literary gluttony

Iron and Embers is a fantasy romance centered around a brutal, magic-laced world where power is earned through survival, not mercy. The story follows a fiercely determined female lead navigating dangerous trials, political tension, and a simmering enemies-to-lovers dynamic with a morally gray counterpart. Loyalties are tested, secrets are uncovered, and attraction blooms in a place where weakness can be deadly. It promises high stakes, heat, and heartbreak—all wrapped in a dark fantasy setting.

I wanted this one to hit harder than it did. Iron and Embers has all the ingredients I usually devour—high-stakes fantasy, tension, spice—but the execution left me feeling oddly disconnected.

The biggest hurdle for me was the writing itself. It often felt stilted, like the dialogue and inner monologue were stopping and starting instead of flowing naturally. That choppiness made it difficult to fully sink into the world or feel emotionally anchored in the story. I was reading, but I wasn’t immersed.

The romance is where I felt the most frustration. While the spicy scenes absolutely delivered (no complaints there 👀🔥), the emotional groundwork just wasn’t strong enough. The characters were… fine. Not bad, but hard to care aboutin a way that made their relationship feel vital. I wanted more depth, more time inside who they were before I was asked to feel devastated for them.

And that leads to my biggest issue: the pacing. We barely get a chance to enjoy the main characters being together before everything is torn apart. That separation is clearly meant to sting—but it felt rushed, like the story sprinted past the part where the attachment should have solidified. I needed more quiet moments, more shared space, more us before the fallout.

Devour or Nibble?

Nibble.
This is one I picked at rather than tore through. I kept going because the premise intrigued me and the spice kept things engaging, but it never fully pulled me under or demanded to be binged.

Final Thoughts

Iron and Embers isn’t a bad book, but it didn’t live up to what I hoped it would be. If you’re here primarily for the spice and don’t mind lighter emotional investment or brisk pacing, this might still work for you. For me, though, the stiff writing, rushed relationship development, and underwhelming character connection kept it firmly in 2.5-star territory—a read that had potential, but didn’t quite let me feel it.