The Raven and the Firebird

From the Ashes of Victory #5

by Cameron Darrow

As daily life settles in at the EVE Witchcraft Conservatory, new opportunities, lives and love abound. Victoria and Katya's relationship is ever-evolving, while Millie and Elise are coming to understand what it truly means to be a Bonded witch. At the same time, the school is flourishing, a place of discovery, encouragement and equality. To women and witches everywhere, Longstown has become a beacon brighter than any other.

But is it bright enough to shine through the storm rolling in from Germany?

For when Helga arrives with an announcement, she brings with her a request: help. Help that only the most famous, most powerful witches in history can provide. Agreeing means thrusting EVE directly into German politics and gaining the attention of Adolf Hitler and his growing Nazi party, while declining would go against the very principles EVE was founded on, yet keep the school safe.

EVE's public choices may be nothing to the private ones, however. After all, its greatest secret was never going to stay that way forever...

362 pages, Paperback

Published August 30, 2022

About the author

I write fantastical books about women who love other women that are very much character-driven, told in their unique voices. I was born in a different century in a different country, so I write a lot about characters who live far from where they were born and stand out a bit. Go figure!

I'm the author Midnight Magic, one of the Alumita fantasy lesbian romance anthology, which presents fantasy stories from across cultures over thousands of years that don't ask if women can love each other, only how. Kissy bits and magic! I've also written the (complete) From the Ashes of Victory series, an historical urban fantasy set just after the close of WWI. It's got witches, friendship, found family, trial, error, themes about loss and rebuilding, and forging your own path in a world that would rather you didn’t. If you like your paranormal mysteries with a historical twist and a laugh or two, then I have The Dizzy Dixon Mysteries as well! Vampires and werewolves roaming free in Britain after WWII means someone is going to die. And only the expert on the parallel dimension they came from can figure out who did it!

If you like your vampires vamp-y, witches that love science, or love stories that might also make you laugh, I hope you’ll find something you’ll like!

Reviews

[Issy Waldrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

The action half to Colours of Dawn, it not only continues to look at the growth of the characters and their relationships, but also delves more into the events hinted at in the previous book - both the growing unrest in Germany, but also other certain fears. Katya and Victoria relationship is so sweet and swoon-worthy, and seeing these two grow closer together is something so special, and Millie and Elsie - what they've got is so awesome and special as well, and I'd love to see another pair end up with it as well.

The action that takes place is definitely another step up, and impactful, and also serves as a reminder of how dark it can get at times - and yes, it made me cry. That is an indication of how significant the event was, and how good Darrow's writing really is.

And like all of the other books in the series, I absolutely loved it. It draws you in, makes you care about the characters, has you cheering for their actions, and hoping for the best. And seeing certain manifests in action, and the power that they wield - just plain wow. Thoroughly enjoyed, and on to the final book next.

[Cindy Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this fifth book in the series, the tension is ramped up when the witches of EVE in the UK are asked to travel to Germany to support and inspire a nascent movement of German witches and other women who are offering the country an alternate path to Nazism. When Millie is asked to accompany Katya to Germany, she is anxious about the prospect of meeting up with Niamh, her former mentor who she'd parted from in order to focus on her bonding with Elise. Meanwhile, the relationship between Katya and Victoria is blossoming beyond what either one expected and Alex is wrestling with some difficult questions about her family and her former country.

This is the penultimate book in the series and is engaging and well written as its predecessors. The book begins by re-introducing us to EVE and the main characters and then launches us into continued action alternating between Germany and EVE. Given the resolution, I did wonder what Darrow has in store for the final book, but whatever it is I'll be eager to get to it. Highly recommended.

[Vervada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, wow! I haven't been so sad about a fictional death in a long time. I was literally sucker punched when I read it, I didn't want to believe it and kept waiting for a miracle to happen.

And now that I've got that off my chest, let me start gushing about how adorable Victoria and Katya are together. And how badass! That second half of the book made me rigid with tension while I waited to see how everything would unfold.

The ending was both satisfying and somewhat bittersweet, especially after realizing that the next book is the last in the series. I'm going to wait to read it until I've prepared myself emotionally because even if the ending is sweet as sugar I'm still going to feel a sense of lose after spending so much time with these characters and coming to care for them so much. But I'm also anticipating reading it and seeing how it'll all end.