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Fiamma’s fire magic is volatile, unpredictable, and destructive. She cannot bring herself to trust it. She’s always fearing she’ll hurt someone with it. All she wants now is to leave her past and her magic behind, to find a place beyond the dark wood where she might belong, and to search for her parents, who vanished long ago.
When she seeks aid from the king, he agrees to grant her safe passage through the wood… if she’ll complete a quest for him first. All she has to do is assist his son, Prince Joseph, in breaking the curse of magical frost creeping across the kingdom and kill the witch responsible.
Fiamma has heard rumors of the prince—that he’s cold and aloof—but Joseph is gentle in ways Fiamma didn’t expect. He’s thoughtful—if a little mercurial—and entirely unlike his father. As the two work together, an unexpected friendship grows between them, but Fiamma’s newfound closeness with the prince uncovers a terrible secret. The unnatural frost isn’t just destroying the land. It’s consuming Joseph, too, freezing his heart into something cold and unrecognizable. To save him, Fiamma will have to confront her past and the devestating nature of her fire, and unravel the painful truth behind her hopes and dreams of finding home.
Embers of Magic is a loose Snow Queen retelling, full of mystery, magic, adventure, and a sweet romance. Catherine Bakewell writes with a childlike sense of wonder, adding a touch of whimsy and coziness that makes this truly read like a storybook adventure. If you go a little deeper, though, it’s also a story with a lot of heart.
At its core, Embers of Magic teaches about the importance of being yourself rather than shaping yourself to fit a mold. It’s a tale full of kindness and healing, and somehow it maintains its hopeful tone even while covering heavy topics such as suicidal thoughts, feelings of inadequacy, depression, and abuse. Its message is clear: Each person is valueable. And because of that, I believe it will resonate with many readers in a positive way.
While the story isn’t deep, its characters feel realistic for their relatable struggles. Because Fiamma fears her magic, she doesn’t trust herself or believe she can bring good rather than harm. Meanwhile, Joseph battles to hide away his emotions, made to believe he is weak for his kindness, gentleness, and desire for peace when that’s really his core strength. It’s easy to love these two, but it’s especially healing to seeing a male character openly combating the stereotype that in order to be strong, men cannot show emotion (or that men are more prone to anger and violence).
Overall, Embers of Magic is a cozy fantasy that captures the warm nostalgia of a storybook fairy tale. Sure, the plot can be a little convenient at times, but sometimes you just need an easy read for its comforting escapism. I’d recommend it for anyone looking for a lighter read filled with classic fantasy curses, magic, and a cute romance.
Rated: Mild. There is one use of moderate language. Characters kiss. Violence includes some blood, fantasy violence, and references to murder. A character suffers verbal and physical abuse from a parent and struggles with moments of depression and suicidal thoughts.
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*I received an ARC in exchanged for my honest review.
