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A review by spicycronereads
Through the Embers: Volume One: An enthralling fantasy lesfic erotica novel by Adriana Sargent, Adriana Sargent
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
3.0
This is a sapphic fantasy novel where one FMC is morally grey (Aife) and the other (Titaia) is the true heir to a kingdom hiding in plain sight with the regime that killed her family. Aife is a feared assassin who herself has been traumatized by this regime. Titaia is a badd*ss in her own right and they make a good partnership.
The slow burn tension between Aife and Titaia is top-notch and there are multiple swoony moments. I love Aife’s swagger and how Titaia matches wits with her. Their banter is great. I look forward to seeing where their story goes (and if Aife makes good on those promises she’s made). 🌶️🌶️
Titaia’s friendship with Katrina is really sweet and I love that Katrina is also fierce and formidable.
I will say that I found the first 100 pages of the book pretty difficult. The world building was thick in those early pages and really overwhelming. I only pushed through because I follow the author on TikTok and want to support her. I think a lot of the info about the kingdom and the history of conflict could be stripped out and the story would remain intact. I absorbed very little of it and was still able to complete the book without feeling confused. Once I hit around 100 pages and our two MCs finally met, it definitely picked up. There were occasional sections after that with some heavy-handed world building, but not to the same extent as earlier chapters.
The entire book would also benefit from another pass by a careful line editor to look at homophones, word choice, and general typos/errors.
That said, if you can push through the first 100 pages, it is a fun read with characters you are rooting for. There is a lot of diverse representation. Aside from our MCs being lesbians, they are also both BIPOC. Titaia is Black and Aife reads as possibly Latinx (I pictured someone kind of like Michelle Rodriguez while reading).
The second volume of this book released in December and I will read it as soon as I clear some stuff off my TBR for the month. With all of the world building done in Volume 1, I’m optimistic that Volume 2 will read more smoothly.
In the end, I enjoyed it. If you are looking to support a queer BIPOC indie author and you like fantasy, give this one a go. Be patient in the first section, skimming where needed, and you should find it an enjoyable read!
The slow burn tension between Aife and Titaia is top-notch and there are multiple swoony moments. I love Aife’s swagger and how Titaia matches wits with her. Their banter is great. I look forward to seeing where their story goes (and if Aife makes good on those promises she’s made). 🌶️🌶️
Titaia’s friendship with Katrina is really sweet and I love that Katrina is also fierce and formidable.
I will say that I found the first 100 pages of the book pretty difficult. The world building was thick in those early pages and really overwhelming. I only pushed through because I follow the author on TikTok and want to support her. I think a lot of the info about the kingdom and the history of conflict could be stripped out and the story would remain intact. I absorbed very little of it and was still able to complete the book without feeling confused. Once I hit around 100 pages and our two MCs finally met, it definitely picked up. There were occasional sections after that with some heavy-handed world building, but not to the same extent as earlier chapters.
The entire book would also benefit from another pass by a careful line editor to look at homophones, word choice, and general typos/errors.
That said, if you can push through the first 100 pages, it is a fun read with characters you are rooting for. There is a lot of diverse representation. Aside from our MCs being lesbians, they are also both BIPOC. Titaia is Black and Aife reads as possibly Latinx (I pictured someone kind of like Michelle Rodriguez while reading).
The second volume of this book released in December and I will read it as soon as I clear some stuff off my TBR for the month. With all of the world building done in Volume 1, I’m optimistic that Volume 2 will read more smoothly.
In the end, I enjoyed it. If you are looking to support a queer BIPOC indie author and you like fantasy, give this one a go. Be patient in the first section, skimming where needed, and you should find it an enjoyable read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
Moderate: Torture and Violence
Minor: War