Gripping from beginning to end, this little book took me by surprise. An old man tells us about significant events in his life, above all about that fateful day decades ago when his best friend left and his wife... yeah, whatever happened to the wife? We'll find out soon enough.

It was fascinating to dive into Austria-Hungary around and after the turn of the century, and to witness the characters' lives, strictly from the perspective of one of them. His way of telling the story makes this a personal experience, and at each step along the way I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. What is real, and what is just his version of the story? Who knew what, when?

I have a hard time putting my enthusiasm for this book into words - I recommend you pick up "Embers" ASAP to take a dive this world. I didn't regret a minute of it.