Reviews

Iron & Embers: An epic fantasy romance by Helen Scheuerer

snookums311's review against another edition

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dark emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

 This was not as good as the books in the previous series. It wasn't completely terrible, but it just didn't have what Legends of Thezmarr had. It's like Scheuerer said "Well, since everybody else has a story in a school, I can make my characters go to school too!" The maturity of the characters also doesn't seem to match their actual ages. The FMC was mid-twenties at the end of Legends and this is set 5 years later, so she should now be around 30, but in a lot of ways she's still acting like a teenager. 

This definitely had the feel of angst for the sake of angst and that it's being drug out in a way that wasn't there in Legends. In Legends it was there, but it resolved pretty quickly and wasn't really left to fester. Since that seems to be her pattern, I'm hoping it will continue that way when the next book comes out later this year. 

leybelcollins's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

readalongwithpam's review against another edition

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

3.5

3.5 Stars

Overall this was a good book. I think I would of enjoyed reading it more than listening to it. It was a little hard to follow at first. I felt like I was missing something like maybe it was not the first book in the series. I had not read any other books by this author. The narrators were great though. 

rainowens's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes

4.0

smig_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

4.75

mzahradnicek's review against another edition

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adventurous dark inspiring medium-paced

4.5

dark_sk8r's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Genuinely did love the book and the storyline is very enticing! I kinda fell into a reading slump mid way through which made it rough to finish the book. I’d probably rate it higher if I hadn’t, but the pacing of the book made it rough for me to continue through at times. 

gingerwife's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense

4.75

A little slow to start, but so good. Emotionally devastating 

cozy_and_obsessed's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

👏 *slow clap*👏 

Where to begin? What to say? How can I capture how good this author and book is? 
How can I convey how it is cleverly crafted journey back into the world of Thezmarr but with a cunning Alchemist in the lead role rather than an aspiring Warsword?

Before I jump into the review, I strongly recommend that if you have not read the Legends of Thezmarr series, you should. Set about 5+ years before the events of Iron & Embers, the completed series will allow you to capture, comprehend and feel exactly what Iron & Embers main character, Wren, is dealing with and what exact horrific events have transpired before the opening pages of Iron & Embers from a front row seat. Definitely read Blood & Steel and the other books within the series because YOU will love it and YOU will not regret a single moment spent in this unique world.

Now for the review. Since discovering Helen Scheuerer's work I have been fascinated by her ability to a build creative and captivating fantasy world while also creating complex yet relatable characters that seem like they could exist in the here and now. From the beginning of my time within Scheuerer's world, I was drawn and intrigued by the character of Wren. Set as the opposite of her sister, Althea (the main character in The Legends of Thezmarr), Wren is intelligent, clever, whitty, biting and passionate. Instead of brute strength and skill with a sword, Wren is an alchemist, using her brains to invent and concoct even deadlier weapons than a sword. Scheuerer is brilliant  in that she builds an epic fantasy worlds and characters but gives them real world driven challenges and vices that make them feel like real living and breathing heros. Wren is struggling with overwhelming grief and trauma due to the events in Shadow War having lost many she cared for while also inflicting terrifying damage herself. She fears what she has seen and what she herself has done. What does someone do when they have too much to feel and no outlet? Why channel it into anger and vengeance of course! Naturally, Wren learns quickly that is not the path to healing and instead she must accept the pain, remember the good and move on to the future. Torj similarly is in pain, pain for watching someone he cares about willing destroy themselves and the relationships around them. Refusing to quit, Torj steps into the role of punching bag and the object of Wren's ire so that the two of them can help each other heal. 

This book has everything you want: enemies to lovers, mystery, intrigue, a Gauntlet laced with poisons, torture and mental anguish, hidden identies, bonded pairs, tension that relieves into amazing spiciness, self sacrifice and an ending that will make your heart both ache for the characters and for the fact that you have to wait until July to find out what happens. 

👏A well earned slow clap for Helen Scheuerer! 

erikawarren09's review against another edition

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

4.0