My Heart is Booked Blog

Stealing Embers is the first of the Fallen Legacies series by Julie Hall set to release September 22, 2021.  This exciting YA fantasy is everything you could ever want in an angelic academy series: action, mystery, loveable characters, and intriguing lore.  I’m so glad to see that angels/nephilim are making a comeback.  This novel definitely ranks up there as one of my favorite YA academy novels.  Although, if you are someone who likes detailed descriptions of every made-up fantasy class, you will find this book lacking.  I, however, loved that the focus was on the amazing cast of characters and the building action.

The pacing of this book was excellent.  I could not put it down!  I never felt like there was a lull that provided the opportune stopping point.  Throughout the book, there is a nice balance between action, dialogue, and character development.

Emberly may try a little too hard to be as unassuming as possible, but I live for her little moments of greatness where we see the badass within.  I found myself completely invested in her development and her quest for answers from the very beginning.  Steel is a bit of an asshole, but I still fell in love with him.  I love that he is fiercely loyal and protective of his family.  His twin brothers are far more loveable, but I get the bad-boy-with-a-tragic-back-story appeal of Steel.

I’m a little sad that I got an early copy of this book because it means I have even longer to wait for the sequel.  Luckily, Book 2, Forging Darkness, is expected to release in January of 2021.  At least we don’t have to wait a year!

I highly recommend this book for fans of YA fantasy academy series like Evermore Academy and Fallen Academy.

Thank you to Book of Matches Media and Julie Hall for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.