Prince of Blaze and Embers had potential with its premise, but sadly, it didn’t quite work for me. The pacing felt rushed, especially in the way the relationship was portrayed. A slave girl Ash was taken to the Emberveil by the prince Cade Phoenixfire, and instead of building tension or connection, things jumped straight into lust. For someone who lived as a slave her whole life, the sudden shift didn’t feel natural.

There was also a lot of word repetition, and Bella’s dialogue sometimes felt robotic, almost AI-like, which pulled me out of the story. The dynamic between Ash and Cade started with arguments and unanswered questions, but before we could get clarity, the physical side took over without any real emotional buildup.

As for the title, Prince of Blaze and Ember, I expected the prince to play a significant role, but he mostly appeared for meals or rest, then disappeared again with the dragon to find the answers to the unknown. The lack of deeper interaction or meaningful scenes between the main leads left me unsatisfied.

While the idea had promise, the execution didn’t deliver the depth or engagement I was hoping for.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC — this review is honest and my own.

The Dyslexic Who Reads.

Stars: ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Triggers: Explicit Open Door sexual scenes, Slavery, SA referred to, Violence
POV: This is a solo 1st person narrative of the MFC, Ash.

What I loved about this book:

❤️ The story was engaging and and thought out. There was a good base with the world building. You get to dive into this world and learn more about the people and places of it. There is you're typical evil archetype, who seems all powerful and everyone is unsure they'll be able to defeat even as a team. It has Blood and Ash vibes.

❤️ The Characters were well flushed out and have layers to them. You feel for Ash's story and the mystery of her background. I enjoyed the journey we went on learning about who she might actually be and we will continue that journey seems to continue in the next book, which i also enjoyed since you can't figure who you are in such a short time.

❤️ The spice was good, though there is a seemingly insurmountable issue with them fully being together. This adds to the suspense of what's going to happen, how are they going to get around this issue.

What I thought could have been better:

🤔 I found the book a little predictable. But I've read so many books that this is hard for me to avoid these days.

🤔 Around 70% in sentences and whole paragraphs started to repeat. Like I would read one passage and than a couple pages later that same passage repeated, word for word. I'm assuming this got corrected in the final book, as I read the ARC of this book.

Overall: It's a decent book and I'll probably pick up the next one in the series when it comes out.

I got this book free from Netgalley for my honest review.

I was drawn to this book due to the blurb and cover. I was immediately interested when it jumped right in to action especially with the warring dragons and dragon riders. Ash Mist who is a slave in the beginning discovers that she has power that the Blaze Queen will stop at nothing to possess.

I felt as though there was no true connection between the MMC and FMC. It was a hard pace to follow when nothing was truly developed. At times the writing seemed robotic or AI produced. Maybe with some edits and fleshing out some of the world this could turn into an great story. The premise is so good but it just needs more, I just feel as though so much is missing.
An interesting story and concept but I think it needed to be fleshed out more.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crimson Cro publishing and Zander Wolfe for the advanced copy, all of my opinions are my own.

The Prince of Blaze and Embers by Zander Wolfe has an intriguing premise—Ash Mist discovers she is more than an unknown slave. There is power within her and the evil Blaze Queen will stop at nothing to get it.

I love a good dragon fantasy, but this one didn’t quite hit the mark. The fast pace kept me reading, but it came at the expense of character depth and world building. Beyond the FMC Ash, characters felt underdeveloped, and while she has a physical chemistry with the MMC Cade, they didn't connect emotionally.

This was noted on NetGalley but there were some number of editing issues with the ARC, including repeated sentences and switching between first and third person, which did make it difficult to read at times.

An interesting story and concept but I think it needed to be fleshed out more.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crimson Cro publishing and Zander Wolfe for the opportunity to read and review the ARC.

An action and romance packed story following a woman who never knew the true power she held until she almost lost her life

Anything with dragons and I'm in already, but the way this was done, it has filled that void from Fourth Wing which is no easy thing to do. I loved the slow burn tension between the main characters, I loved the lore behind it all and I adored how I would get so lost in this book that hours had passed and I had absolutely no idea. This is a sign of an incredible book and this did just that. I highly recommend reading this when it is released and you will fall in love with the world, the characters and honestly, it's a lot of fun.

Dragons, hidden identity, and mysterious creatures around every turn! This book was definitely a world building set up to the next book. I wish there was a bit more details on somethings and a little less repetitive phrases. The storyline has such potential and I’m hoping book two has some unseen twists that really suck a person in. I needed more of something. This felt mostly like a stereotypical fantasy with romance but it didn’t have anything to make it stand out in a sea of romantasy.

Review: Prince of Blaze and Embers by Zander Wolfe

This book had me hooked from the very first page! As someone who reads for pure escape after long days in the classroom, Prince of Blaze and Embers delivered everything I wanted: dragons, tension-filled romance, and a heroine I couldn’t help but root for.

Ash is fierce and full of heart, and I loved watching her grow from a girl in chains to someone with the power to change the world. Cade? Dangerous, complicated, and so hard not to fall for. The slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers tension between them had me turning pages way too late into the night.

The dragon lore, the political intrigue, the glowing rune mystery—there’s so much packed into this first book, but it all flows beautifully. I loved how the story balanced high fantasy stakes with deeply personal moments. Can’t wait to see where their journey goes next in this series!

This has an amazing storyline with awesome characters. A lot happens in this book and some of it I wished had more details. There is a lot left to happen and I really want to know what questions they asked. It ends on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait for the next book.

- distracting writing with “…” in so many sentences
- Too much sexual descriptions of what the FMC wants to happen at super random times
- Spelling error “…lined old wooden shelves” not shelved - loc 1136

Themes
* Dragons
* Magical animals
* Coming into power
* Female friendship
* Instalove
* Brooding MMC
*

Thank you Zander Wolfe, NetGalley and Crimson Cro Publishing for the eARC!

The cover of this book drew me in and the plot sounded interesting. I’m so sad that the writing was really hard to read and honestly seemed like it was written by AI or had a lot of help from AI. The writing style had a lot of ellipses in random places in sentences, paragraphs and dialogue. The descriptions of the main male character were repetitive and didn’t draw me into the character at all. There was no real connection between the FMC and MMC but somehow they were attracted to each other. The love scene was very repetitive in terms of what the characters were saying and I skipped through it.

I got about 60% of the way through and felt like the plot wasn’t going enough places for me to keep reading and I was struggling with the writing a lot. This was a 2 star read for me for the reasons outlined above.

If you're looking for a fantasy read that truly delivers on every front, stop right here. This book had it all wrapped up in one thrilling package, and I devoured it. From the moment I started, I knew this was the beginning of something truly special, a series that's going to captivate readers for years to come.

Let's talk about the good stuff first. The romance is palpable, the spice is just right (enough to make you blush but not overshadow the plot), and the magic system is intriguing and potent. And did I mention dragons? Because yes, we have majestic dragons, and they are everything you could possibly wish for.

But the absolute standout for me was our fierce FMC. Her journey is nothing short of breathtaking. We meet a woman who has been chained as a slave her entire life, broken but never truly defeated. Watching her shed those chains, discover her inner strength, and transform into the powerful, formidable woman she was always meant to be is incredibly inspiring.

The pacing is excellent, keeping you on the edge of your seat with suspense woven throughout. There's an ever-present sense of a looming evil force, a powerful antagonist working against our heroes, which drives the plot forward and promises an epic struggle for the series to come. This is definitely the start of a great series where the stakes are high and the future of their world hangs in the balance.

However, just when I thought I had it all figured out, just when I was basking in the triumph of our heroine and her prince... MAN, that issue between them! I absolutely did not see that coming. It hits like a freight train, leaving you reeling and genuinely unsure how they will possibly overcome it. It adds a layer of raw, unexpected conflict that deepens the story and makes you incredibly invested in their future. My heart is aching for them, and I have to hope they find a way through this insurmountable obstacle.

Looking ahead, I can already tell there's so much more character building to come for our FMC. Her powers are still burgeoning, her bonds are continuing to develop, and I'm desperate to see her grow even more formidable. This book is a powerful introduction, setting the stage for an epic saga of magic, love, betrayal, and redemption.