Iron & Embers

Ich habe jede Seite geliebt! Besonders weil man die Charaktere schon aus der Hauptserie (Blood & Steel) kennt und ich sie so gern gewonnen habe. Außerdem war das Setting super durchdacht und die Alchemie-Akademie hatte die besten Vibes. Absolutes Jahreshighlight!

I really enjoyed the "Legends of Thezmarr" books and was happy to return to this world. Unfortunately, I have a rather rocky connection to Wren. She is a reliable character and I understand her actions - she's broken and lost after the war. But the way she deals with it ... is not always my cup of tea. But it's understandable. Hail to Torj and his patience despite his frustration. The story is fast paced and a good read. I loved that we met some old friends and family again, so there is development in the world without going too far from its roots. There could have been less spice, though. Yes, "Legends Of Thezmarr" was far from innocent, but sometimes I got the feeling that the actual story in "Iron & Embers" got too lost in the tension of the romance. And I did not like the repeating behaviour pattern at the end (we already have seen that way to create drama in "Legends Of Thezmarr") because it's obvious it will take some time in the next book to solve the conflict.

Wren, who is on a dark path of vengeance, is finally joining Drevenor Academy to become a master alchemist. Looking into a bright future, she is confronted with her past in the form of her Bodyguard, Torj Elderbrook. Wren and Torj are not only connected by a whole lot of tension but also through a history of war. Although Iron & Embers is the first installment of Helen Scheuerer's spin-off series of the "Legends of Thezmarr", you do not have to read the other series first. Although there are a lot of characters from the preceding series, you quickly pick up on what happened in the past. All in all, Iron & Embers is great romantasy with an interesting plot in which Wren and Torj both go through major character developements that deal with their past trauma. In my opinion, the plot was overshadowed by the romance, which was a little bit dissapointing since I was excited to delve into Wren's world of alchemy.