Ember and Ash by Pamela Freeman

A day that should have been one of happiness for Ember, the start of a joyous life as a new bride, results in tragedy when her new husband is consumed by the wedding fire as they jump over it to celebrate their vows. It seems that Fire, one of the five ancient powers, has rejected Ember’s choice of a husband. He claims that she belongs only to him, and that she must come to him. And until she does, he will take fire away from everyone.

Winter is a bitterly cold season in these lands, and without fire, their people will die. Thus, Ember has to go on a quest to Fire Mountain to meet Fire’s demand, even though she refuses to submit or surrender to the Power’s bid for total ownership. Along the way, she develops feelings for her adopted nephew, Ash (although their close age makes them more like cousins, since she is only one year older). Could these feelings be a manipulation of Fire, or are her true feelings for Ash coming to life, ones that she could never acknowledge because of their different stations in life?

As the two take their journey to Fire Mountain, they will face loss and struggles against the unpredictable forces of the Powers, and their influence on the land and its creatures. At home, their family works to let the surrounding communities know about the fire crisis and how to combat it. Ember’s father and mother have to deal with the fallout of her mother’s secret heritage as a traveler.

Ember and Ash is a traditional fantasy filled with magic and spirituality. In this world, the people worship the various Powers (earth, fire, ice, water, air), and the local gods. Their faith demands loyalties that cause them to sacrifice everything, even their relationships with family and lovers. Ember and Ash are both strong, intriguing characters, trying to come to terms with their places in the world, and how that forces them to abandon long-held dreams for their lives.

I appreciated how male and female have equal importance in their communities. Strengths and abilities are not restricted by sex, although neither does Freeman cause the separate sexes to be indistinguishable. Cultural aspects feel distinctive, although I can see that she took some inspiration from real-life peoples. Additionally, Freeman looks at sex in a very down-to-earth fashion, which makes sense for the cultures in this book, where their spirituality tends towards animism.

I liked that Ms. Freeman was able to put so much complexity into this book, but I feel that because there were so many characters, some of them did not get as fully explored as others. It is possible that their stories are yet to be told if this is going to be a series.

Overall, I enjoyed Ember and Ash. It turned out to be a fairly quick read because of Freeman’s uncomplicated writing style and the intriguing, entertaining storyline. The story came to life in my mind, with images of the terrible and beautiful displays of magic inherent to these people and their world. I would recommend this book to fans of traditional fantasy, particularly to those who seek books with a balanced portrayal of male and female characters.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Orbit; 1 edition (May 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316053759
• ISBN-13: 978-0316053754

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Ember and Ash by Pamela Freeman