What do you think?
Rate this book
Souls of Fire #4
Ashes Reborn
The clock is ticking as Emberly - a phoenix capable of taking human form - races to take revenge against the sadistic and mysterious Rinaldo. The elusive rebel leader threatens to keep killing until he is given all of the research about a plaguelike virus derived from vampire blood.
Forced to reach out to the Paranormal Investigations Team for help, Emberly and her partner, Jackson, must decide who to trust as they follow the trail of dead bodies. When classified information is leaked and their safe house is ambushed, Emberly's suspicions are confirmed - someone at PIT has betrayed them.
A final battle looms and Emberly will need to command all her powers - or watch the world turn to ash...
Forced to reach out to the Paranormal Investigations Team for help, Emberly and her partner, Jackson, must decide who to trust as they follow the trail of dead bodies. When classified information is leaked and their safe house is ambushed, Emberly's suspicions are confirmed - someone at PIT has betrayed them.
A final battle looms and Emberly will need to command all her powers - or watch the world turn to ash...
351 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2017
73 people are currently reading
1421 people want to read
About the author
Keri Arthur
100 books6,002 followersKeri Arthur, author of the New York Times bestselling Riley Jenson, Guardian series, has now written more than 25 books. She's received several nominations in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Awards, and recently won RT's Career Achievement Award for urban fantasy. She lives in Melbourne with her daughter and two crazy dogs
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
April 28, 2017
Ashes Reborn (Souls of Fire #4) by Keri Arthur is an amazing fantasy book that is unique which is refreshing. A phoenix, vampires, mystery, action, suspense, intrigue, and more. Great fantasy, plot, and characters. I haven't read the other books but I didn't feel lost at all. Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.
November 17, 2025
Ashes Reborn just reconfirms my opinion that this is going to be another series that I must read. Fast paced, the action intense and an urban fantasy that I can really sink my teeth into!
The storytelling is gritty and raw. Action intense.
This is not for the light hearted:
Ashes Reborn contains a described rape. I'm not a fan of those types of scenes in my reading material. I felt this could of be omitted and still show the emotional intensity that the author was shooting for.
What I really loved about this book:
Complexity in its characters and plot. Ashes Reborn is written in such a way that the cast is humanized even when they are fantasy creatures. The plot is evolving with masterfully constructed twists and turns.
The sexual tension doesn't take away from the meat/heart of the story but still burns with fiery passion.
Compelling and original plot. I can honestly say I've never read anything quite like this before and enjoy delving deeper into the world Arthur has created. Ashes Reborn thrust us deeper into the Souls of Fire world. Capturing the reader in its talons and keeping us here for the long haul.
I received this ARC copy of Ashes Reborn from Berkley Publishing Group - Berkley. This is my honest and voluntary review. Ashes Reborn is set for publication Sept. 5, 2017.
The storytelling is gritty and raw. Action intense.
This is not for the light hearted:
Ashes Reborn contains a described rape. I'm not a fan of those types of scenes in my reading material. I felt this could of be omitted and still show the emotional intensity that the author was shooting for.
What I really loved about this book:
Complexity in its characters and plot. Ashes Reborn is written in such a way that the cast is humanized even when they are fantasy creatures. The plot is evolving with masterfully constructed twists and turns.
The sexual tension doesn't take away from the meat/heart of the story but still burns with fiery passion.
Compelling and original plot. I can honestly say I've never read anything quite like this before and enjoy delving deeper into the world Arthur has created. Ashes Reborn thrust us deeper into the Souls of Fire world. Capturing the reader in its talons and keeping us here for the long haul.
I received this ARC copy of Ashes Reborn from Berkley Publishing Group - Berkley. This is my honest and voluntary review. Ashes Reborn is set for publication Sept. 5, 2017.
September 28, 2017
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
ASHES REBORN is a brilliant urban fantasy story with unique characters and a plot filled with action, suspense, and intrigue. The mythology of phoenixes is complex and refreshing in a genre filled with vampires, witches, and werewolves. The reincarnation and resurrection abilities of phoenixes is fascinating and I would have welcomed a few more pages just explaining those abilities. While the story got bogged down and confusing at times with too many story lines, the main story thread was fun and action packed.
All of the characters were well developed and I found myself actually really caring about what happens to them which is pretty amazing considering I hadn't read the previous books to even establish a connection with them beforehand. I enjoyed seeing how a phoenix's powers work and seeing Emberly battle bad guys with awesome fire powers was pretty cool. I wasn't a huge fan of the romantic relationships Emberly is involved with. They seemed overly convoluted at times and slowed down the more interesting plot involving research on a plague like virus that could kill tons of people.
While I enjoyed Emberly as a classic urban fantasy heroine, I took issue with her reaction to her rape. First of all rape is never something I look forward to reading and it's made much worse when Emberly shakes it off as if it was nothing. I get having to move the plot forward, but in some cases stopping the story to reflect on a rape or another traumatic event warrants a pause in the action. Also, this rape in no way affected the plot nor did it involve any character development or growth for any of the characters. It could have been cut out or been a simple kidnapping with a few punches and kicks thrown and the story would have been the same. She even ends up comforting her friend who feels the rape through her. That felt really wrong to me, as it takes away her rightful victimhood and does a disservice to people who have actually been through this trauma.
Aside from my huge issue on the rape, ASHES REBORN had a fun, action-packed plot and some cool phoenix mythology that I wouldn't mind delving into more.
ASHES REBORN is a brilliant urban fantasy story with unique characters and a plot filled with action, suspense, and intrigue. The mythology of phoenixes is complex and refreshing in a genre filled with vampires, witches, and werewolves. The reincarnation and resurrection abilities of phoenixes is fascinating and I would have welcomed a few more pages just explaining those abilities. While the story got bogged down and confusing at times with too many story lines, the main story thread was fun and action packed.
All of the characters were well developed and I found myself actually really caring about what happens to them which is pretty amazing considering I hadn't read the previous books to even establish a connection with them beforehand. I enjoyed seeing how a phoenix's powers work and seeing Emberly battle bad guys with awesome fire powers was pretty cool. I wasn't a huge fan of the romantic relationships Emberly is involved with. They seemed overly convoluted at times and slowed down the more interesting plot involving research on a plague like virus that could kill tons of people.
While I enjoyed Emberly as a classic urban fantasy heroine, I took issue with her reaction to her rape. First of all rape is never something I look forward to reading and it's made much worse when Emberly shakes it off as if it was nothing. I get having to move the plot forward, but in some cases stopping the story to reflect on a rape or another traumatic event warrants a pause in the action. Also, this rape in no way affected the plot nor did it involve any character development or growth for any of the characters. It could have been cut out or been a simple kidnapping with a few punches and kicks thrown and the story would have been the same. She even ends up comforting her friend who feels the rape through her. That felt really wrong to me, as it takes away her rightful victimhood and does a disservice to people who have actually been through this trauma.
Aside from my huge issue on the rape, ASHES REBORN had a fun, action-packed plot and some cool phoenix mythology that I wouldn't mind delving into more.
April 23, 2017
Emberley has already suffered losses in the battle against the Red Vampire plague – and has only just managed to resurrect her fellow Phoenix Rory from his ashes.
But even with the leader of the Red Vampires dead, the threat continues – rebel vampire Rinaldo is threatening to use them as a weapon against the city – and one city block has already been destroyed in the last conflict.
Still seeking the research which may be the cure to this threat, Embrley and Jackson have to work with the secret Paranormal Police Force, PIT to try and survive and stop the bodies piling up: and their own being among them
This series has so many original elements I love – starting first and foremost with the whole concepts of the phoenixes as protagonists. The whole concept of them as beings that resurrect and reincarnate but are far from without flaws or weaknesses is interesting how it’s done.
Emberley’s relationship with Rory is fascinating. There are so many stories out there where we have couples forced into a sexual relationship because of woo-woo. It’s an inevitable storyline which has two people who hate each other forced into a romance, with lots of anger and resistance followed by them finally giving and in and twu love follows. I’m not a fan.
So to have this –have Emberley and Rory care for each other – but not romantically. How they accept their bond happily, not as a burden or something which always drags them down; it’s really refreshing. That this is not pushing them towards romance nor is it some desperate dark sadness that dogs both of them with angst and tragedy
Not that there isn’t angst in the life of Emberley – but I also like how this broken relationship with Max is treated. Normally when I see that a protagonist’s love life is cursed I turn and run so far because oh my gods the angst that will follow! But here? Not so much. Oh it hurts Emberley and she’s not happy about it – but that doesn’t mean she can’t work with Max and isn’t quite happy pursuing other relationships rather than moping all alone hoping Max comes back to her. She likes Jackson, she has a good time with him. It is a bit overly sex focused (when, my gods, sometimes I just want them to get on with the plot and stop worrying about Jackson’s dick) and she has fun and a life even if her romantic life has all fallen apart that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a life.
The main characters, their conflicts and the world really make this book worth reading. And I really like the take on the elves and if anything needs expanding then it’s definitely the different kinds of elves and the powers and cultures they have.
I really feel that this series really does need to trim some characters and concepts. We have so many sides: we have the Syndicati vampires, we have the Red Vampires and the wizard, we have apparently new big-bad Rinaldo . We have the wererats. We have the werewolves. We have our heroes. We have PIT who are now kind of working with our heroes
We have scientists and lost notes on the virus, we have a gang of rogue vampires looking for a home, we have a wandering telepath. And we have some kind of ominous big dark apparently lurking in the future.
It’s all so crowded and confused that I’ve kind of forgotten big chunks. Like I get that Emberly and Jackson are now working somewhat co-operatively with PIT but I can’t quite remember how smoothly that happened. I know they have a beef with the rats but it’s all a little fuzzy as to why because so much has happened
This also tends to make the story lacking impact and focus. After shifting most of the focus to Rinaldo as the big bad and the threat, that underlying fear about the Red Vampire virus gets kind of lost. There’s this fear of a plague of raging red vampires taking over the city but it’s all kind of banished into the background and it’s all more about which group is threatening Emberly and Jackson at the moment, finding tokens (which could be anything at this point) to placate each faction and generally trying to stay alive. They keep chasing down this scientific research but I’m not even sure why half the factions even need or want this research any more.
Read More
But even with the leader of the Red Vampires dead, the threat continues – rebel vampire Rinaldo is threatening to use them as a weapon against the city – and one city block has already been destroyed in the last conflict.
Still seeking the research which may be the cure to this threat, Embrley and Jackson have to work with the secret Paranormal Police Force, PIT to try and survive and stop the bodies piling up: and their own being among them
This series has so many original elements I love – starting first and foremost with the whole concepts of the phoenixes as protagonists. The whole concept of them as beings that resurrect and reincarnate but are far from without flaws or weaknesses is interesting how it’s done.
Emberley’s relationship with Rory is fascinating. There are so many stories out there where we have couples forced into a sexual relationship because of woo-woo. It’s an inevitable storyline which has two people who hate each other forced into a romance, with lots of anger and resistance followed by them finally giving and in and twu love follows. I’m not a fan.
So to have this –have Emberley and Rory care for each other – but not romantically. How they accept their bond happily, not as a burden or something which always drags them down; it’s really refreshing. That this is not pushing them towards romance nor is it some desperate dark sadness that dogs both of them with angst and tragedy
Not that there isn’t angst in the life of Emberley – but I also like how this broken relationship with Max is treated. Normally when I see that a protagonist’s love life is cursed I turn and run so far because oh my gods the angst that will follow! But here? Not so much. Oh it hurts Emberley and she’s not happy about it – but that doesn’t mean she can’t work with Max and isn’t quite happy pursuing other relationships rather than moping all alone hoping Max comes back to her. She likes Jackson, she has a good time with him. It is a bit overly sex focused (when, my gods, sometimes I just want them to get on with the plot and stop worrying about Jackson’s dick) and she has fun and a life even if her romantic life has all fallen apart that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a life.
The main characters, their conflicts and the world really make this book worth reading. And I really like the take on the elves and if anything needs expanding then it’s definitely the different kinds of elves and the powers and cultures they have.
I really feel that this series really does need to trim some characters and concepts. We have so many sides: we have the Syndicati vampires, we have the Red Vampires and the wizard, we have apparently new big-bad Rinaldo . We have the wererats. We have the werewolves. We have our heroes. We have PIT who are now kind of working with our heroes
We have scientists and lost notes on the virus, we have a gang of rogue vampires looking for a home, we have a wandering telepath. And we have some kind of ominous big dark apparently lurking in the future.
It’s all so crowded and confused that I’ve kind of forgotten big chunks. Like I get that Emberly and Jackson are now working somewhat co-operatively with PIT but I can’t quite remember how smoothly that happened. I know they have a beef with the rats but it’s all a little fuzzy as to why because so much has happened
This also tends to make the story lacking impact and focus. After shifting most of the focus to Rinaldo as the big bad and the threat, that underlying fear about the Red Vampire virus gets kind of lost. There’s this fear of a plague of raging red vampires taking over the city but it’s all kind of banished into the background and it’s all more about which group is threatening Emberly and Jackson at the moment, finding tokens (which could be anything at this point) to placate each faction and generally trying to stay alive. They keep chasing down this scientific research but I’m not even sure why half the factions even need or want this research any more.
Read More
Read
August 9, 2017Putting this to the side. Maybe I'll come back to it someday. It's written well enough, but once I put it aside to read a couple of other shiny new books, I realized I no longer cared enough to go back to it.
One thing really bothers me - . Basically, it was a cheap shot by the author to create a cliffhanger... that was immediately resolved in this book. That alone tainted the read for me.
One thing really bothers me - . Basically, it was a cheap shot by the author to create a cliffhanger... that was immediately resolved in this book. That alone tainted the read for me.
May 23, 2019
WARNING: Rape scene in Chapter 8.
September 1, 2017
I think that I need to be done with this series. I found myself only mildly interested while reading. I was glad that Emberly was able to get Rory back, glad that Emberly has settled into comfort with Jackson, even glad that Emberly was able to somewhat settle things with Sam. The action with PIT was blah. The shifters coming into play was sort of interesting.
October 16, 2020
Ashes Reborn is the fourth book in Keri Arthur’s Souls of Fire series, and it’s left me with a number of questions. Although I would not label this my biggest urban fantasy addiction, it certainly had me wanting to see how the story played out. I fear, however, that I’m never going to find out. Thus, I recommend people be aware of the fact before going into the series.
Although this one left me with a number of questions, it was another story that I was happy to power through in a single sitting. A lot happens in this series, and this book has all the elements thrown into it. Lots of pieces came together in this one, with things moving at a rapid pace, but it still wasn’t enough for me to fall completely in love with the series. At this point – and after some of the events that happened in this one – I think it’s because there’s no emotional connection with the main character. The story is interesting, but there is no real feeling that has me hurting alongside the characters.
All in all, this was another addictive addition to the series, I just wish there was more to give me the answers I need.
Although this one left me with a number of questions, it was another story that I was happy to power through in a single sitting. A lot happens in this series, and this book has all the elements thrown into it. Lots of pieces came together in this one, with things moving at a rapid pace, but it still wasn’t enough for me to fall completely in love with the series. At this point – and after some of the events that happened in this one – I think it’s because there’s no emotional connection with the main character. The story is interesting, but there is no real feeling that has me hurting alongside the characters.
All in all, this was another addictive addition to the series, I just wish there was more to give me the answers I need.
August 17, 2017
Ugh. My feelings about this book are mixed. On the one hand, it was pretty fun (in kind of a guilty pleasure way). On the other hand, it definitely had some issues.
This was a fun and kind of interesting book. It's basically a bunch of sexy supernatural being who investigate crimes. Between the many action scenes and investigating, there's a bunch of flirty banter and innuendo. It all felt a little contrived, but was also kind of fun and I enjoyed seeing how the author included various supernatural beings. Emberly, the main character, is a phoenix - a humanoid being who can be reborn through fire, for example. That was pretty well done. And having various witches and faes and vampires all interact together was enjoyable to read and I was definitely interested in seeing what happened next.
But this book had too many problems for me to dismiss. To begin with, Emberly is a textbook Mary Sue kind of character. She's good at everything and she's everyone's love interest and everyone knows/fears/admires her because of her amazing abilities and she's even a mysterious phoenix, which most people don't really understand or know much about. The whole thing was a bit much and Emberly was so bland in comparison with many of the other characters.
My biggest issue with this book was how was handled. I would've enjoyed this story a lot more without this bit of nonsense.
Overall, this is a reasonably fun book that lovers of paranormal romance will thoroughly enjoy.
This was a fun and kind of interesting book. It's basically a bunch of sexy supernatural being who investigate crimes. Between the many action scenes and investigating, there's a bunch of flirty banter and innuendo. It all felt a little contrived, but was also kind of fun and I enjoyed seeing how the author included various supernatural beings. Emberly, the main character, is a phoenix - a humanoid being who can be reborn through fire, for example. That was pretty well done. And having various witches and faes and vampires all interact together was enjoyable to read and I was definitely interested in seeing what happened next.
But this book had too many problems for me to dismiss. To begin with, Emberly is a textbook Mary Sue kind of character. She's good at everything and she's everyone's love interest and everyone knows/fears/admires her because of her amazing abilities and she's even a mysterious phoenix, which most people don't really understand or know much about. The whole thing was a bit much and Emberly was so bland in comparison with many of the other characters.
My biggest issue with this book was how was handled. I would've enjoyed this story a lot more without this bit of nonsense.
Overall, this is a reasonably fun book that lovers of paranormal romance will thoroughly enjoy.
September 17, 2017
Emberly and her partner, Jackson need to find the callous and enigmatic Rinaldo in order to eliminate him, because of the threats the intangible leader continues to make if he doesn't get the research he wants them to find and bring to him. However, not knowing who the pair can trust, Emberly and Jackson do their best to stay off the radar. Yet, it seems that's impossible. Will they be able to take Rinaldo out once and for all, or will everything crash and burn until life as Emberly knows it is no more?
This is a series that I absolutely love, as the books are always filled with plenty of action when it comes to the main character's paranormal abilities; fast-paced storylines that make me wonder whether Jackson and Emberly will be able to get out of danger they constantly find themselves in; and riveting dialogue that has me liking both the main characters, as Jackson and Emberly have been through so much in their lives and go through so much together throughout each book. However, this book should have at least come with a warning, as Emberly suffers a harrowing trauma that some readers might find they can't handle.
However, in saying that, this book was still a very interesting and entertaining read that had me hooked from the beginning because of what happened to one of the secondary characters in the previous book and what Emberly must do to bring him back to life as her phoenix's other half. Will the ceremony work? Yet, what had me reading this story quickly is the fact I was determined to discover whether Emberly and Jackson would finally take out their enemy, so he couldn't continue to hurt anyone they care for. Will the Paranormal Investigation Team be able to offer Emberly and Jackson any help or will they only make things worse?
Both the main characters were fascinating, as they have a tight bond that Emberly didn't even know was possible until it happened. However, I love how their bond continues to grow and I can't wait to see what happens next for this couple. Will Emberly be able to break the curse of her kind to find her happy ever after? Will Emberly be able to change the course of the warnings she's had from various paranormal creatures that know what's coming in the future? Moreover, Emberly is resilient, courageous and I liked how determined she was to take down the bad guys, even if she has to go through some really bad moments to be capable of getting what she wants. Yet, there were moments in this story that frustrated me and that is how Emberly handled what happened to her. Why wouldn't she talk about it, so it'd help both her and Jackson since he suffered just as much because of what happened?
Overall, Ms. Arthur has penned a really good read in this book where the chemistry between Jackson and Emberly is off-the-charts and has me hoping that these two end up together when this series comes to an end. The way this story ended had me on the edge-of-my-seat and worried for the main characters, as the bad guys certainly know how to thrown down a challenge and have readers wondering whether the good guys will come out on top. Will Emberly and Jackson be able to take Rinaldo out? Will their powers be enough to destroy the bad guys? I would recommend Ashes Reborn by Keri Arthur, if you enjoy paranormal romance or books by authors Faith Hunter, Ilona Andrews, Shannon Mayer and Christine Feehan.
March 24, 2018
Keri Arthur returns to her Souls of Fire series with Ashes Reborn as Emberly and Jackson continue their hunt for Rinaldo, the maniac vampire intent on unleashing a virus that could destroy the world and all the people in it! The tension and danger really amp up in this one! It’s a real nail-biter!
After to seeing to Rory’s rebirthing needs, Emberly and Jackson are back on the case trying to track down Rinaldo and the elusive notes that he seeks that are key to his virus plan. Rinaldo has given them 24 hours to do so or else. Adding to the problems, Emberly and Jackson realize that there very likely may be a mole in PIT because there’s been too many misses as of late.
I’ve been a fan of Keri Arthur for a long time running now! Her novels have always been so delightful! There’s action, suspense, sizzling romantic scenes, amazing characters…the list goes one! What this particular series has though is a good mystery of sorts! There’s scandal and possible moles, you never know who you can trust and there’s still the elusive bad guy who just always seems to be one step ahead! It makes for an exciting read!
We learn quite a whopper of a detail in this one and I definitely think it will shake up the future outcome of the storyline in the books to come. I am still not quite sure how long this series will be, but there’s definitely one more book to come if that ending was anything to go by!
As in all Keri’s books, we have quite the bit of romantic intrigue! For some reason, I’m not getting the feel good vibes of romance when it comes to Emberly and Jackson. Sure they’ve got fire between them, but I feel like things are more about lust than love. But they still make quite the pair and Jackson has me chuckling more often than not! Needless to say I like them as partners and friends more than any possible couple-ship that may come from their interactions.
This is definitely a read that keeps you turning the pages! As our heroes continue to try to outsmart the enemy, time is not on their side. Then there’s other enemies afoot that are in cahoots with Rinaldo! You soon don’t know who you can trust!
The ending to this one was pretty shocking! Not only do we learn something pretty explosive, but there’s another shock right at the last page! A bit smaller in the explosive section, but still one that will have me aching for the next book! Ashes Reborn was a fast paced read that kept me turning the pages as fast as I could! It was yet another incredibly amazing read from Keri Arthur, but I’ve come to expect that out of her books now!
Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars
After to seeing to Rory’s rebirthing needs, Emberly and Jackson are back on the case trying to track down Rinaldo and the elusive notes that he seeks that are key to his virus plan. Rinaldo has given them 24 hours to do so or else. Adding to the problems, Emberly and Jackson realize that there very likely may be a mole in PIT because there’s been too many misses as of late.
I’ve been a fan of Keri Arthur for a long time running now! Her novels have always been so delightful! There’s action, suspense, sizzling romantic scenes, amazing characters…the list goes one! What this particular series has though is a good mystery of sorts! There’s scandal and possible moles, you never know who you can trust and there’s still the elusive bad guy who just always seems to be one step ahead! It makes for an exciting read!
We learn quite a whopper of a detail in this one and I definitely think it will shake up the future outcome of the storyline in the books to come. I am still not quite sure how long this series will be, but there’s definitely one more book to come if that ending was anything to go by!
As in all Keri’s books, we have quite the bit of romantic intrigue! For some reason, I’m not getting the feel good vibes of romance when it comes to Emberly and Jackson. Sure they’ve got fire between them, but I feel like things are more about lust than love. But they still make quite the pair and Jackson has me chuckling more often than not! Needless to say I like them as partners and friends more than any possible couple-ship that may come from their interactions.
This is definitely a read that keeps you turning the pages! As our heroes continue to try to outsmart the enemy, time is not on their side. Then there’s other enemies afoot that are in cahoots with Rinaldo! You soon don’t know who you can trust!
The ending to this one was pretty shocking! Not only do we learn something pretty explosive, but there’s another shock right at the last page! A bit smaller in the explosive section, but still one that will have me aching for the next book! Ashes Reborn was a fast paced read that kept me turning the pages as fast as I could! It was yet another incredibly amazing read from Keri Arthur, but I’ve come to expect that out of her books now!
Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars
February 5, 2018
I love Arthur's writing and I have truly enjoyed this series. This is book 4 in a series about a phoenix and her eternal bonded "mate" phoenix (they aren't romantic) and the adventures she has with a fae named Jackson and their friends. There is a mafia sindicati of vampires, other bad vampires and a group of wizards and non supes that are trying to find a special formula.
Emberly is the main character and I like her. She's tough and not overly sentimental. The story is pretty good but unlike the first three books, I had trouble with this one. Normally, the character needs time to regenerate with her bonded phoenix or with live fire. And those scenes are usually woven into the story and make sense. But this book seemed to do it excessively and I felt as if we were constantly reviving the characters (despite the storyline which I cannot spoil).
And the second issue I have is - be warned -- a horrific thing happens to Emberly. And I didn't feel it was properly addressed by the characters involved. It was glossed over and it left me feeling wrong. And a bit angry. And took away from this book.
Yes, I will be tuning in for the next installment because I enjoy Arthur's storytelling and her world-building is good. But this particular issue needs to be addressed in the next book or I will not continue to be comfortable with this story. For that reason, a 4 star story gets a 3 from me.
Emberly is the main character and I like her. She's tough and not overly sentimental. The story is pretty good but unlike the first three books, I had trouble with this one. Normally, the character needs time to regenerate with her bonded phoenix or with live fire. And those scenes are usually woven into the story and make sense. But this book seemed to do it excessively and I felt as if we were constantly reviving the characters (despite the storyline which I cannot spoil).
And the second issue I have is - be warned -- a horrific thing happens to Emberly. And I didn't feel it was properly addressed by the characters involved. It was glossed over and it left me feeling wrong. And a bit angry. And took away from this book.
Yes, I will be tuning in for the next installment because I enjoy Arthur's storytelling and her world-building is good. But this particular issue needs to be addressed in the next book or I will not continue to be comfortable with this story. For that reason, a 4 star story gets a 3 from me.
September 13, 2017
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I always love all the novels by Keri Arthur and I was very curious to discover this third part of the adventures of our dear characters.
Always looking for the researches on the virus that everyone dreams of recovering, our heroes will once again face a lot of dangers. Rory resurrected, Emberly and Jackson have to go back to investigate before there are more murders. Yet, everyone is watching them and nothing is really that simple.
The enemies increase, others will become allies on a temporary basis and the allies may well reserve bad surprises. Indeed, it seems that the PIT has a mole who always manages to prevent Em and Jackson from getting a head start. Then, of course, there is also Sam … It is very difficult to decide in relation to this character whose nature is really changing but I confess that I am curious to see after the end of this novel how the story will evolve.
It was a nice novel to read and the author offers us new turns of situation that I did not expect. I confess that I am curious to see the consequences of all that was initiated here!
My English review
I always love all the novels by Keri Arthur and I was very curious to discover this third part of the adventures of our dear characters.
Always looking for the researches on the virus that everyone dreams of recovering, our heroes will once again face a lot of dangers. Rory resurrected, Emberly and Jackson have to go back to investigate before there are more murders. Yet, everyone is watching them and nothing is really that simple.
The enemies increase, others will become allies on a temporary basis and the allies may well reserve bad surprises. Indeed, it seems that the PIT has a mole who always manages to prevent Em and Jackson from getting a head start. Then, of course, there is also Sam … It is very difficult to decide in relation to this character whose nature is really changing but I confess that I am curious to see after the end of this novel how the story will evolve.
It was a nice novel to read and the author offers us new turns of situation that I did not expect. I confess that I am curious to see the consequences of all that was initiated here!
September 4, 2017
I have been a fan of Ms. Arthur for over 10 years now, even before she was with a “big” publisher, and I’ve loved her books. I am always glad to see a new series by her, and I have loved this series from the beginning, partly because I just love the phoenix mythology in this series; I wish we could find out more about others of their kind. We are now at book four in the Souls of Fire series, and this book contains the well-written, action-packed, thrill-ride fun I always expect from this author. Emberly and Jackson have a wonderful relationship, but I hope that she and Sam can find their way back…I saw maybe a little glimpse of that. I have to admit to being a little confused with all the factions that are in this book. I kept forgetting who are allies with whom, and which factions Emberly and Jackson can “trust.” And, I have no idea with the stress the characters are under in this book how they can remember all the people they need to report to. However, I went with it, and I could mostly ignore it. Don’t let this dissuade you, because it’s still a great addition to the series! Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.
July 29, 2022
The last 2 books felt a little slow at times but the 4th installment comes with a BANG! IS THERE A #5? I need to know where this story goes next.
February 17, 2018
Ashes Reborn is the fourth book in the Souls of Fire series and unfortunately could end up being another Memory Zero. Dread is, unfortunately, overshadowing my enjoyment of this action-packed instalment.
Ashes Reborn picks up a couple of days after the roaring events of Flameout. Emberly races against the clock to get revenge against the sadistic and mysterious Rinaldo for Rory's death and the pain of his rebirth. Emberly and Jackson are forced to reach out to the Paranormal Investigations Team for help even though they are certain there's a mole within their ranks.
First off, I need more of this series immediately. Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen anytime soon, if ever. This series has been dropped by the publisher and all future Keri Arthur books will be self-published for the foreseeable. Keri Arthur has outlined the rest of the series but has not yet begun writing and is currently unsure if she will continue with the series. Prepare yourselves for another Memory Zero!
Ashes Reborn was a typical Keri Arthur. It was fast-paced, action-packed and did not skimp on the gory details.
Keri Arthur's writing just gets better and better. She has fine-tuned her storytelling to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Almost every scene in Ashes Reborn moves the series and the characters forward. There is very little time for unnecessary exposition and aside from the characteristic recap included within snippets of the first chapter, Ashes Reborn is all forward momentum.
This is an urban fantasy not for the faint of heart. Be warned this book does contain a rape scene which could very easily have been avoided but the author felt it was necessary so I personally accept that. The manner in which Arthur deals with the rape was, for me, within character. I believe it would be dealt with in future instalments as Emberly helps Jackson come to terms with it.
This book hinted at so many things to come that when I read the final line, I found myself filled with dread. The ties binding Emberly and Jackson to PIT grew exponentially during this books, and there were countless hints about future events and the darkness spreading across Australia.
Ashes Reborn answered numerous questions and ended many plot lines, but it also opened countless more and left us wanting more from Emberly and Sam's relationship.
Reading this book was a joy and I really wish the knowledge of the series potential end hadn't overshadowed that. Even so, I am rating it on my reading experience.
Ashes Reborn picks up a couple of days after the roaring events of Flameout. Emberly races against the clock to get revenge against the sadistic and mysterious Rinaldo for Rory's death and the pain of his rebirth. Emberly and Jackson are forced to reach out to the Paranormal Investigations Team for help even though they are certain there's a mole within their ranks.
First off, I need more of this series immediately. Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen anytime soon, if ever. This series has been dropped by the publisher and all future Keri Arthur books will be self-published for the foreseeable. Keri Arthur has outlined the rest of the series but has not yet begun writing and is currently unsure if she will continue with the series. Prepare yourselves for another Memory Zero!
Ashes Reborn was a typical Keri Arthur. It was fast-paced, action-packed and did not skimp on the gory details.
Keri Arthur's writing just gets better and better. She has fine-tuned her storytelling to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Almost every scene in Ashes Reborn moves the series and the characters forward. There is very little time for unnecessary exposition and aside from the characteristic recap included within snippets of the first chapter, Ashes Reborn is all forward momentum.
This is an urban fantasy not for the faint of heart. Be warned this book does contain a rape scene which could very easily have been avoided but the author felt it was necessary so I personally accept that. The manner in which Arthur deals with the rape was, for me, within character. I believe it would be dealt with in future instalments as Emberly helps Jackson come to terms with it.
This book hinted at so many things to come that when I read the final line, I found myself filled with dread. The ties binding Emberly and Jackson to PIT grew exponentially during this books, and there were countless hints about future events and the darkness spreading across Australia.
Ashes Reborn answered numerous questions and ended many plot lines, but it also opened countless more and left us wanting more from Emberly and Sam's relationship.
Reading this book was a joy and I really wish the knowledge of the series potential end hadn't overshadowed that. Even so, I am rating it on my reading experience.
September 5, 2017
The Souls of Fire series has lots of action, limited sex and not very much in the way of romance. Even reading them in order, I am having trouble keeping all the details after a year passes between books. I went back to read my reviews and once I started reading I didn't feel lost.
In Ashes Reborn, Rory is reborn after dying at the end of the Flameout. So he is on the sidelines. Emberly and Jackson continue to work together, supporting each other, but they are on a tightrope between PIT and Rinaldo. It was a constant struggle without much ability to progress intelligently with others jerking their chains. There were plenty of fights but not a huge amount of new information to solve the overall mystery of the disease.
With all the rushing around, battles and injuries, they barely had time to sleep or eat. Or have sex. It also limited the amount of character or relationships development. It was a quick read with all the non-stop events. The depth of feelings wasn't there for me. There didn't seem to be time for the connection of the characters. When Sam did try to talk to Emberly, she brushed him off several times.
While Ashes Reborn is my least favorite, the series is consistently a great read. This transition in the plot leaves much unsolved, so I will definitely be looking forward to the next one. I tweeted the author and she was kind enough to respond. The fifth book will be self published, but as she has 4 books already releasing in 2018, it is likely to be in 2019.
The books in order:
Fireborn 4 stars
Wicked Embers 4 stars
Flameout 4.5 stars
September 13, 2020
Fourth in the Souls of Fire paranormal fantasy series and revolving around a phoenix who is a private detective, Emberly Pearson, in Melbourne, Australia.
My Take
Ooh, that Arthur is mean. She keeps us off-balance with how much power Rinaldo actually has, De Luca's loose vampires desperate for security, Sam's thawing attitude, and all those conflicting scientists-turned-vampires who are working on the formula. Then there are the various shifter packs who work to undermine each other.
She also stirs the pot with all those conflicting loyalties that are thrown about. Who is Frederick loyal to? What does Sam really want?
Arthur uses a first person protagonist point-of-view from Emberly's perspective, so everything we know is what she experiences and thinks.
It's a convoluted story that confuses the heck out of me what with all the twists and turns and the multitude of characters who do their own twisting and turning.
In Ashes Reborn, there is quite a bit in the process of being born again. The promise of the phoenix's resurrection (as well as its threat). Those condemned vampires from De Luca's den and the man, vampire, to whom they pledge their allegiance. Which side Baker or Radcliffe will decide their bread is better buttered on. The fate awaiting Jackson. And Sam's desperation at the end.
And Arthur is making me wait for #5 in the series...dagnabbit...
The Story
It's vampire culture that's playing against Emberly and PIT, as no one but Rinaldo is willing to take in De Luca's now-leaderless den. A group that is stubbornly determined to destroy Emberly and Jackson.
It's blackmail Rinaldo threatens, claiming he controls the red cloaks. Vampires who could spread a deadly plague throughout Melbourne, throughout the world.
Emberly and Jackson's mission is plagued by leaks and ambushes, right and left. Someone has betrayed them...and now a final battle looms.
The Characters
Emberly Pearson is a phoenix, partnered forever with Rory Jones, another phoenix, one who died in Flameout , 3. The mother is earth, a being worshipped by phoenixes and to whom they eventually return.
Jackson Miller is an infected fire fae who owns Hellfire Investigations, a private investigations agency, with Emberly. He's struggling to contain the flaming ability he got from Emberly. Adán and Dmitri are earth fae who are friends of Jackson's and who have helped out before. Makani, an air fae who has stepped away from reading the wind, is another, ahem, friend of Jackson's. She's volunteering to play secretary. Her son, Hava, is in training to become a fiosaiche.
Paranormal Investigations Team is...
...the paranormal policing unit, a specialist squad of humans and supernaturals to solve paranormal crimes. Chief Inspector Henrietta Richmond, Sam's boss, seems trustworthy.
Detective Sam Turner is one of PIT's top investigators. Rochelle, another dark fae, had been Sam's partner. Adam, a vampire, is Sam's current partner. Other PIT operatives include Brad Harvey and Lidia, who is the inspector's second.
The Witches
Grace Harkwell is a witch who had hired Hellfire in Flameout . Ronda Peterson is not the witch.
The Werewolves
Baker is the alpha of the city pack. Theodore Hunt is a werewolf hitman determined to kill Emberly.
The Rats
Marcus Radcliffe III runs the rat shifters' gambling operations as well as a string of secondhand stores that are a front for black market goods and information.
The Sindicati are...
...the collective name for the various vampire groups operating in Melbourne. Rinaldo, a.k.a. Reginald, is an evil vampire blackmailing Emberly and Jackson. Frederick is an infected witch working with him, who had been working with Luke.
Luke, the crazed leader of the red cloak vampires, had been Sam's brother. De Luca had led one faction but was killed.
The Coalition of Nonhumans is...
...a resource center providing financial and legal help to vampires and werewolves. With a very profitable side. "Harry Jones" and "Stephen White" are vampire assassins. Lee Rawlings is one of their bagmen.
Rosen Pharmaceuticals is...
...one of two private labs trying to find a cure for Crimson Death, the red cloak virus, a one-way plague resulting in either crazy pseudo vampires in a hive mind, a typical vampire still bound to the hive, or a vampire not bound to a hive mind. Denny Rosen had owned and run the lab ( Fireborn , 1). Janice Green had been his secretary. Denny Rosen Jr is his son.
"Felicity Hocking" is Janice's lover.
Professor James Wilson believes he's isolated the gene that causes vampirism. Amanda Wilson had pretended to be his wife, as she worked for the sindicati.
Chase Medical Research Institute is...
...the second private lab and where Professor Baltimore, another scientist working on the same problem, had worked. Emberly had been Baltimore's assistant.
Holdright Industries...
...specializes in warehouse storage manufacture. James Hamberly, Rosen Jr's sometime lover, used to work here (and was a victim of the Aswang in Flameout ); Mark Terral has replaced him. Mike, Gale, Frank Newton, and Brad Jenson works here.
Inspector James Cobden investigates the explosion at the cabin. VicRoads, a.k.a. the Roads Corporation of Victoria, is the Australian version of the DMV. Shona is a security guard who's seeing Jackson. Lan is a Filipino shaman and a friend of Emberly's and Makani's.
N41A is a drug that inhibits some magic. An inverter makes a wearer immune to telepathic intrusion. Fiosaiche is a fae term for shaman.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a dark backdrop of Melbourne with most of the cover taken up by a crouching Emberly, her body, in its jeans and black tank top, and red hair rising upward in a blanket of flames. At the very top is an info blurb in white. The author's name spans the top just below it in a bright blue. Beneath that is a testimonial in white with the writer's name in a paler blue. At the bottom, spanning Emberly's elbows is the title in white with the series info below that in the blue.
The title is all about Rory, for his Ashes Reborn.
My Take
Ooh, that Arthur is mean. She keeps us off-balance with how much power Rinaldo actually has, De Luca's loose vampires desperate for security, Sam's thawing attitude, and all those conflicting scientists-turned-vampires who are working on the formula. Then there are the various shifter packs who work to undermine each other.
She also stirs the pot with all those conflicting loyalties that are thrown about. Who is Frederick loyal to? What does Sam really want?
Arthur uses a first person protagonist point-of-view from Emberly's perspective, so everything we know is what she experiences and thinks.
It's a convoluted story that confuses the heck out of me what with all the twists and turns and the multitude of characters who do their own twisting and turning.
In Ashes Reborn, there is quite a bit in the process of being born again. The promise of the phoenix's resurrection (as well as its threat). Those condemned vampires from De Luca's den and the man, vampire, to whom they pledge their allegiance. Which side Baker or Radcliffe will decide their bread is better buttered on. The fate awaiting Jackson. And Sam's desperation at the end.
And Arthur is making me wait for #5 in the series...dagnabbit...
The Story
It's vampire culture that's playing against Emberly and PIT, as no one but Rinaldo is willing to take in De Luca's now-leaderless den. A group that is stubbornly determined to destroy Emberly and Jackson.
It's blackmail Rinaldo threatens, claiming he controls the red cloaks. Vampires who could spread a deadly plague throughout Melbourne, throughout the world.
Emberly and Jackson's mission is plagued by leaks and ambushes, right and left. Someone has betrayed them...and now a final battle looms.
The Characters
Emberly Pearson is a phoenix, partnered forever with Rory Jones, another phoenix, one who died in Flameout , 3. The mother is earth, a being worshipped by phoenixes and to whom they eventually return.
Jackson Miller is an infected fire fae who owns Hellfire Investigations, a private investigations agency, with Emberly. He's struggling to contain the flaming ability he got from Emberly. Adán and Dmitri are earth fae who are friends of Jackson's and who have helped out before. Makani, an air fae who has stepped away from reading the wind, is another, ahem, friend of Jackson's. She's volunteering to play secretary. Her son, Hava, is in training to become a fiosaiche.
Paranormal Investigations Team is...
...the paranormal policing unit, a specialist squad of humans and supernaturals to solve paranormal crimes. Chief Inspector Henrietta Richmond, Sam's boss, seems trustworthy.
Detective Sam Turner is one of PIT's top investigators. Rochelle, another dark fae, had been Sam's partner. Adam, a vampire, is Sam's current partner. Other PIT operatives include Brad Harvey and Lidia, who is the inspector's second.
The Witches
Grace Harkwell is a witch who had hired Hellfire in Flameout . Ronda Peterson is not the witch.
The Werewolves
Baker is the alpha of the city pack. Theodore Hunt is a werewolf hitman determined to kill Emberly.
The Rats
Marcus Radcliffe III runs the rat shifters' gambling operations as well as a string of secondhand stores that are a front for black market goods and information.
The Sindicati are...
...the collective name for the various vampire groups operating in Melbourne. Rinaldo, a.k.a. Reginald, is an evil vampire blackmailing Emberly and Jackson. Frederick is an infected witch working with him, who had been working with Luke.
Luke, the crazed leader of the red cloak vampires, had been Sam's brother. De Luca had led one faction but was killed.
The Coalition of Nonhumans is...
...a resource center providing financial and legal help to vampires and werewolves. With a very profitable side. "Harry Jones" and "Stephen White" are vampire assassins. Lee Rawlings is one of their bagmen.
Rosen Pharmaceuticals is...
...one of two private labs trying to find a cure for Crimson Death, the red cloak virus, a one-way plague resulting in either crazy pseudo vampires in a hive mind, a typical vampire still bound to the hive, or a vampire not bound to a hive mind. Denny Rosen had owned and run the lab ( Fireborn , 1). Janice Green had been his secretary. Denny Rosen Jr is his son.
"Felicity Hocking" is Janice's lover.
Professor James Wilson believes he's isolated the gene that causes vampirism. Amanda Wilson had pretended to be his wife, as she worked for the sindicati.
Chase Medical Research Institute is...
...the second private lab and where Professor Baltimore, another scientist working on the same problem, had worked. Emberly had been Baltimore's assistant.
Holdright Industries...
...specializes in warehouse storage manufacture. James Hamberly, Rosen Jr's sometime lover, used to work here (and was a victim of the Aswang in Flameout ); Mark Terral has replaced him. Mike, Gale, Frank Newton, and Brad Jenson works here.
Inspector James Cobden investigates the explosion at the cabin. VicRoads, a.k.a. the Roads Corporation of Victoria, is the Australian version of the DMV. Shona is a security guard who's seeing Jackson. Lan is a Filipino shaman and a friend of Emberly's and Makani's.
N41A is a drug that inhibits some magic. An inverter makes a wearer immune to telepathic intrusion. Fiosaiche is a fae term for shaman.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a dark backdrop of Melbourne with most of the cover taken up by a crouching Emberly, her body, in its jeans and black tank top, and red hair rising upward in a blanket of flames. At the very top is an info blurb in white. The author's name spans the top just below it in a bright blue. Beneath that is a testimonial in white with the writer's name in a paler blue. At the bottom, spanning Emberly's elbows is the title in white with the series info below that in the blue.
The title is all about Rory, for his Ashes Reborn.
December 5, 2017
Must read book filled with action, heartbreak and tough choices. Emberly is back in the 4th book in this series. This can not be read as a standalone. Read the books in the order to understand what has happened as these books build upon one another.
The life of a phoenix is hard as there are no happy endings. There is just a constant cycle of not meeting the right person at the right time. In addition, the complication of needing more than one lover hurts Emberly to no end. This no win situation with her love life carries over into her work life. Even though Emberly has done everything she can to help the Paranormal Investigations Team and wants out of the crazy vampires, she is still stuck. Someone has it in for her and her lovers. Is it Rinaldo? Who is really the villain behind the curtain? Ms. Arthur's writing style tends to give readers red herrings for the real villain. And sometimes, it is hard to tell if a character is a villain or just an anti-hero. Ms. Arthur does love her anti-heroes and trusted friends who become betrayers. It makes a reader wonder if Ms. Arthur has suffered through betrayal from someone close to her. It is a recurring theme in all her series. I digress.
This fast moving story also contains delicious sexual tension. Emberly's continued attraction and sexual interludes with Jackson are guilt free and arousing. Emberly's strained relationship with Sam is still unresolved and becomes more tense in this one. Clearly Sam wants to make some sort of amends and Emberly isn't willing to listen. I get it. He broke her heart and then shacks up with a bloody beyotch. Talk about totally settling from second best. It makes a reader wonder if Emberly will ever get her happily ever after. Especially as Ms. Arthur is known of killing off characters and giving bittersweet endings. Maybe Emberly will be the first to come through unscathed. She is a phoenix who can handle fire.
The plot in this story does move forward and yet it brings about more questions. It also allows Emberly to build more allies as well as make more enemies. The complexity of the characters and the plot make this story rich in layers. I revel in the details and the little hints Ms. Arthur drops throughout the book. This urban fantasy is highly recommended to readers who want a complex story with complicated characters and even more complicated love lives.
*provided by NetGalley
The life of a phoenix is hard as there are no happy endings. There is just a constant cycle of not meeting the right person at the right time. In addition, the complication of needing more than one lover hurts Emberly to no end. This no win situation with her love life carries over into her work life. Even though Emberly has done everything she can to help the Paranormal Investigations Team and wants out of the crazy vampires, she is still stuck. Someone has it in for her and her lovers. Is it Rinaldo? Who is really the villain behind the curtain? Ms. Arthur's writing style tends to give readers red herrings for the real villain. And sometimes, it is hard to tell if a character is a villain or just an anti-hero. Ms. Arthur does love her anti-heroes and trusted friends who become betrayers. It makes a reader wonder if Ms. Arthur has suffered through betrayal from someone close to her. It is a recurring theme in all her series. I digress.
This fast moving story also contains delicious sexual tension. Emberly's continued attraction and sexual interludes with Jackson are guilt free and arousing. Emberly's strained relationship with Sam is still unresolved and becomes more tense in this one. Clearly Sam wants to make some sort of amends and Emberly isn't willing to listen. I get it. He broke her heart and then shacks up with a bloody beyotch. Talk about totally settling from second best. It makes a reader wonder if Emberly will ever get her happily ever after. Especially as Ms. Arthur is known of killing off characters and giving bittersweet endings. Maybe Emberly will be the first to come through unscathed. She is a phoenix who can handle fire.
The plot in this story does move forward and yet it brings about more questions. It also allows Emberly to build more allies as well as make more enemies. The complexity of the characters and the plot make this story rich in layers. I revel in the details and the little hints Ms. Arthur drops throughout the book. This urban fantasy is highly recommended to readers who want a complex story with complicated characters and even more complicated love lives.
*provided by NetGalley
January 26, 2018
c2017 (10) FWFTB: phoenix, mysterious, rebel, virus, vampire blood. So, perhaps trying Ms Arthurs books again by jumping into the middle of a series was not the best idea that I have ever had. Still, I found the story and writing all a little meh. Apologies - it was me and not the book but unable to recommend to the normal crew. "The rise to consciousness was abrupt. One minute I was out; the next I was awake."
January 30, 2018
Thank you Netgalley and Keri Arthur for this book
Keri Arthors books are always enjoyable. One thing I love about her books is that she gives enough detail throughout each book that if you miss a book (or start in the middle of a series) you can still follow what is going on. I also love that all of her female characters are strong and individual. I will keep reading any of Keri's books that I can get my hands on!
Keri Arthors books are always enjoyable. One thing I love about her books is that she gives enough detail throughout each book that if you miss a book (or start in the middle of a series) you can still follow what is going on. I also love that all of her female characters are strong and individual. I will keep reading any of Keri's books that I can get my hands on!
January 27, 2018
Emberly helps her phoenix mate be reborn, while trying to keep all those trying to kill her or force her to do their bidding off her back while she tries to find the notes to the red cloak virus. So much going on, it will keep you turning pages right to the end and wanting more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2018
This series keeps getting better and better. Character depth plus PLOT that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Emberly is kick ass! I love that in a main character.
Keri Arthur is such a great story teller. I can’t wait for more!
Emberly is kick ass! I love that in a main character.
Keri Arthur is such a great story teller. I can’t wait for more!
October 20, 2017
4 stars
I just did a binge read of Books 1-4. For some reason, I thought this was only a 4 book series, but it is definitely not, so now I'll be left wanting for a year for the next book! This is a super solid UF series read and I think it takes a fresh spin on things.
Here's what I like so far:
*The main character is a phoenix, and no, she is not a shifter but rather a spirit being. For me, this is a really different spin and at first I didn't know how I felt, but I'm totally digging it. There are quite a few unique factors for the phoenix (though not all great).
*It still has all the other paranormal beings I like to read about too: vampires, shifters, fae, and witches.
*I'm digging the plot line and the world building.
*There's also some super hot scenes...although it's not the love story I want it to be. (Here's to hoping).
*For me this is a big bonus in a UF series - the stories do not end in cliffhangers, but more of "that's it for now; until next time." But there is still plot continuation and story arcs in each book. For me it's the perfect blend of not leaving you on a major cliff, but each book is also not its own neatly contained story.
Things I do not dig as much:
*It's not that I do not like this aspect, but the plot has a bunch of moving parts. Just about everyone is out to get the heroine, and if it was not for a binge read, I think I would have had trouble keeping everyone straight. (I'll def need a refresh before book 5)
*The romance aspect is a bit too slow for my personal taste. So the phoenixes are not gifted in the love department (I don't want to give spoilers) and there is a whole situation surrounding the heroine and an ex-love. I guess I'm just hoping that there is an opportunity for a love story to actually happen despite the curse of the phoenix. If not, I think I'll be pretty bummed.
I just did a binge read of Books 1-4. For some reason, I thought this was only a 4 book series, but it is definitely not, so now I'll be left wanting for a year for the next book! This is a super solid UF series read and I think it takes a fresh spin on things.
Here's what I like so far:
*The main character is a phoenix, and no, she is not a shifter but rather a spirit being. For me, this is a really different spin and at first I didn't know how I felt, but I'm totally digging it. There are quite a few unique factors for the phoenix (though not all great).
*It still has all the other paranormal beings I like to read about too: vampires, shifters, fae, and witches.
*I'm digging the plot line and the world building.
*There's also some super hot scenes...although it's not the love story I want it to be. (Here's to hoping).
*For me this is a big bonus in a UF series - the stories do not end in cliffhangers, but more of "that's it for now; until next time." But there is still plot continuation and story arcs in each book. For me it's the perfect blend of not leaving you on a major cliff, but each book is also not its own neatly contained story.
Things I do not dig as much:
*It's not that I do not like this aspect, but the plot has a bunch of moving parts. Just about everyone is out to get the heroine, and if it was not for a binge read, I think I would have had trouble keeping everyone straight. (I'll def need a refresh before book 5)
*The romance aspect is a bit too slow for my personal taste. So the phoenixes are not gifted in the love department (I don't want to give spoilers) and there is a whole situation surrounding the heroine and an ex-love. I guess I'm just hoping that there is an opportunity for a love story to actually happen despite the curse of the phoenix. If not, I think I'll be pretty bummed.
September 8, 2017
Review originally posted on A Book Obsession
Unfortunately this will not be a full review due to an event that completely overshadowed any enjoyment I had while reading other parts of the book. I will not spoil things, but suffice it to say that an incredibly horrifying sequence of events happens to Emberly that I couldn't get past. Actually it was more the aftermath and the way said events were all but brushed aside that left an incredibly sour taste in my mouth. It took me several days to finish the book, and honestly I really only continued reading due to a need to see if those events were ever really dealt with. Unfortunately they weren't. Furthermore, Emberly the victim, somehow got the least consideration, and the one who experienced the event as a by product got most of the focus and worry. I just couldn't, especially as the event did nothing at all to progress the story or plot. There were so many other outcomes and paths that could have been taken with a similar plot progression. It simply was unnecessary.
As much as I enjoy this series, and the characters, and Keri's writing overall, this book was just not for me. Perhaps I should be able to see past the event, but I just can't due to the way it was handled.
It almost pains me to rate one of my favorite author's books so low, but this one just was not up my alley. I will however hope to continue the series and just look past this book, giving things a clean slate.
Unfortunately this will not be a full review due to an event that completely overshadowed any enjoyment I had while reading other parts of the book. I will not spoil things, but suffice it to say that an incredibly horrifying sequence of events happens to Emberly that I couldn't get past. Actually it was more the aftermath and the way said events were all but brushed aside that left an incredibly sour taste in my mouth. It took me several days to finish the book, and honestly I really only continued reading due to a need to see if those events were ever really dealt with. Unfortunately they weren't. Furthermore, Emberly the victim, somehow got the least consideration, and the one who experienced the event as a by product got most of the focus and worry. I just couldn't, especially as the event did nothing at all to progress the story or plot. There were so many other outcomes and paths that could have been taken with a similar plot progression. It simply was unnecessary.
As much as I enjoy this series, and the characters, and Keri's writing overall, this book was just not for me. Perhaps I should be able to see past the event, but I just can't due to the way it was handled.
It almost pains me to rate one of my favorite author's books so low, but this one just was not up my alley. I will however hope to continue the series and just look past this book, giving things a clean slate.
August 29, 2017
I gave it 3.5 stars
The Phoenix is so interesting to me and ASHES REBORN threw in another reason why I wouldn't mind being one. Who wouldn't want to be able to be reborn into yourself again?
I continue to like the characters in the Souls of Fire series. I like some more than others, but they are all well developed and bring something to the storyline.
I hate to say it, but I have to be honest. The romance between Emberly and Jackson is boring me. Maybe that is what the author is going for and if so she is doing a great job, but I don't enjoy them together as a couple at all anymore and I keep waiting for Emberly and a certain someone to get over their hurt and give it another shot.
My only real issue with this series is that there is a little too much going on. There are multiple different groups with multiple different issues and it can get a little confusing at times. My only issue with ASHES REBORN is that there is a rape involved and I didn't feel like it was taken as seriously as I expected. I understand that people react differently to things of this nature, but the worry wasn't really for the person that was physically raped, but for another character. It could just be my issue, but bothered me, so I had to mention it.
I had it in my head that ASHES REBORN was the final book of the series which isn't the case and I look forward to seeing how everything ends when the end comes.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The Phoenix is so interesting to me and ASHES REBORN threw in another reason why I wouldn't mind being one. Who wouldn't want to be able to be reborn into yourself again?
I continue to like the characters in the Souls of Fire series. I like some more than others, but they are all well developed and bring something to the storyline.
I hate to say it, but I have to be honest. The romance between Emberly and Jackson is boring me. Maybe that is what the author is going for and if so she is doing a great job, but I don't enjoy them together as a couple at all anymore and I keep waiting for Emberly and a certain someone to get over their hurt and give it another shot.
My only real issue with this series is that there is a little too much going on. There are multiple different groups with multiple different issues and it can get a little confusing at times. My only issue with ASHES REBORN is that there is a rape involved and I didn't feel like it was taken as seriously as I expected. I understand that people react differently to things of this nature, but the worry wasn't really for the person that was physically raped, but for another character. It could just be my issue, but bothered me, so I had to mention it.
I had it in my head that ASHES REBORN was the final book of the series which isn't the case and I look forward to seeing how everything ends when the end comes.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 16, 2017
Another good addition to the soul of fire series. I made the mistake of jumping ahead one book by accident and it sorta spoiled it for me. It was truly an accident since I thought I had already finished the previous book. First page of this proved that belief false.
Im loving Jackson and the addition of the newer fae. The relationship between sam and Emberly is ever growing and constantly changing. I wish Rory would get more book time. I feel he should be more involved then he is. Here is a phoenix who has spent centuries with Emberly and yet we see so much more of other characters. A short story of the two in past lives would be an interesting read.
One part of the book did bother me quite a bit. I did not like how Keri Arthur handled the "event". It portrayed as not a big deal and not serious. Emerbly has a very been there and done that attitude. It felt unreal and disturbing. The attitude was far more disturbing then the actual "event". The event doesnt give true victims enough credit and treats it as something small. The book would of been far better without it. Ultimately that is why I only gave the book 3 stars. Patrica briggs handled the subject far better in her mercy series.
Im loving Jackson and the addition of the newer fae. The relationship between sam and Emberly is ever growing and constantly changing. I wish Rory would get more book time. I feel he should be more involved then he is. Here is a phoenix who has spent centuries with Emberly and yet we see so much more of other characters. A short story of the two in past lives would be an interesting read.
One part of the book did bother me quite a bit. I did not like how Keri Arthur handled the "event". It portrayed as not a big deal and not serious. Emerbly has a very been there and done that attitude. It felt unreal and disturbing. The attitude was far more disturbing then the actual "event". The event doesnt give true victims enough credit and treats it as something small. The book would of been far better without it. Ultimately that is why I only gave the book 3 stars. Patrica briggs handled the subject far better in her mercy series.
October 29, 2017
The connection between Emberly and Jackson is one of the more intriguing elements of the story. Neither of them have any real idea how their fusion is going to evolve or whether there will be more negative or positive repercussions for either one of them.
Their strange partnership, and the odd new powers one of them seems to possess, have to take a back-seat so they can focus on a threat to the supernatural and human community. Rinaldo is willing to kill anyone and destroy anything to get his hands on any research relating to a plague-like virus. A virus that can drive the contaminated person to madness.
Arthur delivers a fast-paced fiery urban fantasy with strong characters and a story that ends with a hook so the readers will come back for the next book.
Arthur’s Riley Jenson urban fantasy series is outstanding, and doesn't get as much attention as it should. She has a flair for innovative ideas and strong female leads. Her Souls of Fire series offers readers both of these elements.
*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.*
Their strange partnership, and the odd new powers one of them seems to possess, have to take a back-seat so they can focus on a threat to the supernatural and human community. Rinaldo is willing to kill anyone and destroy anything to get his hands on any research relating to a plague-like virus. A virus that can drive the contaminated person to madness.
Arthur delivers a fast-paced fiery urban fantasy with strong characters and a story that ends with a hook so the readers will come back for the next book.
Arthur’s Riley Jenson urban fantasy series is outstanding, and doesn't get as much attention as it should. She has a flair for innovative ideas and strong female leads. Her Souls of Fire series offers readers both of these elements.
*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.*
November 13, 2017
For my entire review, please check out the blog: https://amlyvers.blogspot.com/2017/11...
I really like the world building in this series; however, there's too much explanation and info dumps in the beginning and the romance doesn't have much progression. Maybe that's unfair since it's the fourth installment and I haven't read the previous books. There's also an event that hits one of my triggers (details in the blog post). As my first taste in this series, I wanted to like it, but will not be continuing.
I really like the world building in this series; however, there's too much explanation and info dumps in the beginning and the romance doesn't have much progression. Maybe that's unfair since it's the fourth installment and I haven't read the previous books. There's also an event that hits one of my triggers (details in the blog post). As my first taste in this series, I wanted to like it, but will not be continuing.
October 23, 2017
I liked the book but there is always so much going on. You really have to pay attention so that you don't miss anything. Sometimes I find myself reading these book and really having no idea what is going on then I have to go back and read the section again. I think I would like these better if they weren't quite so busy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews