The Lantern's Ember

I've pretty much loved every single book by Colleen Houck and when I heard she was writing a standalone with a Halloween twist, I was immediately excited! The Lantern's Ember was a magical and delightful little read! It was rife with aspects of Halloween lore...it was pretty much perfect in that sense!I'll admit though, I had a rough start, but that's also likely due to the timing of reading as well. I was very busy and the first two days of trying to read this I only read a chapter or two. Diving in was rough, but once I got to read more than a chapter at a time I was really getting into the story! We have Jack who is known as a lantern. He basically guides the doorways to the Otherworld which, as you can imagine is a world filled with supernatural beings. There's some history to it involved as well as Jack's situation and how he became to be a lantern that is revealed from the start which I really enjoyed instead of having to wait several chapters in order to get all this necessary background.Ember is a witch that Jack has been keeping an eye on over the past few years. There aren't any witches in the Otherworld for reasons we will soon learn, but Ember is fascinated with the idea of the Otherworld and beseeches Jack to take her, but he refuses to do so for her own safety. It's not long before a vampire named Dev brings her over, as he was tasked to do so by a particular someone. When Jack finds out she's missing, he recruits her best friend, Finney, to help him track her down and bring her back to her world.This was quite an adventurous read! In some ways, it was like an Alice in Wonderland story as Ember enters this new world that is so strange and different, and quite dangerous. Witches are a hot commodity in this world and Ember's life is pretty much in danger from the moment she enters, but Dev, her vampire/sort of kidnapper, but not, is determined to keep her safe. In fact, his plans to bring Ember to his employer has changed, because yes, he finds he's falling in love with her. Though naturally, we already sense that Ember and Jack have a growing connection, but let's also add in the fact that Finney, her longtime best friend, also loves her. It makes for quite the array of suitors.The romance wasn't a huge role in the story as well, I mean it was there throughout, as we had at least two of the characters trying to actively pursue Ember. I felt a little bad for Finney as he never really seemed to have a chance with Ember despite being the best friend and all. I felt like Ember's choice was obvious from the getgo however.When the Lord of the Otherworld gets wind that a new and powerful witch has entered his domain, he's determined to have her. The Otherworld is powered by witchlight and with a ned budding witch, he will continue to remain an all powerful deity.I think my favorite thing about this book was truly all the Halloween lore that was incorporated. Jack is sort of the new Jack that gave the name to the jack-o-lantern, he was also involved with scaring a man named Ichabod away from one of the Otherworld gates. We get to see how other traditions of Halloween were born as well as the story moves along. It was really fascinating the ways Colleen brought these traditions to life! It was probably my favorite part of the story!There was a great deal of tension in this one too! Everyone had their own plan for Ember, and she had her own plans for her life as well! Some rather interesting twists came about in the grand finale that I thought was pretty shocking! Though I do like how Colleen was able to wrap everything up! I am so used to her highly detailed stories that stretch for several books--and that I enjoy as well--so this standalone was pretty amazing for her to write as well! I almost think that standalones can be harder to write than a series, but that's just me!The Lantern's Ember was a marvelous read indeed! It's the perfect read for lovers of Halloween lore! It's not a scary read by any means, though there's a great deal of tension and suspense to it. Lots of twists and turns and a healthy sprinkling of romance as well. This is easily making my list of best reads of the year as I've always enjoyed the different myths and lore that surround Halloween! Colleen Houck has done it again and written yet another superb book rich with mythology!Overall Rating 5/5 stars

What first attracted me to The Lantern's Ember was the truly awesome cover! A decorated skull. Eerie glowing bugs. It's dark. It's moody. Then, you read the synopsis. Deals made with the devil. Nightmarish creatures. Forbidden travels. Chaos. All these things pointed to a spooky tale perfect for the approaching Halloween season.Alas, 'twas not to be...Instead of spookiness, nightmarish creatures, and chaos, I discovered a love square--not a triangle--and trope characters who never stray from their boundaries. Jack is a Lantern tasked with guarding the crossroads between the mortal world and the Otherworld. Ember is a Witch looking for trouble. Dev is an obsessive-possessive vampire. Finney is the guy in love with his best friend. I so wanted to like the characters, but I found them all tedious and their interactions wooden and bordering on boring. Honestly, by the time I reached the end of the book, I was glad it was a standalone and not the first in a series.Another annoyance I found was the author's decision to use a third person omniscient point of view. I don't mind being inside different character's heads, so to speak, but when the point of view changes midway through a page, then I have a major problem. It's confusing and inevitably kicks me out of the story. This narrative choice also didn't help further the plot, in my opinion. The synopsis led me to believe there would be more adventure and danger, but the plot read more like an overly complicated romance than the fantasy adventure the book was described as being.While I had major issues with the characters, their story, and the point of view, I did find some redeeming qualities. I enjoyed the explanations for the origins of various Halloween traditions like the jack-o'-lantern, the boogeyman, vampires, werewolves, and Headless Horseman. The Otherworld is describes in vibrant language, and I actually enjoyed the parts of the book set in this world. I may have even liked it more if the plot had lived up to the hype.Overall, The Lantern's Ember was Frankenstein's creature of steampunk, fantasy, and romance that lumbered along with sparks of brilliance but ultimately collapsed under the weight of overly complicated romantic entanglements, a shoddy plot, and questionable narrative choices.

The minute I saw that The Lantern's Ember had Sleepy Hollow vibes I was hooked. But as someone who adores everything Sleepy Hollow, Halloween, and things that go bump in the night, I had high expectations. This book did not disappoint and from the first page’s gripping descriptions of the setting it put the book on track to be one of my favorites this year. Jack is a 500-year-old lantern who is stationed in a sleepy little town guarding the entrance to Otherworld from anything going in or out. All is going well until the Witch Wind blows and Jack’s existence gets turned upside down. Ember, the girl he is watching, crosses through the gate and monsters threaten to tear the Otherworld apart. The story is fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. I read it in two sittings. This book was entertaining and certainly got me in the mood for all things fall and spooky. Overall, I adored this story, and can’t wait to pick up Colleen Houck’s other books. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I cannot begin to express how much I loved this book, I was a little unsure firsthand as I saw more bad reviews but I though “let’s give it ago.” And I am so glad that I did, because I loved every minute of it! I loved the adventure, the love square and the characters! The ending gave my a warm happy feeling in my heart.

I was super excited to read this book because Colleen is one of my favourite authors, and even though the begining was interesting, soon the book started to become dull and boring.I gave up on it after trying twice to read it and not mae it past the middle part.As a paperback is quite light and practical to hold and read but the story and writing were a disappointment.

This book is amazing and an awesome read. The adventure, writing style and primarily the characters will blow your mind and make you fall in love with them.

Regalo apprezzato