WARNING: Rape scene in Chapter 8.

<spoiler>Not happy how the rape was handled - namely the aftermath.

Emberly is raped. The rape happened to Emberly. The entire series is written from the first-person POV of Emberly.

And yet we read shit like this:

<i>I pulled away from him, my gaze searching his. Not only was there rage, but also horror and a very deep sense of defilement.

Oh fuck... He'd *felt* it.</i>

OK, so Emberly and Jackson have a telepathic connection. But my point is IT WAS NOT JACKSON'S BODY THAT WAS PENETRATED RAW AND DRY, AND BLED.

And there was even more shit later:

<i>"And it would have felt even more invasive for you because you had no warning. At least I knew what was going to happen and could fortify myself mentally against it."</i>

OK, everyone deals with rape differently. But to say that the person who WASN'T raped had it worse than the person who WAS raped...

You could say that Emberly was dissociating, or claiming that "what happened to me happened to *us*", in a "we'll deal with this together" kind of way. But it just pisses me off. Had Jackson actually been physically raped, and not just received echoes of it in his mind telepathically, then I would be sympathetic.

Rape victims don't even get to be the priority in their relationship, if they insist that their non-raped partner suffered more.</spoiler>

Ashes Reborn is the fourth book in Keri Arthur's Souls of Fire series. It features a Phoenix named Emberly who can take on human form. Emberly and her team, reluctantly working together with the Paranormal Investigations Team (PIT), are working to stop a plague like virus derived from vampire blood called Crimson Death.
The mysterious criminal Rinaldo has threatened to keep killing more and more people until all of the research on the virus is turned over to him. Emberly, her Phoenix partner Rory, and her business partner and lover Jackson-a fire fae-are racing against time to find the research but also hoping to put a stop to Rinaldo before anyone else dies. Working with PIT isn't really a lot of help, but they haven't given them much of a choice. They are certain there is a mole in PIT, plus it is difficult for Emberly to have to work alongside the love of her life, PIT leader Sam, who dumped her after learning what she was.
Ashes Reborn is packed full of action and great characters. The Phoenix mythology is very interesting and we get to see more of that in this book when Rory is reborn. This series combines mystery and fantasy, which is my favorite combination! Be warned that Phoenix’s recharge through sex so there is quite a bit of that in these books, and this book does include a rape scene.

Things are really heating up, pun intended, and I can't wait to see how it all ends! I am a huge Keri Arthur fan and highly recommend this series. If you haven't checked this series out yet, be sure to start at the beginning with Fireborn. You can learn more about the books and the author on her website.

I liked the action in the book, but probably would have enjoyed this much more if I had read the previous 3 books in the series.

I tried so hard to like this book, but it just fell flat for me.

Must read book filled with action, heartbreak and tough choices. Emberly is back in the 4th book in this series. This can not be read as a standalone. Read the books in the order to understand what has happened as these books build upon one another.

The life of a phoenix is hard as there are no happy endings. There is just a constant cycle of not meeting the right person at the right time. In addition, the complication of needing more than one lover hurts Emberly to no end. This no win situation with her love life carries over into her work life. Even though Emberly has done everything she can to help the Paranormal Investigations Team and wants out of the crazy vampires, she is still stuck. Someone has it in for her and her lovers. Is it Rinaldo? Who is really the villain behind the curtain? Ms. Arthur's writing style tends to give readers red herrings for the real villain. And sometimes, it is hard to tell if a character is a villain or just an anti-hero. Ms. Arthur does love her anti-heroes and trusted friends who become betrayers. It makes a reader wonder if Ms. Arthur has suffered through betrayal from someone close to her. It is a recurring theme in all her series. I digress.

This fast moving story also contains delicious sexual tension. Emberly's continued attraction and sexual interludes with Jackson are guilt free and arousing. Emberly's strained relationship with Sam is still unresolved and becomes more tense in this one. Clearly Sam wants to make some sort of amends and Emberly isn't willing to listen. I get it. He broke her heart and then shacks up with a bloody beyotch. Talk about totally settling from second best. It makes a reader wonder if Emberly will ever get her happily ever after. Especially as Ms. Arthur is known of killing off characters and giving bittersweet endings. Maybe Emberly will be the first to come through unscathed. She is a phoenix who can handle fire.

The plot in this story does move forward and yet it brings about more questions. It also allows Emberly to build more allies as well as make more enemies. The complexity of the characters and the plot make this story rich in layers. I revel in the details and the little hints Ms. Arthur drops throughout the book. This urban fantasy is highly recommended to readers who want a complex story with complicated characters and even more complicated love lives.

The connection between Emberly and Jackson is one of the more intriguing elements of the story. Neither of them have any real idea how their fusion is going to evolve or whether there will be more negative or positive repercussions for either one of them.

Their strange partnership, and the odd new powers one of them seems to possess, have to take a back-seat so they can focus on a threat to the supernatural and human community. Rinaldo is willing to kill anyone and destroy anything to get his hands on any research relating to a plague-like virus. A virus that can drive the contaminated person to madness.

Arthur delivers a fast-paced fiery urban fantasy with strong characters and a story that ends with a hook so the readers will come back for the next book.

Arthur’s Riley Jenson urban fantasy series is outstanding, and doesn’t get as much attention as it should. She has a flair for innovative ideas and strong female leads. Her Souls of Fire series offers readers both of these elements.

Ashes Reborn (A Souls of Fire Novel) is an Action Packed adventure!! The characters and story line are well-developed. I have been enjoying this series. Someone has betrayed them and they don't know who to trust.  Sam is recovering from being reborn, Emberly visits with Jackson. When Shona is threatened, they must do everything they can to save her or die trying. I recommend this series and book to everyone. I give ASHES REBORN 5/5 STAR

ASHES REBORN takes us back into author Keri Arthur's phoenix world by throwing us immediately into the action. If you read the last book in this series, Em's mate, Rory had died but we get to witness the rebirth, but that leaves him weak and in need of protection so he has only a little to do with this storyline.

I like Em, Rory and Jackson but I just don't quite feel a connection I usually feel for Ms. Arthur's characters. I'm really not sure what the problem is and it saddens me. Em and Rory are phoenixes who are tied but I see them more like friends, Jackson is a horny-dog, though a sweet one and as for Sam I think Em should just cut him off and forget him.

The writing, the dialogue, the world building with its colorful and delightful descriptions of the cities, streets and even the homes and people, is as always fantastic. The action, danger, and intrigue is all there but the romantic nuances are completely missing that I usually find in Ms. Arthur's books. Everything said and done, even with my less than empathetic feelings toward the connections between the lead characters, I do want to know what happens next, the virus victims, PIT, the scientists and with Sam -- unless she takes my advice and kicks him. So I will look forward to the next one.

I do have a word of warning: I have said before in a review that Ms. Arthur often lets bad things happen to her heroines and with that in mind I feel that I must warn readers that a sexual assault happens in this book. It's not overly dramatized or dragged out but it happens.

~Annetta Sweetko, for Fresh Fiction

The complete review may be found at: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=63710

Emberly and her partner, Jackson need to find the callous and enigmatic Rinaldo in order to eliminate him, because of the threats the intangible leader continues to make if he doesn't get the research he wants them to find and bring to him. However, not knowing who the pair can trust, Emberly and Jackson do their best to stay off the radar. Yet, it seems that's impossible. Will they be able to take Rinaldo out once and for all, or will everything crash and burn until life as Emberly knows it is no more?

This is a series that I absolutely love, as the books are always filled with plenty of action when it comes to the main character's paranormal abilities; fast-paced storylines that make me wonder whether Jackson and Emberly will be able to get out of danger they constantly find themselves in; and riveting dialogue that has me liking both the main characters, as Jackson and Emberly have been through so much in their lives and go through so much together throughout each book. However, this book should have at least come with a warning, as Emberly suffers a harrowing trauma that some readers might find they can't handle.

However, in saying that, this book was still a very interesting and entertaining read that had me hooked from the beginning because of what happened to one of the secondary characters in the previous book and what Emberly must do to bring him back to life as her phoenix's other half. Will the ceremony work? Yet, what had me reading this story quickly is the fact I was determined to discover whether Emberly and Jackson would finally take out their enemy, so he couldn't continue to hurt anyone they care for. Will the Paranormal Investigation Team be able to offer Emberly and Jackson any help or will they only make things worse?

Both the main characters were fascinating, as they have a tight bond that Emberly didn't even know was possible until it happened. However, I love how their bond continues to grow and I can't wait to see what happens next for this couple. Will Emberly be able to break the curse of her kind to find her happy ever after? Will Emberly be able to change the course of the warnings she's had from various paranormal creatures that know what's coming in the future? Moreover, Emberly is resilient, courageous and I liked how determined she was to take down the bad guys, even if she has to go through some really bad moments to be capable of getting what she wants. Yet, there were moments in this story that frustrated me and that is how Emberly handled what happened to her. Why wouldn't she talk about it, so it'd help both her and Jackson since he suffered just as much because of what happened?

Overall, Ms. Arthur has penned a really good read in this book where the chemistry between Jackson and Emberly is off-the-charts and has me hoping that these two end up together when this series comes to an end. The way this story ended had me on the edge-of-my-seat and worried for the main characters, as the bad guys certainly know how to thrown down a challenge and have readers wondering whether the good guys will come out on top. Will Emberly and Jackson be able to take Rinaldo out? Will their powers be enough to destroy the bad guys? I would recommend Ashes Reborn by Keri Arthur, if you enjoy paranormal romance or books by authors Faith Hunter, Ilona Andrews, Shannon Mayer and Christine Feehan.

I picked up this book not realizing that it was part of a series. I don't know if jumping in the middle made me a little confused, but the story seemed a little unorganized. I'm familiar with some of her other works, and the romance just wasn't as well done. Some of the plot lines were repetitive (like beating a dead horse). I can't really comment on the ending because I'm not sure if the other books were adequately tied up. That being said, I loved Emberly and the world around her. Her powers are beautifully descripted, and unlike some paranormal books, it's part of who she is rather than something that she does.

I always love all the novels by Keri Arthur and I was very curious to discover this third part of the adventures of our dear characters.

Always looking for the researches on the virus that everyone dreams of recovering, our heroes will once again face a lot of dangers. Rory resurrected, Emberly and Jackson have to go back to investigate before there are more murders. Yet, everyone is watching them and nothing is really that simple.

The enemies increase, others will become allies on a temporary basis and the allies may well reserve bad surprises. Indeed, it seems that the PIT has a mole who always manages to prevent Em and Jackson from getting a head start. Then, of course, there is also Sam … It is very difficult to decide in relation to this character whose nature is really changing but I confess that I am curious to see after the end of this novel how the story will evolve.

It was a nice novel to read and the author offers us new turns of situation that I did not expect. I confess that I am curious to see the consequences of all that was initiated here!

Unfortunately this will not be a full review due to an event that completely overshadowed any enjoyment I had while reading other parts of the book. I will not spoil things, but suffice it to say that an incredibly horrifying sequence of events happens to Emberly that I couldn't get past. Actually it was more the aftermath and the way said events were all but brushed aside that left an incredibly sour taste in my mouth. It took me several days to finish the book, and honestly I really only continued reading due to a need to see if those events were ever really dealt with. Unfortunately they weren't. Furthermore, Emberly the victim, somehow got the least consideration, and the one who experienced the event as a by product got most of the focus and worry. I just couldn't, especially as the event did nothing at all to progress the story or plot. There were so many other outcomes and paths that could have been taken with a similar plot progression. It simply was unnecessary.

As much as I enjoy this series, and the characters, and Keri's writing overall, this book was just not for me. Perhaps I should be able to see past the event, but I just can't due to the way it was handled.
It almost pains me to rate one of my favorite author's books so low, but this one just was not up my alley. I will however hope to continue the series and just look past this book, giving things a clean slate.

ASHES REBORN is a brilliant urban fantasy story with unique characters and a plot filled with action, suspense, and intrigue. The mythology of phoenixes is complex and refreshing in a genre filled with vampires, witches, and werewolves. The reincarnation and resurrection abilities of phoenixes is fascinating and I would have welcomed a few more pages just explaining those abilities. While the story got bogged down and confusing at times with too many story lines, the main story thread was fun and action packed.

All of the characters were well developed and I found myself actually really caring about what happens to them which is pretty amazing considering I hadn't read the previous books to even establish a connection with them beforehand. I enjoyed seeing how a phoenix's powers work and seeing Emberly battle bad guys with awesome fire powers was pretty cool. I wasn't a huge fan of the romantic relationships Emberly is involved with. They seemed overly convoluted at times and slowed down the more interesting plot involving research on a plague like virus that could kill tons of people.

While I enjoyed Emberly as a classic urban fantasy heroine, I took issue with her reaction to her rape. First of all rape is never something I look forward to reading and it's made much worse when Emberly shakes it off as if it was nothing. I get having to move the plot forward, but in some cases stopping the story to reflect on a rape or another traumatic event warrants a pause in the action. Also, this rape in no way affected the plot nor did it involve any character development or growth for any of the characters. It could have been cut out or been a simple kidnapping with a few punches and kicks thrown and the story would have been the same. She even ends up comforting her friend who feels the rape through her. That felt really wrong to me, as it takes away her rightful victimhood and does a disservice to people who have actually been through this trauma.

Aside from my huge issue on the rape, ASHES REBORN had a fun, action-packed plot and some cool phoenix mythology that I wouldn't mind delving into more.

I have been a fan of Ms. Arthur for over 10 years now, even before she was with a “big” publisher, and I’ve loved her books. I am always glad to see a new series by her, and I have loved this series from the beginning, partly because I just love the phoenix mythology in this series; I wish we could find out more about others of their kind. We are now at book four in the Souls of Fire series, and this book contains the well-written, action-packed, thrill-ride fun I always expect from this author. Emberly and Jackson have a wonderful relationship, but I hope that she and Sam can find their way back…I saw maybe a little glimpse of that. I have to admit to being a little confused with all the factions that are in this book. I kept forgetting who are allies with whom, and which factions Emberly and Jackson can “trust.” And, I have no idea with the stress the characters are under in this book how they can remember all the people they need to report to. However, I went with it, and I could mostly ignore it. Don’t let this dissuade you, because it’s still a great addition to the series! Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.

Ashes Reborn just reconfirms my opinion that this is going to be another series that I must read. Fast paced, the action intense and an urban fantasy that I can really sink my teeth into!

The storytelling is gritty and raw. Action intense.

This is not for the light hearted:
Ashes Reborn contains a described rape. I'm not a fan of those types of scenes in my reading material. I felt this could of be omitted and still show the emotional intensity that the author was shooting for.

What I really loved about this book:
Complexity in its characters and plot. Ashes Reborn is written in such a way that the cast is humanized even when they are fantasy creatures. The plot is evolving with masterfully constructed twists and turns.

The sexual tension doesn't take away from the meat/heart of the story but still burns with fiery passion.

Compelling and original plot. I can honestly say I've never read anything quite like this before and enjoy delving deeper into the world Arthur has created. Ashes Reborn thrust us deeper into the Souls of Fire world. Capturing the reader in its talons and keeping us here for the long haul.

I received this ARC copy of Ashes Reborn from Berkley Publishing Group - Berkley. This is my honest and voluntary review. Ashes Reborn is set for publication Sept. 5, 2017.

My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Keri Arthur
Series: A Souls of Fire Novel (Book 4)
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Berkley (September 5, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 045147791X
ISBN-13: 978-0451477910

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/ashe...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ashes-Reborn-S...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ashe...

Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com

I gave it 3.5 stars

The Phoenix is so interesting to me and ASHES REBORN threw in another reason why I wouldn't mind being one. Who wouldn't want to be able to be reborn into yourself again?

I continue to like the characters in the Souls of Fire series. I like some more than others, but they are all well developed and bring something to the storyline.

I hate to say it, but I have to be honest. The romance between Emberly and Jackson is boring me. Maybe that is what the author is going for and if so she is doing a great job, but I don't enjoy them together as a couple at all anymore and I keep waiting for Emberly and a certain someone to get over their hurt and give it another shot.

My only real issue with this series is that there is a little too much going on. There are multiple different groups with multiple different issues and it can get a little confusing at times. My only issue with ASHES REBORN is that there is a rape involved and I didn't feel like it was taken as seriously as I expected. I understand that people react differently to things of this nature, but the worry wasn't really for the person that was physically raped, but for another character. It could just be my issue, but bothered me, so I had to mention it.

I had it in my head that ASHES REBORN was the final book of the series which isn't the case and I look forward to seeing how everything ends when the end comes.

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review goes live Aug 30 2017 at 00.00 am gmt+2 and will show up on Goodreads sometime later.

In a Flutter: Cool mix of elements!
Fluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: Melbourne setting. The world is full of paranormal elements like vampires, weres, witches, magic, fae, phoenixes even!
Characters: Emberly was sweet enough, all caring and vindictive, plus kind of a shameless flirt – just the way I love my heroines xD She was also deliciously tortured with the whole curse of a failed love every lifetime. She was a woman of action and I loved that about her. She did her thing and took care of business in a smart, right kind of way. Help was cool and useful, ofc, because she was also reasonable and smart.
Jackson was a riot, a really cool sidekick, and the true shameless flirt that would put any other flirt to shame, lol. Sam was all smoldering hot deliciousness. Rory was awesome too.
Plot: The mysteryof what Rinaldo wanted and then getting him was tense and complex, with a lot of action as the went about figuring things out. There was a romance tangent here, but only the “maybe getting back together” bit, and I’m sure the previous bits are in the previous novels in the series – which I didn’t read, this is my first -. The smexation galore vibe sort of put me off, but not enough to ruin my enjoyment of the story.
Writing: First person past tense narrative, Emberly’s POV.
Curb Appeal: Cool cover, hooking blurb – impulsive buy material for my UF-craving moods.

I recommend Ashes Reborn to fans of UF private investigators, complicated love stories with twists and turns that extend over more than one title in the series, and uncommon paranormal beings.

Ugh. My feelings about this book are mixed. On the one hand, it was pretty fun (in kind of a guilty pleasure way). On the other hand, it definitely had some issues.
This was a fun and kind of interesting book. It's basically a bunch of sexy supernatural being who investigate crimes. Between the many action scenes and investigating, there's a bunch of flirty banter and innuendo. It all felt a little contrived, but was also kind of fun and I enjoyed seeing how the author included various supernatural beings. Emberly, the main character, is a phoenix - a humanoid being who can be reborn through fire, for example. That was pretty well done. And having various witches and faes and vampires all interact together was enjoyable to read and I was definitely interested in seeing what happened next.
But this book had too many problems for me to dismiss. To begin with, Emberly is a textbook Mary Sue kind of character. She's good at everything and she's everyone's love interest and everyone knows/fears/admires her because of her amazing abilities and she's even a mysterious phoenix, which most people don't really understand or know much about. The whole thing was a bit much and Emberly was so bland in comparison with many of the other characters.
My biggest issue with this book was how rape was handled. When Emberly gets raped, she basically shakes it off and is all "Well, this has happened before and I'll get over it so no big deal." Except that she shares some sort of psychic connection with Jackson, so he ends up being affected by her rape and she spends an absurd amount of time comforting him and helping him work through it. The whole set-up was ridiculous and angering. It felt like the author didn't want Emberly to show any weakness or emotion, but also didn't want the rape to be glossed over too quickly. So it kept coming up in passing comments made by Jackson and Emberly that had no real impact on anything else that was happening in the story. I don't like rape being featured in books period, but if you feel the need to do it, make sure it's actually an important piece of the story and not just a bit of fluff to give your characters something to complain about. I would've enjoyed this story a lot more without this bit of nonsense.
Overall, this is a reasonably fun book that lovers of paranormal romance will thoroughly enjoy.

Keri Arthur is one of my favourite fantasy authors that I have read in a lot of years.

Her characters really stand out. This series while I hadn't read before ibwas enthralled and will now have to fins more of her books.