Raining Embers

Although this book started off kind of slow, after it picked up speed, I really enjoyed it. I think my favorite character would have to be Brier. What a unique individual!

It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to write for this review. The book wasn't great, but it also wasn't bad. It was missing something, but, while I could tell while reading that the story needed just a bit more to go beyond ordinary, I couldn't find a way to put words to that feeling until now: the author didn't have the story fully fleshed out before writing it.

The story begins with a ton of world building. I love world building--it can make or break a book, in my opinion--and this story needed it. The world isn't totally unique. The language and some of the customs feel Italian to me, although there were enough tweaks made by the author so it isn't an exact copy. There are Seers, a type of priest, that rule the country, and the Augur, the equivalent to a Doge. Palmer, one of the main characters, is a ward of the Church in training to become a Seer. The other main character, Brier, lives in the Augur's palace. It was very interesting to read about all of that, but I started to feel like something was missing just from that small part of the story. Nothing was ever fully explained. I don't know what god(s) and the power(s) the Seers use, nor are the politics between them and the Augur ever detailed. I also never managed to get a full picture of the world.

The missing information doesn't stop with just the world building, unfortunately. Both Palmer and Brier have strange powers. One is Order and the other Chaos, but that is all that is given about it. They are supposedly trained to use their magic, but the reader is never told how their powers work. I also never learned why they have their powers in the first place or what the difference is between them and the other people they meet in the book that also have magic.

All of the missing description was necessary for me to understand the full scope of the world, the characters, and the plot. To me, it really felt like the author had a good idea for a story and started writing it without first figuring out all those needed details.

It was still a good book and I did enjoy reading it, but I'm not certain yet whether I want to read the next book in the series.

Great read very hard to put down

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I went into it with an open mind and I found it really enjoyable. I like the premise of Order and Chaos living through human hosts.

We have two main characters, Briar and Palmer. Both have grown up with some form of a physical disability. Palmer has a hearing problem; he can only hear one thing at a time. Briar is plagued with the smell of rot in her nose, especially during summer. After they are kidnapped, we find out there are reasons behind these disabilities; they are the manifestations of Chaos and Kosmos. Each has their own special abilities and they have been kidnapped so they can learn to use those powers.

The beginning was very slow. I wasn't really sure where the book was going. Briar is the spoiled rich girl living in the palace who likes to get drunk, apparently to help with the rot smell. Palmer is a poor little orphan who just wants to graduate from the Church and leave. There wasn't much world building. We aren't given much of a history. We don't know why the upper class has two last names. We don't really know anything about how the government and the Church functions. Basically, you just have to focus on the characters and not the world they live in.

Once Briar and Palmer are kidnapped, their disabilities disappear and suddenly they're living in a mansion learning to control their power. Then a secret is discovered and Briar and Palmer are on the run with a little girl, Rosette, who has her own special ability.

Palmer was hard to connect with. Briar seemed more fleshed out and had a wider range of emotion. I don't know if this is because of who they are as Order and Chaos but I found myself enjoying the parts from Briar's point of view more than Palmer's. There was some romance between them in the end but it wasn't a major component of the plot.

Overall this book was really good and I would recommend it for people who like fantasy. I'm not sure if this falls under YA or New Adult. Either way, I liked the plot and I am looking forward to the next one.

An intriguing tale that kept me captivated throughout!

Although a pretty standard YA book, still an entertaining and enjoyable read. The characters are interesting and the storyline is relatively well developed leaving the door open for the next instalment. Some of the background concepts aren't that well introduced meaning you are left with a few questions, but other than that a lovely concept and nicely executed.

Raining Embers by Jessica Dall.
Palmer Tash always follows the path of least resistance. He has an unusual disability involving his hearing. But in theocratic Latysia, being different isn’t a good thing, so he conceals his problem. Brier Chastain’s malady is even more debilitating, and she often must take to her bed for long periods. Her days are spent in meaningless pursuits as she awaits an arranged marriage. When Palmer and Brier are kidnapped on the same night, they meet and discover that their so-called disabilities are actually budding powers. They are the incarnations of Order and Chaos. With their country on the brink of war, the two must step into their predestined roles and learn to take control of their own destinies.
This was a really enjoyable read with great characters. It was a little slow in places so I stopped then went back to it and couldn't put it down. 4*. Netgalley and red adept publishing llc.