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The Ember and the Emerald
Not yet published
Expected 8 Jun 26From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter comes a portal romantasy where a young woman's road home leads back into a nightmare… and the arms of the man fated to destroy her.
She escaped the monster realm.
Fate dragged her back—twenty years earlier.
Waking up in the past wasn’t on Moriah Shaker’s bingo card, but after surviving a brutal world of cannibals, rabdogs and lethal poppy fields, it happens anyway. Now, Moriah has one chance to save her mother, undoing the death that started it all.
First, she must return to Hakeldama, where survival is never guaranteed and destiny always demands sacrifice. At her side is Jasher, the ruthless, axe-wielding executioner who melts only for her. Until he’s trapped in a monstrous form, becoming a weapon for her destruction. To him, she’s an enemy. To her, he’s everything.
Armed with only a cryptic journal that whispers of a lost gemstone, Moriah is forced to bargain with a tricky water maiden who is equal parts redemption and ruin. Worse, she’s transforming into something she no longer The Oracle Great and Terrible.
As secrets unravel and a forbidden attraction rekindles, Moriah must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to unravel the past she’s desperate to save…or the man she isn’t supposed to love.
She escaped the monster realm.
Fate dragged her back—twenty years earlier.
Waking up in the past wasn’t on Moriah Shaker’s bingo card, but after surviving a brutal world of cannibals, rabdogs and lethal poppy fields, it happens anyway. Now, Moriah has one chance to save her mother, undoing the death that started it all.
First, she must return to Hakeldama, where survival is never guaranteed and destiny always demands sacrifice. At her side is Jasher, the ruthless, axe-wielding executioner who melts only for her. Until he’s trapped in a monstrous form, becoming a weapon for her destruction. To him, she’s an enemy. To her, he’s everything.
Armed with only a cryptic journal that whispers of a lost gemstone, Moriah is forced to bargain with a tricky water maiden who is equal parts redemption and ruin. Worse, she’s transforming into something she no longer The Oracle Great and Terrible.
As secrets unravel and a forbidden attraction rekindles, Moriah must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to unravel the past she’s desperate to save…or the man she isn’t supposed to love.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 8, 2026
About the author
Gena Showalter
281 books27.9k followersGena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over seventy books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series, the Gods of War series, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Forest of Good and Evil series. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family and menagerie of dogs and cats.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 2, 2026
Dangit 😭 I should have read slower.
This story is so beautifully put together, so interwoven with universal themes and character development and so much emotion. I felt SO MANY THINGS during this read.
Out of Gena’s many amazing heroines, Moriah is one of my favorites. I find her to be so real and such an inspiration at the same time. I love being inside her head so much I don’t even mind that it’s single POV! (I’ll always be a sucker for that dual POV, what can I say? 😂🥰)
And my gosh—what I wouldn’t give for a Jasher of my own. A flawed, incredible specimen of a man who struggles with the worldly forces trying to control him, when all he wants to do is live and love in peace. And his ferocity transcends his emotionality in such an exciting way!
I really like the addition of some fun side characters, too. That’s all I will say about that.
Crack open this series, my friends. It will not disappoint! (But do start with book one, The Great and Terrible.)
This story is so beautifully put together, so interwoven with universal themes and character development and so much emotion. I felt SO MANY THINGS during this read.
Out of Gena’s many amazing heroines, Moriah is one of my favorites. I find her to be so real and such an inspiration at the same time. I love being inside her head so much I don’t even mind that it’s single POV! (I’ll always be a sucker for that dual POV, what can I say? 😂🥰)
And my gosh—what I wouldn’t give for a Jasher of my own. A flawed, incredible specimen of a man who struggles with the worldly forces trying to control him, when all he wants to do is live and love in peace. And his ferocity transcends his emotionality in such an exciting way!
I really like the addition of some fun side characters, too. That’s all I will say about that.
Crack open this series, my friends. It will not disappoint! (But do start with book one, The Great and Terrible.)
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow. Just finished this book and am still pondering what I think of the ending.
First - it's critical to read The Great and Terrible (the 1st book in the No Monsters Like Hers series) first. The Ember and the Emerald will not make sense if the 1st book is not read first. It picks up where the 1st book ended.
The Ember and the Emerald loops back in time. Moriah has a chance - or so she thinks - to correct past wrongs to ensure a better ending. She discovers that is not always the case. This book answered some of the questions that carried over from the prior book while raising new ones.The book does end on a cliffhanger. I believe the next book is the conclusion to the series, so I look forward to seeing how everything will wrap up.
First - it's critical to read The Great and Terrible (the 1st book in the No Monsters Like Hers series) first. The Ember and the Emerald will not make sense if the 1st book is not read first. It picks up where the 1st book ended.
The Ember and the Emerald loops back in time. Moriah has a chance - or so she thinks - to correct past wrongs to ensure a better ending. She discovers that is not always the case. This book answered some of the questions that carried over from the prior book while raising new ones.The book does end on a cliffhanger. I believe the next book is the conclusion to the series, so I look forward to seeing how everything will wrap up.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Oh my stars! What a story!
Moriah and Jasherr find themselves in Kansas, but 20 years earlier. Moriah sees her mother, pregnant with Moriah.... What a mess.
Moriah starts having actual visions and time jumping.
She's not sure if Jasper is truly on her side.
She's been leaving herself critic messages, that she can't comprehend.
She finds herself physically changing and learning new things about herself and Jasher.
The book is filled with surprises that will make your head explode!
Thank you to Gena Showalter for the advanced copy
Moriah and Jasherr find themselves in Kansas, but 20 years earlier. Moriah sees her mother, pregnant with Moriah.... What a mess.
Moriah starts having actual visions and time jumping.
She's not sure if Jasper is truly on her side.
She's been leaving herself critic messages, that she can't comprehend.
She finds herself physically changing and learning new things about herself and Jasher.
The book is filled with surprises that will make your head explode!
Thank you to Gena Showalter for the advanced copy
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wizard of Oz vibes with time traveling!
Nothing good ever comes from trying to unravel the events of the past. Though Moriah is determined to save her family and the man she isn’t supposed to love. This journey has action-packed events at every turn.
Nothing good ever comes from trying to unravel the events of the past. Though Moriah is determined to save her family and the man she isn’t supposed to love. This journey has action-packed events at every turn.
Review of advance copy received from Author
WOW!
What a turn this story has taken. As somethings come to a head, a twist at the end leaves us on the edge of our seats!
I am not sure I can wait until next year to see what happens next!!!
What a turn this story has taken. As somethings come to a head, a twist at the end leaves us on the edge of our seats!
I am not sure I can wait until next year to see what happens next!!!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews