I’ve always been an avid reader; books are my best friends. It’s a way to escape the world for a while and read about powerful protagonists setting off on life-changing adventures with their troupe of merry friends, or discovering a secret island with some hidden treasure, or simply another person realizing that there’s more to themselves that they’d ever thought.
Books are a great way to vanish into another world, just for a little bit. What is being quickly realized by many authors and readers, however, is the fact that it’s incredibly difficult to find people of color in young adult literature. It’s true that most heroes and heroines of the genre—of most genres—are white and blonde and blue-eyed. It’s gotten so common that I’ve made a game out of trying to find books without a fair-haired protagonist.
Lately, times have been changing and the world is more insistent on diversity, which is a good thing. A lot of YA authors have started to pay more attention to their characters’ ethnicities and many are calling for inclusion. I, too, believe that there should be more diversity in novels but I don’t want to be aggressive about it. Sometimes I worry that people are so agitated by issues of race and ethnicity that we forget to treat each other as humans… with that in mind, I’d like to start a recurring book-list with suggestions of literature featuring unconventional protagonists, perhaps not just POC but also characters that don’t fit the typical clichés.
I’ll start with An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir.
This novel features several characters of presumed Middle Eastern descent, including the main heroine, Laia. Existing nations are not mentioned, but I think that this was a good call on Ms. Tahir’s part; it adds to the mystery of the world that her characters reside in. Though it is never outright stated, the ethnicities of the characters are fairly certain due to language, origin stories, and other subtle mentions of cultural nuances revolving around the different people.
The story takes place in a brutal empire inspired by ancient Rome; here, defiance is met with death and those who do not align themselves to the Emperor have pretty much signed their death certificates, along with those of their loved ones. Our protagonist, Laia, lives with her grandparents and older brother in a reasonably peaceful, though impoverished existence. They don’t dare challenge the Empire, because those that do are hunted down and exterminated.
Things go horribly wrong when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, and her family targeted by the Empire. She is forced to make a difficult decision and joins group of rebels who promise to rescue her brother… in exchange for a small price: she must spy for them within the borders of the Empire’s greatest and most terrifying military academy. Enter Elias, the prodigy of the school and a true soldier, through and through—at least, on the surface. Elias has been experiencing some cognitive dissonance, and Laia’s sudden descent into his life throws his world into chaos. Soon, they realize that their fates are inextricably entwined and their choices may alter the course of history itself.
So there you have it, a genuine book recommendation featuring several characters of color, a riveting plot, deep friendships, action, adventure, and just a hint of romance. At 480 pages, the book isn’t too long of a read, and if you get really into it, the sequel (Torch Against the Night) has recently been released!
It’s getting cold outside, so be sure to check An Ember in the Ashes out from your local library or grab a copy off of Amazon, curl up with some blankets and hot chocolate, and have a fun, chill night in with your new book.
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