I’ve been in a dragon mood lately and so Emberclaw hit my mailbox at the right time. This duology ender is fantastic as we see these characters struggle to figure out their own future. Keep reading this book review of Emberclaw for my full thoughts.
Summary
Arcady faces their greatest heist yet: posing as a noble student at the arcane University of Vatra. When the University announces the reinstatement of archaic trials of magic, the ever-penniless Arcady seizes the chance. If they win, they not only prove their worth, but the scholarship will give them more time to unlock secrets and reveal, once and for all, that their grandsire was not the Plaguebringer. Yet grief still leaves Arcady broken, and when they close their eyes, they dream of a certain dragon.
Everen, once the hope of dragons, is now hated by his kind. When he is eventually released from his prison, the Queen is clear: while he may help protect the island from wraith attacks, he is no longer a prince of the realm. As he struggles to find his place in Vere Celene, visions of the past, the future, and tantalizing glimpses of Arcady still haunt him. If he steers the wrong path through fate’s storm, he may never be able to create a future where both humans and dragons live in harmony.
Arcady soon realizes that to survive the rising threats from both their old life and their new one, they must use every trick at their disposal—even magic stolen from a dragon they thought dead. And as time runs out before an ancient danger awakens, Everen must fight his way back to Arcady, earn their forgiveness, and learn what it truly means to be an Emberclaw.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Emberclaw was such a solid and fantastic duology ender. I loved the multiple POV particularly because Lam is able to explore themes of prophecy and agency. We can think that a future is set in stone, but what happens when what we think isn’t the whole story? What role do we have in our own life? The power to re-write the ending? Fresh off the destruction wrought and the promise of more to come, Emberclaw hits the ground running. It’s about the danger they post not only to fate, but also themselves and the ones they love.
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A theme I loved in Emberclaw was that it’s not just about if someone trusts us, it’s about our trust in ourselves. This sequel is dedicated to exploring power and whether we can be trusted with power. Because power is dangerous and once you get a taste, it’s hard to be content with what you have. It also explores the subjectivity of truth and what we are told. While the ending felt a bit hasty, I loved the themes explored which mixed with the action. This ending felt right and I loved witnessing the character evolution. Find Emberclaw on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, & Blackwells.