Eyes of Ember (The Imdalind Series) by Rebecca Ethington {Review}

 

 

Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy

Series: The Imdalind Series

Author: Rebecca Ethington

Publish date: April 6, 2012

Pages: 380

 

 

 

BOOK SYNOPSIS

 

 

Joclyn is in hiding, hunted by the man she still desperately loves. Ryland is gone, his mind erased, no memory of Joclyn remains. But, Joclyn’s heart desperately begs her to hold out hope. While, in reality the black eyed monster that possesses him, attempts to kill her over and over.

If it wasn’t for Ilyan, Joclyn would be dead by now.

Ilyan. The man who once stalked her, is now Joclyn’s protector, the only thing she has left. He protects Joclyn from the men who seek to end her life, and while she is haunted by dreams where Ryland begs her to break the bond between them.

Ilyan is there. Always there.

Ilyan trains and prepares her, teaching her everything she needs to know in the hope that one day she can avenge Ryland, if not protect herself from him.

And then there is her father.

The man who has never been there, is suddenly responsible for everything. And who he is has made Joclyn into something she never wanted to be.

The Silnỳ.

 

 

MY TAKE

 

 

I was anxious to read Eyes of Ember. If you read my review of book one Kiss of Fire (Review of Kiss of Fire) you see that it did not end on a happy note. I had fallen hard for the character Ryland. Then came along Illyan. It's not often that I find it hard to choose with lead guy I want to get the girl, but I really liked both of these guys.

 

In Eyes of Ember, we start with Joclyn three days after her failed attempt to rescue Ryland from his evil father. All of his memory has been erased. Now Joclyn has lost everyone she loves. As Ilyan tries to help her recover, they discover Joclyn suffers from more than just a broken heart. Her magic is gone and her body seems to be dying. Ryland continues to hunt Joclyn  in her dreams and the real world now that he is just his fathers puppet. Ilyan has no choice but to train Joclyn to fight. He's her protector and his feelings for Joclyn continue to become apparent. My heart breaks for Ilyan each time Joclyn rejects his affection. She can't accept that Ryland is lost to her. She remains in denial of her own feelings developing for Ilyan as well. A small bit of hope is restored when Joclyn visits Ryland in a Touha (shared consciousness). She regains her strength and powers from spending time with Ryland in the Touha but it's not permanent.

 

Every night Joclyn is hunted, captured, and tortured in her dreams by Ryland and his father's goon Cail. With every nightmare I fall less in love with Ryland and more in love with Ilyan. He sings to her each time she wakes screaming.

 

"Hush now child. Be still, be calm. The world will change at the new dawn. And when it does, you will see how you and I were meant to be."

 

I loved getting to know more about Ilyan in this book. He reveals some much about the centuries he has been alive. But as we get to know him you can sense that he's leaving out something really important. You also realize just how alone he is. Remember in Kiss of Fire we learn that Ryland and Ilyan are brothers, which means Edmund is Ilyan and Ovailia's father too. Edmund has tortured all of his children in an effort to gain more power. The plot thickens as Ilyan realizes Joclyn's father is being held prisoner by Edmond.  Her father has a huge role in the magic world and has suffered at the hands of Edmund for years. Joclyn feels empty as she sees now that her life has been full of lies.You won't believe her father's connection to the bitch Ovailia. Through all of Ilyan's life he has been on the side of good.

 

"Two brothers stand beside you, both know of your true fate. They both have love in their hearts, but different needs to gain. One seeks power, the other light."

 

At this point, Joclyn has no choice but to see what Ilyan's true feelings for her are. Ryland all but tells her of Ilyan's love in riddle about the future. Once again Ryland attempts to kill Joclyn and Ilyan comes to the rescue. With his unmatched power, he transports them to a safe hiding place. I'm thinking good grief, how much more can happen? I'm only half way through the book. Ilyan expended himself to the point of unsciousness. Joclyn has so much to learn. As Ilyan sleeps for his body to heal, two of his trusted friends train Joclyn and give her quite the family history lesson. Joclyn gets to look into the future and see her true destiny. My heart breaks for Ilyan as his destiny is also revealed. He's the only one strong enough to protect her and she's the most powerful of all.  Joclyn has a huge burden to carry.

 

"Bred to die, born to fight, raised to be broken, and always the cause of pain for those I cared about most in the world."

 

The question is can they survive the heartache they both are meant to endure? God knows my heart couldn't take it. I was a snotty mess.

 

Joclyn finds herself trapped in a Touha.The author does an amazing job making you feel like you're going crazy right along with Joclyn. The story becomes twisted and dark. It becomes clear in the end what Joclyn must do. There is no question that Ilyan owns my heart at the end of Eyes of Ember. True love is not selfish.  I can't imagine what we're in for in the next book. I really hope for a little happiness in the story. So far there's been a ton of romance and action and intensity but very little happiness. I definitely recommend reading the series.

 

 

 

 

AUTHOR BIO/LINKS

Rebecca Ethington has been telling stories since she was small. First, with writing crude scripts, and then on stage with years of theatrical performances. The Imdalind Series is her first stint into the world of literary writing. Rebecca is a mother to two, and wife to her best friend of 14 years. She was born and raised in the mountains of Salt Lake City, and hasn’t found the desire to leave yet. Her days are spent writing, running, and enjoying life with her amazing family.

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