An Ember in the Ashes

Based on what we learn about the Commandant in Chapter 46, do you feel her behavior and feelings toward Elias are justified? Why or why not? Can you see who she once was and the paths she took to become the ruthless leader she is at the time of the story? What do the Commandant’s past and present say about people who appear “bad?” Are “bad” people truly bad, or do they just do bad things? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Choose two of the trials. Why do you think each was part of the trials to find a new emperor? What does each trial truly test the aspirants for, and what do the results say both about the individual trials and the characters? Do you feel the trials you chose were the best ways to test the aspirants for their intended purposes? Why or why not? If not, how would you change the trials? If so, what makes them so?

Based on Marcus and Zak’s characters, what fears do you think they faced in the first trial? Why those fears? How do you think they overcame those fears to complete the trial, and what action do you think led to Marcus’s victory? What do the fears you picked say about Marcus and Zak?

In Chapter 26, Helene argues that the Scholars should be enslaved because the Martial Empire rightfully conquered them and took possession of their land. Do you agree with Helene’s perspective? Why or why not? If so, what gives the Martial Empire authority to rule the Scholars? If not, how do you think the Martials justified their actions? What does the Martial Empire suggest about colonization and the idea that history is written by the perspective of the victor?

One of the major themes of An Ember in the Ashes is The Power of Choice. Based on the outcomes of decisions characters make throughout the story, how much control do you think we have in the choices we make? Do the characters in the book make choices independently, or are they shepherded down specific paths? Pick two choices and describe how the story would be different if the characters had decided differently. If nothing would have changed, why do you think that?

What does the Blackcliff training program say about indoctrination and the military? Is there a correlation between indoctrination, brainwashing, and training? If so, what is the connection, and how does it help the empire train the Masks? If not, what other elements lead the Masks to be so undyingly loyal and unwilling to defy their training? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Throughout the book, it’s made clear that even the students at Blackcliff don’t want to be there and participate in the rigorous, violent training. Why do you think they don’t rebel? What characteristics of a person might make them live a life they don’t want to live, and what societal structures might make people feel they have no option but to do things the way they’re currently done?

Based on the shifting relationships and allegiances throughout the novel, who do you think Elias and Laia will be romantically paired with by the end of the series? Why that person, and what clues from the text make them the obvious choice to you? If you think they will not be paired with someone, why do you think Tahir would choose that ending when one of the largest tropes of young adult literature is romance?