Get to Know the Book
Title: A shadow in the EmberAuthor: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published: 2021
The Story at a Glance: 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.
My thoughts…
Rating:
A Shadow in the Ember was our book club pick for May/June, and while I didn’t fully connect with it, I can absolutely see why others did, several people in the group flew through this one and have already devoured book two!
For me, the main issue was the pacing. The first 75% felt quite slow, and I found myself waiting for the story to really kick in. When things finally did pick up in the last quarter, it was exciting and fast-paced — I just wish we had gotten to that point a bit earlier. It’s not that the book was bad, it just felt a bit off rhythm-wise. I like a good slow burn, but here it felt like a lot of setup with very little payoff until the very end.
That said, I did enjoy the mythology in this world — the gods, Primals, and the threads of ancient prophecy are all really intriguing. There are definitely some unanswered questions and lingering mysteries that kept me curious. I’m especially interested in learning more about the bigger picture that’s only hinted at in this first installment.
I also felt like the side characters didn’t get much development, and I hope they’re explored more deeply in the next book. I already have it on my shelf, and while I’m not quite ready to jump into it just yet, I haven’t ruled it out either — especially since I want to see where some of those mysteries go.
In the end, even though this wasn’t totally my cup of coffee, it might be yours — especially if you enjoy slow-building fantasy romance with rich worldbuilding and a touch of divine intrigue.
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