What do you think?
Rate this book
Shadowfire #2
Emergence
A new breed of nightmare
Broken relationships. Broken heart. Broken world.
Ember has left illusions behind in Somraque, but reality is just as treacherous in a land where nothing is static. Not even the ground beneath her feet.
To find the missing fragment and fulfil the prophecy, she has to rebuild the trust left in ashes in the Whispers. While Mordecai might have placed his faith in his enemies, will they be able to do the same to the monster in their midst?
And more importantly—can a Savior even exist in a world that does not want to be saved?
Broken relationships. Broken heart. Broken world.
Ember has left illusions behind in Somraque, but reality is just as treacherous in a land where nothing is static. Not even the ground beneath her feet.
To find the missing fragment and fulfil the prophecy, she has to rebuild the trust left in ashes in the Whispers. While Mordecai might have placed his faith in his enemies, will they be able to do the same to the monster in their midst?
And more importantly—can a Savior even exist in a world that does not want to be saved?
- GenresFantasy
684 pages, Paperback
Published October 29, 2019
1 person is currently reading
230 people want to read
About the author
Gaja J. Kos
177 books289 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author Gaja J. Kos writes steamy urban fantasy and paranormal romance, rich with sizzling tension and soulmates who come in pairs, menage, or reverse harem constellations. Why choose, right?
As a Zodiac enthusiast and shameless summer babe, she thrives on finding magic in everyday life. She loves binge reading high-heat series, seeing her favorite rockstars live in concert, and spending time with her husband and two Chinese Crested dogs.
For more information on Gaja’s books, you can download your free guide and reading checklist at gajajkos.com!
As a Zodiac enthusiast and shameless summer babe, she thrives on finding magic in everyday life. She loves binge reading high-heat series, seeing her favorite rockstars live in concert, and spending time with her husband and two Chinese Crested dogs.
For more information on Gaja’s books, you can download your free guide and reading checklist at gajajkos.com!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 14, 2019
I received an arc from Gaja J. Kos. This is my honest review.
4 stars.
What a gorgeous sequel! I had very high expectations when going into this book and let me tell you it definitely delivered. Firstly, I do want to mention that the beginning seems a little bit slow (no worries, no spoilers), but it is packed with information and you get to know the characters very well. I loved the fact that some of the characters got a lot more depth and dimension to them.
Once the book truly picks up the amount of information is overwhelming and while it's a lot to take in, it is also incredibly important for the story and super interesting to read. I loved the relationship between the characters! Ember and Mordecai are my absolute favourite but Ivarr really grew on me, he is such a well-rounded character and I really enjoyed how he turned into a very trusted friend. I loved Mae and especially Nyon.
Svitanya itself was interesting to explore and during the first chapters it really made me question what I was reading, but once it became clear it really intrigued me. the world building was really nice, same goes for the plot and the character development! I just really enjoyed this book and it is definitely one of my favourite reads of the year!
"You don't surrender. Even when your nails chip and bleed from clawing at the dirt that wants to put you under, you don't give up."
4 stars.
What a gorgeous sequel! I had very high expectations when going into this book and let me tell you it definitely delivered. Firstly, I do want to mention that the beginning seems a little bit slow (no worries, no spoilers), but it is packed with information and you get to know the characters very well. I loved the fact that some of the characters got a lot more depth and dimension to them.
Once the book truly picks up the amount of information is overwhelming and while it's a lot to take in, it is also incredibly important for the story and super interesting to read. I loved the relationship between the characters! Ember and Mordecai are my absolute favourite but Ivarr really grew on me, he is such a well-rounded character and I really enjoyed how he turned into a very trusted friend. I loved Mae and especially Nyon.
Svitanya itself was interesting to explore and during the first chapters it really made me question what I was reading, but once it became clear it really intrigued me. the world building was really nice, same goes for the plot and the character development! I just really enjoyed this book and it is definitely one of my favourite reads of the year!
November 8, 2019
Oh how I want this book already.....
Want to read
February 6, 2019I need Ember and Mordecai reunited ASAP!
September 29, 2019
ARC provided to me by the authors in exchange for my honest review.
·
"Possibilities, even if they came hand in hand with uncertainty, were far more agreeable than an irrevocably shattered future."
·
Ember Norcross comes from earth shattering lies and blinding light; with the recent discovery that the world she has always known was fractured a long time ago, and having been given the unwanted title of Savior, Ember has found herself facing the most difficult decisions of her life.
Leaving her heart behind in a land she was just starting to understand, love and appreciate, Ember and her unlikely friends will find themselves in the midst of a land that may or may not want to be saved.
Traversing time and space has been hardest thanks to the fact trust has been shattered... Have her future and purpose been rendered futile, because Svitanye and its people may not want to be saved?
·
Before I start my review, I would like to thank authors Gaja and Boris Kos for sending this absolutely gorgeous ARC my way; it's signed which makes my literary heart so happy - and my name as well as bookstagram handle are in the acknowledgements and I feel as though I could die a happy death, because this was just the sweetest surprise!
Now, where do I even begin? This beauty is the second book in a trilogy and those of you who are used to writing reviews know how difficult sequels are; partly because you want everyone to read a series you adore, but mostly because you want to gush about every single little detail and can't for fear you will spoil a vital piece of information.
With that being said, Emergence is everything I wanted and needed it to be, and so much more. I have said it before and I'll reiterate it as many times as I need to, but Evenfall is written in the prettiest writing style I have ever had the pleasure of reading, so it's no surprise that Emergence swept me off my feet with its absolutely perfect prose. It was such a delight reading every chapter, not only because I deeply care about the characters and setting, but because the authors' writing style is truly a balm for my soul.
In this highly anticipated sequel we follow our heroine, Ember Norcross, as she makes her way across the volatile and hazardous land of Svitanye, in search of a powerful item that will restore a sense of balance to the universe. She is determined, brave, and overall? The bad-ass woman I aspire to be when I grow up. Although I am sure if you have started this fantastic series, there's an ever present question in your mind: what about Mordecai? The brooding (with reason) Crescent Prince? And to that I tell you to back off because he's mine and always will be. In all seriousness, however, he is as perfectly imperfect as ever and trying to do his best with what he has and I adore him for it.
The suppirting cast of characters is wonderful and although I love some more than others, my goodness do they all play a very important role in the narrative! Ivarr slowly squeezed his way into my heart and that is all I'm going to say about that.
The ending is intense and bears the perfect (yet shocking) mark of a cliffhanger, which means I cannot wait to find out how everything is going to end.
The authors were kind enough to include a couple of extra chapters and let me tell you, I lived for them! It was such a pleasant surprise to find them after I believed everything had ended.
Lastly, if you haven't yet picked up Evenfall, what are you waiting for? It features a slow-burn romance, fabulous characters, a unique setting and the adventure of a lifetime! This series quickly became one of my favorites of all time and I highly recommend it.
Emergence deserves all the twinkling stars!
·
"Possibilities, even if they came hand in hand with uncertainty, were far more agreeable than an irrevocably shattered future."
·
Ember Norcross comes from earth shattering lies and blinding light; with the recent discovery that the world she has always known was fractured a long time ago, and having been given the unwanted title of Savior, Ember has found herself facing the most difficult decisions of her life.
Leaving her heart behind in a land she was just starting to understand, love and appreciate, Ember and her unlikely friends will find themselves in the midst of a land that may or may not want to be saved.
Traversing time and space has been hardest thanks to the fact trust has been shattered... Have her future and purpose been rendered futile, because Svitanye and its people may not want to be saved?
·
Before I start my review, I would like to thank authors Gaja and Boris Kos for sending this absolutely gorgeous ARC my way; it's signed which makes my literary heart so happy - and my name as well as bookstagram handle are in the acknowledgements and I feel as though I could die a happy death, because this was just the sweetest surprise!
Now, where do I even begin? This beauty is the second book in a trilogy and those of you who are used to writing reviews know how difficult sequels are; partly because you want everyone to read a series you adore, but mostly because you want to gush about every single little detail and can't for fear you will spoil a vital piece of information.
With that being said, Emergence is everything I wanted and needed it to be, and so much more. I have said it before and I'll reiterate it as many times as I need to, but Evenfall is written in the prettiest writing style I have ever had the pleasure of reading, so it's no surprise that Emergence swept me off my feet with its absolutely perfect prose. It was such a delight reading every chapter, not only because I deeply care about the characters and setting, but because the authors' writing style is truly a balm for my soul.
In this highly anticipated sequel we follow our heroine, Ember Norcross, as she makes her way across the volatile and hazardous land of Svitanye, in search of a powerful item that will restore a sense of balance to the universe. She is determined, brave, and overall? The bad-ass woman I aspire to be when I grow up. Although I am sure if you have started this fantastic series, there's an ever present question in your mind: what about Mordecai? The brooding (with reason) Crescent Prince? And to that I tell you to back off because he's mine and always will be. In all seriousness, however, he is as perfectly imperfect as ever and trying to do his best with what he has and I adore him for it.
The suppirting cast of characters is wonderful and although I love some more than others, my goodness do they all play a very important role in the narrative! Ivarr slowly squeezed his way into my heart and that is all I'm going to say about that.
The ending is intense and bears the perfect (yet shocking) mark of a cliffhanger, which means I cannot wait to find out how everything is going to end.
The authors were kind enough to include a couple of extra chapters and let me tell you, I lived for them! It was such a pleasant surprise to find them after I believed everything had ended.
Lastly, if you haven't yet picked up Evenfall, what are you waiting for? It features a slow-burn romance, fabulous characters, a unique setting and the adventure of a lifetime! This series quickly became one of my favorites of all time and I highly recommend it.
Emergence deserves all the twinkling stars!
January 22, 2020
I was thinking of 2 because the romance got unbearably cheesy at some points buuuut, Ivarr made this book way better for me so let’s give it 3 stars.
September 5, 2019
Gaja was kind enough to gift me an arc of this early for review! Thank you.
When I finished this book, I had to let the emotions sit for second because I didn’t understand my own feelings. Lol. As per usual.
I now realize that I liked this second installment. I liked it a lot for reason I will explain below, but I definitely liked it. The world building, the romance, the reveals, all kept me going in this second installment.
So now onto the spoiler section of this review...
Firstly a small summary...a spoilery summary...
Emergence, the second installment in the Shadowfire trilogy, picks up right where Evenfall left off. We are thrust into Svitanye, one of the three worlds on the brink of destruction, and also the place where the fragment that can mend those worlds resides.
Ember is once again reunited with her friends; Ada, Zaphine, Eriyan, Dantos, and Ivaar as they travel Svitanye in the hopes of finding the fragment. They then cross paths with Maelynn, one of the guardians of Svitanye who seek to remove Ember and friends from their world because she disrupts it, and when she escorts them to the waste—their punishment for crossing over, she reveals that she is in fact willing to help them find the fragment. Not at all their jailer as they thought she was. From there, the six begin to work together as they search the Respiratory Cognizance—a safe haven— for info on the fragment that will help them. During this time, Ember reveals to everyone what she is an ancient, just like Mordecai. A being with immense power that is immortal. She learns of her horrifying past, as well as her ancestors last and how that affects Mordecai. She also goes back for a Mordecai in Somraque, and finds him still alive after he cast flames over Nysa to free the people of their pain after the events in book 1. Mordecai follows ember back to Svitanye where she keeps him and Lyria hidden in her room.They spend much time together romantically, and Ember tries very hard to keep it all a secret until she can finally confess to her friends that she has brought their enemy—mostly Adas—to their safe haven and that their enemy is also her lover. After that they go find the fragment, which Mordecai discovers is in the catacombs, and they cross over to Soltzen.
So back to my feelings.
I enjoyed the world-building in this book. It was very rich and detailed in a way that made Svitanye feel very different from Somraque. All of their hair colors, their style of clothing, the manners, the free air surrounding the place. I enjoyed it, and I thought Gaja did a good job of delivering to us a well developed Svitanye.
The plot in this second installment was a little slower. A lot of the time was spent training and reading to find the fragment. And I found those parts a little less enjoyable. Up until Ember started to recount her memories and the memories of her parents, and then I was hooked all over again. The reveal that her parents had killed their younger daughter, thinking it was her who had Shadowfire, shocked me. Also her ancestors (whose name I do not remember) killed Mordecai’s parents. Didn’t expect that at all. Also, rude. Lol.
I enjoyed the romance between Mordecai and Ember when they reunited. It felt right that they wanted to do naughty things together since they had been apart for...how long exactly? Don’t know if that was mentioned. Either way, I was happy when they had some alone time to spend together. Gaja’s romance was nicely written.
There were some things that bothered me, however. Specifically when Ember admits to the group her abilities. What I didn’t like was that we didn’t get to see their reactions, at all. After she admits to them that she has Shadowfire, and that she’s an ancient like a Mordecai, time just skips to the next day with no recount of their reactions, something she has been dreading for a while. Maybe Gaja wanted us to assume that by talking to Ember the next day all casual, that they just accepted her? I don’t know, but I would have liked a clear reaction from the group because it was a little confusing.
I also wanted more Mordecai. He was present, but he didn’t have as much presence as the other characters when they all started working together. Like Ivaar, Dantos, Eriyan, Zaphine, Mae, and Ada aaaall have a good amount of presence. I feel like I know them, but while planning and searching, Mordecai was just kind of hanging out silently at Ember’s side. I mean, maybe that’s just his character? But I wanted more from him, I wanted to hear his opinions, I wanted him to chime in on group conversations, to have some verbal reactions. And maybe that’s just me? Maybe people will say all was fine. But I just wanted more from him personally. I was grateful for those two extra bonus chapters at the end because it felt like a teaser of what essentially could be more Mordecai. Maybe Gaja has plans to do that? If so, that would make me very happy!
Overall though, I really liked this installment. I think it was a nice bridge into the finale, and it left me wanting more from this world, and these characters. Can’t wait for book 3.
When I finished this book, I had to let the emotions sit for second because I didn’t understand my own feelings. Lol. As per usual.
I now realize that I liked this second installment. I liked it a lot for reason I will explain below, but I definitely liked it. The world building, the romance, the reveals, all kept me going in this second installment.
So now onto the spoiler section of this review...
Firstly a small summary...a spoilery summary...
Emergence, the second installment in the Shadowfire trilogy, picks up right where Evenfall left off. We are thrust into Svitanye, one of the three worlds on the brink of destruction, and also the place where the fragment that can mend those worlds resides.
Ember is once again reunited with her friends; Ada, Zaphine, Eriyan, Dantos, and Ivaar as they travel Svitanye in the hopes of finding the fragment. They then cross paths with Maelynn, one of the guardians of Svitanye who seek to remove Ember and friends from their world because she disrupts it, and when she escorts them to the waste—their punishment for crossing over, she reveals that she is in fact willing to help them find the fragment. Not at all their jailer as they thought she was. From there, the six begin to work together as they search the Respiratory Cognizance—a safe haven— for info on the fragment that will help them. During this time, Ember reveals to everyone what she is an ancient, just like Mordecai. A being with immense power that is immortal. She learns of her horrifying past, as well as her ancestors last and how that affects Mordecai. She also goes back for a Mordecai in Somraque, and finds him still alive after he cast flames over Nysa to free the people of their pain after the events in book 1. Mordecai follows ember back to Svitanye where she keeps him and Lyria hidden in her room.They spend much time together romantically, and Ember tries very hard to keep it all a secret until she can finally confess to her friends that she has brought their enemy—mostly Adas—to their safe haven and that their enemy is also her lover. After that they go find the fragment, which Mordecai discovers is in the catacombs, and they cross over to Soltzen.
So back to my feelings.
I enjoyed the world-building in this book. It was very rich and detailed in a way that made Svitanye feel very different from Somraque. All of their hair colors, their style of clothing, the manners, the free air surrounding the place. I enjoyed it, and I thought Gaja did a good job of delivering to us a well developed Svitanye.
The plot in this second installment was a little slower. A lot of the time was spent training and reading to find the fragment. And I found those parts a little less enjoyable. Up until Ember started to recount her memories and the memories of her parents, and then I was hooked all over again. The reveal that her parents had killed their younger daughter, thinking it was her who had Shadowfire, shocked me. Also her ancestors (whose name I do not remember) killed Mordecai’s parents. Didn’t expect that at all. Also, rude. Lol.
I enjoyed the romance between Mordecai and Ember when they reunited. It felt right that they wanted to do naughty things together since they had been apart for...how long exactly? Don’t know if that was mentioned. Either way, I was happy when they had some alone time to spend together. Gaja’s romance was nicely written.
There were some things that bothered me, however. Specifically when Ember admits to the group her abilities. What I didn’t like was that we didn’t get to see their reactions, at all. After she admits to them that she has Shadowfire, and that she’s an ancient like a Mordecai, time just skips to the next day with no recount of their reactions, something she has been dreading for a while. Maybe Gaja wanted us to assume that by talking to Ember the next day all casual, that they just accepted her? I don’t know, but I would have liked a clear reaction from the group because it was a little confusing.
I also wanted more Mordecai. He was present, but he didn’t have as much presence as the other characters when they all started working together. Like Ivaar, Dantos, Eriyan, Zaphine, Mae, and Ada aaaall have a good amount of presence. I feel like I know them, but while planning and searching, Mordecai was just kind of hanging out silently at Ember’s side. I mean, maybe that’s just his character? But I wanted more from him, I wanted to hear his opinions, I wanted him to chime in on group conversations, to have some verbal reactions. And maybe that’s just me? Maybe people will say all was fine. But I just wanted more from him personally. I was grateful for those two extra bonus chapters at the end because it felt like a teaser of what essentially could be more Mordecai. Maybe Gaja has plans to do that? If so, that would make me very happy!
Overall though, I really liked this installment. I think it was a nice bridge into the finale, and it left me wanting more from this world, and these characters. Can’t wait for book 3.
September 10, 2019
An amazing fantasy story as always by this fabulous writer. Loved the characters and the the plot Couldn’t stop reading until I finished it right away.
January 23, 2021
Emergence
Emergence picks up where Evenfall left off- exactly. My only struggle with the second book was - the same as with the first- the pace
waited until page 250 this time to take off, again- yes, I obviously mean that the wait for Mordecai’s reappearance
was agonizing. However, the storyline was still incredibly interesting, its slow build giving
grounds for the depths of the characters’ own impatience and frustrations.
I devoured this book while simultaneously trying to absorb every aspect of it. Gaja left me speechless.
The relationships, their development and dysfunction, were so vividly expressed. I felt their wariness and desperation. I laughed when they did, and pressed
my lips together tightly when they did not. This book filled me with a vast array of feelings. The magical concepts, especially in this book, were so intriguing!
The fragment of the world Ember opened a portal to had a wild display of broken magic that was fascinating and terrifying to experience.
Trust and determination to save the world they love is tested on every front.
Consequences of past decisions and actions catch up to the present and Ember must learn to extend forgiveness to herself.
She must patiently allow her friends to do the same, and trust their love and willingness to save their world is greater than their fear.
Ember and Mordecai have stolen my heart and I don’t want it back. Their moments were worth any
experience of dissatisfaction or impatience throughout the series. The grey areas were so good. Ivarr also has my adoration.
Honestly, they all do.
Am I devastated there’s no third installment yet?
I don’t want to talk about it.
I am so excited to see their next journey into the last fragment in their final attempt to
rectify what could soon be lost to the Void.
Emergence picks up where Evenfall left off- exactly. My only struggle with the second book was - the same as with the first- the pace
waited until page 250 this time to take off, again- yes, I obviously mean that the wait for Mordecai’s reappearance
was agonizing. However, the storyline was still incredibly interesting, its slow build giving
grounds for the depths of the characters’ own impatience and frustrations.
I devoured this book while simultaneously trying to absorb every aspect of it. Gaja left me speechless.
The relationships, their development and dysfunction, were so vividly expressed. I felt their wariness and desperation. I laughed when they did, and pressed
my lips together tightly when they did not. This book filled me with a vast array of feelings. The magical concepts, especially in this book, were so intriguing!
The fragment of the world Ember opened a portal to had a wild display of broken magic that was fascinating and terrifying to experience.
Trust and determination to save the world they love is tested on every front.
Consequences of past decisions and actions catch up to the present and Ember must learn to extend forgiveness to herself.
She must patiently allow her friends to do the same, and trust their love and willingness to save their world is greater than their fear.
Ember and Mordecai have stolen my heart and I don’t want it back. Their moments were worth any
experience of dissatisfaction or impatience throughout the series. The grey areas were so good. Ivarr also has my adoration.
Honestly, they all do.
Am I devastated there’s no third installment yet?
I don’t want to talk about it.
I am so excited to see their next journey into the last fragment in their final attempt to
rectify what could soon be lost to the Void.
January 24, 2021
Emergence
Emergence picks up where Evenfall left off- exactly. My only struggle with the second book was - the same as with the first- the pace
waited until page 250 this time to take off, again- yes, I obviously mean that the wait for Mordecai’s reappearance
was agonizing. However, the storyline was still incredibly interesting, its slow build giving
grounds for the depths of the characters’ own impatience and frustrations.
I devoured this book while simultaneously trying to absorb every aspect of it. Gaja left me speechless.
The relationships, their development and dysfunction, were so vividly expressed. I felt their wariness and desperation. I laughed when they did, and pressed
my lips together tightly when they did not. This book filled me with a vast array of feelings. The magical concepts, especially in this book, were so intriguing!
The fragment of the world Ember opened a portal to had a wild display of broken magic that was fascinating and terrifying to experience.
Trust and determination to save the world they love is tested on every front.
Consequences of past decisions and actions catch up to the present and Ember must learn to extend forgiveness to herself.
She must patiently allow her friends to do the same, and trust their love and willingness to save their world is greater than their fear.
Ember and Mordecai have stolen my heart and I don’t want it back. Their moments were worth any
experience of dissatisfaction or impatience throughout the series. The grey areas were so good. Ivarr also has my adoration.
Honestly, they all do.
Am I devastated there’s no third installment yet?
I don’t want to talk about it.
I am so excited to see their next journey into the last fragment in their final attempt to
rectify what could soon be lost to the Void.
Emergence picks up where Evenfall left off- exactly. My only struggle with the second book was - the same as with the first- the pace
waited until page 250 this time to take off, again- yes, I obviously mean that the wait for Mordecai’s reappearance
was agonizing. However, the storyline was still incredibly interesting, its slow build giving
grounds for the depths of the characters’ own impatience and frustrations.
I devoured this book while simultaneously trying to absorb every aspect of it. Gaja left me speechless.
The relationships, their development and dysfunction, were so vividly expressed. I felt their wariness and desperation. I laughed when they did, and pressed
my lips together tightly when they did not. This book filled me with a vast array of feelings. The magical concepts, especially in this book, were so intriguing!
The fragment of the world Ember opened a portal to had a wild display of broken magic that was fascinating and terrifying to experience.
Trust and determination to save the world they love is tested on every front.
Consequences of past decisions and actions catch up to the present and Ember must learn to extend forgiveness to herself.
She must patiently allow her friends to do the same, and trust their love and willingness to save their world is greater than their fear.
Ember and Mordecai have stolen my heart and I don’t want it back. Their moments were worth any
experience of dissatisfaction or impatience throughout the series. The grey areas were so good. Ivarr also has my adoration.
Honestly, they all do.
Am I devastated there’s no third installment yet?
I don’t want to talk about it.
I am so excited to see their next journey into the last fragment in their final attempt to
rectify what could soon be lost to the Void.
October 17, 2019
This book picks up where the cliffhanger from book 1 left off. The second world was very interesting, the character development was satisfying, and the plot had a decent mix of revelations and action. Though I did have a few times where it felt like some of the detours from the main task were unnecessary. The end wasn't quite as traumatic as the last one, but it wasn't a comfortable place either. I'm eager to read the next book, which at the moment, I assume will be the last one. The bonus chapters at the end were fun as well.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review, but my opinions are my own.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review, but my opinions are my own.
October 29, 2019
Overall rating: 4.8
Book two of this series truly does not disappoint. The wonderful characters become even more lifelike ( as far as fictional fantasy characters go that is) and I feel more satisfied with their growing development. The concept of this storyline is truly unique and refreshing for me. I love the genius and creativity of the “traveling” . This author showcases this talent. I enjoy when the storyline is the focal point without the need to overindulge on relationship woes. Over indulgence makes me skip pages now. I am thoroughly pleased with this tale and want more! All my reviews are always voluntarily written.
Book two of this series truly does not disappoint. The wonderful characters become even more lifelike ( as far as fictional fantasy characters go that is) and I feel more satisfied with their growing development. The concept of this storyline is truly unique and refreshing for me. I love the genius and creativity of the “traveling” . This author showcases this talent. I enjoy when the storyline is the focal point without the need to overindulge on relationship woes. Over indulgence makes me skip pages now. I am thoroughly pleased with this tale and want more! All my reviews are always voluntarily written.
October 27, 2019
Emergence is the heart pounding sequel to Evenfall. I absolutely loved it. I really enjoyed being reunited with some of the characters especially Ember, Mordecai ,Zaphine and Lyra. I loved seeing Ember grow as a character and learn more about her powers. Another character that I loved was Ivarr. We met him briefly in Evenfall, but we get to see a lot more of him in Emergence. I love his relationship with Ember he is such a good friend to her , despite her shadowfire and relationship with Mordecai. Unlike Ada who has a massive , massive chip on her shoulder. I really wish she would give Ember a break. We also meet some new characters as well. Some you are gonna love like Nyon and Mae. Others you will hate, like the Council of Words. I highly recommend both Evenfall and Emergence!! I can’t wait to hear what you guys think of them!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2019
It has been a while since I read the first in the series, so my memory was a bit foggy. It does take a while to get into the story as the world is very different from what I am used to reading.
Once you do get into the story it is interesting and I still enjoy how the heroine is written, a strong independent female character.
Once you do get into the story it is interesting and I still enjoy how the heroine is written, a strong independent female character.
November 5, 2019
Emergence by Gaja J. Kos is an awesome story to read. This is book number two in this awesome series that I have loved reading very much and I can not wait to see what this author will write next. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about fantasy.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 17, 2019
Everything around is now broken and even the ground under her feet is not stable. She needs to find the missing piece to fulfil the prophecy. To do so she needs to trust people again. Will she gain her trust again? Will she find the missing piece? See if she will
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 6, 2020
Ember is still struggling with everything that has happened in Evenfall, does everything in her power to live up to 'Savior' title to save lives and reunite the world being torn apart by magic.
You can read my full review on my blog!
I have enjoyed this series so far and I am looking forward to finding out what will happen next!
You can read my full review on my blog!
I have enjoyed this series so far and I am looking forward to finding out what will happen next!
February 12, 2020
I received an advanced reader's copy from Gaja J. Kos & Boris Kos, which I'm eternally grateful for. I’m voluntarily leaving a review; all opinions are my own.
I read Evenfall, the first book in the Shadowfire trilogy, last year and enjoyed the hell out of it. I fell in love with the world and the characters so of course I had to send in a request for an ARC for the second book, Emergence. And it did not disappoint.
Here are some random thoughts and opinions on Emergence. This review is spoiler-free (for Emergence as well as for Evenfall if you for some reason haven't picked the latter one yet):
➡️I'd like to start with me gushing over Ember's character development. She started off thinking her powers make her a monster and she doesn't deserve the title of a savior and I LOVED seeing her get comfortable with her powers throughout the book and grow into the woman that she is now. *chef kiss*
➡️ everyone that has ever heard (/read) me talk about Evenfall will know that I always like to mention how Evenfall has a dog as one of the main characters. I mean, c'mon, a dog? In a fantasy world? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP. Guess what, though. Emergence also has CAAAATS!! And also coffee but CAAAAAATS! Best fantasy world ever, I tell ya.
➡️ as seen in my Evenfall review, I loved making puns out of Ember's name. And that hasn't changed one bit for Emergence. One could say my puns got even lit-er. Ha. Get it? Coz her name's Ember? Lit? *nudge, nudge*? I'll go home now.
➡️we get introduced to Ivarr in Evenfall, but we get to know him more in Emergence and he quickly became my favorite - he's up there with Eriyan. I LOVED his friendship with Ember (was hoping for something more, ngl) and others and he was just a very nice addition to the story. It also didn't hurt that I pictured him as the dude who plays Ivar the Boneless from Vikings aka the only reason why I even started watching that TV series.
Seriously. Have you ever seen that man. *heart eyes*
➡️ it may simply be because I'm not the biggest fan of Mordecai and Ember's relationship or it may be because I've read so many smutty adult romance novels this past year that I've just grown bored of steamy scenes, but I just could not care for all the kissing scenes that were sometimes leading into something more if ya know what I'm sayin' *wink, wink* I even got really annoyed with those scenes at some point and truthfully I skimmed through most of them.
➡️ buuuuuuut. For other relationships it was like watching Teen Wolf all over again: you don't know who to ship with whom because you ship everyone with everyone but you also love everyone as friends with everyone and also the feminist inside you is screaming at you because these ladies need no man. It was a whole mess and I loved every second of it.
➡️I loved the new set of characters, especially Nyon. He gave me Lazlo Strange vibes and I did not mind one bit.
➡️I recently saw some drama about how bisexuality is basically nonexistent in fantasy books and if it is, ''there's only a sentence mentioning that this character might be bisexual and the whole fandom freaks out over it even though them being bi is never discussed again in the story''. And it just got me thinking about how Emergence does a great job of showing you how queer characters living their life and not having their sexuality be a big part of their character arc is just as important as books where sexuality is a big part of the character's story. Ada and Zaphine and everyone else's sexualities just beautifully emerged (HA!) into the story. As quoted by a fellow Goodreads blogger Meghan, the validity of a person's sexuality is not dependent on how their sexuality fits into the story.
➡️a couple of my friends and I decided to buddy read Evenfall and one of them once said that the writing is dramatic. Which it is, but not in the bad way. I'd describe it as dramatically beautiful.
➡️ the plot dragged sometimes and there was a lot of world building which I got confused at at times and had to re-read paragraphs to actually get it but that might be just because the already sleep-deprived idiot me started reading at 1AM and finally decided to put it down at 4AM for three days straight. So, I blame that on me being tired and I blame me being tired on my poor timing organisation.
➡️ I try being one of those *cool* kids that don't like popular tropes in books but man, am I whore for training session in fantasy books. And Emergence had a lot of those. Me likey. Me likey a lot.
➡️there's a new form of magic that Ember lears how to wield (? Do? Perform?) that very much reminds me of a spell from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and I enjoyed that part of the story quite a lot. There was a scene involving this new form of magic and I had a proper W. T. F. moment and I'm still not over it.
In conclusion, I enjoyed Emergence quite a lot and I am very much looking forward to the 3rd book in the series! :)
Once again, a big thank you to Gaja and Boris for sending this beauty my way! <3
I read Evenfall, the first book in the Shadowfire trilogy, last year and enjoyed the hell out of it. I fell in love with the world and the characters so of course I had to send in a request for an ARC for the second book, Emergence. And it did not disappoint.
Here are some random thoughts and opinions on Emergence. This review is spoiler-free (for Emergence as well as for Evenfall if you for some reason haven't picked the latter one yet):
➡️I'd like to start with me gushing over Ember's character development. She started off thinking her powers make her a monster and she doesn't deserve the title of a savior and I LOVED seeing her get comfortable with her powers throughout the book and grow into the woman that she is now. *chef kiss*
➡️ everyone that has ever heard (/read) me talk about Evenfall will know that I always like to mention how Evenfall has a dog as one of the main characters. I mean, c'mon, a dog? In a fantasy world? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP. Guess what, though. Emergence also has CAAAATS!! And also coffee but CAAAAAATS! Best fantasy world ever, I tell ya.
➡️ as seen in my Evenfall review, I loved making puns out of Ember's name. And that hasn't changed one bit for Emergence. One could say my puns got even lit-er. Ha. Get it? Coz her name's Ember? Lit? *nudge, nudge*? I'll go home now.
➡️we get introduced to Ivarr in Evenfall, but we get to know him more in Emergence and he quickly became my favorite - he's up there with Eriyan. I LOVED his friendship with Ember (was hoping for something more, ngl) and others and he was just a very nice addition to the story. It also didn't hurt that I pictured him as the dude who plays Ivar the Boneless from Vikings aka the only reason why I even started watching that TV series.
Seriously. Have you ever seen that man. *heart eyes*
➡️ it may simply be because I'm not the biggest fan of Mordecai and Ember's relationship or it may be because I've read so many smutty adult romance novels this past year that I've just grown bored of steamy scenes, but I just could not care for all the kissing scenes that were sometimes leading into something more if ya know what I'm sayin' *wink, wink* I even got really annoyed with those scenes at some point and truthfully I skimmed through most of them.
➡️ buuuuuuut. For other relationships it was like watching Teen Wolf all over again: you don't know who to ship with whom because you ship everyone with everyone but you also love everyone as friends with everyone and also the feminist inside you is screaming at you because these ladies need no man. It was a whole mess and I loved every second of it.
➡️I loved the new set of characters, especially Nyon. He gave me Lazlo Strange vibes and I did not mind one bit.
➡️I recently saw some drama about how bisexuality is basically nonexistent in fantasy books and if it is, ''there's only a sentence mentioning that this character might be bisexual and the whole fandom freaks out over it even though them being bi is never discussed again in the story''. And it just got me thinking about how Emergence does a great job of showing you how queer characters living their life and not having their sexuality be a big part of their character arc is just as important as books where sexuality is a big part of the character's story. Ada and Zaphine and everyone else's sexualities just beautifully emerged (HA!) into the story. As quoted by a fellow Goodreads blogger Meghan, the validity of a person's sexuality is not dependent on how their sexuality fits into the story.
➡️a couple of my friends and I decided to buddy read Evenfall and one of them once said that the writing is dramatic. Which it is, but not in the bad way. I'd describe it as dramatically beautiful.
➡️ the plot dragged sometimes and there was a lot of world building which I got confused at at times and had to re-read paragraphs to actually get it but that might be just because the already sleep-deprived idiot me started reading at 1AM and finally decided to put it down at 4AM for three days straight. So, I blame that on me being tired and I blame me being tired on my poor timing organisation.
➡️ I try being one of those *cool* kids that don't like popular tropes in books but man, am I whore for training session in fantasy books. And Emergence had a lot of those. Me likey. Me likey a lot.
➡️there's a new form of magic that Ember lears how to wield (? Do? Perform?) that very much reminds me of a spell from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and I enjoyed that part of the story quite a lot. There was a scene involving this new form of magic and I had a proper W. T. F. moment and I'm still not over it.
In conclusion, I enjoyed Emergence quite a lot and I am very much looking forward to the 3rd book in the series! :)
Once again, a big thank you to Gaja and Boris for sending this beauty my way! <3
November 10, 2019
This was another great book with great characters and a good plot. I loved the flow of the book and I would recommend it to others
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 23, 2019
Emergence is the second in the series and if you haven't heard of or even read Gaja Kos's work I highly recommend. This book was simply amazing.
May 8, 2020
If you had any doubts whether to continue this series or not, I’m telling you to continue on. The world building just gets better and you get attached to even more people. It’s a really great read!
September 13, 2022
This arc was sent to me for an honest review by Gaja and Boris
Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow!
I am so incredibly lucky and thankful to have gotten an early copy of this because this blew me away. And it has definitely made my list of top 5 books of the year for sure.
Emergence picks up right where Evenfall left off—quite literally—and we are introduced to a new land . . . Svitanye, which is the land of dawn. The descriptions of this land and the sky were absolutely stunning, and it made me wish I was there alongside with the characters!
The romance in this book is definitely something I adored so very much. Because Evenfall was more of an introduction for Ember and Mordecai, this definitely magnifies their relationship and oh man, did I love it. Their relationship has become a favorite of mine.
I very much enjoyed seeing more of Ivarr, and the new relationships and friendships that sprung up between these characters and the new ones introduced. Everything just blended so well, and I loved reading about this friend group and their new adventure.
Another thing that I enjoyed was seeing another magic system. The blood magic was already incredibly interesting, but learning about the magic in this new land was so much fun. Learning all the details and intricacies that came along with this magic and this land was so refreshing and fun.
My overall rating is 5/5 stars. I can't even begin to go through and rate everything individually like I had for my previous review—everything quite literally just adds up to five stars.
"Dreams have power. Don't give up on yours just because others would have you believe they do not."
Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow!
I am so incredibly lucky and thankful to have gotten an early copy of this because this blew me away. And it has definitely made my list of top 5 books of the year for sure.
Emergence picks up right where Evenfall left off—quite literally—and we are introduced to a new land . . . Svitanye, which is the land of dawn. The descriptions of this land and the sky were absolutely stunning, and it made me wish I was there alongside with the characters!
The romance in this book is definitely something I adored so very much. Because Evenfall was more of an introduction for Ember and Mordecai, this definitely magnifies their relationship and oh man, did I love it. Their relationship has become a favorite of mine.
I very much enjoyed seeing more of Ivarr, and the new relationships and friendships that sprung up between these characters and the new ones introduced. Everything just blended so well, and I loved reading about this friend group and their new adventure.
Another thing that I enjoyed was seeing another magic system. The blood magic was already incredibly interesting, but learning about the magic in this new land was so much fun. Learning all the details and intricacies that came along with this magic and this land was so refreshing and fun.
My overall rating is 5/5 stars. I can't even begin to go through and rate everything individually like I had for my previous review—everything quite literally just adds up to five stars.
"Dreams have power. Don't give up on yours just because others would have you believe they do not."
March 11, 2020
4 stars!
I quite liked this book, even though it took a while to get going. It was also very different from the first one in that this one is much more character-driven where the first instalment was very plot-driven. I really loved the setting of this book and I find the worldbuilding to be one of the best things about this series! I found Ember a bit annoying at times, but I suppose in a 500-page book, that can't always be helped. Overall I enjoyed the first book more, because it was much more action-packed, but this was a very solid instalment and it set up everything very well for the finale!
I quite liked this book, even though it took a while to get going. It was also very different from the first one in that this one is much more character-driven where the first instalment was very plot-driven. I really loved the setting of this book and I find the worldbuilding to be one of the best things about this series! I found Ember a bit annoying at times, but I suppose in a 500-page book, that can't always be helped. Overall I enjoyed the first book more, because it was much more action-packed, but this was a very solid instalment and it set up everything very well for the finale!
August 29, 2020
I love this trilogy and I need the last book now! It’s so beautifully written with enough romance and action to keep you turning pages!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews