Audiobook Review: Ember Eternal by Chloe Neill

Ember Eternal
Author: Chloe Neill

Narrator: Imani Jade powers
Series: Souls Burn Brightest (Book 1)
Publication: Ace (November 25, 2025); Penguin Audio (November 25, 2025)

Length: 15 hours 7 minutes

Description: A new romantasy, following a thief whose dramatic encounter with an assassin and a crown bodyguard (who has dangerous secrets to keep) launches her into a world of swirling palace intrigue, from New York Times bestselling author Chloe Neill.

Fox is a thief with morals—she steals from those who can afford it and takes only a little at that. But she has no choice. Fox and her closest companion are indentured servants to an unscrupulous wealthy woman in the stronghold. Unable to pay off their debts with the work they’re given, they steal in the hopes of one day being free—truly free.

While searching for an easy mark, Fox identifies a would-be assassin with her rare magical ability, and then helps a royal bodyguard fend off his vicious attack on the prince. Soon that good deed embroils her in a vast and shimmering world of imperial politics, long-lost magic, and improbable romance. But Fox longs for freedom, and must decide if love is its own kind of cage.

My Thoughts: Fox is a thief in the city of Stronghold. She's an indentured servant to a woman who sells her services to make money. When she is in the market one day looking for marks who can afford to lose a coin, she spots and spoils an assassination attempt on the new ruling prince. She uses her magical ability to see the Aetheric.

Fox soon finds herself allied with the guard whom she helped save the prince despite her disdain for the royal rulers. She discovers that someone is using the aetheric to try to overthrow the ruling family. 

Fox was an interesting character. She is a thief with morals and a woman who longs for freedom to make her own choices. She also has a rare magical ability to see the aetheric. She's had the ability since the childhood she doesn't remember, but the ability mostly brings her pain. 

This is a romance as Fox falls for the bodyguard she helped thwart the assassination attempt. But he is a man keeping secrets which affect her choices and may constrict her future freedom. 

This was an engaging story with intriguing characters. I liked the setting and the worldbuilding. 

I bought this one on publication day. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Ember Eternal by Chloe Neill

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

We were servants by fate, sisters by choice, and thieves by skill and practice. And we were looking for coins to steal.

Friday 56:

"It's beautiful. Who owns this land?"

"According to the Emperor Eternal, he does. He demands half of everything the stronghold makes."

This week I am spotlighting Ember Eternal by Chloe Neill. It is the first in a new romantacy series. Here is the description from Amazon:

A new romantasy, following a thief whose dramatic encounter with an assassin and a crown bodyguard (who has dangerous secrets to keep) launches her into a world of swirling palace intrigue, from New York Times bestselling author Chloe Neill.

Fox is a thief with morals—she steals from those who can afford it and takes only a little at that. But she has no choice. Fox and her closest companion are indentured servants to an unscrupulous wealthy woman in the stronghold. Unable to pay off their debts with the work they’re given, they steal in the hopes of one day being free—truly free.

While searching for an easy mark, Fox identifies a would-be assassin with her rare magical ability, and then helps a royal bodyguard fend off his vicious attack on the prince. Soon that good deed embroils her in a vast and shimmering world of imperial politics, long-lost magic, and improbable romance. But Fox longs for freedom, and must decide if love is its own kind of cage.

Audiobook Review: Enchanted by Nora Roberts

Enchanted
Author: Nora Roberts
Narrator: Alexander Cendese
Series: The Donovan Legacy (Book 4)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (March 15, 2014)
Length: 6 hours and 16 minutes

Description: Lovely, guileless Rowan Murray was drawn to darkly enigmatic Liam Donovan with a force she'd never imagined could exist. But before Liam could give Rowan his love, he first had to trust her with the incredible truth about himself…and his family.

My Thoughts: Rowan Murray comes to rural Oregon to spend time in a friend's cabin and evaluate her life's choices. She's a schoolteacher because her parents steered her that way. She is engaged to a friend her parents approve of. But she's a dreamer with some artistic talent but with a low sense of self-esteem.

Liam Donovan is her nearest neighbor. He's a witch with a talent for shapeshifting with a wolf being his preferred form. 

The two are immediately attracted. Liam is concerned about falling for a woman who doesn't have faerie blood since he's in line to rule his people. He's willing to commit everything to her except his heart. 

Rowan has some hidden strength of character that develops the long she's away from her San Francisco home. Having just pieces of Liam isn't enough for her which provides the tension in this love story. 

I bought this one at Chirp May 12, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: The Brazen Bride by Stephanie Laurens

The Brazen Bride
Author: Stephanie Laurens

Narrator: Simon Prebble
Series: The Black Cobra Quartet (Book 3)
Publication: Avon (June 17, 2010); HarperAudio (June 29, 2010)

Length: 13 hours and 36 minutes

Description: Four officers of the Crown, aided by Bastion Club member and Cynster alike, fight to bring down a dangerous enemy - and to win the loves of their lives ...

Logan Monteith's mission got off to a shaky start. Wounded in battle, he jumped from his ship rather than risk losing evidence that would bring down a traitor. But as he recuperates in a tiny village, his luck takes a roundabout turn as his fascination with his rescuer, the beautiful Linnet Trevission, grows.

Linnet's strength and wisdom have made her a respected leader at home. That's why she knows she'll be invaluable to Logan - if only he'll let her in. Linnet has no doubt that Logan is the man for her. Her only battle now is in convincing him that the connection they feel is real and everlasting and that her offer of help can save him - before it's too late.

My Thoughts: Logan Montieth is one of four officers of the Crown tasked with the mission of bringing a document from India to England. The document identifies the Black Cobra who has been causing major problems in India. Naturally, the agents of the Black Cobra don't want the message to reach its intended target. The four men split up and take different paths back to England. 

Logan is on a ship in the English Channel when he is attacked by the fanatics of the Black Cobra. There is a storm and he is injured, but he finds his way to Guernsey where he is rescued by Linnet Trevission who is the lord of the manor. Logan has lost his memory as a result of a blow to the head. 

He and Linnet fall in love. Linnet doesn't have any hopes for a long-term relationship. She's fixed on Guernsey and knows that Logan will leave once he recovers his memory. Logan, however, feels like he's finally found a home and has no intention of abandoning it even after his memory returns. 

The two wind up in England on the run from the cultists and meeting up with various members of the Cynsters and Bastion club members as they make their way to the persons who need Logan's message. Linnet's interactions with the women associated with the Cynsters and Bastion club members show her the way that she can make her relationship with Logan work.

This one was a very spicy story. Logan and Linnet's relationship begins as an intensely physical one. I enjoyed that part of the story but liked adventure part of the story more. 

I bought this one August 6, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Outfoxed by David Rosenfelt

Outfoxed
Author: David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter (Book 14)
Publication: Minotaur Books (July 19, 2016)

Description: Defense lawyer Andy Carpenter spends as much time as he can working on his true passion, the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization he runs. Lately, Andy has been especially involved in a county prison program where inmates help train dogs the Tara Foundation has rescued to make them more adoptable, benefiting both the dogs and the prisoners. One of the prisoners Andy has been working with is Brian Atkins, who has 18 months left on a 5-year term for fraud. Brian has been helping to train Boomer, an adorable fox terrier the Tara Foundation rescued from a neglectful owner. Brian and Boomer are clearly a terrific match. In fact, Andy hopes that Brian will adopt Boomer himself, once his sentence is up. But one day, Andy arrives at the prison to discover that Brian has used Boomer to make an ingenious escape, and man and dog are both in the wind. The next day, the man on whose testimony Brian was convicted is found murdered. Brian is caught and arrested for the crime, though he forcefully protests his innocence. Suddenly, Andy finds himself with a new client in Brian and a new dog in Boomer. And as he starts to dig deeper into the murder and the events leading up to it, Andy realizes he might be putting them all in far more danger than anyone had realized.

My Thoughts: The fourteenth book in the Andy Carpenter series has reluctant lawyer Andy handling the murder case of one the convicts who takes part in his dog training program at a local prison. Brian Atkins has only 18 months left in his term for fraud. He escapes from prison bringing Boomer with him and then is seen fleeing the home of his former partner who lies murdered inside along with the body of Brian's ex-wife. 

Brian feels guilty for not being able to save his ex-wife and is going to plead guilty even though he didn't commit the murders. Andy convinces him to plead innocent even though it will mean coming out of his self-imposed retirement. 

Andy's investigation into Brian's partner and ex-wife and the tech company they founded leads to crimes by local mobster Dominic Petrone. Everyone in law enforcement would like to get something on Petrone and put him away. Andy finds the way. The only problem is that nothing he finds will help in his current trial or help to prove Brian didn't kill his partner and ex-wife.

I enjoyed this story. Andy has a wonderful, snarky way of telling his own story. I like the variety of side characters including Andy's accountant who'd love to be a PI, his pessimistic partner Huck, and ever inscrutable Marcus. I also enjoy Andy's relationships with his wife Laurie and newly adopted son Ricky. 

I bought this one September 29, 2023. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: The River Knows by Amanda Quick

The Rivers Know
Author: Amanda Quick
Narrator: Ashford MacNab
Publication: Tantor Audio (February 21, 2023)
Length: 10 hours and 18 minutes

Description: From New York Times bestselling author Amanda Quick comes a delightful romp filled with breathtaking suspense, dazzling wit, and steamy Victorian passion . . .

The first kiss occurred in a dimly lit hallway on the upper floor of Elwin Hastings's grand house. Louisa Bryce never saw it coming. Of course, handsome, wealthy Anthony Stalbridge couldn't possibly have had romantic intentions. The kiss was merely meant to distract the armed guard about to catch the two unlikely sleuths. After all, the only thing these two interlopers have in common is a passionate interest in uncovering the dastardly secrets of Mr. Hastings—a prominent member of society whom they suspect of murder.

Brought together by their desire for the truth, Anthony and Louisa finally discover the incriminating evidence they're looking for. But bringing Hastings to justice will be more perilous than they anticipate, especially since their thrilling attraction to danger—and, it turns out, to each other—might very well get in the way . . .

My Thoughts: This late Victorian romantic suspense title follows Mrs. Louisa Bryce and Mr. Anthony Stalbridge. They meet in the upper hallway of Elwin Hasting's home when they are both intent on searching his bedroom. Louisa wants information about the whorehouse he owns. Anthony is looking for proof that Hastings murdered his fiancée. A close encounter with a guard leads to a heated kiss.

Louisa is under the impression that Anthony is a high-class jewel thief and wants to hire him to help her break into Hastings's safe. Anthony in not a jewel thief but has the advantage of his father having invented the safe where Hastings's secrets are held.

Anthony stashes Louisa in his carriage and returns to the house to open the safe where he discovers his fiancée's necklace and some papers. The papers are evidence that Hastings was, among other things, a blackmailer and fraudster. 

The pair teams up to find the information each needs and find themselves in danger from Hastings's henchmen. They fall in love while trying to solve their mysteries. But Louisa fears that Anthony could ever love her since she is holding a terrible secret of her own. 

This was an entertaining mystery with interesting characters and a great setting. 

I bought this one at Chirp October 3, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Toucan Keep a Secret by Donna Andrews

Toucan Keep a Secret
Author: Donna Andrews
Narrator: Bernadette Dunne
Series: Meg Langslow Mysteries (Book 23)
Publication: Dreamscape Media (August 7, 2018)
Length: 9 hours and 11 minutes

Description: Meg Langslow is at Trinity Episcopal locking up after an event and checking on the toucan that Rev. Robyn Smith is fostering in her office. After hearing a hammering in the crypt, Meg finds an elderly parishioner lying dead on the floor. Several niches have been chiseled open, several urns knocked out, and amid the spilled ashes is a gold ring with a huge red stone.

The curmudgeonly victim had become disgruntled with the church and ranted all over town about taking back his wife's ashes. Did someone who had it in for him follow him? Or was the motive grave robbery? Or did he see someone breaking in and investigate? Why was the ruby left behind?

While Chief Burke investigates the murder, Robyn recruits Meg to contact the families of the people whose ashes were disturbed. During this task, Meg discovers clues that indicate that a thief broke into the church to steal the toucan the night of the murder, so Meg decides to set a trap for the would-be toucan thief...who might also be the killer. 

My Thoughts: While the Reverend Robyn Smith is on maternity leave and on bedrest, Meg Langslow is one of the ones who are keeping their parish running. Meg is closing and locking things up one evening when she sees a light in the crypt. Investigating shows her a number of the niches used for cremated remains have been broken into and a curmudgeonly parishioner is lying dead on the floor. A gold ring with a large ruby is also on the floor among the cremains. 

As Meg acts as Robyn's delegate to visit the family members of the people in the disturbed niches, she finds that many of them had some connection to a jewel robbery many years earlier. Between interviewing family to find out their wishes for their loved ones remains, Meg is deep into solving the mystery of the old jewel robbery. 

Adding to the intrigue (and bringing in the usual bird subplot) is the toucan who has been living in Robyn's office while its owner is deployed. The killer seems to be afraid that the toucan saw something and might be able to repeat it. Apparently, the killer is among the many who don't know that toucans can't talk. 

This was another fun episode in a long-running series. I enjoy the characters. I like Meg's practical common sense which contrasts nicely with her father's flights of fancy and sudden enthusiasms. I also like watching Meg and Michael's twins grow up through these stories. They are still preteens in this one. 

I bought this one at an Audible sale December 5, 2025. You can buy your copy here.