Reviving Embers

Guardians of Areli #0

by Paige Reed

Reviving Embers and the Guardians of Areli series is perfect for fans of Carrie Cotton's The Huntress, Karen Hancock's Legends of the Guardian King, Ronie Kendig's Abiassa's Fire, or Morgan Busse's Ravenwood Saga.

He vowed to protect his people no matter the cost. But what if the cost is her?

Twelve years ago, the Shields of Power saved Paul Marshall's family from annihilation. Now a man, he’ll stop at nothing to earn a place among the elite council sworn to protect the Shields’ source of strength.

But no one with common blood has been appointed for centuries.

To rise, Paul must train with the nobility and secure influential connections in a world that doesn’t want him. His chances go from slim to impossible when he attracts formidable enemies—and the affections of a woman he can never have.

Verity Scillician, noble born and destined to marry the crown prince, struggles to accept the path laid out for her. Emptiness haunts her, forbidden pursuits call, and Paul tugs at every hungry place inside her. But breaking free from the expectations of her family and class could ruin her.

Subversive influences sweep Areli into a war of ideologies that threatens their past and future. As they fight to preserve their heritage, and the attraction between them deepens to love, Paul and Verity must decide if they will obey the ancient warning to stoke the fire within …

Even if the flame consumes their dreams.

***
Reviving Embers is the first book in the romantic fantasy series, Guardians of Areli. This saga is set in an alternate earth history, non-magical - but supernaturally fantastical - story world. Readers who love ...

Character-driven tales
Forbidden romance
Deep love stories (fade to black/closed door)
Class prejudice
Ideological/political warfare
Conspiracies and betrayal
Soul stirring journeys
... will find all this and so much more in Reviving Embers and the books to follow.

This series is best read in order even though each book has its own satisfying ending.

Genres: Fantasy, Christian Fiction, Christian Fantasy

490 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 16, 2025

Reviews

[Kay’s Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Spoiler-Free Book Review✨
Reviving Embers by Paige Reed

🎥 Check out my YouTube review of Reviving Embers:
https://youtu.be/dafOZ-1yq2I

Some books alter the fabric of our bookish souls - and this was one of those books for me 😩👏

The next time someone asks, “Hey Kay, what’s your favorite fantasy book?” there will be no hesitation. My answer will be Reviving Embers by Paige Reed 🥲❤️

I cannot believe what a hidden gem this book is, and I feel incredibly lucky to have discovered a story that not only entertained me so thoroughly but also challenged me to think deeply about my faith.

So what is Reviving Embers? 🤔

Honestly, if you want the plot, go read the synopsis. I have far too much to say about this book to fit it into a condensed summary. 😂

Yes, this is a Christian romantasy, but it is so much more than that. 🥹

At its heart, this story is about the fight for truth. It explores what it means to hold fast to Christian values in a world that insists those values are standing in the way of progress. It illustrates how the enemy deceives through promises of power, influence, wealth, and prosperity - and how easily those promises can lead people astray.

Paige Reed’s writing is some of the most intelligent and compelling writing I have encountered in Christian fantasy - perhaps across all genres. Her ability to build a rich world, immerse readers in the story, and weave multiple plotlines together so seamlessly is astonishing. I was completely invested from page one.

This is a non-magical fantasy world with its own unique history, intertwined with biblical references. I know some readers may not enjoy seeing real biblical figures referenced within a fantasy setting (not as active characters), but I felt Reed handled it beautifully. She wove truth into her world in a way that felt thoughtful & respectful. Personally, I’ll never be upset about seeing Scripture incorporated into a fantasy novel when it’s represented well - and here, it absolutely is.💕

More than anything, this book feels like a love letter to Christians: a reminder to burn brightly for God, to be bold in our faith, and to passionately use the gifts He has given us without fear. ❤️

Stoke the embers. Don’t let your fire go out.❤️‍🔥

Verity, Paul, and Albert will stay with me for a very long time. 🥹

And yes, I am officially kicking myself for not annotating this book because now I desperately need a reread. ✍️

📖 Read this book if you enjoy:
• Secret societies (or at least secret-society vibes) ⚔️
• Academia settings 📚
• Political intrigue 🏰
• Forbidden romance 💘
• Biblical allegory ✝️
• Non-magical fantasy worlds 👑
• A hero who is, admittedly, kind of a cowboy 😂🤠

***

‼️ Content Considerations:
• Adult fiction - I would not recommend this for teens
• Physical assault against a woman, including mentions of blood (not sexual assault)
• Class-based prejudice
• Violence
• Persecution and conspiracies to kill
• Marital intimacy (non-graphic; details explained below)

***

💋Intimacy Content: Pages 397–404 (paperback edition)

This section contains a honeymoon scene between a married couple. There is significant passion, affection, and romantic desire expressed, but I would not classify it as “spicy” (especially as someone who previously read secular romance with explicit content). The scene remains within the biblical context of marriage and is written in a highly poetic style that reminded me of the Song of Solomon.

If you are comfortable with the level of passion found in books by Francine Rivers, I believe you’ll be fine with this scene and book. Personally, I found it to be a beautiful portrayal of the intimacy God designed for marriage between a husband and wife.

However, if you are sensitive to passionate kissing, heavy romantic tension, or expressions of marital desire, you may prefer to skip these pages. While the honeymoon scene is the most prominent display of intimacy, the married couple continues to express affection, desire, and passion for one another throughout the story.

***For additional perspective, I shared this specific scene with four trusted Christian book reviewers. All agreed that it remains appropriate & well-written, though they also acknowledged that some readers may be more sensitive to this type of passionate content. One mentioned it reminded her of the passion found in Emma St. Clair or Jenny Proctor books (authors I have not personally read). As always, please use your own discretion.

[Shantel Russomanno · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story captured my soul…
It has been a long while since I’ve had to sit myself down and devour a book with such captivating writing.
This left me feeling passionately challenged in my own faith through the unwavering deep rooted faith these characters demonstrated throughout the entire story.
Wow.. this will be my book of choice for recommendations, this will be a book I cannot wait to share with my children one day.. absolutely brilliant!

[Danielle | TheReadingDanielleMcBride · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️

🔥Reviving Embers🔥

Wow - what an amazing beginning to what I believe will be an amazing series.
The faith elements in this story are superb. Top notch - I say!

Paul & Verity have the most beautiful love story that is an enchanting compliment to the ultimate love story that they are so faithful to - the love of the High King for His children.

This fantasy definitely hits home as it touches on subjects that we are definitely facing today over here in the real world. The resistance is fighting for their beloved ancient writings & trying to preserve all of the words from their High King from those who seek to alter His voice or dismantle it completely.

I would definitely recommend this book to age appropriate readers! I cannot wait to dive into Revealing Shadows.

*Content considerations: I would classify this book as “fade to black” between a married couple. Think Song of Solomon type descriptions. If you are sensitive to descriptions about desire maybe approach chapters 37-38 with caution.

[Dominique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviving Embers is AMAZING!!! WOW, can this gal tell a STORY! And I've never seen ANYONE do relationships like Paige Reed does! How on earth does she grasp people like that? It's all so relatable, yet so deep, that from one minute to the next had me sighing and pausing to soak it in, grabbing the tissue box, or laughing! And even though this is an alternate world, it's spot-on about preserving our entire way of life and all we hold dear. I loved the intrigue, the conspiracy, but most of all, the love story. This blows all other Christian Romances out of the water for me (no offense meant to anyone, but have you read THIS book??? I don't want to give away any spoilers) And it's the way she tells her story, her mastery of language technique to make it come alive -- her writing is so unique, so refreshing, so rich, so real, so ahhhhhhhhh, I LOVE IT!!!!!! As soon as it's available, I'm totally pre-ordering the next book in this series. Absolutely.

[Lianne Bruynell Bruynell · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy fantasy, read this book. If you enjoy romance, read this book. If you like political intrigue and secret alliances, read this book. Author Paige Reed has a way of drawing the reader in with her endearing characters and detailed world-building. There might be alot of pages in this book, but the story gets going and rolls by fast. You might be up into the wee hours reading, but I think it's a small price. I loved Paul and Verity, and Albert. And all the other wonderful characters in this book. They became like good friends to me, so I laughed or smiled when good things happened to them, cried when bad things happened. This is a great introduction to the world of Areli and all the politics and cultural complexities that make Areli such a great land to visit.

[Sunshine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviving Embers by Paige Reed is a deeply emotional story about healing love and finding strength after loss. The characters feel real and their struggles are written with honesty and care. Paige Reed captures the pain and hope of starting over in a way that feels both raw and uplifting. The story draws you in through its heartfelt moments and genuine emotion making it easy to connect with the people and their journeys.


What makes this book stand out is how it turns heartbreak into hope. The relationships are tender the writing is vivid and the emotions feel true. Paige Reed shows that even after everything falls apart it is possible to find light again. Reviving Embers is a beautiful story that stays with you long after the last page.

[Suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are in search of a clean, alternate earth-history, fantastical epic romantasy read, Paige Reed’s debut is a must-read book. Reviving Embers introduces readers to the land of Areli, including the cultural complexities and the politics brewing between the elite and common classes. I fell in love with Paul and Verity—and Albert. Taking this journey with them was an immersion into Reed’s vivid imagery and multifaceted characters. The theme of this story shines brightly while the engaging story, though lengthy, will draw you in and have you reading late into the night. What’s even better is that this is a prequel with the promise of meeting some of these characters in the upcoming books.

[Paige Reed]

My Dear Reader,

This book was written for you.
For the one looking for a deeper, more complex story.
For the one who craves a love story they won't soon forget.
For the one who wants a world and characters to love for more than one book.

It's a tale of forbidden love, set in a lush fantastical world driven by power and prejudice. It's the story before the story ... the ideals, passions, and relationships that leads to what takes place in the coming trilogy, Guardians of Areli.

And for every reader brave enough to set sail into the world of Areli - thank you. I hope Reviving Embers, and the trilogy to follow, touch your heart in a way that stays with you long after the last page.

[Nelly]

WOOOAAh what a beautiful cover!!! I NEED THIS ON MY TBR ASAP.

[WBUJr · Rating 5 out of 5]

an amazing tale of them and now!

A vivid, intriguing story with beauty and truth woven by a master storyteller! Rich and wonderful! And there is more to come…

[Dessi Jossund · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! The world is so beautiful, and the political dynamic is just top tier!! All of the characters were so well developed, even the antiheroes (who almost made it as my favorite character).

[Whitney Warrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little book about love and faith.

I look forward to reading the series.

[Kathryn Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book REVIVED me

I was in one of the worst reading slumps and I read this book and it was exactly what I needed. It was so well written, engaging, the power of these words did something beautiful to my heart. I haven’t been this positively impacted in my faith by a fiction book in a long long time. It is so excellent. And I can’t wait to read book 2.

[Jennifer Whitehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was such a great story. I didn't really enjoy some aspects of the romance parts because that's just not my jam but overall I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to the rest of the series!

[Courtney Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible book! The story captured me immediately along with the characters. There were twists and turns all the way. There is love and action and suspense. I was on the edge of my seat throughout. I loved the spiritual tones! I am ready for the next book to continue the story.

[Kristine Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every word of this novel feels so thoughtfully put together. Author Paige Reed is an artist with the written word! Avid readers of fantasy and romance will love this book. I can’t wait to see how the series unfolds.

[Melissa Bunce · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who enjoys both Christian fiction and fantasy, I was eager to read this book. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me, and I barely had the stamina to finish it. 

While I did enjoy the romance between Paul and Verity, the obstacles between them don’t escalate. Their relationship is forbidden until it simply isn’t forbidden, making the tension extremely anti-climactic. 

As for the ideological battle, Paul and Verity don’t really contribute. They are side characters in the conflict between Prince Albert and Prince Richard. Paul takes one drastic action that jeopardizes everything, but he immediately repents and therefore he’s forgiven, and there are no consequences. 

I realize the author is portraying the sovereignty and grace of God, but it made her story tedious, especially in the last 100 pages. 

I also struggled with the biblical references. This is a fantasy world with fictional sacred literature, but the Bible is sprinkled in. How do Arelians know about Esther and the king of Persia? It completely shattered my immersion.

I guess it’s possible that the story takes place on Earth in the super distant future where only the Bible remains to reference their ancient history? But the book never hints at that. As far as I can tell, it’s a completely fictional, fantasy world, but it has the Bible in it. It’s confusing and awkward. Maybe the author clarifies in her original trilogy. It sounds like Reviving Embers is a prequel she wrote AFTER writing the trilogy. I assumed I would not need to read the trilogy first to understand the prequel since Reviving Embers takes place first, chronologically. But maybe I’m wrong. 

Anyway, I found this book disappointing, and it’s such a letdown. 

[D.M. Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immediately blown away by the elegance of the prose, Reviving Embers by Paige Reed swept me into the narrative flow in the opening chapters. My heart was full of so many favorite quotes that I kept them there until I had time to properly savor them. Truly, this story extended imaginative arms that pulled me into its literary embrace. A masterful, full-bodied tale that envelopes and blocks out the world, it is the best kind of fantasy. Rich in Christian values and intellectual debate, this was not a light read. The story weaves intrigue, conspiracy, and romance into a tapestry vibrant with faith. I found the characters, Paul and Verity, delightful, charming, and layered enough to keep me invested in their destiny as the forbidden romance plucked at my heart. Immersive, thought-provoking, passionate, and clever are only a few of the terms I could use to describe this novel. What a gem in the Christian fantasy realm. It definitely leaves you anticipating more.

[Natalie Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviving Embers was everything I didn’t know I needed in a romantic fantasy layered, emotional, and full of heart. The world of Areli is richly built, with a complex history and social structure that feels both familiar and unique. You can tell the author poured so much thought into it without ever making it feel like a lore dump.

Paul and Verity completely stole my heart. Paul’s drive to rise above his circumstances felt so raw and real, and Verity’s internal struggle caught between duty and her own desires was beautifully done. Their chemistry is undeniable, but it’s their individual journeys that really hit home. This is a romance built on emotional depth and soul connection, not just physical attraction and yes, it’s low-spice but still incredibly intense.

[Kelly Lobato · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unforgettable epic about a forbidden love in a magical world threatened by greed and lust for power. Paige Reed is a master of story telling and a crafter of words. I was this invested in these characters from the first line, stirred by the courage, hope and adventure within the pages. A must read romantasy you won’t be able to put down. Book two is on its way to me as I write this and I can hardly wait to go back to Areli.

[Erma Ullrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paige has crafted an impossible-to-stop-reading fantasy novel. I wish the good guys were real people and so happy the villains aren't!!! Beautifully written with scenes that jump off the page.
Brava to Paige for taking us on an incredible journey! Looking forward to more from this author! :)