A Ballad of Dark Embers: The Immortal Wars Cycle

by Madison P. Crow

Ashelyn Bloodthorne is darkness. She is war, and blood, and death.

For years, she has known nothing but the confines of a prison cell and the cruelty of those who put her there. Stripped of everything but her shadows, Ashelyn has learned to embrace the monster the world believes her to be.

Until a stranger is thrown into her cell.

Aden Knightfell is a general of the infamous Night Men, an army sworn to the father that abandoned her. His arrival threatens the only existence Ashelyn has ever known, setting in motion an escape that will drag her from the darkness of prison to the shores of Awrena.

But freedom comes at a price.

A kingdom on the brink of war. A throne she never asked for. A legacy soaked in blood. And a man she cannot stand, whose presence awakens a connection she refuses to acknowledge.

As Ashelyn struggles to master the power lurking within her, she must decide whether to become the ruler Awrena needs or the weapon her enemies have always feared.

Because some monsters are born in darkness and others are made there.

Genres: Fantasy

Paperback

Published October 1, 2026

About the author

Madison is a fantasy/romance writer, a wife, equestrian, and the mother of three beautiful girls. When she isn't chasing the fairies who have "squandered" away her household forks with her little girls, she can be found between the pages of a book or the back of a horse.

Hailing from a small town in Texas, Madison graduated from NCTC with a degree in Equine Science. Having first stepped in the saddle at a young age, she has spent a majority of her life in the equine and livestock industry. Moving into her adulthood, she decided to pursue a degree relating to her passion and became a horse trainer outside of college. Life had other plans of course, and after having children, she leapt into the adventure of being a stay at home mom.

In her free time she enjoys writing, creating digital art, painting, working horses, and reading. Some of the genre's you might find her reading are fantasy, dark romance, and a cross somewhere between the two.

Reviews

[Halee German · Rating 4 out of 5]

This being the authors first book, I think it was great!! Gave me ACOTAR vibes. I really enjoyed this read and will recommend to others.

[Migeldy Mauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️

Let's begin with it definitely needs some Content Warnings

Řäpė
Torture
Explicit violence/Death
Anxiety & Anxiety Attacks
PTSD
Blood and gore depiction
Dismemberment
Decapitation
Imprisonment
Whipping
Among others


Though we only get to read a portion of what Ashe went through in the cells
She was kept in a cell a tortured over and over again for 400 years.
The fact that she came out of it sane says a lot of how strong her character is.
I love how the main characters are not perfect and have their flaws but we see them grow in book 1
My heart aches for both Ashe and Aden and I just hope we see them grow closer in the second book.

I really enjoyed this book a lot.
It's medium pace but the scenes to me were very vivid and I just kept clutching my invisible heart strings 😭
Her nightmares haunt her and I felt that in visceral level.

"I'll keep you awake and here, if you keep me from the darkness."

😭😭😭😭

[Holly Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has left me a bit speechless, to be honest. It was written so well! It was tragic, and beautiful, and dark yet uplifting... Ashelyn is such a strong character that easily made her way into my heart and had me feeling all the feels. Aden was simply perfection. ❤ A slow burn with lots of tension leading up to the spice and it is so worth the wait! 🔥
I absolutely see this book being one of the few that I read over and over again and waiting until September for book 2 is going to kill me slowly.

[Emily Henderson · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

Honestly where to begin when i first started the book i was not sure how to feel about, the more i read the more i could not put the book between the banter, ashe ( one of the main characters) she honestly made me a mad, (dont worry i still love her) i loved following her on her journey and there was just some twists i was not expecting i can not wait to keep reading!!
I will be recommending this book!!

[Skyla Burcum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need book 2!!!

Oh Madison! Just wow! I finally got the chance to sit and start on this book! And just wow I fell in love and cannot wait for book 2! It held me captivated so much so I did not want it to end! Love love love it!!!

[Caitlin Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know authors are insanely talented in general, but this being her debut novel I was in SHOCK. It is so well written and has one of those plots that draw you in and make you immediately want the next book in the series!!

[kindlecraze · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of fantasy books—the worlds, the characters, and especially a badass FMC. And this book delivers it all! A strong female lead? Check. A badass crew, gripping drama, an exciting plot, and tension that keeps you glued to the pages? Double check! It’s beautifully written and absolutely unputdownable. Highly recommend!

[Christiane_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve decided that books where the MC starts out in prison are GOLD! I love the way Madison weaves a beautiful and intriguing story. I was captivated from the first moment and could not put this down. Ashelyn has been through hell and I love how she faces her trauma while also being the badass we all know she is. Aden was so easy to fall in love with. He’s grumpy and protective and sweet all at the same time. And that ending! I’m just glad I have the next one ready to go!

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot wait to read the next book. The story itself is really fantastic. A little sprinkle of spice, good banter. It's a book you have to read a little bit of to really get into it in my opinion since there's a lot going on. As the first book in a series, it felt like a prologue for what's to come which I really enjoy. Remember to check for any potential triggers. Books it reminded me of a little that I have read recently enough to remember the names of: Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass (series), Kingdom of the Wicked (series)

[Stefanie Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

This is a very visual story with interesting characters. I loved it and can’t wait to read the next book!

[Caitlin Meadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book for her re release and let me tell you....5/5 stars! this book was worth it! The magic, the story it was all so unique! I loved the plot, the YEARNING, the banter!! Ashe is my girl and Aden the man you are! This book was definitely worth the read!

[Skylor Van Arsdale · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I started this book and devoured it so fast! It was really good and super fun to read. I loved this book! Can’t wait for book 2! Definitely worth reading!

[Tamara Pacheco · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I read this book a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it. I was fortunate enough to receive a bookish box with the physical book from the author as well and the book is beautiful.

Overall rating: 4
Spice: 2

So this book was beautifully written. I think the world in this book is quite interesting. Almost like a fantasy world dystopian vibes. There are points where she references the "old world" before the war and how she likes to tinker with cars from the old world (no cars now) and mentions skyscrapers as part of the old world. I don't feel like we get a really good understanding of that in this book but it was interesting and I am looking forward to learning how she ties that in more.

Ashelyn is a bad a**. I love that she is not some 19/20 year-old girl. Madison does so well at being able to portray this internal struggle of trying to confront the trauma of the past while balancing the goals of the mission. This book is basically one big training montage (who doesn't love a good training montage) with some force proximity in there. Aden is such a loveable character and the banter between him, Ashelyn, and the other Night Men is great! There are so many things touched on in this book that I don't feel are addressed yet regarding the history of the wars, magic, political structure, etc. but I do think that she is leaving these pieces out for a reason to better enable the character development and world building throughout the series. I am excited to read the next installment and see where this journey takes us!