Ember X

#1 in Death Collectors series

by Jessica Sorensen

Age: New Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Format: Ebook, 337 pages
Published On: April 19, 2013
Source: Kindle freebie. And it's still free!

Goodreads • Shelfari • LibraryThing
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • The Book Depository

First Sentence: "Emmy, can you hand me that Allen wrench?"

Ember X is a new adult version of young adult paranormal novel Ember by Jessica Sorensen. Ember, our narrator, has an unorthodox ability. Whenever she touches or is touched someone, Ember has a death omen: premonition how and when that person is going to die. Tortured by these painful and horrific visions (since in her town obviously no one never dies peacefully or from old age) Ember shuns away from human contact. With dead father, alcoholic mother and crazy-artistic brother, Ember's only confidant is her best friend who is outgoing, slutty, questionably loyal and party-loving'.

To make it a little bit more cliche (like this was not enough) enters a romance part of a story. Of course it's a love triangle and it has something for everyone's taste: one blond and one dark hot guy both new to town and both attracted to our heroine. There will be a lot of smoldering glances and Ember's insides will be 'curving and cultivating with so much sweltering heat'. I personally could not feel any heat, but maybe it's better, that thing that happens to her insides does not sound comfortable. But Ember obviously liked it, because she sometimes nearly has an orgasm just from heated glares exchange.

Ember was tough heroine to relate to. She was usually mopping around either because of her love dilemma, family problems or because she can not deal with her ability. With constant complains and dramatic self-pity through the whole book, Ember sounded more like a teenager/young adult then like a grown up. Although adding more sexual content pushed Ember Xinto new adult genre, the psychology of characters needed more change and work too, because some behaviour that can be tolerated for ya book feels out of place and immature in novel targeted for older audience.

The one part of Ember X I liked was the (surprise surprise) paranormal part. The lore about angels and grim reapers that Jessica Sorensen made up was interesting and we got introduced to the whole history gradually. Ember X is easy to read because proverbial carrot on a stick, aka new info about something, is always dangling just a little bit out of reach, so you trod along hoping to catch it and finally figure out what is really happening. As always, since this is a series, a some things are left unanswered for the sequel but I think we had good back story for the start.

Although I liked the paranormal elements of the story, the characters were too immature and dramatic, so I doubt that I will be continuing Death Collectors series. Fans of ya paranormal books who want to increase the heat to new adult level and who like angels, love triangles and tortured heroines will probably like Ember X by Jessica Sorensen but I recommend that you check an excerpt either via Amazon or some other website before buying. Or grab a Kindle ebook while it is still free. ;)