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If you missed my last KU review on From My Past, you can find it here.
Hi everyone, I have another book to review for you, Twilight of Embers by Tessa Hale. I will be reading a ton for the foreseeable future. My back is in a bad way and I need surgery so what better way to escape my limitations is there than to dive into a book? My husband would say a video game, and while he’s not wrong that it is a good escape, my favored way is reading. One beautiful thing about working for TGON is that reading and video games are part of the job. Needless to say, I will consistently have book reviews for a while. But back to the matter at hand, today’s book review is book one in the Dragons of Ember Hollow trilogy. It is a multi-POV, spicy, dragon-shifter book. It has more than one fated mate and it does take place in school but at a college rather than a high school.
We meet Hayden who is trying to get reading in before her mom comes in and makes her go to sleep. Suddenly, her mom is there hiding Hayden before dying trying to keep the attackers from taking Hayden. She was eventually put in the system to finish being raised because she had no family anyone could find. Eight years later, Hayden got a scholarship to Evergreen University and is determined to do well so she can take care of herself better. She meets Knox right after arriving by literally running into him. He looks at her funny and asks where her protection is. Hayden has no idea what he is talking about but has a physical reaction when Knox touches her, skin to skin. She meets Maddox the professor and Easton, Knox’s twin. She meets Cael in a diner and he surprises everyone by giving her a big hug instead of the traditional hello. Finally, she meets Cillian. Everyone, save Easton, has touched her and started the mating process before she knew it. Something else she doesn’t know is that she is a dragon shifter.
Knox, Easton, and Cael are all students like Hayden, a year or two older but still students, and of course, all the girls want them. One in particular is Hayden’s roommate, Delaney. She is practically chomping at the bit to get to Knox but she will take Easton, Cael, or Cillian (especially Cillian) if that’s all she can get. Delaney doesn’t take too kindly to Knox liking Hayden. Then, when Cael shows interest, it gets worse. Eventually, Delaney spreads rumors that Hayden is a whore and easy. Some guys are idiots and tell Knox and Cael that they want a turn with Hayden when the guys are done. I was surprised when the dummies got away without pouring blood out of various holes. Like their neck.
Unfortunately, danger doesn’t stop with just words or handsy people. Hayden has walked into a dangerous world where female dragons are rare and other dragons are ready to kill to get them. It is a violent welcome home to someone who didn’t even know it existed. I would run the other way, fated mates be damned.
Now, before you point out that I don’t particularly like this many in a reverse harem, I know. Before it was made clear that she was to have more than one lover I was already into the book, so I figured I would see if Ms. Hale did it well. Hmmm. Yes and no. There were too many and not enough POVs. We get to see Hayden’s point of view mostly but we get glimpses of all the guys. It’s not enough of them in this and there are too many of them to properly give them enough of the spotlight to close the gaps in the story.
There is plenty of drama but some of it is being dragged out too long. For example, two of Hayden’s fated mates, Maddox and Easton, are not thrilled about having a mate and do their best to avoid her. Maddox makes sense to a point. He is a professor and she is a student, but it goes deeper for Maddox than that and I am into the second book and still don’t really understand it yet. Easton, we are starting to get there but… And that is aside from that we are slowly getting through the plot of being a rare dragon female. It is hinted at that there is more to Hayden but I have no idea what it is. It is terribly frustrating and I don’t know if it is a good thing or a bad thing.
I started on the second book but I am incredibly frustrated with the story so I am not sure if I am going to finish it. I am also on the fence about Hayden. I like her and I don’t. She has survived a lot and has great goals but will she get swallowed up by the men? I think she might because that is the “culture” of dragons and so far she’s a doormat. I can say though, that the guys are a pretty good balance of sweetheart and fierce. Except for Eastion, he’s just an asshole.
If I finish the second book, I will review it. All in all it’s not a bad book, I just don’t like this many lovers in a single relationship in a book. Except for Anita and Merry, those two I can handle the reverse harem, but I think that has more to do with I am only seeing the story from one point of view so it isn’t muddied by others’ thoughts. With this book, however, if you are of the mind, “the more, the merrier” I think you’ll dig this.
Have you read The Dragons of Ember Hollow trilogy or anything else by Tessa Hale? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, have fun storming the castle!
