As a result of pressure from external and internal sources, the characters in An Ember in the Ashes struggle with their identities. Their fears and desires, coupled with who the empire dictates they are supposed to be, make finding their true selves difficult, and only by challenging their situations can they grow. Through Laia trying to separate herself from her parents’ greatness, Elias fearing that the violence of his family defines him, and Zak not knowing who he is without Marcus, An Ember in the Ashes explores what defines a person’s identity.

Laia struggles against mostly internal forces of fear and doubt. Her parents, particularly her mother, were high-ranking members of the resistance, and stories of her mother paint the woman as a fearless warrior. Throughout the book, people tell Laia she’s nothing like her mother, which she believes because she doesn’t feel fearless. For much of the book’s early chapters, Laia lets fear rule her. She is desperate to help Darin, but she is too frightened to take risks, and her self-doubt makes her appear guilty of something even when she’s not. Laia constantly compares herself to her parents, wishing she could be more like them and not seeing the similarities.