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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
I loved the Legends of Thezmarr series by Helen Scheuerer, so I was really excited when I saw the announcement for her new spin-off series! Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan/Tor Bramble for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Iron & Embers follows Wren Embervale, alchemist-turned-assassin, who is hell-bent on seeking vengeance for the deaths of her friends during the last war. When an unknown form of alchemy is used to attack a king, Wren is charged with finding a cure for the strange new poison. Offered a place at the ancient alchemy academy of Drevenor, she must claim her spot by conquering a series of deadly trials called the gauntlet. To her dismay, she is assigned a bodyguard in the form of Torj Elderbrock, the war hero who has hated her since she assassinated his last charge. Their shared history ignites a simmering tension that threatens to consume them both.
Although this book does have a small recap on the events of the last Legends of Thezmarr book, I would urge anyone wanting to read this book to go and read the Legends of Thezmarr series first. One, it’s a great series and this book does spoil the ending, and two, I think you’ll enjoy this book more if you know the backstory of the characters.
I knew I liked these characters from seeing them in the previous series, and it was really great to get to know them better. While I liked Wren, Torj was the standout character for me. Although I did enjoy their slow-burn romance, I wasn’t *obsessed* with them as a couple. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was, but something was missing, and I didn’t love them together as much as I did Helen’s other couples. I also found the “bodyguard” conflict a little flimsy, as we know from the previous series that warswords do whatever they want! The spice was well-written, and there was a twist in their relationship that I didn’t see coming.
The academy setting sounded really fun, and I did enjoy learning more about alchemy, but I felt that all of the lessons took away from time that Wren and Torj could be spending together, developing their relationship. I think I actually enjoyed it more at the beginning of the book where Wren was poisoning her victims, and Torj is sent to stop her. This could have been a really fun storyline if it had been dragged out and further developed, with a cat and mouse dynamic that could have added more tension.
I was really glad to see Cal and Kipp return, and there were some interesting side characters introduced. I also loved the Wilder and Thea cameos we got!
The plot had good pacing, and it was overall engaging. However, I was disappointed by the gauntlet, which seemed to be over in a few pages. It was talked about as such a huge and daunting event, but it was over so quickly. The ending had a great twist, but I’m still not sure how I feel about it yet. I’m also unsure about how one of the characters reacted to something that happened - I think they could have handled it in a different way that would have been more true to their character, but I appreciate that this decision was probably made to create more angst for the next book.
Overall, this was a good start to a new series, and I’m so excited to see what Helen does with these characters next! I will definitely be reading the sequel when it’s released.
Iron & Embers follows Wren Embervale, alchemist-turned-assassin, who is hell-bent on seeking vengeance for the deaths of her friends during the last war. When an unknown form of alchemy is used to attack a king, Wren is charged with finding a cure for the strange new poison. Offered a place at the ancient alchemy academy of Drevenor, she must claim her spot by conquering a series of deadly trials called the gauntlet. To her dismay, she is assigned a bodyguard in the form of Torj Elderbrock, the war hero who has hated her since she assassinated his last charge. Their shared history ignites a simmering tension that threatens to consume them both.
Although this book does have a small recap on the events of the last Legends of Thezmarr book, I would urge anyone wanting to read this book to go and read the Legends of Thezmarr series first. One, it’s a great series and this book does spoil the ending, and two, I think you’ll enjoy this book more if you know the backstory of the characters.
I knew I liked these characters from seeing them in the previous series, and it was really great to get to know them better. While I liked Wren, Torj was the standout character for me. Although I did enjoy their slow-burn romance, I wasn’t *obsessed* with them as a couple. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was, but something was missing, and I didn’t love them together as much as I did Helen’s other couples. I also found the “bodyguard” conflict a little flimsy, as we know from the previous series that warswords do whatever they want! The spice was well-written, and there was a twist in their relationship that I didn’t see coming.
The academy setting sounded really fun, and I did enjoy learning more about alchemy, but I felt that all of the lessons took away from time that Wren and Torj could be spending together, developing their relationship. I think I actually enjoyed it more at the beginning of the book where Wren was poisoning her victims, and Torj is sent to stop her. This could have been a really fun storyline if it had been dragged out and further developed, with a cat and mouse dynamic that could have added more tension.
I was really glad to see Cal and Kipp return, and there were some interesting side characters introduced. I also loved the Wilder and Thea cameos we got!
The plot had good pacing, and it was overall engaging. However, I was disappointed by the gauntlet, which seemed to be over in a few pages. It was talked about as such a huge and daunting event, but it was over so quickly. The ending had a great twist, but I’m still not sure how I feel about it yet. I’m also unsure about how one of the characters reacted to something that happened - I think they could have handled it in a different way that would have been more true to their character, but I appreciate that this decision was probably made to create more angst for the next book.
Overall, this was a good start to a new series, and I’m so excited to see what Helen does with these characters next! I will definitely be reading the sequel when it’s released.
adventurous
emotional
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A true slow burn, enjoyed more than the first series!
⚔️ Alchemist x Bodyguard
⚔️ Banter
⚔️ Academic Setting
⚔️ Grumpy X Grumpy
⚔️ Fated Love
⚔️ Forced Proximity
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Forced proximity, magic academy, and enemies to lovers vibes. Following the events of the Legends of Thezmarr, Wren is now an angry badass potion master out for revenge and Torj is a lovesick warsword forced to protect her when she goes off to potion academy. I loved that Cal and Kip got to join Wren to the academy even if it didn't make much sense plot-wise - it was great to get the (almost) whole band back together for more adventures! I love Scheuerer's ability to create complex and lovable characters and enjoyed being back in this world. My only issue is the ending, Torj really could have avoided some major heartbreak and been romantic as f*ck by just communicating to Wren instead of choosing the nuclear option, but I guess that just sets the scene for book 2.
"Knowledge is the victor over fate. The mind is a blade."
"If you're to be the end of me it's an end I'll meet with open arms."
"Knowledge is the victor over fate. The mind is a blade."
"If you're to be the end of me it's an end I'll meet with open arms."
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes