Review of Embers and Echoes by Karsten Knight

Title/Author: Embers and Echoes (Wildefire #2) by Karsten Knight
Publisher/Date published: Simon & Schuster, August 28th 2012
How I got this book: own it
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Ashline Wilde may have needed school to learn that she is actually a reincarnated goddess, but she’s ready to move beyond books. She leaves her California boarding school behind and makes for Miami, where she meets a new group of deities and desperately seeks her sister Rose, the goddess of war. But she’s also looking for love—because even though her romance with Cole had to be snuffed, Ash is a volcano goddess—and she doesn’t get burned.

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES***

Guys, I didn't really get on so well with Wildefire, the first book in this series. But I am SO glad that I decided to give it another chance, because Embers and Echoes worked so much better for me!

One of the problems I had with Wildefire is that Ashline was a bit too passive for me, she was so strong and so incredibly weak at the same time and it annoyed the crap out of me. In Embers and Echoes, she's the kickass girl I wanted her to be. She's taking charge and getting things done and I LIKE IT! I mean, she's a volcano goddess! What could possibly stop her? Well, there are some things, but not a lot of things. And I liked that she's owning up to her powers and using them. And I loved that she's not about to take crap from Colt. Even if he is a handsome bugger, he's also a really shitty person who needs his ass kicked.

I loved that in Embers and Echoes we get some more answers about what exactly is going on. All the things I wanted to know and was confused by in the first book are cleared up and I very much enjoyed seeing more of Ash's past lives! I also really liked the new characters we got to meet and Wesley Towers must be one of my favourites. He is awesome. And a good guy I can root for, you know how much I like my good guys!

This story is still harsh and people (and gods) get hurt and die and while this threw me off a bit in the first book, in Embers and Echoes it was mixed with some warm moments. Moments of friendship and hope for the future and even love and I thought the balance here was so much better than in Wildefire! These are by no means shiny, happy people, but there was a little bit of good mixed in with all the killing and maiming. And Rose, Ash and Eve's sister, is one terrifying 6-year-old. I mean, really, that was just wrong. And I get that she's an impressionable little girl who's seen WAY too much, but if it had been me, I wouldn't try to comfort her, I'd run like hell if she ever looked at me.

What I've been trying to say: Embers and Echoes was SO much better than Wildefire! Ash really grew as a person and was much more likeable in general. I got a lot of questions answered and there are still enough left that I'm itching to read the final book in the series!

My rating: 4 stars