4.0 

Whispers of Emberstones

By M. Maldonado
Whispers of Emberstones by M. Maldonado digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

Deep within the treacherous highlands, where wyvern magic once shaped civilization, three enemy mining cities teeter on the brink of destruction. A century after the last wyvern's fall, the sentient peaks dividing these rivals have awakened, unleashing forces that haven't been seen since the age of legends. 

ELVA, an engineer who despises magic, is drafted for a mission through monster-infested caves to attack her city's enemy. When her friend secretly enlists, she's forced to confront the very magic she loathes to save him.

After witnessing a brutal massacre, ASANTE guards a weapon that could save—or destroy—their land. But as ancient creatures stir and alliances shatter, she must decide if vengeance is worth the price of unleashing its power.

With his city facing volcanic destruction and their last Enchanter's life hanging by a thread, YOEN must decide whether to risk everything by forcing his enemy, Elva, to help or watch everything he loves turn to ash.

 In an epic adventure of blood and stone magic, betrayal, and romance—the trio must decide whether to sacrifice everything to save their cities…or watch them burn.

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Whispers of Emberstones Reviews

4.0
“When I learned the premise of this book, I was beyond thrilled because it sounded like exactly the kind of story I’d been searching for and haven’t found. Unfortunately, the execution really left a lot to be desired. I’m going to try to keep this brief because I appreciate the author’s efforts and it’s not my desire to rip apart a work that was independently crafted with care. That being said, one of my biggest issues was the prose, which was entirely too purple in a way that detracted from the actual story. It gets very tiring to keep reading such long sentences that are so repetitive in structure, and which contain a truly incredible amount of similes. The author clearly knows how to write figuratively and descriptively, but, as they say, too much of a good thing… Another issue was the repetitiveness of the content. We’re told the same pieces of information over and over again, and it feels like an intentional over-explaining, like the author doesn’t trust the reader enough to follow the story. I felt a lot could have been cut for a more concise, more intriguing, faster-paced result. The characters also did not reach me at all. Dialogue did not feel natural, and all the characters felt too uniform, like they were missing a distinct voice despite their very different backgrounds. They all have similar temperaments, similar names, all react with the same emotional capacity and patterns. Nothing that happened in the climax of the story phased me at all because I could not find it in myself to care for these characters. Finally, the world itself just seemed small. When I read that the book focused on three mining cities dealing with an ancient threat, I imagined a much more nuanced, political story with difficult decisions. But instead what is represented here is three cartoonishly corrupt leaders who deal directly with our main characters in a capacity that is kind of baffling. I’m sad to say it, but I would have DNF’d this if it weren’t an indie novel that I shelled out the money for.”
“This was thrilling, action packed adventure! The slow burn romance was done really well. I also loved the side romance with Zama and Tarrak. There’s a lot to follow so it’s not a book to just skim through Can’t wait to see what’s next!”
“An incredible debut from a bipoc indie author. This book was exactly what I've been looking for- fantasy at the forefront with a strong cast of diverse characters and a romance subplot that doesn't overtake anything, but with impeccable yearning. The POVs were well done and wove together in ways that I felt served the story. My favorite POV was Elva but i also love Asante and that storyline that is, currently, physically separate from everyone else. The prose was beautiful. I personally enjoy more verbose and purple writing, so i loved it. I also really enjoyed that there were strong characters of various kinds- magic, non magic, women, men, different cultures and races, different backgrounds and expertise. And it felt natural. The descriptions were a bit too often but I didn't think they ever took away from the story. This is book 1 and so there was a lot of set up, but Maldonado added enough action that it didn't feel slow. I was excited to pick this book up every time and had a hard time putting it down for work or sleep or other various adult responsibilities. I am incredibly excited for book 2 and will definitely continue following Maldonado's journey! ***I received an eARC of this book and am willingly posting this honest review. Thank you again for the copy!”

About M. Maldonado

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