Theodosia was only six when her mother was murdered in front of her and the Kaiser stole her throne and kingdom. Theo was then kept as a prisoner for the next decade in her own castle while being dubbed the Ash Princess, a name of shame. When she is forced by the Kaiser to do the unthinkable, like kill someone, she finally decides that this mockery of a life is no longer enough. She decides that she must break free and take back the throne that is rightfully hers.

I know, I know. This is a classic young adult princess fantasy where the throne was stolen from her, she has to fight to reclaim it, and we'll even throw in a love triangle just to spice it up a little. Now, I know this type of story has been done before. Many times.

With that being said, this story was FUN. While also a little dark and gory, which is right up my alley. This story about Theo and her people trying to break free from a tyrants rule is utterly entertaining to read and a true page turner. I found myself not being able to put this book down simply because I was enjoying the story so much!

It does leave a lot to be desired plot wise, some things just don't seem to make sense to me but maybe they do to others. One I want to point out is the fact that this tyrant, Kaiser, imprisoned the only heir to the throne instead of just killing her. In the story it is explained away but to me it would have made more sense if the Kaiser wanted to make sure his rule went uncontested if he just offed the only person that could pose a threat. But, I digress.

Other than some sketch plot points, this book is dark as f*ck.

Theo's people are described as having dark skin and hair while the Kaiser and his court are white with blonde hair and blue eyes. Racism abound, Theo's country is conquered and her people enslaved. Everyone goes through some truly horrific shit. All while Theo is being mentally and physically abused up in the castle (graphic whippings, racial slurs, many more. So, trigger warnings for those and similar ideals)

I think because of all these terrible hardships Theo goes through it makes her a more interesting and entertaining character to see grow and develop throughout the story. Now, I'm not saying characters that don't go through hardships aren't interesting, please don't take my statement that way. I just mean, Theo was a Princess with a kingdom being handed to her so without something intercepting that she would have been a flat and uninteresting character. We get to see true character development in this story. We see her begin the story defeated, fearful, depressed. As the story continues though and she has to make hard decisions that affect her and her people we end up with a character that is no longer defeated but hopeful. No longer fearful but something almost equally as terrifying, hateful. SHE becomes something to fear, and a Queen that her country deserves.

And then in classic young adult fantasy there is of course a trope that many tend to hate, a love triangle. Kind of. Theo finds herself getting cozy to Prince Soren while also being confused about a childhood friend, and I can't even bring myself to even remember his name now. This part of the story honestly made me want to skim and skip ahead to the action. Both 'relationships' seem meaningless. To me they both seemed forced into the story for the sake of having a love interest. I honestly would prefer Theo to be large and in charge by herself without needing a man to help her. But, what's a Princess without a Prince? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I think Lady Smoke will expand on the world built in Ash Princess and give us a more in depth look into the characters I have come to admire and would be utterly depressed if anything bad happened to them. This story may be one that's been done before but I'm hard pressed to think of one that's as fun to read as this one is.

Wow. This book surprised me with its grittiness and vivid description. I’m writing this review months after reading but the story still sticks with me. That’s what good authors good.

I was really looking forward to Ash Princess. It was one of my most anticipated reads of this year. I found that this story was very lacking to me. It is kind of like reading the same story over and over and there isn't a new take on it. I hope book two is better.

I hate giving this book a rating because I DNF-ed this book. It’s every fantasy book you’ve read about a princess taking back her throne, but worse. The villain is cartoonish, the romance forced and predictable, and the characterization inconsistent. Women are also portrayed poorly in this book. If you’re a woman of high society, you’re automatically vapid and vain— even if you’ve just killed a man. The concept of the ash crown was laughable. In fact, the fact Theodosia was kept alive at all makes no sense. The kaiser keeps her alive to keep her people in line, but her people are constantly rebelling *because* she’s alive. I just couldn’t do it anymore.

Thanks anyway to Netgalley for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Hopefully this suffices and helps anyone out there who was thinking of reading this book.

This will be a popular title in my library. But it reads like other fantasy books. Kick-ass heroine but one who uses her brains and other people's brawn.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

Rating: 3.5. I really enjoyed this and I'm glad I finally got around to picking it up. I have been a fantasy reading mood lately and this was perfect I loved the growth of our man character and how strong she was after all she has been through. I also liked she "shadows"---I got a lot of ACOMAF vibes with the book which I'm not complaining about. While there was a "Love triangle" which I don't care for in books this one didn't bother me as much. Overall, I am interested in continuing this series and finding out more about the magical system and characters.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It took me awhile to get around to reading this book, but I am so glad that I finally did. It was great. I loved how complex Thora/Theodosia was and I truly hated the Kalovaxian leaders - the Kaiser and Theyn especially. I can’t wait to read Lady Smoke when it becomes available to see where the story goes. I’ll be recommending this book to others.

An interesting beginning to a new fantasy series. A great concept, if predictable at times. I am looking forward to the next installment!

DNF
I wanted to read this one because of the pretty cover. I enjoy most YA fantasy novels, so this one was high up the list of books I was highly anticipating. However, there is a love triangle and I prefer not read those. Thanks to the publisher for the chance to read this early.

Musings:

Ash Princess is a fantastic fantasy about a girl who lived her life lying low finding her way to claim the title she was born to have. The world of this novel is bleak, but as characters grow and take action, hope is found in bread crumbs.

What I Loved:

Everything seemed bleak. Sometimes in life, shit hits the fan. This book has a lot of that. It’s messy and awful and almost hopeless. There are no holds barred and if this was real I think it would truly have been that way. When rulers take over countries things are awful for the oppressed. The terribleness made the book feel more real.

I didn’t like Theo. Sometimes, it’s not about having a likable character. Theo and the way she handled things was something I didn’t care for, but was I rooting for her? Yes. Right or wrong she did as she felt was best and that is admirable.

Religion. I don’t see it often in fantasy, but there are belief systems in this novel! I think it’s something a lot of fantasy books neglect. Of course people have things they believe in! It added to the authenticity of the narrative.

The little things. There are some small little things like the remembrance of a holiday that create little bright spots in a darker narrative. Even the touches of small actions characters took were lovely.

Attention to detail. There were so many subtleties to the writing that made great impact in how much I enjoyed the narrative. I felt like there was a world outside the palace even when all you got was Theo’s captivity.

Other things:

There is a love triangle in this book. A lot of people hate that. I for one enjoyed how it was done. It’s important to the story.

I’ve seen some weird reviews saying that this is a generic fantasy and it just got me to think about originality. (Especially because I’ve read books this one was compared to). This book 100% stands on its own and is in no way a copy of anything else. However, fantasy tends to read with twin flames and it is the nature of fantasy that it shows the oppressed trying to triumph over that oppression. Fantasy also often talks about the prince or princess, because in all of our hearts those are the stories we wanted to live out. Plus, it can add a political flavor that you can’t writing about other forms of politics in ya. Ash Princess is unapologetically a fantasy.. I see no fault in that.

Final thoughts:

Ash princess will take you away and into another world. It’s about fighting with what you have.. even if it’s only wit and mental strength. Being strong physically and able to fight isn’t the only way to make progress and that’s something to remember.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the publisher, Random House Children’s – Delacorte Press, via NetGalley for an honest review.

Opinion:

Though I DID read this MONTHS ago, I didn’t review it right away, which in turn has caused me to re-read it so that I could properly refresh myself.

So, my review for Ash Princess…better late than never, right?!

10 years ago, Princess Theodosia Eirene Houzzara’s country was invaded by the Kalovaxians. Her people were slaughtered and enslaved, her home overrun by her enemy, and her mother’s throat was slit before her eyes. Now at sixteen, Theodosia wears a new name, Thora the Ash Princess. She now lives among the people that brought destruction upon her kind, the Astreans, and endures torment and abuse to just live another day. But life as the Ash Princess doesn’t come without it’s catches. Her best friend is a Kalovaxian named Cress who is the daughter of the Theyn, the man that killed Theodosia’s mother; she is whipped and beaten by order of the Kaiser when rebel Astrean groups attack, and she is guarded at all times to ensure that she stays loyal to her enemy. But everything changes when the Kaiser forces Thora to kill a man from her childhood, a man loyal to her mother. Soon Thora finds herself in a position to strike against the Kaiser, and to exact revenge on the people that stole everything form her. But sometimes not everything is fair in love and war, and Theodosia must make a choice when it comes to what she thinks is right.


“My mother was known as the Fire queen, regal and strong. But I am the Ash Princess, a living joke.” – Thora, Ash Princess

Okay guys, Check. This. Out.

If any of you know me, you know that I LOVE a great fantasy read about royals and a little bloodshed. It just makes my blood thrum with happiness! Ash Princess does just that by giving the reader a little romance, suspense, turmoil, a question of morals vs. karma, magic, and of course some killing to keep in interesting. This is definitely a story you will have no problem devouring and speeding through, but be warned that it might feel a little “young” depending on your age/preference (despite the killing, etc.) which I will get into in a moment.
Firstly, more about this story! Theodosia (Thora) is sixteen years old and living in her palace that the Kaiser and the Kalovaxians took over ten years prior. After Theodosia’s mother was killed, the Kaiser gave Theo the choice to die or live amongst her enemy. She chose to live, thus thrusting her into the lions’ den and leading a life pretending to hate her own people. The Kaiser is a brutal man who takes what he wants and has no remorse for what he does. He uses Theo as a tool against the Astreans by publicly whipping and beating Theo every time rebel groups try to fight against the Kalovaxians.

When the reader is first introduced to Theodosia, she is living as Thora the Ash Princess. Thora is a timid, meek and subservient girl. Her spirit is broken, and she seems to have given up on ever being rescued and freed from her cage. Though she does have a friend in the palace, Cress, it is still a friend she can’t speak freely to. She is forced to censor herself and put on an act to show the Kaiser that she is loyal to the Kalovaxians, and it is truly sad to read. But what I liked about Thora was that even when she had metaphorically locked Theodosia away, there were still moments where she showed the reader that she hadn’t completely lost herself.

‘“You requested my presence, your highness?” I ask, dropping into a curtsy so deep I am flat against the ground. Even after a decade, my bones still protest the posture. My body remembers-even when the rest of me forgets-that I am not made for curtsying.’ – Thora, Ash Princess

But after the Kaiser forces Thora to kill one of her own, things start to change drastically. Thora finds herself among rebels that want to rescue her, but instead she makes the decision to stay and work as a spy. Now I can’t go in to too much more detail because I don’t want to give away the good stuff, but I CAN tell you guys about this little romance we have brewing!

Insert: A Love Triangle. Or…is it?

Soren, the Prinz of the Kalovaxians and the son of the cruel Kaiser. He has just come back from apprenticing under the Theyn for 5 years, and APPARENTLY he is a legendary and fierce warrior. Soren proves to be the opposite of his father, and seems like he might genuinely care about changing the world. Blaise is our other male in this triangle, and he is an Astrean who grew up with Theodosia. As part of the rebels plan for Theo, she must basically make the Prinz fall in love with her. Of course along the way some true feelings arise between Theo and the Prinz, but not without some moments happening between Theo and Blaise as well. I can honestly say guys, I am TORN on this one. Usually I ALWAYS favor one character over the other, but I don’t in this story! Will she choose Blaise? Will she choose Soren?? Well I don’t know, because the author left me with this annoyingly HUGE cliffhanger!

Now there is also some magic that is happening in this story. For the Astreans, Spritgems were sacred gems that made up the four elements: Fire, Air, Earth, Water. The gems would give the wielder an extra boost of power to use with their magical element, and were considered very sacred. A select few Astreans would spend years in temples praying to their gods in order to be blessed. Some would be blessed with powers and become guardians, while others would go mad. Once the Kalovaxians took over, they forced the remaining Astreans into the mines to mine for the Spiritgems, while disgracing their beliefs and using the gems as jewelry. Wicked, right? Of course, our poor Theo was forbidden to be around any sort of gems. But if you are wondering why this poor girl is called the “Ash Princess”, the obvious reason is this: the Kaiser forces Thora to wear a crown of ashes every time they throw a party. Now if that isn’t the most legendary and cruel symbol of someone destroying your entire life and forcing you to show it off, I don’t know what is.

The only qualms I have with this story are this: it feels a little TOO young at times, and some things aren’t fully explained. Now I know that our main character is sixteen, but there are some HEAVY things happening in this story that make this character grow up fast. My issue is that Theo, Blaise, and a few of the other characters act and speak in such an adolescent way…that I found myself getting confused. The author is pulling me back and forth between them being mature, and not mature, and I am just not sure which direction I should be going in. If this supposed to be a YA read, or a Teen YA read?

My other small problem is the author not fully explaining things, or not fully building up moments. For example: Blaise tells Theo that she always gets a certain look on her face when she is about to do something rebellious. Theo retorts that he can never stop her anyways. As the reader, I don’t recall this happening much at all? I feel like I am being told something rather than just coming to that conclusion on my own. Another example is when it is said that Soren is a legendary warrior. This seems so shocking to me because I can’t help but imagine Soren as a teenage boy, not a fierce and feared man. There was no context that proves he should be anything else than what I am visualizing, so it left me a bit confused.

Those things aside, I think this is a really great read. I am sitting her twiddling my thumbs waiting for the next book, which I know will be a while from now. Sorry for that LONG ass review, but there was just so much to talk about! Though I did have a few annoyances while reading Ash Princess, I wholeheartedly recommend it if you love YA/Fantasy reads. I am a sucker for anything with royalty and fantasy, so if you are the same then you will REALLY enjoy this book.

**3.5 Stars**
Theo had to give up her real name as well as her kingdom and power ten years ago when her people were attacked and conquered by the evil Kaiser. Everyone she knows is dead and she is now a prisoner in her own home, being used as a tool to belittle her people and to suffer torture when an uprising occurs. A time comes though when she needs to decide when to make a stand and take back her life.

The story is narrated by Theo, the prisoner/pawn of the kingdom who has so many sides to her I was uncertain what was real. Side note, we meet her as she is about to kill a person from her past- her savior, guardian...parent- to please her abuser? Yeah, what an introduction. It was hard to really root for Theo, she was a master manipulator who at times seemed so clueless and at other so persistent and ruthless. I could not get a grasp on her which made me uncertain if I liked her or not. I was 100% interested to see what she would do next, and I was completely down for taking down the Kaiser, but I don't know if Theo was my favorite- but all the side characters were developed, layered and awesome.

And yes, there is a love triangle- Theo has to decide her true feelings between a boy from her past who wants to save her and the kingdom and the boy from her present who believes she is a damsel in distress- all the while she plots his death. To say it is complicated is putting it mildly- and neither guy has a promising future, just saying.

This was a very SLOW moving story, more about setting the tone and character development than any real action. This is the perfect description of political intrigue where everyone has their own machinations and spies see everything- trust no one and always be guarded. There was also a touch of magic and Gods that was hinted at but never really fully described in detail and I would really love if there was more about that to come, which would really make the book stand out as more unique. The last 10 chapters most certainly picked up the pace and that was where all the real action took place, but unfortunately a lot of the good stuff (aka murdery business) took place off the pages and just mentioned later.

My absolute favorite thing about the book (besides the gorgeous cover!) was the correlation between the title and the content of the book. I don't know if I have ever encountered a book that had such a perfect title that was so meaningful. Theo's mother was the Fire Queen, and Theo has now been demeaningly named "Ash Princess" and the crown she is forced to wear was such a cool imagery. That alone made the book relevant to me.

Overall this was an ok book which has potential to develop into something more to come. I will pick up the second book in what I believe is a trilogy, and I just happened to spy at the second book on Goodreads and the cover is so incredibly gorgeous!

Visit me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ for more book stuff

This was such an amazing book. At first I thought it went a little too fast and I got a little lost but then I got myself caught up and wow did it grab me from beginning to end!!!

I am a lover of fantasy and paranormal books. This book has a lot of potential. This book was given as an ARC to read but because of some craziness in my life I have just now finished reading it.
The premise of Theodosia the orphaned heir to the throne left to live in the country that was once run by her Mother who was killed by the current ruler. Thora which is her Ash princess name while living as the true heir to the throne but kept a live for various political reasons.
She develops a friendship with her arch enemies daughter Crescentia who is her playmate growing up, and the King's son Soren.
I dont want to give a lot away but the premise is that throughout the story Theodosia starts to find her identity and starts to gain allies from her Mother's lost kingdom. Allies who are ready to fight for their freedom and destroy the evil king who has their people in slavery in the mines.
Theres a lot of characters in this book. Some of the lesser known characters start come forth by the end of the book that offer another dimension. My hope is that all these characters dont cause the book to lose focus.
I really want to know more about the gemstones and their power. I didn't totally understand that. I also need more focus on Theodosia being a true heir of the God of fire. I need that to be explained more and I believe the author to clear up some of those issues because that has so much potential.
I'm looking forward to the second book in this series and that a lot of my questions are answered.

I’ve read a long string of books one after the other lately so I needed a good fantasy book. Ash Princess was the book I needed. It was a great first book in the serious. Laura Sebastian did a great job of creating a world and letting you know how it worked. She introduced complex characters and showed you their personalities. All these things mixed in with a great Young Adult Fantasy. I have had my eye on this book for some time and decided to pick it up needing, as I said, a good fantasy. You can feel the fear and struggle with what is the right thing in every move Theodosa makes. In the beginning she just wants to live but when she is forced to do a horrible thing it changes everything. She struggles with who she has been taught to be and the Queen she is supposed to be for her people. Its such and great start to a story I can’t wait to finish. Now that I’ve read this one I’m dying for the next in the series Lady Smoke not out until next year. I don’t want to wait.

Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: I am a die-hard fantasy fan and this one hit it off early on.

Do I Recommend this book? YES if you love darker themed stories this one is for you!

Notes and Opinions: Color me sold with this very dark and dangerous fantasy. I think this one could have gone even darker but as it sits it was so amazing and I couldn't put it down. This one has it all magic, amazing characters, and some wonderful world building.

The world building to this one was great. We get a rundown of the magic and the gods in this world as well as a little backstory on what happened. I would love a prequel to this one about Theo's mom and her rule. Or even further back. The author did a fabulous job making this world come to life and I never felt that it was info dumping or confusing me.


The magic in this one was new (at least from what books I have read). I love reading about new creatures and new magic. So many authors just use the same old thing with a slight twist and this one didn't do that. The magic in this one was spot on and worked well. It was easy to follow but also still had that mystery surrounding it where you know that they don't know everything about their magic. It really made it feel vibrant, new, and amazing.

The characters in this one were great. I do think that this would have made a very good dual POV with Theo and Soren but as it sits it was still wonderful. I really loved Theo she was put into a situation where everything was her fault even though it wasn't. I don't think I would have been strong enough to be whipped again and again. She was strong and fierce and a survivor. I am excited to see what happens in book two Lady Smoke. As for the light love triangle (yes there is one) I really enjoyed it. It was done very well and I again can't wait to see what is going to happen with it. At the end of this book, you find something out about one of her loves. And I am very interested to see how that plays out.

At the end of this one, I think that this one overall could have been much darker. This being a higher young adult story I think that the author could have gone all out with the darkness and really make us readers scream. But as it sits I still really loved it. It was pretty much perfect in my eyes. It was still plenty dark and had such an amazing world. If you like darker stories this one is for you!




Go Into This One Knowing: Murder, Plots, Magic, Punishments (whipping), no cliffhanger, slight love triangle

I read this book as part of the 24 in 48 readathon and it was actually a surprise for me. Ever since I've seen the cover I've been intrigued by this book, and I'm glad I got to read it.

Ash Princess tells the story of Theodora, the rightful heir to the Astrean throne, as she struggles to stay alive at the court of her family's murderers. Theo hasn't had an easy life, with regular beatings, daily humiliations and even a name change. Because of course her captors wouldn't allow her to have her own name. The worst part comes right at the beginning of the book, when the king forces her to do something even worse: to take a life.

The thing I liked most about Theodora is her inner struggle. Because Kalovaxians force her to be Thora, while her fellow Astreans want her to be Theodora, and she herself has no idea who she is. The conflict Thora-Theo-Theodora is seen throughout the book until the very end, and it's a conflict I enjoyed a lot. Neither Thora nor Theo are fully formed, and Theodora is almost like another character, someone plucked from the history books. I wonder if this will be addressed in the upcoming books. Thora is a Kalovaxian, but even as a Kalovaxian she is being tortured. Because she's not allowed to forget that she's not a born Kalovaxian. When I think about it, she's probably the most mistreated Kalovaxian and at the same time the Astrean with the best treatment. And that is a conflict I truly enjoyed.

The duality of her situation is seen even in the love triangle she finds herself in. Although I'm not a fan of the fact that she is a part of a love triangle, I can't help but wonder which part of her is in love with whom: Is it the Kalovaxian young lady in love with Prinz Søren and the future Astrean queen is in love with Blaise, her childhood friend, or is it the other way around? And the conflict doesn't stop there. I found a lot of scenes in which it popped up, and it's probably what I loved most about the book.

The plot isn't as fast moving as I wanted, but it was perfect for the story. Had it been fast paced I probably wouldn't have believed the events and Theo's inner conflict were genuine. It isn't until towards the end that things start moving faster and faster, and she discovers a lot of things she never even knew about herself and her family.

Love triangle aside, I truly enjoyed this book and I'm very curious to see what will happen next.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's Delacorte Press for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

DNF at 5%. This book was just not for me. At 5% in, I was incredulous that 1) the kingdom with Guardians who wielded TREMENDOUS magical powers was so easily taken by the barbarians to the North, who had been ruthlessly making their way through other kingdoms to get to them. Seriously, no trying to prepare to defend against attack? Where the HECK were all of the Guardians when their Queen was getting her throat slashed by the barbarian leader? They were all trying to foment and lead a "rebellion" after they were taken over, but if they were fighting initially, shouldn't they have died in battle?

2) Ok, I can see making the bad guys lily white, blonde haired and blue eyed, but to call the leader the Kaiser and to use other Germanic words to describe them and their culture? And to have the poor suppressed people be "tawny" and "dark"? SERIOUSLY?!? In this day and age? If this is a new world, fantasy, make one group purple and the other green!! Don't play into stereotypes, on both sides! Of course, if the baddies were all swarthy and dark and the good guys all white and blonde, then I guess it would have gone the other way with the SERIOUSLY. But come on now. Find a new solution. Cuz this one isn't working.

3) The MC. SHE WAS SO WHINY. I get it, I GET IT. In order to have character growth, she needs to have some place to start from. But she was just SO unlikeable. Waiting for someone to rescue HER. Really? Cuz SHE'S the one who is in the castle and close to the biggest baddie of them all. She is a LOT closer to being able to deal with him than anyone else.

I didn't read far enough into this to get to the love triangle, but from other reviews, it appears there is one. Not my fav YA trope.

Yes, I only read 5% of this book, so my issues might have been resolved further into the story, but I really did not feel called to read more of this. Since I only read 5%, no star rating, I don't think that is fair, but a review is warranted, if only to remind myself in the future why I didn't go past that point.

Not the book for me, but it may be for you. One of the great things about people is we are all different, so what might float my boat may not for you and vice versa. Don't let my review discourage you if you wish to read the book. I hope you enjoy it more than I did.

Couldn't release review on NetGalley without a star rating. My apologies, it is a 1 star. Review on GoodReads as well, no star rating. GR wouldn't let me add the link.

5 stars to ASH PRINCESS.

I was completely blown away by Ash Princess. I adored the slow burn of Theo's revolution within herself, and was constantly surprised by the twists the story took. The ending took my breath away, not just for its unexpectedness but also for its ruthlessness and how it showed that Theo had, indeed, experienced a full character arc.

There are striking images throughout the book (including the ash crown) and seeds planted that I cannot wait to see blossom in later books in the series. Overall, I'm hooked and excited by this new story and adventure, and cannot wait to see how everything unfolds.