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An Ember in the Ashes Graphic Novel Prequel #1
A Thief Among the Trees
Within the Empire there are no questions, only orders.
Elias, Helene, and Tavi are Fivers—in training to become elite military recruits for the Martial Empire at Blackcliff Academy. When they’re sent on a dangerous mission to steal a heavily-guarded poison on Isle South, they soon find themselves up against surprising enemies—including other recruits. As the true horror of their assignment is revealed, these three will begin to confront the harrowing realities of Martial rule, their place in the system...and the choices they must make to survive.
New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir joins writer Nicole Andelfinger and artist Sonia Liao for an all-new original graphic novel revealing an early tale of Elias and Helene at Blackcliff, and a stirring standalone chapter in the An Ember in the Ashes mythology.
Elias, Helene, and Tavi are Fivers—in training to become elite military recruits for the Martial Empire at Blackcliff Academy. When they’re sent on a dangerous mission to steal a heavily-guarded poison on Isle South, they soon find themselves up against surprising enemies—including other recruits. As the true horror of their assignment is revealed, these three will begin to confront the harrowing realities of Martial rule, their place in the system...and the choices they must make to survive.
New York Times bestselling author Sabaa Tahir joins writer Nicole Andelfinger and artist Sonia Liao for an all-new original graphic novel revealing an early tale of Elias and Helene at Blackcliff, and a stirring standalone chapter in the An Ember in the Ashes mythology.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published July 14, 2020
81 people are currently reading
9887 people want to read
About the author
Sabaa Tahir
27 books37k followers**My apologies if I don't respond to emails or friend requests right away! Come find me on Twitter or Instagram @sabaatahir, or on my web site: www.sabaatahir.com
Sabaa Tahir grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s 18-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.
Sabaa Tahir grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s 18-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 512 reviews
February 8, 2020
This book was an absolute blast to work on and I love it so much. The script , the art, the lettering and the colors are all ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. The book is a little slice of Elias's life when he was a 13 year old Fiver, sent out into the wilds of the Empire on a dangerous mission. Working on it gave me the chance to explore the moments when Elias realizes that there is more to life than just missions for the Empire. It was a joy to write and I hope hope hope you guys enjoy this look into life as a Blackcliff student!
Want to read
January 28, 2020oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god!!!!!!
November 15, 2021
”What is the point of learning to be brave if we’re not brave for the right reasons?”.
La verdad es que esta novela gráfica, a pesar de ser parte de una de mis sagas favoritas, me decepcionó lo que no está escrito.
Básicamente la historia es una precuela de An Ember in the Ashes porque nos narra una misión a la que envían a Helene, Elias y otros reclutas antes de que se conviertan en máscaras, cuando todavía son Fivers. Tienen que infiltrarse en una isla, robar unos viales de veneno y volver a Blackcliff. Y sí, hay momentos de tensión y peligro, pero realmente me dio absolutamente igual todo lo que sucedió. Creo que parte de mi desconexión con la historia fue que las ilustraciones (excepto Helene) me parecieron francamente malas. Sorry not sorry.
En fin, que creo que pueden vivir sin leer esta novela gráfica, honestamente.
La verdad es que esta novela gráfica, a pesar de ser parte de una de mis sagas favoritas, me decepcionó lo que no está escrito.
Básicamente la historia es una precuela de An Ember in the Ashes porque nos narra una misión a la que envían a Helene, Elias y otros reclutas antes de que se conviertan en máscaras, cuando todavía son Fivers. Tienen que infiltrarse en una isla, robar unos viales de veneno y volver a Blackcliff. Y sí, hay momentos de tensión y peligro, pero realmente me dio absolutamente igual todo lo que sucedió. Creo que parte de mi desconexión con la historia fue que las ilustraciones (excepto Helene) me parecieron francamente malas. Sorry not sorry.
En fin, que creo que pueden vivir sin leer esta novela gráfica, honestamente.
February 2, 2022
Madness or bravery?
What is the point of learning to be brave if we're not brave for the right reasons?
Elias, Tavi, and Helene are on a mission to procure poison vials. They are new fivers. Their mission doesn't go as planned and they face some complications. They escape but only to get into more trouble. They find some secret information that they don't know what to make of. They end up completing their mission but at a cost.
I have not read An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir but when I saw this graphic novel at my local library and found out that it is a prequel to the series, I thought I'll read this and maybe, this will inspire me to read the actual series it is a prequel to. As I have not read, An Ember in the Ashes I had no idea what to expect and naturally, I don't know anything about this world so from that perspective this graphic novel doesn't stand on its own. Maybe the fans of the series would actually enjoy this but the story made no sense to me. This world makes no sense to me. The words they used such as - fivers, masks mean nothing to me.
You have this power to unite us. Saving souls is worth using it for. Be brave, Elias.
As I understand that Elias is one of the MCs in the other series and this graphic novel shows him at a younger age. Honestly, he's a very weak character in this. Maybe he gets better? I don't know. The trio's mission also makes zero sense. Why are they on a mission for the Empire to collect poison vials when the person who runs the extraction of poison vials also answers to the Empire? This could have benefitted from an extra page or two of world-building. I know I have used the word makes no sense many times in this review but I also have to say that title also makes no sense. As I said, maybe fans of the series would enjoy it, as for me, I tried but I couldn't. Illustrations are also not impressive at all.
1.5 stars
What is the point of learning to be brave if we're not brave for the right reasons?
Elias, Tavi, and Helene are on a mission to procure poison vials. They are new fivers. Their mission doesn't go as planned and they face some complications. They escape but only to get into more trouble. They find some secret information that they don't know what to make of. They end up completing their mission but at a cost.
I have not read An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir but when I saw this graphic novel at my local library and found out that it is a prequel to the series, I thought I'll read this and maybe, this will inspire me to read the actual series it is a prequel to. As I have not read, An Ember in the Ashes I had no idea what to expect and naturally, I don't know anything about this world so from that perspective this graphic novel doesn't stand on its own. Maybe the fans of the series would actually enjoy this but the story made no sense to me. This world makes no sense to me. The words they used such as - fivers, masks mean nothing to me.
You have this power to unite us. Saving souls is worth using it for. Be brave, Elias.
As I understand that Elias is one of the MCs in the other series and this graphic novel shows him at a younger age. Honestly, he's a very weak character in this. Maybe he gets better? I don't know. The trio's mission also makes zero sense. Why are they on a mission for the Empire to collect poison vials when the person who runs the extraction of poison vials also answers to the Empire? This could have benefitted from an extra page or two of world-building. I know I have used the word makes no sense many times in this review but I also have to say that title also makes no sense. As I said, maybe fans of the series would enjoy it, as for me, I tried but I couldn't. Illustrations are also not impressive at all.
1.5 stars
February 22, 2022
The story is OK. My problem with the book is that it doesn't stand on its own. It's a prequel to a prose YA series and requires you to have read that series to pick up not only the references but to rely on all of the worldbuilding from those books. Any time you switch mediums like this from prose to comic, you should expect there will be some new readers and enough context should be given so that I don't have to go read a bunch of other novels first. I was confused for the longest time why these kids were being sent off to steal poison from their own facility and why the soldiers were killing their own cadets. If the scriptwriter had just explained why this was happening, I would have enjoyed the story much more.
I had some issues with the art as well. While technically it's good art, the character designs all looked the same. The only context I had to tell everyone apart was hair color. Tavi and Elias were impossible to differentiate except for a small necklace. The main characters were also drawn very feminine in facial structure. Until I figured it out through contextual clues, I thought Tavi and Elias were women.
I had some issues with the art as well. While technically it's good art, the character designs all looked the same. The only context I had to tell everyone apart was hair color. Tavi and Elias were impossible to differentiate except for a small necklace. The main characters were also drawn very feminine in facial structure. Until I figured it out through contextual clues, I thought Tavi and Elias were women.
March 24, 2021
Graphic novels just aren't my thing, even for my favorite series.
March 1, 2022
Review March 2022
Yes I am aware that it took me like two years to get to a graphic novel that took less than an hour to read despite the fact I love this series. No I will not learn from this experience :P
Anyway, for a prequel this was surprisingly good! It helped provide further context for why Elias and Helene are the way they are and seeing the world illustrated helped flesh it out more.
Update October 2019
Whoever decided to reveal the cover and title this soon deserves a raise for not letting us suffer.
Prereview September 2019
*slams to-read button so quickly I break my entire arm*
Yes I am aware that it took me like two years to get to a graphic novel that took less than an hour to read despite the fact I love this series. No I will not learn from this experience :P
Anyway, for a prequel this was surprisingly good! It helped provide further context for why Elias and Helene are the way they are and seeing the world illustrated helped flesh it out more.
Update October 2019
Whoever decided to reveal the cover and title this soon deserves a raise for not letting us suffer.
Prereview September 2019
*slams to-read button so quickly I break my entire arm*
April 26, 2021
Short, sweet and to the point, it was nice to see Helene and Elias as young ones, even if the story veered in as saddening a path as I expected it to. It's a nice addition to the An Ember in the Ashes world.
August 31, 2024
My First Dive into Sabaa Tahir's World & I’m Beyond Disappointed! Okay, so this was my first book by Sabaa Tahir, and I was super excited to finally dip my toes into the An Ember in the Ashes series. But A Thief Among the Trees… oh boy, where do I even start? 😔 This is supposed to be a prequel and a standalone that sets up the series, but I felt like I was missing half the story the entire time. I’m sure readers who’ve already finished the main series might enjoy it more, but for someone like me who’s new to this world—yeah, not so much.
✧ Prequel that doesn't work as a standalone ❌
✧ Lack of worldbuilding 🌍
✧ Inconsistent artwork 🎨
The plot follows Elias, Helene, and Tavi, who are Fivers (whatever that means!) at Blackcliff Academy, sent on a mission to retrieve some poison vials. Sounds cool, right? Except nothing in this story made sense to me. There were so many terms like Fivers and Masks that felt like they were thrown in with no explanation. 😵 And the mission? Why are these kids sent on a death mission for their own Empire, stealing poison from their own people? Where’s the logic? 🤷♀️
The only thing I did like? The artwork was decent, though even that had its issues. The characters all looked the same except for minor details like hair color. Tavi and Elias? Couldn’t tell them apart half the time. And don’t get me started on how feminine everyone’s faces looked. 😑
Honestly, this prequel left me more confused than intrigued. If you’re a fan of the series, you might enjoy this more, but for newbies? I’d say skip it.
So, yeah, this was a rough start to Sabaa Tahir’s world for me. Here’s hoping the main series does a better job at pulling me in! 😕📖
✧ Prequel that doesn't work as a standalone ❌
✧ Lack of worldbuilding 🌍
✧ Inconsistent artwork 🎨
The plot follows Elias, Helene, and Tavi, who are Fivers (whatever that means!) at Blackcliff Academy, sent on a mission to retrieve some poison vials. Sounds cool, right? Except nothing in this story made sense to me. There were so many terms like Fivers and Masks that felt like they were thrown in with no explanation. 😵 And the mission? Why are these kids sent on a death mission for their own Empire, stealing poison from their own people? Where’s the logic? 🤷♀️
The only thing I did like? The artwork was decent, though even that had its issues. The characters all looked the same except for minor details like hair color. Tavi and Elias? Couldn’t tell them apart half the time. And don’t get me started on how feminine everyone’s faces looked. 😑
Honestly, this prequel left me more confused than intrigued. If you’re a fan of the series, you might enjoy this more, but for newbies? I’d say skip it.
So, yeah, this was a rough start to Sabaa Tahir’s world for me. Here’s hoping the main series does a better job at pulling me in! 😕📖
January 5, 2021
“When your body is broken, and your heart is crushed. When they’ve honed you and molded you and beaten you into their perfect soldier...your spirit is the one thing they cannot touch.”
In typical Sabaa Tahir fashion, you cannot finish one of her books without getting overly emotional. Yes, even her graphic novels.
Not to unintentionally spoil anything but Tavi is the best character in the book.
Helene is the same as she always is, fierce and committed to the Empire. Though nowadays that commitment is fluctuating. If you know, you know.
Elias and Tavi seem like such good friends and they have the same morals and goals. Seeing them communicate with each other about trying to solve problems was so heartwarming.
You get to see how the kids of Blackcliff are ruthlessly thrown out into the open, trying to survive and complete whatever tasks that were given to them.
This graphic novel adds a level of depth to the series, and you get to see the moment when Elias starts to question the Empire’s behavior. I wouldn’t pass this graphic novel up, especially when the art is this good!
In typical Sabaa Tahir fashion, you cannot finish one of her books without getting overly emotional. Yes, even her graphic novels.
Not to unintentionally spoil anything but Tavi is the best character in the book.
Helene is the same as she always is, fierce and committed to the Empire. Though nowadays that commitment is fluctuating. If you know, you know.
Elias and Tavi seem like such good friends and they have the same morals and goals. Seeing them communicate with each other about trying to solve problems was so heartwarming.
You get to see how the kids of Blackcliff are ruthlessly thrown out into the open, trying to survive and complete whatever tasks that were given to them.
This graphic novel adds a level of depth to the series, and you get to see the moment when Elias starts to question the Empire’s behavior. I wouldn’t pass this graphic novel up, especially when the art is this good!
Read
November 12, 2022TW: blood, child abuse, child death, sexism, slavery, torture, violence.
Not much to say about this one as I don't read graphic novels very often so *shrug*.
There were times it felt like a video game cut-scene and the dialogue felt super melodramatic, but that could be my lack of familiarity with the format. It did remind me that I need to reread this series which I guess is a good thing, all emotional damage aside lol.
Elias and Helene deserved better but what else is new.
Not much to say about this one as I don't read graphic novels very often so *shrug*.
There were times it felt like a video game cut-scene and the dialogue felt super melodramatic, but that could be my lack of familiarity with the format. It did remind me that I need to reread this series which I guess is a good thing, all emotional damage aside lol.
Elias and Helene deserved better but what else is new.
July 18, 2020
This was such a wonderful edition to the world of An Ember in the Ashes! The art was beautiful, and I loved the character designs for Elias and Helene. Gripping and full of heart, I couldn’t get enough of this prequel story!
I’m excited for more!!
I’m excited for more!!
September 11, 2020
I expected this book to rip my heart out of my chest. It's Sabaa Tahir, after all.
But the pain!!! I was not prepared.
Really good graphic novel, with the intensity of An Ember in the Ashes. I recommend it for fans of Sabaa Tahir!
But the pain!!! I was not prepared.
Really good graphic novel, with the intensity of An Ember in the Ashes. I recommend it for fans of Sabaa Tahir!
September 19, 2021
3.5 Stars.
Since I recenly started reading 'An Ember in the Ashes' series and once I noticed it had a prequel (graphic novel) to the series, I thought it'd be logical to read this beforehand.
Now, I can't say that I ADORED this book, because I have yet to get to meet the characters properly, but I thought this was a good beginning to the series, plus if you like Elias and Helene and/or tjat they are your favorite characters then this graphic novel is a must read!
Since I recenly started reading 'An Ember in the Ashes' series and once I noticed it had a prequel (graphic novel) to the series, I thought it'd be logical to read this beforehand.
Now, I can't say that I ADORED this book, because I have yet to get to meet the characters properly, but I thought this was a good beginning to the series, plus if you like Elias and Helene and/or tjat they are your favorite characters then this graphic novel is a must read!
November 22, 2020
Oh my heart 💔😭
July 1, 2020
3.75/5
This was a nice addition to the Ember world. I liked getting a small glimpse at a part of Elias and Helene’s past and training at Blackcliff. The art was great, especially the colouring!
I don’t think this would be a good place to start in the Ember world. If you haven’t read at least the first book in the main series, you’d probably not get as much out of this, and might find it a bit confusing.
Excited to see what else comes from these prequel graphic novels!
This was a nice addition to the Ember world. I liked getting a small glimpse at a part of Elias and Helene’s past and training at Blackcliff. The art was great, especially the colouring!
I don’t think this would be a good place to start in the Ember world. If you haven’t read at least the first book in the main series, you’d probably not get as much out of this, and might find it a bit confusing.
Excited to see what else comes from these prequel graphic novels!
August 26, 2021
I freaking loved it🥺❤️I loved seeing young Elias and Helene...and I wish Tavi was part of the EMBER series😭I loved him just from the little we got about him...it’s so sad🥺
January 6, 2021
"My spirit is the one thing they cannot touch."
An Ember in the Ashes is one of my all time favourite series so of course I had to pick this up. I had a great time reading this book and being back to this world. I would read anything that Sabaa Tahir writes, no matter the format.
We follow Helene and Elias along with their friend Tavi when they are Fivers - training to become elite military recruits - are sent to on a dangerous mission to steal some heavily guarded poison. Soon they find themselves against surprising enemies.
I liked reading more about Elias and Helene's lives before the events of AEITA. I really liked the plot of this graphic novel, Sabaa Tahir has once again done an amazing job at telling their stories, but I felt like the ending was a bit abrupt. I feel liked there could have been a few more pages and this book would have ended more nicely and had a more satisfying ending.
I loved seeing this characters as kids and what they were going through then. God, I'm not even sure how old they are in this book, but they still were kids and they were encouraged to kill. From that young age, they were already killing people. That's so messed up.
If you are An Ember in the Ashes fan and you want more of the characters we've come to love in that series, I highly recommend you pick this graphic novel.
An Ember in the Ashes is one of my all time favourite series so of course I had to pick this up. I had a great time reading this book and being back to this world. I would read anything that Sabaa Tahir writes, no matter the format.
We follow Helene and Elias along with their friend Tavi when they are Fivers - training to become elite military recruits - are sent to on a dangerous mission to steal some heavily guarded poison. Soon they find themselves against surprising enemies.
I liked reading more about Elias and Helene's lives before the events of AEITA. I really liked the plot of this graphic novel, Sabaa Tahir has once again done an amazing job at telling their stories, but I felt like the ending was a bit abrupt. I feel liked there could have been a few more pages and this book would have ended more nicely and had a more satisfying ending.
I loved seeing this characters as kids and what they were going through then. God, I'm not even sure how old they are in this book, but they still were kids and they were encouraged to kill. From that young age, they were already killing people. That's so messed up.
If you are An Ember in the Ashes fan and you want more of the characters we've come to love in that series, I highly recommend you pick this graphic novel.
May 31, 2022
I loved getting to see illustrations of the characters, as well as Helene & Elias’ dynamic when they were younger. This isn’t really a prequel though; yes, it took place before the series, but due to context it’s definitely something to read after you finish the Ember Quartet!
December 13, 2020
I’m not sure if it was expected I wouldn’t give this 5 Stars...
ANYWAY!
I really enjoyed this, I think it was I retesting you see the characters so young. Hel and Elias were exactly how they expected to be and I loved the little cameos we saw from other characters as well.
I hope that there’s going to be more of these because I would absolutely read them all!
An Ember in the Ashes - 5 Stars
A Torch Against The Night - 5 Stars
A Reaper at the Gates - 5 Stars
A Sky Beyond The Storm - 5 Stars
A Thief Among The Trees - 5 Stars
ANYWAY!
I really enjoyed this, I think it was I retesting you see the characters so young. Hel and Elias were exactly how they expected to be and I loved the little cameos we saw from other characters as well.
I hope that there’s going to be more of these because I would absolutely read them all!
An Ember in the Ashes - 5 Stars
A Torch Against The Night - 5 Stars
A Reaper at the Gates - 5 Stars
A Sky Beyond The Storm - 5 Stars
A Thief Among The Trees - 5 Stars
February 13, 2023
Milý doplněk pro všechny, kdo (jako já) milují Jiskru v popelu... nedozvíte se tu nic moc, spíš se potkáte s postavami před dějem prvního dílu, a to je fajn. Děj jsem celkem uhodla, ale i tak na mě tenhle krátký příběh docela dopadl.
4/5*
4/5*
December 18, 2022
I really liked this, even though it broke my heart. again. Sabaa Tahir just does this every time.
June 27, 2021
Holy shiet this world is brutal! It's awesome!!
July 11, 2020
I’ve been anticipating this for a while; I’m a big fan of Sabaa Tahir’s Ember in the Ashes series, so I was excited to see how her world translated to graphic novels. Sabaa didn’t write this book though, just to clarify; she came up with the story, but the script was not her. I enjoyed the book overall, but there was nothing really unique about it. It was predictable, since we know who survives from reading the books. The art style was nice and I loved the colors, but I had trouble telling Elias and Tavi apart— they literally look almost identical. Also, every character was drawn extremely feminine, so I thought Tavi was a girl until they mentioned his gender halfway through. If you’re a big Ember fan, you’ll find something to like here; if you’re not... I’d say skip it. 3.5/5 stars.
July 20, 2020
It was so good to read about my babies again. I loved the character designs, especially Helene's. The story was cool too. And though it is a prequel to the events in An Ember in the Ashes, I will not advise anyone new to AEITA to start the series here, because the novel doesn't tell you who is really who and why they are doing what. That said, MY HELENE ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 😊😊❤️ ❤️ 😊😊
April 15, 2021
Beautiful illustrations, solid and deep story and just extremely satisfying to read.
▪️ I really liked it▪️
Loved seeing the characters that I have grown to love in the “Ember ”- quartet.
Read: 08/01/2021
1st rating: 4 stars
Genre/tropes: Fantasy/YA/Graphic novel
Cover: 4 stars
Art: 4 stars
Will I recommend: Yes
▪️ I really liked it▪️
Loved seeing the characters that I have grown to love in the “Ember ”- quartet.
Read: 08/01/2021
1st rating: 4 stars
Genre/tropes: Fantasy/YA/Graphic novel
Cover: 4 stars
Art: 4 stars
Will I recommend: Yes
January 5, 2021
I think I am gonna stick to the novels only through it was a nice book. Got to see through a different time period.
will-maybe-read-if-bored
June 5, 2021I might read this but I don’t know tbh. I’ve never read graphic novels before.
July 9, 2020
I LOVE EVERYTHING ❤️😭. I needed this graphic novel. Also can we talk about the drawing : THEY ARE GORGEOUS 🥺❤️. Also happy to see my baby bean elias. I’m not gonna say much bc I don’t want to spoil but Tavi ❤️❤️
Displaying 1 - 30 of 512 reviews