ARC Review--Ember of Night by Molly E. Lee

 

I am a weed.

Unloved by my abusive, alcoholic dad. Unwanted by my classmates. Unnoticed by everyone else.

But I’d suffer anything to give my kid sister a better life—the minute I turn eighteen, I’m getting us the hell out of here. And some hot stranger telling me I am the key to stopping a war between Heaven and Hell isn’t going to change that.

Let the world crumble and burn, for all I care.

Draven is relentless, though. And very much a liar. Every time his sexy lips are moving, I can see it—in the dip of his head, the grit of his jaw—even if my heart begs me to ignore the signs.

So what does he want?

I need to figure it out fast, because now everyone is gunning for me. And damn if I don’t want to show them what happens when you let weeds thrive in the cracks of the pavement…

We can grow powerful enough to shatter the whole foundation.

 

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

 

Molly E. Lee’s Ember of Night is the “can’t miss” Young Adult read of the year! It brings back to the heyday of YA fallen angels, demons, unavoidable prophecies and the apocalypse. With a stellar cast of characters, readers will be hard-pressed not to fall in love with this book from the first chapter!

Harley is counting down the days until her eighteenth birthday, then she plans to take her younger sister away from their abusive father and live a normal and happy life together. So though I believe it has been previously mentioned, trigger warnings for this book include abuse. Harley’s father beats her near daily, and Harley takes it all if it means, Ray, her younger sister never gets hit. She’s hides her bruises from her boss at work, and her best friend Kai, because if people knew, they might separate her from her sister, so keeps it a secret and waits for the day it can all end.

Then she meets Draven, our typical YA bad boy of mystery. He’s broody and sullen, yet Harley is drawn to him again and again. I will say there is a prologue chapter that gives us a bit of insight to who and what Draven actually is, and let’s just say, he’s not human. He was sent to stop the apocalypse and Harley is fated to play a key role in it. You can do the math from there.

As soon as the clock strikes midnight on Harley’s birthday though, her eyes are opened to the world around her. Demons exist. And they are all after her blood. But Harley is not the kind of girl who needs saving, she plans to save herself and her sister from whatever comes their way.

Whoa, you guys! This book was heavy stuff! Not only the deeper meanings with heaven, hell, the Creator, demons, and all that trend, but just the amount of things that happen in this one! The abuse that Harley endures to protect her sister. The bravery this girl has and throws herself into the thick of things to help others. I mean, she’s not Spiderman or anything and goes looking to save people, but she doesn’t walk away from a cry for help either. Harley has got game! She’s one of the fiercest heroine I’ve met. When she literally gets knocked down and out, she crawls back up to her feet and starts swinging. I envy her strength.

There’s definitely a level of forbidden romance going on between her and Draven as well. Draven is a boy just riddled with mysteries and secrets. You thought Patch was mystery defined, wait until you meet Draven.

Molly writes a very unique story here. I positively loved what she created here! It had me turning the pages every free minute I had. I also give her kudos on not dwelling too thick into the religion side of things. I mean when you have heaven, hell, demons being mentioned left and right, you wonder just how much into religion you might get. She handles it all very well and really just keeps it on the name dropping level and you know, duking it out with the demons. Though, that may not always be the case, this is only book one of course.

The pacing to this book was just right too. We start with the countdown to Harley’s birthday and all the while you wonder if she’ll live to see it. Then obviously, she makes it but the demon horde is still coming for her blood and we’re presented with another countdown that will see us through to the end of the story. It’s book that keeps you on your toes and turning those pages as fast as you can. The dynamic between Harley and Draven isn’t bad either! I honestly loved their bantering the most! I’ve always loved that animosity to love best! You know, the one where it’s not quite hate, but close enough? Lol.

The family bond between Harley and her sister was endearing too. That she cares so much for her younger sister, she takes all the hits her father has. It was just so much, you know? Then there are other people in her life who care for her too. It was heartwarming to see, honestly. Usually adults make a come and go appearance in YA books and while these adults weren’t always there, they were there more than previous YA books have shown us.

Of course, this is only book one in a yet-to-be-determined series. I am anxious to know more and a quick Goodreads check shows a sequel to come out in November of this year! Let’s hope that can hold true because there was a whopper of a cliffhanger reveal at the end of this one. One (hyphenated) word: game-changer! Molly E. Lee definitely has hooked this reader in! I am in it for the long haul folks!

If you’re looking for the next big angels/demons YA read, then you will have to pick up Ember of Night! It’s a read that will have you hooked from the very beginning until the very end…and even after that too! It’s a read truly not to be missed! Add it fast to your TBR piles folks!

 

 

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

 

Ember of Night releases May 4, 2021