Reviews

Rise Up from the Embers by Kristen Simmons, Sara Raasch

ktklaa45's review

adventurous lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

readingsitaaras's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

This book would've been a 4.0/4.25 if it were not for that ENDING! Almost everything else was great, but an ending can make or break a book and sadly, we got the latter.

It was rushed, but I could have easily set that aside if we didn't get the clichéd ending that we did. I'm tired of this increasingly common trend of having the

main characters lose all their powers at the end or having magic disappear from the world. The only time I've ever liked this was in Ruin and Rising, but it made sense in that series. Here, it did not.

Also, the epilogue?? Usually, I love a cute little epilogue but this was not it.

Them having a baby was such a jump scare. And am I supposed to be happy that the kid has powers and satisfied with that as an ending?? 

I much rather would have preferred that Ash be the one who

seems to be slowly regaining her original powers again. And instead of magic disappearing completely, could we not have had it be weakened instead? Especially since the godly energy didn't get destroyed but transferred into the world around them.

amybraunauthor's review

5.0

This series has everything I love––gladiators, elemental magic, gods, action, romance––and I will be sad to see it end. But what an ending!

Ash and Madoc are good characters with incredible power and drive. What I loved about their story, particularly when it came to the romantic element, is that they could stand on their own. They fought for each other and held onto their love, which I thought was refreshing. I also found Hydra, a new character, to be super cool and I would love to have a spin-off that follows her adventures.

The world building can be a bit complex at times, but the authors describe everything as conscicely as possible. The book moves quickly, so I never felt bored. The action is virtually non-stop, and both authors put their full imagination on display. I just wish we had time to explore more of this thrilling world!

This is a quick, fun read that I think many readers will enjoy, especially if they are fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender. If you're looking for an exciting summer read, this is it!

samantha_murphy's review

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

cuckleberryfins's review

3.0

It was fine. I didn't enjoy it as much as the first one

vi_isreading's review

4.0

4.5 stars. It was better than the first but not a full 5 stars because I didn’t really like either MC by the end. The gods however I loved, the blurring between gods and mortals was interesting to read. It was emotional, one of those books where you stare at the words and wonder why people have to suffer.

SPOILERS
Now. Normally I hate it when the FMC loses their powers at the end of the book, to go back to their “normal life” and all that nonsense. In this book, it felt right. Life was so painful with the gods, the resolution of negating godly power is fulfilling. After Ash and Madoc fought so hard to rid themselves of the influence of gods, it would not have made sense for Ash to keep her omnipotence. The gods ruined their world, it’s probably best they don’t walk among mortals.

illborrowthisone's review

3.0

A lovely conclusion to this duology. The magic system was my favorite part.

justinbaumann71's review

3.0

Definitely better than the first book, but still lacking. Whereas the first book was to slow this book felt too quick to really feel like we got to immerse ourselves in the situation/conflict. Especially considering how wild the rollercoaster of this story is.

Also the Romance of this story just made me think to myself that I might need to distance myself from YA, which is unfortunate cause I am a big supporter of YA, but this wasn't the best. The romance just feels forced and uncomfortable at times. Kinda like the MC's are trauma bonding and have pick me energy.

I liked seeing how deadly the other elements could be but couldn't get behind the animal/beast elemental since they literally draw on animals for their power. In the first book I thought that meant that meant that they could control the animals. Nah they kill the animals to harness their energy and somehow that is stronger than the air people just sucking the air out of their lungs, but like okay.

Cool concept that is obviously inspired by ATLA, which isn't bad, but not sure it manages to scratch the same itch.

abbyrose6's review

3.0

2.5

lady_janine's review

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5