Iron & Embers: The Ashes of Thezmarr, Book 1

Name: Iron & Embers: The Ashes of Thezmarr, Book 1
Rating: 4.4 (10200 reviews)
Author: Helen Scheuerer

by Helen Scheuerer

4.4

About this book

Wren Embervale is an alchemist-turned-assassin whose life is defined by the cold pursuit of vengeance. When a mysterious, dark alchemy begins terrorizing the midrealms, Wren is forced out of the shadows and into the prestigious, high-stakes academy of Drevenor. To secure her position and uncover the source of the corruption, she must survive the Gauntlet—a series of lethal trials designed to break the strongest competitors.

As Wren navigates a dangerous web of political deception and ancient magic, she is shackled to a protector who views her with nothing but disdain. Torj Elderbrock, a celebrated war hero, holds a deep-seated grudge against Wren for a past professional failure that cost him everything. Forced into proximity, their volatile history ignites a simmering, high-tension dynamic that proves as perilous as the trials themselves.

Caught between a brewing war and their own complicated animosity, Wren and Torj must learn to rely on each other to survive. In a world where trust is a liability and magic is a weapon, the line between ally and adversary blurs. As the threats against the kingdom escalate, Wren faces a final, terrifying question: can she survive the enemies at her back, or will the man assigned to save her prove to be her undoing?

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What readers are saying

fate & furies review

A 5⭐️ BANGER

"YUP. 5 STARS. Yet another AMAZING book from one of my auto-buy authors, that had me laughing, crying, and feeling ALL the emotions🥲 Once again, I’m so bewildered at how bingeable & addicting Helen’s books are, because I devoured this in 3 sittings. But being back in this world, with these characters that I know & love so fiercely - it truly felt like coming home🖤 While Iron & Embers takes place 5 years after the events of the Legends of Thezmarr series, this book can technically be read as standalone - just be aware, there will be spoilers in Iron & Embers! But I will say, this book will make a lot more sense and you will have a much deeper appreciation for these characters and what they’re experiencing if you read the Legends of Thezmarr first! Our FMC Wren, alchemist turned assassin, has drastically changed in the aftermath of the war. Now hardened and closed off, Wren has isolated herself, still reeling from the grief & trauma the war left her with. But with a new alchemical threat facing the realm, Wren’s unparalleled skill is once again needed as she takes her place at Drevenor Academy, the prestigious academy for master alchemists. Right off the bat, I immediately loved how sharp Wren’s mind was and how determined she was to excel. That, coupled with her storm wielding magic & her unparalleled skill with alchemy made her such a formidable force to be reckoned with. I absolutely LOVE all of the powerhouse women in Helen’s books, they are all top tier FMCs for me! Now, the plot! The ROMANCE! This delivered on both fronts, and there was simply no putting this book down. Having read the Legends of Thezmarr, the world building & magic system were a breeze since I was already familiar, but even if you haven’t read it, the world & magic of this series are still easy to follow! The highlight of this book for me? Torj and Wren HANDS DOWN. These two have so much history, and I’ve been dying to see their story unfold. I loved it all - the banter, the tension, the YEARNING. All in dual POV too🙂‍↕️ I already loved Torj from the previous series, but he’s at a whole new level now y’all🧎🏻‍♀️ I could give a whole speech on the unyielding devotion of this man! But seeing them help each other heal while slowly becoming vulnerable with each other again, and seeing how undeniably perfect they are for each other - I love them just as much as Wilder & Thea😭 Now that ending? HURT ME. SHOULD BE ILLEGAL. STRAIGHT TO JAIL. I knew a bomb was coming and when it dropped, it damn well HURT. I’m still screaming “WHY” in my head, and the only thing keeping me together is the fact that 2 more books are coming this year🥲 But I’m reassuring myself it’s gonna be ok because Helen has done this to me before with the Legends of Thezmarr and she’s never let me down before! In conclusion, I will forever scream from the mountaintops about this book & the Legends of Thezmarr series, so PLEASE - go read this!!! ["

August 31, 2025 Verified Purchase

Megan Bajorek

👏 *slow clap*👏

"👏 *slow clap*👏 Where to begin? What to say? How can I capture how good this author and book is? How can I convey how it is cleverly crafted journey back into the world of Thezmarr but with a cunning Alchemist in the lead role rather than an aspiring Warsword? Before I jump into the review, I strongly recommend that if you have not read the Legends of Thezmarr series, you should. Set about 5+ years before the events of Iron & Embers, the completed series will allow you to capture, comprehend and feel exactly what Iron & Embers main character, Wren, is dealing with and what exact horrific events have transpired before the opening pages of Iron & Embers from a front row seat. Definitely read Blood & Steel and the other books within the series because YOU will love it and YOU will not regret a single moment spent in this unique world. Now for the review. Since discovering Helen Scheuerer's work I have been fascinated by her ability to a build creative and captivating fantasy world while also creating complex yet relatable characters that seem like they could exist in the here and now. From the beginning of my time within Scheuerer's world, I was drawn and intrigued by the character of Wren. Set as the opposite of her sister, Althea (the main character in The Legends of Thezmarr), Wren is intelligent, clever, whitty, biting and passionate. Instead of brute strength and skill with a sword, Wren is an alchemist, using her brains to invent and concoct even deadlier weapons than a sword. Scheuerer is brilliant in that she builds an epic fantasy worlds and characters but gives them real world driven challenges and vices that make them feel like real living and breathing heros. Wren is struggling with overwhelming grief and trauma due to the events in Shadow War having lost many she cared for while also inflicting terrifying damage herself. She fears what she has seen and what she herself has done. What does someone do when they have too much to feel and no outlet? Why channel it into anger and vengeance of course! Naturally, Wren learns quickly that is not the path to healing and instead she must accept the pain, remember the good and move on to the future. Torj similarly is in pain, pain for watching someone he cares about willing destroy themselves and the relationships around them. Refusing to quit, Torj steps into the role of punching bag and the object of Wren's ire so that the two of them can help each other heal. This book has everything you want: enemies to lovers, mystery, intrigue, a Gauntlet laced with poisons, torture and mental anguish, hidden identies, bonded pairs, tension that relieves into amazing spiciness, self sacrifice and an ending that will make your heart both ache for the characters and for the fact that you have to wait until July to find out what happens. 👏A well earned slow clap for Helen Scheuerer! ["

May 27, 2025 Verified Purchase

M & K

Great continuation of the characters

"I devoured this book—the pacing, the deadly trials, the academy setting, the mystery and intrigue, the high stakes, and the slow-burn romance! It’s an epic, agonizingly slow burn that is heartbreakingly beautiful as their relationship slowly evolves and gets destroyed. The two are forced together against their will when the Warsword is assigned to be Wren's bodyguard. Despite their troubled past, sparks fly as their forced proximity makes them confront emotions they’ve both been avoiding for years. Thinking he is cursed and destined to go mad he learns a truth that changes everything. This story is the embodiment of many years long painful yearning—the ache of what could have been and what still might be. The tension was so thick, I could practically feel it through the pages. I loved the dual POV, seeing the events through both of their eyes, capturing everything left unsaid and all the longing Torj struggles to hide beneath his duty. We get to see a new side of him, though there are still plenty of "touch her and die" moments too. I found myself frustrated with these characters so many times. If only they would just say what they thought, so much pain could be avoided. As a huge fan of The Legends of Thezmarr, it was refreshing to see many familiar characters return. ["

March 7, 2025 Verified Purchase

jeremy williman

great read

"I loved the plot, the alchemy details were great, I love love Wren, but I feel I need to read a prequel of this book and learn more about the Shadow War ) I wanted to get to know the other characters more, especially Wren’s team … The Bear Slayer well.. got to know him superficially and felt like he was a beast in heat more then a super famous warrior. Love the language in the book too. I will read book two just to uncover the plot and hopefully get the know the other characters better. ["

January 27, 2026 Verified Purchase