"A circle of friends scattered by the chaos of war. Fast-moving plot, plenty of surprises, and characters you want to cheer for.

Embers at Midnight is the second novel in Kate Lance's intriguing Tempo trilogy. Her first, Testing the Limits, introduces her young Australian characters in the 1930s as they pursue their dreams to England. Embers at Midnight begins as that decade draws to a close, as rising fascism in Europe and conflict in Asia foreshadow unavoidable tragedy to them all.

Both novels feature strong, intelligent, capable women. At the age of 21 Eliza McKee sailed from Adelaide to England working as a deckhand aboard the iron four-masted 'windjammer' Inverley. On that voyage she met the man she would later come to love, and in Embers her loyalty and patience is rewarded. Eliza's glamorous aunt Izabel Malory, a talented actress, flees London for Hong Kong when a secret from her past is revealed, but she goes with her chin up and the reader knows she will prevail. Aviator Billie Quinn is a better pilot than most of her male rivals, but she must fight entrenched sexism for the chance to prove her worth. Billie is pursued by Eliza's brother Pete, who learns -- to his confusion -- that the lanky red-head is a woman who plays by her own rules.

Testing the Limits was a lighter read than Embers at Midnight. In the first novel the characters are young and although they suffer set-backs, the reader feels that their youth and resilience will bring them through. In Embers at Midnight the savagery of war separates loved ones and visits horror on millions across the globe. War and loss tear at the resilience of our characters, and the reader knows they will be deeply scarred by their trials.

Embers at Midnight closes on a hopeful note, however. With the war at an end, our brave characters can start to build their futures. This reader will be looking forward to the third novel of the Tempo trilogy to find out how their stories conclude."