As a disclaimer, I was asked to be an ARC reader for Ember Dragon Daughter, but I intend to give a full and honest review. Personally, I think it's important, as a reader, and a potential indie author myself, to not bullshit people. I would want an honest review and not lip service, so I will give all indie authors the same respect and courtesy I would ask of them.
First, Rebecca Sampson happens to be an author I very much respect for her drive, tenacity, and ingenuity. She is well liked in the writing community and has put together wonderful writing aids that she sells on her website. In a profession filled with self-loathing, anxiety, depression, and imposter syndromes aplenty, she is an endless source of positivity for authors. So, needless to say, I was very excited when she asked me to be an ARC.
On to the review...
First, the good:
I think the names of some of historical characters, especially the dragons, were really cool. The whole "Fated" system is a really interesting idea, as the novel suggests it's a great thing to be fated, but fate is not always glorious, as you will learn if you read the novel. I think that is a great twist. It suggests people are kind of stuck in a fairy tale and are now only just being awoken to the reality.
There were also some themes I really liked. Themes that I hope do not go over the heads of YA readers, though, they are a smart bunch so I'm sure they'll see it, but the concepts of power and privilege stood out to me very early on. In particular, the fated vs. the fateless stood out as another example of powerful people are more well...protected...and those in poverty are not. To put it simply.
The idea of the main character having two moms is also a nod to an LGBTQ friendly theme, which I think is great for YA readers who are struggling with their own identities.
The book did seem to have an upward swing in that the writing got better the further you went in. The world and characters became more solid the longer you read on. Had that been there early on, though, this would have easily been 4 stars.
Shout out to Oma, though. She's cool. A bit crotchety, but cool.
Now on to my dislikes:
Ultimately, I had to give the novel three stars. As an adult, reading a YA novel, I struggled at times to connect to the main character. Perhaps a YA reader might not have the same struggles, but I found myself questioning the main character's decisions...more than I think a reader should and it detracted from my ability to stay immersed in the story. Ember seemed at times a very smart and strong young lady and at others...not so...Part of my troubles may lay in the fact that the book began really fast, almost media en res, and so I didn't get a real sense of who Ember was nor did I get a sense of what world she was in. She was simply thrown into her new role and that was that. I couldn't see how it truly affected her because I didn't know her.
Ember is forced into a new world and should be struggling to figure herself out, but I don't feel that struggle as intimately as I should. She says she's struggling, sure, but I, as a reader, didn't feel the struggle and that pulled me away from Ember as a character. I think that struggle is what readers will connect to and I hope they do because it's a real shock to learn that your past may not have been what you thought it was. But, for me, I didn't connect to Ember's emotional turmoil.
The reader is also shown the world in a mix of showing and telling and the telling wasn't nearly as effective as I think Rebecca was going for. I could see what she was trying to do, but it fell flat at times because, while other parts of the novel were inventive, the way you learn about the world wasn't. I wasnt as immersed as I think I could have been, which is really sad because when I take a step back I can see there is a really interesting world with a cool history.
So that's my review of Ember Dragon Daughter. Do I think there are some things that need to be improved on? Yes. I do. This is Rebecca's first novel and a really good start. Am I excited for the sequel? Yes sirreeebob. Would I recommend it? Yes. I would. I think YA readers will be able to connect a little more than I was.
Thank you to Rebecca for giving me the chance to be an ARC and a shout out for being one brave momma for finishing the damn novel.