Tuesday 24 May 2011

FANTASY REVIEW: Ember and Ash - Pamela Freeman

Release Date: 05/05/11

SYNOPSIS:

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.


REVIEW:

What Pamela does well in her writing is creating complex plots as well as fully rounded characters to populate her world. Whilst this title is yet again set in the same as her Castings trilogy, things have taken a turn for the worse as the elder gods awaken when mankind begins its quest for fire. Obviously the resulting meddling of these ancients causes all sorts of death and destruction but also unites and begins the quest of the two title characters.

It is well written, the characters vivid and when you add to this the complexities within alongside a good sense of pace and prose left me feeling very full after completing and forced me into taking a couple of days to consider what I’d just read. In certain respects its left me ruined for future authors but it’s one that really is going to have to be handled gently as I can see this series quickly becoming bogged down in complexities as well as power. Here’s hoping that the series carries on as well as this original tale.

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