Of Elves and Embers Review Spotlight

 

 Of Elves and Embers, a Forgotten Kingdom standalone novel, is packed with tension, drama, building romance, and found family. This engaging novel is sure to have you coming back for the rest of the books in this collection with a prophecy that sweeps wider than we know. For now, Of Elves and Embers…

Of Elves and Embers by Elle Madison and Robin D. Mahle is a beautifully written novel about a young woman given another chance at life. Another chance to fulfill a promise made, a promise that she very well has yet to remember. Ember’s life has been rather mundane, but she’s never felt like she really belonged. When she wins a contest, she feels an overwhelming compulsion to take the trip offered. It’s not something that she would normally do, but she does it anyway. Especially when another close to her wins a similar contest and insists that they go.

Where is this going to lead? Well, it’s going to lead to unexpected events, for Ember, and a second chance at a love that she was made the choice to walk away from...for their sake. While she may have no memories as of yet, they’ll be coming back to her. Too bad her memories can’t prepare her for the danger that awaits her return to a realm that she currently doesn’t remember.

Of Elves and Embers, especially for fans of Elle Madison and Robin D. Mahle, is a fantasy romance novel that you’re not going to want to miss out on. Readers who enjoy sassy characters will absolutely love Ember. We’re not 100% fans of sassy characters, especially when they are just being obstinately stubborn to be exactly that, but Ember is still interesting.

The authors engage readers with the handsome king, the ferocious Cerberus, a variety of other mythical creatures, and how Ember handles her new environment. It’s quite the adjustment for her as she goes from living a less-than-enjoyable” life on Earth to now living in a completely different realm. On Earth, she didn’t have much to hold her there, but here in Aelvaria, history sleeps in her distant memories.

A former life. The secrets are locked away in those memories. Reliving them with Ember is both informative and quite delicious. You get insights into Ember’s former life as Phaedra’s life before her “untimely” passing. The revelations authors hint at, and even tease at things that have yet to be revealed.

With each turn of the page, the story comes together more and more. Readers will be drawn in little by little and pulled into Ember’s and Hadeon’s orbit. You’ll gradually understand why exactly it is that he’s so thorny, and to an extent, why he holds Ember at arm’s length. There is hurt on both sides, and it all is revealed when it is meant to be.

The authors promise romance and even so more open-door sex scenes. Readers who are looking for those steamy scenes, calm down. There will be none found here. The scenes are glossed over, allowing readers to use their imaginations when it comes to the exact details. This will be disappointing for readers who love those detailed steamy scenes. However, these authors have chosen to give readers this in lieu of their usual fade-to-black or fade-to-gray style.

Seeing as this book is a standalone novel, there will be a HEA. Or will there be!?! LOL! We’re just teasing. Of course there will be, so that’s definitely something to look forward to. Expect quite a bit of drama and maybe even a heart-stopping moment or two before you get there though. So, just brace yourself. LOL!

The authors give readers not only a dynamic cast of characters, but you get some hints of more along the way as well. Hints of what exactly? Why...is that another romance we sense that may or may not have been brooding along the edges? Whatever is going on between a certain soldier and another character is definitely something worth investigating!

Ember is an interesting character, regardless of the fact that she’s probably not our exact favorite. She brings such dynamic energy to the story. Maybe a little less “sass” would have benefited her, especially in situations where it was just absolutely unnecessary. Hadeon has his similar moments, but his attitude, for us, comes more from a space of pain than true “arrogance” like Ember is painted in believing of him.

Readers who enjoy these two authors and their works will absolutely want to grab up this book. However, you won’t want to stop there. After reading this book the desire to read the other books “connected” in this collection of novels will be on you strong. So, make sure that you grab them all up when you can!

4.5 out of 5 stars

A huge thank you to authors, Elle Madison and Robin D. Mahle, for the opportunity to read and review this book. We look forward to what comes next!