Ember Falls by S. D. Smith
MG Fantasy. 365 Pages. 4 Stars
Synopsis:
The stage is set. It’s war. Morbin Blackhawk, slaver and tyrant, threatens to destroy the rabbit resistance forever. Heather and Picket are two young rabbits improbably thrust into pivotal roles.
The fragile alliance forged around the young heir seems certain to fail. Can Heather and Picket help rescue the cause from a certain, sudden defeat?
My Place Beside You
My Blood For Yours
Till The Green… Ember Falls
My Review:
This is such a cute series. I’m definitely planning to finish the rest at this point, but I’ve got a lot on my to-read list and a few more urgent ones to start with, so I may have to come back to these a little later on in the year.
It was a nice, short read. The audiobook narrator is so much fun. This is a good travel book for me. Easy to follow, but still a good story, you know? It’s short enough to finish in a roadtrip or travel day by plane if you have a long day, but also easy enough to just listen to bits and spurts over the course of a week or two. The chapters are super short, so it’s perfect for bedtime reading for kiddos. And a story that will keep them enthralled, but one threaded with deep truths and hope.
I’ve really enjoyed the characters. They’re a lot of fun and Smith is carving deeper into them as the story goes on. I wouldn’t call the story predictable, but it’s familiar. It’s homey. Like reading something you once knew by a warm fireside. There are exciting bits that keep you turning pages and sorrowful bits that shimmer with depth. I really, really appreciate how Smith exposes a younger audience to some difficult things in life, digs into hardship, and doesn’t shy away from the painful messy things we face everyday, but how he does it in such a delicate, beautiful, and easy to understand way. This is a series I wish I’d read as a young girl. I think I really would have loved it and would easily have some nostalgia around it if I had.
Even as an older reader, I’m curious to see where Smith takes this story. I love the paths he’s treading toward truth, but in such a unique way. The thread of hope that shines through this–and yearning–has me intrigued and that’s what keeps me coming back (plus, I’m just a sucker for a good kids story!). I have my suspicions about one or two plot elements that I’m pretty sure I’m picking up what he’s throwing down, but there are still many more that I’m not quite sure how he plans to resolve. And I love a good chase.
Looking forward to the third book! It’s MG, so no swearing and only the barest illusions to potential romance at this point. The book does take place in a war, but everything is totally kid friendly. There’s nothing graphic. Thematically, Smith deals with loss and betrayal and loyalty and hope and home and other things like that. It would be a really great way to have some discussions with your kids about difficult things we face but on their level and in a way they could relate and understand.
More:
Book 1 in The Green Ember series is The Green Ember (4 Stars)
Book 3 is Ember Rising (4 Stars)
Book 4 is Ember’s End
I am currently reading through the series, so stay tuned for updates! The series does need to be read in order.
On GraceBought
Check out my thoughts on the first book in the series!