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Quick answer: If you loved An Ember in the Ashes, try A Torch Against the Night, Red Queen, Shadow and Bone, The Hunger Games, Children of Blood and Bone and Throne of Glass. Each one combines a brutal empire, a fierce heroine and a forbidden connection across enemy lines.
Sabaa Tahir's novel, inspired by ancient Rome, follows Laia, a Scholar girl who spies on the military academy's ruthless commandant to save her brother, and Elias, the academy's best soldier, who secretly wants to escape. Their stories collide in deadly trials. Readers love its tension, its dark world and its shifting points of view. These books share the same mix of oppression, rebellion and romance.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Torch Against the Night | Sabaa Tahir | 14+ | readers who want more of Laia and Elias |
| Red Queen | Victoria Aveyard | 13+ | readers who like rebellion |
| Shadow and Bone | Leigh Bardugo | 13+ | readers who like military fantasy |
| The Hunger Games | Suzanne Collins | 12+ | readers who like deadly trials |
| Children of Blood and Bone | Tomi Adeyemi | 13+ | readers who like oppressed magic |
| Throne of Glass | Sarah J. Maas | 14+ | readers who like assassins |
| Six of Crows | Leigh Bardugo | 14+ | readers who like multiple narrators |
| The Wrath and the Dawn | Renée Ahdieh | 14+ | readers who like retellings |
| Legend | Marie Lu | 12+ | readers who like dual points of view |
| Graceling | Kristin Cashore | 13+ | readers who like a strong heroine |
| The Winner's Curse | Marie Rutkoski | 13+ | readers who like political romance |
| Red Rising | Pierce Brown | 16+ | older readers |
| The Poppy War | R. F. Kuang | 17+ | older readers who want darker war fantasy |
| Scythe | Neal Shusterman | 13+ | readers who like moral dilemmas |
| The Gilded Wolves | Roshani Chokshi | 14+ | readers who like heists |
1. A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
Laia and Elias flee the Empire and race to free her brother from a deadly prison.
Best for: readers who want more of Laia and Elias.
2. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
A girl with common red blood discovers she has a power that belongs to the silver-blooded elite.
Best for: readers who like rebellion.
3. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
An orphan discovers a rare power that could save her country.
Best for: readers who like military fantasy.
4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Katniss competes in a fight to the death.
Best for: readers who like deadly trials.
5. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
A girl fights to bring magic back to her people.
Best for: readers who like oppressed magic.
6. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
An assassin competes to become the king's champion.
Best for: readers who like assassins.
7. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Six outcasts plan an impossible heist.
Best for: readers who like multiple narrators.
8. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
A girl marries a murderous king to avenge her friend.
Best for: readers who like retellings.
9. Legend by Marie Lu
A prodigy soldier and a criminal from the slums are on opposite sides of a dystopian Republic.
Best for: readers who like dual points of view.
10. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
A girl gifted with killing becomes a hero.
Best for: readers who like a strong heroine.
11. The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
A general's daughter buys a slave and falls into a dangerous romance.
Best for: readers who like political romance.
12. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
A miner infiltrates the elite to overthrow a caste society.
Best for: older readers.
13. The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
A war orphan trains at an elite academy and is drawn into a brutal war.
Best for: older readers who want darker war fantasy.
14. Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Two teens train to become scythes.
Best for: readers who like moral dilemmas.
15. The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
A team of treasure hunters plans a heist in Belle Époque Paris.
Best for: readers who like heists.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with An Ember in the Ashes: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
Continue with A Torch Against the Night and the rest of the series. For rebellion against an empire, choose Red Queen, Children of Blood and Bone or Legend. Readers who like deadly trials should try The Hunger Games or Throne of Glass. Older readers can try Red Rising or The Poppy War, which are darker. All of these build tension through dual or multiple points of view, so if that was your favorite part, Six of Crows and Legend are a great next step.
Related: 15 Books Like Wings of Fire Kids Will Love: Dragons, Quests and Animal Adventures · 12 Dystopian Books Like the Hunger Games | Best Books to Read Like Hunger Games
Frequently Asked Questions
What age is An Ember in the Ashes for?
It is usually recommended for ages 14 and up because of violence and threats of sexual violence.
How many books are in the series?
There are four books.
Is An Ember in the Ashes a romance?
It has romance, but the main focus is survival, rebellion and family.
Who narrates the book?
It alternates between Laia and Elias.
Is the series finished?
Yes. It ended with A Sky Beyond the Storm in 2020.