The Review for the first book in the series can be found here:
Synopsis:
Lyra and Kael, the rebels who sparked a flame of hope, thought their last victory would buy them time. They were wrong.
The former king has risen as a powerful, corrupted revenant, and his mad thaumaturge is methodically defiling the land. Blight is spreading; the once-pure river runs black with sulfur and pitch, and the corruption is chewing through the very foundation of the world. The only chance to save the future is to strike at the heart of the darkness in the city of Thornspire.
To face the revenant, Lyra must master the raw, poisoned energy leaking from the defiled ley-lines, risking her own soul with every touch of power. Kael must prepare for a confrontation that will demand more sacrifice than he has left to give.
They found their unbreakable bond in the ruins, but now their love is the most vulnerable target of all. As the war intensifies, one wrong move could force a devastating choice that burns their future to ash. To save the kingdom, Lyra and Kael must stand together against the shadows, or lose each other forever.
Review:
The story picks up right after the end of book one. Lyra and Kael quickly realise that taking down the king wasn’t the solution they hoped for. The suffering continues as someone else steps in, eager to grab power for themselves. The damage and danger are everywhere. Determined to stop things from getting worse, Lyra and Kael set out on a journey that tests their bond, all while being hunted as they try to stop the villain from becoming too powerful and destroying everything.
Kael faces a lot of doubt from others. Changing sides doesn’t erase what he did before, and people are slow to trust him. Their hesitation feels real, and Kael’s struggle with his past becomes a big part of his growth, and of Lyra’s trust in him.
I really enjoyed the first book and was excited to see the second one come out so soon. But this one didn’t grab me as much. The focus on just the two main characters made the pace feel slower, and while the stakes were clear, their challenges seemed a bit too easy to overcome. At times, the story told me what was happening instead of letting me figure it out myself.
Overall, it’s still a good read, just not as strong as the first book.
🌙 Recension: Embers of the Exiled (Rebels of Flame and Fern #2) by J.F.O. Black
📚 Genre: Fantasy& Romance
📅 Release Date: January 30, 2026
📗 included in Kindle Unlimited
📱 Read as: Kindle
💸 I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 269
⭐️ 3/5
Interested in more?
- Review: Then You Happened by J.S. Wood
- Review: I Was Never Broken by Hazel Anthony
- Review: Posthumously Yours by Charles D. Braun
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