As soon as I found out that Ashlords is about phoenix horses and a legendary race, I was all in. And while I struggled to get into the story, I still enjoyed the rich Hunger Games-like world and the three main characters, all from different classes/castes in the kingdom. Each character has a good reason to win the race and I couldn't help but cheer each one on, even though they were all obviously enemies.

A few things bothered me in the beginning. I didn't like how one point of view was in second person, for seemingly no reason at all. I didn't like how one of the characters, a big, burly guy, calls his dad "Daddy." I didn't like how the Gods were real and could visit people (but I rarely like this in any book). And I didn't like that the race didn't start until 50% through the book. But at the same time, I understand why it took so long. There is a lot of intricate world building that sets up this duology, and I think it may have felt rushed if the race came earlier.

I will definitely read the second book to this series because I am invested in all three of the characters. It's so interesting to read from such different points of view and I wonder if they will all stay enemies. All in all, a fantastic fantasy. I want my own phoenix horse now.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4
Plot/Movement: 3.7
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This story is a fantasy about racing phoenix horses in a competition that has cultural implications as well as the glory and money prize for winning. I’m not a huge fan of “race” books and it took me a bit into the book to figure out the world building but once it all clicked I was completely hooked. I liked the unique blend of science, mythology, and game tactics that made up the suspenseful plot. The three main characters all had very different POVs which made for a great read putting the pieces together. The cliffhanger left me wanting to read more so I’ll definitely pick up the next book

"This was more than just a race. Our world is about to burn. And the two of us are the ones who will set it on fire."

What makes a book great for you? Is it the characters? The world building? The romance? The action? There's something about certain books that set them apart from the rest, something that makes them truly great. I find that I can really enjoy a book but still feel like it isn't a favorite, its got to have that special something to make it stand out and stick with you even after you've finished it. Ashlords blew me away. It has everything from interesting and real characters, to vivid world building, tons of action, and a dash of romance to keep all of us love sick swoony type of readers interested. I caught myself thinking about it constantly while I was at work and would rush home to pick it back up and read as much as possible before bed each night, household chores be damned! It was such a unique and interesting type of book that I could only describe as a mixture of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  With otherworldly horses that are raced in an annual competition each year in a futuristic arena that is constantly on display virtually for all those rich enough to pay for their prime entertainment, you can sort of see how it would relate to the books I mentioned. But Ashlords also has its own twist that makes it unique, that gives it its own world and characters to fall in love with.

"A storm wouldn't be all that fun without a little noise."

Told in alternating chapters between three main characters and their own journeys as they all end up in the race, we see how each person has a different motivation and reason to win. Whether it be to please the parents who have trained them and guided them through life for this one moment, or to give themselves a name and win so they can save their family from poverty, or even to start a war to break the chains holding them and their people from being truly free. At times I was pulled to one character or another but in the end I found all three POV to be equally as compelling as the rest. They all had a fight to win no matter if it meant winning the race or not. This was more than just a race from the beginning and with three powerfully driven characters there was bound to be a little thunder and lightning out on the course. In a completely unpredictable way, each character finds that once the race begins, they aren't as prepared as they thought they would be to face all the challenges that lay ahead, and that they must go above and beyond to make it to the finish line, to make it out alive.

"I wonder if that's what happens to thunder, if that's why it's always a second late. Maybe it gets distracted thinking about how beautiful lightning is and forgets that its job is to make all the noise."

The horses involved in this race are not your ordinary type of horse but in fact, Phoenix Horses. Each night the Phoenix Horses go up in flames and each sunrise the rider must work with their alchemy skills to put just the right ingredients together to create the perfect horse for the ride they will be taking that day. Whether it be a horse with armor, or a horse that can defy gravity, each alchemy combination has a different result when the Phoenix Horse is reborn in the first light of the sun. This was such a cool way to bring an element of science and magic into the story. I loved how there are endless different types of horses you can create depending on what you will need. I kind of wished there was more of this actually. While we got to see a few, it seemed like this could have been a really neat and in depth concept to get into but I get that there was a lot going on in this book already that it might make it drag on a little too much going into all the different types of rebirths that could be created.

"The difference between glory and ruin can be measured in a single stride."

I am now a definite fan of Scott Reintgen and will have to look into his other series considering this was his first book that I've read, I was pleasantly surprised! This was such a fun and different story and I need more!!! There is a kind of cliffhanger ending leaving you set up for the next book in the series so don't go into this thinking you will get the whole story in one book. I think that this book can be liked by all sorts of readers, whether you like the magical aspects or the science or the action or the romance, there really is a little bit of everything here to keep all interested. I would love if all the books I read for 2020 are on this caliber of greatness! Bring it on!!

First off, the alchemy aspects of the phoenix horses in this book were fantastic. I can admit to definitely being a geek on this, and just being fascinated by the alchemical component combinations to bring forth each kind of phoenix horses. That was absolutely my favorite thing, and I probably could have sat through alchemy lectures of several pages in length, just because.

Oh, and also, can I say that I loved that this book had alchemical sciences but then also had decently high technological aspects as well. I mean, one of the characters is akin to a YouTuber of our world, doing videos about alchemical combinations and raising/creating various phoenix horses.

Also, two of the main perspectives I enjoyed more than the third, mostly because of the writing style at first, but also just because of the particular character’s arrogant aloofness. Honestly, it made me want to skim through her first chapter because I did not like her from the very beginning. This character is the champion’s daughter mentioned in the summary.

I completely admit the scholarship entrant of the summary is my favorite of the three, though the revolutionary’s son is pretty cool too. The scholarship entrant is the one who did the “YouTube” videos I mentioned before.

Oh, and the races themselves were interesting and definitely had their perils and hazards and dangers.

For the most part I read this book pretty quickly, though I don’t know for sure if I can say that I will pick up the sequel. Right now I’m still not entirely sure if I will pick up more Scott Reintgen books in the future. I liked this book but I didn’t like it to the point of really wanting to read more. So, I guess if Reintgen has another book that sounds interesting to me I’ll give him another try, and I don’t know, maybe by next year when the sequel to this book comes out, I’ll want to read more, probably specifically for the alchemy things.

4.5 stars, with a bonus for such a unique world.

Told through 3 different perspectives, an Ashlord, a Dividian, and a Longhand, this is a wild ride through a well-developed world with a unique type of horse, a phoenix that rises with the sun each morning. While winning the big race is the main focus of the story, there is also the underlying rebellion about to take place on two separate fronts.

A great new read for fans of Hunger Games and Scorpio Races. Definitely waiting impatiently for the conclusion to the story.

Hello, my friends! I recently finished this wonderful book and figured it would be a great story to review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Scott's Team for reaching out to me and for giving me a review copy!

Overview:

Ashlords immediately throws you into this unique world of humans and phoenixes. Phoenixes are essentially horses who have the power to resurrect and burn, and people race them for sport and clout. There are three PoV's in this book and I enjoyed all of their stories. Imelda is a girl who manages to get a spot in the race due to a scholarship. She has such a drive to keep her family safe and she thinks with this money from the race that she can do so. There is also a lot on her shoulders as her people are looked down upon by most in this world. Pippa is the daughter of the previous champions. She is strong and hopeful that she will conquer this year's race but at the same time battling demons (wink wink) that could ruin everything for her. Pippa's PoV is told in the second person and it brings you into her feelings so well, she is the shining star of this book for me. Adrian is the son of a commander, he is very focused on pleasing his dad and upholding his family's reputation. He's really the comical relief I feel like in this book, and he's also pretty much the "eye candy" if you will in this whole world. 

This is such an interesting world in my opinion based solely on the fact that the world revolves so much around these horse races and that they are so brutal. I was getting such Hunger Games vibes from this book because these Phoenix Racers are so caught up in the social and political aspects of racing. Winning these races brings so much fame and power that it's so important to pretty much all these characters to win. What I truly loved about this overall is that it's so incredibly fast-paced that you never get bored. And while the whole purpose of this book is for the races to happen, there is also a lot of character growth and development that takes place as well. 

I truly am so excited for the sequel and Scott reminded me again that he is truly a wonderful author.

If you ever want a super bingeable book, I 100% recommend Ashlords. Also, the cover is stunning so that should be enough persuasion to pick up this book.

Thank you again to Netgalley and Scotts Team for providing me with a review copy. 


I hope y'all have a great day and Happy Reading!

This one is rather hard for me to review, because I had some pretty mixed feelings about it. First, I just want to say that the concept is EPIC!!! Alchemy! Phoenix horses!!! I loved the riders’ use of specific alchemical components to basically upgrade their horses. The concept was the shining gem of this book, and ultimately the main thing that kept me interested. I adored the horses and everything about them. The race was cool, too – it had a very Hunger Games-esque feel to it, but more magical. I will say that the end of the day death was pretty rough: every night, the phoenix horses died to be reborn again the next day. It was hard to watch them die, and I disliked how some of them treated the horses as nothing more than a tool to win.

The phoenix horses were definitely my favorite part, and I really wish there’d been more! I was disappointed at how short the actual race was. It didn’t start until halfway through, and only made up about 40% of the entire book. I craved more! If the focus of the whole book had been on the horses, it could have easily been 4-5 stars for me. I wasn’t super jazzed about the rest of the story, and I was pretty bored in the beginning, to be honest. The snippets of phoenix horses and alchemy were the only thing keeping me going because I didn’t really care about any of the characters. Which makes me so sad! I really enjoyed Nyxia, and Scott is awesome. This book was one of my most anticipated releases, and I feel like something is wrong with me because I didn’t enjoy it more :(

I found Adrian to be meh. He didn’t seem to have much personality or dimension, and I struggled to find anything worth cheering for in his character. I liked Imelda at first, but her character arc totally lost me mid-race. In the beginning I was on her side because she was stepped on and looked down on, but later, View Spoiler » her story line kind of lost my interest. I don’t know why, I usually love rebellion stories. Perhaps because I was so interested and invested in the race aspect? I just didn’t really care about the war and rebellion, and found myself growing quite bored with it.

I will say, however, that Pippa grew on me! She struck me as a spoiled, frivolous, rich brat at first, but toward the end I found myself actually cheering for her. I really wanted her to win! Plus I loved that her point of view was written in second person, present tense, very unique!

Overall, this book was fun while I was reading, but won’t leave any kind of lasting impression on me outside of the phoenix horses. I’ve already forgotten almost everything but them – I had to refer back to the book for my review, sadly. I didn’t enjoy it as much as Nyxia, but still worth the read for the magical quality of the alchemy and phoenix horses! I have no doubt most everyone will love this book!

This was such a fun, unique read! As a lover of fantasy, dystopian books, and high-stakes competitions, I was so impressed with the way all of these were combined together. The world Reintgen created was so fascinating and rich, the characters were well written, and the plot was great! All in all, this is definitely a book worth reading.

I loved the mix of magic and technology. Normally when you have a book that involves magic and deities, you don't also have a world that's also full of more modern advances. When I first started reading, I wasn't sure how all of that would work together, but now I can honestly say it made for a great book! 

The characters were also so well done. This book is primarily told from the perspective of three young adults and it was fascinating to get to know each of them. I grew to like all three in their own way and I appreciated how each had their own unique personality. 

This book definitely had some major Hunger Games feels to it, which was great. But I also appreciated that even though there were similarities to that series, it really did feel like it's own story. You all should give this book a read!

We follow Pippa, the famous Ashlord daughter of two champion racers whos been training her entire life to win the races. I loved how despite the pressure she was under by her parents and her people she was willing to forge her own path. We also follow Adrian, the Longhand who plans on winning and stirring up his people to rebellion. I liked the cleverness he demonstrated with the constant threat of death breathing down his shoulder. The character who stood out to me the most was Imelda. The Dividian scholarship racer who became famous for her alchemy videos. Determined to prove that her people aren't to be underestimated she plans on flipping the race upside down. I think because she was dismissed as a threat made me cheer for her all the more. She had to get more creative with her solutions to the obstacles she faced.

All three main characters were well fleshed out and had distinct voices. They each had interesting relationships with their families. I felt for Pippa when her mother took away her ability to choose and for Adrian when he realized his father wasn't the perfect person he made him out to be. It felt like as the leader of the rebellion his father was putting the cause over his love for his son. Imeldas bond with her family was sweet. I also enjoyed her friendship with Farian and the old rancher Martial. Pippa develops this beautiful friendship with Quinn over the course of the book. Her romance with Bravos was predictable but entertaining. I liked how Pippas point of view was written in the second person. It added a stronger connection with her character. I could feel the growing attraction between Adrian and Pippa so I was surprised she didnt stand up for him after the race.

The world had a lot of fascinating elements to it. I loved the phoenix horses and how alchemy was used to give them different powers during each rebirth. I really enjoyed seeing the different advantages to each type of phoenix. It did get a little confusing at times. I thought the horses burned to ashes at sundown, but that wasnt the case. The riders just choose to kill them so they can be reborn with a different alchemy combination. I also loved the cute little dreamnots and the tradition behind them. They're like teacup sized baby wolves with wings. Then theres the meddling gods and an entire different world where they reign. We only scratch the surface of that world, but I'd love to know more. The Ashlords rule over the Dividians and the Longhands with the help of these gods and their magical blessings, but it doesnt come without a cost.

I love plots that focus on some kind of competition. The tension had me completely hooked. The stakes were different for each main character, but they were each gripping in their own way. Not everyone makes it out of the races alive and that danger added some wonderful excitement to the plot. I was never exactly sure who was going to win. There's also the suspense of the impending war hanging over the race. It didnt make sense that Imeldas family couldnt be blamed for her action by the Ashlords when they killed over 900 first borns for the actions of their parents. The writing had an immersive quality to it that had me right there beside the character. I wouldnt be surprised I'd this made it onto my favorites of 2020. This was an all around amazing read and I cant wait to get my hands on the sequel.

This book was an awesome ride from start to finish. I hope there's a sequel because I'm raring at the bit for more! (See what I did there? lol) The best way I've found to describe this very well-written book is "Hunger Games meets HIdalgo but with magical phoenix horses!"
When I first picked up this book, I wasn't too sure if it would be immersive, but the author did an AMAZING job in bringing it all to life! I couldn't put this one down! My favorite part was not knowing what to expect. Every character and scene was full of new surprises that had my mind spinning with possibilities. (Also, I'm Team Imelda all the way!)

So much fun! I'm a bit of sucker for YA fantasy competition stories. This one is centered on an annual race in which the riders have Phoenix Horses -- that is, horses that die are reborn each day, with the riders responsible for manipulating each rebirth through a form of alchemy, so as to achieve horses with specific qualities that will help them in the race.

Reintgen's writing is workmanlike and never lyrical. His world-building and characterizations are quite matter-of-fact, and it makes for quick reading. Would I have preferred a deeper dive into how the 3 societies present got to where they are in their different levels of prestige, power, subjugation, and the favor of the Gods? Yes. Would I have liked more background on just what these "Gods" really are? Yes. And *definitely* more information about the nature of the "spirits" too! Would I have liked a more subtle psychology for the 3 main POV characters, rather than the blunt fist of repetitive statements like "born to win?" Yes. But did any of these lacks dampen my enjoyment of the book? No, not really.

The details of alchemy, the thrill of the race, the surprise of who readers may ultimately favor for the win, and how much readers will decide that winning does or does not matter in the face of what's to come. All of this is here. I do worry that Reintgen has set himself up for the same problem as his Nyxia Trilogy: the first two books were better than the third, in large part because they focused so much on rather dazzling competitive activities, allowing Reintgen's imagination to shine its brightest. Will the conclusion of the Ashlords story skip competition entirely, or will the impending Revolutionary War prove at its core to be its own kind of edge-of-your-seat alchemical and horse-riding competition?

Ashlords was a freshly imaginative fantasy set in a world with three groups of warring cultures and a yearly race that both unites and segregates them all at once. Reintgen gave readers a perspective into each culture through three main characters and with it a rare opportunity to have a worldview and insight into the discord through all sides. Come for the action, but stay for the layered characters that will leave you feeling conflicted and desperate for the next novel.

Through each perspective—the privileged to the downtrodden to the rebels—there was always a thumb on their wants, needs, misdeeds. They were each humanized, regardless of station or situation, and I constantly found myself unable to dislike any of them even when they were thinking or doing seemingly irredeemable things; Reintgen brought me back around—to their humanity, their circumstance—because nothing in turmoil is ever so simple. I loved that aspect of feeling torn and undecided when traditionally characters like these should be cut and dry, but they weren't and this story wouldn't have felt whole without each of them. The first half was a little slow as it introduced us to their lives, morals, and goals, but once the action started—a highly entertaining look into a Hunger-Games-esque race with phoenix-like horses that die and are reborn from their ashes each day—the palpable intensity of everything that was at stake kept me glued to the pages 'til the end. These characters were fantastic and I can't wait for what's to come with the second half of this duology.

Wow!! I really loved this YA Fantasy book! It's sort of a mixture of The Hunger Games and the Kentucky Derby - and though the magical phoenix horses that rise and die each day don't have much in the way of their own personalities (much to the disappointment of my inner-ten-year-old), I completely enjoyed this from start to finish! For the most part, the book is divided between three narrators, each one a very competent racer of these phoenix horses. Imelda, known as the Alchemist, excels in the trickier compositions of elements to create unique phoenix horses from the ashes. But as a lower-class citizen (a Dividian), with no hope of putting together the steep entrance fees, her only hope of racing is as the Qualifier (a charity spot) in the 140th year of these races. Adrian is also an outcast to society, a Longhander, and member of a rebellious faction of their people and has spent his life training for this moment, The third perspective, Pippa, is from the very privileged favorite - the daughter of two champions and the only Ashlord perspective, one favored by the gods in this desert landscape. Reintgen's choice of using second-person for her sections rather than first like for Imelda and Adrian, makes it harder to identify with Pippa and naturally leads to distaste for her overall (well, for me at any rate because I just hate this perspective!).

It's a fast-paced and exciting book - I am really looking forward to the sequel! I think Reintgen did a wonderful job in creating a unique landscape and societal setting. The world-building is very strong! And the idea of these magical horses certainly feels fresh! There are other YA fantasy that share similar elements to the races themselves, but this one overall feels so original. I liked the characters a lot - they each have their moments where I genuinely rooted for each to win. The plot includes some genuine surprises, too - and the ending certainly sets up the groundwork for an exciting sequel. I am definitely intrigued and am thirsty for more to be set here! And I am definitely going to pick up Reintgen's first fantasy trilogy! He's a talented writer!

I haven’t read anything by Reintgen that I didn’t immediately fall in love with. Ashlords is no exception. He builds worlds of fantasy as easily as if they were children’s blocks. My only issue with this particular story was that some of the concepts were difficult to visualize. I so badly wanted concept art for this book!

This book is fabulous. I loved the characters and the world building was fantastic. The combination of alchemy and horse racing was brilliant. The characters are diverse in a way that doesn't feel forced and I loved their development throughout the book. The book is told in three different POV's and while I don't normally love that, I was happy to find that each of the POV's was equally captivating. One of the POV's is told in second person and while that initially through me off, I came to love her story line and reading it that way really draws the reader into the story. Overall I loved it and highly recommend picking up a copy!

Well, Scott Reintgen has actually done it. He’s gotten me to read a horse-racing book, the nerve of him. I couldn’t resist, though. I was blown away by his Nyxia triad over the years, falling in love with the way he tells stories and the ideas he generates throughout. I’ll pretty much read anything he does at this point.

But, c’mon, do I look like a horse girl to you? Never mind that when I was little I watched Black Beauty until the tape broke and my mom wept in sweet relief. Never mind that I lined up my little plastic horses along the length of the kitchen because they were in a parade, and the other animals weren’t invited. Never mind that I’ve seen Hidalgo, Seabiscuit, and War Horse in theaters. But I definitely wasn’t and am not a horse girl. Turn horses into phoenix horses, though, and I am a complete sucker apparently.

Ashlords centers around three protagonists, each one of them hopefuls to win the Races, the most important event in Ashlord society. First is Imelda, a Dividian who has a particular talent for alchemy and is part of a people who have been oppressed by the Ashlords for centuries. Then there is Adrian, a Longhand whose people split from the Ashlords to form their own society, rejecting their gods and wishing to rekindle war. Finally, there’s Pippa, an Ashlord daughter of two previous champions and the clear favorite to win.

I loved all three of these characters, as evidenced by the fact that I had so much trouble determining who I wanted to win the Races most and achieve their ultimate goals. Each one has interesting perspectives and motives that are driving them, and none of these characters are entirely in the right or in the wrong either. While Dividians are oppressed, they once intended to be conquerors themselves. The Longhands are looked down upon, but they are willing to sacrifice whoever they need to in order to have their war. As for the Ashlords, they are proud, arrogant, ruthless, and live in excess, but they demonstrate a certain piety to their gods and are capable of change and compassion. In other words, this is a powder keg of conflict waiting to happen.

Though I enjoyed the voice and perspectives of each character equally, Pippa’s stuck out to me the most due to a clever choice Reintgen makes: writing her in second-person perspective. I remember updating by reading progress during this time, saying, “Okay, but no one in the game is doing it quite like Scott Reintgen.”

This isn’t to say it’s the only second-person perspective I’ve seen. I’m also reading The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie which does the same thing. However, Reintgen choosing to make the “oppressor” character, a teenage girl, have a “you” perspective was a stroke of genius to me. What better way to put the readers straight into this character? What better way to have readers embrace Pippa’s privilege and pressures as their own, to understand more directly than ever the choices she makes without so easily dismissing them as “stupid” or “bad” or some other basic thing? Pippa is entirely her own character, but we are also her in a way, too, and I loved that. The nuance it brings!

Imelda and Adrian’s journeys similarly impressed me because I was truly surprised by the directions they took. There are so many character-type clichés Ashlords could have taken with everyone, but Reintgen lobs you a soft pitch that turns into a curve ball at the last second. I won’t go into how everyone and everything turns out because I want others to have the same fun that I did.

And the gods, the gods. I go absolutely feral whenever I get chilling, meddling god characters who attempt to control and interfere with the lives of mortals. I need so much more of this than the taste I got here, and I am literally praying that I will have just that in the following book. It’s just brilliant what was set up here—now give me the meat!

Another wonderful surprise: Bastian. Oh, he is For Me. He is My Type. May the second book give me all I could ever want of him and more so.

Quinn was likewise interesting, but I’m going back and forth on her role in this book. Character-wise, I love her. Would not change a thing. She’s a product of Reintgen’s original idea for this series, which was her racing through different dimensions, until he scraped that idea due to feedback and focused solely on the phoenix horse dimension. I was delighted by this dimension—the phoenix horses, the alchemy involved, the roles the gods play with technology and other events—but I am also deeply intrigued by whatever that other original idea was. Quinn herself feels like she’s still ricocheting between being part of this book and part of that original idea. Her “world” is the underworld now, and she’s enslaved by the gods, but hearing her talk… It’s like she’s still from somewhere else, like I’m missing some spin-off books or something.

Long story short, I like the questions and feelings Quinn’s presence has given me, but I hope what I’ve read here isn’t the last word on them. I definitely want more follow-through and payoff as to why we learn about her struggles and what she’s fighting against. Knowing Reintgen, we probably will. I can’t imagine he would have this character and then do nothing with her later on.

As for the Races itself, I enjoyed what I read, but I was thrown off that there wasn’t more to them. What I got was gold, but it takes the first half of the book before we get there. Until then, we’re learning about the characters, their stakes and motivations, and how they feel about their society, but there isn’t much character-to-character interaction when it comes to the three protagonists. Even during the Races, their interactions are very touch-and-go. Given how crazy and competitive the first Nyxia book is especially, the Races in Ashlords feels somewhat tame in comparison, though there’s still some wonderfully shocking things in store.

In the end, though, the book isn’t really about the Races, is it? It’s about the commentary on class and social standing that surrounds it. It’s about the fascinating alchemy with these phoenix horses. It’s about the meanings of revolution, freedom, and justice, and if those things are necessarily the same or not.

So even though this didn’t get slam-dunked as a five-star read from me, it definitely swooshed straight into the net. Why in the world am I making so many sports metaphors? Well, I did just read a horse-racing book, and I’m looking forward to the next book, too, featuring horses in a war.

Also, I am very into Pippa’s next stage regarding said war RE: Bravos. Extremely so. Good for her.

Ashlords, by Scott Reintgen, is the first part of a two part duology to an as yet untitled series. The story revolves around three main characters: Imelda, Pippa, and Adrian. Each of the characters is from a different sector of the population; Dividians, Ashlords, and Longhorns. The story revolves around a yearly competition called the Races. There are 11 competitors who each have their own phoenix. The phoenix horses were gifts from the gods. They are powered by the sun, and last a day before bursting into flames and turning into ashes.

The riders save the ashes and when they are set back out in the rising sun, the phoenix horse is reborn. Of course there's a catch. If you mix certain chemicals into the ashes, the phoenix's properties can change. They can become faster, grow armor, etc. The race itself is dangerous, sabotage is expected, alliances are made and broken, and although outright killing of a contestant is outlawed, people have been known to die. The Ashlords are the ruling elite and have the best chance of winning. They also have the Gods on their side who helped them crush the invading Dividians and subjugate them under their rule.

Pippa is the daughter of two racing champions. She was born to win. She's nicknamed the favorite by the author. I would absolutely love to know exactly why Reintgen chose to write Pippa in second person, while Imelda is in the first person, and Adrian is in the third person. Pippa diverts the attention from herself by encouraging the Racing Board to choose Imelda for this years race. Girls are a minority in a race that is mostly run and won by men. Pippa makes a choice to support another rider to win, but things don't go so well for her. While I really didn't care for Pippa most of the time, she kind of grew on me until the ending when things went sideways.

Imelda Beru, called Alchemist, was my favorite. She was supposed to be the main character until changes happened and Scott added Pippa and Adrian. Dividian's sailed to Furia centuries ago intending to conquer. They failed thanks to the Ashlord's Gods. Imelda is a Dividian who has always dreamed of being in the Races but doesn't truly believe she will. Her goal is to spend as much time with the phoenixes as possible. Imelda is involved in making films with her friend Farian which has netted her some decent money. For some reason, it appears that fate has chosen that Imelda will be this years scholarship contestant in the race. They'll never see her coming.

Adrian Ford is a Longhorn, the children of the Rebellion who rose up against the Ashlords. They wait for the right moment to rise up again. If Adrian wins, it will signal that the time has come to fight back. It has been 48 years since the Ashlords rounded up every single first son and daughter and executed them for their rebellion. Adrian, along with his father, intends to make them regret that decision. This is a story that has plots with plots, betrayal, and Gods who can either help you and stand in the way.

The first half of the book featured the world building, history of the world, political dynamics are explained, and “rules of the game” are explained. The second half was all about the race and each of the three characters. The story contains some very unique details like the Phoenix horses, alchemy, mythology & deities breaking down each God and explaining what they are. While this book is fantasy in its concept, there are technologies that make you believe that this is a world all its own. Where racers have videos, and monitors they wear to determine what place they are in. Thus the comparison to Hunger Games. Even though I have not read the book, there are also comparisons to The Scorpio Races.

Ashlords is the first book in a new duology from Scott Reintgen, and I absolutely loved it. I really enjoyed the Nyxia trilogy, so I was excited to see what the author would do with a new setting. The plot moved along at a quick pace for the entire book. The reader is thrown into a new world that has both old west vibes and a Hunger Games type power structure. The story focuses on the Phoenix horse races, but as you meet the riders and learn their motivations, you’re shown a world with three different people groups vying for power. Told from several perspectives, this book does end on a cliffhanger of sorts, but the phoenix races are concluded well. Ashlords was quite unique for the YA genre, so if you like a fast-paced, dystopian(ish) story, then this is for you.

I really wanted to love this book...it just wasn't for me. I DNFd it. I hate doing that but the book failed to fully pull me in. I love love love the concept but the first half of the book isn't even about the race. I loved his other series I read and really wanted to love this one. It has so much potential, I think it was just executed wrong...or maybe it was not the right time for me to read it.

If you don;t mind a slow read, by all means...pick this up and give it a chance! It is a wonderful concept. I'll probably pick it up again when I'm ready for a slow read.

4,5*
Pros: Awesome and refreshing bg idea. Fantastic narrative style, with innovative and unconventional three different PoVs (one in first person, one in second and one in third). Fantastically detailed and described. Immersive, with breathtaking plot sequences of wit and strength. Features wild phoenix horses, what more could you want?
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Cons: There was an assumed knowledge about the workings of the world and the phoenix horses that left a lot to be explained. Though original, the switch between persons in the three PoVs can be jarring for the reader.