The Lantern's Ember

by Colleen Houck

First published 2019

Jack struck a bargain with the devil five centuries ago. Now he serves as a Lantern, standing watch over the gateways between our world and the Otherworld. His memories of mortal life have faded. His duty remains clear: prevent any soul from slipping through the portals into that realm where nightmarish creatures roam free. For hundreds of years, Jack has moved from town to town, maintaining his vigil. Then seventeen-year-old Ember O'Dare arrives. She possesses natural witch abilities and feels an irresistible draw to the forbidden plane. Jack warns her away, but Ember refuses to listen. With help from a charming vampire, she crosses into the Otherworld anyway. Jack must pursue her through this perilous realm. Pirates, ghosts, and steampunk wonders await them both. If he fails to bring Ember back, chaos will consume both the earthly and unearthly worlds. Their journey becomes a race against forces that threaten everything Jack has spent centuries protecting. At stake is not just Ember's life, but the balance between two worlds that were never meant to collide.

Genres: romance, fantasy, young-adult, paranormal

Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forbidden-love, race-against-time

Setting: Otherworld

Period: Centuries Ago

416 pages · Paperback · Ember

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