Thorns & Fire is such a great sequel. There’s plenty of action, but this one feels a bit more character driven. The romance is a large component, but it’s devoted to exploring these characters. Keep reading this book review of Thorns & Fire for my full thoughts.
Summary
A golden thread joined them, a bond that went deeper than love – and it had nearly destroyed them.
Wren Embervale and Torj Elderbrock share a dark and bloody history. With Thezmarr on the brink of another war, and overwhelmed by the force of their feelings for one another, Torj discovers there is far more to their bond than mere passion. The legendary Warsword is determined to protect Wren at all costs, even if it means lying to her . . . Even if it means losing her forever.
Meanwhile, Wren is struggling to find her place in the world – both as an advanced student of alchemy at the ancient academy of Drevenor, and as one of the heirs to a lost kingdom. With the midrealms once again facing destruction, Wren must decide: loyalty or liberation? Legacy or love?
As new political players emerge, Wren discovers that her gift for alchemy is more powerful than she ever imagined – and that it could tear the kingdoms apart.
Will she and Torj find their way back to each other, or will the ancient magic that binds them become their undoing?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Thorns & Fire asks us whether something broken can ever be mended. After the bombshell ending of Iron & Embers, this one takes us through more character development. We explore how Torj and Wren make sense of this connection they feel tempered with the ending of the first book. It’s a testament to the idea that we are stronger together than apart. It can be so tempting to be reckless and determine alone, to think we have to shoulder the burden of protection alone. But sometimes we have to let people in to be stronger. And we have to realize that by doing this, we rob the ones we love of choice.
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The star of the show in Thorns & Fire are Torj and Wren. I mentioned before that the character dynamics take center stage. There’s still action, but they feel like they seek to continue the development of Torj and Wren together and apart. With the past weighing on both of them, they’ll have to be stronger than ever to face book three. In many ways, Thorns & Fire feels like a book asking us if we can take a moment to heal our wounds. I basically inhaled everything past 75%. Plus the ending really hooks you for the next one!
Find Thorns & Fire on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon(US)(UK), Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.