This Ends in Embers by Kamilah Cole | Book Review

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This Ends in Embers by Kamilah Cole 
Series: Divine Traitors #2
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on February 4, 2025
Genres: YA Fantasy, LGBT, BIPOC
Pages: 416
Format: Hardback
Source: Purchased

Content Warnings: Racism, Suicide, War, Blood, Loss of Limbs, PTSD, Colonialism, Torture
Rating:

Faron Vincent was once the saint of San Irie. Now, she’s done the unthinkable: betrayed her country. Alone, disgraced, and kidnapped, Faron is forced to help Iya grow his bloody empire. With her soul bonded to a ruthless killer, Faron has become an enemy to her people… and she fears they might be right. Elara Vincent—the new Empyrean—must undo the damage her sister has caused. San Irie has been brought back to the brink of war as Iya proclaims no nation will be safe from his brutal invasion. But how can Elara save her sister, her best friend, her country, and her world when she’s already cracking under the pressure? This heart-pounding conclusion to the Divine Traitors duology pushes these unforgettable heroines to their breaking point and beyond. Because when the lines between hero and villain are blurred, deadly sacrifices must be made.

This Ends in Embers is the epic conclusion to the Divine Traitors duology by Kamilah Cole, and what a finale it is. Since this is the second book in the duology, this post may contain some spoilers from the first book, so if you would like to avoid them, I would suggest skipping to the last paragraph for my overall thoughts.

This Ends in Embers continues to expand on the characters and world-building of So Let Them Burn, helping build that deeper connection with the characters. We are introduced to the other kingdoms as they team up with our ragtag team to help defeat Iya and fix what Faron started. Cole briefly explores how colonialism does not exist within a vacuum, but spreads like a disease, infecting all it touches. Even isolation is not enough to protect one's country from its atrocities, as other rules begin to realize this, they prepare to do what is necessary to protect their people.

The story picks up exactly where the previous one ended, which was on a cliffhanger, so the reader is not left trying to fill in the gaps. There is very little that happens off-page between books 1 and 2, making this duology seamless. I greatly appreciated this because I hate when there is a gap between books, and then some of the conclusion occurs off the page, and we are left to try and figure it out as the next story unfolds.

The pacing of This Ends in Embers is an improvement over the previous book, with scenes feeling more fleshed out overall...except for the ending. Unfortunately, the ending was completely rushed, leaving me rather stunned, to be honest. I figured the major final battle would take longer than it did, with Iya's inevitable defeat prolonged. I mean, there is a two-book build-up to this battle, and it ends in just a couple of pages? What?!

It is during this very brief final battle that one of our characters sacrifices themselves, and I have to say, I wasn't very emotional about it. I thought this character's death would have hit me harder, but it fell flat for me. The reuniting of other characters, however, was an emotional rollercoaster for me, so take that as you will.

While the writing sometimes felt repetitive or childish, you must remember this is a young adult book, not an adult one, that is dealing with some very heavy themes. Honestly, much of the themes Cole addresses reminds me of those found in R.F. Kuang's Babel, which I plan to review later this year. Cole presents the destruction of colonialism, racism, white supremacy, and the fight for freedom in such a way that young adults can process and understand.

Finally, I loved how seamlessly and without thought queerness was accepted. It wasn't shocking or socially unacceptable; it just was. This is exactly what our world needs to be like, with queerness simply existing.

Overall, I felt This Ends in Embers was a great conclusion to the duology, full of insights and lessons young and old alike need to hear in this day and age. With everything going on in the world, we could all use some joy.