I received this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.75 stars out 5
This book seemed to follow a lot of YA tropes like I worried it would, however there were some elements that made the book still interesting to read.

However it does follow the arc of the most hated trope of how the heroine does nothing for a long time, but then finally she decides to join the cause and become a prominent leader and though the trope is overdone it was well executed in this novel.

All bashing aside I still did really enjoy this book and I was sucked into the plot.
There was a love triangle and there is nothing more than I hate in book because 9 times out 10 they are poorly executed but this one wasn’t bad. I actually didn’t think it was too bad and it added to the story and I still don’t know which of the two she will choose, however the instalove in this book was a bit laggy.

Sidenote: So in this book they call princes and princesses prinz and prinzessin. Like I understand that they’re trying to be unique, but it’s very unnecessary and doesn’t really add to the book. To me the prinz reads as a cringe bad typo not like a cool alternate title for prince.

All in all I enjoyed this book and I can’t wait for the journey to continue. I was sucked in from the start and can’t wait to read the next installment (if there is one).

Just by the title, I was intrigued. I saw a lot of hype for this on Twitter and decided to investigate on Goodreads. The synopsis does not do the book justice in terms of the real plot of the story. I saw some people were a little worried about the cliché trope of using someone and then falling in love with that person. Let me tell you, that is not what happens in Ash Princess.
From the very beginning you immediately feel for the one called Thora or her real name Theodosia. She watched her mother be murdered in front of her eyes at the age of 6. Then, for the next 10 years she was imprisoned in her own home now run by the Kaiser. A ruthless man who murdered more than 100,00 of Theodosia's own people. To further belittle and torture Theodosia, The Kaiser would whip the girl every time there was even a hint of a rebellion. The name Theodosia was physically beat from her mind leaving only Lady Thora, the Ash Princess in her wake.
For me Theo reminded me a lot of Aelin in Heir of Fire and it made me fall in love with her even more. Every step of her journey she was unsure of everything. She was talked down to by the people who tortured her, not trusted by her own people while at the same time didn't know who to trust herself. Her internal struggle with her feelings for Cress, Soren, and her people made me empathetic to her. She wasn't Lady Thora but she wasn't Queen Theodosia either. And to everyone she came across, she had to be one of those people.
Throughout Ash Princess you see Theodosia's struggle with wanting to be the great Queen that her mother was. She didn't want to be complacent in the Kaiser's war, but she also didn't think she could lead the Astrean people properly either. She understood why her people didn't and wouldn't trust her as much as her mother.
Theodosia's character development throughout all of Ash Princess was by far my one of the best parts about the story. In the beginning, she was seen as someone who was very meek and didn't want to start any trouble for fear of abuse. However, after she is forced to kill someone before her eyes, she has a change of heart. She is no longer content to just sit by and watch the Kaiser rule terribly. At the start of her change of character, she also begins to form different relationships with the other people surrounding her.
This was a wonderful book and I will be sure to support its release and hope to meet Laura Sebastian! Can't wait for book 2!!!

The first few chapters reminded me a lot of The Tearling series. I even found myself imagining the castle as laid out in The Tearling's depictions. However, as the story went on, I found the similarities ended there. Theodosia found herself much quicker than Queen Kelsie in The Tearling. Theodosia was also more likable, albeit less tough without any magical powers.

While the idea of the spirit gems was interesting, I did find the concept not as developed as I would have liked. It seemed information was only presented conveniently, like the mine madness and the poison subsequently giving Crescentia second-hand powers. I'm still interested to see how the spirit gems pertain to the entire story and to Theodosia's plans.

I look forward to the second installment!

I enjoyed this book immensely. I like how the female protagonist plays the game by being cunning and patient. I like characters and the story keeps you enthralled.

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure I would when I first started reading it, but after a few chapters it really had me engrossed. I would definitely recommend this book to all my students.

I loved this book! I've been dying to read it ever since I saw the first cover. Theo is such a fantastic character and I love that everything she does plays to her strengths. I hate the trope where a character has never held a weapon before and is suddenly the most amazing fighter ever. I was thankful that this wasn't the case. I'm almost never surprised when I read, but I did NOT see the Cress twist coming.

Wow!!! This book was absolutely amazing. I was hooked from the very start and was kept guessing up until the very last page. My only problem with this book is that I have to wait until 2019 for the next one! This book is action packed, wonderfully written, and an incredibly read. I have no doubt it will be flying off the selves next year.

Enjoyed...Looking forward to reading Lady Smoke......

I'm just going to open up and say this book is just a jumbo of every other YA fantasy book thrown together, especially Ruined by Amy Tintera, which is a book that I loved. It also had Red Queen vibes. I think if this would have been my first YA fantasy book, I would have probably liked it a lot more. Also, throw in my most hated trope, sort of a weird love triangle, and you already have me annoyed. Actually, I'm not even sure if it was a triangle, but there were multiple kisses going on.

Another thing that bothers me is when a character is annoying and takes herself too seriously. Theo/Thora just kept on saying my people this, and I'm the queen that. She also has all these intense memories from when she was seven or younger. I feel like I can barely remember yesterday, let alone when I was five.

What was good is that the writing was really well done, and if some of the trope things would have been removed (like girl pretending she likes a guy to betray/kill him, but she really likes him) it would have been a lot better. I just need something more fresh/different. However, I would still read the next book to see what happens next.