[Review] A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Since the moment she was born, Seraphena was destined to be the Primal of Death's Consort. She would be the one to end the plague killing the lands and crops of Lasania and has trained for her role her whole life. But when the things don't go as planned, Sera and her guilt turn to other ways to help save her people. When she unexpectedly lands the attention of the Primal Nyktos, Sera finds herself in the Shadowlands in Iliseeum, surrounded by gods and hundreds of years of secrets and mysteries. As the past, present, and future start to unwind around Sera and Nyktos, their decisions will determine the course of prophecies and fates that will even affect mortals thousands of years in the future. 

I really loved the direction that Armentrout took in A Shadow in the Ember; in fact, after reading the first three Blood and Ash books and now this first Flesh and Fire novel, I'm leaning towards loving Sera's story more than Poppy's. Of course, that may change as both series progress and intertwine, but, though a bit similar, I did enjoy Sera's introductory story a little more than I did Poppy's. 

By setting this companion series in the same world, but 2,000 years before Poppy's story, Armentrout was in the unique position to flesh out a world readers already know - but flesh it out in the past while setting up for the future. These two series are doing a fabulous job at bouncing off of each other; this series answers questions and sets things up for the Blood and Ash series, while the Blood and Ash series does the same for the Flesh and Fire series. I loved this approach, and A Shadow in the Ember made me antsy for not only the rest of the Flesh and Fire series, but also for the continuation of the Blood and Ash series and how it will all come together. These two series and the way they intertwine are obviously an ambitious plot but if anyone can pull this off while also shocking readers, it's JLA. 

Outside of the main characters, Armentrout also gave readers a fantastic cast of secondary characters full of sarcastic, eye-rolling gods and adorable, young draken. Even in the most dire of situations, there was still plenty of characters to remind Sera to live. 

One of the only things I didn't truly care for in this book is the overabundance of popular phrases and language usage. In a world full of castles, bows and arrows, horses for transport, and no evidence of a rental system, having Sera say something lived "rent-free in [her] mind" seemed wildly out of place. It also took me out of the story a bit to see so many hundred and thousand year old gods using modern sarcasm to make their points. While I recognize that this is Armentrout's world, and her characters can speak however she envisions them, it just consistently pulled me out of the story to see so much pop/21st Century phrasing used in a world that is clearly not modern or set in the 21st Century. 

Overall, I really enjoyed A Shadow in the Ember. Although there are many parallels between Sera and Poppy, I found Sera's story of overcoming guilt and stigmas moving while making her a vulnerable and relatable character. Sera obviously has a long and important path ahead of her, and I can't wait to see her story and importance to the history of both the mortal and immortal worlds develop as both series continue.

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Release date: 10/19/21
Format: paperback/ebook