Reviewed by Aspen, a high school student

The Last Ember is the first book of a series, and begins when twelve year old Eva accidentally becomes the owner of the last aerimander egg, placing her at the center of a dangerous conflict. Alongside Dusty, a young thief tasked with stealing the egg, Eva must navigate corruption, betrayal, and long buried secrets while protecting the last aerimander. The novel explores friendship and trust, highlighted through Eva and Dusty working together despite their different backgrounds and personalities. Additionally, it unpacks fear and prejudice, as the kingdom’s treatment of aerimanders was driven mainly by fear rather than understanding.

The story is a thrilling tale of how loyalty, friendship, and trust can combat evil and betrayal. I thought the world building in this book was fantastic, but it left me wanting more depth from the plot. There were many chapters that felt askew from the overall narrative, but it did have a lot of action, which I appreciated. Also, this book felt written for an audience older than middle school because of its vocabulary and flow of the story. The villain in the story, Eoin, is portrayed as purely sadistic, and mentions of kidnappers and murderer’s guilds could make it slightly inappropriate for a younger audience.

Readers who enjoyed dragon books like Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland or fantasy readers who enjoy books like Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger might like reading this book, although it is a bit more mature.