Some loves are destined. Others are cursed. Only one choice can break the cycle.
Eighteen-year-old Sursha escapes the suffocating small-town life of Ashenford, chasing freedom and identity in the city. When a masked stranger returns her fallen comic book with a chilling note, Love is on the way, to destroy you and the one you love, she laughs it off. Until everything changes. A spark ignites when she meets Liam, a boy whose warmth and kindness offer the life she’s always longed for. For the first time, Sursha dares to believe she’s free from the shadows of her past. But love, like fate, is a double-edged sword. The man behind the warning isn’t done with her yet, and neither is the past they once shared. Drawn into a haunting web stretching across lifetimes, Sursha must confront truths she was never meant to remember: echoes of a forgotten life, a shattered vow, and a love marked by blood and sacrifice. As the threads of her past and present tighten around her, Sursha faces an impossible choice: cling to the life she’s built... or face the fate she’s unknowingly lived over and over again. Can love truly conquer fate? Or are some destinies impossible to escape?
Perfect for fans of romantic speculative fiction, reincarnation love stories, and soul-deep dramas where the greatest battle is not against the world, but against the chains of your own forgotten soul.
Thank you so much for visiting my Goodreads profile. I live in Texas, United States, with my wonderful family— my husband and our two sons. They are the light of my world.
What inspired me to become an author?
I’ve been an avid reader since middle school, and I was the kind of child who would write long poems or heartfelt notes for birthdays, anniversaries, or any meaningful moment. But the true push to publish my stories came when my youngest son was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL— blood cancer). The last two years have been incredibly challenging for our family. During long hospital hours, books became my lifeline— my way to escape the constant loop of ‘why?’ Some days, I would devour four short books in a single stretch; other times, one book took a full week. In the middle of all this, a cousin sent me a short story I had written nearly twenty years ago. Reading it brought something back to life in me. That was the moment I thought, ‘Maybe I should share these stories with the world.’ Fast-forward to the end of 2025, I’ve now published two books.
I believe love is powerful enough to heal anything. I also believe in soulmates, second chances, and fate— and my stories explore those same themes: family, love, redemption, emotional journeys, and a touch of fate/fantasy. Those who know me often recognize hints of real events, just enhanced with a little magic and drama. Some readers may love my work. Some may not. And that’s perfectly okay. If you choose to read one of my books, I’m truly grateful. For interested readers, please feel free to reach out at authorelasharp@gmail.com Thank you again for being here.
With warm love, Ela
Fun Facts: I grew up in a STEM-driven family— and even married into one. I hold bachelor’s degree in biology and psychology, along with a master’s degree in healthcare studies (MPAS). I’m also a devoted coffee lover with an undeniable sweet tooth. I read books to wander into other people’s wild imaginations. I enjoy every book I read—some make me giggle, some make me cry, some hurt, and some heal. Almost all of them end up being five stars for me. I’m here to drift through stories and feel what they offer.
A well-crafted book. The unusual plot, with all its twists and turns held my attention throughout. The protagonist, Sursha is a lovable character who has a whirlwind romance with Liam. The romance has just begun when warning bells start ringing. Then she unearths the tragedies of her past lives, forcing her to make some tough decisions. I enjoyed this read. It will particularly interest those wanting to explore reincarnation.
This is an imaginative tale of love, fate, a curse, and forgotten past lives affecting the present, with a scope that spans lifetimes. Told in three parts, the story concerns Sursha, Liam, and Noah, and how their lives intertwine.
The tale took an intriguing approach, with fate almost being a character itself, and spent a lot of time in the other characters' heads, sharing their thoughts, doubts, and observations. But sadly, I never felt a connection with them - the story held me at a distance, telling me about what they were feeling but not really bringing me in to experience events with them.
Many parts of the story seemed vague, except for lengthy and repetitive explanations of the love/fate/curse tangle, which too often overshadowed the characters and their actions. And especially in the story's first part, I found the tale rather disjointed. These all made for a long, rough read.
Unfortunately, the story didn't quite come together for me, but it is interesting and creative romantic speculative fiction. It'll likely appeal to readers who relish stories about the struggles of souls bound by an unbreakable connection transcending time and logic.
From the very first page, this book hooked me with its eerie yet mesmerizing premise. The story follows Sursha, a young woman desperate to escape the confines of small-town life, only to find herself caught in something much bigger than she could have imagined: a chilling warning, a tender new love, and the unraveling of a destiny that stretches across lifetimes. Without wanting to give too much away, the writing is lyrical yet sharp, balancing romance, suspense, and the supernatural with ease.
What I loved most is how the author weaves together themes of reincarnation, fate, and choice without ever losing the emotional core of the story. The haunting idea that love can be both salvation and curse lingers long after the last page. It’s not just a romance; it’s a meditation on destiny, sacrifice, and the price of truly knowing yourself.
Embers of Forgotten Fate is a reincarnation-tinged romance that actually earns its drama. We follow Sursha, who bolts from small-town Ashenford for a fresh start, only to find her life snagged by a warning that love might be the very thing that breaks her. The setup is clean, the stakes rise fast, and the book stays locked on choice vs. destiny rather than drowning you in lore.
What works is the mood: intimate, slightly eerie, and built around the pull of a connection that may have started long before page one. If you like romantic speculative fiction where past lives and present consequences collide, this scratches the itch—and it keeps the pages turning.
Between time jumps and mystery, the story flows so smoothly that you don't realize you've read so many pages in just five days. It's a long but short novel, because it flows so well. There are some minor inconsistencies, but nothing that, in such a substantial book, can't be forgiven. I definitely recommend it.
And so it is in this gripping tale of love and betrayal. The twists and turns will leave you speechless, the characters will leave you questioning everything you think you know. Once you get started, you won’t want to stop.
The writing style could use a little work, but regardless, I found that I enjoyed reading this book. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in young adult fantasy and fiction.
All these and more. This is a long book (655 pages) so my review is going to be long and includes what I hope will be constructive criticism for a new author. I find it impossible to catalog this book into some genre. It was difficult to put down as well, as I struggled to learn what was going on. At 20% in, I still couldn’t figure it out.
Sursha (an odd name on top of everything else) seems almost ludicrously naive, even for an 18 year old. There are so many unexplained events in the first part, not to mention the author’s rambling style, it left me dizzy.
Parts 2 and 3 flow much better, almost as if written by someone else. It is not until almost the end of Part 2, 75% in, that we actually learn what is going on. Personally, I would swap parts 1 and 2 around. If we read part 2 first then perhaps part 1 would make more sense and be more enjoyable. From that view Sursha’s actions aren’t so extreme.
As it stands part 1 has many inconsistencies many of which could be corrected by just leaving them out. For example, Sursha mentions many times her family is poor. Yet somehow she manages university in London with room and board? Her aunt and uncle are poor yet they agree to take her in? Then later she travels to America to attend college and pays to rent a room? Where does all this money come from? The subplot with Liam is also problematic. He misses school a lot to take care of his parents back in his hometown, yet shortly thereafter emigrates to Canada! What happened to taking care of his parents. Then the whole point of part 1 falls apart when Sursha heeds certain continual warnings, does what she is told and still lives a miserable life. What was the point of all the warnings?
After reading about Sursha and Liam for almost a quarter of the book, suddenly - in one sentence - she marries an unnamed man and stays with him for 20 years??? This section actually tugged at my emotions in the hospital scene with her unknown husband and I could understand her sorrow. But that being said, I guess she thought so little of this husband she never mentions his name. And as one final side note: Sursha struggles greatly and finally earns a medical degree and then can’t find a job except as a clerk in a tech office? Come on - medical professionals are at an extreme premium in America, she could have gotten a job anywhere. By the way all this happens in a few pages.
So I finished the book with many thoughts. I’d probably rate it 3 stars but the sheer volume and creativeness made me round it up to 4 stars.
Embers of Forgotten Fate is a packed story with lots of content across 655 pages. If I had to name a few categories, they would be young adult romance, self-discovery, fantasy, and reincarnation drama. The story is divided into three different parts. Part One is heavily focused on the main character, Sursha, and the dramatic events that happen in her life. It explores her mental state and how the effects of traditional and conservative conditioning follow her, even though she escapes her hometown. Sometimes, the story felt too stretched with mundane life happenings, and despite having a medical degree, she was not strong enough to make appropriate decisions in her life. There were a few instances in the story that gave a glimpse of boundaries and helplessness, especially for women, but a clearer explanation could have framed the story better for readers to understand what was going on, especially in Part One. We learn later that the events happening around Sursha were basically out of her control, but things could have been portrayed or written in better ways to make this part more engaging and interesting. I loved Part Two the most. It was my favorite. Also, the chapters where we discover what is happening and why it had to happen that way finally made sense. I loved the reincarnation theme and the soul-deep love story. The way it connected the main characters was interesting. I enjoyed this novel and am looking forward to the next part of this saga.
Author Ela SharP beautifully blends the romantic story between Sirsha, Noah, and Liam with a touch of fantasy in this novel. The three-part book takes the reader into the world of story characters, which are engaging and three-dimensional.
Sursha falls in love with Liam while an unknown voice cautions her not to proceed because their love ultimately ends in betrayal. However, in the second part of the book, Sursha becomes the wife of Noah and starts living with his mother, Rina, and Father Jude. But all is not well with their marital life because Noah needs to confront the evil Draver, who has taken the life of Noah's sister, Lyla. Noah vows vengeance against Draver, but he fights a lost battle, losing Liam, his helper, and Sursha in the process. In the third part, the characters' reincarnation persists, and the author makes readers realize that both Sursha and Noah are bound to experience love and betrayal forever, regardless of the circumstances.
The story strikes a good balance between myth and reality, and the reader is transported into a world of fantasy in the second part, having the characters fully established in the first part. The fight scene between Liam, Draver, and Noah in the forest is something that the author has described beautifully. I recommend this book for readers who like a triangular love story with a touch of myth and fantasy.
Embers of Forgotten Fate is a sweeping romantic drama with strong emotional stakes and a plot full of twists and turns. The world-building and dramatic tension are compelling, and the narrative hints at larger forces at play that make the journey worthwhile.
That said, I struggled with the central romance between Sursha and Liam. Their relationship felt rushed—on one page Sursha seemed annoyed with him, and just a couple of pages later, she was in love. I would have liked more development to see how that shift happened, to make their bond feel fully earned. A slower build, with more time spent showing their growing trust and connection, would have made the romance more believable and even more powerful. For a 600-page novel, there should have been plenty of time to grow their love.
Even with that flaw, the story as a whole delivers an engaging read with unexpected turns and memorable characters. For me, it landed at about 3.5 stars, but I’m rounding up to 4 because of the overall impact and the promise I see in Ela Sharp’s storytelling. I’ll be curious to see where the saga goes next.
Moving through time and space, Sursha never remembers the love of her life from one reality to the next. Noah, unrequited love in each reality, always remembers the love that had been in each life and reality. Sursha, feeling closed in, judged, and inferior, lives what others would call a full life in the U.S.A. Then she returns home at age 50, after raising her two daughters, leaves her husband, job, to England looking for something.....but what? Fate-stolen memories, redemption, a lost love? Then, when she just begins to find herself again, a terrible accident in the family brings her back to the US and to HIM, Noah. Weirdly, SharP then jumps back in time to another reality and the beginning of it all. For me, I didn't care for the jump back. I thought the second part of the book, the beginning of the love story, was better than the first part of the book. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable story with an interesting twist. The lovers must freely let each other go to end their eternal suffering and Sursha's curse of forgetting.
This novel seems to have been written with every portion of my heart in mind. I was immediately pulled into Sursha's discomfort, her longing for something greater than the small-town life she had known resonated with me. I experienced the same type of warmth and sensitivity that gave her hope for new beginnings when she first met Liam. But what really resonated with me was the story's unsettling thread of inevitability. That haunting tune, the idea of love lasting a lifetime, and the spectre of a past she cannot remember. It gave the romance a dreadful and amazing dimension. I was caught between wanting her to hold on to the secure, loving relationship she had discovered and realising that she couldn't shake the burden of what had happened before. I found myself turning pages late into the night because of the blend of tenderness and tension, freedom and inevitability. This is the kind of story that makes you ache, wonder, and hope all at once.
„It had never been about Liam and Sursha. Never Noah and Sursha. It had always been the three of them, tied together by fate, by choice, and by a love that refused to fade even when time tore them apart.“ I think this quote characterizes the book pretty well without giving any spoilers.
Embers of Forgotten Fate is a gripping fantasy about a young woman breaking free from small-town life—only to discover her fate is tied to something far greater. With themes of love, reincarnation, and destiny, the story feels both intimate and epic.
Sursha is a compelling heroine, and the slow-burn mystery surrounding her past kept me hooked. I wouldn’t say it’s your typical YA or a romantasy. But if you love stories about soul-deep connections, hidden magic, and finding your place in the world, don’t miss this one!
Embers of Forgotten Fate is an ambitious, emotional debut that blends reincarnation, romance, and destiny into a sweeping, century-spanning tale. The writing is richly descriptive and often poetic, and the themes of love, loss, and the weight of past lives give it real emotional depth. Sursha’s journey from naive beginnings to the unraveling of her forgotten past kept me turning pages even through the denser sections. The second part, where the truth behind the curse and the soul connection begins to unfold, is especially strong. Though the pacing can feel uneven at times, the heart of the story shines through as a haunting exploration of how love can endure even when fate refuses to. Beautiful, tragic, and deeply imaginative.
I really enjoyed this book. What starts out as a rather typical romance between Sursha and Liam takes on a very dark and mysterious turn following the arrival of a mysterious man who gives Sursha a stern warning. That she must end her relationship with Liam altogether, otherwise terrible things will happen to them both...
Ela Sharp's writing style is very moving and thought-provoking. I also like the way that the story flows, since it transitions seamlessly from scene to scene, focusing a lot more on Sursha's emotion rather than setting and description. This makes describing a character's thoughts and feelings far more believable. Overall, a very intriguing read.
Embers of Forgotten Fate is a captivating journey of love, loss, and destiny. Sursha’s quest for freedom leads her into a whirlwind romance with Liam, only to be confronted by a chilling warning that love could destroy them both. As she uncovers past lives and shattered promises, she must make an impossible choice: to escape the cycle or face the devastating truths of her fate. This book is perfect for fans of reincarnation love stories and romantic speculative fiction, filled with mystery, passion, and unforgettable twists. An absolute must-read for those who believe that love and fate are intricately tied.
This is a beautifully thought-out and crafted book. The writing is very good, with the ability to attract and hold your attention. Sursha is a highly likable character, and her journey takes a truly strange path from early in the book. This is a real strength, as you don't have to read many pages to reach the starting point, a quality many books lack these days. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the love story, which is very original in its construction. Reincarnation might be new to certain cultures, but I'm very familiar with the concept, which helped me grasp the story more easily.
The story begins with Sursha, a young woman yearning to break free from the chains of family and society in search of freedom. On her very first journey, she encounters a mysterious man, setting in motion a series of fateful events. The novel is divided into three parts, guiding readers from the fragments of the past, through the burning fire of love, to an eternity that transcends oblivion. With an emotional and poetic writing style, blending romance with a touch of mystery, this book is perfect for readers who enjoy stories of love, destiny, and the pursuit of freedom.
Embers of Forgotten Fate (Embers Saga Book 1) by Ela Sharp (Goodreads Author) was a very interesting read. Written in sharp, concise sentences, the story followed the characters, including Surcha, Liam, and Noah. I found the overall plot to be a love triangle in this romantic style book. I usually try to base my reviews by following the overall plot, but I felt like this book was mostly a character-driven plot, where you find a deep love connection between the characters. Some of the sentences I really liked, and I appreciate the author's writing style.
A girl keeps running into the same two guys, lifetime after lifetime, thanks to a weird curse. One remembers everything. One is just stuck in the friend zone. There’s romance, old secrets, some magic, and lots of angsty feelings...plus a few scenes that drag on a bit. Centuries-long love triangle with extra baggage.
With themes of reincarnation, destiny, and impossible choices, this is a captivating tale for readers who enjoy soul-deep romance layered with suspense and speculative intrigue.
Embers of Forgotten Fate is an emotionally charged love story fated by a curse of long ago. Noah and Sursha are the lovers, and a third person, Liam, also finds himself entrapped in the curse. All three meet lifetime after lifetime, but each time their dreams are left unfulfilled. In each incarnation, Noah bears the encumbrance of the memory of shared love that Sursha has been destined to forget, their connection forever being beyond reach. Liam’s cross to bear is knowing that his love for Sursha will never be reciprocated and being bound to her and Noah as a friend and protector forever.
Ela Sharp has a beautiful writing style, lyrical and heartfelt, with an intensity that draws the reader in. At the same time, some scenes feel overly long and repetitive at times. For me, the most engaging part of the book was when the plot began to take shape, when the story went back to illustrate how the curse came about.
This is a great read for those who enjoy a blend of romance and fantasy.