Ember of Night review: YA fantasy at its best with several dark twists
LIfe has never been kind to Harley, but as her eighteenth birthday approaches she’s hoping she can turn the tide and take control of her future – and the future of her little sister. When she learns that she might be the key to suppressing a war between Heaven and Hell, all Hell breaks loose in her life. Author Molly E. Lee introduces readers to a thrilling new fantasy world with Ember of Night.
From the very start, readers learn that Harley has never had it easy. Harley sees herself as a worthless “weed” of a human being, and she’s hoping that she can turn her life around upon her eighteenth birthday but every day leading up to the big day is fraught with more of the same kind of pain and disappointment.
Harley’s alcoholic father is abusive and cruel, and she’s pulling double duty trying to protect her sister from his abuse as best she can. She’s been saving up money so that she can get an apartment of her own when she turns 18 in hopes that getting away will allow the sisters a chance at a new life…but fate has a different plan for her.
Ember of Night is poised to become the next big YA sensation
When a mysterious young man named Draven shows up, Harley is drawn to him for reasons she can’t understand. Her best friend tells her Draven is no good, and yet Draven gets along so well with her little sister that there’s no way someone like him could be bad.
As her birthday approaches, things start happening around Harley and she can’t understand any of it. She learns that she has mysterious powers that will keep the peace between Heaven and Hell, and Draven seems to understand everything that’s going on because he’s part of it all. What follows is an adventure that will draw you in and keep you going until the last page.
Author Molly E. Lee has created a world where Harley is slowly but surely trying to rise above the horrors of her circumstances. No matter what is thrown at her, she always tries to rise above. It’s a testament to her inner strength and her determination to be a good person and fight for a better life.
Lee fleshes out her characters beautifully; Harley springs to life in the first few pages and takes flight by the end. Draven is dark and mysterious, with a heaviness to him that belies his own suffering. Together they’re a formidable duo, but can they stop the darkness threatening to take over?
Ember of Night is the kind of book that would make for a great series on Hulu or Netflix. It’s gritty and it deals with complex themes of abuse and self-loathing, but it also offers hope that things can get better. Lee’s world is dark and complicated, but seeing Harley rise to the occasion is powerful. Harley is a survivor, and she is just getting started on her hero’s journey. The result is a haunting but thrilling story that keeps you locked in through the shocking conclusion.
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There’s something very special about Ember of Night, and there’s no question that the book will spin into something big. Stories like this one don’t come along very often, so expect great things for Ember of Night and Molly E. Lee in the future.
Ember of Night is available now.