Ash Princess is one of those YA Fantasy stories that lives up to the hype. I have seen it roaming around the book community more and more. The plot is well thought out, and the characters are incredible.

It's a combination of the tropes that we encounter in YA fantasy, such as evil monarchs, warring kingdoms, and love triangles. Interestingly, the cover is also similar to that of Glass Sword. Come to think of it, Ash Princess is reminiscent of Red Queen.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.

I liked this title! But, I do like stories like this one.

The heroine is strong and actually grows through the book (wonderful!), but she is a little cliche. Her background and story, even her personality a little, are reminiscent of so many other wonderful YA heroines.

I would recommend for fans of Sarah Maas.

There’s a lot to like about Sebastian’s Ash Princess. A heroine who actually grows! And interesting premise! Court intrigue! Unfortunately, what Sebastian does well is undermined by a lot of things I didn’t like.

The weakest parts of the novel are the ones that lean too heavily on tropes. Dead parents? Eh. A love triangle? Give me a break. Abused protagonist? Sigh. I guess. I guess the issue is that the author has good things going for her. Theo is a good character. And she makes interesting, believable choices. But the parts are not greater than its whole. Whoever did the editing on this really let this debut author down.

But that ending? Damn. I’d read it for the ending alone.

As a child, Theo saw her mother the queen killed and her people enslaved. Shay is held captive by the evil lord and his court for years. She must work with the rebellion to save her people. This a very dark fantasy. This normally not my taste but I think it was done well. I definitely have cover love. Thank you to Random House Children's Publishing for the ARC of this title via NetGalley.

Ash Princess follows the typical story of a princess whose kingdom was stolen from her as a child and now she's trying to fight for it back, BUT it is well executed with some great characters. I was hooked from the beginning.

Since her kingdom was overthrown when she was a child, Theo has been raised under the cruelties of the Kaiser and publicly punished any time her people rebel. Because of this she's a very broken character. She's played the role of meek captive for the last ten years, but when the Kaiser takes things too far, she decides it's time to fight.

But everything isn't black and white. Yes, these people are her enemies, but can she betray the one friend who has actually been kind to her? And maybe the Kaiser's son isn't quite so bad. Then there's her own people who don't quite trust her after years of seeing her bow down to the Kaiser.

I really enjoyed this. It's a bit darker and the characters are damaged, and I just loved it.

"My mother was known as the Fire Queen, regal and strong. But I am the Ash Princess, a living joke."

From the get-go, I want you to know that this book isn't very original. It's a combination of the tropes that we encounter in YA fantasy, such as evil monarchs, warring kingdoms, and love triangles. Interestingly, the cover is also similar to that of Glass Sword. Come to think of it, Ash Princess is reminiscent of Red Queen. With all that said, you're probably confused why I gave this book a high rating.

Basically, I enjoyed Ash Princess because it utilized some tropes in a way that did not make me feel jaded. For example, I usually hate love triangles because I cannot fathom how they can happen in real life. So I was pleasantly surprised that the romance in this book was plausible and entertaining. The tension between Theo, Soren, and Blaise made the plot seem fast-paced because I couldn't wait to know whom Thora ended up with. I won't tell you who's my bias; just know that my ship didn't exactly sail.

Another thing I liked was Thora's character development. Because of the decade of suffering that she had to endure, Thora was already strong at the beginning of the novel. In fact, her only weakness was that she was resigned to her fate as the Ash Princess. However, as the story progressed, she gradually became determined to save herself and her oppressed people. In light of all the expectations on her shoulders, it was hard to believe that Thora was only 16 years old.

The last virtue of this book was its unfiltered exploration of colonialism. In a way, Kalovaxia reminded me of the global powers that conquered and pillaged the resources of Asia. As someone whose country was "improved" by "benevolent" nations, I found myself invested in the story. I really appreciated how this novel depicted the funny thing about colonialism: more often than not, the colonizers are the actual "barbarians." It's interesting how fantasy novels like this can teach you something about real history.

As I implied earlier, my sole complaint was the lack of originality. I probably shouldn't have picked up this book while reading Glass Sword because it made me notice the similarities between their protagonists. Thora, like Mare, was having an identity crisis. And Soren, like Cal, was a prince turning against his own kingdom. To be fair, Thora was a more likable heroine than Mare. (I'm sorry for that unintentional rhyme. Hahaha.)

To conclude, I gave Ash Princess 4 stars because of its entertaining and educational content. I wasn't pleased that it was similar to the Red Queen series, but thankfully, jadedness did not entirely hamper my enjoyment of the book. I'm confident that the sequel, Lady Smoke, will be much better.

Ash Princess was a surprisingly dark and heavy book that I actually found difficult to read at times. I do appreciate that Sebastian tried to stay true to the reality of colonization but this book relies heavily on some of the darker aspects. If you’re thinking of reading this one, there are trigger warnings for physical and psychological abuse and rape.

At the beginning of Ash Princess, Theodora, or Thora, is entirely complacent after a lifetime of beatings and abuse by the man who conquered her country. Known as the “Ash Princess,” Theo is kept alive only at the whims of the Kalovaxian invaders. Her people are enslaved and their lands slowly pillaged and destroyed. Then, the Kaiser forces Theo to do the unthinkable. Destroyed by her actions and uncaring of what it will cost, Theo begins to plot her revenge.

I wasn’t quite able to connect with the characters or the story. This is entirely a “it’s me, not you” thing so I do think that a lot of readers are going to love this book. Theo was an interesting character and I enjoyed it when she finally started to stand up for herself. I did like how Sebastian explored empowerment, particularly because Theo’s rebellion was more intellectual than physical.

The love triangle didn’t really work for me. I thought that the story with one love interest was significantly more compelling and layered than the other. The choices that Theo ultimately has to make were heart-breaking and I’m intrigued to see their repercussions. I also liked how Sebastian portrayed Theo’s inner conflict between her duty to her people versus her desire to protect herself.

Ash Princess was dark and brutal but still engaging. It wasn’t quite my cup of tea but I think many readers will love this one. I will probably continue with the series, I’m interested in seeing where the author takes the story next.

Thora’s had everything taken from her, and has survived the only way she can. She has lived under her conqueror’s thumb, taking all the punishment and humiliation he doles out without even making an attempt to fall back. But that all ends when the Kaiser goes to far. Ash Princess is an engrossing tale that hooks you from the beginning. Can’t wait for the next installment.

Overall, I found Ash Princess pretty enjoyable. I can't say that this will win any awards for originality but it was fast-paced and kept you engaged

How thrilled I was when I finally made it to the end of this book. It took me a while to finish this because I never wanted to continue reading it. I can't even tell you how many times I wanted to just quit it. I was just so bored and didn't like ANY of the characters except for one. The plot was nothing new at all. Which in itself isn't a bad thing if it's done right. This just wasn't. I will say that is well written, so there's that.

I hated Theo. I really did. She was immature, naive, and annoying. I really liked Soren. He was such an honest and good guy. Okay, yes, he killed a lot of people and turned a blind eye to horrors being done. But what do you want a teenage boy to do? I did kind of like Theo's (only) friend Cress. Cress was there almost from the beginning for her and I was looking forward to seeing how that would go. So imagine my surprise when it all changed and all of a sudden Cress was the enemy. I really disliked what was done between those two.

The synopsis pretty much explains what this book is about. After being forced to kill for the first time, Theo will never be the same. And with the appearance of three allies, she is determined to take back the kingdom. With nothing but this group of four teenagers, mind you. To do this, Theo plans to seduce the prince and murder him. Framing his father and causing a rift in her oppressors. What she never plans on is falling for Soren, or having him be so different from his father. Torn between responsibility to her people and her own feelings, she struggles with herself. But in the end she makes her choice.

I most definitely will not be reading the rest of this series. First because I loathe love triangles, and second because I hate Theo.

This title has a strong female lead that will hook the reader to her story. It was a well written story that is sure to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

I'm going to be honest and say that I really wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did. I don't really know why, exactly, but I know going into it, I didn't think I would fall in love with these characters and this story as much as I did.

Theo's story absolutely broke my heart. She has been through so much crap over her short life, and she has seen so much tragedy that I couldn't help but to feel protective over her. I wanted so badly for her to rise from the ashes (pun intended) and put these horrible people in their rightful place (on their knees begging for mercy).

I want to touch briefly on the ending...HOLY SHIT! I mean, I really didn't see that one thing coming with a certain character! I know it's a set up for things to come in the next book and I can pretty much say that it'll be INTENSE!

Ash Princess was an action packed book that I won't soon forget, I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

This is a title for those who enjoy girls finding their power, women doing things, and intrigue. It’s light on romance, but that’s appropriate for the tone of the novel as a whole - it doesn’t feel shippy, and in this case I think that’s a good thing.

It’s worth a try, but beware of discussions of slavery and cruelty.

ASH PRINCESS has an eye-catching and marketable cover and title combination; however, I was drawn in by the back copy. I'm always looking for more vengeful women taking action and reclaiming what was stolen from them. Theodosia's story sounded promising.

However, ASH PRINCESS suffers from poor pacing and underdeveloped characters. Theodosia spends the novel wavering between her two identities, the captured and tortured Lady versus the figurehead and rightful Queen. She doesn't fully become one or the other until the last page. Along with a cliched reveal, the rushed development at the end of the novel sets the story up for the sequel.

Despite those issues, ASH PRINCESS will delight fans of political intrigue and love triangles. Theodosia still has a long way to go, and the ending promises a stronger sequel.

Although the story has been told many times (royalty trying to regain her throne with a love triangle), I thought this was slightly different in that the author brings lots of emotion in to the story line. Also, she has magic, but doesn't want to use it. I really enjoyed the story. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

Ash Princess is the first installment in debut author Laura Sebastian's Ash Princess trilogy. 16-year old Theodosia Eirene Housara is the main protagonist for this series. When she was 6-years old, her country was invaded and conquered quickly by Kalovaxians. The Kalovaxians executed the Queen, who just happened to be Theo's mother, took away Theo's name and title, & renamed her Thora or the Ash Princess.

Thora is a clear reminder for her people that the Kaiser defeated them quickly, and he can do anything he chooses to continue to enslave them. Thora refuses to make any waves. She takes lashings every time one of her people, Astreans', rebels or fights back against the tyrannical rule of the Kaiser. She believes that if she angers the Kaiser, he will no longer have any use for her and kill her. Theo's body shows the signs of torture she has faced for the past 10 years.

How anyone is able to continue to live through such mental and emotional abuse is one of the reasons I choose to keep my review where it is. Theo must wear an Ash crown every time there is an important event she is forced to attend. Even though she is the rightful Queen of Astrea, Thora has pretty much given up hope that anyone will save her. That is until she is forced to kill one of the last people in the world she thought would be able to save her from her imprisonment, and the boy from her past who she had lost all hope of ever seeing again.

Theo's only friend is Crescentia. But, Cress's father isn't innocent of what happened to Theo or her Kingdom. While their relationship is the only thing that really gives Theo hopes of continuing to breathe, it's not something one should hang their hat on. Ash Princess has the most obviously love triangle you can find in any book. There is Theo's childhood friend and first love Blaise, and then there's Søren, the boy who will one day be Kaiser. There is no such thing as the perfect romance. It is what comes when the final page of the series is turned and the protagonist chooses who she wants to spend her HEA with.

This is a curious land. It is a land where Spiritgems used to be sacred things, before Astrea was conquered by the Kalovaxians who thought they could use them for power and magic. The gems came from the caves that ran beneath the four major temples— one for each of the four major gods and goddesses of fire, air, water, and earth. Before the siege, the devout would spend years in the cave of the god or goddess they swore allegiance to. Now, the Kalovaxians use the Spiritgems as fashion accessories and to show their status in this society while Theo's people slave away in deep caves.

We've all read this sort of story before (Red Queen, An Ember in the Ashes), and we'll read it again because the Young Adult Fantasy genre is red hot right now according to most publishers you talk to. It is a story about a girl who loved her Kingdom, her mother, her status, and her reason for living until it was abruptly taken away from her. Girl chooses to fight back for her Kingdom using the resources at hand. A prince who would be Kaiser, a former best friend who is still alive, and Astrean Guardians who know she is the true Queen of the land.

Oh yes, let's add this to ensure I cover all the bases:

Trigger/Content Warnings for racism, enslaving humans, abuse, torture, graphic beating, humiliation, captivation, gore, murder, death, loss of a loved one, bullying, talk of rape in the past, talk of animal murder in the past, sexual assault (unwanted touching), and rebellion/war themes.

Series Overview: Spring 2018: Ash Princess (Bk 1); Spring 2019: Lady Smoke (Bk 2); Spring 2020: Ember Queen (Bk 3)

This is a dark fantasy with political intrigue, action, spying, and a love triangle. After the first few chapters, the plot and pacing of Ash Princess really picked up for me. I was hesitant at first due to other review regarding the violent content of the book, but it is a story about a country that has been invaded and enslaved for the past ten years. Main plot points are the war atrocities and political moves done to ensure power is held by the Kaiser and he is a cruel and manipulative man. Theo wants to save her people and slowly realizes that as their queen, she is going to have to do a number of things that will sit on her conscience for the rest of her life. The story does seem like other YA books, but I did enjoy it and will most likely continue the series. Fans of the Fallen Kingdom series might enjoy this (especially Magnus and Cleo shippers).
TW: abuse: physical/emotional/mental; Mentions: rape; there aren’t any rape/attempted rape scenes but as this is a country invaded and successfully conquered, it is mentioned by characters during conversation. The author recently discussed her use of violent themes on her Twitter account.

It's a little like other young adult fantasy books that I've read, but I really enjoyed this book! Now I'm just dying to read the next one in the series!

Ash Princess follows Theo as she struggles to reclaim her throne after the Kaiser takes over. For ten years, Theo watches as her land is taken over and her people are suffering. After the Kaiser forces her to do something unthinkable, Theo has had enough and is ready to reclaim her throne.

What an addicting read. Can't wait for the next one!