Iron & Embers is the first book in the Ashes of Thezmarr series, which takes place five years after the end of the Legends of Thezmarr series. While this new series can be read without having read the Legends series first, reading the new series before Legends will spoil the end of the Legends series.

Tropes and themes include:

✨Grief and loss

✨Bodyguard

✨Academy setting

✨Forced proximity

✨Dangerous hairpin

✨Found family

✨Broody MMC

✨Grumpy x grumpy

✨Touch her and die

✨Deadly trials

✨Banter

✨Fated love

✨Only one horse

✨Hurt/comfort

Rating: 5/5 Stars 2/5 Flames

Her Nickname: Embers

The Lovely: Honestly, really just loved everything. I loved the emotional gut punches I got from this book. I knew I was in for it when I was getting weepy at only the 10% mark. The author has written amazing characters in Torj and Wren, and we get to dig into them so much more. And, I was glad to see some other familiar faces. But the animosity and tension between Torj and Wren is amazingly layered and complex, each for their own reasons.

Also Lovely: I also loved the plot and how the sub-plots wove together with the main plot by the end. There’s so much more than meets the eye (eh, page). Something was always happening and I couldn’t put the book down - to the detriment of my sleep (totally worth it).

Recommendation: I received an advance review copy and my thoughts are my own. Well, I am unwell after that ending. All I can safely say, without spoiling, is I’m hurting. Like, seriously emotionally hurting. While we do get answers to some questions, others remain unanswered and now we have new questions. My understanding is this series will be a trilogy and I will be waiting with my hurting heart for book two.