Lightning & Ember is an enjoyable and entertaining start to an interesting new fantasy series!

I really like starting a book with a glimpse into the future and having the rest of the book showing part of the lead up to the initial chapter. We aren’t given the full picture yet and I am looking forward to uncovering the next stage of Akina and Miki’s journey. The book had a really strong ending, but was weaker in the school based sections. The author is able to write battle scenes really well and I can’t wait to see more of that as the series progresses, I did feel it relied pretty heavily on tropes at times, which took me out of the story but may appeal to other readers.

I feel this has a lot of potential as a series and I really enjoyed the multiple POVs. I do think the magic system needs further explaining and we are left with a lot of questions at the end of Book 1 in the Goddess Maker series. I am interested to see where this series will go and would recommend it to those who enjoy YA and are new to the fantasy genre.

This story follows non "pureblooded" twins who attend this prestigious military school where they end up uncovering something unexpected. The book starts by completely throwing you in the middle of a battle which honestly had me hooked so quickly! Then theres a jump back in time and thats where the story really begins.

I really enjoyed parts of this book while other parts really dragged and made me want to put the book down. Some of the characters decision making made no sense and the dialogue could sometimes sound corny. This was the biggest let down for me. However, one of the things I really liked about this book is that its multi POV. I love being able to go into different characters heads and see their personal motivations. Another is the writing! The author did an amazing job at being descriptive but not too overly done. And I specifically really enjoyed reading the battle scenes!

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, i liked the setting and the character arcs, however you may have to put in a little effort to push through parts of it.

3.5 / 5 stars

The book was okay, nothing out of the ordinary, but it's more like YA. The only issue I had was that the story was dragging a bit at some point, and them many things happened, and some characters did some mindless actions, and I don't really see the point. Also, the relationship between an 18 yo and a 15 yo is a bit weird, even when the 15 yo doesn't really feel like an early teen.

The story is focused on two twins in their final year in school, the last part of the year to be specific. It's quite typical but I got a bit confused at times regarding the powers they have. There is a bit of romance, a lot of bullying because they are not pure blooded and not yet adopted into the noble family (even when everybody knows they were under the protection of a powerful marquis). At the end of the school year they have to pass the exams and things get an unexpected turn, after that there is the ball and after that just a bit left before the books ends on a sort of cliffhanger. For me, the period between the exams and the ball was really dragged and part of the ball too, which almost made me stop reading, because it just felt like the book was gonna end, but there was quite a bit left.

There are many things that are not explained and, at times, the multiple POVs were confusing.

All in all, the book is okay, feels very YA and it didn't have an extraordinary element for me, but it was still pleasant.

Akira has an inner-diologue that goes something like this....."I am so ordinary. Plain, athletic and blocky. I just don't care to pursue higher learning to any level of accomplishment." Her sisters goes something like "Akira is so hot, does she even notice that the hottest and most eligible Baron in the whole land has a chubby for her? She is the most brilliant person in this school but chooses to be a warrior hotty princess. Without even trying she is in Golds level, one below Platinum..." And that is what you get for buying YA BS.

As we move through the schooling year, without apparent notice, everyone snickers or basically denigrates the sisters because they are....wait for it.....HALF-BREEDS! OH THE HUMANITY! So while they suffer in stoic silence, Hunky Duke / Baron Cassius (whom now has teleportation powers) that grew up with them, trounces those that would hurt his childhood besties.

Yeah this novel is way over the top and reads like most YA trash out there. But the story line is good, you just have to sift through the tropes.