Saturday, November 29, 2014

Ember (Darkest London 0.5) [Miranda Ellis & Benjamin Archer] by Kristen Callihan

Saturday morning, waking up lazily and reading before I get out of bed. Usually it's so lazy I fall back to sleep after a while then wake up fully and leave the comfort of my bed. Today I just kept turning and turning the pages (more pressing the Kindle screen though..) even though I know how this one will end since it's the prequel to Firelight I just finished. It CAN'T have a really happy ending as I know the state of both characters in the beginning of Firelight. They both want a happy ending, or rather a sort of adventure yet they are still each in his / her own mind and basically alone even while having people around them.

We meet Miranda and Archer as they were before their lives truly crossed. We hear each of their POVs and learn what happened to them in the 3 years after they met in a cold dark ally where Archer defended Miranda without even knowing who she is (realizing only later on how much her father owns him) and without HER ever founding out who her mysterious savior was.  

While Miranda's father lost all his fortune when his ship sank, Archer lost a lot more, since what was on that ship was his salvation. After the chance meeting with Miranda he is determined to find the cure to what plagues him and claim her as his wife. The three years he spends in wandering around the world looking for an out of reach cure. Miranda on the other hand, is on her own even while having her father and her childhood friend turned lover. She is forced to steal for a living, a fact she hides from everyone except for her father who demanded she do it on account of her fault in accidentally torching their fortune when she was only a child. Yes, Miranda has demons in her past but she is determined to keep them hidden from her soon to become husband and with him have a better life. Only plans don't go as expected with the cards life deals her and what she HAS to do to survive. 

This was a really sad yet sweet novella. I really enjoyed it even though it has SUCH a sad note to it. It helps better understand Miranda and Archer past and what brought them to the state they were in. 

Highly recommend! Yet start with reading the previous book - Firelight - a Paranormal Historical Romance enacting the Beauty and The Beast.




Additional Details: Kindle Ebook, 88 pages, 29 November 2014 / On GoodReads
 
ABOUT THIS SERIES 
 
Darkest London is a Paranormal Historical Romance / Steampunk series by Kristen Callihan.
The series takes place in London (how shocking! ;)) around 1880~

All the main heroes in the books have a special power or legacy and as the series progress we also learn about the organization in charge of hiding the knowledge of people with special powers, demons and other beings from the general population. 

The series is mostly concerned with the Ellis siblings, starting out with Miranda, Daisy and Poppy in the first three installments and ending in the 7th and final novel of St. John. 

Each novel tells us of two characters finding their HEA but is also action packed with a murder and mystery to be revealed. In some books it's possible to guess who the villain is but you have to really watch for the clues! 

I love that though it's Victorian times all the woman characters are strong and quite independent and the men while being strong as well don't overpower the women or try to put them in a "certain place where they belong".

I'm not usually into Historical Romance but I really enjoyed the feel of London as being such a dark, smelly, menacing place. I loved the way Kristen described the paranormal world with the creatures is contains. We have Werewolves and Vampires as a lot of Paranormal series have, yet they are portrayed differently which was a nice change, also there are creatures I've never heard of before (Like the "GIM"). The whole setting and the way the "special beings" are brought to us felt very unique and interesting. 

Though I REALLY enjoyed the first 4 novels, but then came the 5th one and I did NOT like where Kristen was taking this series. The 6th one was a total disappointment which is why I decided not to read the last one - Forevermore (of St. John/Sin and Layla Starling). 
 
Do I recommend this series? I'm not sure. The first ones were AWESOME. So I don't know, I leave it up to you. 

Books
0.5 Ember [Miranda Ellis & Benjamin Archer] (published 31 January 2012) ★★★★★
1. Firelight [Miranda Ellis & Benjamin Archer] (published 31 January 2012) ★★★★★
2. Moonglow [Daisy Ellis Craigmore & Ian Ranulf] (published 31 July 2012) ★★★★★
3. Winterblaze [Poppy Ellis Lane & Winston Lane] (published 26 February 2013) ★★★★★
3.5  Entwined [Luella Jane & Eamon Evernight] (published 5 November 2013) ★★★★★
4.  Shadowdance [Mary Chase & Jack Talent] (published 17 December 2013) ★★★★★
5. Evernight [Holly Evernight & Will Thorne] (published 26 August 2014) ★★★★
6.  Soulbound [Eliza May & Aodh MacNeil/Adam] (published 24 February 2015) ★ (DNF 45%)
 
 

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