A Shadow in the Ember

*A Shadow in the Ember* is the first book in the *Flesh and Fire series* by author Jennifer L. Armentrout.

## Synopsis

Born shrouded in the veil of the Primals, a Maiden as the Fates promised, Seraphena Mierel's future has never been hers. Chosen before birth to uphold the desperate deal her ancestor struck to save his people, Sera must leave behind her life and offer herself to the Primal of Death as his Consort.

However, Sera's real destiny is the most closely guarded secret in all of Lasania - she's not the well protected Maiden but an assassin with one mission—one target. Make the Primal of Death fall in love, become his weakness, and then … end him. If she fails, she dooms her kingdom to a slow demise at the hands of the Rot.

Sera has always known what she is. Chosen. Consort. Assassin. Weapon. A specter never fully formed yet drenched in blood. A monster. Until him. Until the Primal of Death's unexpected words and deeds chase away the darkness gathering inside her. And his seductive touch ignites a passion she’s never allowed herself to feel and cannot feel for him. But Sera has never had a choice. Either way, her life is forfeit — it always has been, as she has been forever touched by Life and Death.

## Detailed Plot Summary

**Prophecy:**
"From the desperation of golden crown and form of mortal flesh, a great Primal power rises as the heir to the lands and seas, to the skies and all the realms. A shadow in the ember, a light in the flame, to become a fire in the flesh.

When the stars fall from the night, the great mountains crumble into the seas, and old bones raise their swords beside the gods, the false one will be stripped from glory until two born of the same misdeeds, born of the same great and Primal power in the mortal realm. A first daughter, with blood full of fire, fated for the once-promised King. And the second daughter, with blood full of ash and ice, the other half of the future King. Together, they will remake the realms as they usher in the end.

And so it will begin with the last Chosen blood spilled, the great conspirator birthed from the flesh and fire of the Primals will awaken as the Harbinger and the Bringer of Death and Destruction to the lands gifted by the gods. Beware, for the end will come from the west to destroy the east and lay waste to all which lies between."

Princess Seraphena "Sera" Mierel stares at her reflection in the Shadow Temple, trying to calm her nerves. As her mother, Queen Calliphe of Lasania, approaches, Sera notes that she looks like her late father, and nothing like her mother. Sera has been treated like a Chosen her whole life, even though she is not one. She is the Maiden. Tonight is her 17th birthday, and she is to become the Primal of Death’s Consort.

Her step-brother, Tavius, enters the room. It is clear that he and Sera are not close, nor do they like each other very much. Since the people of Lasania do not know of her existence, Tavius became the heir to the crown. Tavius taunts her about having to seduce the Primal of Death, saying that he is monstrous and will do terrible things to her.

The Queen’s trusted Lady, Lady Kala, enters, announcing that the Priests expect the Primal’s arrival soon. Lady Kala leads Sera through the winding halls of the Temple. Two Shadow Priests open doors for the Lady and Sera to reveal a circular room lit by hundreds of candles. There is a crescent moon carved into the two thrones made of shadowstone on the dais of the room, and Sera has a birthmark that looks exactly like the carving. Her mother, step-father (Ernald), step-sister (Ezmeria "Ezra"), and Tavius enter the chamber. Sir Holland, the knight of the Royal Guard, was not allowed to be there, as it would reveal that Sera was not the sacrificial lamb, but rather the wolf in disguise. The seconds turned to minutes and the Primal still hadn’t arrived. Suddenly, the ground began to shake, mist appeared, and then a male was standing in front of the dais. The Primal announces that he does not need a Consort and then disappears. Sera’s mother slaps her and then claims that Sera has failed them.

Three years later, the Vondina Isles Lord, Lord Claus, is walking down the Great Hall of Wayfair Castle carrying a burlap sack. He approaches the King and Queen saying that he speaks on behalf of his Crown. He throws the head of Lord Sarros, the Advisor to the Crown of Lasania, at the King and Queen’s feet and says that his Crown rejects the offer of an allegiance with Lasania. Claus requests taking Sera to sweeten the deal, but the Queen tells him no. After the Lord leaves, Calliphe orders Sera to go after him to send a message to the Vondina Isles. Sera finds him on his ship and begins to seduce him and then pulls out her dagger and kills him.

Upon walking back from the port, Sera sees a goddess kill a man behind a townhouse. A god walks out of the house carrying a baby, whom he tosses onto the ground next to the dead man. Sera begins to walk towards the gods to confront them but then a hand clamps her mouth shut as an arm folds around her waist. Sera breaks free of the hold but then is pushed back against the town home. A male voice warns her not to make a sound.

The man leads her away from the house into a nearby vine tunnel. Sera struggles to get free, but the male blocks her every attempt. They hear the god and goddess from before, joined by a third god, talking. Sera’s captor removes his hand from her mouth after she agrees to not make any noise. As soon as he lets her go, she tries to attack him. He traps her once again, this time against the vine covered wall. Sera looks at him and thinks to herself that he might be the most stunning man she had ever laid eyes on. After studying his eyes, she realizes that he is a god. He says that the other gods are coming and tells her to wrap her legs around his waist and to kiss him. Sera reluctantly agrees because she knows that it is the only way to go unnoticed. When he breaks the kiss, she realizes that he had bitten her lip and she was now bleeding. Sera asks why he stopped her from going after the other gods and he tells her that he is not like them. He says that she should go home. As she is walking away, she gets a feeling that she shouldn’t walk away from him but she does, and she doesn’t look back.

Sera walks back to the courtyard of the townhouse to see if the gods took the bodies. She can see that the bodies are no longer there but before she can go in, the god, who had apparently followed her, asks her what she’s doing. Sera is confused at the rightness she feels with him being there. Together, they enter the townhome. While they are in the study, Sera asks why the god cares about the murders. The god tells her that murders similar to these have happened before: at least four in the last month. He admits that one of those who were killed was his friend. He says this doesn’t involve her and that when she leaves, she must leave alone. He tries to intimidate her and she presses her shadowstone blade to his throat. He spins her so that the blade is now pinned to her stomach. He says she is very brave, too brave, and calls her Liessa. Sera tells him to get on with killing her and he tells her that that thought hadn’t once crossed his mind. The god tells her to be careful and that he will be watching her, then disappears.

Sera is sparring with Sir Braylon Holland. She blindly throws a dagger at a dummy and Braylon tells her she needs to work on her aim. He reprimands her about running wild about the capitol and Sera recalls that in the past three years, there have been two instances where someone found out who she was and attempted to kidnap her. She believes that Tavius had been behind the rumors. The two speak about how Sera punched the Prince because he had a horse whipped and then begin talking about how Sera poisoned Tavius’s fiancée so that she would fall ill and prevent Tavius’s ascension to the throne.

## Foreign Publishers & Titles

* **Bulgaria**: Анишър (2022) - Bulgarian title: *Сянка в жарта*
* **Czech Republic**: Fragment (March 27, 2023) - Czech title: *Ve stínu popela*
* **Germany**: Heyne (November 9, 2022) - German title: *Shadow and Ember - Eine Liebe im Schatten*
* **Netherlands**: Uitgeverij Zomer & Keuning (December 14, 2022) - Dutch title: *Schaduw in het Vuur*
* **Portugal**: Galera (January 20, 2023) - Portuguese title: *Uma Sombra na Brasa*
* **Romania**: LITERA Publishing House (June 2022) - Romanian title: *Un tăciune întunecat*
* **Russia**: ACT (March 2023) - Russian title: *Тень и искры*
* **Spain**: Puck (June 7, 2022) - Spanish title: *Una sombra en las brasas*
* **Turkey**: DEX (February 21, 2023) - Turkish title: *Kıvılcımdaki Gölge*

## References

1. ↑ https://mailchi.mp/71af4b3fe7d1/jla-book-and-shop-updates-7864394?e=f2ac8a4116