Title: Emblaze (The Violet Eden Chapters #3)
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Release Date: March 5, 2013 (hardcover)
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 464
Source: ARC provided by publisher

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Summary:

NO GOOD CHOICES

When you're hanging off the edge of a volcano, how do you make the most important decision of your life? For Violet Eden the decisions between right and wrong are getting harder and harder. Because apparently being a half-angel Grigori doesn't always make you right.

Where is the good in having to choose between the life of her best friend and saving humanity? How does she balance a soul-crushing need for her Grigori partner, Lincoln, and the desire to keep him safe at all costs? And what if the darkest exiled angel of all, Phoenix, isn't as bad as she thought?

Both sides—Angels vs. Exiles—are racing to decipher an ancient scripture that would allow anyone banished to the Underworld to return. And at the very center: Violet. She only has one chance to make the right choice...

My Thoughts:  
Each book in the Violet Eden Chapters just keeps getting better and better, and Emblaze is the best one yet! Much like the first two books, Emblaze is fast-paced and positively addictive, and I easily devoured the novel in one sitting. There was no way I could set the book down until I knew what happened to Violet, Lincoln, and Phoenix!

The romantic tension between Lincoln and Violet makes my heart ache. They obviously love each other, but as they learned in Entice, this passion will be their very own undoing. Lincoln and Violet are determined to ignore their feelings to avoid the same heartbreaking fate as Nyla and Rudy by remaining only friends and partners, but nothing will ever be the same. I could scream in angst and frustration that something or someone is always getting in the way, stopping Lincoln and Violet from truly being together.

Violet is not the same girl we met in Embrace; she's tougher and wiser, willing to do whatever it takes to stop the Exiles. We learn more about Violet's heritage and her mysterious, high-ranking angel maker in Emblaze too. Lincoln is protective and infuriating in the best of ways. I may lean more towards the side of Team Lincoln, yet I can't help feeling drawn to Phoenix as a villain. Whenever Phoenix is in a scene, I feel so many conflicting emotions. He's trying to get his hands on the Scriptures and open the gates of Hell, yet I can't make himself hate him for his actions.

With all the drama and danger in Violet's life, it's a good thing she has the support of her friends to help get her through everything. Spencer has quickly become a good friend who doesn't mind jumping into a fight first and asking questions later. His impulsive and funny personality is a welcome break from all the stress and pressure Violet feels. I love that Steph is not just the useless human best friend. Steph always has Violet's back, but she's also proven herself to be very helpful to the Grigori as well.  

I'm now waiting in breathless anticipation for Endless, the fourth book in the series! With action and suspense on almost every page, Jessica Shirvington delivers another thrilling installment in the Violet Eden Chapters.

Thanks so much to Sourcebooks Fire for providing this review copy! If you missed it before, you can read my author interview with Jessica Shirvington on the Emblaze blog tour. I've also included the Emblaze book trailer below. Enjoy!