Lala’s Book Corner: Embers [Anya Kalinczyk, #1] by Laura Bickle

“Truth burns.
Unemployment, despair, anger—visible and invisible unrest feed the undercurrent of Detroit’s unease. A city increasingly invaded by phantoms now faces a malevolent force that further stokes fear and chaos throughout the city.
Anya Kalinczyk spends her days as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department, and her nights pursuing malicious spirits with a team of eccentric ghost hunters. Anya—who is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern—suspects a supernatural arsonist is setting blazes to summon a fiery ancient entity that will leave the city in cinders. By Devil’s Night, the spell will be complete, unless Anya—with the help of her salamander familiar and the paranormal investigating team—can stop it.
Anya’s accustomed to danger and believes herself inured to loneliness and loss. But this time she’s risking everything: her city, her soul, and a man who sees and accepts her for everything she is. Keeping all three safe will be the biggest challenge she’s ever faced.”

From Goodreads.

Publisher: Pocket
Release Date: March 30th, 2010
My Copy: Print copy Received from Author.
Author's Website
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Embers

I absolutely love the Urban Fantasy (UF) genre, along with Paranormal Romance, it definitely gets the top spot in my heart as for my taste in reading. It is specially amazing when a new book or series comes along with a new take on an old theme or deals with a subject that hasn’t been written about before.

Embers is all about fire and fire creatures, it tells the story of Anya, a Arson Investigator for the Detroit Fire department that is also a Lantern. She can see and consume spirits with ease and in her free time, she helps the DAGR and group that fights demons and evil spirits.

Anya has got job cut out for her when a series of arsons leave a number of victims and weird looking marks that point to a much more sinister reason for the fires, than simple insurance fraud.

Embers is pure UF with action, mythical elements, a great cast of supporting characters, an ambivalent villain, mythical creatures and a great plot that grips you until the end. I have to admit that the beginning was a bit slow for me, but it did pick about a third way in and it got great.

Anya is a very interesting and complex character. I loved how flawed she was and even though she got on my nerves a few time, in the end she is just human and flawed, therefore making her more lovable in my opinion.

Anya is not a kick-ass kind of leading lady, but she is definitely strong and capable of making though choices and decisions. I loved her blooming relationship with Brian, I feel there is a lot of potential there and it makes me really happy that there will be at least another book in this series.

All in all, Embers is a full plate of goodness for any Urban Fantasy lover out there. Intriguing plot and great characters that definitely make it a great read. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book, Sparks, coming out at the end of August this year.