Saba Tahir is an American writer and author of the bestselling "Coal in Ashes", which won readers around the world. She mainly writes in a fantasy genre with elements of an adventure novel. Despite her bright teenage focus, the writer is not afraid to raise serious questions in her books, which makes her a favorite of readers of all ages and genders.
Saba Tahir: biography
The life of this young author is quite unusual. The fact is that she grew up in the Mojave Desert, which is located in California. Her family owned a small motel with eighteen rooms. The atmosphere of the desert, as well as constantly changing people with their own stories and destinies, impressed the young girl. That is why Saba Tahir, whose books you can see on our website, from an early age had an extraordinary imagination and a thirst for adventure. The girl played the guitar, was fond of reading adventures of adventure novels and comics in the absence of a TV. At first, Saba Tahir, whose books will later reflect her character, dreamed of a career as a doctor. However, the forced circumstances that put her in a hospital and monitoring his internal structure forced the girl to abandon this idea.
When she was seventeen years old, she left the musty and calm desert and went to Los Angeles. There she applied to the University of California and, having easily overcome the entrance tests, became a student in journalism. After graduation, Tahir immediately got a job at the authoritative Washington Post, where she worked for several years.
But a wide soul, thirsty for adventure, did not give rest. Working as a news editor and sitting on a night shift in the editorial office, the girl began working on the novel "Coal in the Ashes", which was destined to later gain fame around the world. Feeling that the work on the book is going well and it takes much longer than the hours of the night allow, Tahir leaves the editorial office in order to devote all the time to the creation of his novel.
"Coal in the Ashes" combined all aspects of the young author's character, as well as the breadth of her interests. The training of Roman legionaries, the traditions of Muslim states, Arabian tales, mysticism, tangled love lines, lust for freedom, passion, elements of horror - all this is reflected in one novel. Also, the softness of presentation and simple style fell in love with the younger generation.
Saba Tahir, whose list of books is presented below, gives a magical story in which it is so pleasant to live and dream.
Saba Tahir
Torch in the night
How did they find us so quickly?
Angry shouts and the clang of metal flew after us and echoed through the catacombs. Looking at the eerie grins of skulls lined in rows along the walls, I seemed to hear the voices of the dead.
“Faster,” they seemed to whisper. “If you don’t want to share our lot.”
“Faster, Laya,” urged Elias, running ahead. His armor gleamed in the dim light of the catacombs. - If we hurry, we will be able to get away from them. I know the tunnel that will take us to the city. If we manage to get there, we'll be safe.
There was a creak from behind, Elias quickly looked over my shoulder, and a bronze-tanned hand immediately reached for the sword hanging behind me. There was so much danger in such a simple movement. This reminded me that he was not just my guide. He is Elias Viturius, heir to one of the most distinguished families. Former mask, that is, one of the best soldiers of the Empire. And he is my ally, the only one who can rescue my brother Darin from the infamous prison of the Swordsmen.
Just one step and Elias was next to me. One more step - and he is already ahead. His movements were filled with striking grace, despite his tall stature and powerful muscles. We looked back at the tunnel we had just passed. The pulse beat in my ears like a drumbeat. The fuse that gripped me after the destruction of Blackleaf Academy and the rescue of Elias was gone. The empire pursued us. If we are caught, we are lost.
Sweat soaked through his shirt, but despite the stifling heat of the catacombs, a chill ran through the skin and the hairs on the back of his head stood on end. I heard the growl of an unknown but dangerous and hungry creature.
Run, my instinct screamed. "Get out of here soon."
“Elias,” I whispered, but he pressed a finger to my lips.
Then he took out one of the six chest knives. I pulled a dagger from my belt and strained my ears, trying to make out something besides the chirping of tarantulas and my own breath. The uneasy feeling of being watched disappeared. But now we could smell tar and fire, which was a hundred times worse. Voices were heard that were approaching with every minute.
Soldiers of the Empire.
Elias touched my shoulder and pointed to his feet, then to mine. Follow in my footsteps. Then he turned and walked quickly away. Cautiously, hardly breathing, I followed him. We got to the fork and turned right. Elias slipped into a deep, shoulder-length hole in the wall: there was nothing but a huge stone coffin.
“Get inside,” he whispered, “until the very end.
I darted into the crypt and immediately heard the creak of a tarantula - a local inhabitant. A shiver seized me, the hilt of the sword hanging behind my back knocked loudly against the stones. I tried to pull myself together. Don't fuss, Laya, whoever is crawling here is a trifle.
Elias dived after me, with his height he had to bend in three deaths. In the cramped crypt, our hands touched. Elias's breath was gusty, but when I looked at him, he was looking towards the tunnel. Even in the dim light, the gray eyes and the hard lines of his face, to which I had not yet had time to get used to, amazed me to the core. Just an hour ago, when we fled from Blackleaf, destroyed by my efforts, his features were hidden by a silver mask.
Head bowed, he listened intently to the approaching footsteps of the soldiers. They walked fast, their voices echoing in the stone corridors of the catacombs like the cries of birds of prey.
“… He may have gone south. If he has even a grain of mind ...
“If he had even a grain of mind,” said the second soldier, “he would have passed the Fourth Test and become the Emperor, and we would not have to swear allegiance to this plebeian.
The soldiers turned into our tunnel, one of them lit a nearby crypt with a lantern.
- Heck! - he jumped back, looking inside.
Our crypt was next. Everything inside me clenched, the hand that grabbed the dagger trembled. Elias drew another dagger from its scabbard. His shoulders relaxed and he held the knives loosely, but then I saw his brow furrowed and his jaw clenched, and his heart ached. When I caught Elias' gaze, I saw him torment for a moment. He didn't want to kill these people.
However, if they find us, they will raise the alarm, guards will come running to their call, and soon the soldiers of the Empire will fill the entire tunnel. I squeezed Elias's hand encouragingly. He pulled on his hood and covered his face with a black handkerchief.
Stepping heavily, the soldier came closer and closer. I could smell it already - the smell of sweat, steel and dirt. Elias tightened his grip on the knife handle. He was all close, like a wild cat before a jump. I touched the bracelet - my mother's gift. I traced the familiar pattern with my fingers and calmed down.
A flashlight beam swept across the edge of the crypt, the soldier lifted it ... Suddenly, a dull thump was heard at the far end of the tunnel. The soldiers turned around and, exposing their blades, ran to the noise to find out what had happened. After a few seconds, the lights dimmed. The sound of footsteps gradually died down.
Elias exhaled heavily.
“Let's go,” he called. “If a patrol is surveying the area, there will be others. We need to find a way out.
As soon as we got out of the crypt, the walls of the tunnel trembled. The skulls fell to the floor, raising a cloud of age-old dust. I stumbled, Elias grabbed my shoulder and pushed me against the wall. Himself snuggled next to. The crypt remained intact, but ominous cracks crept along the ceiling of the tunnel.
“What, for heaven's sake, was that?
- It looks like an earthquake. Elias stepped forward and looked up. - But there are no earthquakes in Serres.
Now we went even faster. Every second I expected to hear the steps and voices of the guards, to see torch lights in the distance.
Elias stopped suddenly, and I flew into his broad back. We found ourselves in a round burial hall with a low domed vault. Ahead, the tunnel forked in two. Torches flickered in one of the corridors in the distance, but too far to distinguish anything. In the walls of the hall were hollowed out crypts, each of which was guarded by a stone statue of a warrior dressed in armor. Skulls topped with helmets gape at us with empty eye sockets. I shuddered and took a step towards Elias. But he looked neither at the crypts, nor at the tunnels, nor at the torches in the distance. He did not take his eyes off the little girl in the middle of the room. Dressed in rags, she pressed her hand to the bleeding wound on her side. I managed to notice the graceful features inherent in scribes, but when I tried to look into her eyes, the girl lowered her head and strands of black hair fell over her face. Poor thing. Tears left two lines on the dirty cheeks.
Coal in Ash - 1
At some point, you realize that you cannot close this book without finishing it. Saba Tahir is a strong writer, but most importantly, she is a wonderful storyteller.
A mix of The Hunger Games and Game of Thrones with a pinch of Romeo and Juliet-inspired romance.
Coal in Ashes is at the top of this year's must read list.
I was so absorbed in this book that I even missed my flight. Explosive, heartbreaking, epic debut. Hope the world is ready for Saba Tahir.
He deftly jumped over the windowsill, stepping soundlessly with his bare feet. A hot desert wind followed, rustling the curtains. His scrapbook fell to the floor, and with a swift motion he kicked it under the bed like a snake.
Where have you been, Darin? In my thoughts I gained courage and asked him about it, and Darin confided in me in return. Where do you keep disappearing? Why? Pope and Nan need you so badly. I need you.
Every night for almost two years, I'm going to ask him about it. And every night I don't have the courage. Darin is the only one left with me. I don't want him to distance himself from me like everyone else.
But today everything is different. I knew what was in his album. What does it mean.
You must sleep. - Darin's whisper distracted me from my anxious thoughts. This almost cat-like instinct came from his mother. He turned on the lamp and I sat up in bed. It's no use pretending to be asleep.
The curfew had begun long ago, the patrol had passed three times already. I was worried.
I know how not to get caught by the soldiers, Laya. This is a matter of practice.
He rested his chin on my bunk and smiled affectionately and mockingly, just like my mother. And he looked the way he usually looks when I wake up from nightmares or when we run out of grain supplies. Everything will be okay, his eyes said. He took the book from my bed.
“Those who come at night,” he read the title. - Creepy. What is it about?
I just started, about the genies ... - I hesitated. Clever. Very smart. He loves to listen to stories as much as I love to tell them. - Forget. Where have you been? Pope saw a dozen patients this morning, no less.
And I had to replace you, because he could not have done it alone. And so Nan had to bottle the jam herself. But she didn't have time. And now the merchant will not pay us, and we will starve in the winter. And why, oh heavens, don't you care about it?
But I said all this in my mind. The smile has already disappeared from Darin's face.
I am not suitable for healing, ”he said. “And Pope knows about it.
I wanted to keep quiet, but I remembered how Pope had been this morning, remembered his shoulders hunched over as if under a heavy burden. And I thought about the album again.
Pope and Nan depend on you. At least talk to them. Not one month has passed.
I thought he would say that I don't understand. That should leave him alone. But he just shook his head, lay down on his tier of the bed and closed his eyes, as if he did not want to bother himself with answers.
I saw your drawings, - the words hastily flew from my lips.
Darin jumped up at once, his face became impenetrable.
I didn't spy, - I explained. - Just one sheet came off. I found it when I was changing mats in the morning.
Did you say Nan or Pope? They saw?
No, but…
Laya, listen.
Ten circles of hell, I didn't want to listen to anything! No excuses for him.
What you saw is dangerous, Darin warned. “You shouldn't tell anyone about this.
I'll start with where my volcano jumped up: imagine a certain classical image of an ancient civilization (judging by the names of the conquerors and their descendants - Roman), which invaded a certain image of Eastern civilizations and enslaved this agglomerate.
And here sits a branch of the Emperor (thanks for not being an EMPEROR) on the priest for exactly five hundred years in the north in its capital, and the military school forging the army and the forges producing weapons are far in the south! Can you imagine that? Me not. The author immediately puts prophets on the scene. A sort of albino chess players, distributing prophecies to the right and left, taking (not, not making a selection, but taking from their parents) children to school, sticking their noses everywhere. And they all endure. Fear. Those. they are such "gods in the car." The whole world is like a chess game for them. And people are just figures. Oh well.
Another naive man killed - the Emperor has a main assistant - the Bloody Shrike. The prophets predicted the death of the dynasty, the Emperor had already paved the route to the south, and the vizier ... modestly asks for resignation. Well, the Emperor wrote him a ticket. To the other world. Can you imagine such honesty? Someone clearly did not read the history of ancient Rome: /
Saba Tahir "gave ores" clearly on the wave of the success of the Hunger Games - here are the character (s) who are going to INITIATION / TESTS / BATTLE / GAME - in short, the author does not stick his nose beyond his ideas about anything, reinforcing them with his own experience ...
All books of adult editing (fiction for young and young) are reduced to ... D * LB * NN * M EXAMINATIONS. You are elected / chosen / your number fell in the lottery / your chance to survive, but kill more. Pass the exams - go to the institute of life. Or die out. Slowly or fast.
And why are the characters in adult so cute? Because in our youth we believe that we are special. That our path is magical, and the world around is fresh. We will discover the cure for cancer, we will abolish boundaries, we will start to the stars, we will be loved, we will love. But by the age of thirty, the overwhelming majority will be drowning in everyday kuku, fighting off the accumulated loans and the mother of the rapidly changing fashion for everything - from gadgets to morality. And not for love. Leave me alone.
The characters of Ember will own the whole world. Here's the author mocking them in four books and foisting the world as a consolation prize. She is the daughter of the fallen leaders of the Scribes' Militia, he is a bastard of the noble family who run the Citadel - the school of Masks. Prophets and Prophetesses lead their own round dance around them, stars shine in the sky above them. 1001 nights, not otherwise.
Oh, what only Ember has not been compared to - Romeo and Juliet in the Hunger Games.
It is immediately clear - where does Ugolok's legs grow from?
Saba Tahir raised an interesting topic in terms of the genocide of one civilization by another. If you need to kill people statistically, cut them out. Poison. Kill. Throw in infected blankets.
If you want slaves or a tax base, turn them into trash. Hunt them down. Destroy their culture. Ask the Mayans, Incas, Irish, Hindus, clouds of African tribes. Prohibitions on education, writing, books, even oral tradition, language itself, dancing. All these are inventions of people in relation to other people.
What else did Saba do was the scenery. The civilizations she has woven into the plot are alive. And locations. If you are jumping rabbits through the tunnels, then you feel their mustiness; if you walk along the streets, you hear how the wind picks up the sand in the air; if you go to the festival of scribes, then you dance with everyone to the flickering of many lanterns.
A huge plus for equal opportunities for men and women.
And among the scribes, and among the nomads, and among the patricians, a person, regardless of gender, is able to achieve a high position - to be the leader of his tribe, this shrike or the leader of a militia faction. They are all taught to read (scribes clandestinely, patricians can teach their children openly, nomads are on their own). Elias laments to Elena that they both could have been someone else - lawyers or healers.
That is, in fact, all that I found interesting for myself in Ugolok.
Purely IMHO - your impressions may (and even should to some extent) differ from mine.
If Ugolok has a screen version, it's better to be a TV series.
None of the adult authors (at least from those familiar to me) takes on the main roles of the “little man” (Chekhov’s such a definition) and does not show his life even against the background of crumbling empires. None of them prepare their audience for real life. Their stories are attractions. Have a ride? - Get off.
Score: 6
The author's name made us expect something oriental, but from the East there are only names of supernatural beings - genies, efreet (with names like Rowan Goldgale). The novel turned out to be purely American - in language, mentality, plot. There is a terribly evil tyrannical Empire (fortunately, since the time of Orwell, the algorithm for describing it has become publicly available). The conquered Scribes groan under her yoke. There are underground fighters (Militias) who, by and large, are no better than that Empire. And, of course, there is a loner (or rather, a couple, the author is a lady) who is ready to challenge everyone. To heighten the drama (here in general, a lot has been invented to tickle the nerves) it will be a girl, the daughter of the executed Militia leaders (Laya), and a guy from the most aristocratic family of the Empire (Elias). And to make the drama even more, we put everyone in front of a love choice. Laya can choose freely between Elias and the cute Militia, Elias - between her and his longtime friend Helen. Love is a natural and main ingredient in a cocktail, we will add family values \u200b\u200bto taste.
Laya generally liked it - a sweet, naive fool who got into trouble, without the slightest Marysyushnost. Her loyalty to her brother, at least, commands respect.
Everything else is not so expressive anymore. For what I do not like to look for bloopers in fantasy worlds, but here they just pop into the eye. For example, there is a Blackleaf school for training Silver Masks - a kind of ninja, Spartan boys and secret police in one bottle. And a conflict arises in this school, turning into assault. What is it like fighting guys who have been trained in various martial arts for 14 years? According to the description in the novel - on a bunch of mala in a sandbox.
“Then there was a strangled cry from Helen, and I freed myself from the hands of Tadius and Julius. The next moment I left them behind, pushed Marcus away from Helen and began to stab after blow in his face. I beat Marcus, and he laughed, while Helen wiped her lips furiously. Leander tried to push me back by the shoulders - he was also rushing to the Serpent. Behind his back, Demetrius had already got to his feet and again threw himself into a fight with Julius, but he took over, pressing my friend's head to the ground.
Helen, by the way, is not a frightened servant, but a graduate of the same Blackleaf. And she can only scream and wipe her lips when some impudent sticks to her? Fighting technique, fighter reflexes? Nothing like that. A little later, however, she will deign to remember that she is armed, but why not right away?
Elias is so lethargic and self-absorbed that it becomes unclear why he is considered the best soldier in Blackleaf. Laya is trying to get his attention: she comes up from behind and pats him on the shoulder. Repeatedly. Then he, so be it, turns around to find out who it is behind him. And yet he grew up in an atmosphere of constant danger and eternal suspicion? His tendency to take on all the sins of the world eventually begins to tire.
Politics, diplomacy and urban guerrilla are very naive to describe.
And at the same time, in its genre niche, the novel is quite good and has a right to exist. He is, in any case, dynamic. Passions are boiling. Laya and Elias are cute and well written. Well, family values \u200b\u200bare, whatever one may say, a good thing.
To be continued. Will Laya's worthless brother be saved, what will happen to the Empire, how will the love polygon be resolved? All this is in the next volumes of the series.
Score: 7
After all, advertising is a great thing! How would I have known about the existence of this book, if the press had not praised it and thus forced to read it? Now about the book. Here, in fact, lies the main problem - there is nothing special to say about the book. Nothing outstanding at all. For starters, a hackneyed and uninteresting plot. Maybe this, of course, is not for everyone, but I was frankly bored. And then, what is happening on the pages is very difficult to believe, and for a fantasy lover with experience, who by this moment has a luggage of tens and hundreds of volumes read, it is generally impossible to believe what is happening. All this rather resembles Skyrim or any other computer RPG and, apparently, the author is a big fan of this kind of games. To be honest, some moments just made me angry! Simple example, plot basis:
Spoiler (plot disclosure) (click on it to see)
There is a certain imperial city where rebels operating underground are caught. They just can't catch everyone, even though you crack! They are looking with dogs, looking with the police! The elite guards are fighting against the troublemakers, they are caught in their homes, in the basements, in the trees and can not find them in any way! But as soon as the main characters want to find the rebels, a miracle happens immediately and they find them! Moreover, all the most important persons of the insurrectionary movement!
Well, okay, right? That is, as in Skyrim: everyone knows that the thieves' guild has an office in the nearest sewer, but the city guards cannot catch them! Already before that, cunning types, that it is worth going down into the sewers, and they immediately duck in the corners and look for their fistulas! This is how they have been catching for a hundred years, still nothing. The same feeling appears when reading the book "Coal in Ash". Unpleasant, let's say, feeling. That's all kind of fake! You just don't believe in it! Therefore, there comes a feeling of indifference to the fate of the heroes - why empathize if you understand that this does not happen? This is not serious. In any case, I was simply not interested in reading! And even now, as I write these lines, I cannot understand - why did I even take the time to read it to the end, if I understood that this is how it will continue?
So my score is 6. It would be 5, but I always throw a ball for the future for a new author.
P.S. And yes, one more thing: people don't talk like that in life, people talk like that in movies, in computer games, or on the pages of books like this one.
Score: 6
It's a good start, there is a chance that in the future, something great can turn out.
In the center of events is a girl from the oppressed people of the scribes - Laya, and the other main character - Elias, represents the side of the conquerors - the powerful Empire.
Laya is forced to spy in a harsh imperial school in order to save her brother. Elias is the strongest warrior, hates this school, cherishing a plan to escape.
At some point, Laya and Elias collide and feelings arise. In general, it is not clear why they are born so hot, but, in general, each of the heroes begins to think about each other.
In fact, I even got the feeling that I was reading some kind of love story, so much attention is paid here to the relationship of the characters.
Perhaps the emotional side is both a weak and a strong component of this book. The world in which the action takes place is described poorly, little, but the characters, due to the description of their feelings and emotions, are revealed quite well.
At any rate, I wondered how the relationship (or not) would develop between Elias and his childhood friend, Helen. Their connection and possible feelings are more justified than, for example, Elias's interest in the main character - Laye.
Unfortunately, romance-in-the-harsh-conditions alone won't hold up (unless the target audience is just teenage girls). But, as I said above, the world promises to be quite interesting. Before us, on the one hand, Sparta - where there is no place for the weak or the traitor, on the other hand, an oppressed and unhappy people who will soon wake up to throw off the oppression of the Imperials. There is a place for mysticism. The heroes of fairy tales - genies, ghouls - are hidden in the shadows, but they are ready to appear with their mystical secrets, though not in this part.
Well, the first book served its purpose - it attracted attention (it was promoted quite well, by the way) with interesting characters and a mysterious, enticing world.
Score: 8
It's all about how people rate books. There is an elite that, when reading, checks the work for the slightest logical errors, plot inconsistencies, excessive graphomatism or, on the contrary, insufficient description, elaboration of characters, reliability of the picture and the events described, etc. etc. I do not consider myself to be such. Yes, I turn things into all these details (let's call them "external requirements"), yes, it's good when everything is worked out and there are no blunders. But first of all, I assess how well the book went to me, that is, the general impression: it was interesting for me to read, whether I empathized with the characters, whether the plot captured me, whether there was visualization when reading. And although the author did not perfectly embody all the external requirements, BUT history swallowed me entirely. I could not tear myself away, I was worried about the heroes, about their lives and their relationships, I seemed to be there, next to them. Just like them, my heart was pounding, I just like them hated, loved, suffered.
This is for me an indicator of excellent literature. Did I like the story? Yes! Want to continue? Yes! You pay attention to those mistakes and inconsistencies while reading - no! So it was with me, so Saba Tahir gets the highest score from me.
There are two heroes in this book. Young Laya is from the enslaved people of the scribes. When her beloved older brother Darin is seized by the conquerors, the girl joins the underground and becomes a spy ... Elias is an imperial, one of the best cadets of the military academy. But he does not want to become a fighter of the elite guard of the Masks, dreaming of escape. When Laya and Elias meet, it is a harbinger of impending change in the Empire.
Sabaa tahir
An ember in the ashes
Novel
Genre: historical fantasy, youth fantasy
Year of publication in the original language: 2015
Interpreter: E. Sholokhova
Publisher: AST, 2015
448 pages, 7000 copies.
"Coal in Ash", part 1
Similar to:
Guy Gavriel Kay "Celestial Empire"
Morgan Rhodes "Doomed Kingdoms"
The debut novel of the American writer Saba Tahir became one of the sensations of the past year on the English-speaking market and was published in Russia very quickly. And not only there - publishing rights were bought by publishers of three dozen countries. And the film adaptation of the book will be done by the Hollywood giant Paramount Pictures. In general, an unconditional success. And, it should be noted, well deserved.
The novel is a youthful pseudo-historical fantasy that brings to mind the books of Guy Gavriel Kay. Like the Canadian master of the genre, Tahir constructs the world on the basis of a modified real past. Before us are the southern provinces of a state very reminiscent of the Roman Empire. Palestine? Judea? In any case, the Sadducee scribes are a clear hybrid of Jews and Arabs. The empire of the scribes was once very powerful and proud, but could not resist the onslaught of the "barbarians" who possessed the secret of making perfect cold steel. Thanks to their swords, the northerners won a victory, conquering not only the scribes, but also other nations. This is how the Empire of the Swordsmen arose, which has unconditionally dominated the world for several centuries.
The author managed to paint a rather convincing picture of a totalitarian oligarchy. Maybe because you didn't have to come up with much? After all, we are actually facing Rome at the apogee of its power, although some pages (especially those showing the manners in the Academy of Masks) make us remember Nazi Germany. Note that the world invented by Tahir is almost hopeless. For, as it becomes clear in the course of the story, the Empire of Swordsmen has virtually no alternative for all its injustice. The resistance of the scribes is a cesspool. A sea of \u200b\u200blofty words and an ocean of meanness - some sort of Middle Eastern terrorists. Moreover, by the end of the novel, one gets the impression that the Empire is quite worthy of reform, and not at all overthrow. Perhaps the heroes in subsequent volumes will have to face this very arduous task?
Heroes are another advantage of the book. Especially the secondary ones. There are a lot of them, and almost all of them are extremely bright, ambiguous and psychologically verified characters. Particularly memorable is the proud Helene Aquilla - friend, colleague and at the same time rival of Elias. And the commandant of the Academy, she is the mother of the protagonist, is just a reinforced concrete bitch! But there are questions about the characters of the main characters.
It was so foolish to hope that despite the cruelty in which I was brought up, I could break out of it all. After so many years of flogging, mistreatment, bloodshed, it shouldn't have been so naive.
Elias
Here is Elias Viturius - smart, quite calculating, but at the same time he can be hot and unrestrained. Contradictory and attractive image. The main question is how the hero managed to remain a "humanist", being subjected to the devilish drill from early childhood? All his surroundings in terms of views and behavior are pure SS, "blond beasts". And Elias is like from another planet. Why? .. As for Laya, this is a domestic girl who ran into serious trials, completely unprepared for them. Against the background of other bright heroes, the seventeen-year-old beauty cannot boast of special achievements. Only by the will of the author does she succeed in her endeavors. That is why the weakest element of Coal in Ash is its romantic line. With what fright Elias (with all his shortcomings, a rather bright personality) fell in love with this stunted creature is completely incomprehensible. This can only be explained by the controversial theory that strong men are always drawn to weak women, whom must be protected and cherished. True, at the end of the book, Laya demonstrates character, so, perhaps, in subsequent volumes the heroine will disperse again.
And the character and other strong qualities, judging by the plot, will be needed by the heroes. The plot is fascinating, making you frantically flip through page after page - another plus of the book. Of course, it was not without some logical inconsistencies, but it is very likely that in the sequel they will all find a reasonable explanation. At least I want to believe it.
Outcome:very worthy book. Of course, she is far from genius, but in many respects the novel deserves high marks. And above all, as a gorgeous debut - we hope that, having accumulated experience, Tahir will delight readers with even brighter works.
Desert Girl
Saba Tahir spent her childhood in the Mojava Desert, where her family ran a small motel. There was no internet, so the girl spent a lot of time reading books. After graduating from the University of California, she worked for several years as an editor for The Washington Post. Then she quit her job and wrote a novel that became a national bestseller.