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Book Review: Ember of Night by Molly E. Lee

Ember of Night by Molly E. Lee

Entangled Teen, 2021

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1649370310

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition ( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

Harley is just about to turn eighteen and escape her abusive father with her younger sister Ray when Draven comes into her life. There’s a chemistry between them she can’t deny, but her life is already full between work and taking care of Ray, and she doesn’t have time for a guy in her life. Her best friend, Kai, warns her against Draven, but Harley doesn’t like being told what to do, and when Kai goes out of town, she discovers that she’s developing a friendship with Draven, who has also befriended Ray. Unfortunately, the day she turns eighteen, demons attack her while she’s with Draven, and they have to fight them off. Harley learns she’s not quite human– there’s something special about her blood– and Draven is watching her to see what she becomes. Despite anger, fear, and mistrust poisoning the situation, Harley and Draven are drawn to each other magnetically as they work to solve the mystery of who is behind the attacks, and what exactly Harley is.

Harley is a strongly-drawn character with intense emotions, unafraid to face anyone who challenges her, who has a force of personality that pulls the reader along. The chemistry between her and Draven is powerful. The way she sees herself and others is distorted, though: Ray is pure and must be protected, while Harley is a monster who deserves to be in pain. Author Lee uses vivid imagery to describe demons and villains and create atmosphere.

The physical abuse, trauma, and betrayal Harley endures during this story is difficult to read, more so than any of the attacks by supernatural elements. Although the story doesn’t quite make sense in places, Ember of Night is a compelling read that ratchets up the suspense and sensuality to the very last page and leaves you impatiently waiting for the sequel.

Contains: emotional and physical abuse, violence, gore, suicidal thoughts, sexual content.

Posted on July 6, 2021 by Kirsten, Reply

Book Review: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas ( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

Swoon Reads, 2020

ISBN-13 : 978-1250250469

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, audiobook

Yadriel is a Latinx trans boy whose community lives in the cemetery and serves Lady Death. When they are fifteen, boys are presented to Lady Death for a blessing to become a brujo and receive a portaje, a dagger that allows them to draw blood to direct their magic so they can cut the ties between spirits and this world to send them to the afterlife before they become malevolent. At the same age, girls who go through the ceremony and receive the blessing become brujas and are presented with a rosary as their portaje, that allows them to heal using blood. As a trans boy, Yadriel did not go through the girls’ ceremony as he was expected to do, but was not allowed to go through the boys’ ceremony to become a brujo because the community does not accept that he is a boy. Impatient to prove himself, Yadriel secretly goes through the ceremony to become a brujo.

When his cousin Miguel goes missing and is suspected dead, Yadriel searches for him in an old church on the cemetery property. Finding a necklace with a medallion, Yadriel makes a guess that it might be a way to summon Miguel’s spirit. Instead, he accidentally summons a teenage troublemaker from his high school, Julian, who refuses to move on to the afterlife until he knows if his friends are okay. Yadriel has to resolve things quickly and quietly, before his father finds out and Dia de los Muertos begins. There is something much more sinister and terrifying going on than the limited blood magic practiced by the brujx community.

Thomas interweaves issues and messages related to and positive representations of trans, gay, and lesbian characters in general and specifically in Latinx communities. Lady Death and the mythology of Yadriel’s community is not limited to one nationality– immigrants from many countries in the Latinx diaspora participate, and issues related to immigration (like whether the individuals are documented) curtail the options of the members in seeking help from the police, and this is all well-integrated into a unique storyline. There’s also a sweet love story of the kind that LGBTQ+ teens deserve to see more of. The only disorienting moment is near the end when there is a sudden switch in point of view from Yadriel to Julian, but that’s a minor quibble in a high-quality story that can sweep you out of the everyday with its magic. Highly recommended.

Contains: Violence, blood, attempted murder

Posted on November 29, 2020 by Kirsten, Reply

Book Review: Crave (Crave #1) by Tracy Wolff

Crave (Crave #1) by Tracy Wolff ( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

Entangled Teen, 2020

ISBN-13: 978-1640638952

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook

Grace’s parents died in a car accident, leaving her no choice but to leave her home in California and unenthusiastically move to Alaska, where her uncle, now her guardian, is headmaster at a remote, exclusive boarding school. While her uncle, and her cousin Macy, seem glad to have her there, Grace at once notices there’s something off about the school (a giant Gothic castle) and the students. Her first encounter is with the dark, Byronic, and exceedingly rude Jaxon, who is both hostile and very hot. Despite his attempt at intimidation, Grace holds her own… at least until altitude sickness does her in. Flint, another friendly student, carries Grace and her suitcase up to the room she’ll share with her cousin (Grace spends a significant part of the book either suffering from altitude sickness, recovering from a twisted ankle, and recuperating from attempts against her life. This gives her both a reason for not keeping to a school schedule while actually living in a school and for her complete obliviousness about the fact that all the students are supernatural creature) As Grace attempts to integrate into the school with Macy’s help, she finds herself thinking more about Jaxon, despite his extreme bouts of hostility and his obvious concern and attraction to Grace, both ordering her a special breakfast when she’s stuck in bed and sending her a copy of Twilight “as a warning.”

Jaxon might have a point, if Twilight took place in wintry Alaska instead of rainy Washington, if he and Grace were anything like Edward and Bella, and if the heat between the main characters was turned way up. As dysfunctional as Grace and Jaxon are together, their chemistry is undeniable. Crave is going to get a lot of hearts beating faster (and props to Wolff for making consent between Grace and Jaxon explicit).

A lot gets sacrificed for Jaxon and Grace to come together– not just literally, as Grace bungles her way through lethal and bloody vampire politics and tensions between vampires and dragons, but in the name of romance (like Grace dancing with Jaxon at night in the Alaskan outdoors in nothing but a dress with spaghetti straps, a scene which is gorgeous to read but romantic only in theory). Despite the problematic aspects of the relationship between the two, they have their moments, both apart and together. The drama, secrets, and twisty relationships mean that Crave is not just the story of Grace and Jaxon; they are part of a larger picture that we have yet to see pieced completely together. Crave is a compelling, escapist read with a healthy serving of snark, that urban fantasy readers and YA vampire enthusiasts should enjoy. Recommended for ages 14+.

Contains: violence, gore, murder, assault, ritual sacrifice