Embers Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the EMBERS blog tour! Today I'll be sharing my review of the book with you - and don't forget to enter the giveaway! To follow the rest of the tour, click on the banner above.

Embers (Wings of War #1)

Author: Karen An Hopkins

Genre: YA Paranormal

Release Date: October 21, 2014

Description:

There are descendants of angels walking among us. Ember is one of them. And she may be the only hope mankind has as the rapture approaches and evils rises.

Embers is an epic paranormal adventure about a seventeen year old girl who discovers that she's immune to fire and any other injury when she’s in a horrific car crash that kills her parents. Following a violent episode with her aunt's boyfriend, Ember flees Ohio to live with an old relative in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Ember's exuberance at escaping a bad home life soon turns to trepidation when she finds out that she's a Watcher, a descendant of angels. While Ember learns about her heritage, and the powers that go along with it, she strikes up friendships with two teenagers who live in a frightening walled compound in the forest. Inexplicitly drawn to one of the young men in particular, an impossible romance develops. But it is cut short when Ember discovers that her new friends are fighting on the opposite side of a war, one that’s been raging between two factions of Watchers for thousands of years. When the compound’s inhabitants threaten the townspeople, Ember takes action, sealing her fate in the ancient battle of good versus evil, and the grayness in between. Ember is up to the challenge, until she realizes that she isn’t only fighting for the lives of the locals and the souls of her new friends. She also might be one of the few champions who will make a stand for all of mankind as the rapture approaches and the end of days begin.

Embers is a dark and gritty YA novel that’s the first book in the series, The Wings of War. 

Embers is the sensational first book in a paranormal young adult series. It follows main character, Ember, as she begins a long and dark journey to fulfill her destiny. Ember's just a normal teenage girl - until the day a priest seeks her out to tell her that the end of days is coming and she is a Watcher, a descendant of angels who protect humans. Seeming pretty far-fetched, Ember brushes aside the priest's message. Years later, Ember finds herself escaping her terrible home life with her aunt to find solitude in the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. It's here that Ember realizes that the priest was right about her being a Watcher, so she starts to learn all about her heritage and history - along with all the powers she now has. Ember stumbles upon a walled compound in the middle of the woods one day and what she finds inside is something she never would have expected. She meets two gorgeous and mysterious guys, who she becomes friends with. Soon Ember finds out that her new friends are on the opposite side of a war from her - one that has been going on for thousands of years between two different factions of Watchers. The people from inside the compound threaten the townspeople around them, and Ember steps up to defend them. She has officially chosen her side - her destiny - to protect humanity and to possibly be one of the select few who will stand up for mankind during the end of days.

Having read the author's previous books and really enjoying them, I knew that I had to read her new paranormal novel. I wasn't sure what to expect, but my hopes were high based off of her writing in other works. I definitely wasn't disappointed - the story went far beyond any hopes I may have had. The premise of the book definitely caught my attention - a descendant of Angels who has to protect humanity when the end of the world begins? Awesome. It's not a completely unique plot, but I feel that the author added several aspects to the book that makes it stand out from the rest of them. Ember is a fantastic main character. She's a normal teenage girl who lost her parents when she was young. She was in the car accident along with them, but escaped without a scratch. Nobody - including Ember - can explain it. She continues to lead a normal life while living with her aunt, where she doesn't have a very good home life. Things finally go too far when her aunt's boyfriend becomes violent, and Ember heads for the hills - literally. She's a smart, strong - emotionally, mentally, and physically - determined heroine who remains realistic due to her faults and weaknesses, like enduring her parents' deaths and living a bad life with her aunt. She's cautious and level-headed, which makes her question the whole Watcher bit she's told. Once she learns who she truly is and what she's meant to do - Ember takes it head on with determination and strength. I loved watching her character mature and grow through the book and I hope we see more of that in the next book.

The plot was compelling and unique. It contained several different genres throughout the story, ranging from paranormal and fantasy to action and adventure and even some romance. The author effortlessly wove these various types of fiction together to create a one of a kind book that had me completely hooked from the first page. It was easy to relate to Ember, and the author's descriptions throughout the book were vivid and detailed - to the point that I could imagine myself in the story beside Ember while everything is happening. I loved learning all about the Watchers - their history, purpose, the war between factions, the coming rapture and end times - it gave a deeper level to the story and helps to set it apart from others in the genre. The book was definitely fast paced and had me devouring each page to see figure out what was going to happen next. I finished it in one sitting and it left me wanting more. I very highly recommend this book to fans of paranormal fiction along with those who enjoy fantasy, action, adventure, and apocalyptic fiction. I'm already eagerly awaiting the next book's release to see where things will pick up from the end of this book. There's a ton of potential for the storyline and the series, and with an author who has immense talent holding the reigns - I can't wait to read the rest!

A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.

Author Links:
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Buy Link: Amazon

One (1) lucky person will get a $100 gift card and a second (2nd) winner will receive a signed Temptation Series book set, including Temptation, Belonging & Forever. The author is also giving away (10) ebook copies of Embers.

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