Thank you NetGalley, Pan MacMillan and Tor Bramble for this ARC!

The book was exactly what I hoped for in a sequel—so much more worldbuilding (which I loved), new characters to obsess over, and even higher stakes. Wren’s character development has been massive since Iron & Embers, and by the end of this book, she truly feels like the queen she was meant to be.

I was completely hooked by the dynamic between Wren and Torj—the push and pull, the unresolved tension, and the bond that, thankfully, wasn’t fully severed. It gave their story so much emotional weight. Though a part of me wishes Wren had given Torj a harder time for trying to sever the bond and taking that choice away from her, alas, they are messy, powerful, and totally captivating together.

Also, can we talk about Kipp? He’s such a dark horse—always five steps ahead, even when it frustrates everyone around him. His conversations with Wren near the end (especially about claiming the throne of Delmira) were some of my favorite moments in the book.

The expanded worldbuilding was one of my favorite aspects of this sequel. Helen Scheuerer brilliantly draws us even deeper into Thezmarr, layering new lands, political intrigue, and magical systems in a way that feels both immersive and urgent. With this comes the introduction of new characters and their roles but without compromising the central narrative of the book.

Overall, Thorns & Fire is everything you want from a second book, and this series is shaping up to be a standout in the romantasy space, and I cannot wait to see what book three holds.

I will read anything this lady writes!
Top read of 2025 so far!
This was even better than the first book in the trilogy. I do recommend reading the original legends of thezmarr before diving into this spin off. You don’t have to but I feel to get a feel for the emotions of these characters you should.

Thank you to Netgalley.com for providing me with an ARC of this title.

We are back with Wren & Torj in the 2nd instalment of The Ashes of Thezmarr series.

I'm not sure where to begin with my review as parts of the story I really enjoyed and other parts felt too predictable and boring.

I love how Wren really comes into her power & steps up for Delmira, the midrealms & everyone she loves. She's fierce, intelligent & determined. I enjoyed the magic regarding her power & how it created blossoming life in the wastelands of her home. She is definitely made to be Queen. 👸

I loved seeing more of Thea, Wilder & Kipp! Kipp needs protecting at all costs as he brings some light heartedness!

We lost the comradarie of Xavier & Dessa in this book though. They sort of faded into the background. I knew Xavier's brorher was the villain, but I'm interested to understand why he wants the Embervale crown!

Some of the story dragged a little, and i found myself losing focus. It was also repetitive in parts.

I wanted to tear my hair out with Torj & Wren. They clearly both love eachother but it takes until 80% of the way through to finally resolve things! I understand it's needed to create tension & suspense but I think it dragged on a bit too long & it just became irritating.

We get brief, soul bonded happiness until we near the end! I hope Wren has a fantastic plan up her sleeve because I felt wrung out by that ending! God it was a kick to the teeth! Not just with the inevitable war coming but I hope Torj & Wren can come through it all! I think a certain Darian Devereux will enjoy the torment though!
I'm looking forward to reading book 3, I need to find out how this all ends!

I ADORED THIS BOOK!!! I am extremely lucky and thankful to have received an arc of this book for an honest review!

Thorns and Fire is everything I wanted/needed the sequel to Iron & Embers to be!! the story progression, the character development of both Wren and Torj was wonderful, the world building continues to engage me and I cannot wait for the next book (already!!). I love the magic system, the world, politics, lore and where I see the book going in the rest of the series. I cannot recommend this book more and I loved it so much! Helen Scheuerer’s writing is addictive and I cannot wait for more!!

Book 2 in the series continues where book 1 finished. We are following Wren and Torj as they figure out the bond and the cure.

This was a fun read but it didn't grip me as much as the first book did.

I am definitely looking forward to the third book thanks to the ending of this one 😊 I look forward towards more banter and intrigue.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thorns and fire
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

OMG! I'm definitely obssesed with this spin off. The first book was amazing and this second one, also understood the assignment. THE ANGST, THE YEARNING!!!!!! So well done and exactly what I need it after the ending of Iron and embers!

Thorns and fire is almost entirely focus on the characters and the development of their romance, as for the fantasy aspects and the political intrigue, they are still present but not as much as they were on book 1. You can tell that the author is taking her time positioning all the pieces of the puzzle before the grand finale on book 3.

The action is scarce but the romance, the friendships, the found family were perfection! I ate it all up! The thing that amazes me the most is how the vibes between the two series have their own voices and even tho both share the majority of the same characters it doesn't feel reperitive. Wren and Thea have very distintive personalities and I love how their series respectively represent them and their personal takes on life and love and everything.

Also, the dual POV again? Yes! Keep it coming!!! I very much enjoyed seeing Torj grovel, and as for Torj, wow, THIS MAN!!! Wren is a force of nature and Torj (whom I see as The witcher, Henry Cavill's version btw) matches her energy perfectly.

And, once again, an awful cliffhanger for an ending. Like, why Helen, why? It wasn't as bad like the one in Iron and embers, in terms of emotional damage, BUT, el salseo (like we say in Spanish), the drama of it all, 10/10, no notes. And I need book 3 now, please and thank you.

Thank you so, so much to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC of this highly anticipated (by everyone, but especially me!) romantasy gem in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything I hoped it would be—and more. The tension, the groveling, the jealousy, the slow-burn longing, the growth these characters go through—it’s a romantasy masterpiece. Helen Scheuerer delivers again, and honestly, if you haven’t picked up Iron and Embers yet, bump it to the top of your TBR and then have this one ready for July. You won’t regret it.

This sequel picks up right where the first left off, diving straight back into the complicated, emotionally charged relationship between Wren and Torj (yes, he’s still absolutely a top-tier book boyfriend). They’re still reeling from the fallout of book one, and no—things don’t magically get fixed right away. But that only makes the angst, the yearning, and the little moments of connection all the more satisfying.

And the tropes? Chef’s kiss:
- Forced Proximity
- Fated Love
- Bodyguard / “Touch her and die” vibes
- Magic Academy
- Secrets, betrayal, and political tension

The world expands beautifully with new settings, side plots, and character arcs, but at its heart, this is about two people trying to find their way back to each other. And yes, I highlighted nearly the entire book—my Kindle is glowing. (My physical copies remain ink-free for now, but that might change.)

Also, if I had to pick a favorite scene? The belt scene. I melted. Utterly wholesome and emotionally loaded in the best way.

I always try to include some constructive criticism in my reviews, but honestly? I struggled to find a single thing that didn’t work for me. Maybe the ending—but only because it left me screaming for book 3 in true cliffhanger fashion. Not because it wasn’t well done (it was), just because now I’m desperate to know what happens next. 🥺

Final note: if Wren and Torj don’t have a cat by the end of this series, we will be having words @helenscheuerer.

I could easily ramble on for pages about how much I love this series, but really—you should experience it for yourself. I’ll just be over here rereading books one and two while counting down to the finale.

This book? It wrecked me in the best way.

With every chapter, the stakes climbed higher, the emotions dug deeper, and the twists? Brutal, in all the right ways. The characters had me fully invested, their connection tense, complicated, and laced with moments that made my heart ache. Wren and Torj are perfect, the spice in this book was amazing!

It’s the kind of story where everything slowly unravels before snapping into place right at the end and that ending? I’m still recovering.

Dark, magical, emotional… and yes, I already need the next one.

5 stars!!! (But even that doesn’t feel like enough)

Thank you so so much panmacmillan and netgalley for providing me with an arc of this highly anticipated (in general but also for me) book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was amazing, I loved it so much! The tension, the love, the grovelling, the jealousy, the growth the characters go trough, this is truly an absolute romantasy masterpiece that helenscheuerer created. If you haven’t read the previous book in this triology (Iron and embers), then please do that next and add this book on your TBR for July, I promise you you will not regret it.

This book was full of amazing scenes with tropes we love, but also with a lot of amazing new settings and side stories. There were a lot of scenes I loved (I cannot think of any I didn’t actually), but if I have to pick one it’s this one: The belt scene, I melted oh man, it was just so wholesome.

I only just started reading ebooks and therefore highlighting them (my physical copies are (so far) not to be touched by inked), but I could have highlighted this whole master piece (and mostly did!).

The book is mostly focussed on the relationship (or what was left of it) between Tjor (the bookboyfriend he is!) and Wren. And while the first book ended with them seperating (and no they don’t immediately restore their relationship), there was so much magical romantic moments and scences between them, and they are just so perfect together. Their relationship has been quite physical in book 1 but helenscheuerer is a master in creating couples with physical attraction but also with a deeper romantic connection (something I know doesn’t happen in every romantasy book, so I feel that a lot of readers that complain about that should absolutely read this book). I do have however one note: If they don’t have a cat by the end of the series, we are going to have words @helenscheuerer!

I usually try to also include some constructive feedback in my reviews, as that makes them more real and there usually is always something you don’t like about a book, and I tried, I really did but I couldn’t find one aspect about this book that granted a negative point for me. Okay the ending maybe, but that’s not because it was bad (okay it was/is bad, but in the way of how it ended and how it’s going to be resolved (can I have book 3 now please?🥺😍😭🥰), not in how it was written).

I can rattle on for 4 pages (or more 😅🥺😏😂) on how much I love this book (and it’s predecessor), but really you should go read it yourself. I will be happily enjoying book 1 and 2 and cannot wait for book 3 to come at the end of the year.

Again so many thanks panmacmillan for taking pity on me and grating me an arc of this amazing book.

I really enjoyed this one – a solid 4 stars from me! It had everything I love in a fantasy romance: a strong, capable heroine in Wren, a deliciously morally grey love interest in Torj, and a plot full of political intrigue, ancient magic, and emotional tension. The chemistry between Wren and Torj was thick with longing and heartbreak, and I absolutely lived for the slow burn between them – you could just feel how much history and pain sat between every glance.

I liked how the book balanced action and emotion without one overshadowing the other. The alchemy angle was super interesting and added a unique twist to the magic system, and I found myself wanting to learn more about Wren’s powers as they evolved. The theme of legacy versus love was done so well, and it gave the story a real emotional weight that kept me fully invested.

Thank you so much to Pam MacMillan for this ARC, truly so grateful to have received an early copy of my most anticipated release (following iron and embers earlier this year lol).

Helen Scheuerer quickly became one of my most loved romantasy authors and once again, she has absolutely blown me away with this book!

The characters, the plot and everything in between is amazing. From start to finish I have been hooked on every word, the wait for the third book is going to be brutal. The world of alchemy which Helen has created is so unique and such a refreshing aspect of fantasy, from the villain to the protagonist and the world surrounding them both.

Seeing the growth of Wren’s character, not only from book one but starting from the Legends of Thezmarr series, has made my love for her grow tenfold. While she may not be a warrior Wren is still a strong, resilient character who will do anything it takes for those she loves. And my man Torj is WEAKKKK with yearning and I absolutely loved every second of it, ugh I love him so much!!

Another easy five star read from me, this series is everything I want in a romantasy.

Man oh man do I love Wren and Torj and my god do I love a couple who yearns for each other so put the two together and you have one of my favourite romantasy couples.

Wren is one of the most complex FMCs I've read in a while, I love how incredibly smart she is. She doesn't need a man to come in and save the day. she'll do that herself and save everyone else whilst she's at it thank you very much. However, I do adore that she's (very) slowly letting Torj in so that she doesn't have to bear the burden of everything that's happened to her alone.

My little nitpicks with Thorns and Fire are that the first half felt very samey to Iron and Embers, things picked up about 50% of the way through but it did feel a little filler heavy at the start. Secondly, the pacing felt a bit off. Wren was supposedly in school but unlike the first book, the timeline of the school year just didn't quite flow for me.

All that being said, the ending!!!!! Helen Scheuerer thank goodness you write fast because I am DYING to know what happens in the final book of the series!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC, this was a book I've been excited about for a long time.

This is one of my most favourite romantasys I've read so far. It has everything I want. Fantastic romance, good spice, 'touch her and die'.
It's written so well! I loved it!

This is ostensibly the 6th book in Helen Scheuerer's Thezmarr series (or the 7th if you include "Slaying the Shadow Prince). If you've made it this far, you're in- a certified member of the Thea and Wren (& their Warswords) fan club. Any review has to acknowledge this.
"Thorns &Fire" is the second of the Wren and Torj centred stories. It starts with them at odds with each other and continues in a similar fashion for most of the book. At times, each new chapter feels like a new vignette exploring how their control is tested to the limit and almost snaps. The miscommunication is painful (and feel unnecessary) but the characters are enjoyable. Dessa is done dirty and now just sort of exists within the story after having been more fully fledged in the first book. The ending leaves everyone in an invidious position and so the wait begins for the 3rd installment. This felt very much like the middle of an ongoing series, setting story up but not moving anything too drastically.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟


Themes:

🖤 Fated Love
⚔️Forced Proximity
🥀Touch Her and Die
💀 Academy setting
🫶Found Family



Overall: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Spice: 4/5


This is the sequel book to Iron and Embers (sequel series to the AMAZING Legends of Thezmarr)

My first 5 star read of May! I was a little disappointed in Iron and Embers so my hopes weren’t huge for this book. But wow! I loved this sequel so much. The characters had much more development, I loved getting more scenes with secondary characters.

It was a perfect balance of magic, tension, academy setting and political intrigue.
I had ALL the emotions reading this, the plot, the characters, the spice 🥵perfection!

I need book 3 now!

“𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑾𝒓𝒆𝒏. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒛𝒆.”

Well I just finished this in six hours and now I’m angry with myself because what do you mean I have to wait until WHO knows when for the next book? What do you mean this is the consequences of my own actions?

This was the perfect follow up to Iron & Embers, just as thoroughly captivating and magnificent.

🗡️ dark academia
🗡️ fated mates
🗡️ forced proximity
🗡️ touch her and d*e
🗡️ found family

With fast-pacing and an action-packed plot, it’s difficult not to be utterly enthralled with this immersive world of high-stakes, wicked banter and as per usual, raw emotion. I love Wren and Torj endlessly and I miss them so much already.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book.

Is it still romantasy if fantasy took a back seat? Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed reading Thorns & Fire and meeting the characters again but I was looking forward to the adventure too. This book focused A LOT on the romance between Wren and Torj, the relationship/friendship building between supporting characters and that’s it. The fantasy and action was a little smidge compared to the romance. On the bright side, the smut was extra spicy.

I am still invested in this series but it feels like the story is being dragged out so we can have a series/trilogy. Hopefully the next book has more exciting adventure and activity.

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the arc!

Chefs kiss as always!! Helen can do no wrong and I loved being back in this world with Wren and Torj, especially after that ending in Iron and Embers!

Thank you so much to the author and publisher for my advanced copy Thorns & Fire 🩶

Full RTC.

I HAVE NO NOTES.

❤️ I will go to the moon and back for Torj and Wren. The most gorgeous duo who have overcome so much and still fighting to be together.

✨ The clever magic systems with Wren go from strength to strength. It's so refreshing to see an FMC who has to defend herself/fight in other ways.

🫠 Torj. That man can do no wrong. I love his hard outer shell and soft middle. The moments be cares for Wren sends me into a giddy spell.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Gorgeous book. A new favourite series.

This is what the middle of a trilogy should feel like. It deepens, sharpens, and devastates. And now I need the final book like air.