A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

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Description:
Born shrouded in the veil of the Primals, a Maiden as the Fates promised, Seraphena Mierel’s future has never been hers. Chosen before birth to uphold the desperate deal her ancestor struck to save his people, Sera must leave behind her life and offer herself to the Primal of Death as his Consort.   

However, Sera’s real destiny is the most closely guarded secret in all of Lasania—she’s not the well protected Maiden but an assassin with one mission—one target. Make the Primal of Death fall in love, become his weakness, and then…end him. If she fails, she dooms her kingdom to a slow demise at the hands of the Rot. 

Sera has always known what she is. Chosen. Consort. Assassin. Weapon. A specter never fully formed yet drenched in blood. A monster. Until him. Until the Primal of Death’s unexpected words and deeds chase away the darkness gathering inside her. And his seductive touch ignites a passion she’s never allowed herself to feel and cannot feel for him. But Sera has never had a choice. Either way, her life is forfeit—it always has been, as she has been forever touched by Life and Death.

Review:

A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the 1^st book in her new Flesh and Fire series. I am such a big fan of Armentrout, as she always gives us fantastic fantasy stories, and wonderful lead characters.   A Shadow of the Ember is a prequel to her wonderful Blood and Ash series, taking place thousands of years prior to that series.

Seraphena (Sera) Mierel, our heroine, was born to be an assassin, fulfilling her part in a deal made by her ancestor (made by the Primal of Death) all those years before, as she has trained to be a powerful weapon, and help her country survive by weakening the current Primal, and killing him.  When she comes face to face with becoming his consort, to her shock he refuses and leaves; her family treats her badly, blaming her for the failure to join with the Primal. Sera is lonely, and keeps herself private, continuing to train as a warrior. Along the way, she meets Ash, and a slow build romance begins, with both feeling the intense attraction to each other. 

When her evil brother takes over the throne, he is determined to destroy Sera, and it is Ash who comes to her rescue.  The caveat, Ash is Nyktos, the Primal of Death, who originally (3 years ago) refused her to become his consort, which he felt he did not need.   Nyktos saves her life, and he takes her to his home, to become his Consort. It is here where we meet all of Nyktos’s wonderful warriors that guard him, and when they get back home, we meet many more wonderful secondary characters. 

Nyktos was wonderful with Sera, patient, kind and their chemistry was off the wall; very steamy, as well as emotional. The longer she spends time with him, Sera realizes she is having strong feelings for him, worried that she would not be able to do what is expected of her, when the time came. I loved Nytos and Sera together, and prayed things would work out between them.  Sera was a great heroine, totally outspoken, fierce, a warrior, and loyal;  Nyktos was also great, and we couldn’t help fall in love with him; especially how he protects and takes care of all in his realm.  Sera and Nyktos were so good together, with the banter and sexual tension between them.  I also loved seeing more of the Drakens (Nektas and his two adorable tiny drakens), as well as the fabulous secondary characters that helped make this such a fantastic read.

What follows is an exciting action filled adventure that had me holding my breaths so many times.  The last third of the book was mind-blowing, with heart wrenching, emotional and many surprising twists; with me unable to put the book down. A Shadow in the Ember was another intriguing story, with wonderful world building, and lots of action, suspense, violence, betrayal, passion and fantastic characters. Jennifer L. Armentrout has once again written such an amazing high fantasy, with two wonderful heroes, destined to be together.  From start to finish, Armentrout kept me glued to my kindle, with this wonderful world she has created.  I cannot wait to see what Jennifer has in store for us.  If you have not read the Blood and Ash series, you need to start with that, then read A Shadow in the Ember. 

Reviewed by Barb

Owned copy