This book was a solid fantasy debut. There are some pretty heavy topics brought up in this that I don’t see in most young adult fantasies. Theo was an interesting protagonist that had to make some morally difficult decisions. Tho her storytelling wasn’t the best and sometimes I got bored of her whining tones. Soren I liked the most and hope his story isn’t dark in the sequel. Over all I really did like this one and am excited to read the sequel in 2019!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review
4.5 stars
It took me a little bit to get into the whole story line, just with the world building and learning the characters, but it drew me in about 20% in. Interesting concepts with the gems. Great ending! I hope the next books release gets bumped up! I don't want to have to wait a year to continue in this world.

Review date: April 20
Review link: https://dulivre.blogspot.com/2018/04/book-review-ash-princess.html
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4 stars

Plot: Ash Princess had my attention from the start as it introduced Theo (or Thora). Theo was the only survivor of the royal family during an invasion and was kept around to be abused, tortured, and remind her people that they were subservient to their Kalovaxian attackers. After years of physical and verbal abuse, Theo had learned to keep her head down until a childhood friend sought her out to lead a rebellion.

Ash Princess was a slower paced adventure but I couldn't put it down for one second. Sebastian gave ample background to the setting and conflicts without having to resort to infodumping. Each chapter included pieces from Theo's past which helped the reader put the pieces together without losing interest in the current happenings.

While the overall plot sounds pretty black and white and typical to YA fantasy readers, know that the execution set Ash Princess apart from other fantasy novels. While reading this, I couldn't help but compare As Princess to The Winner's Curse because it explored power dynamics and the fallout of war. Know that this book does not hold back, it will upset you and it does not shy away from hurting characters, as is expected in war.

Characters: To all of my character-driven readers, this one is for you! Ash Princess examined a truly vulnerable character and acknowledged her emotional side and explored the repercussions of her actions. When the book opened, she was in a broken state as she suffered abuse and insults daily from her invaders who were living in her castle and killing her people. As the story continued, Theo began to explore a different side of her and actually embody the queen that she thought her mom would have imagined for her. What was unique about Theo was that she had three identities that she had to play, there was Thora, the broken and meek ash princess; there was Theo, the girl before the Kalovaxian invasion; and finally there was Theododosia, queen and liberator of her people. I was drawn to Theo's depth and I think most readers will root for her from the start; I think Theo may be one of my favorite YA princesses.

I mentioned earlier that this was almost a five-star read, but damn if that love triangle wasn't exhausting. Theo committed to murdering Prinz Soren to cause internal conflict within the Kalovaxians, but of course, she started to fall for him as they spent time together. Then there was Blaise, her fellow rebel and childhood best friend. If the love triangle were more in the background, I wouldn't have minded as much, but almost every chapter had Theo sizing the male leads up and flip-flopping on her feelings. In my opinion, one half of the love triangle felt shoed in as that potential coupling didn't have as much chemistry, but I guess we'll see how this plays out in the sequel.

Worldbuilding: I am a major sucker for languages and it always excites me when authors explore the language and dialects used in their worlds because it adds another level of depth to the world. I would love to see all of the research and paperwork that went into creating the world of the Ash Princess because it was done so well! Sebastian gave her characters customs and expressions which helped make all of the characters three dimensional. I also liked that Sebastian hinted at the relationships between other kingdoms and I can't wait to see that explored further.

Short N Sweet: The characters made Ash Princess memorable and I can't wait to see how their story continues in Lady Smoke.

I really hoped I would like this book. I'm trying to get into YA fantasy, but I didn't like anything about it. I DNF'd at about the 50% mark, so I won't leave a review.

This book is one of the best books I have read all year. I am practically salivating waiting for the next one. Do you want drama and intrigue? Amazing world building? A character you can connect with? A departure from the normal style of writing or storyline? This is it for you. I can’t urge you enough to read this amazing book.

This type of YA book is extremely hit or miss for me. I am always on the lookout for my next crazy high - the thrills, the rollercoaster, the romance - but it seems like there's a special kind of magic that must exist in order for it to work for me. I can't even put my finger on what that is - but unfortunately, whatever it is, this book lacked it for me.

It started out strong. The writing style worked for me and I was drawn into the story pretty quickly. And then it stalled out just as quickly. There's so much of it that worked for me - I love the concept of the "princess of ash", and the sort of brutal, mentally and emotionally abusive situation Thora/Theo found herself in. I love the idea of forbidden love in the midst of madness, and how dangerous everything felt - how even I didn't know who to trust the entire time I read it.

I didn't love...Thora/Theo. Maybe I would have grown to love her, but there was something about how this was set up that made her grate on my nerves. I wanted more mettle. I wanted more fire. I wanted spirit. Add that to the fact that the storyline was heading in a direction that I knew would not work for me (love triangle/deceptive seduction) and I decided that this one just wasn't for me.

I think I'm burning out on "princesses trying to regain their kingdoms" plots. This is really well written and it has so many aspects I should like, but it never really kept my attention.

Theo is seriously injured in this book-- she is whipped, her mother is killed in front of her, she definitely knows cruelty. This was a cool aspect, because usually they are kept above painful experiences. This I did believe.
I also thought the people being used to mine gems which grant people additional power was a somewhat unique aspect. The mine making people crazy and how the gems relate to their religion. All interesting cool aspects.

And, like I said previously, I think it was written really well. Even though I wasn't entirely interested I did read a ton of the book in sittings. I was grabbed by anything, but the writing was easy to follow and set a decent pace allowing me to run through pages without realizing.

The thing is, I'm tired of princesses who are hyped to being strong and badass, even though they don't fight, and then I read the book and they do pretty much nothing. Yeah, Theo is strong willed and amazing for still being sane in her position-- I won't take that from her. But, I thought she was going to end up being a great strategist or sneaky to do what she must, but... no. She does act to get a rise out certain people, but I didn't feel like it was enough. I wanted her to be successful with something and instead what I figured would happen did.

Also, LOVE TRIANGLE! Because at this point I see who might end up with her and it makes me so frustrated. It isn't that I dislike either candidates, but I definitely prefer one over the other. I won't say more in case it is a spoiler, but I'm frustrated with love triangles, especially when it looks like the cliched guy will win her heart.

That all being said, I might read the sequel, or wait until the trilogy is over. I will recommend this to others, people who like the Winner's Curse, Red Queen, and Everless.

I received an ARC from #NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Ash Princess is a story of girl who was captured as a young girl and who by the end is a woman desperately fighting to take back her people and her throne.
I have to say that this book kind of just dragged me into the story. Theo in the beginning is not the most compelling character but she grows into a heroine. She goes from meek prisoner to a woman standing up for herself and making people listen to her. She becomes a complex character that I cannot wait to read more of. I do have to put a note in here about the fact there is quite a bit of abuse scattered throughout the book. Theo has lived in abusive household and carries those scars with her. Final note on the story is that while I generally don't like the romance I feel like this one was a bit more nuanced than some of the others I have read lately. Theo grew up due to the romance elements in the book. It makes her a better heroine in my opinion.
Laura Sebastian does a great job with building a world without overloading the reader with information at the very beginning of the book as well.

Wow. What a great book!

Thora is known as the Ash Princess in her conquered kingdom. Tortured for years under the cruel Kaiser, she waits for the day when she’ll finally be rescued and her people free again. However, when she’s forced to do the unthinkable, she realizes the time for waiting is over and starts to use her mind and wits to thwart the Kaiser within his court. The more she uncovers, the more she realizes she–and her people–are running out of time. Betrayal is found around every corner and Theo must learn to trust the right people if she wants to survive.

This was a great, fast paced, YA fantasy! I was hooked from the start. It was really refreshing to see a Fantasy heroine using her mind rather than any special power or physical force to get what she wants. I think we need more of that! Thora or Theo, as she’s later called, was really leakable and I completely related to her on so many levels, as I’m sure many readers will. She’s not the one to go running into danger and often has to convince herself to step into it. I know that’s me all the way.

The supporting characters were great. I loved Theo’s complicated relationship with Cress. I was torn about it through the whole novel. And although there was that dreaded love triangle, I think it was done in such a way that really has me conflicted over who to root for. Some moments I was leaning toward Soren while others, Blaise. They’re both wonderfully tortured and complex characters in themselves and you know me with those tortured characters!

The plot was super tense in all the right ways. Danger loomed around every move and I found myself holding my breath not realizing I was doing so, anxiously waiting to see if my favorite characters would get caught.

I loved the world building and the distinction between the different cultures. I think Ms. Sebastian was able to create some wonderful traditions and societies in her writing. She’s really built a solid foundation that I think will have a huge resonance in the following installments.

I’m anxiously waiting the sequel and can’t wait to have it in my hands! YA Fantasy at its best!

I enjoyed Ash Princess. It is a fantasy YA novel with dark themes, a trope-y triangle romance (which I usually dislike, but didn’t mind here), and a heroine who isn’t a typical “fighter.” I will say that this one is a slow build, and there is a bunch of “world building” that is less setting and more how the characters are connected and their motivations against one another. It’s all necessary of course, but if you’re looking for a quick paced read this is not it. You really marinate in the happenings first.

I think I like our heroine, Theo (I will call her nothing else at the moment), so much, because she was a blossoming thinker. She plotted and planned with the characters that were on her side. Her growth is slow, but it’s happening. I also liked some of the other characters even if they weren’t meant to be loved. I don’t want to say much, because I think so many of the characters will surprise you that you should just see for yourself.

I’d also like to say that whether intentional or not this author kind of weaves a moral question in. Like can you blame someone for their actions when they honestly do no think that they are wrong? If you’ve been raised one way of thinking all of your life and it’s never been opposed, can you be faulted. Of course until you learn the truth, then the answer changes. I think this is a question we get an answer to multiple sides of. Enjoyed thinking about it even if it wasn’t an intentional point.

Ok who do I recommend this to... maybe people who don’t read fantasy YA all of the time. I don’t and this was a good read for me. I’m actually excited to see what’s to come in the next book. But if you do read lots of fantasy YA, I would still recommend this... maybe if you liked the show Reign? I honestly felt like this was that in the aspects of the court and the lead heroine who is trying to find her way while being oppressed and bullied by a character with more power than she has. Throw in some partially understood magic, and more blood/abuse, and you have Ash Princess.

When Theodosia was just a child, she witnessed the murder of her mother, the Queen of Astrea, at invaders’ hands. Those invaders took her country and killed or enslaved all of her people. For the next ten years, Theo was the Kaiser’s puppet – trotted out at banquets wearing a crown made of ash or enduring cruel beatings to represent the oppression and obliteration of her people. But her time with the Kaiser in her old palace was not totally idle.

The whole time, Theo collected information about her enemies. So when a friend from her Astrean past shows up, Theo finds herself embroiled in the machinations of revolutionaries as she has to decide how much and who she is willing to sacrifice to save her people and recover her kingdom.

While this has a fairly typical YA fantasy premise, the execution was a bit different. Usually this sort of fantasy would go what I’m going to call the Throne of Glass route – lady warrior kicks a bunch of butt and saves the day against all odds. This was not that. Theo was more of a politician or a spy. She’s willing to do what she has to save her people, yes, but this book is all intrigue and plotting. The reader is kept on a knife’s edge as Theo and the people around her are constantly close to what is sure to be terrible death. The book manages to somehow be compulsively readable but also hard to read at the same time. I found it to be really intense in
the best way possible – I really cared about and for Theo and wanted the best for her and her people. The book ends on an intriguing note (though I found the epilogue to be weak and unnecessary and I hope it got axed before the book was published) which ensured that I’ll be back for the next installment.

I was expecting an enjoyable but generic YA fantasy, and was pleasantly surprised. It’s being marketed to readers of The Red Queen and/or An Ember in the Ashes, but in this reader’s opinion, this book is far superior to either of those. Ash Princess, if not completely original, is a brutal, intense book that I’ll be recommending to teen and adults who enjoy fantasy novels and spy thrillers. If you like your fantasy to be vicious with a healthy side of political intrigue, check this one out. 4 stars – I really liked it.

Thanks to Delacourte Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for the eARC which I received for review consideration. Ash Princess will be available for purchase on 24 April.

This was entertaining but it felt a little too heavily targeted towards readers of the Red Queen series. Even the cover looks like a copycat.

This review is in exchange for a free e-galley from netgalley.com.

An open letter to the author,

I cannot wait until next spring for the next book. I can’t. I refuse. I may die if I can’t read it sooner. How dare you end it with that cliffhanger? Seriously. What gives you the right to play with my heart in such a way? And then to make me wait until NEXT YEAR to find out what happens next? No. I refuse.

I’ve admittedly been in something of a reading slump for the past few months, which is why it took me so long to finally get around to reading this, but OH MY GOSH. It’s been a long time since I read a book this fast. I was reading in a bath and I read so long the water got cold. That’s probably some major TMI, but I wanted to say: thank you. I needed that escape.

Summary

For fans of Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen and Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes, Ash Princess is an epic new fantasy about a throne cruelly stolen and a girl who must fight to take it back for her people.

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.

First Impressions

The cover is amazing, don’t you agree? It’s so beautiful and it’s very fitting for the plot.

The summary also really caught my attention because it had some of my favorite things: strong female character, court drama, and MAGIC.

Plot

Besides the clear set up for a love triangle (which I personally am not a fan of) there was nothing I could complain about. I find love triangles to be overrated and over used, if it were up to me, books wouldn’t have romance period. But I know I’m something of an outlier so I shan’t hold that against anyone.

There was a large cast of characters, but they were all fleshed out and introduced slowly enough that I never had any trouble telling them apart.

As I mentioned in my letter to the author, there was a pretty major plot twist near the end which only served to make me more interested in the next book.

Not a lot happened (plot wise) in the first part of the book, but that doesn’t mean nothing happened. It served well to introduce everything that was to come and have you get to know all the characters and their motivations.

Overall: 5/5 Stars

This was a fantastic debut novel! It was long, but I enjoyed the pacing and build up to the upcoming installments!

The beginning extremely brutal, as you are just thrust into Theo's world. Some points were difficult to read, but that really helped me as a reader understand exactly what Theo grew up experiencing. As the book progressed, we get to see her grow and mature, which really was a treat. She uses her wit, and intelligence to get ahead and that was refreshing to read.

Dear Theodosia, what to say to you?
Hamilton lyrics aside (which played on repeat every time I picked up this book), I have a lot to say about Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian, which was one of my most anticipated releases of April.
After her country is invaded and her mother killed, the princess Theodosia has her name taken away, her identity dismantled, and her future changed forever. She is raised as Thora in the court that destroyed her county, best friends with the daughter of the man who killed her mother, and she is forced to pay the price for every rebellion that occurs among her people.
But Theodosia isn’t content to live this life anymore. And when she decides to act, the world better watch out.
Oh. Em. Gee. I have wanted to talk about this book with someone for a while now, and it’s been so hard to keep from gushing about this book because SPOILERS! I absolutely loved everything, from the overarching plot down to the littlest description. I’m not going to lie: I was reading this one during my lunch break, and this book made it really hard to get back to work.
First off, the plot. Give me a story about lost and/or fallen princess and I am here for this! Throw in a rebellion and I’m sold. Needless to say, this book promised both of these and I was in it from the beginning.
As I dove into these pages, Ash Princess held my interest. Not only was the story itself intriguing, but the imagery Laura Sebastian presents is a fantastic mix of beauty and darkness. One of my favorite parts that caught me early in the book was when Thora was dressing for dinner. She is presented with a crown from the Kaiser, one she is commanded to wear, and it is modeled to be like the one her mother, the queen, once wore. “But while my mother’s crown was wrought from black gold and set with rubies, the one the Kaiser sends me is molded from ashes, and as soon as it is in place, it begins to crumble, streaking my hair, skin, and dress. My mother was known as the Fire Queen, regal and strong. But I am the Ash Princess, a living joke.” Moments like this one fill this book, and I’m pretty sure I bookmarked every other page to point out lines I loved and ones that hit me right in the feels.
And the characters! I have so much love for these characters, because my emotions were everywhere with them. Nothing was black and white. Everyone felt complex, and I was never really sure where my alliances as I reader should lie. As for Theodosia herself, can we all take a moment to appreciate one of the most Slytherin characters I have ever read?
I honestly could go on about this book for pages, and for those of you anticipating this release, you won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait until a physical copy of this beautiful book (inside and out!) graces my bookshelf. Laura Sebastian, I look forward to the next part!

I tried. I really tried but I just couldn't get into it. The story just wasn't catching me.

I liked this book a lot more than I was even expecting to. Theo/Thora was a unique take on the fantasy lead female role. She harbored a lot of inner anger that she was never able to release. By the end of this book, we see it degrade her slowly. That is a bold move for an author: making the character deteriorate throughout the novel to the point where I don't even actually like her at the end.
That doesn't mean I didn't like the book though - which I received for free in exchange for my honest review through NetGalley. Once I started reading it, I was hooked in by the amazing characters, their development, and the Soren-Theo romance. I am team Soren all the way: from the first moment we saw them meet. I don't care for the "boy I grew up with so I must be with him" characters. (I hated Aspen in The Selection series also.) So I couldn't care less about the romantic aspect of Theo's relationship with what's-his-name.
The ending...this was controversial to me. I didn't like Theo at that point. She had made so many decisions that made me doubt her earlier sincerity that I stopped connecting with her. As I said before, I think this is related to the sheer amount of anger and hate she had pent up and it isn't sudden. It's very gradual. So either, we are witnessing the making of a villain or this girl is heading for a smackdown. Either way, I am all in for book 2!

At times, I feel like YA Fantasy is just an excuse to create bland characters and a recycled and watered down plot to make it palatable to middle grade to high school non-readers. The ingredients are starting to look similar: 1) unique snowflake princess in a bad situation; 2) One or two (triangle) love interests, typically one in power and one in the rebel/opposite social strata; 3) Princess will develop a power or learn a powerful secret about her heritage that she was inexplicably clueless about all her life; 4) love interests fall all over her for no particular reason other than 'insta luv'; 5) the story will be drawn out over three books when there really was not enough in the plot to make one.

With Ash Princess, we have the formulaic plot that made series like Red Queen popular; don't think too hard into the plot or characters and just read this as one eats a Twinkie: sweet but not filling. If you aren't demanding and looking for a time waster, this is as good as any. But it is hard to recommend Ash Princess when it is so shallowly written and plotted.

Story: Princess Theo has been continually tortured and humiliated for years - since the day the Kaiser came and destroyed her kingdom, killer her mother the Queen, and kept her as a pet. Barely just surviving, she has made friends with her enemies and chokes down her pride under the demeaning court of the Kaiser. But a rebel has escaped and wants her to help create a rebellion. Her task: seduce Prinz, son of the Kaiser, who has a good heart and abhors his father's cruelty. It's a dangerous objective - can she pull it off under the Kaiser's nose?

First and foremost, I knew I would have problems with yet another 'tell and don't ever show' type of story. We're told that Theo is whipped often, put down daily, and if she doesn't tow the line as the Kaiser's pet, more of her people will die. Yet Theo's characterization is pretty much any normal teenager. Daily whipping threats have as much gravity as a teen fearing a high school physics exam. There was no psychological damage apparent and even her initial temerity and fear are quickly overcome and suddenly she's super woman. It was all so unbelievable and I have a hard time calling this 'dark' when it is so bland.

Then there is the usual "I have a secret ability I know nothing about" hiding in the wings. Of course her mother had magic and of course she has suppressed any abilities for fear of the Kaiser's punishment. And of course, a boy her age, a childhood best friend, will inspire her to find her 'inner strength' and rebel. It's all so trite and cliche.

The love interests fare no better in the plotting. Typical "prince with a heart of gold" was such an improbable person in the environment in which he was raised. He's the cool opposite, of course, of the hot headed rebel boy. I had a hard time not rolling my eyes when Theo is given the mission to seduce the prince in order to learn secrets the rebellion could use. Let's not even mention all the chances she kept taking in order to secretly meet with the rebellion and in order to get such completely useless tasks - tasks meant to further the romance rather than the plot. If there is one truism in YA, it's that the bad guys are stupid and the rebellion are blowhards. And that all the young and eligible perfect males will fall all over our hapless little female.

About midway through the book, I felt like I had read this so many times and I was over it. There was nothing new here, the characters were unbelievable and shallow, and the plot was a square peg pounded into a round hole in order to push the romance. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

This book was a PAGE TURNER. I mean we are thrown in right from the start and it was hard to put down.

I received an ARC via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Ash Princess is a new book by debut author Laura Sebastian that releases April 24th, 2018. I’d say mark this for the TBR.

It looks as thought this will be a trilogy and I must say based on book one, it’s going to be HEAVY. This is in the young adult genre but I’d say if you have issues with abuse, implied rape, etc… maybe pass on this one.

“You’re a lamb in the lion’s den, child. You’re surviving. Isn’t that enough?”
-Ash Princess, Laura Sebastian

This book follows the story of rightful Queen Theodosia and how her world was ripped from her and the Astrean people. Now, after her mother was murdered, she is stripped of her lineage, renamed Thora, & has become a mere puppet for the Kalovaxians. Paraded as a doll before the new regime. The world painted for us, the reader, is cruel and unforgiving…. which is a bummer.

Let’s talk writing. FAN-freaking-TASTIC! I was hooked from chapter one. It is a ROUGH start to a book but Laura Sebastian gripped me so fast my head spun and couldn’t put it down. I will warn you now, as I mentioned above, there is some graphic violence in this book. There is also abuse. The main character is a prisoner of war that is repeatedly made an example of to others. It’s hard to read sometimes and you do hope she gets any sort of break. Anything. However, the writing for this was very well done to make us connect with Theo from the onset.

Characters – so here I’m a little torn haha. I do like the development but like most YA, I wanted to shake Theo at parts…and her friends…all her friends. Also, I’m not sure when it became standard practice for love triangles but yes, we have one here as well. It irks me a bit as it’s a pet peeve, but it’s to be expected in a YA at this point……… and this one doesn’t overwhelm the story. (thankfully)
However, I do also really like Theo, she’s a bit cut throat for a YA hero. I also like the political intrigue of the book. The Kaiser’s (King) son is also a bit naive but I have to remind myself that the characters again, are younger.

“Can you imagine what it was like to wake up in a world where you’re safe and loved and happy and go to sleep in one where everyone you love is dead and you’re surrounded by strangers who only let you live because it’s convenient?” – Ash Princess, Laura Sebastian

Laura Sebastian did a solid plot. The beginning of the book is fast paced but there is a slight lull about half way through where you are kind of motioning the book to make progress. The ending was also well written. It wrapped it up and I would say it’s a cliff hanger but not a HUGE one that makes you angry. More of an ending that makes you want the next set of details and story haha. I will be reading book two for sure.

Overall, an excellent first YA book. It does fit right in to most of YA right now except for the fact that it deals with heavier themes. Also, in my opinion, Theo is a very strong lead character compared to most. I appreciate that in my books. haha

Overall Rating: 3.75 Stars
Plot: 3.5 stars
Character Development: 3.5 Stars
Dialogue: 4 Stars
Writing: 4 Stars

Who would I recommend this to? Any fan of YA. Any fans of Game of Thrones but on a younger scale. haha It’s a quick read and enjoyable. So go, go enjoy it!
~Ash

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian (2018)

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley to read and review. The expected release date for Sebastian’s debut novel is April 24, in just a few weeks.

The first book that came to mind when I saw the cover for this novel was Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen, which I enjoyed for the most part, so I requested my preview copy of this one. I don’t tend to gravitate toward the fantasy genre for my own pleasure reading — I usually only go this direction for the purpose of finding books to recommend to students.

What I liked:

I like the female protagonist who is willing to fight so hard for what she believes is her duty. She comes from a matriarchal line of queens, though their reign ended with her mother’s defeat and execution by a conquering Kaiser. She endures horrific abuse all for the sake of waiting for an opportunity to rise up and save her people. I wish, however, that she’d be more decisive. There’s a certain amount of wavering that is inherent in adolescence, but if she’s going to call herself a rightful queen, she’s going to have to get herself together a little better.
Along that line of thought, I do appreciate the way Sebastian has created a protagonist who is strong but flawed. This statement I’m about to make is, I know, an unpopular view in our world today, but here it is anyway: Females are not perfect and worthy of power and privilege simply because they are female. She has undergone horrific abuse herself, yes, but she is still relatively sheltered from much of what has been going on beyond the palace walls. She struggles when she realizes how much she doesn’t know, and she isn’t 100% positive that she’s making the right decision just because it serves her primary purpose at the moment. Being confident in what you do know is essential for becoming a good leader, but I think recognizing what you don’t know is equally as important.

What I didn’t love:

Fantasy isn’t my genre; I much prefer historical fiction about British royalty. The whole post-Wars of the Roses drama with Henry Tudor dealing with the Plantagenet remnants came to mind often as I read the novel. Over and over, Henry VII faced the threat of a rebellion in the name of a potential Plantagenet heir to the throne. Why doesn’t the Kaiser realize that keeping the “Ash Princess” alive for 10 years only leaves hope for a rebellion in the hearts of a conquered people? That thought bothered me throughout the novel and distracted me from really becoming lost in the story. Maybe the sequel(s) to come after this novel will resolve that problem for me.
This story is DARK. Homicide, patricide, genocide, all kinds of abuse, slavery and exploitation, PTSD — this is heavy stuff for adolescent readers. Some of the most successful works of adolescent lit don’t avoid tough topics, but they do usually show a way to rise above or push readers start to seek help for their problems. Again, maybe the sequel(s) will help with this, but I felt like this was a glaring gap in Ash Princess.

I’ll recommend it to students, but I think it would be one I would use for those who are already big readers. I don’t think it’s something that would really draw in that target audience we strive so hard to reach, the teenage boy who is reluctant to pick up a book at all. For those who do already like this genre, Theodosia provides fodder for a great deal of thought and reflection on what kind of person you want to be and how you want to react in the face of adversity.