Absolutely devoured this book, as I knew I would. I loved the Legends of Thezmarr series and it’s become a favourite, so I was very excited to read Wren and Torj’s story. Though this is book 1 in an entirely new trilogy with a whole new plot and character focus, i do recommend reading the Legends series first to optimise your experience. This can be read separately, however for me the fact that I already knew the side characters, who feature right from the beginning of Iron & Embers, heightened my enjoyment.

This story delivered for me on the plot, I was so interested in the alchemy academy setting which is not what you expect. I also loved the tension, tease and slow burn between Wren and Torj, but also seeing the softer side of Torj too and the internal battles he’s fighting. Another love for me was the fact we still get our Kipp and Cal fix - excellent side characters. This book had me smiling, chuckling, biting my lip, tense and I just ate it up. If I had to say anything negative it’s that the use of the word “bodily” was a bit too often, as was the frequent references to Torj’s sea-blue eyes. But that’s me being picky because you gotta say at least one thing you didn’t like 😅

Overall I gave this book a 5⭐️, and this was an easy rating. It gave me all the vibes I hoped and I couldn’t put it down - can’t wait for the next book!

4.75

Wow. I didn’t think Thea and Wilder could be beat but Wren and Torj take the crown 👑 when people say they want yearning in a book THIS is what they are talking about!! The banter. The tension. All of the comedic relief littered throughout with our loveable side characters that had me literally giggling out loud. Take a bow Helen 👏🏻 👏🏻

I am so glad we now get Torj and Wrens story! The plot was so engaging and I loved the school setting. There was so much tension between these 2😮‍💨 I can’t wait for the next one after that ending😩 4.5 stars

Amazing! I am a huge fan of The Legends of Thezmarr series. This is a sequel with the MMC’s switching. I love Wren and Torj. I already loved them but now all I can say is wow. This book was everything I wanted it to be. I would definitely recommend this to everyone!
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Everybody said you didn’t need to read the other books to read this one BUT I personally think it would have been better going into it with the background which may have been why I struggled at points

“𝙞 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞’𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨. 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙨𝙝, 𝙞’𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨”

i was super excited to get my hands on the arc of iron and embers, and i’m happy to say it did not disappoint

set five years after the events of the legends of thezamarr series, this book dives back into a world i couldn’t wait to revisit

i was immediately hooked, eager to see where life had taken wren and torj, and helen did a phenomenal job bringing their story to life 🤭 the tension between the two main characters was brilliantly written, keeping me glued to the pages 📚 i also loved seeing cal and kipp again - having them play such significant roles made it feel like a warm reunion with old friends

however, the reason i gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that so much of the story builds up to the gauntlet, but the event itself felt too brief, wrapping up in just two chapters 🥹 after all the intense lead-up, i was hoping for a bit more action and detail, so it left me feeling slightly underwhelmed

that said, this was still a fantastic read overall ♥️ the five-year time jump added layers of intrigue and depth to the characters, and the world-building and emotional stakes kept me deeply invested

while i wish the ending had gone in a different direction (if you know, you know), i’ll definitely be picking up the rest of the series

i can’t wait to see what’s next for these characters

“𝙞’𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩. 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪”

The Legends of Thezmarr has been one of my great fantasy discoveries these past year. And so, when I saw that a new series, written about Wren and Torj, I was so thrilled to receive this ARC.
Wren is serious, but can be fierce, she's loyal and smart, but the war has left her shallow. How can she be happy when her friends, her sister, has died ? During the 5 years since the war, she has sought vengeance... Some call her the Poisoner...

Some grave events towards the royals allow her to finaly go study at Drevenor academy, the famous school for alchemists. Being a royal herself, she is assigned a bodyguard, But to her disappointment, it's Torj, the Bear Slayer... And he can see through all her pretendings and fake smiles, and slowly but surely, he manages to win her heart, because they seem to be connected...

Slow burn, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, magical school, all is there for a perfect book. And now, I want to know how the story goes !

This is my first book and series by this author but it will not be my last. I will check on other series by this author.
A world built on magic and alchemy. Royal houses to be protected by the Warsword.
Embervale must attend the academy of Drevenor and conquer the Gauntlet.
A wonderful love story runs through this first in a new series and the friends made along the way.
Cannot wait for the next one.
I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

Y‘all the way I devoured this book😍 ABSOLUTELY loved every minute of it!

This is the first book in The Ashes of Thezmarr trilogy and features the story of Wren and Torj.

This new trilogy is intended to stand on its own and there are little recaps and flashbacks sprinkled within the book, so you can definitely get away with reading just this book. But to get the whole experience, I would recommend reading The Legends of Thezmarr series first, it’s an amazing series!

In this one we follow the story of Wren, an alchemist turned Poisoner who is out for vengance after the events of the war and Torj the silver-haired Warsword also know as the Bear Slayer.

They have amazing banter and I would definitely consider this a sloooow burn, but the reward was so so worth it 🫠
There were honestly so many amazing scenes and I had a really hard time picking my favorite quotes. We get the bodyguard trope with a super protective MMC, a „f*ck it“ scene that makes your toes curl, a morally grey FMC and twists and turns with an ending that leaves you staring at the wall for a little bit.
And don’t even get me started on all the beloved characters that we already know from the previous books 😍 Like I’ve said, I loved every minute of it and can’t wait to see how the story continues 🖤


I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review, thank you so much!

4.5⭐️ 3🌶️

- Forbidden love
- Enemies-to-lovers
- Bodyguard / charge
- Touch-her-and-💀
- Dark academia
- Forced proximity
- Heir to the throne

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Elwren Embervale has many identities, Princess, War Hero, Storm-Wielder, Poisoner, Assassin. However when she is offered a place at the prestigious academy of Drevenor, she is a step closer to her childhood dream of becoming a Master Alchemist. It comes at a cost however as she discovers the infamous Warsword, Bear Slayer, (and her nemesis) Torj has been assigned as her bodyguard. As she tackles a series of deadly challenges, dark and sinister events at the Academy start to unfold. But as an inexplicable force brings Wren and Torj closer, it’s clear it’s not just Wren’s life on the line but her heart and very soul…

Firstly, this is such a great Romantasy, I really enjoyed it! But I straight up made an error here in not reading Blood and Steel first. It’s a standalone series, sure, and it’s not that the book doesn’t make sense having not read the previous books as it recaps well, but it clearly beneficial to have read the other books first and this would probably have enriched my reading experience. This book is annoyingly good, so be aware if you pick it up you’re likely unknowingly committing to back tracking and reading a whole four part series as well!

The start is quite busy, covering off past context flicking between, past/ present to fill in the gaps for the lemons like me who didn’t read the books in chronological order. But you’re quickly sucked into the rich plot and Scheuerer swiftly builds a magical world with an intriguing array of characters.

The book alternates between Torj and Wren’s POV. The chapters are short so you’re flitting from one to the other but I really enjoyed this fast pacing, it means the plot unfolds and the tension builds very quickly. It’s not wholly clear and convincing why Wren and Torj are actually enemies to start with, but the transition to lovers was hot so honestly who cares! I love how their relationship develops over the course of the book and can’t wait to see where book two of the series takes it.

Aside from the romance there’s plenty of adventure, mystery and intrigue. I’m always all in for any book with dark academia! The plot has heaps of potion making and student politics with deadly trials thrown in.

Iron & Embers is such a great read, if you’re looking for a good solid Romantasy it really ticks all the boxes! I’m already looking forward to book two, but until then I’ll be swiftly picking up The Legends of Thezmarr to catch up…

Helen Scheuerer has a real gift for creating incredible romantasy. She is one of my favourite authors and I promise you that you wont be disappointed. But there is a warning, once you start you will not be able to put this book down. So be prepared to put aside anything else until you’ve finished it.

I loved the premise for this, the characters are so well thought out, the plot was interesting and layered. This book has so many strengths with complex historical world building. The spice ruined it for me personally, which I never thought I would say, especially for these tropes, maybe just not my style for descriptors but it felt very teenage and could do with some variance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Helen Scheuerer and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Good plot and easy to follow with some great world building. I’d definitely recommend picking this one up, even if I would have liked a little more exploration of the characters and their development

To say I am unwell over this book is an understatement. I love Helen Scheuerer’s writing and this by far has been her best yet and I didn’t think anything could EVER beat the legends of Thezmarr. I loved this book whole heartedly.

I went into this eARC missing the characters from the previous series and wondered how Helen would tie them into the next and she did not disappoint. I loved everything from the beginning and not giving anything away if you have not read her first series please do. I hate seeing readers read this without no context to her writing or what came before.

I LOVED this whole book. Wren and Tori may have surpassed as my favorite couple. I loved the whole bodyguard trope that came with this but I also just love Wren as a character. I feel that this book had such a unique plot and Helen carried this out so well.

I thoroughly am counting down the days to book 2.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and PanMacMillan for this early eARC for this wonderful book. I can’t wait to help Helen reach her targeted audience and get just how well done this book is out there. She is a wonderful author and I am so thankful that a publisher took notice to her.

Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4 stars rounded up!

This book had an extremely compelling premise, an interesting FMC and a nice start. I was genuinely enthralled by everything happening and by the promise of the whole 'curse' thing going on with the main couple. The only things (details, in the grand scheme of things) that stopped me from giving this book 5 stars were that, for one, the relationship and the MMC sometimes fell a bit flat - mainly considering their obvious potential - and that, for another, there were too many loose ends to my liking. I am completely aware there will be more books in this series, but I still felt like this was more of a prequel than a first book of a series. Would also like to mention that I'm a bit at a loss to the MMC's actions in the last chapters? And there was an attempt at explaining them but I felt like it didn't really work that well? Can't wait to see what happens next, to be honest.

All in all, I still enjoyed this book quite a lot - even if it did have the misfortune of being read during my last week of college - and I will be posted to read whatever this author releases next (hopefully the sequel to this book because, once again, there is a lot to be resolved).

If there's one book you need to read in 2025, it has GOT to be a Helen Scheuerer book. When I tell you I have loved every single one of her books so far, I am not kidding you. Helen must put real magic in her books to make them so unbelievably addicting.

In Iron & Embers, we follow Wren, a tortured soul, through alchemy school to help find a cure to the dark magic threatening the realms. However, Wren is no innocent alchemist, but instead an assassin who poisons her enemies for revenge. Whilst battling her past trauma, she is also resisting attraction to her handsome bodyguard, Torj, who she shares a tension filled history with from five years ago.

I loved every second of Iron & Embers. Diving back into this world after loving Blood & Steel was so fun and exciting, but also refreshing because we finally learnt more about Wren, and also the feared warrior, Torj. From start to finish, we saw the push and pull between our two main characters, as well as the hatred and the love they both felt for one another. The tension between them was honestly perfect, and the ending? After such a long slow burn? Torturous.

Helen truly knows how to write a captivating and well written fantasy, and I cannot wait for book two already! If you love assassins, poison, dark magic, revenge, enemies to lovers, slow burn, academy settings and so much more, you need to read Iron & Embers!

4/5 stars.

I truly enjoyed this one. It was the first Thezmarr book I read, but that didn't bother me at all. It was easy to follow and well paced.

All the bickering and banter were written amazingly. I liked that part a lot. And the relationship dynamic overall between fmc and mmc reminded me at first Gideon and Harrow in Gideon the Ninth (one of the best parts in that book imo). I also was a fan of the slow burn and pull and push they had throughout the book.

I have also always been interested in the idea of alchemy, so this book felt like it literally was made for me. The cutthroat alchemic academy was very intriguing and I just hoped I had seen more of the classes due to my interest in the subject. The stakes were really high, which I also appreciated.

When I get a chance I will for sure visit the other Thezmarr series, and gladly continue this one also. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Really good introduction to Helen Scheuerer. Solid characters, interesting plot, and the perfect slice of tension. Would like more plot progression and really exploring the depth of the characters more!

4.75🌟

Wow wow wow WOW was this book absolutely amazing. From the plot, to the world building, to the badass FMC, the swoon-worthy MMC, the action packed scenes & the interesting backstory, this book was everything.

Wren has got to now be one of my favourite FMC’s ever. The way she holds her own, always finds another way, didn’t allow her grief to weaken her but instead strengthen her??? She is such an admirable & inspiring character.
Torj was just absolutely everything. His patience, care, protectiveness, understanding & love when it came to Wren had me feeling so giddy and warm inside. Wren and Torj are IT for me😩

The found family, strong friendship groups & firm relationships definitely added to the story and my enjoyment of the book! The setting was so atmospheric and just fit the vibes perfectly, Drevendor added that element of unease yet excitement that was so exhilarating!!

The way this book ended????????? This book isn’t even published yet and i already need book 2 ASAP!!!
My only critique was the unnecessary breakup….? And the gauntlet was built up to be something scary but it felt utterly underwhelming..

Regardless i LOVED this book, this story, these characters and i can’t wait to read more!!

4.5 STARS

I think I found a new obsession!!

I absolutely loved this story and especially Wren and Torj's blossoming romance. As characters I found them both really interesting and I wanted to learn more about their lives. (I think I would have benefitted from reading the author's Legends of Thezmarr series first for this exact reason, but not reading it didn't impact my ability to connect to the characters and story at all.)

The tension between the characters was tangible and really well done. The author used the shared history of these two characters to really help add a sense of deep longing to their romance.

This book was very character driven, so I felt like there wasn't a huge amount of exciting action taking place. This is the only reason I didn't give it a full 5 stars. This book has, however, set this series up for a lot more action going forward.