Caffeinated Reviewer

Narrated by Ruth Urquhart, Iron Ember by Donna Grant is the first audiobook in the Skye Druids paranormal series. Elodie MacLean returns to Skye, a place she swore she’d never return to after tragedy struck. She’s lost her magic and someone is killing druids in this first installment….

Delve into the thrilling first installment of the all-new Skye Druids series by New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant, where magic reigns and danger abounds.

Skye isn’t just an island. It’s a home. A refuge. But not to Elodie MacLean. Not anymore. Tragedy tore her world apart and then took the one thing she felt made her whole. She vowed she’d never return, but that’s exactly where she ends up. Now, surrounded by the ghosts of her past, Elodie must navigate her version of Hell and try to make peace with herself and her family. But someone or something doesn’t want her on Skye, and she finds herself attacked—and this time not by her personal demons.

Scott Ryan has a mission: uncover who has been killing Druids and why. When his quest takes him to the beautiful Isle of Skye, he doesn’t think anything could captivate him more than the land itself—until he lays eyes on the breathtaking and confident beauty his leader sent him to find. However, it’s clear that she has trust issues, and he can’t reveal his plans—at least, not yet. But he’s always been sure of his ability to sway a person, and she’s a challenge he's more than happy to accept, especially when he finds he will do anything to protect her.

With so much history and so many secrets, victory is anything but guaranteed for the couple and their allies. And the forces at work, those who wish to rule the Scottish isle and all those who reside there, have a plan that nobody will see coming

I have read and enjoyed Grant’s contemporary Heart of Texas series, so I thought I’d try one of Druid series. Iron Ember is first in a new series, and I decided this would be a good place to start. It kind of reminded me of Nora Roberts, and I slipped in.

Skye is an island and refuge for Druids. After tragedy struck, Elodie MacLean left the island and never planned to return. She returns to prepare her family home for sale with the help of her sister, but it seems something doesn’t want Elodie there or to unlock secrets regarding her lost gift and more…

Elodie isn’t exactly loveable, but I admired her for facing her past and admitting her own shortcomings. My opinion of Elodie softened as I learned more about her past and saw her interact with Scott Ryan.

Scott Ryan has been tasked with finding out who is killing druids and that brings him to the island. Here he finds beauty and danger. Scott hails from Edinburgh, Scotland, where druids are also dying. He is hoping he can convince Elodie to join his crusade. I enjoyed getting his point of view and found him to be a worthy hero.

Can a girl with serious trust issues open up about her past and trust not just Scott but others on the island before it’s too late? I for one, needed to find out and quickly found myself drawn to the island and the secrets it holds. Will the ancient ones aid them?

The romance was complicated by omissions but felt genuine, and I enjoyed watching Elodie open up and trust. We get plenty of mystery and suspense as we learn about Elodie’s magic, the danger and history.

I learned after listening that this is a spinoff to her other series involving druids and while it works as a standalone; I am curious about the history and want to explore them, particularly ones containing characters that crossover. If you have read/listen to them, let me know where I should start.

Ruth Urquhart narrated and does a lovely job with the accents and tones of the storyline. I’ve listened to her before and thought she was well suited for this series.

Amazon | Audible

About Donna Grant

Donna is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over forty-five novels. Her most popular series is the breathtaking Dark King (aka Dragon King) series featuring dragons, immortal Highlanders, and the Fae. In addition to her novels, Donna has written over forty short stories, novellas, and novelettes for digital-first and print release. She has been dubbed as giving the “paranormal genre a burst of fresh air” by the San Francisco Book Review. Her work has been hailed as having “deft plotting and expert characterization” by Publisher’s Weekly and “sizzling” by RT Book Reviews. She has been recognized with awards from both bookseller and reader contests including the National Reader’s Choice Award, Booksellers Best Award, as well as the coveted K.I.S.S. Award from RT Book Reviews.

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About Ruth Urquhart

Ruth Urquhart trained at East 15 Acting School and has spent the last twenty years working as an actor in theater, film, TV, and education. She is an Audible Approved Producer and has narrated over 100 titles. Among many other things, she has toured internationally and appeared in an Irish sitcom Give My Head Peace and the feature film Puckoon. She runs her own theater company and is a published playwright (Tea with Mrs. Pankhurst). Her forte is character work, and she has an excellent ear for accents. A native Scot, she was raised in Scotland with English parents; she quickly became bilingual in English and Scottish accents, speaking in an English accent at home and a Scottish one at school. She loves narrating audiobooks and has recorded a wide variety of genres requiring all sorts of different characters and dialects. She lives in Yorkshire, England, with her partner, two children, and an array of animals.

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About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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