Ash Princess was a surprisingly, refreshing young adult fantasy novel. The summary really caught my attention, but I was a little hesitant to read the book because I was afraid it was going to mimic one of my favorite books The Throne of Glass, but as I began reading the book I realized that was not the case at all. It took a little while for this book to pull m e in to the story. It moved a little slow for the first quarter of the book, but quickly picked up. I think the reason it seemed to move so slowly is because there was a lot of Theo's inner dialog and many of the scenes kept occurring in the same place, but I stuck with the story and I am glad I did. I enjoyed watching Theo/Thora's character develop throughout the story. Although her inability to do what she knows is right and instead do what everyone wants her to do just about drove me insane, her character finally began to grow into the queen she was meant to be. I am looking forward to read the next book.

Another great YA/Fantasy book! I could definitely see this as another bestseller.

When Theodosia was only a child, her country was under siege and conquered by the Kalovaxians. Her mother, the Fire Queen, daughter of the Fire God Houzzah, was murdered right before her eyes. For the past decade, she's been held captive under the Kaiser's rule. She regularly gets punished for Astrea's rebellion and merely survives under her new identity as "Thora." Her rebellion and vow for vengeance begins when Thora's forced to kill someone close to her heart. With help from allies, she plots to take down the Kalovaxians from within by making the crown prince, Soren, fall in love with her. Thora finds herself struggling with her own feelings and compassion. Will she be able to win back her rightful crown as the queen?

The book starts off very solemn and melancholic. I had to fight back a few tears already from the first few chapters. There is a disturbing amount of abuse, so just a warning for some of you. What I loved about this book and sets the book apart from any other YA fantasy novel was the character development of Theo. The author truly put herself in Theo's shoes and asked, "How would I feel?" This is reflected in Theo's character as we see her internal struggle based on years of abuse and influence by those she've grown close to over the years, and her growth. Otherwise, this is the typical YA Fantasy book plot. I found the lack of twists and suspense disappointing, which is why I gave the book 4 stars. Nonetheless, I recommend this book to others. It was a good read! Waiting for the second book to come out!

Thank you to the author and publisher for sharing an ARC with me, in return of an honest, unbiased review.

Dark. Lots of torture and mental abuse.
The rest is a typical ya fantasy novel trope. Love triangle, chosen one, and so forth.
Truly hated the names. Crescentia? Corbinian? Ugh. That and kalovaxian was said at least 3 times per page. Yeesh.
The magic was really only a factor when no other logical explanation could be found. I’m a fantasy it should really be a main plot point not contrived convenience.

Oh man. Oh man did I love this book!
There was an awesome, strong, and female lead character. She plays a role that only a future queen could play. She is amazing and I want to be like her when I grow up.
The journey that she embarks and all the issues she overcomes is nothing but epic.
Her sidekicks are remarkable and increase her awesomeness status in my book.
She has to play two characters, breaking the trust bond of several other characters, to get to where she is destined to be all along.
I cannot wait for the next book!

I would like to start out with a big THANK YOU to netgalley.com for the free advanced ecopy of Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian in exchange for an honest review. This was my first book to review ahead of the book’s public release date, which is April 24th, 2018.

After viewing the cover I knew immediately that this was a book I wanted to read. What a beautiful representation of a crumbling rule. It just makes you question: Why ash? Why is it on fire or made of embers? Is fire actually significant within the story? Just so much wondering that you are drawn to the book without reading the synopsis or even recognizing the author, which is a debut ya author.

If the cover isn’t enough to peek your interests simply crack the cover and read the half-page prologue; it isn’t long, but it will lock in your interests while it breaks your heart.

The Meat: The book starts out with a major tragedy towards the young main character, Theodosia. Questions go unanswered and time passes with a simple flip of the page. Next thing you know youre reading the narrative of 17-year-old Theodosia who lives within the court of her enemy. Life is a balancing act for Theo, a balancing at that quickly becomes off kilter when those from her past reappear and force Theo to make one life changing decision after another. Throughout the book you whitness Theo become the woman and ruler she was meant to be. All while forming friendships and romances. In the end you will wonder: Who does she trust? Who should she trust? What is going to happen next?

I awarded this book 5/5 stars. I absolutely devoured this book. If you are a fan of the Red Queen series, Anastasia, or Romeo and Juliet then you will find plenty interest in this book.

#netgalley #ya #youngadult #anastasia #gemsofpower #fightingandbloodshed #fantasy #younglove #ashprincess

Theodosia is the heir to the crown of Astrea. Although she is now being held captive by the Kaiser who had her mother killed and took her throne. My heart was in complete tatters when I was reading the parts about Theo and Crescentia, her best friend. It was so well written and at this point, I still don't know who I am rooting for as Theo's love interest. Soren or Blaise?! I DON'T KNOW. I think I love them both. 😂
The story was action packed with Theo's plot to get away from the Kaiser and free her people. Lost a star because I would have loved more world building. I still don't know enough about the histories amongst the people and the countries/lands/royalty.

I was pleasantly surprised by Ash Princess! Laura Sebastian has built an interesting, yet dark, story about standing up to those that seek to oppress you.

Ten years after her country is overthrown, Princess Theodosia (or Lady Thora as she has been “rennamed”) has become almost complaisant in her life under the Kaiser’s thumb. Subjected to regular physical and mental torment under his behest, Theo has all but given up hope of rescue. That is, until she finds herself literally face to face with memories she had almost left forgotten. Forced to do the unspeakable, Theo comes to realize her only chance of rescue is to rescue herself.

Full of political intrigue and plot twists, Ash Princess took me on a fun ride through the Kaiser’s court. This story has possibly triggering themes such as physical, sexual and psychological abuse, slavery, racism and murder. This isn’t a story with rainbows and butterflies, however it is a clever story about oppression and fighting for those who cannot fight themselves.

The characters in this story have been given a solid start. There are a handful of main characters, with good depth and plenty of room for growth in the coming books. I’m hoping to learn more about a few minor characters, which I feel we will get as the series progresses. The characters showed real feelings for what they are experiencing and had realistic responses to the situations they’ve found themselves in. There are some typical YA tropes in this book, including a “kind of” love triangle, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. (Maybe some of us like those tropes, anyway!)

There were a ton of plot twists in this book, especially during the last third. Some I had suspected were coming, but many others came at me from left field. I was loving it!

Overall, I was pretty pleased with the ending and look forward to seeing what Theo will do now. The story isn’t wholly unique, but it’s a good, interesting story that I’ll certainly continue as the series progresses. Oh – and there’s boats and PIRATES!

https://libraryinthecountry.blog/2018/02/03/review-ash-princess-by-laura-sebastian/

Ash Princess was a very good book. I never know what Theo was going to do or choose. It was a bit slower than I would have liked, but it was still an interesting read. I am reading to find out what happens in the sequel.

ARC provided by NetGalley in return for honest feedback. Review will contain some spoilers.

I suppose I should start by saying I am interested in reading the sequel when it comes out. I am, however, conflicted about my thoughts/feelings regarding this book. I found the world that it is set in interesting, but had a lot of unanswered questions that would hopefully have been answered if things were explained a little more in-depth. (For instance, how were the people of Theo’s magic wielding kingdom overtaken so easily? Her mother may have only ruled during peacetime, but surely they could have mounted a better defense.)
I had a hard time connecting with the character of Theo/Thora. One minute I felt sorry for her, the next she irritated me and then I would get a glimpse of a girl who was interesting and I would want to know more about. When other characters were introduced I found myself ticking off a mental checklist: Childhood friend turned love interest? Check. Person to complete love triangle? Check. Friend turned enemy? Check. Uneasy ally to trade verbal barbs with? Check.
While the abuse Theo/Thora suffered was horrific, it was not described so graphically that I would worry about my teenage students reading it. The occasional mention of rape or sexual activity gave me pause when thinking of some of my students reading this book, but it was not really descriptive.
I can honestly say upon finishing this book I was ready for the sequel. While the storyline and character development was not as strong as it could have been, it was still an enjoyable book. The action picked up towards the end and I want to know what happens next.

4.5 stars. I loved this! It encompasses so much of what I love in YA fantasy- Soren and Cress were deeper characters than I expected, the Kaiser was pure evil, and Thora/Theodosia was a flawed, powerful, interesting main character. I had read comparisons to Sansa Stark and I can truly see them, in her demeanor and her situation. She endures so much hardship (much of which is difficult to read about) but keeps her strength. Some of the other characters were more cliche and I didn't care for Blaise. It was also a slower book but very political, with high stakes and death and consequences, and hints of magic- I loved it. Can't wait for the sequel. (Will add a link to my blog review when I post it closer to publication.)

This book is one of my most anticipated releases in 2018 and I was very excited when I received this ARC from Netgalley.
I am very conflicted about my feelings after finishing the book. Theo/Thora is a captive princess who is mentally and physically abused by the Kaiser after capturing her kingdom and killing her mother. She tries to survive in the palace by suppressing her memories and trying to be obedient until she is forced to kill one of her own. This kind of situation should make Theo a very compelling character which she is for the most part, but not always. She doesn’t trust easily but sometimes, she also wants to trust and believe in her friend Cress and the Prinz Soren. She wants to question her faith but is also scared of its outcome. But towards the end, it looked like she is finally ready to accept her role as the Queen of her people and I do look forward to reading what she will do next.
I think the problem with this book is that the world building is not done enough. We don’t get to know how Theo’s kingdom was captured so easily despite having magic wielders or how the magical system even works. I hope this part is covered better in the sequel. There are also not any interesting side characters to root for. Cress is probably the only one I find intriguing enough because she seems capable of both compassion and cunning and the story sets her up for a very interesting arc in the next book. Prince Soren seemed kind initially but he also seems a little naive. Blaise and the other rebels didn’t leave any Impression neither did the Kaiser, who is just plain evil. The love triangle also feels forced and totally unnecessary.
Overall, I can say that the book was enjoyable enough that I want to read what happens next but I also hope that the sequel delivers more because this one did fall a little short of my expectations.

You ever read one of those books that just frustrates you to no end, but you still want to know what happens in the next few pages, chapters, or sequels? Well, that was me with this book.

Be prepared, because I have some thoughts on this one. A lot of thoughts.

Okay, so first off, Theodosia, or Thora, as she’s referred to by the Kalovaxians who invaded her homeland, is a very frustrating main character. She reminds me a lot of America from The Selection series. There were always choices that I wanted her to make that just seemed to never come to fruition. The same with speeches. She’s the princess/queen of her decimated people, so I wanted her to really inspire her citizens and chew out her enemies, but she just never went there. I wanted some gruff and power from her, but she was just too weak and naive at points.

Now, there were other characters in this book that were also just as frustrating. Soren, the prinz (aka prince) was cute at first, but then you learn he’s been letting dear ol’ dad hit an innocent girl for years. He’s also remained complacent for a lot of the massacring of Theo’s people. That was a major turn off. Yet, somehow, Theo still had feelings for Soren… Stockholm syndrome, perhaps?

The other characters, like Blaise, the book’s second love interest, is a pretty decent character for like 75% of the book. HOWEVER, him and his posse of rebels as well as the rest of Theo’s people somehow believe that she’s a spoiled princess living it up in the Kaiser’s castle, yet she’s being tortured??? How can they be that stupid? There just wasn’t a good enough explanation for why her people had such animosity for her when these “punishments” weren’t private events. A lot of people know the Kaiser was having her whipped.

And that brings me to my biggest and weirdest pet peeve of this book. The word “whippings” is atrocious, and I hate it. It sounds so unsophisticated and hickish (I’m from the Midwest, so I know hickish). Also, the way it’s used in this book along with the word “punishments” sounds eerily like some sort of naughty romance book. I just wanted those two words to stop. Ick.

Oh, and is anyone else tired of the poor beautiful princess being tortured trope? Especially by two-dimensional cliché ugly, evil kings? I don’t know. I just think there’s too much violence for the sake of violence in this book. Also, the plot is kind of slow because no real action happens. I’d say it’s more of a political fantasy, but it’s not even really that…

Another small thing, but still. Thora, even though she’s been beat by the Kalovaxians multiple times, she somehow always knows what the Kaiser is thinking, even though she never knows what anyone else is thinking and she makes bad choices because of it?

Okay, the next thing I want to talk about is how the Kalovaxians won this invasion when Theo’s people are supposed to have Avatar-esque powers? It wasn’t really explained as well I’d like how exactly the war/invasion went down. I needed more backstory there.

All in all, Ash Princess is eerily similar and as frustrating as Kiera Cass’s Selection series and Marie Rutkoski’s The Winner’s Curse. I’ll probably continue with the series, just like I did with those books, but I’m still wary. I also just really want a physical copy of this book, because hey! Pretty cover!

3/5 stars

*Note: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

ARC provided by Netgalley for honest feedback.

Theo/Thora has been living in the kingdom of her mother’s murder and her people’s conquerer for several years, but after she is forced to take part of the violence, she decides to take a stand and fight back. But, who can she trust? Can she even trust herself?

This book surprised me. Though it is far from perfect, it gets better the more you read, and I was on the edge of my seat by the very end, almost speed reading to see what happened next.

The best character, by far, is the lead, Theo/Thora (one was the name given by her mother, the other is given by the ones who took over her country). Her perspective is incredibly compelling. She goes back and forth between views pretty constantly, but it never felt contrived to me, it felt very authentic especially when taking into account her experiences. She’s been living in a place where she can’t trust anyone, and has constantly been tested and punished for failing. She questions her own feelings and that of those around her constantly.

The other characters are slightly less fleshed. Second best would be her “more depth than it seems” friend Cress, and Prinz Soran (yes there are a lot of weird names and titles but don’t let that distract you). Her friendship with the former and semi-romance with the latter are the most intriguing parts of the books, and add to the tension when you realize you aren’t sure who to trust.

Weaker is her other romantic interest, a fellow refugee named Blaise, and her relationship with the group of individuals assisting her with her small rebellion, though they flesh out a little towards the end of the book.

The world building is good, the pacing starts slow but about halfway through the book amps it up and goes at breakneck speed, the writing is solid (especially for a first novel!!). The story kind of reminded me Queen of the Tearling, but a little less hefty.

Highly recommend.

Sebastian, Laura Ash Princess, 448 pages. Ransom House, APRIL 2018. $19. Language: PG (7 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (deaths, beatings)

Ten years ago Thora was Theodosia, the daughter of the Queen of Astrea, a small island country whose only value lay in its people and in its gem mines. Now, however, she is Thora - hostage of the Kaiser of Kalovaxia, a ruthless man who grinds up kingdoms for their wealth and then spits them out and moves on when he is done. Is has been a long time since Thora was whipped for the actions of Astean rebels, but today she must kill their leader - who she thinks may also be her father - or be killed. Today is the day when Theodosia will take her first steps back into the light to fight.

Clap, Clap, Clap! Sebastian has written something that true YA readers will flock to - I am talking middle school and high school students, not adult women who also read YA. While it is hard to imagine Theodosia surviving captivity since she was five, she is almost a dual personality in her ability to compartmentalize Thora vs Theodosia. It has its weaknesses - the romantic triangle, seducing your enemy and then falling in love with him - but in all, I think it will find a solid fanbase. My actual beef is with the letter from the publisher that was included in the ARC - implying that before now there have been no books with strong female protagonists - that girls have only been sidekicks. That is an affront to every strong female I have ever read. Has no one read Tamora Pierce? Robin McKinley? Anne McCaffrey? I could go on and on. What a slap in the face.

MS, HS - ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher

I really enjoyed this fantasy. Thora (aka Princess Theodosia, aka Theo) is very poorly treated by the king who had her mother murdered so he can take over her kingdom. Theo grows up a lot in this story- she starts out as a scared and scarred subjugated girl, but ends up a very strong person to reckon with. Cress and Sorin were surprising characters. I can't help it, I fell in love with Sorin. He looks so much like his father but is completely different. The ending was a bit of a shocker. Will definitely add Lady Smoke (book 2) to my TBR pile!

Leaving reviews on Amazon and Goodreads

Unfortunately this was an 'Did Not Finish' for me. It had the promise to be an interesting and unique story, but instead it felt ridden with typical YA tropes. By 30% in, it no longer held my interest and I felt no connection to the story or characters.

In a land vibrant, and full of life, it is easy to see how Astrea can attract unwanted attention. A world where faith is abundant in the gods and goddesses that deem certain individuals worthy to wield a piece of their power. When a power hungry ruler overtakes Astrea to put a notch in his belt, and murder the queen, how can a fallen princess rise from the ashes?

Cast of characters:

Astrea: A land with peaceful people, who are empowered by gems to enhance their god and goddess given magical power (think Captain Planet here; Fire, Earth, Wind, Water). Being peaceful has it's disadvantages, and the magical properties of the gems is a magnet to attract envious countries. The Kalovaxians take Astrea by force, including royalty. Thousands of citizens are killed, while the remaining population is forced into slavery to mine gems to be worn as mere trinkets.

The Kaiser: A brute leader who takes whatever he can get. He uses a country's resources until they are bled dry, packs up everyone and moves to the next country like he's checking off his "to-do" list. Leads his people by fear. 

Thora (Theodosia): Our main character; the book starts her off at the age of 7, witnessing the death of her mother, the Queen of Astrea. With a broken kingdom at her feet, the fallen princess of Astrea becomes the "Ash Princess". Beaten and tortured to make her forget her own name and title. As her repressed citizens sporadically rise up in rebellions, she is made an example of; the number of offenses counted by scars on her back.

Crescentia (Cress): Thora's only friend at the castle. Cress stuck up for Thora years ago when other children made fun of her. As Thora grows older she feels more like a pet than a friend. Bred for nobility, NOTHING will stand in Cress' way of becoming a prinzess; even if it means stabbing her friend in the back.

Theyn: Cress' father and Thora's "torturer", and The Kaiser's right hand man. The Theyn killed the Queen of Astrea, and continues to kill citizens with absolutely no remorse.

Søren: The Prinz; The Kaiser's son. Søren may be The Kaiser's son, but he is FAR from a chip off the old block. Where his father shows sadistic pleasure in torturing Thora, Søren is sympathetic. 

Hoa: Thora's servant in the castle. Quite literally, cannot talk due to having her mouth sewn shut. The rub? It's taken out every few days to allow her to eat and drink, and then she's sewn back up again. 

The Pros:

Overall, for a debut novel, I thought Laura Sebastian knocked it out of the park. "Ash Princess" creates the dystopian novel we've been craving; beautifully brutal. The story line is well thought out, characters have depth, and plot twists that keep your head spinning.

The Cons:

Overall not too many. Weird spellings (like Prinz, Prinzessin, Søren etc). There were a few slow parts where I felt as if I was taking too much info in and getting absolutely nowhere. I do tend to give a first in a series a bit of grace due to laying a foundation. The only other thing is "Ash Princess" can be extremely hard to read due to the abuse. I have a pretty strong stomach, and even I had to put the book down for a bit. 

One more thing:

Whoever has been designing covers, NEEDS TO STOP! Lately there have been WAY too many block covers with crowns on them. They are getting to look too similar and NOT stand out.

"Ash Princess" as a whole, I would absolutely recommend. For being the first in the series, it really grabbed hold of my attention and didn't let go; that rarely happens with me for a first book.  Congrats Laura Sebastian and BEST of luck with your writing future!

Thora, or should I say Theo, is the Ash Princess. A title given to her by the ruthless Kaiser, the ruler of the people who conquered her country ten years ago. So after all these years living in her golden cage, is she Thora or is she Theodosia the Fire Queen?

There of course is also the 'Prinz" that isn't quite what he seems, the best friend who seems a bit 'clueless' and a rag-tag bunch of rebels.

I have to say this book is a solid 3.5 stars. There are some parts of it that I really enjoyed. There are other things that felt a little too close to another story and definitely some overly used tropes. Now, I will be the first to say that tropes are not always a bad thing! They are around so much for a reason....Usually they add something to the story. In this book, they started to add something, but didn't quite get there for me.

That being said, this book is very emotional, in the torment that our main heroine endures. I enjoyed that the book started with great world building that really gave you an insight into the different nations and their people. That being said, I felt it got a little repetitive in the first half. While we got to really know our Princess, I felt like the other characters really could have used some more development (keeping fingers crossed for this to happen in the second book). When it does finally get to the action, I found myself sad that I was already near the end of the book! It definitely left me wanting more.

Now I'm just sad I have to wait until Spring 2019 to read the next book!

Thank you NetGalley, Laura Sebastian and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

4.5*

Theodosia was a young girl when her mother was murdered and the Kalovaxians took over Astrea and ravaged their lands. Since then, she has become Thora and she does whatever it is she must to just to survive. But when her last hope for rescue is shattered, Theo vows to get revenge, her kingdom back, and win freedom for her people.

I couldn't put this book down It was filled with action, drama, and suspense from start to finish and I couldn't wait to see Thora break out of her shell and become the fierce queen I knew she could be. I'm eager to see how this story turns out when she has so many odds against her added with the twist that could pose a new threat that was introduced at the end of the book.