> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://andilgregory.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Bookish Thoughts: Of Dawn & Embers by Gillian Bronte Adams - URL: https://andilgregory.com/adventuring-through-life/bookish-thoughts-of-dawn-amp-embers-by-gillian-bronte-adams/ - Published: 2026-01-09T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-10T03:54:25.000Z - Author: Andi Gregory - Tags: Bookish Thoughts, Book Review, Book Releases, The Fireborn Epic, Enclave Publishing, Gillian Bronte Adams, Of Dawn and Embers, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adventure, Rise and Ride Again, #Migrated-1787683573322, #sqs, #Import 2026-08-25 14:46, Adventuring Through Life, blog **The Fireborn Epic | Book 3** **Rating:** Highly Recommend *\*\*Please note this review contains spoilers for the first two books. Please read at your own discretion.* Bronte has crafted a finale full of wild adventure, the best kind of slow burn romance, and deeper understanding of the solborn horses and world. It’s truly a test of resilience and the call to “rise and ride again.” --- What a wild ride! This was the perfectly epic conclusion to The Fireborn Epic and Ceridwen’s, Rafi’s, and Jakim’s stories. Ceridwen, Finnian, and Jakim are still in Nadaar on the Alon Coast, sheltering with the remnants of the Alonque Rebellion. Rafi remains in the clutches of his cruel cousin, Sahak, reeling with the revelation his brother, Delmar, is alive and serving Sahak as the Voice of Murloch. Meanwhile, Markham leads the war-force on Soldonian soil, holding fast to hope that Ceridwen is alive and will return, fighting both the invading Nadaarians and Rhodri and the other Soldonian traitors. Throughout this epic finale, families are reunited, grievances are aired, feelings are revealed and shared, and fracturing friendships abound. Even so, new and old friendships alike are forged in fire and salt, forgiveness is found, and at each harrowing defeat or rout, they “rise and ride again.” Some of my favorite quotes from this book (no, I’m not giving away who said it 😏): - “I’m not sure it feels like hope these days,” he said. “More like the sort of fool stubbornness that keeps a beaten man standing back up for more.” - But she plunged back into the fight in a shock of flame instead, and it wasn’t stubbornness that impelled her, not a reckless need for triumph or a refusal to accept the agony of defeat. It was hope. Foolish, desperate hope, perhaps, but hope nonetheless. - He doesn’t erase or gloss over the wounds of the world. He takes them on himself. He bears our pain in truth, and he mends it in truth, and so in truth, his justice and mercy are complete. - Trust is the root of all bonds. One of my favorite things about Bronte’s storytelling is the authenticity with which she crafts her characters, to the point they feel *real*. They each have their own strengths and pitfalls, and those traits affect relationships with other characters in very unique and personal ways, the way it often happens in real life. More than that, the characters each have unique backgrounds and outlooks on life, to the point that although we get several points of view over the series (and this book), each character is distinct and unique in how they perceive the world around them and face the challenges set before them. Another thing Bronte does exceptionally well is world building. The world surrounding The Fireborn Epic is detailed and immersive, with lore stretching back for solborn and scadtha alike. Each nation has its own culture, religion, and superstitions, lending an extra depth to characters’ perceptions of the world and themselves. Bronte also does a wonderful job of revealing description when it’s most needed, and giving each character their own outlook on it. For instance, Ceridwen, Rafi, and Jakim all view the Mah along the Alonque Coast quite differently, either as a place to explore or a jungle of danger, or a mix of both. My favorite books are always the ones that I think about long after I’ve read them, because they’ve immersed me into the world so fully I could live there (though sometimes I’d rather not 😆). It’s been almost a month and a half since I read this book, and I’m still circling around to thinking about it. It’s lingered with me long after the sleepless nights of reading because I couldn’t put it down, and that tells me for sure I’ll be coming back to this book in the future for a reread—and the entire series. [Get it Here](https://www.enclavepublishing.com/books/of-dawn-and-embers/?ref=andilgregory.com) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/05/5005b841-a6a9-4902-ad65-ff17b958f53d/content/images/2026/09/1Of-Fire-and-Ash-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/05/5005b841-a6a9-4902-ad65-ff17b958f53d/content/images/2026/09/2Of-Sea-and-Smoke-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/05/5005b841-a6a9-4902-ad65-ff17b958f53d/content/images/2026/09/3Of-Dawn-and-Embers-1.jpg) The Fireborn Epic by Gillian Bronte Adams: Of Fire and Ash, Of Sea and Smoke, and Of Dawn and Embers