Reading this has made me realise that I'm probably getting a bit too old for YA Fantasy now and this is definitely much more appealing to readers who are just getting into the genre.
Having said that though, the writing was really good for a debut. Once I was reading I was pulled into the story and engaged, but there were so many elements to this novel that were very similar to other YA fantasy books and for that reason I felt like I'd already read this book.
I preferred the second half because it was slightly different to other fantasies I've read, but I didn't love the story overall. It was very...depressing and some of the characters seemed 'off' and I never connected with them. But as a debut it was pretty good. I think I'm just getting a little too old for this genre now and getting a bit bored of the same tropes popping up constantly.

I read the synopsis and I was done, excitedly and embarrassingly done. I knew I’d be reading this. However much I told myself “I don't need to read another series at the moment”... I was a goner.

The reason? I love books like this. You combine a girl (a former princess now being held for political reasons), add a boy she shouldn't love (but may do anyway) and throw in a boy from her former life; who remembers her as the girl she used to be, and is conveniently there to help her regain her power.

Yep.

A story you’ve seen before, a million times... It's every other YA fantasy book incarnate. So why the five stars? Because although I have seen this story played out a million times before, this is one of the best (seriously, I really loved it!)

Lauren Sebastion creates a compelling, addictive and exciting story of which I enjoyed every single second.

The story, for the most part, runs smoothly. The writing style is easy to read as soon as you get past the first chapter (damn there's a lot of information in those opening pages!) Pop your brain hat on and get reading. Trust me, it’s worth it.

The suspense and genuine fury you feel for the story keeps you turning pages at a rapid rate. The characters, both focal and those in the background, are well rounded with traits that make you question the protagonist's actions, though not enough to go against them... just enough to wish you could have a quick debate with her. Between the plot, characters (good and evil) and the rapid pace, it's completely addictive and I highly recommend you pick it up.

The one qualm I had and the only reason this book came even close to losing a star was for the love triangle. I reeeeeally hate love triangles. That said, the handling was well done and for once I believed such a torn relationship could take place. Also, the ending left my palms itching to find out what happens next to the characters I’d become so invested in. I’m praying Sebastion doesn't drag it out for the rest of the trilogy; I had enough of that in Twilight... Meyer has so much to answer for.

There's also a large amount of rather graphic violence, this is not for the faint-hearted. Please be aware of that before you dive in.

With so many of the series’ I’m reading coming to a close I can see this making up space in my head for the rest of the trilogy, which I cannot wait to get my hands on! Unique and enthralling, you'll be holding your breath until you turn the final page.

*4.5

When I heard about this about a month ago, I found that I could not stop thinking about it! I am a sucker for these kind of fantasies so when I saw that NetGalley had it up, I was cautiously optimistic! I was thrilled when they approved it!

I read this over the course of two days and believe me if work, moving house and my social life hadn't gotten in the way - this would have been read in the one day. I loved this! It was gripping from the beginning and I really felt the push/pull and the confusion that our main character had. I enjoyed the romance and the friendships, I thought the characters were great and I am dying to know when I will be able to read the second book in the series.

I don't often pre-order books, like ever but I can't wait to add this to my shelf.

I was hooked on this one up until it turned spy and espionage. After that I had to take a break. But after that I couldn’t but it down. I like the artwork cover. I like the ash crown and there are some loveable characters. There are a lot of twists, turns and secrets. It’s a smooth ride and a good cliffhanger. Favourite character was Blaise. Definitely worth a read.

This was one of the most anticipated books for me in the year, and although it wasn't perfect, it was really exciting.
Ash Princess is a book that doesn't have an original idea, but addictive page turner qualities. I liked the writing style, packed with action, that turned the ordinary story into one you'd want to follow.
We're following a heroine trying to reclaim her stolen throne, evil tyrant who stole the throne, and a love triangle.

I know this plot and characters sound like many other YA fantasies. However, there's a lot of entertainment, action and emotion in this book. That's what makes it still a good read. Just a warning, the action in the book heavily comes from the violence, abuse, desperateness and misery. There is rape. torture, slavery, etc. We all (well, probably mostly) read Hunger Games, that was highly violent. But, still I would like to make clear that the book is very dominant on that score, even more so. It doesn't turn to anything else than a depressive, yet again compelling story.

If you're up for a grim, action packed, addictive story, I would recommend it, together with all the warnings I mentioned above.
Thanks a lot to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for granting an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

From the first moment I learnt about this debut, I knew it was something I needed to read, and requested it from Macmillan straight away - so thanks, Macmillan, for my copy. As soon as my copy arrived, I immediately put it in my work bag, hoping I would get a free period where I could read, and dove right in.

In Ash Princess, our main character, Theodosia, has lived her life since the invasion of her homeland by the Kalovaxian Kaiser and execution of her mother, the Fire Queen. As a young girl, she was spared by the evil Kaiser, but made to be a figurehead of the failure of her people, and punished for any uprising they may attempt. Newly renamed Thora, and nicknamed the Ash Princess, Theo has suffered greatly by the hands of the Kalovaxians, but, in a way, she’s lucky. She’s valuable to the Kaiser, whereas the rest of her people have been enslaved, and are tortured, raped, murdered, you name it, on a daily basis. As Theo’s life in the palace is becoming more and more dangerous, she finds herself surrounded by others who want to rid the Astreans of the Kalovaxians, and begins to formulate a plan to seduce the Crown Prinz, Søren, and bring down the Kaiser’s rule, from the inside.

First of all, I really enjoyed Theo’s characterisation. Because of how she has been treated since she was 7, she’s obviously not a strong person from the get go. She doesn’t understand how anything could change, and does anything to try and limit the punishments she receives on a regular basis. As the time has gone on, more and more of the elite of Guardians, who protect the Spirit Gems, have been killed by the Kaiser’s forces, and it seems there is no one left strong enough to save them all. Slowly but surely, through the intervention of Art, Blaise, and Heron, who were once close to Theo and have masqueraded themselves as her permanent bodyguards, Theo begins to find the fight within her, and creates a plan to destroy the rule and power of the Kaiser, and kill all those who’ve hurt her, and her people - Theo is ready to become the Fire Queen, no longer an Ash Princess.

One of the secondary characters who I disliked, but also loved reading about, was Cresentia, or Cress. She was the daughter of the Kaiser’s main general, who, coincidentally, also killed Theo’s mother. Cress is also the only friend Theo is allowed, and though she appears kind, and sympathetic towards Theo’s plight, underneath she believes Theo is the only Astrean who deserves any leniency, and anyone who gets in her way on her path towards the Crown, will be punished. Theo initially believes Cress is harmless, but as her plan to seduce Prinz Søren becomes apparent, and Cress is jealous and angry that Theo is daring to ruin her chances with him, she snaps. The way that Laura wrote Cress was fantastic, as I never really saw Cress as a villain in the beginning but her chance from a kind, harmless character, to someone to be vary of, was done so well, that although it was a shock, it wasn’t forced.

For some people, this book may be a bit too strong, as it doesn’t shy away from the danger, the abuse, the sheer terror that some characters are facing day after day. The Kaiser was a seriously evil character, and I found myself dreading his appearances on the page, especially once his attention towards Theo turned to a more physical, sexual nature. I'm glad that Theo found her role inside her prison, and the way the book ended is making me desperate to read book 2.

On the topic of romance, there was a bit of a love triangle that happened over the course of the book, but it never really bothered me too much. Yes, I have a preference on who had better chemistry with Theo, but we'll have to wait and see what happens.

If you're a fan of YA fantasy, then this debut is definitely one you should be reading - trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Before I even start I have to say there are some aspects of this book that may not sit well with some readers: Abuse (mental and physical), slavery, torte, rape, racism.

<blockquote>The queen you were meant to be
The land you were meant to save
The throne you were meant to claim

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. Ten years later, Theo has learned to survive under the relentless abuse of the Kaiser and his court as the ridiculed Ash Princess.

When the Kaiser forces her to execute her last hope of rescue, Theo can't ignore her feelings and memories any longer. She vows revenge, throwing herself into a plot for freedom with the help of a group of magically gifted and volatile rebels.

Forced to make impossible choices and unable to trust even those who are on her side, Theo will have to decide how far she's willing to go to save her people and how much of herself she's willing to sacrifice to become Queen.</blockquote>

The story starts with Theo's homeland being invaded and her mother, the Queen, murdered. The new ruler keeps Theo and spends the next 10 years abusing her, eventually driving her to revenge and rebellion.

I enjoyed the story and characters, the spirit gems and religion was good, the love triangle - didn't really feel required, but overall I would reread this. Are some of the themes YA standards? Yes. Did I care? No, I still thought it was a great story.It feels like a natural, perhaps too slow for some, start to a trilogy that I will definitely finish.

The cover is beautiful and the description of this book was very appealing but unfortunately, try as I might, I could not get into it. The first page has a great hook but I immediately felt swamped with lots of world building much of which seemed to comprise of repeating silly names over and over again and weird stilted conversations between the characters. I gave up not long after the first chapter. Someone with more patience might get on better with this title.

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for an opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very exciting new fantasy series. Ash Princess starts off a bit slow but then it really gets going. The world building and character developments were really good and it had me hooked and can't wait for the sequel.

Omg Omg, first off i was so surprised that I actually loved this book. Not liked or enjoyed but really loved. It ended my slump of not reading and now I’m in a YA Trilogy Mood. So i love strong characters and Theo was a fave, i love her hardness but also the bouts of softness. She was molded into stone by years of abuse so naturally she would want revenge, I expected her to feel remorse at the end when she learned the tidbit of truth that could of maybe changed things but no she didn’t and I actually cheered. Honestly the world building is the same as any in YA fantasy and the romance wasn’t the best but i stuck around to see theo through her journey.

Ash Princess was an addictive page-turner that held my attention from start to finish. Whenever I had to put it down I was always eager to return. I even took to reading it on the Kindle app on my phone when I was out, which is something I never do, because I can't stand reading on anything but my Kindle.

A warning to readers who are not a fan of books featuring violence and dark subject matters, Ash Princess doesn't shy away from either. The plot sounds like a typical YA fantasy what with the conquered land, a princess out for revenge, and the "love triangle" with her rebel ally and enemy Prinz. However, despite the tropes I found the world Sebastian has created interesting and not at all cliche. Theo's inner struggle and character development was really well done. She was forced to make some hard decisions, and I was fully rooting for her throughout.

In regards to the "love triangle" (and I say love triangle loosely) I honestly didn't mind it. I can't believe I'm saying that, but it's true. It's quite possibly the only love triangle I've read that hasn't made me mad and want to DNF the book. I think it's largely due to the fact that it's not your typical love triangle. Theo isn't constantly mooning over the two love interests. She has fleeting thoughts here and there, but it doesn't overtake her main concern: overthrowing the enemy and reclaiming her land. Also, to me at least, it's obvious where her heart truly lies.

Overall, a very compelling read. I can't wait for the sequel!

This book is quite enjoyable however I feel it is too much of a mix of every other YA fantasy book thrown together, it also had Red Queen vibes which I really didn't like much. This book would be more interesting and enjoyable to someone who is just starting to read YA fantasy book,
The writing was really well done, and if you are ok with a lot of tropes you would tend to find in this genre it might be your thing but I wanted something different from this book.

Ash Princess was one of my most anticipated debut novels of 2018 and it did not disappoint. I gave it 3.75 stars, and have a full review in the link below.

“Today is done, the time has come for little bird to fly. Tomorrow is near, the time is here for old crows to die.”

- Laura Sebastian

Okay, so before I get into this review. I'll warn that the book does contain slavery, abuse, mention of rape and race. Many readers haven't been able to finish the book for these reasons so it needs mentioning. However, I do feel as if Laura tackled these issues in a professional manner. Therefore I would really encourage people to attempt the book.



This book is really powerful, in more ways than one. The book starts off quite slow and there isn't much descriptive language about the environment that surrounds Theo. Which was slightly disappointing as I like to imagine and immerse myself into the world, but it didn't put me off and the story was strong without it.

Theo as a character is very intricate and her life has been seriously brutal. She isn't a 'nothing will hurt me and I will do this for my people' sort of queen, she has been mentally abused for 10 years, she's not going to change overnight. It takes awhile, but that personally didn't bother me. It was just a slower progression of character and maybe that will be a hurdle for Theo to overcome.

The one thing that bothered me about this book was the ending. I'm sorry to say but I was underwhelmed. I turned the page (not knowing it was the last one) and was literally sat there saying 'IS THAT IT?! BUT WHY?!' I want the next book, not because I'm desperately on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happens. But because I feel like I'm owed it. I loved the rest of the book, hence my great disappointment, but I really like cliffhanger endings, so maybe that's just me.



There is romance in this, WHEN ISN'T THERE?! and obviously a love triangle, AGAIN?! I hear you say. But I feel like this was needed for the story to develop and you can see how the love triangle is going to cause some serious issues for Theo in the future and I'm interested to see that unfold. Normally romance in books is something that is hit or miss for me, but this has taken my attention.

"We are not defined by the things we do in order to survive. We do not apologize for them"

-Laura Sebastian

There is a moment in the book where I literally wanted to scream as I couldn't believe what was happening. I'll say no more as I do not want to ruin anything. But it was chaotic and brutal and all bad things wrapped into two pages, and I was in complete shock that a YA book could be so harsh. 

I felt like each character had a really strong profile, Blaise, Cress and Artemisia had different back stories that pulled me more into the story/world of Ash Princess. I would have liked to know more about Blaise and Theo's childhood relationship and maybe have some chapters that contained big flashbacks. But I understood their relationship enough to maybe understand where the feelings came from. 

Overall, I would recommend this book, a lot of reviews say this book is heavy and brutal, so I was sceptical to try it. However, I would say that if that doesn't put you off then seriously read this! Despite how I feel about the ending and how much it broke all my hopes and dreams, it was a brilliant story that I LOVED. I will 100% read the second book and I will be purchasing a copy of this beautiful thing to put on my bookcase.

I really enjoyed this book - I was very quickly absorbed and caught up with the characters. I felt for Theo and her humiliations as queen of a defeated nation and wondered how she had managed to survive so long up against the Kaiser.

She is forced to face her fears and stand up for herself and her people. Allied with a small number of rebels she is forced to make difficult choices as to her loyalties and to face her responsibilities as queen. This change is portrayed convincingly and I await developments in book two.

A very enjoyable start to the trilogy which I will recommend to pupils.

Thank you to Netgalley, Laura Sebastian and Pan Macmillan for my ARC of Ash Princess.

Publication Date: 24th April 2018

Summary

At six years old, Princess Theodosia only knows the beauty of her world, her mother the Queen of Fire, the guardians who use magic to protect and nurture their country. That is until their country is invaded and her mother killed in front of her very eyes.
Ten years later, Theo is princess of nothing but ash. Being loyal to the Kaiser and taking his punishments, not even daring to think about her people or potential rebellion.

Theo's world becomes a maze of impossible decisions and actions when she is forced to commit an unspeakable act, and falls in with a band of magical rebels, but her loyalties are torn when she begins to develop feelings for the Kaiser's son and she is forced to put her friendship with her best friend to the rest.

Review

I really enjoyed this! It's taken me a little longer to read than normal because I've literally been so busy! But as soon as I picked it up I was engrossed back into the story. Theo's character is so conflicted and it's easy to see why, not only is there the whole Stockholm's Syndrome thing going on, she genuinely has got a friend in Cress and it must be very difficult for her to be put in a position where her loyalties are tested from both sides. I also liked the characters of Blaise and Søren, and all the characters really were very well developed.

As for the plot, I felt this was very fast paced but with a decent amount of world building that allowed for immediate absorption. On top of that, the tension was so high all the time, I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat!

Overall, a great debut and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Man, oh, man. Ash Princess is a magnificent fantasy debut by Laura Sebastian and i completely devoured it. Before I started reading it I checked the reviews and most either commented on how violent it is or described it as a dull mix of many other books. So I was surprised by how much I adored this book. However, it definitely contains a lot of violence, racism and features slavery so please be aware. But if that’s something you think you can handle then definitely pick this book up. I was granted a feel copy through NetGalley in return for an honest review but the book is due for release on the 14th June in the UK.


As many people have said, there isn’t much in this book that isn’t similar to many other books. Including my own actually merp. But to me, that didn’t matter. The storytelling is still strong and enjoyable. There are interesting characters and it all ties together so nicely. There are so few possible storylines out there and since this book isn’t an obvious rip-off of any single novel, why should any of the similarities matter?

Speaking of the characters, man, they were good. I had such varying feelings about all the characters other than the obvious villains. You’d be feeling sorry for a character one minute only to be hating them next and then suddenly you understand why they did. Most of the characters in this book weren’t completely innocent and it highlighted how war can make things so complicated and how it can change people. I think my favourite characters were Soren and Erik by far. Erik was very minor, sure, but I liked him and I feel like Soren was definitely book-boyfriend material. I seem to have a thing for princes, huh.

I mean…

I close the slight distance between us and brush my lips against, softly at first, but when his hand reaches up and knots in my loose hair, anchoring me against him, there is nothing soft about it. We kiss like we’re trying to prove a point, though I can’t remember quite what it is anymore – Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian (CH.17)

I won’t lie, this scene was exactly the sort of thing I want right now in my fantasy novels. There’s some desperation there and without giving any spoilers, that entire relationship is so complex and complicated. I just love it so much. But I also kinda like the other ship in the triangle too so that’s just so good.

As well as all this I think it’s worth adding that I really liked the mythos. One of the best things about fantasy novels is reading their myths and folklore. I love hearing these different tales and this book even had a discussion of how the myths can change depending on who told them. Plus the fact it was still there, even after their country and people have been pretty much destroyed is just wonderful.

I only really had two problems with this book and it was mostly that I found it a little slow at first. Once I was into the story I adored it but at first, it just seemed like there was a lot of repetition of lines and I wasn’t as keen. But that changed around 40% in so it’s not too bad.

This was a truly great dark fantasy novel and I want book 2 like…now.

That was soooooo goooood! Oh.My.God I just couldn't put it down. There is an intense world building with amazing characters and a very very mean King, that I just could not stand!!!

The plot evolves through the pages and you get to know all about the Astrean people and how the Kalovaxians took over their country. There's magic, lots of twists (especially the one in the end, I didn't see that coming) and a love triangle that I actually liked.

There are lots of scenes of violence that might put off some people, and even though it was sometimes hard to read, I appreciated the way these scenes helped me feel what those characters were feeling and really connect with them.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Ash Princess and I can't wait for the second book!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2325231650

*arc received in exchange for an honest review*

EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK. IT IS PHENOMENAL.
Theo is so strong, and actually a normal character who relates to things normally which i loved, felt i could relate to her a little better. Magic, kings, war and spying. i could barely put it down! I'm so excited for the sequel already and i can't believe i have to wait another year!

This book really never gained my interest. I have read a lot of good YA fantasy books, and many others more like this which just weren’t for me. I really dislike the first person present tense used, which also kept bumping me out of the story. This is not a bad book at all. It is quite generic and of a style I don’t like. This would be more to taste, I suspect, if I actually was a Young Adult!