Of Dawn and Embers by Gillian Bronte Adams
Epic Fantasy. 560 Pages. 5 Stars
Synopsis:
He rides a dawnling, a steed of light and glory, destined to restore.
Jakim Ha’Nor will save his people, or so says the prophecy that upended his life and drove his brothers to betray him. Now, he has returned as the dawnrider to fulfill his purpose and reconcile with his brothers—only to find himself embroiled in a war.
Captured in the fallout of a deadly attack, Rafi grapples with the ghosts of the past. His brother is alive but no longer himself, and Rafi will stop at nothing to save him. Farther up the coast, Ceridwen strives to reignite the embers of the rebellion to burn the empire down. When Rafi is sentenced to execution before the imperial court, Ceridwen must rally every spear and steed she can for a blistering strike at the heart of the capital.
But the empire’s schemes are already in motion, and Jakim’s two missions collide when an unexpected encounter with one of his brothers reveals the true threat behind the imperial thirst for ancient secrets. Hidden forces intend to unleash a cataclysmic power, spurring Ceridwen, Rafi, and Jakim to challenge the full, crushing might of the empire for the fate of the world.
Stars weep and ash falls as the tides of battle propel the Fireborn queen, the Sea-Demon prince, and the Dawnrider priest toward a meteoric clash in this thunderous series finale.
My Review:
The conclusion we’ve been waiting for! I’ve been so excited to see how Adams wraps everything up.
The first two books were absolutely excellent and set up some really interesting threads. Rafi, Ceridwen, and Jakim’s war-torn story comes to its epic conclusion – and it was so worth the wait.
In her characteristically compelling, cliff-hanging style, Adams ties together the three POVs (and throws in a new one on the side that was delightful!) and makes it just as hard to put down as the previous two. I love how the politics of the war have developed over the three books and come to a head in this one, and they seamlessly led to the epic battle that everyone had a crucial part to play in.
Y’all know I adore Rafi, and Ceridwen is a fierce, relatable, and honorable character. But Jakim snuck up on me. I had my suspicions from the beginning—and I can delightfully say I was right. His backstory and struggles were my favorite part. What I didn’t see coming was how deeply his story threaded into the present plot. The way the plot threads all came together was excellent and so satisfying. Thematically, his character explores some of the most beautiful places in the story. As much as I adore Rafi for his humor and tenacity and Ceridwen for her courage and nobility, Jakim’s heart shines brilliantly in this.
We also get to see yet another part of the world expanding as we dig deeper into Jakim’s roots. And we finally get to see the legendary Dawnrider in action! I loved his home culture and the ties back to the inspiration for it. Thematically, the story continues to explore themes from the previous books (redemption, courage, loyalty, etc.) as well as forgiveness, mercy, and healing. A stunning story from the inside out.
Content: no swearing (some in world swearing), a subtle, clean romance, and fantasy violence (intercontinental war). It’s tactfully done, though there are some mild descriptions of wounds and etc. There’s some psychological elements, prisoners of war, etc. I’d probably recommend this one for 15+
More:
Book 1 of the Fireborn Epic is Of Fire and Ash (5 Stars)
Book 2 is Of Sea and Smoke (5 Stars)
Book 3 is Of Dawn and Embers (5 Stars)
This trilogy should absolutely be read in order! Check out the Goodreads links above for more information and reviews.
More:
On GraceBought
Check out my thoughts on the previous books!
Of Fire and Ash and Of Sea and Smoke
If you liked these, you may also want to check out:
Mark of the Raven, The Goose Girl, Wishtress, The Eternity Gate, Calor, Keeper of the Lost Cities, Cinder, or Eragon.