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Flint and Tinder #1
Ember Boys
Emmett Bradley thinks his adventures are over. Together with his friends, he stopped an ancient evil and lived to tell about it. But life as a survivor, even as a survivor of a victory, isn’t easy, and when Emmett runs away from Vehpese, Wyoming, he takes a few things with him: a battered ego, a broken heart, and his addictions. He’s lucky that Jim Spencer, his former English teacher, happens to have ended up in the same small, coastal town. He’s even luckier that Jim is doing everything he can to help Emmett hold himself together.
When Emmett’s parents commit him to the psychiatric ward of an infamous hospital, though, Emmett finds himself struggling day to day to remember that the life he’s lived—a life with monsters and psychics—is real. Every day, he finds himself a little less certain that he can trust any of his memories.
A chance encounter with a strange girl, though, forces Emmett to confront the possibility that things around him aren’t quite what they seem. The hospital may not actually be a hospital. His adventures may not be over. And the ancient evil he stopped in Wyoming might have been only one strand in a larger web.
Then Emmett is attacked by a dead man, and he realizes that he’s caught up in a war he doesn’t understand. He must hurry to learn the truth about what’s going on, and he’ll need Jim’s help to do it. He just has to convince his old teacher that things between them aren’t too complicated already—but first, Emmett will have to convince himself.
Note: Emmett has previously appeared in the Hollow Folk series.
When Emmett’s parents commit him to the psychiatric ward of an infamous hospital, though, Emmett finds himself struggling day to day to remember that the life he’s lived—a life with monsters and psychics—is real. Every day, he finds himself a little less certain that he can trust any of his memories.
A chance encounter with a strange girl, though, forces Emmett to confront the possibility that things around him aren’t quite what they seem. The hospital may not actually be a hospital. His adventures may not be over. And the ancient evil he stopped in Wyoming might have been only one strand in a larger web.
Then Emmett is attacked by a dead man, and he realizes that he’s caught up in a war he doesn’t understand. He must hurry to learn the truth about what’s going on, and he’ll need Jim’s help to do it. He just has to convince his old teacher that things between them aren’t too complicated already—but first, Emmett will have to convince himself.
Note: Emmett has previously appeared in the Hollow Folk series.
177 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2020
69 people are currently reading
357 people want to read
About the author
Gregory Ashe
143 books1,816 followersI'm a long-time Midwesterner. I've lived in Chicago, Bloomington (IN), and Saint Louis, my current home. Aside from reading and writing (which take up a lot of my time), I'm an educator.
While I enjoy reading across many genres, my two main loves are mystery and speculative fiction. I used to keep a list of favorite books, but it changes so frequently that I've given up. I'm always looking for recommendations, though, so please drop me a line if you have something in mind!
My big goal right now is one day to be responsible enough to get a dog.
While I enjoy reading across many genres, my two main loves are mystery and speculative fiction. I used to keep a list of favorite books, but it changes so frequently that I've given up. I'm always looking for recommendations, though, so please drop me a line if you have something in mind!
My big goal right now is one day to be responsible enough to get a dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
August 15, 2020
5 Stars!
WHY WHY WHY???!!!!! Do you keep doing this to me? Are we not on good terms Mr. Ashe? If so, why do you continue to crush me? You are literally making me a crazy person at the end of every book I read of yours. You got me screaming down my house. Your gonna make me brake my damn kindle. It is no joke that I yelled out, "Are you fucking kidding me?!?!" and had my sister running into the room thinking something bad had happened. When I explained something had, only in my book, she gave me the biggest eye roll and left. Only my book people will understand the frustration when they read the last sentence in this book.
I had to get all that out before I could really start this review.
Flint and Tinder is a spin-off to this author's other series, Hollow Folk. I urge you to read the previous series before reading this book or I believe you will be a bit lost. Plus that series is awesome. I loved it.
I was a little surprised that GA wanted to write Jim and Emmet as romantic interests for each other. But I jumped on board and was all for it because both of these guys are so opposite from one another I wanted to see if that dynamic would work. It did. I really liked the chemistry between them and how unsettled they made each other. Emmet has a real talent at making people uncomfortable by either his brutal honesty, his cruelty, or the way he makes sex just roll off of him by a touch, look, or the way he says things. He had Jim blushing a plenty. Jim has a way of making Emmet not feel so bad about himself. He can talk to Jim and show him his scars, the emotional and physical ones, and see something that isn't so broken. Where Emmet is broody and impatient Jim is all positive and calm. But Jim has had a bit more years then Emmet to get to that place. Jim has his broken piece's too and we get to see some of that in this book. We also get to see that his love for Emmet runs so deep that it has him sacrificing quite a bit so he can be there for him no matter how hard Emmet might try to unintentionally push him away sometimes. But in the end they both realize each other is all they got.
The story-line focuses on Emmet and his stay at a psychiatric hospital where he's getting treatment for not only his drug addiction, but his belief in monsters. He made the mistake of talking about his adventures from the previous series and it freaked his parents out which has landed him in this new place in California. Jim follows him to this new place with a need to protect Emmet and see that he succeeds in his treatment. The more Jim spends time with Emmet, sharing more intimate moments with him, he no longer sees the boy he once was; now he sees this strong and brave man who has been through so much and deserves so much more than the hand he has been dealt. The more of this Emmet he spends time with, the more he falls for him. Although, his age does make him struggle with his feelings. Emmet has a hard time seeing himself as someone who is desirable. With his new scars comes new insecurities for the young man. He doesn't let it show though with his sarcastic behavior and his cunning words. Jim sees it though. He sees behind that hard shell Emmet tries so hard to keep around him. The way Jim talks about the way he loves Emmet, the way he sees him, about the little things he does that had him falling; well, that had me swooning.
We were introduced to Chloe in this book and I really liked how she had a way of seeing past Emmet's BS and calling him out on stuff. It reminded me a bit of how Vie and Becca's relationship was.
When Chloe comes along chaos soon follows her. Her arrival reveals some things about other people like Jim and Emmet and how the hospital he's staying in isn't at all what it seems to be.
Once again GA hits out another winner for me. The ending killed me as it usually does. The man has a sick sense of humor and loves to leave me in emotional chaos.
Pick this one up when it comes out y'all! And better yet pick up his Hollow Folk series so you don't feel lost and for a roller-coaster ride of awesome story telling.
Happy reading dolls! xx
I was given an ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.
WHY WHY WHY???!!!!! Do you keep doing this to me? Are we not on good terms Mr. Ashe? If so, why do you continue to crush me? You are literally making me a crazy person at the end of every book I read of yours. You got me screaming down my house. Your gonna make me brake my damn kindle. It is no joke that I yelled out, "Are you fucking kidding me?!?!" and had my sister running into the room thinking something bad had happened. When I explained something had, only in my book, she gave me the biggest eye roll and left. Only my book people will understand the frustration when they read the last sentence in this book.
I had to get all that out before I could really start this review.
Flint and Tinder is a spin-off to this author's other series, Hollow Folk. I urge you to read the previous series before reading this book or I believe you will be a bit lost. Plus that series is awesome. I loved it.
I was a little surprised that GA wanted to write Jim and Emmet as romantic interests for each other. But I jumped on board and was all for it because both of these guys are so opposite from one another I wanted to see if that dynamic would work. It did. I really liked the chemistry between them and how unsettled they made each other. Emmet has a real talent at making people uncomfortable by either his brutal honesty, his cruelty, or the way he makes sex just roll off of him by a touch, look, or the way he says things. He had Jim blushing a plenty. Jim has a way of making Emmet not feel so bad about himself. He can talk to Jim and show him his scars, the emotional and physical ones, and see something that isn't so broken. Where Emmet is broody and impatient Jim is all positive and calm. But Jim has had a bit more years then Emmet to get to that place. Jim has his broken piece's too and we get to see some of that in this book. We also get to see that his love for Emmet runs so deep that it has him sacrificing quite a bit so he can be there for him no matter how hard Emmet might try to unintentionally push him away sometimes. But in the end they both realize each other is all they got.
The story-line focuses on Emmet and his stay at a psychiatric hospital where he's getting treatment for not only his drug addiction, but his belief in monsters. He made the mistake of talking about his adventures from the previous series and it freaked his parents out which has landed him in this new place in California. Jim follows him to this new place with a need to protect Emmet and see that he succeeds in his treatment. The more Jim spends time with Emmet, sharing more intimate moments with him, he no longer sees the boy he once was; now he sees this strong and brave man who has been through so much and deserves so much more than the hand he has been dealt. The more of this Emmet he spends time with, the more he falls for him. Although, his age does make him struggle with his feelings. Emmet has a hard time seeing himself as someone who is desirable. With his new scars comes new insecurities for the young man. He doesn't let it show though with his sarcastic behavior and his cunning words. Jim sees it though. He sees behind that hard shell Emmet tries so hard to keep around him. The way Jim talks about the way he loves Emmet, the way he sees him, about the little things he does that had him falling; well, that had me swooning.
We were introduced to Chloe in this book and I really liked how she had a way of seeing past Emmet's BS and calling him out on stuff. It reminded me a bit of how Vie and Becca's relationship was.
When Chloe comes along chaos soon follows her. Her arrival reveals some things about other people like Jim and Emmet and how the hospital he's staying in isn't at all what it seems to be.
Once again GA hits out another winner for me. The ending killed me as it usually does. The man has a sick sense of humor and loves to leave me in emotional chaos.
Pick this one up when it comes out y'all! And better yet pick up his Hollow Folk series so you don't feel lost and for a roller-coaster ride of awesome story telling.
Happy reading dolls! xx
I was given an ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.
March 24, 2023
Waiting almost THREE YEARS for GA to finish this series had been completely worth it, because now I can binge the whole thing and finally get my much needed Emmett fix. 😌
September 4, 2020
3.5 - 4 stars. A great start to this series! I definitely need to read the Hollow Folk series to get the whole back story before continuing.
November 13, 2022
whenever a glimpse of happiness for a character is within reach, Greg goes nope, swipes it away, gives it wings to fly, and promptly shoots it down with an arrow to use as a picnic blanket to lie on.
how cozy.
before i start hammering warning signs into the ground to mark major spoiler territory, a few words of advice:
(1) read Hollow Folk (starts with Mr. Big Empty) before jumping into this.
now i'm sure numerous peeps have leapt straight into this without even hearing of the Hollow Folk series before, but please be aware that you will be missing out on an overwhelming amount of important context and characterization.
then, until you've put down the fourth and final Hollow Folk book, The Mortal Sleep...
(2) avoid the blurb at all costs.
not even a lil peek or the hashok will getcha. there are too many reveals that are meant to take you by surprise at the finale of Vie's arc, and you may come to a halt out of fear and/or other complicated emotions 🫣
(3) there are two more books coming out later this year to wrap this baby up: Queer Fires and The Whole World Tinder. if you don't want to be stuck on Cliffhanger Island with the rest of us, give it another month or two so you can savor the taste of ~resolution~ (unless GA hits us with a surprise spin-off of the spin-off
).
----
alrighty, here we go. i tried to use spoiler tags for major plot stuff but character names are still shown, which is a spoiler in and of itself, so…. ⚠️ YOU ARE NOW CROSSING INTO SPOILERCITY - ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK ⚠️
.
.
.
.
firstly, OUT OF ALL THE NAMES, YOU COME UP WITH BOB SMITH??? 💀 sorry, just had to get that off my chest 🤣
ohhhhh boy where do i even begin? maybe i'll split this into sections:
the ending. i guess i'm now bedridden after that intense whiplash cliffhanger ending, because while i had a feeling
Emmett. as volatile as crypto, held captive by his drug addiction, and holder of a blackbelt in the supreme art of assholery.
Jim. i was personally never squicked out by the age gap, but i think you can give Jim some slack if you are uncomfortable, because he brings up their previous power imbalance more times than i can count, and he beats himself up quite a bit over having even the thought of doing something with Emmett cross his mind.
i liked the parallels as well - .
the romance. while the short "Heat" prequel added a few thin layers to the context, it still felt like we were thrown in the middle of Emmett and Jim's story, which given the time skip and the limited number of pages (compared to Hollow Folk’s chonky books) might've been inevitable. i could understand how their traumatic experience in Vehpese connected them, but since we rarely caught them interacting with each other in Hollow Folk, i was missing that foundational piece i crave with any couple.
however, i shall reserve final judgment until i get my hands on further context and data to pull from, because if i've learned anything with GA's books, they are even better on rereads once the full picture is engrained in the back of my brain. plus the dual pov does a great job at letting us readers in on sides of these characters that they hide from even each other. i was more than intrigued to learn more.
calling it now: these next two books are going to be the best gifts i'm receiving this holiday season 🎁
miscellaneous.
- Emmett's tweets 🤣
- i, too, am a sucker for broken things
- i need more of Chloe calling Emmett out
- GAH i love it when Greg links a song playing in the background to the situation at hand
- such a lovely quote
- something had to have precipitated 🔪
before i start hammering warning signs into the ground to mark major spoiler territory, a few words of advice:
(1) read Hollow Folk (starts with Mr. Big Empty) before jumping into this.
now i'm sure numerous peeps have leapt straight into this without even hearing of the Hollow Folk series before, but please be aware that you will be missing out on an overwhelming amount of important context and characterization.
then, until you've put down the fourth and final Hollow Folk book, The Mortal Sleep...
(2) avoid the blurb at all costs.
not even a lil peek or the hashok will getcha. there are too many reveals that are meant to take you by surprise at the finale of Vie's arc, and you may come to a halt out of fear and/or other complicated emotions 🫣
(3) there are two more books coming out later this year to wrap this baby up: Queer Fires and The Whole World Tinder. if you don't want to be stuck on Cliffhanger Island with the rest of us, give it another month or two so you can savor the taste of ~resolution~ (unless GA hits us with a surprise spin-off of the spin-off
).----
alrighty, here we go. i tried to use spoiler tags for major plot stuff but character names are still shown, which is a spoiler in and of itself, so…. ⚠️ YOU ARE NOW CROSSING INTO SPOILERCITY - ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK ⚠️
.
.
.
.
firstly, OUT OF ALL THE NAMES, YOU COME UP WITH BOB SMITH??? 💀 sorry, just had to get that off my chest 🤣
ohhhhh boy where do i even begin? maybe i'll split this into sections:
the ending. i guess i'm now bedridden after that intense whiplash cliffhanger ending, because while i had a feeling
Emmett. as volatile as crypto, held captive by his drug addiction, and holder of a blackbelt in the supreme art of assholery.
Jim. i was personally never squicked out by the age gap, but i think you can give Jim some slack if you are uncomfortable, because he brings up their previous power imbalance more times than i can count, and he beats himself up quite a bit over having even the thought of doing something with Emmett cross his mind.
i liked the parallels as well - .
the romance. while the short "Heat" prequel added a few thin layers to the context, it still felt like we were thrown in the middle of Emmett and Jim's story, which given the time skip and the limited number of pages (compared to Hollow Folk’s chonky books) might've been inevitable. i could understand how their traumatic experience in Vehpese connected them, but since we rarely caught them interacting with each other in Hollow Folk, i was missing that foundational piece i crave with any couple.
however, i shall reserve final judgment until i get my hands on further context and data to pull from, because if i've learned anything with GA's books, they are even better on rereads once the full picture is engrained in the back of my brain. plus the dual pov does a great job at letting us readers in on sides of these characters that they hide from even each other. i was more than intrigued to learn more.
calling it now: these next two books are going to be the best gifts i'm receiving this holiday season 🎁
miscellaneous.
- Emmett's tweets 🤣
- i, too, am a sucker for broken things
- i need more of Chloe calling Emmett out
- GAH i love it when Greg links a song playing in the background to the situation at hand
- such a lovely quote
- something had to have precipitated 🔪
September 10, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 Stars
I am going to assume that if you are reading this review, you have either read, Mr. Big Empty and the rest of the books in the, "Hollow Folk," series or if you haven't, you don't mind spoilers that occurred during that series. I will put spoiler tags around ones for this book specifically.
I was kind of mad when I finished, The Mortal Sleep. I'm actually still mad when I think about it. 😡 I knew, reading that series, that Emmett and Vie were not end game. I knew this because I had read the description of this book. Because, most of the time, I have zero willpower and like to spoil things for myself. 🤷🏻♀️ So I knew all of that going in to it and I still found the ending between them highly unsatisfying for many reasons. In fact, I have yet to write a review for that book. Too irritated. I know that Emmett and Vie aren't meant to be. They are simply too toxic for each other, long term. I recognize that. I just didn't like how it all unfolded at the very end. I have a point with this ramble, which I'll spoiler tag at the end.
Starting this book, I was curious, wary, confused and intrigued. Yes all of those! 🤣 Because...Emmett and...Jim??? 🤔 It felt so random. The two had almost no interactions in the, "Hollow Folk," books. But since Emmett was my darling of that series and Jim another favorite, I decided to trust Gregory Ashe. It turns out the two really work for me. Initially, even with reading the short prequel, I felt that I had been thrown into the middle of things. Their connection felt deeper than anything I had read for myself.
But I came around. His writing got to me like always. He's the best at writing UST, pining and electric moments. I loved the hurt/comfort aspect of it. Jim is fighting his attraction to Emmett hard. He's an ex student after all. The plot flowed well. His writing was gorgeous as usual. It seems the two ran from their troubles in Wyoming, only to find new trouble in California. Wyoming is not the only hotspot for paranormal activity. Did we really think it was? I'm excited to see what's to come, especially with Emmett and Jim. 🥰💜😍
Which is why the ending gave me so much rage! 👿And leads me back to the beginning of the review.
Rage filled, ranting spoiler aside I, of course, will be reading the next book as soon as it comes out. I'm a glutton for Ashe induced pain. 😂 I just hope it eventually leads to happiness.
Beautiful Spoiler Quotes:
I am going to assume that if you are reading this review, you have either read, Mr. Big Empty and the rest of the books in the, "Hollow Folk," series or if you haven't, you don't mind spoilers that occurred during that series. I will put spoiler tags around ones for this book specifically.
I was kind of mad when I finished, The Mortal Sleep. I'm actually still mad when I think about it. 😡 I knew, reading that series, that Emmett and Vie were not end game. I knew this because I had read the description of this book. Because, most of the time, I have zero willpower and like to spoil things for myself. 🤷🏻♀️ So I knew all of that going in to it and I still found the ending between them highly unsatisfying for many reasons. In fact, I have yet to write a review for that book. Too irritated. I know that Emmett and Vie aren't meant to be. They are simply too toxic for each other, long term. I recognize that. I just didn't like how it all unfolded at the very end. I have a point with this ramble, which I'll spoiler tag at the end.
Starting this book, I was curious, wary, confused and intrigued. Yes all of those! 🤣 Because...Emmett and...Jim??? 🤔 It felt so random. The two had almost no interactions in the, "Hollow Folk," books. But since Emmett was my darling of that series and Jim another favorite, I decided to trust Gregory Ashe. It turns out the two really work for me. Initially, even with reading the short prequel, I felt that I had been thrown into the middle of things. Their connection felt deeper than anything I had read for myself.
But I came around. His writing got to me like always. He's the best at writing UST, pining and electric moments. I loved the hurt/comfort aspect of it. Jim is fighting his attraction to Emmett hard. He's an ex student after all. The plot flowed well. His writing was gorgeous as usual. It seems the two ran from their troubles in Wyoming, only to find new trouble in California. Wyoming is not the only hotspot for paranormal activity. Did we really think it was? I'm excited to see what's to come, especially with Emmett and Jim. 🥰💜😍
Which is why the ending gave me so much rage! 👿And leads me back to the beginning of the review.
Rage filled, ranting spoiler aside I, of course, will be reading the next book as soon as it comes out. I'm a glutton for Ashe induced pain. 😂 I just hope it eventually leads to happiness.
Beautiful Spoiler Quotes:
Want to read
August 8, 2022Ohhh!! My sweet, tortured Emmett!! How had I wished for a new story about you and my wish has been heard 💙💙
Seems like I have to do a re-read of the Hollow Folk series although this series brought me to my knees and I wasn't satisfied with the ending. But there was so much happening in Hollow Folk that I think a re-read will be helpful for this new series since it seems to be connected to past events.
I'm very much looking forward to revisiting this fascinating world Gregory Ashe has created!
Seems like I have to do a re-read of the Hollow Folk series although this series brought me to my knees and I wasn't satisfied with the ending. But there was so much happening in Hollow Folk that I think a re-read will be helpful for this new series since it seems to be connected to past events.
I'm very much looking forward to revisiting this fascinating world Gregory Ashe has created!
January 27, 2023
Second read: 4.5/5 stars
I’ll be honest I skimmed a lot of this cause I left my reread to late. But that ending was still as cruel as ever.
———
Original review: 5/5 star
NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONNONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO I LITERALLY THREW MY TABLET AWAY WHEN I READ THE ENDING JUST NO
I can’t even think straight rn, I’ll attempt to write a review when I stop beating up my cushions
~
I have composed myself a bit and now I’m back.
Oh god where do I even start. Ember boys is set several months after the end of the mortal sleep, and in that time Emmet and Jim have spent a lot of time together, so much so that they’re pretty infatuated with each other. Which brings me to my one negative thing about the story, we don’t get to see how Jim and Emmet’s feelings begun. But nothing has happened between the two of them yet since Emmet is in a psych hospital and Jim is trying to stay in teacher mode, even if he’s failing terribly. I’m usually not a fan of age-gap romances, and I didn’t even realise how big the age gap between these two until I started reading, but it does sorta help seeing how harsh Jim is on himself over it all.
”That’s what Emmet has in his life, I thought now, the darkness and the polyester suffocating me. A pervert. An old man who likes to watch.”
Poor Jim.
It was honestly really easy to forget that we hadn’t seen how their feelings for each other begun because it just seemed to work so well that I couldn’t even question how it started. The two of them fight like there’s no tomorrow, but they also have some seriously cute moments.
One of my favourite thing about this book is the dual povs. This means we got to see everything that happened in the book from both sides and get into both of their heads, and let me tell you these boys are in some serious need of therapy and a hug. Both of them are so messed up over the events from the hollow folk series. Jim is pretending to be okay living in a tent and eating hotdogs off a stick, while Emmet is struggling in the hospital with his mental health and drug addiction. I love characters that make me feel, and I really feel in love with these two so much because of how much they broke my heart.
There’s less action in this than in the mortal sleep, but that’s sort of expected since it’s only the beginning and I’m sure there’ll be more action to come. It was pretty short overall too and I flew through it in a few hours, which made me quite sad since I’ve no idea when the next one is due out.
Now I’m gonna talk about the ending in the spoiler tags and please, please do not read this next bit until you’ve finished the story because you don’t not want this spoiled for you.
So anyway please read this and cry with me until the next book is okay :)
I’ll be honest I skimmed a lot of this cause I left my reread to late. But that ending was still as cruel as ever.
———
Original review: 5/5 star
NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONNONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO I LITERALLY THREW MY TABLET AWAY WHEN I READ THE ENDING JUST NO
I can’t even think straight rn, I’ll attempt to write a review when I stop beating up my cushions
~
I have composed myself a bit and now I’m back.
Oh god where do I even start. Ember boys is set several months after the end of the mortal sleep, and in that time Emmet and Jim have spent a lot of time together, so much so that they’re pretty infatuated with each other. Which brings me to my one negative thing about the story, we don’t get to see how Jim and Emmet’s feelings begun. But nothing has happened between the two of them yet since Emmet is in a psych hospital and Jim is trying to stay in teacher mode, even if he’s failing terribly. I’m usually not a fan of age-gap romances, and I didn’t even realise how big the age gap between these two until I started reading, but it does sorta help seeing how harsh Jim is on himself over it all.
”That’s what Emmet has in his life, I thought now, the darkness and the polyester suffocating me. A pervert. An old man who likes to watch.”
Poor Jim.
It was honestly really easy to forget that we hadn’t seen how their feelings for each other begun because it just seemed to work so well that I couldn’t even question how it started. The two of them fight like there’s no tomorrow, but they also have some seriously cute moments.
One of my favourite thing about this book is the dual povs. This means we got to see everything that happened in the book from both sides and get into both of their heads, and let me tell you these boys are in some serious need of therapy and a hug. Both of them are so messed up over the events from the hollow folk series. Jim is pretending to be okay living in a tent and eating hotdogs off a stick, while Emmet is struggling in the hospital with his mental health and drug addiction. I love characters that make me feel, and I really feel in love with these two so much because of how much they broke my heart.
There’s less action in this than in the mortal sleep, but that’s sort of expected since it’s only the beginning and I’m sure there’ll be more action to come. It was pretty short overall too and I flew through it in a few hours, which made me quite sad since I’ve no idea when the next one is due out.
Now I’m gonna talk about the ending in the spoiler tags and please, please do not read this next bit until you’ve finished the story because you don’t not want this spoiled for you.
So anyway please read this and cry with me until the next book is okay :)
August 2, 2025
3.5 stars
Obligatory "do not read the blurb of this book, much less this review, if you don't already know how the Hollow Folk love triangle resolved" disclaimer. Because the very existence of this series is a spoiler for the endgame of that one.
I will always be an Emmett/Vie diehard and deeply resent how HF ended (hence why I waited over a year to start this series after finishing HF; the grudge needed time to die down), but given that -- this wasn't bad. I remain convinced that GA realized in the writing of HF that he fucked up bad with the ending but had already committed himself to a spinoff series -- he could have switched it up, of course, but sunk costs are a harsh mistress -- so it's not surprising that he writes Emmett, the anti-Austin, with relish.
I think GA sets himself a tough task by laying an age-gap, power-gap (ex-teacher/student) dynamic on top of a trauma and addiction recovery storyline, and it only works because Emmett is such a compelling character: tough, sarcastic, cynical, self-lacerating, vulnerable, and wounded. Jim is, naturally, more fleshed out here, but still somewhat obscure. Given that we got to know Emmett (through Vie's eyes) over the course of 4 HF books, but are much less familiar with Jim, who was on the periphery of Vie's story, it's not surprising that Jim is very much the planet circling Emmett's sun, at least in this first book. There are definite shades of Auggie/Theo here in how these two relate, but Jim is somewhat less controlling than Theo, while Emmett seems more mature and -- ironically, given that he is involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital -- has more agency than early Auggie.
There was also some monstery stuff happening, which, whatever. It was fine, I guess. Not what I'm here for. Emmett and his tangled love life is the hook; that, and seeing how GA writes his way out of the way he resolved the previous series, which (and again, I think he knows this deep down) was the epitome of unsatisfying for two characters who deserved much better than settling for the "safe" (boring, unchallenging) choice.
ETA -- after reading the whole series and the accompanying stories, I have some thoughts about HFNs, HEAs, and the mess that's left when you've written one but pretend like it's the other. Note that the review is spoilery for where things are left, relationships-wise, at the end of the final story.
Obligatory "do not read the blurb of this book, much less this review, if you don't already know how the Hollow Folk love triangle resolved" disclaimer. Because the very existence of this series is a spoiler for the endgame of that one.
I will always be an Emmett/Vie diehard and deeply resent how HF ended (hence why I waited over a year to start this series after finishing HF; the grudge needed time to die down), but given that -- this wasn't bad. I remain convinced that GA realized in the writing of HF that he fucked up bad with the ending but had already committed himself to a spinoff series -- he could have switched it up, of course, but sunk costs are a harsh mistress -- so it's not surprising that he writes Emmett, the anti-Austin, with relish.
I think GA sets himself a tough task by laying an age-gap, power-gap (ex-teacher/student) dynamic on top of a trauma and addiction recovery storyline, and it only works because Emmett is such a compelling character: tough, sarcastic, cynical, self-lacerating, vulnerable, and wounded. Jim is, naturally, more fleshed out here, but still somewhat obscure. Given that we got to know Emmett (through Vie's eyes) over the course of 4 HF books, but are much less familiar with Jim, who was on the periphery of Vie's story, it's not surprising that Jim is very much the planet circling Emmett's sun, at least in this first book. There are definite shades of Auggie/Theo here in how these two relate, but Jim is somewhat less controlling than Theo, while Emmett seems more mature and -- ironically, given that he is involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital -- has more agency than early Auggie.
There was also some monstery stuff happening, which, whatever. It was fine, I guess. Not what I'm here for. Emmett and his tangled love life is the hook; that, and seeing how GA writes his way out of the way he resolved the previous series, which (and again, I think he knows this deep down) was the epitome of unsatisfying for two characters who deserved much better than settling for the "safe" (boring, unchallenging) choice.
ETA -- after reading the whole series and the accompanying stories, I have some thoughts about HFNs, HEAs, and the mess that's left when you've written one but pretend like it's the other. Note that the review is spoilery for where things are left, relationships-wise, at the end of the final story.
December 26, 2021
Are you kidding me? What kind of ending was that? And Gregory, if you are reading this, you know I love you. But good lord Emmett is a bratty little spoiled shit.
August 1, 2021
This might be a weird comment to make, seeing as I'm fully aware this is a spinoff -- having literally just finished the first series -- but this feels like coming into the middle of a story. Like, a book two. Yes, we know these characters, yes, we know most of their backstories, but their current circumstances, their current dynamic, it's all missing. Briefly touched on, time lapse referenced, etc, but as a result we get none of that emotional development. We're just told this is how it is. It makes this shift, which would've already been an adjustment, harder to believe. I could've been made to believe it, to feel it, etc, but I needed to see it.
That said, Ashe has expanded his world even further and it didn't take much. This is one of the shorter books from this author and he did a lot with that page time. I'm not sure what's to come from what he's set up, or because of that ending, but I'll definitely read on. I can probably get behind this ship, I think. Maybe. But even if I can't, I'm all in for Emmett.
That said, Ashe has expanded his world even further and it didn't take much. This is one of the shorter books from this author and he did a lot with that page time. I'm not sure what's to come from what he's set up, or because of that ending, but I'll definitely read on. I can probably get behind this ship, I think. Maybe. But even if I can't, I'm all in for Emmett.
Want to read
June 17, 2020I'm a simple girl: Gregory writes it, I'mma read it.
Edited to add: OMG, as if I wasn't already dying for August to hurrythefuckup and get here, Bev mentioned that it has Emmett from the Hollow Folk series in it! LOVED that series!
Edited to add: OMG, as if I wasn't already dying for August to hurrythefuckup and get here, Bev mentioned that it has Emmett from the Hollow Folk series in it! LOVED that series!
August 18, 2020
3.5 stars with a good start to this new series. Took me a while to get into it and unpack the main players. Hoping this will evolve as beautifully as Hazard & Somerset did !
January 19, 2023
4.25 stars from me.
When I finished reading the Hollow Folk series back in April 2019, I was hoping that Greg would reprise some of the characters in one way or another...turns out, he decided Emmett and Jim were his characters of choice and here they now are in California, having barely escaped with their lives from all things evil in Wyoming. There is absolutely NO freaking way you should start this series without having read that YA one first. It's pointless ...honestly, you'll have no idea who the characters are, what they went through and if me recommending that series for everyone to read BEFORE they start this one means Greg gets to sell more stories, then so be it 😉.
This is NOT a fun read [we're not talking Ree and John here, nor North & Shaw; there are few laughs and gooey moments in this one, just as there were few smiles in Hollow Folk]. There is a lot of anger in Ember Boys, and it paints a dark... and quite frankly, depressing picture of Emmett and Jim's current lives to start off the new series BUT the quality of the writing more than makes up for...well, pretty much everything actually 😏. Emmett is locked up in an apparent psychiatric hospital, struggling with heroin withdrawal/substance abuse, and trying to get people to believe that what he went through in Vehpese was real...there are old evils out there, monsters who wear human faces. Jim makes his way to the West Coast to ensure that Emmett is OK, and gets involved in looking for a missing girl...but notices that his 'power' is weakening and Emmett's has temporarily disappeared. There is of course much more to all of this than meets the eye 🤯.
That's all from me folks. Read HOLLOW FOLK first. Not mentioning who turns up at the end of the story, cos it won't mean a lot to most of you...just colour me surprised!! Book 2, Queer Fires, comes out at the end of January 2023. My book pimping is now over 😊.
When I finished reading the Hollow Folk series back in April 2019, I was hoping that Greg would reprise some of the characters in one way or another...turns out, he decided Emmett and Jim were his characters of choice and here they now are in California, having barely escaped with their lives from all things evil in Wyoming. There is absolutely NO freaking way you should start this series without having read that YA one first. It's pointless ...honestly, you'll have no idea who the characters are, what they went through and if me recommending that series for everyone to read BEFORE they start this one means Greg gets to sell more stories, then so be it 😉.
This is NOT a fun read [we're not talking Ree and John here, nor North & Shaw; there are few laughs and gooey moments in this one, just as there were few smiles in Hollow Folk]. There is a lot of anger in Ember Boys, and it paints a dark... and quite frankly, depressing picture of Emmett and Jim's current lives to start off the new series BUT the quality of the writing more than makes up for...well, pretty much everything actually 😏. Emmett is locked up in an apparent psychiatric hospital, struggling with heroin withdrawal/substance abuse, and trying to get people to believe that what he went through in Vehpese was real...there are old evils out there, monsters who wear human faces. Jim makes his way to the West Coast to ensure that Emmett is OK, and gets involved in looking for a missing girl...but notices that his 'power' is weakening and Emmett's has temporarily disappeared. There is of course much more to all of this than meets the eye 🤯.
That's all from me folks. Read HOLLOW FOLK first. Not mentioning who turns up at the end of the story, cos it won't mean a lot to most of you...just colour me surprised!! Book 2, Queer Fires, comes out at the end of January 2023. My book pimping is now over 😊.
January 31, 2023
I must be building up a Gregory Ashe Angst™ tolerance because the wallop at the end of this book only incited an incredulous laugh from me, followed by an amused "of course he did". Having just stumbled off the brutal roller coaster that was the Hollow Folk series, I don't think anything could have shocked me (except for maybe the page count, which was unusually low). Mea culpa to those of you who read this book and then waited YEARS for the follow up, though. I can't imagine what you've been through. I think we can all agree that the only reason my skin feels thick right now is because I've got Queer Fires waiting for me. Otherwise there would be holes in the walls of my house, a furious husband refusing to help me fix them and an Amazon order for a new Kindle in process (2 day shipping, baby).
Emmett was my favorite character in Hollow Folk and, for a good portion of the series, had my vote in the Vie Love Triangle of Disfunction. While all of the characters were layered with traumatically broken pieces, the glimmers of who Emmett could be if he removed the defiant brat mask (which he had seemingly affixed to himself with Gorilla glue) endeared him to me. He was frustrating and self destructive and spoiled, but also smart and caring and intuitive. Vie recognized those hidden parts of Emmett and now, apparently, so has Jim.
Jim, Jim, Jim. Jim is the kind of man you just want to mess up. Wrinkle his shirt. Muss his hair. Untie his shoe. Anything to make him appear some degree of relaxed because goodness is he uptight. I didn't feel as though I got a good picture of who Jim is or what he has been through. His thought processes in this book generally revolved around Emmett and I needed more information about him. I'm hoping the next book sets some time aside to delve into his backstory a bit. I don't need to know everything he went through as a child at the Feast, but where are his parents? What has his ability been like for him? Why did he make the choices he made during and after the events in Hollow Folk? Why has he seemingly given up? Why is he always running and what is he running from?
This book felt a little like a prologue to me. It introduced a different branch of the world that Hollow Folk established and gave me hope that a Boss Battle is on the horizon. I did feel like there was something missing when it came to the relationship development between Emmett and Jim. I couldn't ignore the feeling of being dropped into a story already in progress, especially when the L word started being tossed around and I was like, "wait, what?". But I've learned not to judge a series until it's over, so on to book #2 I shall go!
Emmett was my favorite character in Hollow Folk and, for a good portion of the series, had my vote in the Vie Love Triangle of Disfunction. While all of the characters were layered with traumatically broken pieces, the glimmers of who Emmett could be if he removed the defiant brat mask (which he had seemingly affixed to himself with Gorilla glue) endeared him to me. He was frustrating and self destructive and spoiled, but also smart and caring and intuitive. Vie recognized those hidden parts of Emmett and now, apparently, so has Jim.
Jim, Jim, Jim. Jim is the kind of man you just want to mess up. Wrinkle his shirt. Muss his hair. Untie his shoe. Anything to make him appear some degree of relaxed because goodness is he uptight. I didn't feel as though I got a good picture of who Jim is or what he has been through. His thought processes in this book generally revolved around Emmett and I needed more information about him. I'm hoping the next book sets some time aside to delve into his backstory a bit. I don't need to know everything he went through as a child at the Feast, but where are his parents? What has his ability been like for him? Why did he make the choices he made during and after the events in Hollow Folk? Why has he seemingly given up? Why is he always running and what is he running from?
This book felt a little like a prologue to me. It introduced a different branch of the world that Hollow Folk established and gave me hope that a Boss Battle is on the horizon. I did feel like there was something missing when it came to the relationship development between Emmett and Jim. I couldn't ignore the feeling of being dropped into a story already in progress, especially when the L word started being tossed around and I was like, "wait, what?". But I've learned not to judge a series until it's over, so on to book #2 I shall go!
October 1, 2020
A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
Ember Boys (and the Flint and Tinder series) is a spin-off from Gregory Ashe’s Hollow Folk series and continues after the last book in that series. Reading this review will naturally reveal events that transpired during Hollow Folk.
Emmett Bradley. If you are familiar with Ashe’s Hollow Folk series, you will know the name. Ember Boys starts the first book of the spin-off series after Hollow Folk. Emmett left Wyoming at the end of that series and now finds himself in a psychiatric hospital that his parents have arranged for and, from the start, it’s clear there something going on at this hospital. Jim Spencer, Emmett’s former high school teacher, also returns here and he is homeless and drifting and trying to get his bearings and that involves visiting Emmett often.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
4 stars
Ember Boys (and the Flint and Tinder series) is a spin-off from Gregory Ashe’s Hollow Folk series and continues after the last book in that series. Reading this review will naturally reveal events that transpired during Hollow Folk.
Emmett Bradley. If you are familiar with Ashe’s Hollow Folk series, you will know the name. Ember Boys starts the first book of the spin-off series after Hollow Folk. Emmett left Wyoming at the end of that series and now finds himself in a psychiatric hospital that his parents have arranged for and, from the start, it’s clear there something going on at this hospital. Jim Spencer, Emmett’s former high school teacher, also returns here and he is homeless and drifting and trying to get his bearings and that involves visiting Emmett often.
Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.
January 21, 2023
I was so looking forward to getting back to this world and Greg didn't disappoint (when does he ever?)
I really really enjoyed Emmett being a total brat. I won't go into details but the 1st half of the book offered some brilliant dialogue and just great interaction between J and E. These two have been through hell and I'm so ready to follow them on their path to get better.
It's not all painful though. Emmett and Chloe talking about Jim as if he's not there got me in stitches more than once (He doesn't deserve that, bless him. I'm a horrible person)
Full disclosure this review is a bit overdue because I couldn't help myself and I started Queer Fires immediately. My advice is to make sure you have all the books nearby before you start Heat. (I'm acting all casual but it's actually a matter of life and death)
I really really enjoyed Emmett being a total brat. I won't go into details but the 1st half of the book offered some brilliant dialogue and just great interaction between J and E. These two have been through hell and I'm so ready to follow them on their path to get better.
It's not all painful though. Emmett and Chloe talking about Jim as if he's not there got me in stitches more than once (He doesn't deserve that, bless him. I'm a horrible person)
Full disclosure this review is a bit overdue because I couldn't help myself and I started Queer Fires immediately. My advice is to make sure you have all the books nearby before you start Heat. (I'm acting all casual but it's actually a matter of life and death)
November 13, 2022
Well..this Hollow Folk/Ember Boys world continues to leave me very confused about my own thoughts and feelings towards the story and I am not even entirely confident that I’ll be able to put into words why I am so conflicted but nonetheless I shall try..
I’m going to start off by saying that I don’t believe this can really be read as a standalone series. Whilst often spin-off series involves some characters and the world from the main book, you can often piece together bits and pieces throughout the spin-off to make enough sense out of what has happened prior. I don’t think this is the case for Ember Boys, there’s A LOT of history and unresolved issues that are brought up in this book that have carried over from Hollow Folks.
I’d also definitely recommend reading ‘Heat’, the lovely little novella that precedes this particular story. It allows us a little glimpse into Jim and Emmetts dynamic during Emmetts stay at the “hospital”.
I was one of those that was a little disappointed after how things ended between Vie and Emmett at the end of Hollow Folks so I already knew that it would take me a wee while to warm to the idea of Jim and Emmett as a potential pairing. This first book has still left me somewhat on the fence regarding my opinion of them together. There’s a lot of mind games happening still with Emmett and I am craving some more back ground or inner thoughts from Jim.
This book left me feeling as though we jumped a big step in their relationship and dived straight into the intense feeling stage that I am not quite buying into yet.
I’m really hoping that book 2 & 3 will remove any of the doubt and if anyone can do it it’s this author !
Finally…as much as I love Vie and the foreshadowing about him popping up at some point isn’t subtle.. given that his name was casually mentioned (I counted) 60 times throughout the book 🤣 I was still somewhat annoyed that he did pop up in the end.
Looking forward to the next book in this series because of course I’ll read the shit out of that.
I’m going to start off by saying that I don’t believe this can really be read as a standalone series. Whilst often spin-off series involves some characters and the world from the main book, you can often piece together bits and pieces throughout the spin-off to make enough sense out of what has happened prior. I don’t think this is the case for Ember Boys, there’s A LOT of history and unresolved issues that are brought up in this book that have carried over from Hollow Folks.
I’d also definitely recommend reading ‘Heat’, the lovely little novella that precedes this particular story. It allows us a little glimpse into Jim and Emmetts dynamic during Emmetts stay at the “hospital”.
I was one of those that was a little disappointed after how things ended between Vie and Emmett at the end of Hollow Folks so I already knew that it would take me a wee while to warm to the idea of Jim and Emmett as a potential pairing. This first book has still left me somewhat on the fence regarding my opinion of them together. There’s a lot of mind games happening still with Emmett and I am craving some more back ground or inner thoughts from Jim.
This book left me feeling as though we jumped a big step in their relationship and dived straight into the intense feeling stage that I am not quite buying into yet.
I’m really hoping that book 2 & 3 will remove any of the doubt and if anyone can do it it’s this author !
Finally…as much as I love Vie and the foreshadowing about him popping up at some point isn’t subtle.. given that his name was casually mentioned (I counted) 60 times throughout the book 🤣 I was still somewhat annoyed that he did pop up in the end.
Looking forward to the next book in this series because of course I’ll read the shit out of that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2020
This book is really hard to review. The story & writing = 4 stars. I understand it is part of a series but usually books in a series have some conclusion and perhaps a cliff hanger. This book just seemed like the author thought “I’ll just quit here and continue in the next book”. I really did enjoy the book but the ending was so abrupt and non-climatic that I had to knock 1 star off.
January 6, 2026
4.25 stars
This author. This series. The supernatural. The Character building. The drama!
“…the way to handle people was to make them want to fuck you or make them want to fight you. Anything in between, you couldn’t control.”
The CLIFFHANGERS!
Oh Mr. Ashe. What are you doing to your readers?
This author. This series. The supernatural. The Character building. The drama!
“…the way to handle people was to make them want to fuck you or make them want to fight you. Anything in between, you couldn’t control.”
The CLIFFHANGERS!
Oh Mr. Ashe. What are you doing to your readers?
September 7, 2020
3,75/5
Après une pause nécessaire de quelques jours histoire de digérer l'épilogue de « The Mortal Sleep » et mon ressenti sur « Heat », j'ai découvert ce spin-off.
J'adore Emmett et j'aime bien Jim, donc il était évident que j'étais plus que ravie de démarrer ce roman. Le truc ici, c'est que j'ai eu l'impression d'avoir été parachutée dans leur quotidien.
Emmett a toujours été taquin, donc le voir interagir avec Jim ne m'a pas perturbé tant que cela. Sauf qu'on nous laisse comprendre que ses sentiments vont plus loin (on le voit d'ailleurs à un passage... là encore je ne sais pas si c'est l'état perturbé d'Emmett qui parlait ou pas).
J'aurais voulu voir leur amitié se construire, voir leur complicité. Même si Emmett a tendance à rejeter les autres, on sent bien qu'il sait sur qui il peut compter.
Jim, c'est étrange. Jim c'est l'adulte, l'ancien prof. Arrivé là un peu par hasard, il décide de rester dans le coin et de soutenir Emmett, et on le voit éprouver du désir pour lui.
Emmett n'avait pas besoin de démarrer une nouvelle histoire, il avait besoin d'une épaule solide pour s'en sortir. Là, j'ai l'impression qu'on lui en rajoute sur le dos.
Gregory Ashe m'a habitué à des slow burn de dingues, des tomes à rallonge bien développés et poussés dans la psychologie des personnages. Emmett est un personnage si complexe, si particulier, qui aurait mérité plus selon moins.
A côté de tout cela se rajoute une intrigue bien évidemment. Et mon pauvre Emmett se retrouve mêlé à une histoire et va embarquer bien sûr Jim avec lui. Tout ça était bien mené je trouve.
Je dois dire un mot concernant la dernière page aussi, qui m'a complètement achevée !
Un début sublime, pfiouuu les mots, du moins les pensées, de Jim sont sublimes. Et la fin, qui m'est tombée dessus, pourquoi ??
J'espère que la suite se déroulera de la manière dont je pense, mais vraiment... Mon pauvre Emmett.... Et Jim aussi....Ahlala....
Après une pause nécessaire de quelques jours histoire de digérer l'épilogue de « The Mortal Sleep » et mon ressenti sur « Heat », j'ai découvert ce spin-off.
J'adore Emmett et j'aime bien Jim, donc il était évident que j'étais plus que ravie de démarrer ce roman. Le truc ici, c'est que j'ai eu l'impression d'avoir été parachutée dans leur quotidien.
Emmett a toujours été taquin, donc le voir interagir avec Jim ne m'a pas perturbé tant que cela. Sauf qu'on nous laisse comprendre que ses sentiments vont plus loin (on le voit d'ailleurs à un passage... là encore je ne sais pas si c'est l'état perturbé d'Emmett qui parlait ou pas).
J'aurais voulu voir leur amitié se construire, voir leur complicité. Même si Emmett a tendance à rejeter les autres, on sent bien qu'il sait sur qui il peut compter.
Jim, c'est étrange. Jim c'est l'adulte, l'ancien prof. Arrivé là un peu par hasard, il décide de rester dans le coin et de soutenir Emmett, et on le voit éprouver du désir pour lui.
Emmett n'avait pas besoin de démarrer une nouvelle histoire, il avait besoin d'une épaule solide pour s'en sortir. Là, j'ai l'impression qu'on lui en rajoute sur le dos.
Gregory Ashe m'a habitué à des slow burn de dingues, des tomes à rallonge bien développés et poussés dans la psychologie des personnages. Emmett est un personnage si complexe, si particulier, qui aurait mérité plus selon moins.
A côté de tout cela se rajoute une intrigue bien évidemment. Et mon pauvre Emmett se retrouve mêlé à une histoire et va embarquer bien sûr Jim avec lui. Tout ça était bien mené je trouve.
Je dois dire un mot concernant la dernière page aussi, qui m'a complètement achevée !
Un début sublime, pfiouuu les mots, du moins les pensées, de Jim sont sublimes. Et la fin, qui m'est tombée dessus, pourquoi ??
J'espère que la suite se déroulera de la manière dont je pense, mais vraiment... Mon pauvre Emmett.... Et Jim aussi....Ahlala....
September 6, 2021
Okay. How do I phrase my reaction to that ending?
WHAT. THE. FUCK.
Cliffhanger ending alert and I am not okay, thanks for asking.
And like? Gregory Ashe doesn’t usually do cliffhanger endings? The Hollow Folk endings never seemed this intense? But to be fair, I had the chance to read them back-to-back since all the books were out, so I don’t know. This one is a BIG one and I am not okay. Now we have to wait to until maybe next year to get the next 2 books??? Why does he like making us suffer??
Content notes include mentions of drug addiction, drug use, abuse, homelessness, mentions of child rape, unaddressed PTSD, drug withdrawals, mentions of self harm, kidnapping, violence, and an age gap romance where one MC used to be a high school teacher of the other MC.
So, let me back up.
Look, I make no secrets that I am NOT a fan of this relationship coming into this book. For one, it’s WEIRD. Yes, by the time Ember Boys starts, Emmett is 18, but did we forget that Jim Spencer was Emmett’s English teacher in high school and is in his 30s? There is not an insignificant age gap considering Emmett, for all his wealth and lived experience, is still a young adult. And while Jim didn’t try anything necessarily inappropriate with Emmett (although there was one scene with Jim where he meant to save Vie’s life but I’ve already ranted about that), I started this new series with a grimace.
I LIKED Emmett with Vie (and maybe Austin if they could work things out between them for a polyam relationship). And I ROOTED for them to be together. Maybe, yes, they’ve all been through too much trauma together to be in a healthy relationship right now, but what about down the road? Why does it have to be Jim?
Jim has his own problems and to say that Vie and Emmett couldn’t be together because they had issues to work out, well guess what? Jim has his unresolved issues to work out in therapy as well. He obviously never got the help he needed for what happened to him during his time with Lady Buckhardt and the brothel, and the man is TRAUMATIZED. I do emphasize. I want Jim to get the help he needs. I know Emmett has it bad, and has his whole deal to work out, but Jim has lived with these pent up feelings for YEARS now, and what makes Jim better for Emmett vs. what Emmett could have with Vie (and Austin)?
So, you might’ve worked out that I don’t feel like this story is a standalone even if it is a new series. I think I saw some reviews from people who started this one without reading the Hollow Folk series first and was fine with it, but I don’t know. There’s a lot of context needed from the other series that explains what’s happening here. But if you don’t want to be overcome with a need for Emmett to be with his SOULMATE Vie, I guess this is a good place to start.
This book is shorter than any of the books in the Hollow Folk series, and that’s something positive, I guess. It’s also less supernatural-heavy than that series, at least so far. This story mostly focuses on what we caught a glimpse at in the epilogue for The Mortal Sleep. Emmett is getting “treatment” at a rehab/psych facility? I don’t know, this is where I’m kind of vague on the details, honestly. If you read the short story of vignettes in Heat, from the author’s newsletter that takes place before this book, you know that Emmett was at a rehab where Jim managed to check him out from time to time to just…hang out? But in this book, that is OVER because Emmett made the mistake of telling the truth about psychics and, of course, that’s a one-way trip to the psych ward.
So, the psych ward in this is very reminiscent to me of one of my favorite series, The Program by Suzanne Young. It just gives that vibe. Everything is terrible and the doctors are not here for any of their patients, but it’s a place people throw their kids into in the hopes that they’ll get “better” without actually caring about what that means.
Throughout the Hollow Folk series, and here as well, (I mean, correct me if I’m wrong…) but we NEVER actually see Emmett’s parents. Emmett is very much on his own and all we really know about his parents is that they have MONEY. They were the richest people back in Vehpese, Wyoming, and now they’ve shoved Emmett into a very expensive facility and just kind of vanished on him. I think it’s just interesting that we never see or really hear from them. I also think it’s interesting that they know Jim is seeing and visiting their son and apparently have no problem with it. Out of sight, out of mind, as long as their son doesn’t show up at their precious country club.
I think the relationship between Emmett and Jim is still an uncomfortable power dynamic, even though I see the author trying to subvert that in small ways. Jim very much needs someone to care for him, since it’s obvious no one else has, but I just think it should be someone more age appropriate than a kid he taught English to in high school. Because while yes, Emmett is legal and 18 here, it’s not comfortable at all to read about Jim’s attraction to Emmett or to imply that Emmett is seducing Jim? There’s many times that Jim still calls Emmett a “kid” or a “teenager” and points out the age gap between them. But then this book has Emmett “teasing” Jim about Jim maybe being attracted to teenagers and, I don’t know. The whole thing is very uncomfortable to read. This book is very chaste in what actually does happen between them, but there’s no mistaking their sexual attraction to each other. The book does make a point to say Jim doesn’t fall in love with Emmett until after Emmett is 18, and it does take him by surprise, but it’s still weird.
This book is also SAD, but maybe not quite to the levels of Vie’s sadness and depression in the Hollow Folk series. This book is told from Emmett and Jim’s POV, so there’s varying levels of emotions throughout. There are parts that are still very hard to read when it comes to Emmett’s self destructiveness and when it comes to his battle with drug addiction, so that’s something to keep in mind. It was interesting to me that Emmett’s solution here is still to run out of a motel room half-dressed. Although Jim wasn’t quite as determined or fit as Vie to chase down Emmett at the time.
The supernatural aspect of this book and regarding Emmett and Jim’s powers isn’t quite at the forefront of this book as it was with the Hollow Folk series. This expands on the world a bit and makes a mention of the families outside of Wyoming and Idaho and how they’re governed (which is VERY different than what we knew about in the previous series). Although I don’t feel particularly interested in this expanded look at the families and getting involved in all that mess, if this book addresses Vie’s mother’s role and how she’s mostly gotten away unnoticed, that could be something I would be interested in. Otherwise? I don’t really feel like I care enough about the war between the Shadow Nest and the Solar Court. It just sounds too messy. Chloe’s cool, but everyone else can shove it.
I guess what I liked about this book was seeing Emmett, and just the feeling of being with these characters again, even if I hate the dynamic between Emmett and Jim. They are characters I like INDIVIDUALLY, but together? Eh. I’m not sold on it. And I don’t know if I want to be. And then that ending? PLEASE tell me it’s not some trick. Please let Emmett be a thing with Vie. THAT’S ALL I WANT. And maybe have Jim find a HEA with someone else. I know that probably won’t happen since this series seems very set on Emmett and Jim, but I don’t want that so let me be in denial until the end.
***Thanks to the author for giving me an e-ARC to read and review!***
WHAT. THE. FUCK.
Cliffhanger ending alert and I am not okay, thanks for asking.
And like? Gregory Ashe doesn’t usually do cliffhanger endings? The Hollow Folk endings never seemed this intense? But to be fair, I had the chance to read them back-to-back since all the books were out, so I don’t know. This one is a BIG one and I am not okay. Now we have to wait to until maybe next year to get the next 2 books??? Why does he like making us suffer??
Content notes include mentions of drug addiction, drug use, abuse, homelessness, mentions of child rape, unaddressed PTSD, drug withdrawals, mentions of self harm, kidnapping, violence, and an age gap romance where one MC used to be a high school teacher of the other MC.
So, let me back up.
Look, I make no secrets that I am NOT a fan of this relationship coming into this book. For one, it’s WEIRD. Yes, by the time Ember Boys starts, Emmett is 18, but did we forget that Jim Spencer was Emmett’s English teacher in high school and is in his 30s? There is not an insignificant age gap considering Emmett, for all his wealth and lived experience, is still a young adult. And while Jim didn’t try anything necessarily inappropriate with Emmett (although there was one scene with Jim where he meant to save Vie’s life but I’ve already ranted about that), I started this new series with a grimace.
I LIKED Emmett with Vie (and maybe Austin if they could work things out between them for a polyam relationship). And I ROOTED for them to be together. Maybe, yes, they’ve all been through too much trauma together to be in a healthy relationship right now, but what about down the road? Why does it have to be Jim?
Jim has his own problems and to say that Vie and Emmett couldn’t be together because they had issues to work out, well guess what? Jim has his unresolved issues to work out in therapy as well. He obviously never got the help he needed for what happened to him during his time with Lady Buckhardt and the brothel, and the man is TRAUMATIZED. I do emphasize. I want Jim to get the help he needs. I know Emmett has it bad, and has his whole deal to work out, but Jim has lived with these pent up feelings for YEARS now, and what makes Jim better for Emmett vs. what Emmett could have with Vie (and Austin)?
So, you might’ve worked out that I don’t feel like this story is a standalone even if it is a new series. I think I saw some reviews from people who started this one without reading the Hollow Folk series first and was fine with it, but I don’t know. There’s a lot of context needed from the other series that explains what’s happening here. But if you don’t want to be overcome with a need for Emmett to be with his SOULMATE Vie, I guess this is a good place to start.
This book is shorter than any of the books in the Hollow Folk series, and that’s something positive, I guess. It’s also less supernatural-heavy than that series, at least so far. This story mostly focuses on what we caught a glimpse at in the epilogue for The Mortal Sleep. Emmett is getting “treatment” at a rehab/psych facility? I don’t know, this is where I’m kind of vague on the details, honestly. If you read the short story of vignettes in Heat, from the author’s newsletter that takes place before this book, you know that Emmett was at a rehab where Jim managed to check him out from time to time to just…hang out? But in this book, that is OVER because Emmett made the mistake of telling the truth about psychics and, of course, that’s a one-way trip to the psych ward.
So, the psych ward in this is very reminiscent to me of one of my favorite series, The Program by Suzanne Young. It just gives that vibe. Everything is terrible and the doctors are not here for any of their patients, but it’s a place people throw their kids into in the hopes that they’ll get “better” without actually caring about what that means.
Throughout the Hollow Folk series, and here as well, (I mean, correct me if I’m wrong…) but we NEVER actually see Emmett’s parents. Emmett is very much on his own and all we really know about his parents is that they have MONEY. They were the richest people back in Vehpese, Wyoming, and now they’ve shoved Emmett into a very expensive facility and just kind of vanished on him. I think it’s just interesting that we never see or really hear from them. I also think it’s interesting that they know Jim is seeing and visiting their son and apparently have no problem with it. Out of sight, out of mind, as long as their son doesn’t show up at their precious country club.
I think the relationship between Emmett and Jim is still an uncomfortable power dynamic, even though I see the author trying to subvert that in small ways. Jim very much needs someone to care for him, since it’s obvious no one else has, but I just think it should be someone more age appropriate than a kid he taught English to in high school. Because while yes, Emmett is legal and 18 here, it’s not comfortable at all to read about Jim’s attraction to Emmett or to imply that Emmett is seducing Jim? There’s many times that Jim still calls Emmett a “kid” or a “teenager” and points out the age gap between them. But then this book has Emmett “teasing” Jim about Jim maybe being attracted to teenagers and, I don’t know. The whole thing is very uncomfortable to read. This book is very chaste in what actually does happen between them, but there’s no mistaking their sexual attraction to each other. The book does make a point to say Jim doesn’t fall in love with Emmett until after Emmett is 18, and it does take him by surprise, but it’s still weird.
This book is also SAD, but maybe not quite to the levels of Vie’s sadness and depression in the Hollow Folk series. This book is told from Emmett and Jim’s POV, so there’s varying levels of emotions throughout. There are parts that are still very hard to read when it comes to Emmett’s self destructiveness and when it comes to his battle with drug addiction, so that’s something to keep in mind. It was interesting to me that Emmett’s solution here is still to run out of a motel room half-dressed. Although Jim wasn’t quite as determined or fit as Vie to chase down Emmett at the time.
The supernatural aspect of this book and regarding Emmett and Jim’s powers isn’t quite at the forefront of this book as it was with the Hollow Folk series. This expands on the world a bit and makes a mention of the families outside of Wyoming and Idaho and how they’re governed (which is VERY different than what we knew about in the previous series). Although I don’t feel particularly interested in this expanded look at the families and getting involved in all that mess, if this book addresses Vie’s mother’s role and how she’s mostly gotten away unnoticed, that could be something I would be interested in. Otherwise? I don’t really feel like I care enough about the war between the Shadow Nest and the Solar Court. It just sounds too messy. Chloe’s cool, but everyone else can shove it.
I guess what I liked about this book was seeing Emmett, and just the feeling of being with these characters again, even if I hate the dynamic between Emmett and Jim. They are characters I like INDIVIDUALLY, but together? Eh. I’m not sold on it. And I don’t know if I want to be. And then that ending? PLEASE tell me it’s not some trick. Please let Emmett be a thing with Vie. THAT’S ALL I WANT. And maybe have Jim find a HEA with someone else. I know that probably won’t happen since this series seems very set on Emmett and Jim, but I don’t want that so let me be in denial until the end.
***Thanks to the author for giving me an e-ARC to read and review!***
August 23, 2020
I could say that I never really saw Emmett and Jim as a thing... and that would be true, because Hollow Folk wasn't told from either of their perspectives. We didn't see much of their interactions with each other, because Hollow Folk wasn't really about them, and what parts were about them was focused on their relationships with Vie. I hadn't been Team Austin or Team Emmett when it came to Hollow Folk. I can imagine that if I had been Team Emmett, I probably wouldn't be crazy about this pairing.
When I had first read the blurb for this book, it was after finishing 3/4 of the Hollow Folks books. I saw Emmett & Jim at the start of the blurb and stopped there because I didn't want to spoil whatever developed between them in Mortal Sleep. Which didn't end up happening, which I'm not upset about, because like I said, Hollow Folk wasn't about them.
I don't think this had the most riveting plot of all Gregory Ashe's, but it was really enjoyable to read. I do almost wish that I had waited to read this until at least the second book had been released, because it did end abruptly and I imagine picks up quite seamlessly into the second book.
I do miss the singular POV of Hollow Folk, but other than that, if this series is anything like Hollow Folk, I know I'm in for a good time.
When I had first read the blurb for this book, it was after finishing 3/4 of the Hollow Folks books. I saw Emmett & Jim at the start of the blurb and stopped there because I didn't want to spoil whatever developed between them in Mortal Sleep. Which didn't end up happening, which I'm not upset about, because like I said, Hollow Folk wasn't about them.
I don't think this had the most riveting plot of all Gregory Ashe's, but it was really enjoyable to read. I do almost wish that I had waited to read this until at least the second book had been released, because it did end abruptly and I imagine picks up quite seamlessly into the second book.
I do miss the singular POV of Hollow Folk, but other than that, if this series is anything like Hollow Folk, I know I'm in for a good time.
November 14, 2021
*Updated after some more time to think about the book*
Arc received for honest review:
This is the first book in a spin-off series from the Hollow Folk quartet. Following Emmett Bradley, one of the core characters of that series.
The story has moved away from Vehpese following Emmett to California.
You don’t need to have read Hollow Folk to read this book but it does give you a lot of background on who Emmett and Jim are coming into the series and why they are in the situations they’re in.
Other characters from the first series don’t come into this book specifically but they are referenced, especially Vie Elliot, the main character from the Hollow Folk books who has a particularly important role in Emmett‘s past.
I do just generally recommend reading that series if you haven’t though.
- -
I love Gregory Ashe’s writing and I really loved the Hollow Folk series when I read it earlier this year.
I think one of the marks of a good writer is when they can write something that a reader might normally be turned away from or put off by in a way that makes it enjoyable despite the misgivings.
This is the case for me to some extent with this book. I am not a fan of age differences and particularly not of a teacher-student dynamic for a relationship.
When I found out we were getting an Emmett spin-off I never for a moment considered that Jim would be the interest. And I still don’t really like that he is. I had hoped they would be good friends and that we would see how they could support each other in that capacity in these new books.
To be honest I was surprised by this decision from Greg and only my faith in him from reading his other works keeps me hopeful for how this will be played out.
However I did enjoy this book.
Part of that is that my fears around the relationship dynamic were assuaged somewhat by how much these two characters have changed since they were introduced in the first series. (*Mostly it was everything other than the relationship between the two main characters*)
Emmetts journey so far has been incredibly hard and messy and I feel like where we pick this series up with him is a testament to how much he has grown up during and since the Hollow Folk books.
Jim is no longer a teacher, let alone Emmett’s teacher. The power dynamic/imbalance between the two has levelled significantly in the months between the two books. I think I could come to like him more but right now he isn’t much of a known entity and I feel there are explications missing when it comes to his behaviour. I also struggled with some of his actions given that within the context of the HF series/characters so far he is meant to be a mature and responsible adult and the others have looked to him in this role.
Emmett is also 18 (I’m from the uk where age of consent is 16 but still this felt important) and I’m fairly sure the age difference is 12 years. This is bigger than I remembered from HF but I honestly think you wouldn’t know this/notice it in the plot or relationship much except that both characters make a point of it in their own PoVs.
It was a strange one for me, I almost wished there wasn’t as much on-page time spent reminding me of this dynamic as it just reminded me of my hesitation when starting out, and why I feel that the romance isn’t really necessary for these characters at this time.
But I also appreciate how Gregory didn’t just skip over all the inherent complications it brought up between them for the sake of an easy ship. And made it clear that both characters were aware of these difficulties and took them into account in their behaviour.
And with that particular feature of their dynamic aside I did enjoy both the characters and can see the potential for them to be something the other needs as support and catalyst (though I do feel there’s merit in exploring the many forms of love. Theirs needn’t be romantic for me) at this point in their lives. Following everything they went through in the last series and with what’s beginning to kick off for this one.
It felt a little jarring to be thrown into the middle of their turmoil around this topic from the get go. I believe Greg has released a short story that covers some of the timejump between the series but I haven’t read it yet (wasn’t out when I got my arc).
It feels a shame for me that we don’t see how and why these characters are at the stage they’re at in this book.
What happened between them since coming to California? How did this friendship grow in the first place? Surely there is more of a foundation for what they express feeling in this book than simply going through the events of HF together?
This is just the first book and I’m sure that they’re endgame but it’s set up to be a long and arduous journey of them dancing around their feelings for each other (is it slow burn if both characters confess to feeling something from the start but then don’t act on it?).
So while the two characters certainly have an undertone of *potential*, nothing much really happens between them on page in the book.
Though certainly not for lack of them each wanting something.
For the most part Jim holds a clear boundary with himself and Emmett and this (and the complications in general) is expressed explicitly in conversation between them.
But Jim did used to be his teacher and so if that is going to be something that is an issue for you then be warned that it is an a large element of their relationship in this book/series.
I also feel to mention that while Emmett is doing a lot better in this book than he was by the end of Hollow Folk, there is still explicit references to drugs, alcohol and self-harm. Both about other characters and Emmett himself, as well as his going through withdrawals for his medication.
All that said there are a lot of things I really enjoyed about this book.
The POV alternates between Jim and Emmett something that wasn’t done in Hollow Folk but that I really enjoyed with this book. Getting to hear both characters voices and understand where they’re both coming from in terms of their inner thoughts added to the texture and depth of the situations they find themselves in.
I’m also really intrigued by the world building that happens in this book.
The exploration into the magical elements, how there are many more people in the world with magical powers than just those met in Hollow Folk and what systems govern this hidden side of society. I think this has great potential as the foundation of this new series.
I am aware that these books are intentionally shorter than the Hollow Folk series and as such less seemed to happen (or as much but in less time? I’m struggling to decide, I think this isn’t helped by how the relationship plot seems to have changed so fast since HF but we didn’t see how) in this book than I think I’ve come to expect from reading Gregory’s other series. But I see no reason this length & pacing won’t work just as well, I just need to get used to it!
All in all I think that this book was a good kick off to the new series, I’m really glad that we get to spend more time with Emmett as a character, especially now we get to really know him though his POV! And in this world in general!
And of course! It wouldn’t be a Gregory Ashe book without a proper big cliffhanger at the end!
Arc received for honest review:
This is the first book in a spin-off series from the Hollow Folk quartet. Following Emmett Bradley, one of the core characters of that series.
The story has moved away from Vehpese following Emmett to California.
You don’t need to have read Hollow Folk to read this book but it does give you a lot of background on who Emmett and Jim are coming into the series and why they are in the situations they’re in.
Other characters from the first series don’t come into this book specifically but they are referenced, especially Vie Elliot, the main character from the Hollow Folk books who has a particularly important role in Emmett‘s past.
I do just generally recommend reading that series if you haven’t though.
- -
I love Gregory Ashe’s writing and I really loved the Hollow Folk series when I read it earlier this year.
I think one of the marks of a good writer is when they can write something that a reader might normally be turned away from or put off by in a way that makes it enjoyable despite the misgivings.
This is the case for me to some extent with this book. I am not a fan of age differences and particularly not of a teacher-student dynamic for a relationship.
When I found out we were getting an Emmett spin-off I never for a moment considered that Jim would be the interest. And I still don’t really like that he is. I had hoped they would be good friends and that we would see how they could support each other in that capacity in these new books.
To be honest I was surprised by this decision from Greg and only my faith in him from reading his other works keeps me hopeful for how this will be played out.
However I did enjoy this book.
Part of that is that my fears around the relationship dynamic were assuaged somewhat by how much these two characters have changed since they were introduced in the first series. (*Mostly it was everything other than the relationship between the two main characters*)
Emmetts journey so far has been incredibly hard and messy and I feel like where we pick this series up with him is a testament to how much he has grown up during and since the Hollow Folk books.
Jim is no longer a teacher, let alone Emmett’s teacher. The power dynamic/imbalance between the two has levelled significantly in the months between the two books. I think I could come to like him more but right now he isn’t much of a known entity and I feel there are explications missing when it comes to his behaviour. I also struggled with some of his actions given that within the context of the HF series/characters so far he is meant to be a mature and responsible adult and the others have looked to him in this role.
Emmett is also 18 (I’m from the uk where age of consent is 16 but still this felt important) and I’m fairly sure the age difference is 12 years. This is bigger than I remembered from HF but I honestly think you wouldn’t know this/notice it in the plot or relationship much except that both characters make a point of it in their own PoVs.
It was a strange one for me, I almost wished there wasn’t as much on-page time spent reminding me of this dynamic as it just reminded me of my hesitation when starting out, and why I feel that the romance isn’t really necessary for these characters at this time.
But I also appreciate how Gregory didn’t just skip over all the inherent complications it brought up between them for the sake of an easy ship. And made it clear that both characters were aware of these difficulties and took them into account in their behaviour.
And with that particular feature of their dynamic aside I did enjoy both the characters and can see the potential for them to be something the other needs as support and catalyst (though I do feel there’s merit in exploring the many forms of love. Theirs needn’t be romantic for me) at this point in their lives. Following everything they went through in the last series and with what’s beginning to kick off for this one.
It felt a little jarring to be thrown into the middle of their turmoil around this topic from the get go. I believe Greg has released a short story that covers some of the timejump between the series but I haven’t read it yet (wasn’t out when I got my arc).
It feels a shame for me that we don’t see how and why these characters are at the stage they’re at in this book.
What happened between them since coming to California? How did this friendship grow in the first place? Surely there is more of a foundation for what they express feeling in this book than simply going through the events of HF together?
This is just the first book and I’m sure that they’re endgame but it’s set up to be a long and arduous journey of them dancing around their feelings for each other (is it slow burn if both characters confess to feeling something from the start but then don’t act on it?).
So while the two characters certainly have an undertone of *potential*, nothing much really happens between them on page in the book.
Though certainly not for lack of them each wanting something.
For the most part Jim holds a clear boundary with himself and Emmett and this (and the complications in general) is expressed explicitly in conversation between them.
But Jim did used to be his teacher and so if that is going to be something that is an issue for you then be warned that it is an a large element of their relationship in this book/series.
I also feel to mention that while Emmett is doing a lot better in this book than he was by the end of Hollow Folk, there is still explicit references to drugs, alcohol and self-harm. Both about other characters and Emmett himself, as well as his going through withdrawals for his medication.
All that said there are a lot of things I really enjoyed about this book.
The POV alternates between Jim and Emmett something that wasn’t done in Hollow Folk but that I really enjoyed with this book. Getting to hear both characters voices and understand where they’re both coming from in terms of their inner thoughts added to the texture and depth of the situations they find themselves in.
I’m also really intrigued by the world building that happens in this book.
The exploration into the magical elements, how there are many more people in the world with magical powers than just those met in Hollow Folk and what systems govern this hidden side of society. I think this has great potential as the foundation of this new series.
I am aware that these books are intentionally shorter than the Hollow Folk series and as such less seemed to happen (or as much but in less time? I’m struggling to decide, I think this isn’t helped by how the relationship plot seems to have changed so fast since HF but we didn’t see how) in this book than I think I’ve come to expect from reading Gregory’s other series. But I see no reason this length & pacing won’t work just as well, I just need to get used to it!
All in all I think that this book was a good kick off to the new series, I’m really glad that we get to spend more time with Emmett as a character, especially now we get to really know him though his POV! And in this world in general!
And of course! It wouldn’t be a Gregory Ashe book without a proper big cliffhanger at the end!
September 24, 2021
I’ve only read The Hollow Folk and this series so far, but that’s enough to know that Gregory Ashe makes you cry, knows just how to mess with your emotions and breaks your heart. And you can’t help but keep coming back for more.
Mister Ashe, though I know it’ll destroy me, I hope you’re working on the sequel because we need it bad. Even if it’ll break our hearts all over again.
This book continues the Hollow Folk series, showing us what’s been happening to probably the most fascinating character from the Hollow Folk, Emmett. It also gives us more glimpses of the world we’ve been thrown into. You knew there’s a lot going on outside Vehpese, so this is a very welcome continuation in that sense as well - and hopefully we’ll continue to see more of the characters and the world. Would love it if Ashe continues to work with the same universe, whether it’s with the characters we’re already in love with or new ones in the future. There’s just so much more to see.
I’m not saying much about the plot because the blurb tells you enough without giving away too much. Reading Heat first is highly recommended, it’s a bridge between The Mortal Sleep and this one.
In summary:
If The Mortal Sleep left you craving for more of the characters and wanting more answers about the world they live in, you need to read this one. And the next one, which hopefully we’ll get before the ache in our hearts kills us.
Mister Ashe, though I know it’ll destroy me, I hope you’re working on the sequel because we need it bad. Even if it’ll break our hearts all over again.
This book continues the Hollow Folk series, showing us what’s been happening to probably the most fascinating character from the Hollow Folk, Emmett. It also gives us more glimpses of the world we’ve been thrown into. You knew there’s a lot going on outside Vehpese, so this is a very welcome continuation in that sense as well - and hopefully we’ll continue to see more of the characters and the world. Would love it if Ashe continues to work with the same universe, whether it’s with the characters we’re already in love with or new ones in the future. There’s just so much more to see.
I’m not saying much about the plot because the blurb tells you enough without giving away too much. Reading Heat first is highly recommended, it’s a bridge between The Mortal Sleep and this one.
In summary:
If The Mortal Sleep left you craving for more of the characters and wanting more answers about the world they live in, you need to read this one. And the next one, which hopefully we’ll get before the ache in our hearts kills us.
August 21, 2020
This is my first Gregory Ashe book and didn’t know what to expect but was intrigued by an interview I heard with him. What also helped was the blurb for the book.
A story about people with special abilities that are damaged in some way fits with my warped sense of where we are in time right now. I want to say I saw myself in the characters but that seems cheap, I suppose it would be better to say that I identified with certain aspects of the characters in their flaws and self-perception. It is always nice to see there are others damaged as much as or even worse than yourself and have managed to continue in their journey through life.
The layout and voice of the book were a bit unique for me, with each chapter being a particular character’s perceptions. I liked it and it helped to read the thoughts of that character that went along with the conversation happening.
Emmett and Jim have a rather unusual relationship that gets complicated even more by each one’s personality traits and flaws. There is growth through some ugliness and circumstance. It really is a story of a vicious addict/ reluctant hero and an inept do-gooder / reluctant hero. They are both heroes if they will get out of their own way and grow beyond their damage. Add in some cool paranormal activity, some titillations, and general chaos of life, it makes for a great story.
When the last page came, I was satisfied with this part of the story knowing there was much more to tell. That is what future books are for and I will be picking them up as they are released.
A story about people with special abilities that are damaged in some way fits with my warped sense of where we are in time right now. I want to say I saw myself in the characters but that seems cheap, I suppose it would be better to say that I identified with certain aspects of the characters in their flaws and self-perception. It is always nice to see there are others damaged as much as or even worse than yourself and have managed to continue in their journey through life.
The layout and voice of the book were a bit unique for me, with each chapter being a particular character’s perceptions. I liked it and it helped to read the thoughts of that character that went along with the conversation happening.
Emmett and Jim have a rather unusual relationship that gets complicated even more by each one’s personality traits and flaws. There is growth through some ugliness and circumstance. It really is a story of a vicious addict/ reluctant hero and an inept do-gooder / reluctant hero. They are both heroes if they will get out of their own way and grow beyond their damage. Add in some cool paranormal activity, some titillations, and general chaos of life, it makes for a great story.
When the last page came, I was satisfied with this part of the story knowing there was much more to tell. That is what future books are for and I will be picking them up as they are released.
June 11, 2022
good
3.75 stars
Good start to the new series.
This one took me a long time to really get into and buy the time I was really invested it finished on that wicked cliff hanger.
Emmert was one of my favourite characters in the hollow folk series, so when I found out he got his own book I was really excited to read it. I connect with him so well, the way he shoots his mouth off, knowing full well his is being a jerk and yet unable to help himself at the same time. It’s nice to see his problems are not just all over, he still has a long way to go and he knows it.
I did have some reservations to be honest regarding the relationship with Jim. I had issues with him during the other series and didn’t like the vibe between him and Vie due to the fact that he was their teacher, so this was an issue for me going in. In hollow Folk I thought he was around 25 (this may have been a bad assumption by Vie) which while still not good was better than the 33 he actually is in this one. Good on the author for not only acknowledging it but Emmert and Jim both think about and discuss it. Jim knows he is too old and does question his attraction. It was only after they hashed it out and they started acting like two adults not the teacher/pupil dynamic did it start working for me and I got really invested quite quickly.
I’m interested to see where the story goes to know. I want to know more about Chloe and her family
3.75 stars
Good start to the new series.
This one took me a long time to really get into and buy the time I was really invested it finished on that wicked cliff hanger.
Emmert was one of my favourite characters in the hollow folk series, so when I found out he got his own book I was really excited to read it. I connect with him so well, the way he shoots his mouth off, knowing full well his is being a jerk and yet unable to help himself at the same time. It’s nice to see his problems are not just all over, he still has a long way to go and he knows it.
I did have some reservations to be honest regarding the relationship with Jim. I had issues with him during the other series and didn’t like the vibe between him and Vie due to the fact that he was their teacher, so this was an issue for me going in. In hollow Folk I thought he was around 25 (this may have been a bad assumption by Vie) which while still not good was better than the 33 he actually is in this one. Good on the author for not only acknowledging it but Emmert and Jim both think about and discuss it. Jim knows he is too old and does question his attraction. It was only after they hashed it out and they started acting like two adults not the teacher/pupil dynamic did it start working for me and I got really invested quite quickly.
I’m interested to see where the story goes to know. I want to know more about Chloe and her family
August 18, 2020
“The people who love you? When it matters, when it’s best for you, they tell you no. Even if it makes you mad. Even if you hate them for it.”
4.5⭐️ I honestly really enjoyed this spin-off? I have to say that I was put off at the beginning by where things were going in this book. However, Gregory is an amazing writer and succeeded in taking on those topics. I usually stay away from teacher/student dynamics because I really don’t like them but here, it’s technically no longer that case and both the characters grew so much from the last series that their relationship felt more equal? like there was not an imbalance of power between them which I liked better.
I adored being back in this psychic world. I absolutely loved seeing Em again and seeing how much he’s trying to change and accept the way he is. He made me emotional on many many occasions and I can’t wait to see how things will go in the next one.
One thing though was that I absolutely hated that ending, specifically that last sentence. I have hopes though that things won’t take a certain path.
4.5⭐️ I honestly really enjoyed this spin-off? I have to say that I was put off at the beginning by where things were going in this book. However, Gregory is an amazing writer and succeeded in taking on those topics. I usually stay away from teacher/student dynamics because I really don’t like them but here, it’s technically no longer that case and both the characters grew so much from the last series that their relationship felt more equal? like there was not an imbalance of power between them which I liked better.
I adored being back in this psychic world. I absolutely loved seeing Em again and seeing how much he’s trying to change and accept the way he is. He made me emotional on many many occasions and I can’t wait to see how things will go in the next one.
One thing though was that I absolutely hated that ending, specifically that last sentence. I have hopes though that things won’t take a certain path.
July 10, 2023
Welll.... #StupidboySummerWithAshe is off to a splendidly stupid start. I swear if I didn't like Jim and Emmet so much, I'd shove them both in a closet and seal it in with cement....
But alas. Here i am. Hopelessly devoted to two more STUPID BOYS because no one writes characters like Greg does. I'm not a fan of supernatural books in the slightest, but I'm already reading book 2, so I think that's a glowing review in itself.
The monsters in Jim and Emmets past aren't done with them yet, and it's a race between their own self loathing, each other, or the monsters to see what is going to do them in first. They're perfectly flawed, too emotionally deep and well roundes but to love, and ya just want to see them smile for more than a page. And that..is why we keep coming back. I cant wait to see what's next in this journey Chole has them stuck on, and their journey to each other, because they're absolutely perfect for one another.
But alas. Here i am. Hopelessly devoted to two more STUPID BOYS because no one writes characters like Greg does. I'm not a fan of supernatural books in the slightest, but I'm already reading book 2, so I think that's a glowing review in itself.
The monsters in Jim and Emmets past aren't done with them yet, and it's a race between their own self loathing, each other, or the monsters to see what is going to do them in first. They're perfectly flawed, too emotionally deep and well roundes but to love, and ya just want to see them smile for more than a page. And that..is why we keep coming back. I cant wait to see what's next in this journey Chole has them stuck on, and their journey to each other, because they're absolutely perfect for one another.
April 19, 2023
Is this a stand-alone spinoff? I don’t think so. I think it’s better if you’ve read the previous series especially because of Emmett and all you learn how he got the way he is.
This is dual POV which was pretty great to finally get inside each of these character’s heads.
The Jim/Emmett dynamic is a bit toxic and a bit they are perfect for each other 😆😆 I mean Emmett is mercurial and that can be hard to follow. Jim has a martyr complex so they are a fun combo 😆
The end was a bit predictable but now we might get some real fireworks 💥 glad I waited until all the books were out because now…. off to read book 2…
This is dual POV which was pretty great to finally get inside each of these character’s heads.
The Jim/Emmett dynamic is a bit toxic and a bit they are perfect for each other 😆😆 I mean Emmett is mercurial and that can be hard to follow. Jim has a martyr complex so they are a fun combo 😆
The end was a bit predictable but now we might get some real fireworks 💥 glad I waited until all the books were out because now…. off to read book 2…
August 30, 2020
It’s no secret that I loved loved loved the Hollow Folk series and that I loved loved loved Emmett. What a complex, compelling, can’t-look-away kind of character. So when I found out Emmett was getting his own spin-off series, I was just a wee bit excited. A first-person Emmett POV (though it does alternate with Jim’s POV)? Sign me the heck up! If you haven’t read the Hollow Folk books, I would strongly recommend reading them first. It’s not strictly necessary, but you’ll be missing a lot of context and character development. Plus, they are awesome books.
And like the HF books, Ember Boys is dark. Emmett is not in a great place. He’s in the hospital, being treated for his addiction and for “mental health issues” that were diagnosed when he made the mistake about talking about his Vehpese experiences. The hospital is not a nice one and Emmett is not sitting easily in his recovery. He’s struggling to come to terms with the events of the HF books, his scars, changes in his powers, and his relationship with Vie.
The plot of Ember Boys sets us up for a dive into an expanded world of people with powers that we just begin to glimpse in this book. We’re introduced to Chloe, another awesome female character (though no one will ever out-awesome Becca from HF as far as I’m concerned) who calls Emmett out on his bs even as she leads him headlong into this new world like the White Rabbit leading Alice down the rabbit hole. It’s hard to say too much about the plot without spoiling and much of it serves as set up for what’s to come. And really, this book is all about relationship anyway.
So. Emmett and Jim. I never would have guessed that Emmett and Jim would be paired. Though I can definitely see Emmett with someone older who can see through his manipulations and force him to be real, Jim didn’t seem substantial enough to withstand the force of nature that is Emmett. And having reflected on the book for a bit, I’m still not sure that he is. Emmett continues to be Emmett, using his trademark mix of insight, cruelty, and sexuality to hide his tender insides and manipulate people into doing what he wants. He continues to grapple with his own self-loathing. He continues to reach for love with one hand while shoving it away with the other. There is growth - he does seem more open to vulnerability and emotion than he was in HF, but he still burns everything to the ground when he feels hurt. And Jim? Well, Jim is a bit of a moth to the flame, who just can’t stay away even as his wings burn.
I’m not a huge fan of age gap, especially right at the edge of legal. I think I would have been better able to handle Jim’s attraction to Emmett if there hadn’t also been repeated allusions to his attraction to Vie as well. Some of this was just Emmett provoking Jim, but it’s referred to in the HF books as well, so there’s some truth to it. I’m not in love with the idea of a high school teacher being attracted to his 17-year-old students and it made me like Jim less. And really, that’s what kept the book from being a 5-star read for me. I just couldn’t get behind Jim as a love interest for Emmett.
In the background of the story, before the on-page action (though shown in the short, Heat), we learn that Jim has been a solid, calm presence for Emmett during his recovery. Emmett’s been able to learn to trust him, to be vulnerable with him, and Jim has patiently and with care called him out on his bs while supporting him and helping him find his way through his pain. In the present setting of the book, however, this calm, collected Jim seems to give way towards a more insecure, reactive Jim. Jim angsts a lot about his attraction to Emmett and waffles about on it. Meanwhile, his actions tell a different truth, which I won't describe because that would be spoilery. Sometimes he can keep his cool in the face of Emmett’s blatant manipulations, but other times he gets caught right up, despite knowing better. He rides that line between love and fixation. I’m not convinced that Emmett wouldn’t eat Jim alive in the long run.
But maybe this partly reflects Emmett’s journey. As we saw in HF, he can inspire big passions (in others and in himself) and those passions aren’t always healthy. In HF, Vie describes Emmett as having a drive towards self-harm disguised as self-protection. Perhaps as Emmett learns to stop hating himself and lets someone love him, Jim will be better able to centre himself in the relationship. And maybe it’s just the starting point of Jim’s arc as well, as he learns to stand solid in himself and his own strength. In HF, we catch glimpses of the way Jim is injured by his childhood experiences. These are similarly alluded to in this book as well. As he faces and works through his past, maybe he will feel solid enough to properly partner Emmett. I suppose we’ll see as the story unfolds.
And I have to say though that even as I complain, one of the things I love about Gregory Ashe’s books is that his characters are messy in a way that is real rather than pretty. They make bad choices, have bad reactions, do things I don’t like. They make mistakes that aren’t easily fixed and sometimes aren’t fixable at all. And that’s what makes his books resonate and what makes his characters compelling. They are messed up and gritty in a deep way that is much more true to how trauma affects us than is sometimes seen in m/m books. And that’s why I love his stuff so much.
Anyway, overall, I loved getting to be in Emmett’s head, I loved returning to this world, and I am eagerly awaiting the next book. And even though the book ends on a cliff-hanger that kind of punches you in the face, it’s totally awesome and I loved it. Gregory Ashe has yet to write a book I didn’t love. Read it, read it, read it!
And like the HF books, Ember Boys is dark. Emmett is not in a great place. He’s in the hospital, being treated for his addiction and for “mental health issues” that were diagnosed when he made the mistake about talking about his Vehpese experiences. The hospital is not a nice one and Emmett is not sitting easily in his recovery. He’s struggling to come to terms with the events of the HF books, his scars, changes in his powers, and his relationship with Vie.
The plot of Ember Boys sets us up for a dive into an expanded world of people with powers that we just begin to glimpse in this book. We’re introduced to Chloe, another awesome female character (though no one will ever out-awesome Becca from HF as far as I’m concerned) who calls Emmett out on his bs even as she leads him headlong into this new world like the White Rabbit leading Alice down the rabbit hole. It’s hard to say too much about the plot without spoiling and much of it serves as set up for what’s to come. And really, this book is all about relationship anyway.
So. Emmett and Jim. I never would have guessed that Emmett and Jim would be paired. Though I can definitely see Emmett with someone older who can see through his manipulations and force him to be real, Jim didn’t seem substantial enough to withstand the force of nature that is Emmett. And having reflected on the book for a bit, I’m still not sure that he is. Emmett continues to be Emmett, using his trademark mix of insight, cruelty, and sexuality to hide his tender insides and manipulate people into doing what he wants. He continues to grapple with his own self-loathing. He continues to reach for love with one hand while shoving it away with the other. There is growth - he does seem more open to vulnerability and emotion than he was in HF, but he still burns everything to the ground when he feels hurt. And Jim? Well, Jim is a bit of a moth to the flame, who just can’t stay away even as his wings burn.
I’m not a huge fan of age gap, especially right at the edge of legal. I think I would have been better able to handle Jim’s attraction to Emmett if there hadn’t also been repeated allusions to his attraction to Vie as well. Some of this was just Emmett provoking Jim, but it’s referred to in the HF books as well, so there’s some truth to it. I’m not in love with the idea of a high school teacher being attracted to his 17-year-old students and it made me like Jim less. And really, that’s what kept the book from being a 5-star read for me. I just couldn’t get behind Jim as a love interest for Emmett.
In the background of the story, before the on-page action (though shown in the short, Heat), we learn that Jim has been a solid, calm presence for Emmett during his recovery. Emmett’s been able to learn to trust him, to be vulnerable with him, and Jim has patiently and with care called him out on his bs while supporting him and helping him find his way through his pain. In the present setting of the book, however, this calm, collected Jim seems to give way towards a more insecure, reactive Jim. Jim angsts a lot about his attraction to Emmett and waffles about on it. Meanwhile, his actions tell a different truth, which I won't describe because that would be spoilery. Sometimes he can keep his cool in the face of Emmett’s blatant manipulations, but other times he gets caught right up, despite knowing better. He rides that line between love and fixation. I’m not convinced that Emmett wouldn’t eat Jim alive in the long run.
But maybe this partly reflects Emmett’s journey. As we saw in HF, he can inspire big passions (in others and in himself) and those passions aren’t always healthy. In HF, Vie describes Emmett as having a drive towards self-harm disguised as self-protection. Perhaps as Emmett learns to stop hating himself and lets someone love him, Jim will be better able to centre himself in the relationship. And maybe it’s just the starting point of Jim’s arc as well, as he learns to stand solid in himself and his own strength. In HF, we catch glimpses of the way Jim is injured by his childhood experiences. These are similarly alluded to in this book as well. As he faces and works through his past, maybe he will feel solid enough to properly partner Emmett. I suppose we’ll see as the story unfolds.
And I have to say though that even as I complain, one of the things I love about Gregory Ashe’s books is that his characters are messy in a way that is real rather than pretty. They make bad choices, have bad reactions, do things I don’t like. They make mistakes that aren’t easily fixed and sometimes aren’t fixable at all. And that’s what makes his books resonate and what makes his characters compelling. They are messed up and gritty in a deep way that is much more true to how trauma affects us than is sometimes seen in m/m books. And that’s why I love his stuff so much.
Anyway, overall, I loved getting to be in Emmett’s head, I loved returning to this world, and I am eagerly awaiting the next book. And even though the book ends on a cliff-hanger that kind of punches you in the face, it’s totally awesome and I loved it. Gregory Ashe has yet to write a book I didn’t love. Read it, read it, read it!
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