An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes )An Ember in the Ashes #1) by Sabaa Tahir, 446 p.

"Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. 

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do. 

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself."Goodreads blurb

This is a great fast-paced young adult fantasy that sweeps you up and leaves you wanting more. It's good that there's 3 more books in this series! I'm looking forward to reading them all.

Set Fire to the Gods by Sara Raasch & Kristen Simmons

Set Fire to the Gods (Set Fire to the Gods #1) by Sara Raasch & Kristen Simmons, 432 p. 

Ash is descended from a long line of gladiators, and she knows the brutal nature of war firsthand. But after her mother dies in an arena, she vows to avenge her by overthrowing her fire god, whose temper has stripped her country of its resources.
Madoc grew up fighting on the streets to pay his family's taxes. But he hides a dangerous secret: he doesn't have the earth god’s powers like his opponents. His elemental gift is something else—something that hasn't been seen in centuries.

When an attempted revenge plot goes dangerously wrong, Ash inadvertently throws the fire and earth gods into a conflict that can only be settled by deadly, lavish gladiator games. The fights put Madoc in Ash's path, and she realizes that his powers are the weapon her rebellion needs—but Madoc won’t jeopardize his family, regardless of how intrigued he is by the beautiful warrior. But when the gods force Madoc's hand, he and Ash uncover an ancient war that will threaten more than one immortal—it will unravel the world. "--Goodreads blurb

I was a fan of Raasch's "Snow Like Ashes" series, so I picked up this title. It was a great read with a unique magic system. Friends become enemies, enemies become friends, and gods are revealed to be different than mere mortals thought. I will be reading the next in this series

Lightbringer by Claire Legrand

Lightbringer by Claire Legrand, Empirium #3, 592 pages

CW: Descriptive violence

"In this epic finale to the Empirium Trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claire Legrand, two queens, separated by a thousand years must face their ultimate destinies.

Queen Rielle, pushed away from everything she loves, turns to Corien and his promises of glory. Meanwhile, whispers from the empirium slowly drive her mad, urging her to open the Gate. Separated from Audric and Ludivine, she embraces the role of Blood Queen and her place by Corien’s side, determined to become the monster the world believes her to be.

In the future, Eliana arrives in the Empire’s capital as a broken shell of herself. Betrayed and abandoned, she fights to keep her power at bay—and away from Corien, who will stop at nothing to travel back in time to Rielle, even if that means destroying her daughter. But when the mysterious Prophet reveals themselves at last, everything changes, giving Rielle and Eliana a second chance for salvation—or the destruction their world has been dreading."Amazon  blurb

Great conclusion to a really entertaining and encompassing series. This book had some very hard scenes with violence and gore. The relationships in this series are hard, but reading this book was easy.

Kingsbane by Claire Legrand

 Kingsbane by Claire Legrand, Empirium #2, 608 pages

"Rielle Dardenne has been anointed Sun Queen, but her trials are far from over. The Gate keeping the angels at bay is falling. To repair it, Rielle must collect the seven hidden castings of the saints. Meanwhile, to help her prince and love Audric protect Celdaria, Rielle must spy on the angel Corien—but his promises of freedom and power may prove too tempting to resist.

Centuries later, Eliana Ferracora grapples with her new reality: She is the Sun Queen, humanity's long-awaited savior. But fear of corruption—fear of becoming another Rielle—keeps Eliana's power dangerous and unpredictable. Hunted by all, racing against time to save her dying friend Navi, Eliana must decide how to wear a crown she never wanted—by embracing her mother's power, or rejecting it forever."

Great second act in this series. This book, the differences between the two main characters becomes glaringly obvious, and each emerges as one to hate and one to love. 

Furyborn by Claire Legrant

 

Furyborn by Claire Legrand,  Empirium #1, 501 pages

"When assassins ambush her best friend, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing herself as one of a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light, and a queen of blood. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven elemental magic trials. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

One thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a fairy tale to Eliana Ferracora. A bounty hunter for the Undying Empire, Eliana believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain and discovers that the evil at the empire's heart is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other."--Amazon blurb

While this book started out kind of slow, it soon became a great fantasy novel. Great world with interesting characters. Looking forward to finishing this series.

Secret of McKinley Mansion by K. F. Breene

 Secret of McKinley Mansion by K. F. Breene - 408 pages

It was a dark and stormy night...

But then, it was always stormy when she came. Beckoning. Calling to her followers.

And follow her they did - never to be seen or heard from again.

~ * ~ * ~

Larkin, MO is not the cute, sleepy town it appears to be. Beneath the quaint façade lurks a secret - a secret everyone knows, but no one will talk about.

Everyone knows to keep curfew. To stay in on stormy nights. To avoid that big, empty house up on the hill.

Until one day, a new family moves to town...

This was a good ghost story to read for the month of October. It had  some very witty banter between the characters that made it an entertaining read.