Join Fiona, Nicolas, Daniel, and the others for the riveting conclusion to the first arc of the Fire Within series!Fiona Ember’s life in Water Clan isn’t slowing down anytime soon.After several shocking near-deaths and an even more shocking resurrection, Fiona is more determined than ever to unravel the mystery behind who is targeting her group and why. And after finding out some startling … some startling information about her infamous boyfriend’s bloody past, she is eager to come to terms with dating someone so driven to complete his goals.
As Fiona’s group edges closer to completing Nicolas’s and Daniel’s ambitious plans to change the magical world forever, they will need to work harder than ever to navigate problems with new magic and interference from old enemies…
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Ella M Lee’s acknowledgements for this book start off like this: “I cried a lot while writing Ashes. I think you can imagine why.”
YUP I CAN, because I was still crying when I read the acknowledgments. In fact at one point while I was sobbing my way through the last quarter of this book, my boyfriend asked for help with something and I had to preface to him that yes, I was crying, but only because this book was SO GOOD. And twenty minutes later when he came upstairs, he was incredulous that I was still crying over this book. It’s just that masterfully done, y’all.
It’s a wild ride, y’all, this one. In book one, we met Fiona and Nicolas and Daniel, and started to see the seeds of change. In book two, we met a lot of the other characters and got an introduction to the future dynamics and Fiona’s new skills with her new magic. Book three is where all the backstory has settled; we know the characters and their goals; we are suddenly accelerated to sixty. Fiona struggles often with never getting a break to rest, and yo I feel that, because this book is busy in a fantastic way.
I don’t really feel like I have to say much more. This is the book where lots of plot things happen. There’s more interesting relationship and world building, but it’s all about the core of the story in here. If you’ve already read the first two, then you certainly shouldn’t be stopping now, because presumably you’re in it and committed.
Thanks to Booksirens and Ella M Lee for a free copy. This is my honest review.
Firstly, I would like to thank BookSirens for providing me a copy of this novel for my honest review. I would also like to thank the Author for appreciating my perspective and reviews of the previous two instalments of the series enough to request my review of the third.
I had a rough time getting through this novel. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because I had so little time to read. That being said, I’m going to mention again just how much I enjoyed this and the books that came before it.
Again, just with the previous two instalments, the novel does have action – but the action is far less important than the interactions of the characters, of the emotions that they feel, and their actions. Emotions were quite high in this with some revelations that were brought to light, with characters that arrive and ones that leave.
From my own perspective as a reader and a writer, I think it is quite difficult to write emotions in a way that’s believable. As humans, most of us understand how emotions feel and how a lot of people react to situations. But I think there’s something special in being able to convey a truthful emotional response that doesn’t feel played up or overly false in the same way that it can sometimes feel in movies or television. As someone who doesn’t experience emotions the same way that most people do, these novels have been very refreshing for me to read through, allowing me to understand those feelings on a more fundamental level. The feelings that the characters portray make sense, and they feel honest and accurate, and that’s something that I greatly appreciate.
I don’t want to put spoilers in this review, but it’s very interesting to me that so many things changed halfway through the novel. Things that I thought I knew where they were headed, only for that path to get diverted entirely. It’s not jarring, or even out of place, though. The shift in direction is done quite well, and it’s a smooth transition written very well.
There’s a lot of tension in this that has more to do with outside events, than internal ones, and there’s a lot of new information provided in regards to the histories of both Fiona and Nicolas, which is very interesting and provides a good deal of information in regards to their characters. I love learning information about the backstories of characters, it helps me to understand how they are now, and how that connects to their history, how it shapes the characters – it makes them feel much more real. Combined with the very life-like and realistic emotional portrayals in the writing, it makes you believe that these characters are actual people and not fictional.
The quips between Fiona and Nicolas later in the story were a true delight for me. It was very nice to see more of the playful side of Nicolas, even if it was during a time when Fiona wasn’t wanting to deal with it. The relationship that Fiona has with Daniel is amazing and fun, but I definitely have been wanting more fun interactions between Fiona and Nicolas, and I certainly got a few more in this novel.
If the previous two novels made you emotional in any way at all, if they brought you to tears at any point, be prepared that this novel will do that with excruciating precision. The last chapters of this novel cut like a sharp knife, which I think is quite telling to the author’s skill in writing emotional scenes, and in conveying the emotion of the characters in the story. Their feelings are easy to grasp, and empathise with – even for someone who has trouble with empathy or sympathy as a whole.
Overall, it is just as the previous novels. A shining example of an emotional journey of the characters within the tale. Where everything else takes a back seat and you just experience those feelings and emotions in a raw and passionate way. It may not be something that everyone can enjoy. But I honestly feel as though these novels, this last one in particular, are a love story. Not the story of Fiona and Nicolas, but a love story about human emotion.
The fluctuation and diversity and ever-changing nature of human emotion. It’s like the magic in the book, different in so many ways, but fascinating and beautiful and awe inspiring. These novels break away what you would normally expect out of a fantasy novel. Focusing on the emotional growth of the characters rather than the action of what they’re doing. The actions are important, but not nearly as important as the journey that each character makes throughout the telling of the story.
The conclusion of the arc of this story leaves room for many more adventures in the future, and I look forward to reading them.
I think the only thing left to say is…
Good luck, there and back again.
this is amazing series that wil have you pulled in and how this series is played out in this amazing story.
(Mostly Spoiler-free)
Character-driven Urban Fantasy that takes place in Asia! If you haven’t read Fire Within and Ignited, read those first. Each book builds on the next and is one continuous story. 🙂
Ashes picks up right where Ignited left off, post-Nicolas’ attack, then dives into what has evolved from that. Ashes weaves itself from there. Action, intrigue, and everything from the first two books come full circle with beautiful clarification, family secrets for more than one character, and new twists.
How to be spoiler-free…hmm…fair warning, I cried while reading Ashes, and there were so many unputdownable parts of the story that I read straight through.
Fiona gets put through the wringer. We get to see her come into her own a little more within the group, her magic, and see her interacting with more than just the group that we’ve seen so far.
There is more romantic development for our lovely Nicolas and Fiona. They are so sweet and have such wonderful chemistry! We get to see them range from gentle quiet moments to how they react together in a crisis. And no skimping on the romance 😉
We also see more of Nicolas’ science side! Especially the things that he’s done, or outright created, for the benefit of his family in Water.
It’s hard not to spoil things, but there are at least two “new” characters who were beyond exciting to finally see on page!
I still can’t decide who my favorite is with the beautiful cast of side characters. Though I am partial to Ryan. And Teng, gotta love him.
Male/Female friendships.
More of the Female/Female friendships we started to see in Ignited. 🙂
Ashes is a strong, emotional, and powerful end to this arc of the overall series. No disappointment with great writing and such a fun world to visit. 🙂
I will happily await the next installment for these characters! I’m excited to see their next steps and the enemies and allies they have created.