I am absolutely obsessed with this series! This one did not disappoint and I feel like the story ended on a good note. I flew through this book so quickly and I hate that is is over! I will be buying this for our library teen section.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

This has to be the most unexpectedly enjoyable YA trilogy I've come across in a while. The first book did have a lot of familiar clichés and plot threads, but something about the way they were presented still felt enjoyable. The second book was arguably slow-paced and focused on the court politics. This one rounds it all off by showing not just the harshness of war, but also the prejudices against the enemy, strategy involved and a much more realistic depiction of being a leader during a war. It's been a while since I read the last book, but none of the characters felt like they were going outside their established personalities and personal beliefs, which I feel sometimes happens in YA.

Let's get the criticisms out of the way first. The biggest one I have concerns a new bioweapon introduced in this book. I'm not sure why this was added since there was plenty at stake with plenty of risk. That said, I will admit that characters' reactions to it felt pretty genuine. I just don't feel like the weapon was given a proper conclusion at the end, and believe me I was on the look-out for it. I guess it's for the readers to infer based on what they know of Theo that certain actions will be taken, but still, it makes me uneasy knowing that weapon still exists in the world when the story concludes. Maybe that's the point, but doesn't mean I like it.

This trilogy does not deal in absolutes or black-and-white morality, which I think is great. Theo does some things that are morally wrong in order to achieve freedom for her people, and some of her advisors have a "kill them all" attitude toward the Kavloxians. There is acknowledgment that there will be no perfect solution to the conflict that will make people happy, and that sometimes the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Theo is actually one of the better YA leaders I've run across: she's intelligent, tactical, diplomatic at times and blunt at others, is willing to be in battles herself, and is aware of her short-comings and the strengths and weaknesses of herself as well as those closest to her. She understands both the cost of and solution to peace, which again isn't something I see a lot of in YA. Or maybe I've just not been reading the right books.

The romances aren't the central focus in this. They certainly exist and they're referenced, but not made out to be relevant to the overall story. The relationship that does get a lot of focus is the one between Theo and Cress. Who would've thought the character who was just kind of there in the first book would grow and evolve like this? In this book, they were putting out almost a Kylo Ren and Rey vibe, and this book illustrates what a lot of people found compelling in that relationship: the two are opposing but similar, both are powerful, both have a version of the other they're trying to hold on to, there is a strange sort of understanding between them, and so forth.

Overall, I think this was a satisfying way of ending the trilogy. To me, it feels like a mature end that can almost work in an adult fantasy novel setting.

The final installment of the Ash Princess trilogy. Princess Theodosia has been a prisioner for more than 10 years. Now, she realizes her people need a queen if they are ever going to be free from the Kaiserin, her former heart's sister. With new powers and magic she doesn't understand and needs to figure out how to use, Queen Theodosia, will need to reconcile with her past. Along with an army of rebels and friends, they will risk everything to make Astrea independent again. A satisfying ending to a wonderful series!

Read via Netgalley in return for a fair review.

Theo and her band of misfit but loyal compatriots make one final attempt to take down the Kaserina and take back their country. Now that Theo has a little more control over her new powers, they may just have a chance. But Theo can't do it on her own - she will need every ally she can find to make their last stand.

This is a great wrap-up to the series and gets everything tied up nicely by the end. There's plenty of political intrigue and navigating of different groups and at times it is a little difficult to follow all of the varying strategies, but in the end it all works together to complete the story.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley & Edelweiss for the E-arc copy of Ember Queen.
#EmberQueen
#NetGalley #Edelweiss
Laura Sebastian brings a slick, fantasy finale to her trilogy. Theodosia has developed into a force to be reckoned with in this conclusion. It is a dark, power filled adventure of the journey of one young woman from victim to heir. A dazzling conclusion that will having you missing this series as soon as you close the book.

Ember Queen is the third and final book in the Ash Princess Trilogy by Laura Sebastian. Building on the momentum from the second book, Lady Smoke, Queen Theodosia's army continues to grow and will soon threaten the reign of the ursurper Kalovaxians. Theo's childhood friend, the ursurper queen, possesses immense magic which can destroy entire military installations. However, her magic has also destroyed her life and her mind. Theo must come to grips with her own power while she and her forces contain and destroy the Kalovaxian grip on her queendom. I found this third book to be a very satisfying completion of the Ash Princess Trilogy!

Well, it's the final book in the series and it was definitely an interesting ride. When I first read "Ash Princess", I was taken in by the concept and the character of Theodosia, who was held captive and tortured by the conqueror of her country, Astrea. The series was obviously influenced by the Roman Empire and its expansion, which stretched far and effectively acculturated diverse cultures. Theodosia's story is told through the eyes of the conquered, who is fighting for control of her homeland and in this final book she rises above her oppressors.

"Ember Queen" starts after the negotiations with Cress, and Theodosia's eventual descent into the mines. She emerges and does not remember what transpired during her venture into the dark depths. However, her power has increased and as a result, she is forced to hone her capabilities for the upcoming battle with Cress. The first half of the book details her political campaign against Kalovaxians, who outnumber her forces. It also deals with the connection between Theodosia and Cress, who are able to communicate in their dreams. This, of course, becomes extremely problematic later, but it also shows us what Cress' plans and the emotional conflict of both characters.

For the most part, the book deals with strategic war planning and Theodosia taking action against Cress' attempts to outmaneuver her politically. There is a lot of dialogue about the final battle, planning for different outcomes and interacting with different people and places to gauge their support that takes up the majority of the book. Eventually, Theodosia is also able to acquire Soren through some careful negotiation and use of illusions. All in all, the book is leading up to the battle between Theodosia and Cress for the throne of Astrea.

As I said in the introduction, I was very taken with the concept of this series. There are a lot of young adult novels set in a Roman Empire-esque world, but either they do not consider the indigenous voice or it fails to really delve into the subsequent effects of cultural imperialism. The first book did this by exploring the power of names—Theodosia was renamed Thora— and her power was stripped from her; she was no longer the daughter of a queen, but a mere captive-raised from birth. She had a complicated relationship with Cress, who was kind to her but also the daughter of someone, who oppressed her. The story was always about Theodosia and Cress, but I felt like the author missed a beat. This book dealt with some heavy themes, but important ones that were over time became overshadowed by more typical YA storylines as well as the focus on strategy. Overall, I wish this book had really considered those themes as it ended, maybe given Cress a perspective (and avoid the whole dream thing) and it would have made the ending of this book feel really powerful because it was character-driven and not a whole mess of details.

The conclusion to “Ash Princess” was done quite well. Honestly, pieces of the trilogy which bothered me throughout were resolved and/or explained in satisfying and enjoyable ways. Sebastian kept a consistent pace of action and romance with just enough friendly banter to keep things interesting. A fun and, although predictable, very satisfying fantasy.

This book was received as an ARC from Random House Children's - Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

A sister taken hostage with an evil power and the power of strength and good must stop her from overtaking the prince and destroying everything that comes in her way. This book reminded me a lot of the Red Queen series due to the powerful conflict that was chosen for a young girl and the predicament her family has to endeavor to not only save her but the kingdom from the forces of evil. Each page and each chapter was more exciting than the next and just when you think you figured it all out, another twist comes and the story takes a whole new turn. I could not put this book down and had to find out if Theo saves her sister, the prince and the kingdom. You will not be disappointed from this book and I know this will be a great candidate for our next teen book club.

We will consider adding this title to our YFiction collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This was a pretty decent ending to the series. I do have to say that I just really didn't get completely vested into the storyline, which was a letdown for me. Maybe I had too high of expectations? I'm not sure. Theo did progressively get to be a solid character, who finally found her wants and needs and strived to achieve them, so I'm proud of her, but I just really didn't connect with the story or the characters as much as I wanted to overall.

A lot of characters died in this trilogy, but one in particular was hard to face. I seriously wished it didn't happen, but I do understand that there was a war, and when all of the main characters survive, it's not very realistic. War is something that many have to be sacrificed in order to create a better future.

I'm very glad I got the chance to read this eARC novel and this trilogy. I know there will be tons of fans out there who will adore this ending, even if it wasn't for me in the end.