The Thorne Saga, Book 1

Read November 18-22, 2025

Rating (3.5 stars)

Available to pre-order here (releases 2/11/26) https://a.co/d/2CpWnxQ

An intriguing tale of angels vs demons

Ember & Ash starts out with the feel of a legal thriller, but quickly morphs into something much bigger and more magical. Ember is a defense attorney, determined to represent the truly innocent. At the book’s start she appears to be doing exactly that: defending an innocent professor in a serial murder case. But when the verdict comes in, it’s as if the veil has been lifted and she’s seeing the world through new eyes.

True evil exists, and so do demons and nephilim. Her own past is thrown into doubt as she learns about the magic around her, hidden in plain sight her whole life. Ember is quickly drawn into a fight for survival, not just her own, but humanity’s as well. The premise is captivating and highly entertaining. So, too, was the burning spark of desire building between Ember and her rescuer / mentor, Micah. He holds the key to the knowledge Ember needs as well the ability to help her unlock her powers & become the warrior she was born to be. Their chemisty was electric; drawn to each other at every opportunity, yet forced to keep each other at a distance. Their passion must to take a backseat to duty. The slow burn was delicious.

Unfortunately, a few aspects of the story felt underdeveloped to me. Magic seems to have little-to-no rules or limitations. Micah is supposed to be teaching Ember how to use her powers, yet his tutelage consists of barked orders to “believe” and trust herself. No one ever really explains the rules to Ember (or us as readers) and we’re forced to just blindly accept our ignorance. The dialogue, and Ember’s inner thoughts (the whole book is in her POV), felt stilted and didn’t flow well in quite a few spots. In the end, these things can be overlooked, and I’m intrigued and invested enough in the story to want to read the next installment. The story is far from concluded, but at least Ember & Ash doesn’t leave us with a nail-biting cliffhanger, rather a break at a pivital point.

**I received an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley for which I voluntarily chose to write an unbiased review.**