Two peoples have been fighting over the same land for a thousand years. Invaders crushed the original inhabitants, and ancient powers have reluctantly given way to newer magics. But Ember was to change all this with a wedding to bind these warring people together - until her future goes up in flames.
Ember's husband-to-be is murdered by a vengeful elemental god, who sees peace as a breach of faith. Set on retribution, she enlists the help of Ash, son of a seer. Together they will pit themselves against elementals of fire and ice in a last attempt to end the conflicts that have scarred their past. They must look to the present, as old furies are waking to violence and are eager to reclaim their people.
Ember and Ash is a fantastic book that I wished I had read Freeman’s other books before I had read this one. I was able to follow the storyline and very much enjoyed the characters and world, but felt that if I had read The Castings Trilogy first then I would have enjoyed the book on a whole new level.
The story begins with Ember, the daughter of a warlord, preparing to marry. Just as the wedding is about to occur, suddenly a great fire roars up, killing her betrothed and claiming her for himself. He claims that he is the god fire and that he was promised her as a bride by her mother years before. When she refuses to submit to him, he wipes out all the fires in the area, refusing to let them be restarted. From there, the story follows Ember and her cousin Ash's journey to restore the fire to the town. Character's grow, battles ensue, and surprise twists are thrown into the mix, making a fantastic yet not shocking epic fantasy read.
That said, the characters were fantastic, the magic/gods intriguing, and the action well placed. Fans of a traditional epic fantasy novel will love this book, but if given a chance other fans of fantasy will surely enjoy it as well. All in all a great read, but if given a chance read the Casting Trilogy first.
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