Genres: Fantasy Romance, Romantic Fantasy, Epic Fantasy | Release Date: 29 July 2025 | Series: The Ashes of Thezmarr | Series Book: #2 | Pages: 448 | Publisher: Tor Bramble | Review
“Between the storm and silence lies the breath that changes the world.“
Helen Scheuerer
Overview:
A massive thank you goes to the wonderful Helen Scheuerer, for letting me dive into an e-ARC of Thorns & Fire! And to then also receive this gorgeous indie hardcover edition more than a month before the release? How is this my life, glitterbugs?! This beautiful tale is the second instalment in The Ashes of Thezmarr trilogy, and it’ll come as no surprise to those familiar with Helen’s work when I say this romantasy just keeps getting better and better. So if you haven’t seen my review for book one, you can check it out here. But if you want to hear about *this* instalment? I’ve got your back…
Torj is adamant that he made the right choice. He knows it was better to protect Wren at all costs, even though it meant destroying any hope of a future with her. In fact, he’d do it again in a heartbeat. But the bond they had formed through a shared history of war and more tender moments has shattered. And Wren has been left to pick up the pieces at Drevenor. With another devastating war set to cover the midrealms in darkness, so soon after the last, which path will Wren take? Does she live up to her potential with alchemy, or embrace what it means to be a lost heir of Delmira? Is love even a possibility on either path? Something ancient has bound Torj and Wren together, but will it also see their end?
But with this instalment? It just keeps growing.
Happiness Boost:
Just when you think you’ve discovered all of the secrets in the midrealms? Helen delivers Thorns & Fire. There’s no warning, no hint that we should buckle up for this ride of a lifetime, just a quiet nudge that a new book is ready if you’d like to read it. And before you know it, you’ve been awake for too many hours, the sun is rising on a new day, and you’re staring at a wall… Already wishing for book three. I have had *months* to gather my thoughts for this review. But can you tell I’m still just as bowled over by it as I was when I first read this gorgeous romantasy? I am in awe of Helen’s way with words. And completely unable to convey just how truly magical this book is.
Wren Embervale is the heroine you don’t expect. From her ability to master alchemical puzzles, to the weight she bears as a lost heir of Delmira, Wren is a complex character. I have so much love for her, but particularly for how she navigates the vying pressures which would, in all honesty, crush anyone’s spirit. Our alchemist is *real*. Wren doesn’t breeze through obstacles. Instead, she crawls and breaks, she snaps and grits her teeth. For every woman who has been told she isn’t enough as she is, that she’s somehow lacking for daring to work for her dreams and have a mind of her own? Elwren Embervale is the heroine we’ve needed. And I love that her greatest strength lies in her mind rather than with any physical prowess.
Thorns & Fire perfectly balances the darkness of a looming war with light-hearted moments, just as it gives us relief against heart-breaking angst with small doses of sweetness. Add to that the found family Helen has written into the very fabric of our time in the midrealms? My love for this fantasy romance is endless. Even as Helen masterfully, subtly, lures us into a trap of anxiety for the final instalment, I know we are in the safest of hands. Because Helen Scheuerer doesn’t know how to write anything less than perfection. And I truly mean that.
Downside:
We are one step closer to saying goodbye to the midrealms… And I will never, ever be ready for that. But as for a downside with Thorns & Fire? There is absolutely none to be found in my eyes!
Final Thoughts:
Thorns & Fire by Helen Scheuerer is a fantasy romance full of tough choices, bittersweet love and the ever-growing threat of a war that would break the midrealms. It is absolutely exquisite, and I am counting down the days to when everyone gets to read this next instalment in Wren and Torj’s story. Love what you’ve heard from my review? Click on any of the links below and pre-order this incredible tale! Happy reading, glitterbugs!
You can pre-order Thorns & Fire via these links:
Amazon | Blackwell’s (standard edition) | Blackwell’s (sprayed edge edition)*
* While stocks last
