pacing creates an air of predictability within HEIR's pages. Because we understand the characters so well, we can predict with reasonable accuracy how their stories will unfold. While this is not a death knell for the story for me, predictability in a story is not among my favorite things.
However, HEIR isn't all bad because Ms. Tahir keeps a few things up her sleeve, things that are major plot points that change your entire viewpoint of the story. I might not like predictability, but I do love a good paradigm shift, and Ms. Tahir provides one. It's an impressive sleight of hand, one that caught me offguard and welcomed it for its innovativeness.
I love a good mystery, and HEIR still has plenty of mysteries left unsolved upon its close. While it didn't wow me as much as I hoped, I still found the story enjoyable, even while I found some of the characters less so. Ms. Tahir piqued my interest enough that I am eager to read the duology's ending novel. I imagine it will not be nearly as slow going as HEIR is at times, if only because we have all that character building out of the way now. I am excited to find out what happens to our three heroes! show less
In addition, the slow pacing creates an air of predictability within HEIR's pages. Because we understand the characters so well, we can predict with reasonable accuracy how their stories will unfold. While this is not a death knell for the story for me, predictability in a story is not among my favorite things.
However, HEIR isn't all bad because Ms. Tahir keeps a few things up her sleeve, things that are major plot points that change your entire viewpoint of the story. I might not like predictability, but I do love a good paradigm shift, and Ms. Tahir provides one. It's an impressive sleight of hand, one that caught me offguard and welcomed it for its innovativeness.
I love a good mystery, and HEIR still has plenty of mysteries left unsolved upon its close. While it didn't wow me as much as I hoped, I still found the story enjoyable, even while I found some of the characters less so. Ms. Tahir piqued my interest enough that I am eager to read the duology's ending novel. I imagine it will not be nearly as slow going as HEIR is at times, if only because we have all that character building out of the way now. I am excited to find out what happens to our three heroes! show less
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- Works
- 21
- Also by
- 4
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- 17,015
- Popularity
- #1,306
- Rating
- 4.1
- Reviews
- 470
- ISBNs
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