Series: Ash Princess Trilogy #1
Release Date: April 14th 2018
Publisher: Macmillan
Pages: 448
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: I bought a copy of this book from Waterstones
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Synopsis
Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia’s family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess–a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner.
For ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She’s endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside.
Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn’t always won on the battlefield.
For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.
Review
Ash Princess is the first in a YA fantasy trilogy that follows Theodosia, a young princess who lives at the mercy of the Kaiser who murdered her mother and stole her throne. For ten years she has suffered under his abuse and ridicule when she decides that enough is enough and will do everything in her power to reclaim her lost throne.
Ash Princess is a pretty standard YA story. It was a bit darker than I was expecting but it follows a similar plot to other YA fantasy stories. I have found myself reading less and less YA lately so I wasn’t really sure going in if this was going to be for me. In the end, I did actually enjoy this book immensely, I really liked Sebastian’s writing style and the fast paced, action driven storyline had me glued to the book for long periods of time.
As this is the first book in the series I’m really interested to see how the story develops. Theo does go through some character growth in the story but I felt like some of the other characters could have done with a bit more development. The story does end on a bit of a cliffhanger so I am intrigued to see where Sebastian will take things. This is a fun, fast read and if you’re looking for a YA fantasy tale to keep you hooked this one will be right up your street.
Equinox is an intriguing book that lured me in for a number of reasons. Firstly it has an absolutely stunning cover and second it’s a fantasy standalone – something I definitely don’t read enough of. The story also has such a fascinating concept that I couldn’t resist diving straight into it.
Reckless Girls is the dark and addictive story of Lux McAllister, a young woman who followed her boyfriend Nico to Hawaii. Planning to fix up his boat and sail the world, Nico is hired by two women to take them to Meroe Island, a mysterious place with a tragic history. Lux agrees to go along and soon hits it off with the two women. When they arrive they join another couple and spend time exploring the island. As the group spends more time together they begin to realize that not everyone is what they seem and the arrival of a third boat brings tension to the remote island. As things take a dark turn Lux begins to wonder if they are ever going to make it off the island alive.
The Witch of Willow Hall is the beautifully told tale of the Montrose family, who move to the countryside following a family scandal in Boston. The family take up residence at Willow Hall but as the family attempt to build their lives back up there are some strange sightings and a sense of dread that lingers in the house. When Lydia meets the previous owner John Barrett, she begins to suspect the house has a dark past, but will she be able to uncover the truth and confront the secrets of her own past before it’s too late?
I had never read anything by Pat Barker until I picked up The Silence of the Girls and I ended up reading it and The Women of Troy back to back. The story continues on where we left off in The Silence of the Girls, following Briseis and the other women after Troy has fallen. The Greeks have been victorious, but the winds are not strong enough to sail and they are stranded with only the women of Troy for company.
Queen of YA crime Karen M. McManus is back with a new thriller – You’ll Be the Death of Me. The story follows three students – Ivy, Cal and Mateo. They used to be close but have drifted apart. When the three run into each other in the school car park, it seems like the perfect opportunity to recreate the best day ever. They skip school, heading into the city for a day of fun. The three friends quickly realize they don’t have much in common anymore, but when they run into another student skipping, they decide to follow him. The three friends then find themselves wrapped up in a murder investigation and learn their random meet-up might not have been random at all.
Blue Running is the moving story of fourteen-year-old Blue. Blue lives in the small town of Blessing, which is part of the Republic of Texas. When an accident occurs and Blue’s friend Maggie is fatally wounded by a gunshot, everyone believes Blue did it. With Blue’s father being the drunken town deputy and her Mother abandoning them when she was little, Blue has no choice but to go on the run. Whilst on the run Blue meets Jet – a pregnant Latin American woman just as desperate to escape her past. The two must work together if they have any hope of surviving the motorcycle gangs and Texas Rangers out looking for them. But will they make it to the wall and be able to escape Texas forever?
Year of the Reaper first caught my eye because of that absolutely beautiful cover. The story follows Cassia, a member of one of the most trusted families in the kingdom. When Cas is taken prisoner by a rival kingdom, he is forced to reside in a prison cell for three years. On returning home he finds the villages and towns destroyed by plague. His family castle has become a sactuary for the king and queen, desperate to escape the plague. When an assassin begins to target those closest to the queen, Cas must team up with historian Lena to uncover the truth behind the attacks. As the delve deeper into the mysteries of the past, what they uncover could destory the peace between the two kingdoms.
A Clockwork River is a beautifully written tale set in the town of Little Rhumbsford. The place is not what it once was and the great feats of engineering that were once infamous have now started to decay and fail. The story follows Sam and Briony Locke, two residents of the town as they find themselves wrapped up in an epic adventure. Sam was once a student of hydraulic engineering and is passionate about locks. When one night Sam goes to give a lecture on his lock collection, he does not come home. His sister Briony, a young woman fascinated by alchemy, will do anything to avoid marriage to rich old man to save her family home. When she discovers her brother is missing she soon finds herself wrapped up in a web of secrets. Will she be able to uncover the truth and find her brother before it’s too late?
The Bibliophile Chronicles 