Iron & Embers has once again solidified that if Scheuerer writes it, I will read it. I l am amazed by Scheuerer’s writing ability. I loved The Legends of Thezmarr, so I was really excited to get to revisit that world again. I loved that we got to see so many of my favorite characters again. I had already found Wren’s character fascinating, and I was so excited to learn she would be one of the main characters. Wren’s development arc is fascinating in The Ashes of Thezmarr as she transitions from The Poisoner to an alchemy student. Then there’s Torj — forced to play bodyguard to the Embervale sister that cost him the War Sword posting he wanted. The chemistry between these two is palpable. They already had intense chemistry in Legends, and it’s only increased in Iron & Embers. I thought the plot pacing was well balanced between some of the slower informational scenes, political machinations, and action. I was hooked from the first page to the very end. While Iron & Embers can be read as a standalone, I think it’s best appreciated after reading The Legends of Thezmarr. It adds another layer of understanding in what shaped Wren and Torj into who they are now. Starting with Iron & Embers will also have some spoilers for The Legends of Thezmarr series. I combo eyeball and audiobook read this. I love the choice to use separate narrators to voice Wren and Torj. Emilia Bauer and Matt Haynes did so well in their respective roles. Bauer did well to balance Wren’s fierceness with the uncertainty and struggles she undergoes. Haynes also did well to embody Tori’s protective nature while grasping his turmoil over what’s happening to his mind and body. I really enjoyed both reading formats and don’t think you could go wrong either way. All I can say is, with how Scheuerer ended this book, I’m so glad there isn’t a long wait for the next one.

I was beyond excited to return to Thezmarr and dive into Torj and Wren’s story—and it absolutely did not disappoint! I’m completely hooked on a guy who’s so down bad, and let me tell you, Torj is *so* down bad for Wren. Swoooon.

This book is a masterclass in building a slow-burn romance, even when the characters are (reluctantly) obsessed with each other. Just like the previous Thezmarr series, it nails so many things: sharp humor, friendships that feel like family, and strong women who are excellent at what they do. I’m so grateful Helen Scheuerer brought this story to life, and honestly, I can’t wait to see what happens next—especially after that ending!

Listen I loved the original series so I went into this with high hopes — and it met all of them!!! This book is incredible. I do recommend reading The Legends of Thezmarr first though! I loved that all those characters still play a role in this.

Wren is such an incredible FMC. I love how she starts morally grey but with good reason. She goes THROUGH it but remains so strong which is admirable. I also adore her quick wit. Torj is just a god LOL he’s quite literally Thor in different wrapping but I’m totally here for it because I love Thor/Torj! Overall their romance was so well done and HOT! The *tension* and the pining — SO GREAT!!! Just go read this book!!!!!!

The audiobook is very well done. I love when dual povs have different actors because they really come alive. The only small thing is that I wish Torj’s speaking voice is his narration voice too because I couldn’t get enough of it!

Thank you SO MUCH to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

Iron & Embers is one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2025. I've adored Torj and Wren since meeting them and observing their interaction in the Legends of Thezmarr series and I was so excited Helen blessed us with an entire spin off series for them.

Iron & Embers takes place 5 years after the end of the Shadow War, Wren is in a dark place grieving the loss of her sister and her best friends. She is The Poisoner, taking the lives of any enemies of Thezmarr still left breathing after the war. Someone has been attacking the royals still remaining but they are using an unheard of form of alchemy to do it. Wren is called in to attend an alchemist academy and to use the academy's resources to find a way to stop the attackers. Wren being a royal herself has been assigned a bodyguard while at the academy and who better to protect her than Torj the Bear Slayer. Since sharing her power with him in the final battle, Wren and Torj have seen each other very little over the years...each encounter becoming more and more bitter. He wants more with her and she thinks she has nothing left to give.

I feel like with Iron & Embers, Helen's writing really took off. I was on the edge of my seat for almost the entire book! The romance is slow burn but she gives us just enough crumbs to keep us satisfied until the next encounter. We get some beloved characters back like Kipp and Cal (don't think we could have a Thezmarr book without those two! lol) and we get some new ones like Zavier and Dessa that make you feel like they've been there all along. I loved the plot of the book, the ins and outs of alchemy are really explored heavily and I found it so interesting. The lore of what is going on between Torj and Wren is interesting as well and I'm very curious to learn more about it. I loved getting to know more about Torj's past and I found the flashback meetings of him and Wren really enlightening as well. We end on a huge cliffhanger and I'm so broken hearted but I don't doubt Helen will salvage the mess she left us in...unfortunately it's going to have to wait until the next book.

I was blessed to receive an ALC and I really enjoyed Matt Haynes and Emilia Bauer's narrations. It was dual narration and the pacing was good, I was able to listen to it just fine at my normal 1.25X speed. Matt and Emilia's voices and accents were pleasing and I thought they fit the characters well. I hope they get to continue to narrate the series.

Overall, it's a fantastic first book in a spin off series that I just might enjoy more than the original. I can't wait for book two! Thank you so much to Dreamscape Media for gifting me an ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook arc. This is great for those that have read the Legend of Thezmarr series, but if you haven’t or didn’t know this was a spin off series then I would highly recommend reading the other series first. While yes you can read this without but I feel a lot of information was missing.
The only problem that I had with the book was them imagining or pining for the constantly it seemed like they were whining all the time, but story wise it was great and I was sucked into the story from page one she goes to school to be and alchemist and turns assassin to revenge for the death of her friends.

All the freaking stars!!!

First of all, it was incredible, and I loved every page. Saved a billion quotes (that I'll share at some point). Second of all... HELEN! How dare you! 🫣 Oh, my poor little heart. I know you'll make it better in the coming books, but damn... I have to live with this heartbreak until book 3 😫

I loved Thea in the first series and wanted to be a badass just like her. But... in reality, I'm really more like Wren. Let's just face the facts here. Wren is the quiet badass. The poisoner. The behind the scenes, in the shadows, kill you without even touching you, kind of badass. And don't even get me started on the big old marshmallow Warsword we call Torj 😍 *swoon* The banter 🤌 The love to hate to love 🤌 Gah it was so good! The kind of slow burn that makes you melt before it ever becomes an inferno. This book is solid gold! I can't wait to see what comes next!