An Ember in the Ashes

This is a rather brutal YA book. The "evil" charcters are particularly sadistic and the "good", particularly self sacrificing and willing to do anything to save anyone, no matter the cost. There are definitely no gray moral areas. I found the main protaganist, "Loose Lips" Laia rather naive, but couldn't help liking her anyways. I'm hooked enough to move on to Book 2.