Midnight of Ashes by Tessa Hale | ARC Book Review

Midnight of Ashes (Dragons of Ember Hollow, #2) by Tessa Hale

Pages: 252
Publish date: April 19, 2024
Publisher: –
ISBN: 9798872360261
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

One moment changed everything. A split-second decision to try to save one of my five dragon mates nearly cost my life. And now nothing is the same.

Knox, Cáel, and Cillian treat me like I’ll break at any moment, while Maddox keeps a careful distance. And Easton won’t look at me at all.

We’re supposed to be fated by the stars, but we’re falling apart. Enemies still lurk around every corner, but the guys vow we’ll be ready when they come.

But evil has a way of striking when you least expect it. And none of us are ready for who might be pulling the strings…

Midnight of Ashes (Dragons of Ember Hollow, #2) by Tessa Hale:

I received an earc of Midnight of Ashes by Tessa Hale in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I tried to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, but there will be some slight spoilers from book one.

I’m so glad that I discovered Tessa Hale earlier this year because this was another fantastic read. After the ending of the first book, I was hanging to read this one and I wasn’t disappointed. Not only does Midnight of Ashes have high stakes, but it also lets the reader explore the world. We find out so much more about the world and I loved that part. We also obviously get more of the romance that has been brewing and it was fantastic.

Hayden and her mates; Knox, Easton, Caèl, Cillian, and Maddox started to come into themselves in this one. We also get to know some of the ones who like to keep things hidden. It was nice to start seeing them all create a narrative for themselves. Sometimes I was confused a little about who was who, and whose POV we were in, but by the end, I felt like they had their own voices. Hayden not only gets to know herself in this world more, but she also gets to know her men more and that just hit on so many levels.

The characters go through a lot not only in this series but before it. So there is a lot of trauma running through each of them. They slowly start to heal each other or on the way throughout the book. It was hard to read at times, but they all needed to let it all out. And while there is still a lot stopping some of them from completely letting go, walls are being broken down.

The romance in this one heats up and I was so here for it. The first one was pretty tame but here, we finally get to see them have a little ‘fun.’ It was steamy, sexy and romantic all at the same time. We get to see her with more than one a few times and I liked seeing that. We get to see how they care for her as well in this one. And how the bonds are affecting them.

Midnight of Ashes starts where the first book left off and we are right into the action. I actually really liked that. We didn’t miss anything and it wasn’t just explained to us. We were taken on the journey together. It’s intense and addicting right from the start. And honestly, it doesn’t let up much after that.

I did feel that at times the pace was a little off. I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but it was all very fast-paced and then something slowed it down and I was left a little deflated. It’s nothing too major, and won’t stop me from reading more, but I had to stop my own reading pace and just try to assess what was happening.

We get more romance, more about mating and bonds, and we get to see some other hordes, and the council which was … interesting. There were a lot of layers in this one and I liked when each one was peeled back and showed more depth to the world and characters.

As I was saying before we get to see more of the world in Midnight of Ashes. One of my favourite things in books especially paranormal and fantasy is politically intrigued and we got a little of that here and I gobbled it up. It added even more layers to the book. We get to see her men in action at what they do best.

Overall though, I highly love Midnight of Ashes. I think it’s going to end up being one of my favourite series. Because honestly I can’t stop thinking about it and it hits all the right places. I am both prepared and terrified for the adventure Hayden and her men and in for in the last book. If you are looking for a new paranormal series that has dragons, is why choose and has lots of high stakes, then pick this one up.

Tropes and Themes: Paranormal Romance, Dragons, Fated Mates, Age Gap, Touch Her and Die, Multiple POV, Dislike to Love, Academic Setting.

⚠️ Trigger Warnings Include; Dark Themes, Murder, Blood, Torture, Past Abuse, Neglect

Have you read Midnight of Ashes by Tessa Hale yet? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading this series? What are you loving at the moment? Let’s chat!