A Shadow in the Ember - Review
By Jennifer L. Armentrout
Time spent reading: 06.29.2022 - 06.30.2022 - 2 days
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)
A prequel to the “From blood and ash” series, this book was fenomenal.
If you read the unique story of Poppy, the maiden who’s identity was kept a secret until she was kidnapped by the guy she was so deeply in love with, then you will definitely want to read this one.
This is the story of Seraphena, a princess who was once destined to marry the “Primal of Death” because of a deal the crown made several years ago: the first born woman’s hand in marriage, in exchange for good soil and weather for producing the kingdom’s resources )which would lead to a better economy). When it’s finally time for Nyktos to collect his debt, he simply doesn’t. Seraphena’s mother, the queen, blames her daughter everyday for the rotting country and the fortune’s doom, she had trained her daughter since birth to marry the primal and kill him, so the deal would live forever and they would never have these problems. Now the girl is basically a killing machine with no purpose anymore, hated on by her family. One day, out in the dark, she runs into Ash, a handsome man with a charming personality, who also seems to be intrigued by her. They start to become very close, but what if Nyktos came back for what is rightfully his?
I could talk about this book everyday. If you read blood and ash, and your favorite part about it was that a war was always happening and they were never really still, then this might not be for you. The whole backstory of the world is written in the lines of long dialogs, between Seraphena and all the other characters, since it’s narrated from her point of view. But don’t think for one second those dialogs are boring, the characters in this book are as fun as the ones from “Blood and ash”, maybe even more fun.
Reading the first 3 books of the original series would make you understand this prequel way better, but it is a MUST to read this before reading the fourth book, since the end of it has everything to do with the story of this one.
I prefere much more the world in “A Shadow in the ember” which consist only of two realms, the ones where the gods live and the human realm. On the other hand, “From Blood and Ash” has so many towns and its so much more confusing it gets a little tiring, by the fourth book i can’t even keep track where the story is taking place. But it is still one of the best books I have ever read!
Recommend this prequel to literally EVERYONE. Even if you haven’t read or even heard about the amazing world Armentrout has created, it is a great book to pass the time. I started it and couldn’t put it down. I literally screamed when i learned the fact that the second one isn’t even out yet, i can not wait 5 months! Yes, it is THAT addicting.