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Rising Ember
Dangerous games. Kill or be killed. Can she survive a king's ruthless arena?
Clarissa craves an escape. An orphan forced into criminal acts with other kids by their caretaker, she longs to break free and become a healer. But when an archenemy provokes a deadly confrontation, the seventeen-year-old awakens hidden powers in an explosive and fiery defense.
Seized by soldiers and taken to the capital along with her only friend, Clarissa trains alongside other slaves to fight in the royal army. But surrounded by mysterious strangers and running low on trust, the desperate captive fears graduation day will be her last.
Is Clarissa destined to die in chains?
Rising Ember is the thrilling first book in the Forbidden Chronicles YA dystopian fantasy series. If you like strong-willed heroines, nail-biting drama, and clean slow-burn romance, then you’ll love Sara Wright’s action-packed adventure.
Buy Rising Ember to ignite destiny today!
Clarissa craves an escape. An orphan forced into criminal acts with other kids by their caretaker, she longs to break free and become a healer. But when an archenemy provokes a deadly confrontation, the seventeen-year-old awakens hidden powers in an explosive and fiery defense.
Seized by soldiers and taken to the capital along with her only friend, Clarissa trains alongside other slaves to fight in the royal army. But surrounded by mysterious strangers and running low on trust, the desperate captive fears graduation day will be her last.
Is Clarissa destined to die in chains?
Rising Ember is the thrilling first book in the Forbidden Chronicles YA dystopian fantasy series. If you like strong-willed heroines, nail-biting drama, and clean slow-burn romance, then you’ll love Sara Wright’s action-packed adventure.
Buy Rising Ember to ignite destiny today!
- GenresFantasy
About the author
Sara Wright
8 books82 followersSara Wright writes dystopian fantasy set in futuristic, broken kingdoms where courage is tested, hope is dangerous, and survival is never guaranteed. Her stories blend fantasy, sci-fi, and clean romance into high-stakes adventures where characters must rise against oppressive regimes.
From a young age, imagination was her constant companion, sparking vivid visions of distant realms she would one day turn into epic tales for readers on Earth. You’ll often find her singing along to her favorite music while channeling that creativity onto the page.
When she isn’t dismantling corrupt monarchies or unraveling elemental powers, Sara enjoys hiking through real-world vistas and eating delicious allergy-free foods with her husband and their furry companions.
Make first contact with Sara via her website:
www.sarawrightbooks.com.
From a young age, imagination was her constant companion, sparking vivid visions of distant realms she would one day turn into epic tales for readers on Earth. You’ll often find her singing along to her favorite music while channeling that creativity onto the page.
When she isn’t dismantling corrupt monarchies or unraveling elemental powers, Sara enjoys hiking through real-world vistas and eating delicious allergy-free foods with her husband and their furry companions.
Make first contact with Sara via her website:
www.sarawrightbooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 30, 2025
This is my first time writing an ARC review and my first time reading a work by Sara Wright and both were lovely experiences! Rising Ember, following the release of the prequel, Ruined Ashes, officially kicks off The Ember Crown Series, following Clarissa, an unwilling chosen one, who gets the future she has so desperately worked toward ripped away and is instead thrust into the fray of a years old political and genocidal battle, as the promised savior of the rebellious victims.
I personally have a love/hate relationship with characters like the kind Wright has written. I love how they’re so painfully real and individual that it’s torture watching them struggle, suffer, lie, and be lied to. In the same breath I hate those same qualities for making me feel so deeply for fictional characters. Some writers just have a mastery of using the humanity of the characters and the reader to bring a story to life.
First there’s Clarissa, who has never had a sparkling life being a poor orphan scraping to get by under a con-woman orphanage leader, with all that entails. Her life only goes from bad to worse as she just barely sees the light of a better future before being thrown off a cliff (metaphorically speaking) with the discovery she is one of the highly persecuted fire-wielders. Then there’s Gabriel, a middleman who’s stuck playing both sides for the greater good and has to use people just as much as he is being used and it’s a toss up who will really come out on top as good and evil fight for control. Clarissa’s friend Luna has to juggle protecting her people, fire-wielding rebels, against a very aggressively genocidal government, with protecting her friend, even if that means keeping secrets, which only makes a stressful situation more tense. Let’s not forget the ambiguity and various levels of justified anger to extremism exhibited by the rebels against the government. Everyone has their own motivations and is actively striving to achieve their goals while dragging the other along for the ride. I can’t recall the last time life was so accurately represented in fiction.
And the villains, where to even start? Well, the array of people trapped in a nasty system of their own making who are simultaneously sympathetic and still a foil for the protagonist, could not be a better example of human nature. Then of course are the real antagonists. The colonels and ranking officers who torment our heroes and celebrate it are perfectly vile, including Ty, the heir to the throne with no better intentions than the current king. The twisted king taking rebels of all ages, prisoner to be shaped into soldiers or die in the process, is a dark, faceless shadow hanging over the protagonist’s head up until the very end of the book. And who can forget the grating feeling of a society that cheers on the deaths of the innocent while they themselves are also pushed deeper and deeper into destruction?
What do you do with a book that leaves you staring at the ceiling feeling the sting of injustice, but you know there’s nothing to be done because it’s fictional? You recommend it to other readers so they can suffer with you! I think Rising Ember is worthy of a five-star rating and I would highly recommend to anyone who likes a clean fantasy-sci-fi-dystopia that shows a clear divide between right and wrong and what happens when characters choose to dance in the greys.
I personally have a love/hate relationship with characters like the kind Wright has written. I love how they’re so painfully real and individual that it’s torture watching them struggle, suffer, lie, and be lied to. In the same breath I hate those same qualities for making me feel so deeply for fictional characters. Some writers just have a mastery of using the humanity of the characters and the reader to bring a story to life.
First there’s Clarissa, who has never had a sparkling life being a poor orphan scraping to get by under a con-woman orphanage leader, with all that entails. Her life only goes from bad to worse as she just barely sees the light of a better future before being thrown off a cliff (metaphorically speaking) with the discovery she is one of the highly persecuted fire-wielders. Then there’s Gabriel, a middleman who’s stuck playing both sides for the greater good and has to use people just as much as he is being used and it’s a toss up who will really come out on top as good and evil fight for control. Clarissa’s friend Luna has to juggle protecting her people, fire-wielding rebels, against a very aggressively genocidal government, with protecting her friend, even if that means keeping secrets, which only makes a stressful situation more tense. Let’s not forget the ambiguity and various levels of justified anger to extremism exhibited by the rebels against the government. Everyone has their own motivations and is actively striving to achieve their goals while dragging the other along for the ride. I can’t recall the last time life was so accurately represented in fiction.
And the villains, where to even start? Well, the array of people trapped in a nasty system of their own making who are simultaneously sympathetic and still a foil for the protagonist, could not be a better example of human nature. Then of course are the real antagonists. The colonels and ranking officers who torment our heroes and celebrate it are perfectly vile, including Ty, the heir to the throne with no better intentions than the current king. The twisted king taking rebels of all ages, prisoner to be shaped into soldiers or die in the process, is a dark, faceless shadow hanging over the protagonist’s head up until the very end of the book. And who can forget the grating feeling of a society that cheers on the deaths of the innocent while they themselves are also pushed deeper and deeper into destruction?
What do you do with a book that leaves you staring at the ceiling feeling the sting of injustice, but you know there’s nothing to be done because it’s fictional? You recommend it to other readers so they can suffer with you! I think Rising Ember is worthy of a five-star rating and I would highly recommend to anyone who likes a clean fantasy-sci-fi-dystopia that shows a clear divide between right and wrong and what happens when characters choose to dance in the greys.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2025
⋆｡°✩ 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 ⋆｡°✩
3.5 stars | an elemental YA dystopian-fantasy | 0/3 spice, 2/3 violence, no trigger warnings I could think of
✎₊˚⊹ 𝕤𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤 ✎₊˚⊹
Clarissa is an orphan living under the harsh rule of her caretaker, Ms. Brown, who forces those in her orphanage to commit criminal acts. Clarissa is a skilled thief, whose only hope is to get away to medical school, as far from her “home” as possible.
But all of that changes when Clarissa finds out something even she didn’t know about herself. She’s whisked away with others like her, who’ve been living in hiding their whole lives; and are about to be forced into the hardest part of them.
They’re to compete in the Arena, a grueling challenge for fire-wielders in Artijan to pick out the weak and push everyone else as far as they can go.
Clarissa must survive this challenge, and even then, her outlooks afterwards -fighting in the front lines in the war against the water wielders- aren’t too high either.
Can Clarissa keep her and her only friend safe when she can barely control her powers? Or will they —and the society that despises her kind— consume her first?
*:･ﾟ✧♡ 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤 *:･ﾟ✧♡
Okay, I somewhat liked the fire element. I’ve long held that fire is my favorite of the four elements and so a fire-Wielder based world??? Yes.
However I did have some issues with it, which will be discussed below.
Next, I liked some (but not all) of the characters, in terms of makeup and just general likableness (new nonexistent word unlocked! 😂). I think Luna was the most well done character; she was spunky and passionate and before we learned her age I truly thought she was older than fifteen (which I can appreciate). Clarissa…. no comment. Zane was well done too; I just think most of the side characters were done better than the main ones. And I love me a good side character (but I’ll get into the main characters, again, below).
Setting: I think the setting was somewhat ordinary. It didn’t really stand out to me, and I’m not saying thats necessarily a bad thing, just that it was, like, there.
Finally, plot: the plot was decent; I think the passing of time was done pretty well and consistently, which I appreciate because when time skips are done wrong it really annoys me. Other than that, there isn’t too much I want to say about the plot (here that is).
‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚. 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤 ‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.
First and foremost: the magic system.
I love a good magic system. But this one…
Like I said, I love fire, but the way this system was done was just not executed super well.
What I’m trying to say is that is was confusing and disjointed. We knew the magic system, yay, and then halfway through the book we learn another part of it? And then towards the end we learn about this pretty big thing that probably should’ve been mentioned earlier but wasn’t?
My example for the former (because the latter is a spoiler) is the way leveling up in fire works. It gives video game mechanics, and I don’t like it. I’ll explain as best I can, if this isn’t totally right I’m sorry. So whatever your flame (we’ll take White for example, which is the third tier up and pretty strong), you can control how hot your flame gets. But like Theres a cooldown??? I honestly don’t know, that’s just the impression I got (if you read this and understand plz explain to me! lol). So like if you go up to white flame, then u gotta wait before u can again? Idk, but that impression is what gives video game mechanics to me, and it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense + it was shown like halfway+ thru the book…? So yeah.
Alright! Characters:
Clarissa- nahhh. She was naive and oblivious, and kind of annoying. Not my favorite main character ever.
Gabriel- I’ve never met a more contradictory character and I didn’t like him. Period. He wasn’t a good love interest or even a good person — like you cant side with both my guy???? Pick.
And finally: everyone was a sympathizer????
Seriously. Everyone was a rebel sympathizer (or, rather, a Rylari sympathizer, because let’s be real, the rebels sucked). But yeah, it makes no sense that almost everyone Clarissa meets is on her side, like…
Thats not how the real world works.
* ੈ✩‧₊˚ 𝕨𝕣𝕒𝕡-𝕦𝕡 * ੈ✩‧₊˚
Overall, a pretty good read. If you like fantasy x dystopian, I’d give this a try!
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝕢𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤 ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
"𝐻𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝒾𝓈 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓃 𝒷𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓋𝒾𝒸𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓈, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝑒𝓁𝓈𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝒶 𝒻𝑜𝑜𝓉𝓃𝑜𝓉𝑒."
“𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓈𝓊𝓇𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹𝑒𝒹 𝒷𝓎 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓀𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈, 𝐼 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉.”
“𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝒶 𝒹𝑒𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝓋𝒾𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓈, 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝑜𝓃’𝓉 𝓅𝑜𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒶 𝓈𝓉𝒾𝒸𝓀.”
⋆˚⚡︎˖° 𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕖 ⋆˚⚡︎˖°
Rising Ember releases September 30, 2025!!!
˙⋆.˚𐙚 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 ˙⋆.˚𐙚
Thank you so much to the author, Sara Wright, for giving me a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!!!
All thoughts are my own :D
3.5 stars | an elemental YA dystopian-fantasy | 0/3 spice, 2/3 violence, no trigger warnings I could think of
✎₊˚⊹ 𝕤𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤 ✎₊˚⊹
Clarissa is an orphan living under the harsh rule of her caretaker, Ms. Brown, who forces those in her orphanage to commit criminal acts. Clarissa is a skilled thief, whose only hope is to get away to medical school, as far from her “home” as possible.
But all of that changes when Clarissa finds out something even she didn’t know about herself. She’s whisked away with others like her, who’ve been living in hiding their whole lives; and are about to be forced into the hardest part of them.
They’re to compete in the Arena, a grueling challenge for fire-wielders in Artijan to pick out the weak and push everyone else as far as they can go.
Clarissa must survive this challenge, and even then, her outlooks afterwards -fighting in the front lines in the war against the water wielders- aren’t too high either.
Can Clarissa keep her and her only friend safe when she can barely control her powers? Or will they —and the society that despises her kind— consume her first?
*:･ﾟ✧♡ 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤 *:･ﾟ✧♡
Okay, I somewhat liked the fire element. I’ve long held that fire is my favorite of the four elements and so a fire-Wielder based world??? Yes.
However I did have some issues with it, which will be discussed below.
Next, I liked some (but not all) of the characters, in terms of makeup and just general likableness (new nonexistent word unlocked! 😂). I think Luna was the most well done character; she was spunky and passionate and before we learned her age I truly thought she was older than fifteen (which I can appreciate). Clarissa…. no comment. Zane was well done too; I just think most of the side characters were done better than the main ones. And I love me a good side character (but I’ll get into the main characters, again, below).
Setting: I think the setting was somewhat ordinary. It didn’t really stand out to me, and I’m not saying thats necessarily a bad thing, just that it was, like, there.
Finally, plot: the plot was decent; I think the passing of time was done pretty well and consistently, which I appreciate because when time skips are done wrong it really annoys me. Other than that, there isn’t too much I want to say about the plot (here that is).
‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚. 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤 ‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.
First and foremost: the magic system.
I love a good magic system. But this one…
Like I said, I love fire, but the way this system was done was just not executed super well.
What I’m trying to say is that is was confusing and disjointed. We knew the magic system, yay, and then halfway through the book we learn another part of it? And then towards the end we learn about this pretty big thing that probably should’ve been mentioned earlier but wasn’t?
My example for the former (because the latter is a spoiler) is the way leveling up in fire works. It gives video game mechanics, and I don’t like it. I’ll explain as best I can, if this isn’t totally right I’m sorry. So whatever your flame (we’ll take White for example, which is the third tier up and pretty strong), you can control how hot your flame gets. But like Theres a cooldown??? I honestly don’t know, that’s just the impression I got (if you read this and understand plz explain to me! lol). So like if you go up to white flame, then u gotta wait before u can again? Idk, but that impression is what gives video game mechanics to me, and it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense + it was shown like halfway+ thru the book…? So yeah.
Alright! Characters:
Clarissa- nahhh. She was naive and oblivious, and kind of annoying. Not my favorite main character ever.
Gabriel- I’ve never met a more contradictory character and I didn’t like him. Period. He wasn’t a good love interest or even a good person — like you cant side with both my guy???? Pick.
And finally: everyone was a sympathizer????
Seriously. Everyone was a rebel sympathizer (or, rather, a Rylari sympathizer, because let’s be real, the rebels sucked). But yeah, it makes no sense that almost everyone Clarissa meets is on her side, like…
Thats not how the real world works.
* ੈ✩‧₊˚ 𝕨𝕣𝕒𝕡-𝕦𝕡 * ੈ✩‧₊˚
Overall, a pretty good read. If you like fantasy x dystopian, I’d give this a try!
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝕢𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤 ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
"𝐻𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓎 𝒾𝓈 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝓌𝓇𝒾𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓃 𝒷𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓋𝒾𝒸𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓈, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝑒𝓁𝓈𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝒶 𝒻𝑜𝑜𝓉𝓃𝑜𝓉𝑒."
“𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓈𝓊𝓇𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹𝑒𝒹 𝒷𝓎 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓀𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈, 𝐼 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉.”
“𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝒶 𝒹𝑒𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝓋𝒾𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓈, 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝑜𝓃’𝓉 𝓅𝑜𝓀𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒶 𝓈𝓉𝒾𝒸𝓀.”
⋆˚⚡︎˖° 𝕣𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕖 ⋆˚⚡︎˖°
Rising Ember releases September 30, 2025!!!
˙⋆.˚𐙚 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 ˙⋆.˚𐙚
Thank you so much to the author, Sara Wright, for giving me a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!!!
All thoughts are my own :D
September 24, 2025
***This book is an ARC provided by BookSirens. All opinions in the review are my own.***
Rising Ember by Sara Wright is a treatise on unfair treatment of those who are different and the ugliness of slavery in any world. Using a character who believed she belonged to one class only to discover she is on the wrong side of life when her powers develop, the author is able to see not both sides of horror, but how the horrific treatment of another can affect anyone’s life.
Set in a dystopian world where alien technology fell from space, there are two distinct types of humans. Those with fire powers and those without. Those without are the ruling class and train those with powers to be in the king’s military, culminating in a brutal graduation ceremony. The heroine is fast-tracked in her training and must come to grips with her new powers quickly, despite being thrown into a system that hates her and wants to see her enslaved.
There are the “good” masters who care about their charges. Then there are the “bad” masters who are brutal because they can be and use their power for their own gain. I place good and evil in quotes because, as the main character sees, they are still playing into a system in which one set of humans is seen as a underclass because they are different.
The book is written crisply and is one I could not put down. I read it past my bedtime, gorging myself on over 100 pages per day. I neglected other reading, including personal career improvement studies to consume this book. I could not find much, if anything, to fault about this book. I happily give it a full five stars and look forward to the next installment with bated breath.
Rising Ember by Sara Wright is a treatise on unfair treatment of those who are different and the ugliness of slavery in any world. Using a character who believed she belonged to one class only to discover she is on the wrong side of life when her powers develop, the author is able to see not both sides of horror, but how the horrific treatment of another can affect anyone’s life.
Set in a dystopian world where alien technology fell from space, there are two distinct types of humans. Those with fire powers and those without. Those without are the ruling class and train those with powers to be in the king’s military, culminating in a brutal graduation ceremony. The heroine is fast-tracked in her training and must come to grips with her new powers quickly, despite being thrown into a system that hates her and wants to see her enslaved.
There are the “good” masters who care about their charges. Then there are the “bad” masters who are brutal because they can be and use their power for their own gain. I place good and evil in quotes because, as the main character sees, they are still playing into a system in which one set of humans is seen as a underclass because they are different.
The book is written crisply and is one I could not put down. I read it past my bedtime, gorging myself on over 100 pages per day. I neglected other reading, including personal career improvement studies to consume this book. I could not find much, if anything, to fault about this book. I happily give it a full five stars and look forward to the next installment with bated breath.
October 2, 2025
Sara Wright has crafted an electrifying debut to The Ember Crown series that had me racing through pages late into the night. Rising Ember delivers everything I crave in dystopian fantasy including a compelling heroine, high-stakes action, and a world that feels both brutal and vividly realized.
Clarissa is the heart of this story. Orphaned, abused, and forced into a life she never chose, she dreams of becoming a healer in a world determined to break her. When she discovers forbidden fire powers at the worst possible moment, everything changes. Wright makes Clarissa both vulnerable and fierce - she's not waiting for destiny, but a survivor thrust into an impossible situation.
The world-building strikes that perfect balance between familiar and fresh. There are echoes of The Hunger Games in the arena battles and Fourth Wing in the training sequences, but Wright adds her own spin with the forbidden magic system and mounting mysteries. The action scenes are tense and visceral. You can feel the heat of Clarissa's flames and the weight of every decision.
Gabriel, her powerless trainer, adds wonderful depth to the story. Their dynamic crackles with tension and unspoken secrets, and it's clear everyone is hiding something. Wright masterfully doles out revelations that kept me guessing until the end.
If you love heroines who refuse to surrender despite impossible odds, Rising Ember deserves a spot at the top of your TBR pile. I cannot wait to see where Clarissa's story goes next!
Clarissa is the heart of this story. Orphaned, abused, and forced into a life she never chose, she dreams of becoming a healer in a world determined to break her. When she discovers forbidden fire powers at the worst possible moment, everything changes. Wright makes Clarissa both vulnerable and fierce - she's not waiting for destiny, but a survivor thrust into an impossible situation.
The world-building strikes that perfect balance between familiar and fresh. There are echoes of The Hunger Games in the arena battles and Fourth Wing in the training sequences, but Wright adds her own spin with the forbidden magic system and mounting mysteries. The action scenes are tense and visceral. You can feel the heat of Clarissa's flames and the weight of every decision.
Gabriel, her powerless trainer, adds wonderful depth to the story. Their dynamic crackles with tension and unspoken secrets, and it's clear everyone is hiding something. Wright masterfully doles out revelations that kept me guessing until the end.
If you love heroines who refuse to surrender despite impossible odds, Rising Ember deserves a spot at the top of your TBR pile. I cannot wait to see where Clarissa's story goes next!
October 2, 2025
4.5
Freaking loved this book. I'm a fan of Sara's work & I'm just gonna say that this book did not disappoint. Rissa is the FMC who's life is changed in an unimaginable way when she is thrown into a power she didn't know she had, making her all confused, especially when she meets Gabriel, someone who wants to help her but must also keep his distance to not reveal anything. As she navigates to understand her power, while mourning the life she has always dreamed of & wanted, there's others who have different and far worse plans than anyone could have imagined. Specially Ty, he's like the other side of a coin, but the worst kind his personality kind of reminded me a bit of Cato from the Hunger Games because of his indifference towards who they call the Rylari. As the story progresses, we get introduced to more characters, each who play their part some good others not so good. But it still leaves you on suspense cause you never know what could happen.
If you love to read a book that is dystopian, has clean romance leaves you with suspense & craving more of the story. This book is definitely for you.
Freaking loved this book. I'm a fan of Sara's work & I'm just gonna say that this book did not disappoint. Rissa is the FMC who's life is changed in an unimaginable way when she is thrown into a power she didn't know she had, making her all confused, especially when she meets Gabriel, someone who wants to help her but must also keep his distance to not reveal anything. As she navigates to understand her power, while mourning the life she has always dreamed of & wanted, there's others who have different and far worse plans than anyone could have imagined. Specially Ty, he's like the other side of a coin, but the worst kind his personality kind of reminded me a bit of Cato from the Hunger Games because of his indifference towards who they call the Rylari. As the story progresses, we get introduced to more characters, each who play their part some good others not so good. But it still leaves you on suspense cause you never know what could happen.
If you love to read a book that is dystopian, has clean romance leaves you with suspense & craving more of the story. This book is definitely for you.
May 14, 2026
This story came about because I had a headache. My husband told me a story about people with glowing eyes who could wield fire—and that was the extent of his version. Being an author and a fan of The Hunger Games and fairytales, I morphed his fire wielding tale into an epic dystopian fantasy where those with power are enslaved to a king with an agenda.
Clarissa was a joy to write. Her sassiness is everything I am not. But coming from a small backwater town, her POV is limited to what she sees… and there are so many characters carrying secrets in this series that I struggled to hold their perspectives back. I constantly track what other characters are doing during each scene. If you ask what so-and-so’s character is doing during chapter x, I’ll have an answer for you.
But this is her story. I wanted readers to discover this world through her eyes: the outsider who dreamed of being a healer and never wanted any part of a war. Maybe once she uncovers those secrets, I’ll layer in other characters’ POVs in later books.
I hope readers have as much fun reading it as I had writing it!
Clarissa was a joy to write. Her sassiness is everything I am not. But coming from a small backwater town, her POV is limited to what she sees… and there are so many characters carrying secrets in this series that I struggled to hold their perspectives back. I constantly track what other characters are doing during each scene. If you ask what so-and-so’s character is doing during chapter x, I’ll have an answer for you.
But this is her story. I wanted readers to discover this world through her eyes: the outsider who dreamed of being a healer and never wanted any part of a war. Maybe once she uncovers those secrets, I’ll layer in other characters’ POVs in later books.
I hope readers have as much fun reading it as I had writing it!
November 12, 2025
Dangerous games. Kill or be killed. Can she survive a king's ruthless arena?
Clarissa craves an escape. An orphan forced into criminal acts with other kids by their caretaker, she longs to break free and become a healer. But when an archenemy provokes a deadly confrontation, the seventeen-year-old awakens hidden powers in an explosive and fiery defense.
Seized by soldiers and taken to the capital along with her only friend, Clarissa trains alongside other slaves to fight in the royal army. But surrounded by mysterious strangers and running low on trust, the desperate captive fears graduation day will be her last.
Is Clarissa destined to die in chains?
Rising Ember is the thrilling first book in The Ember Crown YA dystopian fantasy series. If you like strong-willed heroines, nail-biting drama, and clean slow-burn romance, then you’ll love Sara Wright’s action-packed adventure.
Clarissa craves an escape. An orphan forced into criminal acts with other kids by their caretaker, she longs to break free and become a healer. But when an archenemy provokes a deadly confrontation, the seventeen-year-old awakens hidden powers in an explosive and fiery defense.
Seized by soldiers and taken to the capital along with her only friend, Clarissa trains alongside other slaves to fight in the royal army. But surrounded by mysterious strangers and running low on trust, the desperate captive fears graduation day will be her last.
Is Clarissa destined to die in chains?
Rising Ember is the thrilling first book in The Ember Crown YA dystopian fantasy series. If you like strong-willed heroines, nail-biting drama, and clean slow-burn romance, then you’ll love Sara Wright’s action-packed adventure.
December 8, 2025
I couldn't put this one down! Don't be fooled if this is in the young adult section, the language and pacing are far from juvenile This story moves fast without sacrificing detail or plot. It draws you into the world almost immediately and while some themes might seem familiar, there are so many twists and turns and shifts to the story line. There are so many well-crafted (without being monotonously detailed) action scenes, I was never sure where the story would end up. Characters are relatable and I went through so many emotions along with Clarissa throughout. I expected the story to leave me at a cliffhanger as so many series do, but there was more story every time. I can't wait to read the next installment! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 30, 2025
What an amazing story!
Clarissa is an orphaned thief who wants to be a healer. Mrs. Brown has one last job for her. But things go awry when her bully confronts her and tears her necklace off, revealing that she is rivalry, someone with fire powers. Powers she never knew about.
This throws her into a whole different world. She is pushed into training, learning to fight and use her fire. Gabriel, the providence's son, is her trainer. And she has a soft spot for him.
The goal? To face and survive the arena. The rumors of a blue flame are rampent. But why? Her friend Luna promises to explain but when things get out of control, Clarissa is faced with a decision. But can she make the right one?
An amazing start to the series!
Clarissa is an orphaned thief who wants to be a healer. Mrs. Brown has one last job for her. But things go awry when her bully confronts her and tears her necklace off, revealing that she is rivalry, someone with fire powers. Powers she never knew about.
This throws her into a whole different world. She is pushed into training, learning to fight and use her fire. Gabriel, the providence's son, is her trainer. And she has a soft spot for him.
The goal? To face and survive the arena. The rumors of a blue flame are rampent. But why? Her friend Luna promises to explain but when things get out of control, Clarissa is faced with a decision. But can she make the right one?
An amazing start to the series!
December 17, 2025
This YA dystopian fantasy is full of action, intrigue, and character growth! It has a Hunger Games feel, with challenges and survival themes, but also magical elements and space fantasy feels. Both the characters and relationships felt genuine and well developed. I loved how the heroine, Clarissa, stepped into her power over time. There was a definite message of "Embrace who you are" - which is a message someone gives her and also a journey the reader got to go on with Clarissa.
Clarissa and Gabriel were a nice balance to each other and I appreciate the YA-appropriate romance.
A fun addition to the genre. Looking forward to the next one!
Clarissa and Gabriel were a nice balance to each other and I appreciate the YA-appropriate romance.
A fun addition to the genre. Looking forward to the next one!
December 21, 2025
stunning ya dystopian fantasy
Fire-wielders might be my new favorite super power! What a well-woven story this was by a skilled author, Sara Wright. Rising Ember is the story of a young woman who accidentally discovers her powers at the same time as she taken captive. What follows is a ya dystopian fantasy mashup reminiscent of both Hunger Games in the arena and Divergent sims with a dash of Red Queen thrown in for the super powers. This series starter is propulsive and addictive and I will be continuing into the next in series, if only to see if perhaps Ms. Wright may weave a sprinkle of romance into the mix.
Fire-wielders might be my new favorite super power! What a well-woven story this was by a skilled author, Sara Wright. Rising Ember is the story of a young woman who accidentally discovers her powers at the same time as she taken captive. What follows is a ya dystopian fantasy mashup reminiscent of both Hunger Games in the arena and Divergent sims with a dash of Red Queen thrown in for the super powers. This series starter is propulsive and addictive and I will be continuing into the next in series, if only to see if perhaps Ms. Wright may weave a sprinkle of romance into the mix.
September 29, 2025
A great story. Clarissa is captured with Luna who is a Rylari and she discovers that she is one too. She is given to Gabriel to train and she will struggle to accept the power she has. This book is full of drama between Gabriel, her trainer and Ty who wanted to train her, friendship between two different people, danger as the Rylari are forced to challenge for survival at the kings request, and it ends with a surprising cliff-hanger. I enjoyed the story immensely and look forward to reading the next book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 9, 2025
The story follows Ember, a young woman navigating the challenges of single motherhood and past trauma, as she forms an unexpected connection with a kindhearted stranger who helps her rebuild her life. Wright’s writing is emotional and engaging, with vivid character development and a slow-burn romance that feels authentic. It is a touching, uplifting read for fans of emotional romances with strong characters.
September 30, 2025
Y’all! Sara Wright drops us into Clarissa’s brutal world with the subtlety of a fireball to the face. We’ve got an orphan aching for freedom, a snarky inner fire (literally), and a king’s arena that makes The Hunger Games look like a backyard scuffle. Clarissa isn’t your cookie-cutter YA heroine—she’s raw, desperate, stubborn, and oh-so easy to root for. The girl just wants to heal, but the universe says: nah, let’s set everything on fire instead. 🔥
Sara Wright’s writing? Sharp as a blade and dripping with tension. She paints the arena with sensory punch—you can smell the sweat, hear the clang of steel, taste the fear. And that slow-burn romance? Like embers glowing under ash, waiting to explode.
Plot = addictive. Characters = magnetic. Prose = cinematic. This book doesn’t just pull you in—it sears itself into your imagination.
If you’re craving danger, drama, and a heroine who refuses to bow, this is your next obsession. 👑🔥
Sara Wright’s writing? Sharp as a blade and dripping with tension. She paints the arena with sensory punch—you can smell the sweat, hear the clang of steel, taste the fear. And that slow-burn romance? Like embers glowing under ash, waiting to explode.
Plot = addictive. Characters = magnetic. Prose = cinematic. This book doesn’t just pull you in—it sears itself into your imagination.
If you’re craving danger, drama, and a heroine who refuses to bow, this is your next obsession. 👑🔥
October 1, 2025
SO awesome!
This dystopian fantasy has it all. A, divided kingdom, orphans, unique powers, found family, & a slow burn romance! Clarissa is an orphan who longs to break away and pursue her desire of becoming a healer. What she didn’t know, was that she’s built for destruction. Little does she know she would end up in the King’s hands. Will Clarissa and her friends survive? The story will have you on the edge of your seat rooting for her. Hold on, because it’s a wild ride!
This dystopian fantasy has it all. A, divided kingdom, orphans, unique powers, found family, & a slow burn romance! Clarissa is an orphan who longs to break away and pursue her desire of becoming a healer. What she didn’t know, was that she’s built for destruction. Little does she know she would end up in the King’s hands. Will Clarissa and her friends survive? The story will have you on the edge of your seat rooting for her. Hold on, because it’s a wild ride!
October 3, 2025
This was one of those *Can't put down* books. Sara Wright gives readers action, suspense, and emotions that captures imaginations. Such a beautifully written adventure! Once I started, I had to finish as fast as life allowed. Although listed as YA, it will capture adults veering away overboard spice. Can't wait to read the second book!
October 9, 2025
Thanks to Sara for this ARC. I so enjoyed this book! I am new to the world of dystopian fantasy but this one drew me right in. I love the setting and the plot. The world building is incredible without being info dropping and I really enjoy the fire magic versus the non magic aspect. I can’t wait to read more of Sara’s work.
September 3, 2025
this book was so good. I loved the setting of the story. it gave me hunger games and divergent vibes. I love rissa she was my favorite character. I loved her attitude and no matter what happened she never gave up. I can't wait to read the next book in the series
October 1, 2025
I enjoyed the storyline and the flow of how this book was written. I scored it 4/5 because I have high expectations for the next book whenever it comes out. Sara Wright did a great job on this book and I can’t wait for the remainder of this series. I highly recommend this book to read.
May 20, 2026
This book kept me reading from start to finished. Plot moved at a good pace to keep you interested
May 30, 2026
What a start!
This is a well-paced book one of a series! I'm so happy I picked this book up!! You will not be disappointed.
This is a well-paced book one of a series! I'm so happy I picked this book up!! You will not be disappointed.
September 30, 2025
An incredible beginning to a new series Rising Ember: The Ember Crown by Sara Wright and it was unputdownable. I couldn't stop reading once I started. There is action, adventure, friendships found, and sorrow. I kinda felt like I was reading a cross between The Hunger Games and Divergent, but still it's own unique story. The characters were fantastic, well thought out, and engaging with plenty of growth throughout the book. And Sara has her own unique flair for weaving in brilliant, beautiful, and magical world building. I absolutely enjoyed this book and highly recommend it! Can't wait for book 2!
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