Name: Thorns & Fire
Series: The Ashes of Thezmarr #2
Author: Helen Scheuerer
Publisher: Tor Bramble
Format: Phsyical & Kindle
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance,
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️Open Door
Rating:
Synopsis: Goodreads
A golden thread joined them, a bond that went deeper than love – and it had nearly destroyed them.
Wren Embervale and Torj Elderbrock share a dark and bloody history. With Thezmarr on the brink of another war, and overwhelmed by the force of their feelings for one another, Torj discovers there is far more to their bond than mere passion. The legendary Warsword is determined to protect Wren at all costs, even if it means lying to her . . . Even if it means losing her forever.
Meanwhile, Wren is struggling to find her place in the world – both as an advanced student of alchemy at the ancient academy of Drevenor, and as one of the heirs to a lost kingdom. With the midrealms once again facing destruction, Wren must decide: loyalty or liberation? Legacy or love?
As new political players emerge, Wren discovers that her gift for alchemy is more powerful than she ever imagined – and that it could tear the kingdoms apart.
Will she and Torj find their way back to each other, or will the ancient magic that binds them become their undoing?
Review:
Thorns & Fire is book 2 in The Ashes of Thezmarr series, a sequel series to The Legends of Thezmarr by Helen Scheuerer. There will likely be spoilers for Iron & Embers in the below, but anything spoiler-like for Thorns & Fire will be hidden as usual.
One thing I love about Helen’s work is that she writes excellent FMC’s! Wren is Thea’s younger sister, and a weilder of storm magic and poisons through her alchemy work! One of her favoured weapon is a hairpin dipped in poison! Gosh, I love her. I thought I loved Thea and would have no room for Wren, but that simply isn’t true. I love these sisters.
Wren, known as the Poisoner in Iron & Embers, has been working towards climbing the ranks of Drevenor and after completing the gauntlet, she’s now working on her opus (kind of like the big project or essay that makes or break you passing your study that year). But hers has strings attached because it’s simply a case of we’ll win this upcoming war or we won’t… So, no pressure! Poor Wren!
That aside, Wren continues to be an absolute badass in Thorns & Fire. I came into this prepared to be angry at Torj following the ending of Iron & Embers (I know it came from a good place but still!) and I expected him to be ellusive shall we say, with Wren? So while I was prepared to have issues with him, I know Helen Scheuerer was not going to let her FMC’s down! Like I said, she writes excellent ones. And after getting to the end of Thorns & Fire, I can safely say that I am so damn proud of Wren!
A lot has been revealed so I know that Silver & Smoke is going to be a wild ride… it’s also the end of our time in Thezmarr which is really sad… These characters mean so much to be and I love them so much. This is still the best example of a found family I have ever read, and I will shout to the skies about it until I die. If you love feminine rage you’ll love Thea and Wren. If you love a found family, this group (whether the original or with the inclusion of Dessa and Zavier) are going to be IT for you, I promise. And importantly, if you love a romance between two badass characters that has excellent spice but also some of the best banter and romance… then you absolutely need to meet Thea & Wilder and Wren and Torj!
“‘I’m his to protect,’ she said. ‘And he’s mine.’”
Reading With Tyler 
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