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Crown of Ember: A Forbidden Magic Fantasy Romance
He was supposed to kill me—so why are we soul-bonded and sharing a dragon?
I was just supposed to steal a relic, not doom myself with forbidden magic.
Now a glowing mark blazes on my hand, and the Empire’s deadliest hunter—Kael—is on my trail. He’s infuriatingly silent, annoyingly protective, and absolutely the last person I should be stuck with in a collapsing ruin.
Then the ceiling falls. Literally.
Trapped together, plus one very pissed-off dragon spirit equals an accidental bond… to him.
Suddenly, the man I swore I hated keeps saving my life.
He shields me from assassins.
Teaches me to wield fire without burning myself alive.
And every time his shadowfire brushes mine, I forget to breathe.
I fall for him—hard—just in time to learn the truth.
The Empire doesn’t just want me dead.
They want him leashed.
And if they catch us… they’ll rip our bond apart—starting with my heart.
I was just supposed to steal a relic, not doom myself with forbidden magic.
Now a glowing mark blazes on my hand, and the Empire’s deadliest hunter—Kael—is on my trail. He’s infuriatingly silent, annoyingly protective, and absolutely the last person I should be stuck with in a collapsing ruin.
Then the ceiling falls. Literally.
Trapped together, plus one very pissed-off dragon spirit equals an accidental bond… to him.
Suddenly, the man I swore I hated keeps saving my life.
He shields me from assassins.
Teaches me to wield fire without burning myself alive.
And every time his shadowfire brushes mine, I forget to breathe.
I fall for him—hard—just in time to learn the truth.
The Empire doesn’t just want me dead.
They want him leashed.
And if they catch us… they’ll rip our bond apart—starting with my heart.
465 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2025
14 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 19, 2025
I received an ARC copy from the author but wasn’t required to post a review. This, however, is my honest, voluntary impression upon reading it.
In this fantasy once upon a time dragons and humans bonded to create a better life for both races but evil humans decided to end that relationship and killed the dragons and enslaved and changed those who had bonded with them.
Years later a girl wanders into an old sacred ring and finds herself being bonded to the spirit of a deceased dragon. Hunted because of what she now is she is befriended by rebels fighting against the Empire and learns how to control the urge to burn everything and instead use it properly.
Along the way she and the rebels are led to two different locations where she finds a dragon egg and helps it hatch. She bonds with them both and the dragons and she along with the rebels rise up against the Empire in the first of many battles to come.
This was an intriguing concept of dragons and a human being linked by a bond and working alongside others for a common goal.
Most of this book was concerned with the rebels and the girl trying to evade the Empire before she found the first of the two dragon eggs and helped it hatch because of the fire bond she had when she was bonded by the spirit of the deceased dragon initially.
This is the first of a trilogy about Aeria and her dragons and the next two books should be better as they continue to work together to bring down the Empire.
I enjoyed it and recommend it as one those who love fantasy should enjoy as well as the battle between good and evil because Aeria has to contend daily with a cirlet that wants to dominate her and control her instead of letting her make the decisions.
In this fantasy once upon a time dragons and humans bonded to create a better life for both races but evil humans decided to end that relationship and killed the dragons and enslaved and changed those who had bonded with them.
Years later a girl wanders into an old sacred ring and finds herself being bonded to the spirit of a deceased dragon. Hunted because of what she now is she is befriended by rebels fighting against the Empire and learns how to control the urge to burn everything and instead use it properly.
Along the way she and the rebels are led to two different locations where she finds a dragon egg and helps it hatch. She bonds with them both and the dragons and she along with the rebels rise up against the Empire in the first of many battles to come.
This was an intriguing concept of dragons and a human being linked by a bond and working alongside others for a common goal.
Most of this book was concerned with the rebels and the girl trying to evade the Empire before she found the first of the two dragon eggs and helped it hatch because of the fire bond she had when she was bonded by the spirit of the deceased dragon initially.
This is the first of a trilogy about Aeria and her dragons and the next two books should be better as they continue to work together to bring down the Empire.
I enjoyed it and recommend it as one those who love fantasy should enjoy as well as the battle between good and evil because Aeria has to contend daily with a cirlet that wants to dominate her and control her instead of letting her make the decisions.
September 27, 2025
Flameborn . . .
Bondfire was the last sanctuary where Flameborn and their dragons walked openly, but Bondfire had fallen to the Empire 20 years previously. By the Empire's law, flame became corruption. But the Vale still exists and the blackened, cracked soil pulses. Forests have begun to come back to life. Then a child was born, Aeria. Her village whispered prayers to the Empire by day and muttered stories of the Flameborn by night, even though her mother warned her not to wander too near the Vale. But the fire inside Aeria still stirred and she felt it calling to her, the earth recognizing her and searing the mark of Vaerith into her palm as the Flame chose her. There was hope that fire still would rise again! As the dragon spirit, Vaerith, whose flame is not yet gone, recognizes this place, he knows that the girl is finally here. She takes one additional step that causes a reaction as magic awakens and flame erupts in recognition of her, and the dragon spirit whispers to her that she is the ember reborn... Remember! She touches a dragon scale on the ground and Vaerith shows himself to her in flashes and a sigil sears into her palm.
There are those still fighting against the Empire and they will befriend her as she learns control. Join her on her adventure as she finds out what she is and what she is capable of. The Empire wants her destroyed and there is still so much to learn. Will she be able to survive to meet her Destiny? Is she ready to face her new future?
Bondfire was the last sanctuary where Flameborn and their dragons walked openly, but Bondfire had fallen to the Empire 20 years previously. By the Empire's law, flame became corruption. But the Vale still exists and the blackened, cracked soil pulses. Forests have begun to come back to life. Then a child was born, Aeria. Her village whispered prayers to the Empire by day and muttered stories of the Flameborn by night, even though her mother warned her not to wander too near the Vale. But the fire inside Aeria still stirred and she felt it calling to her, the earth recognizing her and searing the mark of Vaerith into her palm as the Flame chose her. There was hope that fire still would rise again! As the dragon spirit, Vaerith, whose flame is not yet gone, recognizes this place, he knows that the girl is finally here. She takes one additional step that causes a reaction as magic awakens and flame erupts in recognition of her, and the dragon spirit whispers to her that she is the ember reborn... Remember! She touches a dragon scale on the ground and Vaerith shows himself to her in flashes and a sigil sears into her palm.
There are those still fighting against the Empire and they will befriend her as she learns control. Join her on her adventure as she finds out what she is and what she is capable of. The Empire wants her destroyed and there is still so much to learn. Will she be able to survive to meet her Destiny? Is she ready to face her new future?
January 9, 2026
This book has a very lyrical style of writing that can be hard to follow at times. The story doesn't always flow smoothly, and jumps from place to place, leaving out large blocks of the action. But it is still in powerfully written story about fate, destiny and redemption, and how far much of yourself you are willing to sacrifice to save your people. When Aria awakens an ancient power, the rebels look to her to help throw off the chains of the Empress and her all controlling Order. As the rebels attempt to cross the land and find the last of the dragons, the Empress sets her most feared Hunter Kael, to chain her to the Order. As Aria struggles to win the trust of the people, learn the ways of the dragon bond, and and resist the call of the Ember Crown's to chain everyone to it's iron will, Kael must decide whether to capture the rising Pyreheart for the Empress, or cast off his collar and stand with the the rebels as they learn to build bridges not chains to reclaim their heritage of the Flameborn. I'm looking forward to book 2 and hoping it will fill in some of the origins and world building of the story
September 19, 2025
I received an Arc for this book. Thank you for the opportunity!
Crown of Embers is an engaging book with plenty of traveling, magical discoveries, and high-stakes trials that test the heroine’s worth. I really enjoyed the unique magic system. The presence of dragons (Ashwing especially!) added charm and excitement, and I loved Emberlin’s adorable baby dragon moments.
That said, the pacing sometimes dragged with repetition, and I felt the POV switches were a bit much. While there were hints of tension and chemistry, the romance didn’t fully click for me. I also wished for richer detail in certain scenes.
Overall, despite a few bumps, this book delivers adventure, magic, and enough payoff to keep me invested in this book.
Crown of Embers is an engaging book with plenty of traveling, magical discoveries, and high-stakes trials that test the heroine’s worth. I really enjoyed the unique magic system. The presence of dragons (Ashwing especially!) added charm and excitement, and I loved Emberlin’s adorable baby dragon moments.
That said, the pacing sometimes dragged with repetition, and I felt the POV switches were a bit much. While there were hints of tension and chemistry, the romance didn’t fully click for me. I also wished for richer detail in certain scenes.
Overall, despite a few bumps, this book delivers adventure, magic, and enough payoff to keep me invested in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2025
This is a mysterious world built of magic both old and new. This is the first book in what I believe will be a trilogy. I’m intrigued by what lies ahead for these characters. This book highlights an unknown journey for the FMC and builds her up for what comes next, as she gains and learns the magic of flame that was wiped out by the current empire. The MMC was sent to kill her but even from a distance as he follows her, he knows she will change their world.
This book created a lot of questions for me (the good kind). My mind was running with how descriptive these characters thoughts are. I need to know how this journey ends and what battles lie in their wake.
This book created a lot of questions for me (the good kind). My mind was running with how descriptive these characters thoughts are. I need to know how this journey ends and what battles lie in their wake.
September 29, 2025
Crown of Embers is the first book in a trilogy. It is an engaging tale with travel, magic, discoveries, and tests and trials for the FMC. The pace of the story was uneven. It seemed to drag in places and was repetitive. The writing was a little distracting with the switch in POVs. I wish some parts of the story were more detailed to help with world building. The romance aspect didn’t really work for me. It just didn’t seem believable. With that said, it was an okay read. I’m sure the story will be fleshed out more through the other two books.
September 27, 2025
This is the first book in the Dark Flame Trilogy. The cadence of the story had an old world vibe to it. It was a story of discovery, magic and intrigue. The romance part I wasn’t quite convinced of it, but it is the first book. I look forward to the journey.
September 28, 2025
I enjoyed this story. Magic, drama, intrigue and interesting characters that had a few problems from the start when they meet. Interesting world build that lent to a fun story and cannot wait to see what will happen next.
September 21, 2025
This author has a very different way of writing, it’s very poetic. It reads like prose. Very hard to match but it speaks more to me than other books. Well worth reading.
September 22, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. The plot was solid, I enjoyed the characters and the authors writing is almost poetic and I loved that!
September 28, 2025
I couldn’t put this one down! I love dragons and lore, this book takes a new toll on dragon bonds and I love it!
October 2, 2025
This is a fast paced story. The action starts from the first page and will hold you in its grip. I really appreciated the multiple POVs. They change mid chapter, going back and forth.
January 1, 2026
Choppy.
It is a narrative, but feels like it should be written as a play. It was a difficult read because of this.
It is a narrative, but feels like it should be written as a play. It was a difficult read because of this.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews