Image edit by Alex Guerra
By Elise Bechtel
Jennifer L. Armentrout, a well-known author in the fantasy genre, has risen to prominence with her new “Flesh and Fire” series and her ongoing “Blood and Ash” series. “A Shadow in the Ember” (“ASITE”) is book one of the “Flesh and Fire” series and is the prequel and companion series to “Blood and Ash.”
Armentrout has done a great job of immersing the reader in the story. “ASITE” is told in first person from Sera’s point of view, allowing the reader to experience the story and emotions through the protagonist’s eyes.
“ASITE” takes place in a fictional, medieval world and follows two characters: Sera, known to many as “the Maiden,” and the Primal of Death, who is akin to a god. This story takes the reader through a lot of emotions: happiness, sympathy, anger, confusion and beyond. What I love about Armentrout’s books is that they all feature snarky, sarcastic characters. They often have very traumatic backstories, but these characters still maintain a compassionate nature. To be honest, I have grown rather attached to her characters. When reading, I love being able to connect with a character, which was accomplished in this book.
In the beginning of the book, we learn that one of Sera’s relatives made a deal with the Primal of Death. In this deal, the relative would be granted healthy land and prosperity until the god took a first-born daughter of their family as his consort, at which time the deal’s magic would run out. As a result, Sera, the first-born daughter, has been trained to kill and seduce from the minute she could walk. Hope for the survival of her family’s kingdom rests upon her ability to trick the Primal of Death into falling in love with her so that she can kill him.
Much of the story explores the element of trust. As Sera and the Primal get to know each other, they slowly build up their trust in each other, something that is difficult for both characters. This trust evolves into friendship and beyond, which leaves Sera conflicted about her lifelong mission. By spending time with the Primal, she learns that the deal her ancestor and the Primal made is not exactly what she was told, and this new information turns her mission on its side. She is forced to grapple with the question of whether trust, once it is broken, can be rebuilt.
Like many fantasy books, “ASITE” is set in a world completely separate from Earth. There is magic, mystery, romance and adventure. Armentrout’s story also tackles loss, loneliness and trust in a profound way, but to avoid spoiling the plot for you, I will not elaborate.
While I’ve gushed about how amazing “ASITE” is, I do feel the need to admit that Armentrout’s writing style is not my favorite. I find myself sometimes wondering which character is speaking and having to re-read sentences to try and grasp what is being said. However, as an avid reader who had almost exclusively been reading Sarah J. Maas books for several years prior, I may have had a bit of reading shock when I suddenly switched authors. However, I would encourage readers to keep reading if you have the same problem, as I got used to Armentrout’s writing style quickly.
It is important to note that this series is meant to eventually merge with “Blood and Ash,” which currently has three released books with another one coming out March 15. The “Flesh and Fire” series is the prequel to “Blood and Ash,” and I would highly suggest reading the “Blood and Ash” series before reading “ASITE” because of the foundational world-building done there.
Both series are filled with plot twists and cliffhangers that I personally have no problem with. However, I know that there are readers who cannot stand cliffhangers unless the next book, or even the whole series, has already been released. If you are one of those readers, then this is a fair warning that you may want to wait until the whole series is out to begin reading.
I absolutely loved “ASITE” and preordered “The War of Two Queens,” which is book four in the “Blood and Ash” series, immediately after finishing it, so I think it’s safe to say that these books leave you eagerly waiting for the next book. “ASITE” hits the ground running and snags the reader’s attention immediately. I would say, however, that readers of “Blood and Ash” should stick it out as the first book is a bit slow until the second half. From there, I personally had no problem staying engaged in the story.
Overall, I would give “A Shadow in the Ember” 4.7 out of 5 dolphins for amazing character development, storytelling and worldbuilding. These are incredible books with well-developed characters, and I wouldn’t want them any other way.
Note: This article first appeared in the February 2022 print edition of The CI View.
