Welcome, friend! I haven’t had the best relationship with vampire fantasy for a long time. I loved them as a teenager but they didn’t quite progress well into my adult years. The subgenre continues to be a popular one and I decided to give it another shot with Arleta Rae’s Rising Ember. Take a look at this breathtaking cover and synopsis and then read on for my thoughts.
Rising Ember
Arleta Rae
Goodreads | Children from Sacrifice
Fire is destruction. Fire is rebirth.
When Thea Knight is involved in a fatal car accident, she falls victim to the sinister shadows looming in the darkness who change her life forever. She wakes up…craving blood.
Thea is immediately thrust into a dangerous immortal cilvil war between the Essites and the Brais. Cole Moretti is an Essites who has killed, saved, and endangered Thea. Her transition to vampire by his hand awakens a rare elemental magic within that marks her as the rogue Brais’ next target. She must resist being consumed by their need to destroy humanity before they kill Cole and all those she cares for.
A magical and suspenseful contemporary dark fantasy perfect for fans of Vampire Academy and The Vampire Diaries.
Content notes include death of loved one, death, stalking, car accident.
Rising Ember – Review
Rising Ember is a book impossible to put down once I started reading. Thea is a young woman, out of university. She loves art and nature and has spent some time on the road, camping and pursuing her creativity. She has been noticing an increased unease when she is by herself, as if she is being watched. She doesn’t have many people in her life. Her parents passed away in a car accident and the only people close to her are her best friend, Sarah, and her mother, Valeria. Another car accident leads to a fateful encounter with a handsome man, Cole. Turns out Cole is a vampire and in order to save her, he had to turn her.
The challenge with an origin story of a vampire is how differently can it be done than mainstream? Arleta Rae does a fantastic job of grounding in known-lore while also bringing in her own unique take to vampires. Cole and Thea have a unique connection and turning her has weakened Cole. As Thea’s body transitions from human to vampire, she discovers new abilities. Vampires have elemental powers. The intricacies of alpha and beta abilities sets up an intriguing magical world. Thea is powerful from the very start. She has an aptitude and thirst for magic and through the course of Rising Ember, she has to learn to balance her predator impulses, heightened emotional state and human instincts. She is a strong protagonist and I enjoyed reading from her perspective.
She is turned at a dangerous time. There is a civil war going on amongst vampires and with her unique abilities, she is bound to play a key role in what is going to pass. This offers increased tension to the plot and I love the foreshadowing! There is so much to the vampire society in this series! I want to know more and my interest was further peeked by Cole’s history with vampires.
Two things about this book which I had not expected and loved: I am always looking for cats in books because I love cats. Helios is Thea’s adopted cat and while he does not get into danger (phew!), he offers cuddles in exchange for timely food and water. I adored him and his presence in the book! Secondly, Rising Ember has witches! Witches and their covens are a great addition to the story and really help in expanding the world and bringing more dimensions to the characters.
The feel of the book, especially towards the end, reminded me of An Interview with A Vampire (the movie) and Vampire Academy. There is a brewing romance in here which I am dying to see to its conclusion. Overall, Rising Ember is a strong start to a new series. It is a thorough and well-written debut. Add Rising Ember to your Goodreads shelf. I will be back with the review for the sequel, Dark Inferno.
Many thanks to the author for a copy of the book for an honest review.
About Arleta Rae
Arleta is a NA author of fantasy and paranormal stories with a hint of dark and romance themes. She is currently working on her debut series, Children From Sacrifice. More than just a writer, Arleta has her master’s degree in ecopsychology from Naropa University, and has plans to create a nature retreat. When she isn’t writing, she is working in a greenhouse, wandering a bookstore with a latte, or exploring the forests. Local to the beautiful Berkshires, there is no shortage of pristine wilderness to be inspired by.
You can follow her on Instagram or TikTok: @authorarletarae or on Facebook: Arleta Rae Books.
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