This was a fun read. Here's the quick rundown:

Pros:

*The book was easy to devour.

*It was entertaining from the very first page.

*The premise was intriguing.

* It set up book #2 quite well.

*That ending brought the whole rating up... what a twist!

Cons:

*The writing was just on the right side of good. The love story was extremely frustrating... hot cold, colder, lukewarm, freezing, tepid etc... the sexier scenes never managed to get my heart thumping or hormones pumping which was not only frustrating, but disappointing to boot... I was looking forward to some steamy bits but alas, it was not meant to be.

*The characters were iffy. I found Harley (our stubborn, resilient, kick butt female MC) a bit hard to like. Yes, she loved her sister with every ounce of her being... a likeable quality but she played the consummate dejected broody loner card a little too hard... we were bludgeoned over the head with her brokenness and 'screw the world' attitude over and over again... WE GET IT, SHE'S DEBASED, DEPRAVED AND DETACHED FROM LIFE... Let's move on people. Then there's Draven. Draven is our preternatural male MC love interest (nonspoiler there, trust me it's evident from their first couple of interactions... cue stalkerish, possible insta-love music), is hard to love as well ALTHOUGH (to be fair) he is trying to be just that... an unlikable/unlovable/enigmatic bad guy (and for pretty valid reasons) for the majority of the book. Kai, Harley's questionable best friend, is another annoyance. It is easy to suss out early on that something hinky is going on with him... he feels larger than he lets on and his disappearances throughout the book (plus some pathetic lies) make him suspicious at best and horrific at worst. One character being unreliable and unlikable is bad enough but 3?? That number is too big to ignore. I did like Kaz (the Sorcerer), Ray (Harley's little sister) and Nathan (Harley's boss) so I put a win in the secondary and tertiary character's column.

Overall:
~~~ 3.5 Stars~~~

It might seem that the Cons outweigh the Pros BUT I assure you that what it had going for it was far more alluring than where it was deficient. Was this a homerun for me? With it being difficult to connect/ralate/ and get behind the primary characters plus the slightly bland(ish) writing I have to say that my answer is a resounding... Maybe! TA-DA!! Fickle? Yes, but that surprise twist in the epilogue brought up the rating and seriously piqued my interest.

If you're in the market for a decent, quick, easy, loosely biblical, Magical Realistic Fantasy with a moody broody cast, a swoon-lite love interest and a kick ass female MC then this is a good choice.

~ Enjoy

*** I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

DNF @ 66%

I feel bad for DNF-ing this but it's really hard trying to be excited to read it.

This book dragged. There was too much repetitive internal monologue and some unnecessarily long scenes in my opinion. I kept checking how far along I was. I just wanted it to end. Honestly, I only got so far because I was intrigued with what Harley was. And I wanted to find out what the deal was with the Key and what-not. But 66% in and I just can't continue anymore. (Unfortunately, now I'd never know if my suspicions of Kai are right.)

Trigger Warning- this book contains emotional and physical abuse, alcoholism, suicidal thoughts, and sexual content.

Ember of Night is an exciting YA Paranormal about self-discovery and renewal of the mind, body, and soul. It features a sassy female lead, Harley, and a devious Judge who threatens her entire world.

Harley yearns for someone to truly see her, behind the ugliness of her world. Draven has been sent to finish Harley before she becomes a problem. As the truth unfolds and their connection grows, startling revelations cause their connection to shatter and Harley's world to come tumbling down.

Harley was such a phenomenal character, I love her ability to persevere despite the hardships of life and her ironclad loyalty to her sister. She has truly been dealt a shitty hand in life and to see her embrace her inner monster was equal parts awe-inspiring and straight-up badass!

My only peeve with Harley was that she behaved very irrationally about certain decisions. As an MC, I wanted more emotional depth, for a character who was been abused her entire life I expected more mental anguish. While I understand the intent of the author to use her abuse as a way to position Harley as dark and jaded, there were inconsistencies with her personality that were unsettling.

In one scene Harley is all "I'm so weak, I can't do anything because of my muscles" and the next she is all high-handed and ready to take on a high-level demon without training? It was frustrating when she clearly doesn't understand her powers or the extent of it yet she is running around without aim ready to charge.

Draven was by far my favorite character with his mysterious intrigue and quiet intensity. His backstory added another dimension to this novel and I appreciated how he allowed Harley to be herself, always supporting and encouraging instead of demanding.

The chemistry between Harley and Draven from the beginning was explosive and their witty banter was infectious. As the book progressed, the dynamic of the relationship shifted and left me confused- "You should stay away from me but I’m going to kiss you every opportunity I get???" I was disappointed in Draven because as a Judge and warrior I expected more emotional maturity.

Despite these minor comments, I am extremely curious about the secondary characters; Ray and her abilities, the mysterious Cassiel, and everyone's favorite demon Kazuki.

Thank you to the author, Entangled Publishing LLC and NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. This review will be posted on my blog from 15th May 2021 and on my bookstagram.

Another YA that read more like NA. The amount of heat in this book just did not fit with the character. I also felt the characters were quite one dimensional.

I received an ARC for my personal review of this book. Thank you Entangled publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity.

This book does contain possible triggers and includes a warning at the beginning of the book. There is a physical abuse, alcoholism and emotional abuse discussed in this book.

Harley is an older sister to Ray. She suffers abuse at the hands of her father and does all she can to shelter her younger sister from her fathers wrath. Due to the abuse she has endured she has developed strength and tenacity which helps her protect the ones she loves. She is rough around the edges but she has not had an easy life. Her friend Kai takes her out to celebrate she has one night to be herself with no added responsibilities. During this outing she meets a mysterious gorgeous boy that sparks something in her that she has trouble putting into words. From this moment she is exposed and pushed into a world where things as she knows it turns out to be far from the truth. Draven challenges her and makes her feel alive. Although from the moment they have meet her life becomes an absolute mess. The dynamics between the two is very slow burn.

The books has a way of capturing your interest and keeping you wanting to read more. I literally stayed up all night reading I loved it that much. The ending is totally unexpected and makes you think what is next. I highly recommend this book. It is a great read and will have you wanting the next book.

Harley has been abused and beaten down her whole life. She lives only to provide for her sister, Ray, protecting her from their abusive father by serving as a physical shield between them. She’s so close to her eighteenth birthday, to freedom; only a week away. Once she’s eighteen, she can rent an apartment, apply for guardianship, and rescue them both from their father. In the short time before her birthday, Harley discovers that demons and angels are real and that the demons are after her blood, believing her to be the Key, the one person who can open all the gates of hell and set free the horrors within.

Draven is something of a guardian angel, assigned to protect Harley from the demons that chase her. Harley feels drawn to him instantly, something within her begging her to touch him, to kiss him. She resists, so tied up with protecting Ray. As she learns more about her powers and about the forces after her, Harley becomes more determined to protect her sister, to keep her safe from the demons. She needs to learn more about her powers and the demons after her and grows closer to Draven. Who is she? What does she come from? Is she this Key Draven says she is? Or is she something...more?

Harley is very meek, yet strong at the same time. She submits to the abuse her father doles out but she is fiercely protective of her sister, Ray, and very opinionated. She constantly thinks about how little she is worth, especially compared to Ray. She thinks of herself as a bad person, deserving of all the abuse. Ray comes first and always has. It’s very difficult to get to know Harley as a person when everything she does is to help her sister. Such as getting Ray into a summer art program, taking the abuse so Ray can be safe, working extra shifts at the cafe she works at so Ray can have somewhere safe to hang out instead of at home. In the end, I admire her determination to protect her sister, though I wish I knew more about her as a person. Such as interests and hobbies, likes and dislikes. Though I doubt even Harley knows many of these things about herself, so focused on Ray as she’s been her entire life. She began to blossom as a character in the latter half of the book, as she came into her powers, and this made the reading easier and her, a more likable character.

Draven is very mysterious, having lived hundreds of years before meeting Harley. He’s some kind of being? I’m not entirely sure if he’s an angel or a demon, or some mix of both or neither. All the same, he is out to protect Harley from the demons who chase her. I would love to know more about his past and his relationship with Cassiel and Kaz, and figure out where these two powerful beings fit into the scheme of things.

I do not like their relationship, that they dive straight into it. There seems to be some kind of compulsion in Harley’s body that makes her want him. Not like she’s under a spell, but she feels drawn to him, feels the need to touch him. He might increase her powers and make her feel stronger but I’m not entirely sure. This is the first book in a series so there is a lot of potential and many explanations coming, I’m sure.

The writing is fairly basic, easy to understand. A good balance of info dumping and plot, description and dialogue. Harley’s internal mantra about not being good enough is a bit repetitive, but that is part of being an abuse survivor, not a mark of bad writing. There are instances of shortened words, like fave for favorite and convo for conversation. Such words feel out of place, even if the story is first person from the point of view of a teenager. It felt like an unnecessary aging down of her internal thoughts. Her powers are very weak at first, something I actually appreciate. Too often, characters just suddenly come into their powers and are way too strong. I like that Harley was held back, that she still felt weak despite the powers flowing through her veins. It made the story feel more authentic and made it easier to believe in the powers themselves.

The story is set in Chicago, a place I have never been. It being in Chicago doesn’t really matter, as the places they visit aren’t exactly notable as being in Chicago. It could be any city, really. It still set the scene as being a large city, with many possibilities for escape. Many places to trap and be trapped. I would have liked more notable locations being mentioned, so I could research and place the story better. More historical buildings or notable features, so it would truly feel like Chicago, instead of some nameless city.

The plot itself is nothing new, really. It closely resembles one of the many storylines in Supernatural, in which Sam is discovering that he has demon blood in him. He struggles with his own base nature because of it. Who is he supposed to be and what is he supposed to do? How can he use these powers for good? Harley has yet to have this internal struggle, too busy fighting for her life against the demons and her father who, honestly, I would not be surprised to find out he is a demon. It seems appropriate that he would be evil. But wouldn’t it be scarier if he wasn’t? It’s always terrifying to have people be so horrible and just have that be human nature.

I enjoyed the beginning scene, where we meet Harley from Draven’s point of view. The establishing scenes are well done--not too much exposition and with a good measure of plot thrown in. I’m glad not to see too many paragraphs of just straight information. The pacing is a bit off at times. There is an urgency in the days leading up to Harley’s birthday, when she will come into her powers. But large chunks of days just go by with no fuss. Vague ‘it’s been a few days’ and ‘only a couple days more’ just make time pass faster, making the eventual reality of her powers a little disappointing. They could have been hyped up more, ramp up the excitement and tension. It got a little repetitive during those times, as well, when Harley would go home, get abused by her father, then tend to her wounds, with varying degrees of success in hiding those wounds. The time after her birthday is another countdown, handled in the same way, but the stakes are even higher, with Harley’s life on the line, as well as the fate of humanity if the gates of hell are opened.

The ending definitely sets the series up well and I am intrigued enough to keep going, reading the sequels when they come out. There are a few books written after this one, so I’m sure they will be released in short order, perhaps one a year or more. I look forward to reading them now that I have a taste of what this universe has to offer.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the Penryn and the End of Days series by Susan Ee, Twilight, Cassandra Clare books, or fans of Supernatural. The story has many of the same vibes as all of these, particularly Penryn, who is very protective of her own sister, just as Harley is protective of Ray.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for an eARC of this book! I look forward to reading more about Harley, Draven, and Ray.

Harley has always had to endure pain at the hands of her abusive father. She trains in secret to take the brunt of his abuse and protect her baby sister. She works hard so that she can hopefully get them a place of their own. Then one day a beautiful and intriguing boy comes into her life. Draven is mysterious and maybe a little bit dangerous. Harley can't figure what exactly has her so drawn to him and distracting her from her original plans for escape from her father.

This is a fast paced story that's full of characters with so many deep layers of intrigue. A paranormal adventure complete with demons, sorcerers and many other underworld features. This book kept me guessing up to the very last page. Be warned, the ending will leave you shocked and highly anticipating the next book! I can't wait to continue with this world and get some more page time with a few characters that we got brief snippets of in Ember of Night.

Thank you Entangled Teen and netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Entangled Teen for sending an arc of Ember of Night by Molly E. Lee. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

TW: While my reviews are always trigger free, please note this book contains discussions of and content including emotional / physical abuse, violence and gore, suicidal thoughts and some sexual content. Please reach out to someone if you need help, you are loved.

Ember of Night follows 17 year old Harley as she counts down the days she can escape her toxic household and start a new life for her and her sister. As her 18th birthday creeps closer she meets Draven. He's mysterious, evasive and too attractive for his own good (seriously!!). When unexplainable (and borderline magical) things start happening with mysterious beings seeming to have it out for Harley, she faces the tough decisions of whether she'll be the hunter or the prey.

Here's the rundown folks: enemies to lovers, paranormal AND kickass strong heroins? Check, check and CHECK. Harley is the perfect depiction of the girl she is portrayed to be. Her situations made her wary and untrusting, which is exactly the demeanour that you would expect of someone who has been through some awful things. A lot of times authors will build up very sad backstories to push their plot and sympathy but then will have the character have no actual human and realistic response to the situation. Her energy even as she slowly grows to trust those around her is still closed off and acutely aware which I really found strong on Lee's part. One of my biggest pet peeves is when authors throw away their heroin's supposed identity and personality as soon as the big plot point happens or as soon as they meet their love interest. Harley is very grounded in that she can still be perfectly herself and that her reactions to her situations are strong and important, even if they aren't as "easy" or able to fit into a box.

I LOVE LOVE LOVED the side characters especially Harley's younger sister. We see sisters who would do anything for each other and are with each other for it all, even when it's not easy, especially when it's not easy. That bond which is such an important aspect of Harley's motivations was depicted so raw and beautifully that it was hard not to love and respect them and all the choices they made to survive the hand of cards life gave them. Also. Draven is certainly getting high on the list for morally grey mysterious love interests, what a guy! My only pet peeve with this book was that in some areas the pacing was incredibly quick, especially the romantic aspect in that Harley is well defined as closed off and not as forthcoming with her emotions. Some more explanation into their somewhat otherworldly bond would have been a lot better to include for pacing but overall I thought the love plot line was good. While I did see one plot twist coming, the ending completely took me for a spin and I'm dying (pun intended) to know what happens next.

Overall a great first book in the trilogy and I'm excited to see where it goes next, Entangled always kills it!!

The premise of this book interested me. Especially as someone with a younger sibling that I would do anything for.

The book did not do anything for me. From the very beginning, I couldn't get into it. I couldn't get into the writing and I didn't care about the main character.

There are warnings at the beginning of the book about some of the themes in the book and I will always appreciate that. It turns out that the thing I liked the most about the book, was those warnings.

To start, our main character has been abused her entire life and makes it her life's mission to protect her baby half-sister from the abuse and the cruelty of the world. That's something I could relate to instantly but that wasn't enough to make me care about the character.

She consistently calls herself broken, weak, believes the things her abusive father says and, as someone who's been through abuse, it was a flat reading. Harley became a one dimensional character defined by her abuse and her younger sister's life and that was it.

Then there's the fact that her father drinks enough to reek of alcohol and their trailer reeks of it no matter how much she cleans and yet no one notices it one her father. She's planning to escape with her sister when she turns 18, wants to try to get rights over her sister but her father has a perfect record with society.

Her boss more or less "knows" what's going on without the real specifics so he offers a safe haven for her and her sister but doesn't do or say anything else. It was a bit aggravating but probably the most truthful bit of the book. People will be aware of child abuse and a lot of the time, do nothing.

The author used the same phrases so many times that every time I came across them, it took me out of the story. I was never immersed, never drawn in so that made it difficult to get through. Then there was the fact the author kept having the main character refer to real world existent IP projects and the way it was done pulled me out. Plus reading slang. It always dates a book and never reads the way I feel people think it does.

As far as the romance is concerned, I couldn't get into it. I don't want to just rag on the book, I'm sure there are people who will like it, I'm just not one of them. But it was just another book with no real diversity in it as far as the main character and romance options are concerned. And there's no real excuse for that.

If there can be demons and a war between heaven and hell that relies on a teenager, then there can be different races and complexions in the story. There's absolutely no reason for that to not happen especially in 2021.

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and the publisher.

Thank you to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First off, seriously, where is the hype for this book? It's 8 days away from its release date, and I haven't heard anything about Ember of Night in my book communities. Admittedly, the synopsis for this book is a bit vague, and I wasn't that interested in it, but this "debut" book (the author's first in the YA fantasy genre) definitely surprised me! Now that I've finished reading the ARC, I can now highly recommend it for all fans of YA fantasy. Don't sleep on this book!

Ember of Night by Molly E. Lee is an amazing YA fantasy-romance book in the vein of Twilight, Hush, Hush, or the Daughers of the Moon series, which was one of my favorite series growing up. It's been a while since I read this type of book, replete with angel love interests and love triangles, and it immediately brought me back to my high school days, when I first started reading and loving this genre. In fact, it's been a while since I read a YA fantasy book that drew me in within the first 50 pages and that I just knew was going to end up being one of my favorite books. Harley is a 17 year-old girl living with her physically-abusive father and her younger sister. She can't wait until she turns 18 so that she can escape with her younger sister. Soon, she discovers she has powers and gets caught up in a battle between Heaven and Hell.

Here's an excerpt from Chapter Two when Draven, an angel disguised as a human boy, meets Harley's younger sister Ray:

"Draven glances up at me, then back to Ray. "Sisters."
She nods.
I purse my lips. Not many people make that leap-Ray is all blond hair, blue eyes, and has the optimism of a unicorn. I'm all red hair, green eyes, with a signature vibe of damaged, dirty, and back-the-hell-away. It doesn't bother me, though, I'll be the scary ogre that guards the unicorn any damn day of the week."

Draven wins Ray over by asking her for manga recommendations, and it seriously might be the most adorable scene I've read in the YA fantasy genre. Then, the book does a 180 and we get a scene of Harley's father beating her up. The shifts between light to dark were surprising, but also innovative. I couldn't stop reading. The romance and banter between Draven and Harley is another highlight of the book.

Here's a scene right after Harley's best friend Kai tells her to stay away from Draven:

""You going to tell me to stay away from him?" I half joke as I repeat Kai's words from earlier.
"As if anyone has the grounds to make a demand like that?" Draven scoffs. "You decide what company you keep."
A warm shiver races across my skin at his words, at the effortless way he illuminates my independence as a human being. He doesn't act like he knows better, doesn't force advice, or make commands because he believes he knows better."

A male love interest who respects her boundaries? Draven > Edward Cullen. And a strong female protagonist who isn't afraid to fight (literally, fight) to protect herself and her loved ones? Harley > Bella.Swan. Even though this book was clearly inspired by YA fantasy tropes like the ones in Twilight, it is a massive improvement and worthy of being read in 2021. Reading this book was like reading the best of what I love reading when I was in high school, but updated and modified for modern-day fans of YA fantasy. There was nonstop action, fantasy, and romance in the plot, and I couldn't stop reading. I finished this book in a day.

Overall, Ember of Night is a powerhouse YA fantasy debut, and I highly recommend it for all fans of YA fantasy. I am giving it 5 fantastic stars! I will definitely be following Molly E. Lee to see what she releases next. If you ever enjoyed Twilight, Hush, Hush, or the Daughters of the Moon series, or if you're intrigued by the excerpts I quoted above, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out next week!

Rating: 4/5 stars

TW: Emotional and physical abuse, violence, gore, suicidal thoughts, sexual content

I received this e-book as an ARC from NetGalley and the published Entangled Teen. All thoughts and ideas are my own.

I saw this book on one of Cait's (Caitsbooks on tiktok) video celebrating new releases in 2021, and the cover immediately drew me in. It portrays a dark and compelling story that will have you on the edge of your seat, and this was exactly that.

Ember of Night follows our main character Harley, who has been emotionally and physically abused by her father all of her life. She has been learning to fight and hopes to move out on her fast approaching 18th birthday to get her and her sister Ray out of the household. Then everything she knows changes when Draven, a dark and mysterious man with a dark and mysterious past crashes into her life.

This book did include a trigger warning at the very beginning, which is extremely important to note. I've only seen one other book include a trigger warning, and that was Covet, the third book in the Crave series, and both are by the same publisher. I'm really happy that Entangled Teen is working on ensuring their readers are okay and safe while reading their books.

That being said, the topics covered in the story were very dark but handled really well. Harley's trauma wasn't just something that was brought up once and never discussed again. It's something continuously driven home and sticks with her throughout the story. You know her pain and how all of the abuse has altered her thoughts to make her think she is nothing, and as someone who has dealt with some forms of emotional abuse, it really stuck with me. The author covers everything so well from a survivor's perspective. But sometimes the constant mention of abuse dragged down my mood, which I surprisingly wasn't bothered with.

Harley is an extremely strong woman and tries to make herself as independent as possible, which is a good change for a main protagonist as she is constantly striving to be better than everything her father has told her she is. And with the addition of Draven, he doesn't diminish her in any way, which is amazing to see.

The world-building was pretty good! Demons and angels and the complexities of Hell and Heaven were not too complex but still left for an enjoyable story. The story was also a pretty fast read (I finished this in like two days).

One downside I will say is that I did end up predicting the one major plot twist, but the cliffhanger I was so far from guessing. I'm pretty sure it ended up giving me whiplash.

Overall, Ember of Night is a great new story that puts a twist on the typical heaven and hell wars you know, and sparks messages of inspiration and strength for any girl reading.

What a fantastic YA read. Ember of Night was is such an original idea full of twists you’ll never see coming. This book was full of action, characters you fall in love with, characters to hate, a romance to adore, and so much more. Harley, Draven, and Ray are amazing and I was hooked on there lives from the first chapter. I really loved this book and can’t wait for the next one. If you’re a fan of the Crave series or the Hush Hush series this is definitely the book for you.

An intense, suspenseful, and immersive urban fantasy, Ember of Night follows Harley, an almost eighteen-year-old who wants nothing more than to take her sister away from their abusive father. Harley is so close to her goal. She works hard and has saved enough money to get her own place. However, a few nights before her birthday, Harley meets a mysterious stranger, and her entire world changes. Harley learns that she is part of a supernatural world that she knew nothing about, and she might be the key to releasing Hell on Earth. Now hunted by demons, Harley must train to perfect her newfound power if she has any hope of surviving.

There are so many things I love about this story. The supernatural elements, the dynamic character development, the great messages, and the fantastic writing are outstanding. Well-written and well-paced with the perfect amount of detail and action, the story flows smoothly. Furthermore, strong messages throughout about family, love, friendship, betrayal, and sacrifice are powerful and add such poignancy to the story.

Harley is a great protagonist, and I like how she slowly gains a stronger sense of self as the story progresses. Harley, abandoned by her mother and victim to terrible abuse by her father, has been beaten down her whole life. She doesn’t have much self-worth and mainly lives to protect her sweet younger sister. Harley doesn’t place much value in herself, and it takes time for her to realize how her past has deeply affected her. However, even though she has these feelings, Harley is a survivor. She needs to survive to protect her sister, and I think meeting and working with Draven gives her even more reason to fight.

Draven is the mysterious young man that Harley meets early in the story. From the start, it is clear that there is more to Draven than meets the eye. He is part of the supernatural world, but his intentions are unclear. Is he here to help Harley or to destroy her? Draven’s backstory is long and heartbreaking, and, much like Harley, his past deeply affects his interactions in the present.

Other characters are also well-developed, like Harley’s best friend Kai, her younger sister, her boss, and her old high school coach. As much as Harley often feels alone, she has a support system ready to help if she’d just let them in. A few men in Draven’s life are also introduced, and though they had minor roles in the story, I’m hopeful we’ll learn more about them in future books.

The supernatural elements are vivid and frightening and exciting! Many different entities want to destroy Harley, and the action that results is intense!! There are many unexpected twists and turns and heart-racing scenes. Harley is thrust so quickly into this supernatural world, and she is totally unprepared for all of the danger and life-threatening situations in front of her. However, like I said before, she’s a survivor.

I am a total sucker for a swoon-worthy romance, and this book brings it! Harley and Draven have amazing chemistry! They meet at a club and have an instant and strong connection, and there is a lot of sexual tension between the two. I love the whole “will they or won’t they” aspect of their relationship, as Draven keeps pulling away from Harley when they get too close. Many obstacles stand in their way, though Harley is ignorant to many of them, and it’s interesting to see them slowly grow closer. It’s also interesting to see Draven struggle with his feelings, which conflict with the expectations of his superiors. Harley and Draven make a great team and an even greater couple, and I’m curious to see how their relationship progresses, or if it can progress.

This is a captivating and immersive read that I thoroughly enjoyed. And that ending!! My word, I didn’t see that coming!! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series to find out how Harley and others deal with the shocking revelations at the end of this book! I’m so thankful to Molly E. Lee, Entangled Publishing, and Turn the Pages Tours for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 rounded to 4

A solid entry in the YA sex-and-demons Chosen One genre, with a pretty hefty dollop on the sex front. Between the blue language, the steam, and the fairly graphic scenes of abuse at the front end, I'd peg this for the upper range of teen readers.

There's a lot to like here. Starting with the trigger warning at the beginning, with added info on where a kid reader can find help. Even though I thought that aspect of the story pulled its punches in the second half, the first half deals very well not just with abuse but the self-destructive emotional fallout of abuse.

The banter when Harley, our heroine, meets Draven, the requisite angsty hero, is a lot of fun, and the author does a great job with the high-octane push-pull sexual chemistry of eighteen-year-olds. (Yes, Draven is a lot older, as the heroes of these tend to be, but he looks, and reads, like a teen. Lee even gives him a not-quite-comprehensible reason to be thinking and acting like a teen.)

The characters are fairly stock (see below), except for Ray, Harley's seven year old sister who draws a very disturbing other reality with her talented pen--while thinking she's designing manga. I would have liked a lot more story with Ray, but I suspect her time is coming in future volumes.

This is a first volume, so though there is a slam bang climax, there is not much resolution; if you've read a lot of these stories that mash together a lot of elements of biblical mythology without making much theological sense, you can see the twists coming. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the ride!

My only complaint is that the copyediting was wretched--the copyeditor not only needs a remedial course in English grammar, but should really have flagged the overuse of the word "churned." I blame the copyeditor, not the author, as writers are right there running in the forest so it's tougher to see the trees. The CE's job is to flag overused words and mixed metaphors.

Which brings me to caveats. I thought the story pulled its punches by conveniently having the horrible dad turn out to be not blood-related to Harley. Though it was pretty cool seeing how he knew about the supernatural all along, I think the story lost something when it gave Harley a convenient out from dealing with how someone she is related to could be so abusive, which is what makes familial abuse especially toxic. OTOH we wouldn't have the whoa-moment last line.

Second, the characters are largely stock, especially Draven, because the author tended (especially in the second half) to resort to "somethings" in, or behind, eyes, to signal emotional reactions, instead of working to make him more individual and less the expected type of hero for this subgenre. While these "somethings" are easy tells letting the reader know that, yep, lots of stuff going on here, we don't really feel it once we put down the book.

"Somethings" are a xerox-effect blur: a character becomes real, and memorable, when the writer does the skull sweat to show us what that particular character is feeling, and how they show it. Rage is not the same in every face: one person gets red and belligerent, another goes pale and whispers. And those differences are what make characters interesting, and individual, rather than the generic his eyes flashed with rage. A "sliver" of "something" cracking (how does a sliver crack?) functions as a signal for an emotional change, but what emotion? We're told about it, but how can we resonate?

The visual reader is also going to be distracted by how many times Draven's eyes churn. Being a visual reader, I kept having to blink away the image of a paddle turning over buttery glop instead of his eyes. There is so much "something" going on "behind" his eyes (ew) instead of reactions individual to him, and distinctive, that he gradually became more of a stock Draco Malfoy stand-in, which disappointed me. I think, judging by the first half, this author is capable of higher level writing.

Altogether a solid entry--looking forward to where it goes next. Especially if Ray gets more airtime!

Book Review for Ember of Night
Full review for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

Loved it!!! As a YA fantasy book, Ember of Night gave me everything I needed and more! It was truly a roller coaster ride of emotions with action and romance. I went into this book knowing completely nothing about it, but I’m so glad I read it! I can’t wait to follow along with Harley in hopefully many more books to come.

Thank you Entangled Teen for giving me the opportunity to read this before release! All opinions are completely my own

4.5 stars / This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com today.


Harley’s father has beaten her again and again. Making her feel like less than the ground walked upon. Meanwhile her intent is to shield her 7 year old half-sister Ray from that anger and venom. To protect her until Harley’s 18th birthday, just around the corner, when hopefully they can both escape his wrath for good.

Then one night when she is out with her best friend Kai, she meets a mysterious stranger. Draven is sexy and dark and entrancing. He takes her breath away. But it’s a chance meeting, and she’s sure she will never see him again. Until he shows up at her job as a new hire. Now Draven and Harley will be thrown together in more ways that one.

Draven tells Harley she is going to change the world. But with her father’s words lingering in the back of her brain, she can’t help but laugh it off. Until the world starts to change around her and she has to accept that she’s not the worthless teen she’s always been led to believe.

WOW. Molly E Lee’s tale of supernatural powers and the fall of the earth is mesmerizing. Harley is a downtrodden teen fighting for every scrap of self-esteem she can find. Perhaps not your typical teen, but I am sure there are many out there that will relate to Harley’s feelings. Ray, the beautiful younger sister, with a precious gift of pureness and the artistic ability to relay it. The confounding Draven who is so exasperating and mysterious. Kai, the good boy who has always been by Harley’s side. Nathan, Harley’s boss and friend who makes sure that Harley and Ray always have a safe house. Every character is written with detail. The characters completely drive this story and make it a page turner.

Considered a young adult novel, I would rate this definitely PG-13 for the violence, sex and profanity scattered throughout. For those teens who love fantasy novels, this is a must-read. So excited to see the next book and find out what’s in store for round two.

This book was so much fun! Dark and creepy, full of wit and humor, demons and monsters and a girl wanting to know her truth to survive the terrible abusive life her father has inflicted on her. Harley and Draven were both likeable characters, but little sister Ray steals the show. Harley has spent her life trying to survive her father and her terrible home life and as her 18th birthday approaches, she knows what she wants from life and that doesn't include brooding, dark Draven. As they get to know and trust each other, the realized that they need to rely on each other in order to save the world from terrible circumstances. I've enjoyed Molly E. Lee's previous books but this one she upped her game. Full of action and pop culture references (um, Damon Salvatore, Marvel movies?!?) I really enjoyed this and I'm ready for book two! Thank you netgalley and Entangled Teen for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh my goodness what a miraculous YA fantasy/paranormal novel! I was hooked from the prologue! I tend not to read chapter titles as some give away particular events that will happen in the novel, but boy oh boy was I confused…. Going into Ember of the Night I didn’t realize that Molly E. Lee used a touch of dual perspective at the beginning of the novel. Which, going back to my prior point is important to know. If you are like me and skip reading the chapter titles, look to see whose perspective you're reading about. Haha, the amount of time I had to reread the first few chapters because I was uber confused on what was happening. After realizing that the engagement with myself and Ember of the Night went swimmingly. I adored how fast-paced Ember of the Night was, time went by so quickly! One minute it was 9 pm and the next I’ve finished the novel and it's past midnight! I would say that Ember of the Night is on the higher end of YA as both characters are 18 and ugh the steam!!! I am now slightly obsessed with Draven and Harley!! And that ENDING!!!! Oh how I want to spoil the ending for you all but I shall not! Believe me when I say that the book will have you hanging onto the edge of your seat!!
I cannot wait for the second book to come out and all of my pressing questions to be answered!
4.5/5 Stars

Ember of Night is a is a wonderful and incredibly rich fantasy novel, so well built and fast paced that I wasn't able to put it down till I reached the end. I was absolutely captivated by the atmosphere, and the characters.

This novel submerges the reader in a landscape so imaginative and detailed that the information of the world building/plot never feels forced, and is never difficult to understand or picture in one's mind. I had an enjoyable time reading this and it held my attention the entire way through that I finished it within the day! I enjoyed every page and thought that the plot/story was very unique. Would recommend to anyone!