Book: An Ember in the Dawn of Night by Emery Fynn
Reviewed by IvI
Rating: 4/5
I really liked the main idea of the story: humans vs. gargoyles when they were supposed to fight alongside each other! With some magic on the side and a lot of secrets to unravel. But unfortunately it was missing a bit of the worldbuilding concept. It's explained by the gargoyles how the humans and da'kais came to exist, but it wasn't that clear to me. Some humans, gargoyles, and da'kais have powers but not all of them. And sometimes it felt like the humans can tell who a gargoyle is, but sometimes they can't. It was a bit confusing.
The story is supposed to be the typical "enemies to lovers," because Lydia is a human looking for Griffon, the gargoyle who killed her family, and they end up forced to spend time together. And even knowing what he's done, she immediately thinks he's really handsome. I mean, come on, just wait a few days getting to really know him first, because that instant "feeling" shouldn't make any sense, if she's truly thinking about what he's done and what she's going to do to him. And also, she actually has done A LOT of nasty, horrible things in the name of revenge, that she should've thought better of, or at least asked a few more questions before murdering an entire family. I got her state of mind but couldn't relate to it. She was selfish from the start to the very end (especially at the end!).
And so was Griffon, he was also losing his mind to hatred, and that's why they hated each other for years. I liked his character, though we didn't get his literal POV, but he was really interesting and I wanted to know more about his struggles.
I enjoyed the last part of the story, it was the most intriguing, devastating, and shocking. I just hope they won't forgive her that easily, because she doesn't deserve it just yet. She should have to redeem herself, A LOT.
That being said, this was a great dark fantasy, with a slow-burn enemies to lovers romance, an imminent war, and a lot of secrets and betrayal.