Ember by Naima Simone

Two morally grey people, one dangerous game of power.

Ember brings Naima Simone’s dark fairy tale reimaginings to a new high. The nods to Cinderella are woven in cleverly. This book has all the dangerous edge I have come to expect from this world.

This is a dark mafia romance and the content warnings matter here. Readers should check them before going in. The history between Ember and Asad is twisted in ways that are not quite what they first appear. Untangling that history is part of what made this story so compelling. Watching two morally grey people circle each other, never quite sure who holds the upper hand, made for a genuinely gripping read.

The action never lets up and the quest for power drives every page. Simone continues to prove she can build a vivid, dangerous world while keeping the emotional stakes just as high as the body count.

Ember stands on its own and does not require reading Huntsman first, though fans of that book will recognize the same dark, intense energy. I can’t wait to see where The Hunted Kingdom goes next.