Embers of Resistance

Embers of Resistance (The Awakened Book 2)
By L. J. Andrews
Published July 10, 2018

Why I chose this book:
I absolutely loved Ashes of Retribution, and had a horrible book hangover after reading it. I contacted Andrews after I had published the review of Ashes, and I offered to review other books in the series if she was interested. Andrews provided a copy for review.

Review

Embers of Resistance picks up where the previous book leaves off: Dominus Kage and his band of assassins have fled their destroyed home while Adira rallies more support for the Uprising. With alternating chapters narrated from the viewpoints of Adira or Kage, readers follow the two very different forms of resistance against the all-powerful Citadel, which relegates anyone with the tiniest physical imperfection to either death or a life of slavery. When their paths converge, Adira resumes her efforts to convince Dominus Kage, whose true name is Jair Haydon, to lead the Uprising. Battles and intrigue follow, with the Uprising gaining traction and the Citadel going to extreme efforts to quash it. Andrews does not disappoint with her second installment of the Awakened trilogy.

As with the first book, the compelling part of this YA dystopian fantasy is the characters' internal struggles. Adira, who overcame prejudices in the first book, does not view herself as able to lead. Most others see her as a leader, however, and press her to have faith in herself. Despite doubts, she continues to gain self-confidence. It is not a smooth journey by any means, but by the end of the book, she comes to trust the opinions of those closest to her and finally trust herself to lead them. Kage/Jair, meanwhile, is torn between his fear of the Citadel and his temptation to join the Uprising alongside Adira. She is one of the few who urges him to embrace the good in heart, shed the persona of Kage, and use his leadership skills at the helm of the Uprising. Readers can feel his turmoil, his self-hatred, and his uncertainty about his worthiness to lead. It is the raw, honest narration of both Adira's and Jair's psyche that captivates and keeps one reading late into the night.