There's nothing I love more than a dark and dangerous political fantasy novel. and Ash Princess is a brilliant example of this type.of story. It kept me constantly on edge and concerned for the characters, there's a real sense of threat to the castle setting, and you never feel comfortable for any of the characters. I really liked the way Theodosia isn't treated as a typical prisoner, but is dressed up and shown off, almost but not quite part of the courtly life happening in her own home.
One element I was very impressed with was the description of the invaders. I've never before come across a culture so parasitical, that doesn't add land to its empire or conquer and take loot and prisoners home, but which actually moves from kingdom to kingdom, presumably in its entirety, as resources are used up. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the world Laura Sebastian has created in subsequent books.

An incredibly impressive debut!

A mix of fantasy, History, and politics that makes for a well put together story and a great read.
The world created in The Ash Princess is a dark world devoid of hope and colour, but the characters weave hope, possibility and brightness that will have you rooting for them and running with them with each turn of the page.
The story has a great pace that isnt dogged down with the build up and back story most first in a series books has. The Ash Princess seamlessly weaves in all you need to know without slowing the pace of the story.
Grab this book for a pool or beach side read, while away the hours lost in the adventure.

Ash Princess was a beautifully crafted YA fantasy with some hard hitting themes and some wonderfully layered characters.

I loved the world building, a country  invaded, the people enslaved. And their true Queen vilified and mistreated as the “Ash Princess ” her spirit broken…But is it?

As we watch Theo come to terms with herself, her situation and decide to fight back it is highly addictive and often tension fuelled.  There is a standard romance element but it is low key and realistic and the author manages the group dynamic with a wry eye and offers some humour to offset the darker moments.

The ending left me wanting more and this is a series I am very much looking forward to continuing..

Recommended.

Ash Princess tells us the story of Princess Theodosia, her mother was killed when she was 6 years old right before her eyes. Her country is now under the control of The Kaiser, a horrible and merciless man who keeps Theo under his control. What we need to know is that the Astrians, the people of Theo, use the magical power of gems, which the Kalovaxians are unable to do.

Theo is therefore forbidden to approach or use gems, she obeys the Kaiser and above all she is frightened. Every time Astrian rebels gain ground, Theo is whipped in the public square. When the Kaiser forces her to kill her mother’s dear friend, Theo decides that she must take her life back in her hands and save her people. She will be helped by Blaise, her childhood friend who found her.

I liked this story, the Kaiser is a man who doesn’t hesitate to kill to keep power, and he likes to rule by fear over his people. He doesn’t realize that his son, Soren, is loved by the people and that if one day there is a choice to be made, it will be quickly made for the people. I have no words to describe the Kaiser, I can’t even say I think he’s smart since he’s not; he’s just mean for fun.

I like Theodosia very much, she’s young and naive, certainly, but she recovers and above all she learns quickly. She doesn’t necessarily want to be queen but she knows that she must save her people despite everything. She has some tough choices to make and I really wouldn’t want to be in her shoes. Still, she’s doing pretty well, getting more or less what she wants.

I’m not going to dwell on Theo’s romantic relationship because right now she doesn’t know where she’s going. To get what she wants she charms Soren, but as you can imagine, not everything happens as she would like it. Moreover, Blaise gets closer to her and she knows him, he is a charming boy, attentive, who underwent horrible things in the mines. Anyway, you see the love triangle.

Laura Sebastian to create a rich and interesting universe, the characters are intelligent, curious, fighting. Her style is poetic and frankly once you are taken by history you can no longer let go of the book.

Quick word: An exciting adventure that has made me cry more than once.

A Wee Summary
Theosodia Eirene Houzzara, daughter of the Fire Queen aka the Queen of Astrea, was six years old when the Kalovaxians attacked her homeland. She was 6 when the Kalovaxian warrior the Theyn murdered her mother before her young eyes.

She has spent the last decade in the palace of the conquering Kaiser, dubbed “Ash Princess” and given the name ‘Thora’ and under the constant surveillance of her three ‘shadows’. Her only friend is, ironically, the Theyn’s daughter, Crescentia.

Those Astreans who remain alive are enslaved in one way or another, often in the hallowed mines where magical Spiritgems are mined. The Kalovaxians ignore the sacred nature of the gems, disrespecting the Astrean way of life.

There remains a band of Astrean rebels who seek to free their country and see Theosodia (Thora) in her rightful place as Queen. The Kaiser tortures Thora, punishing her for the acts of these rebels. She knows that she must show deference to the Kaiser at all time, lest she be whipped.

When one of the main rebels is captured, the Kaiser forces Thora to kill him. Along with his death goes Thora’s distant hope of rescue.

When the Kaiser’s heir, Prince Søren, returns from his warfare training, it becomes clear that he has feelings for Thora. She begins to wonder if he might somehow be her route to freedom.

My Thoughts
On the whole, I enjoyed Ash Princess. It has a very well-built fantasy world with interesting politics and magic. I will warn you though that some people may find some of the issues tackled triggering. (It contains reference to rape, torture, racism, slavery and abuse. « Hide Spoiler

I must admit that I felt this book rather “samely”. Broadly, it resembles many YA fantasies I’ve read in recent years. However, I tend to enjoy this kind of fantasy so this is just a warning if you’re somewhat fed up with such themes. Oh and there’s a bit of a love triangle going on too, FYI.

While I really liked the world building and premise of this book overall, I didn’t really connect with Theodosia (Thora). Although we get a bit of an insight into her mind, I just didn’t feel drawn to her. Perhaps this was intentional as part of the PTSD she suffers from? I’m not sure.

It was those around Theodosia that actually piqued my interest. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m going to be a bit vague with this, but I liked Søren and would’ve loved more on him. There are rebels as well that I hope we get to learn more about in the next book.

Ash Princess is largely set within the confines of the palace, and I’m looking forward to finding out what lies further afield.

While I didn’t feel that this book was anything particularly ‘new’. I did enjoy it. There were a few twists – some I foresaw, others I didn’t. These twists coupled with the darkness and the politics of the world have me genuinely intrigued about book two, Lady Smoke, which will be out next year.

Have you read Ash Princess? Do you share my opinions?

three-half-stars

Oh wow. I’m so hyped for this book not gonna lie. Oh wow. This book is YA Fantasy with a lot of regal ness and scheming. Like Reign TV Show. It reminds me so much of that show (wish it was back to be honest). But anyway, this book follows Princess Theodosia also known as the Ash Princess whose country get’s taken over when the Kaiser invades. The Kaiser invades her country and kills her mother who is known as the fire queen. I love these names and how they both connect to each other like ash comes from fire. So cool. Theodosia is spared and so we follow her years after these events. In this time, she becomes Lady Thora and has to live within the Kaisers eyes. She vows her revenge on him and madness and plot arises. Will she become the Queen her country needs?

Overall 4 out of 5 stars.

Ash Princess is yet another young adult fantasy novel about a damsel in distress trying to reclaim a throne stolen from her. You've got the classic heroine in need of saving, a dead parent (or two), a tyrannical ruler, and a love triangle thrown in for good measure. But, despite these stereotypical plot points, it holds it's own by being a quick, compulsive, and entertaining read.



Theo (a.k.a. Theodosia, a.k.a Thora) is the rightful ruler of Astrea. Having seen her mother brutally murdered when she was merely seven years old, Theo has lived under the thumb of the Kaiser for the last decade, simply waiting for the day she either loses her life, or escapes. She's done nothing but survive, until one day, one of her punishments reminds her of who she was meant to be, and she takes a stand against everything that's been drilled into her over the years.



There were so many cliches in this book that by the end, I was almost rolling my eyes as things began to escalate, but despite this I found myself thoroughly enjoying the story.

Sebastian has done a fantastic job with both the world and the characters, and this really showed throughout the novel. Theo was a complex character, raised by her enemies to be anything other than a threat, and because of this she faced a lot of complex situations in her attempt to rebel. Within the first few chapters, she'd already been made to murder her own father, and this really added a sense of vengeance to the narrative, and she later has to decide where her loyalties lie; either with her rebel friends, or the ones who have raised her, and 'protected' her.

There were times where her loyalty was definitely questioned, both to her captors and to her cause, as she struggled to find a balance between the two. Whilst things were clearly not comfortable for her, there were some relationships she had within the court that meant she felt an obligation to her friends, and couldn't harm them. Add to this, the complex situation with the Kaiser's son (a.k.a. the Prinz), and Theo's test of character was definitely a major focus of the story.

In addition to the strong character development, the world building was also brilliantly done, with it reminding me of Avatar: The Last Airbender. There is a magic system, based off elemental magic, and this added to the story but didn't overpower it, and was also simple enough to understand without too much explanation. We were also given a complex political system with a strong focus on slavery, as well as racial divide, with the Astreans and Kalovaxians being polar opposites in terms of their descriptions.

There was a clear focus on violence throughout the plot as well, with Theo being tortured several times, as well as mention of punishments in the mines, therefore some trigger warnings should be given. In fact, there were times where the use of violence was incredibly gory and imaginative, and this reminded me slightly of An Ember in the Ashes instead of other young adult novels with a strong focus on violence.

On the negatives, things were incredibly cliche and stereotypical of a young adult fantasy. The love triangle was laughable as Theo tried to deny her feelings for both love interests, and some of the major plot twists were so predictable they weren't really much of a surprise when they did occur. Add to this the overarching question as to why the Kaiser kept Theo alive in the first place, when he could have just murdered her at the same time as her mother (which Sebastian does try to explain away, but did so poorly if I'm honest), then this just becomes any other young adult novel, saved only by it's clever narrative and entertainment factor.

Overall though, I'd recommend giving this a read, especially if you're looking for a young adult fantasy that doesn't focus entirely on the magic system, and is driven by violence.

When I got approved for Ash Princess on NetGalley I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact they approved me after release and was midly fuming and reading slowly… until I noticed that actually it just has a later relase in the UK!

But low and behold I did it. I read and finished it before UK release.

I can thank some really bad anxiety for that which left me able to do nothing but read one evening – I devoured the last 40% of this book then.

Ash Princess is about Theo. The Princess of her country. Or she would’ve been had the Kaiser not invaded and brutally murdered thousands. Enslaving her people. Torturing her.

Ash Princess is a dark world. It covers some heavy subjects (slavery, murder, torture, etc) and nods at some others that happen off page (rape).

Regardless of these themes in the book it was a good read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone wanting to read a fantasy story that features magick* about a young girl gaining the courage and strength to be the ruler her people need her to be.

Theo’s character development is really something. She’s definitely suffers from PTSD throughout the book but at the start she is very broken and set on just keeping herself alive. But very quickly realises this can’t be it. There has to be more and when she finds out she has a few allies close by she starts to plot for a better future.

Even with her plotting and acts of defiance she still remains a very good character and whilst she does set up some Bad Things to happen I think ultimately she’s not yet willing to take too many risks which left me wanting a little more.

But even with this gripe I can acknowledge that its gotta be so freaking hard for Theo to do anything super risky because of the abuse and torture she’s been through, it can’t be easy for her. I know I wouldn’t have any amount of courage even close to what she does.

But she uses her anger to seek revenge. For herself, her mother, and her people. Even if they might not all realise she’s still there for them.

There is also unfortunately a love triangle. One of the male interests makes sense and I think adds to the plot and her inner turmoil. The other male interest is just kind of there because thats what childhood friends usually are in books these days and I kind of don’t get it? ’cause it didn’t really add much?

The secondary characters in the book are great to read about though! It was heart wrenching to see how far some people were willing to go for Theo, to see how their lives get turned up down for the choices she makes, the friendships she burns.

(Too soon?)

*I was also really impressed with the world building. It felt like Laura Sebastian had made a concious effort and did research to make sure the world she created didn’t read as every character was white. Which I think a lot of fantasy books end up doing.

Magick was connected very heavily to religion and even when Theo gets the chance to use any she refuses too because she respects the way magic should be earned which I think was super important.

I very much look forward to reading the sequal as I think Theo in a new setting will really benefit the story and I look forward to seeing more from other characters too.

Spoilers: because I want this on page somewhere. I have a hunch that who she meets at the end is also Cress’ mother… So if that ends up being a “twist” at some point… Remember you read it here first.

I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for the sequel!! I think it would make a great movie too! The characters, the story everything about it was awesome!

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian a thrilling four-star read. This is the first book in the Ash Princess trilogy and what a start, this is a great start from the very first page I am so excited for the next book in the series. I would give it five-stars but I was expecting a light and interesting read with some intrigue and mystery and what I got was heavy and darker than I thought it was going to be. If it wasn’t as well planned and written as it is, I would have marked it down. If you like the genre then you will like this story, you may see aspects of other stories in it, but it has been put together well.

Ash Princess was a great read full of betrayal and rebellion, that I enjoyed a great deal however it is by no means revolutionary in its content. It was a typical YA fantasy and played on a lot of the tropes associated with the genre: a battle for the kingdom, a love triangle and friends to lovers to name a few.

As a debut novel I would say Ash Princess is well written and well paced. Laura Sebastian does a good job of painting a picture of the world Theo is force to live in after her mother, The Fire Queen, is murdered and her kingdom overtaken by The Kaiser. Her world-building is detailed and beautiful in parts but didn’t overshadow the story with unnecessary details.

The storyline is a little predictable at times however there are plenty of plot twists to keep the reader’s interest and it certainly had me hooked in from page one. Personally the best part of this book are the characters.

Theo - although she is a little indecisive and frustrating at times, I like how tough and strong she is, even when she feels she isn’t. She is still full of love and compassion despite the atrocities she’s been subjected to. Her relationship with Søren is genuine and felt real. It isn’t perfect and “fairytale” which is right given the circumstances.

Cress - I don’t like this girl! She’s incredibly shallow and happy to pretend that the horrendous treatment Theo endures isn’t happening. Strangely enough I only started to like her more when she developed a backbone and I’m interested to see where her character goes.

Blaise - I really want to like him and towards the end of the book I started to like him more but mostly he’s just a bit blah! It feels like he’s supposed to be the hero, the best friend turned lover, but it just doesn’t ring true for me. The relationship between him and Theo is more believable as friends. It lacks a real romantic connection and left me feeling a bit indifferent. I am, however, interested to see how his plot line is going to develop.

Overall this was a great fantasy read and worth the 4 stars I’ve rated it. If you’re a fan of YA fantasy this one is definitely worth a read!

Ash Princess is released in the UK on 14th June 2018.

Book two, Lady Smoke, is due Spring 2019.

Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy. All opinions are my own and provided willingly

I found Ash Princess to be very more-ish, and a well written and easy read. The story isn’t necessarily something you haven’t seen elsewhere, and maybe that’s what has stopped me from giving it five stars. But aside from that, I found the characters had depth, and I was willing them on, or hating them, depending! The story was definitely keeping me turning pages to find out what happened next!

Before I start I want to advise that this book has explicit torture, brief discussion of rape (non graphic) as well as implicit threats of rape, and ptsd. I think they were very well written, but read carefully if these are triggers for you.

I really liked Theo. I loved her whole story. Her plight, the abuse she has gone through (and especially the way that the after effects are not shied away from), the way she deals with the constant threat she is under and her relationships with others. I really liked her relationship with Cress - both initially and as it plays out in the book. It’s both a very easy friendship but also rife with complications and inherent things unsaid. I like that it’s not a simple friendship. I also like Theo’s complicated feelings on all the people in her life, but especially Blaise and Søren.

Talking of the boys, I again liked how they were portrayed. They had layers - especially Søren. I liked Theo’s approach to him too - as much as it’s sort of portrayed as a love triangle, it’s not enough of one to annoy me and I found it refreshing for her to be approaching him as she did.

As I said, it’s maybe nothing too different overall, but it certainly felt different enough in execution - maybe in some of the way it dealt with the trauma. And it really is incredibly easy to read. I was trying not to read too fast at the end, as my hands were trying to turn pages before I was done (and I didn’t want to miss any of it!) in an effort to get to the end faster! 😂

Book review will go live on my blog on 13th June.

Whilst I enjoyed the overall world and stories as a young adult book I feel there should be some trigger warning because of the abuse, slavery, hint of rape and violence.
I did like the characterisation, the magic, the history. Overall this is quite a grim story, and the love triangle didn’t quite work for me

Great for fans of Sarah J Maas and Victoria Aveyard. The plot of having the captive princess falling for the prince (son of her captor) feels more than a bit predictable, but it's well done - she does have her own ends in mind which makes it less dull. It's an enjoyable read, better than some similar series so far and I suppose as it's YA it does need to have the obligatory love triangle. Bound to be popular though! Theodosia is a reasonably appealing character, as is her friend Cress.

A great premise and full of potential and some parts were edge of the seat thrilling. I'd have like to see more of Theo as a child though and experienced what happened to her rather than have it as back story. I don't know why, but she didn't quite come across as the strong character I wanted her to be - rather she was a token queen that everyone needed. But I suppose she is only 16!

I wanted to love this but despite some edge of the seat moments this just never really hooked me. It’s not bad, in fact once I hit the halfway point I found it incredibly difficult to put down, it’s just that there’s nothing particularly new or exciting about it. I felt like this was a story I’d read before, more than once, and those parts that were original I wasn’t sure I wanted.

It’s a common story, a young princess whose kingdom was taken over by an evil tyrant has to fight to free herself and her people. Add in special magical powers, a love triangle involving the princess, her best friend from her childhood (boy next door) and the son of the tyrant and this is essentially the same story we’ve heard a number of times (it reminded me a lot of Red Queen).

There are of course some differences, the author has created an intriguing and well set out magic and belief system and I really liked how the main characters religious beliefs played into her actions. I loved how the ideas of one culture being overtaken by another were reflected. There are elements of eradication (bans on using the language for example) but also cultural appropriation and the impact of this on a “native” of the kingdom were very well presented.

What I wasn’t so keen on however was the level of abuse towards women within the story. I do understand why it’s there (and the author has been open in why she included it) but I’m not sure it was necessary to have main character Theodosia (Theo/Thora) being beaten regularly and subjected to mental torture from the age of 6. I generally don’t mind a bit of violence in books but this felt too much to me and while it did bring an edge to the story it was uncomfortable to read (even though very little occurs on the page).

I also think it raised questions over how believable Theo was as a character. I thankfully haven’t had her experiences but her general attitude, actions and responses just didn’t feel right considering the level of abuse she’s been subjected too. As a character there were aspect of her I liked, how she tried to hang on to her memories and beliefs, how she manages to survive and the insecurities she has but there was a lot about her that frustrated me. She’s too hesitant and too trusting and loyal and I just wanted her to act.

As I alluded to there is quite a bit of romance in this and yet another of those dreaded love triangles with one love interest the boy she was best friends with as a child and the other the son of her enemy. I don’t really mind a love triangle and this one is pretty inoffensive. There are some very sweet moments and I particularly loved the relationship between Theo and the Prinz with all of the questions over how much is real and the conflict between love and duty.

What I found especially intriguing romance wise in this book was Theo’s mothers life. She was romantically involved with a number of different men (leading to the question over who Theo’s father was) but committed to no one. It did make me wonder about her kingdom’s attitudes to love and romance and I would have loved for this to be developed further.

As far as the other characters go some were a little cliched but for the most part they were inoffensive. I didn’t really have strong feelings towards any of them with the possible exception of best friend Cress. She was just terrible and honestly I don’t know how Theo couldn’t see it (this was maybe my biggest frustration in this story). The characters I did find intriguing (the Kaiser’s wife for example) didn’t get enough time and I would have liked to see more from the women in the palace.

Story wise I did find this a little slow in the beginning but it does really pick up around the halfway point and from that point on I did find it difficult to put down. There aren’t a lot of surprises, a lot of it has been done before so you kind of know what to expect but I did still enjoy it.

The writing is pretty good and while there is a little bit of info dumping at the start as the author develops the world, the magic system and the religion, there is some real emotion conveyed. I found myself on the edge of my seat at times with the tension created, horrified with the violence and on one occasion I may have shed a tear.

Overall therefore I’d rate it as good but not great. It’s just lacking that little spark and bit of originality to make it something special. I will however no doubt read the sequel when it’s released as now the world building is largely out of the way I think it could really take off.

Wow, what a hard-hitting prologue! Instantly I was on Thora’s side but I always wonder if, when I favour one side so early in a book, my opinions will be forced to change. I couldn’t wait to find out.

The shocking brutality continued to the point where Thora could take no more and I loved that moment, I could sense a power rising within her. Events that followed were nail-bitingly good. Every deceptive deed had me fearing for Thora’s life and willing her to succeed in her mission.

The characters were beautifully written, there were some I loathed, some I loved and some who I felt I should dislike but I couldn’t help but think of them positively. A complicated love triangle brought some fizz to the storyline, it also tore me in two because I couldn’t decide who was my favourite.

As I neared the end I deliberately slowed down my reading because I simply wasn’t ready to leave, I was hooked!

This was a raw and exciting read with plenty of twists to keep me guessing, I absolutely cannot wait to find out what happens next.

A young adult I am not but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Why, as a senior adult, did I enjoy it so much? - because, to me, it is an allegory for the times that we live in and it's a great story too. Believable characters and locations and a thought provoking plot. I just hope the author has a few more books up her sleeve!

A well paced tale of overcoming adversity and realising one’s destiny. I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well written and the premise is excellent. I can’t wait for the next instalment- bravo.

One day, I will watch them all burn.

Princess Theodosia will never forget the day the kingdom of Astrea was invaded, and her mother, the Queen of Flame and Fury, was murdered before her eyes. For ten years, she has survived, whipped for every futile rebellion and constantly humiliated by the Kaiser who conquered her beloved country. She is paraded around as the Ash Princess, a constant reminder to all of everything she's lost. Meanwhile her people are enslaved, forced to work in the mines until there are no Astreans left alive.

When the Kaiser forces Theo to execute her last hope of rescue, she vows revenge. But Theo doesn't know who to trust, and even those who pledge their loyalty to her are not always what they seem. One wrong move will destroy their last hope of rebellion. Under pressure from all sides, Theo must decide how far she is willing to go to save her people, and what she is willing to sacrifice to win back her kingdom.

There's been so much hype about this book. I've seen it everywhere; on facebook, twitter, instagram. Every book blogger in the world seems to own an ARC of this book, and many of the reviews have been singing their praises for Ash Princess. I was sold by this, and the prospect of a debut novel which appealed to fans of Sarah J Maas and Melinda Salisbury. This kind of book is totally up my street, so I was delighted to get a copy in the post.

When I started it, I wasn't immediately captivated. For some reason, I struggled to get into it. I shouldn't have-- the pace is pretty steady and the stakes keep rising with every page. The plot twists keep popping up, and most of them came so out of the blue that I actually gasped at them, but I think maybe I read a few too many fantasy books recently and it has wrung me out a bit.

At least, until about a hundred pages in, when things really began to pick up for me. I think what helps is how strong Sebastian's character-building is. Theo is clearly dealing with a lot, and I love how the book doesn't shy away from that. Rather, it picks and plucks at Theo's complex feelings, and you can't help but fall a little bit in love with her character because of it. It's done with an amazingly subtle touch, so deft you sometimes don't even notice it, but I found so much to think about when I put this book down at night that I had some trouble sleeping. There's definitely no hold's barred on the darkness of this book either, there's some very creepy vibes from the Kaiser, and several other characters totally come into their own in scary ways too. I won't go into spoilers, since the book has yet to be released, but I will say that I was totally thrilled with some of the character development towards the end of the book, and I think we're going to be seeing some thrilling villains making an appearance in book two when it comes out.

'Something in me is waking up. This is not my home. I am not their prize. I am not content with the life they have so kindly spared [...] I have to figure out how to save myself.'

For me, my favourite thing was seeing how Theo struggles with her identity and a kind of low-key Stockholm Syndrome. There are some Kalovaxians who don't seem like total assholes, and when they treat her with kindness, it's interesting to see how she reacts. The thing with her name was a stroke of genuine genius. She's obviously very emotionally complex, and this is, for me, the shining gem in Laura Sebastian's crown here. She really knows how to craft characters. Others shone out too; Blaise was interesting and captivating, Cress is wonderful, and even Soren [sorry I can't do the proper 'o' with the line through it like in the book] becomes this amazing three-dimensional character who you can't help but want to find out more about. I'm struggling to think of a single character in Ash Princess who didn't practically leap out of the page.

The plot is also woven very well. It is intricate and shocking in places, perfect perhaps for those who have been missing those Game of Thrones style politics on their TVs and bookshelves recently [side note: GRRM WHERE IS THE NEXT BOOK? COME ON]. I love how surprising some of those twists were, and though the novel ends on an incredibly frustrating cliff-hanger I am already desperate to learn more.

The world-building wasn't the best I've seen, but it wasn't the worst either. Part of my problem was down to my copy not having a map yet; it made it hard to know about certain locations because I like to go back and check the map whenever places are mentioned. I liked the idea of the gems and the gods, and I have an inkling we haven't seen the best of this plot element yet, but so far I'm wondering how big a role they're going to play. It was quite nice that due to the some elements of this book, magic was somewhat restricted, making power plays and deceptiveness the dish of the day. I'm hoping there are similar limitations going into book two.

Overall, I'm giving Ash Princess 8/10 stars. Although it didn't hook me immediately, I can't imagine many other people having the same problem as the stakes just keep getting higher. I love the emotional complexity of this story, and the characters really gleam, but the worldbuilding could have been a little tighter for me personally. All in all though, Ash Princess is a stunning fantasy debut novel which is guaranteed to break a lot of hearts.