I have received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If I didn't have to sleep at night, or at all, then I would've finished this in one setting. Unfortunately, with days filled with endless appointments - my eyes were pretty tired once I got the half way mark of A Curse of Ash and Embers. Luckily for me, I got to dive back into once I woke up and I was extremely excited to see how everything was going to play out.

Not going to lie.. but I was pretty dead on with my guesses about a certain character throughout this book. So when we go to the ending and some secrets came out - yeah, wasn't surprised one bit. 10 points for me bitches! Other than that, you do get to meet Elodie. She is just a girl looking for a place to belong to. It certainly isn't at home with her mom and douche of a stepfather.

God, did they annoy the crap out of me. The whole.. well you aren't his kid and that's why he doesn't treat you as such is complete bullshit. I sure as hell hope step parents don't act like that in real life. I'm only saying that because I have no step parents.. so yeah, not real familiar with them.

Other than that, the whole magic and witch stuff was pretty cool. I'm glad Elodie, aka Dee, got a better life outside of her family. Even if she now works for the towns witch and has become a Blackbone. I absolutely adored Aleida and I can't wait for them to both grow in the next book.

I also really want to know who sent the damn letter. Please tell me I find out in the next book?

**Review will be posted on my blog on 10/19/20, closer to publication date**

Thank you to Voyager and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC!

Breakdown ~
My Attention: it couldn’t hold my attention

World Building: Black Oak Cottage, witches and a mystery to uncover

Writing Style: atmospheric

Bringing the Heat: none

Crazy in Love: nope – not crazy

Creativity: magic, witches and monsters

Mood: mixed feelings

Triggers: violence

My Takeaway: Elodie is a strong and brave young woman who can take care of herself.

Likes:
*I enjoyed the story of Aleida and Gyssha, the witches of Black Oak Cottage. When Elodie meets Aleida, Black Oak Cottage isn’t in good condition. We learn about Gyssha’s demise and then more about the witches’ history but Aleida is pretty fierce.

*The female characters in this book are strong. Elodie is a great character because she is literally just turned out from her home. Her step-father wants her gone and unfortunately her mother agrees it’s time for her to go. She’s a young woman, away from family and home. Elodie is smart, and isn’t afraid to ask questions. I liked her inquiring mind as she met different people like the wizard.

*The writing is wonderful and atmospheric. There is action and danger to keep things somewhat exciting.

Random Notes:
Unfortunately, I found myself bored at times reading this story because it moves slowly like a mystery.
Would have liked a little more romance, but that’s a personal thing for me because I love romance in my stories.

Final Thoughts:
This book may have not captured my full attention but many people who read young adult fantasy will enjoy this story very much. It has witches, action, danger and a girl named Elodie who finds a new home in the most unexpected place.

A Curse of Ash and Embers is a slower, more thoughtful fantasy than I'm used to, but I found it was still a really quick, enjoyable read! The characters were well drawn and I found that I really liked them. I would highly recommend this to fans of character-driven YA fantasy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Curse of Ash and Embers, the first book in the Tales of the Blackbone Witches series, follows Elodie as she leaves home to work as a servant for people she doesn’t know. Weirdly, no one remembers when or how she was hired. Leaving the abusive and confined life with her family, Elodie journeys to Oak Cottage determined to make the best of a mysterious and confusing situation.

Elodie finds Oak Cottage in shambles, a victim of an epic battle between Gyssha and Aleida, the Blackbone witches. Aleida, the victor of the battle, is now cursed and full of regret for her past malicious actions. As Elodie and Aleida begin to repair the cottage, they must also address the malicious monsters that Gyssha left behind. Aleida also has to face the evil warlock who has come to collect. Will Elodie stay with Aleida and help her handle the supernatural upheaval, or will she return to the home and family that she so desperately misses?

When the story begins, Elodie is very unsure of herself. This isn’t surprising considering how terribly her step-father treated her and how sequestered she was from the outside world. As the eldest daughter, she was treated more as a servant than a child. Her parents didn’t allow her to go to school, go to town, or have friends. So, Oak Cottage is the first semblance of freedom she’s had in years.

As Elodie adjusts to her new, unusual, and supernatural surroundings, she becomes more self-assured and confident in her abilities. Much of this can be attributed to her growing friendship with Aleida, which is one of my favorite parts of the novel.

Aleida is smart and sarcastic and brave. Though most everyone sees Aleida as a villain, Elodie sees past her dastardly deeds. Conversely, Aleida sees Elodie as more than an uneducated servant. I think their friendship helps both of these women heal and grow, and, though they are very different, they complement each other well.

Elodie is a dynamically developed character whose experience is full of new friendships, unexpected surprises, and unique supernatural elements. Monsters, magical creatures and elements of nature, warlocks, witches, curses, spells, and more create a fascinating world for Elodie to explore. Unfortunately, it also comes with danger around every corner, and Elodie and Aleida usually find it.

This is a unique coming-of-age novel with excellent supernatural elements and a strong female friendship. I enjoyed Elodie’s story and look forward to many more of her and Aleida’s adventures. Thanks so much to Netgalley and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was overall fun. It was fast, enthralling, and a must for those who like adventure. I liked it overall and thought it was great.

Thank you to NetGalley and author Jo Spurrier for the opportunity to review the Advanced Reader's Copy of this delightful book.

The book primarily focuses on character Elodie, as she is pulled from her role as elder daughter farm drudge and shoved into a conflict between witches which threatens a community several days travel away. Elodie, while she is presented as illiterate, displays a capable intellect and desire to learn. The book addresses a variety of common social ills or sources of social conflict, including domestic abuse, patriarchy, gender based social roles, and economic class conflict. The author highlights the value of individuals apart from the above conflict sources, promoting the benefits of self-education, work ethic, appreciation of individuals, and friendship. Elodie, over the course of the book, is presented with the choice to leave a new weakened friend to a terrible fate or find strength within herself to stand beside her friend enough for both of them to survive. The book resolves the presented conflict satisfactorily, while leaving the door open for future fun, presumably presented in future books.

The book obliquely addresses sexual relationships, but does not contain any specific scenes of sexual activity. The book, if I recall correctly, contained a couple of instances of harsh language, very sparingly used, to address plot issues and appropriate to the scene. The language is something I think a middle or high school student is expected to have heard outside of the book, and should not cause the reader concern about sharing the book with an adolescent reader. Similarly, while the book contains some violent scenes, the violence is necessary to advance the plot, and is not glorified or sufficiently detailed to warrant trigger warnings, in my opinion. I would not hesitate to share this with my child, niece/nephew, or grandchild, if they were an adolescent.

The characters were all sufficiently developed. The action neither dragged nor felt rushed, but rather was appropriately paced throughout. Events sufficiently developed so the pace felt natural. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the book. I expect to have this new addition to the bookcase by the end of the year and encourage those who enjoy compelling "Witch Coming of Age" stories to pick up a copy.

When Elodie receives a mysterious letter, informing that she has been hired as a housemaid to work at Black Oak Cottage, she thinks her prayers to leave home have been answered. She soon discovers that it might have been safer to stay at home. Elodie discovers the cottage in shambles after a battle between Gyssha and Aleida, the town’s two Blackbone witches. Although it appears that Aleida, the lesser of two evils, has won she has been left weakened and cursed. The town is swarming with Gyssha's monsters, they are being haunted, and there is an evil warlock trying to kill them over an unsettled debt. Elodie decides that no matter how dangerous it becomes it can’t be any worse than returning home.

A Curse of Ash and Embers is the first novel in the Blackbone Witches series in which a young woman, Elodie, must choose her destiny. This first novel in the series introduces us to Elodie, a young woman who is desperate to discover who she truly is and Aleida, a witch with a harsh tongue who appears to be full of regret. Although the novel starts off a little slow, it picks up quickly and Elodie finds herself battling danger from witchcraft, monsters, and magical orchards. Aleida, who has been cursed, didn't expect to find help in the form of a young housemaid but in her weakened state she will need all the help she can get. Overall I enjoyed this slightly feminist witchy tale full of peril and adventure.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author Jo Spurrier for providing me with an ARC of the title A Curse of Ash and Embers!

I am a huge fan of anything witchy, so when I saw this gorgeous cover and read the synopsis I knew I had to request this.

These characters were deeply explored and developed, and the plot was one that kept my interest and kept me entertained. The writing style was a treat to read and I really enjoyed the world building that was provided. Fun and magical, snag this if you need a sure to be good read!

Thank you again to those named above for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

I really enjoyed this book! My only real complaint about it was that it was a little slow, other than that, it was very character-driven, which I really appreciated, since both Elodie and Aleida were great characters. I especially appreciated Aleida’s mysterious background, which we slowly learn more about throughout the book.
This is definitely more of a low fantasy rather than a high fantasy and is more slow-paced, but the writing is incredible and I’m very interested in the continuation of Elodie’s story

This book surprised me! I was unsure about the beginning, as the story is launched a bit awkwardly as we meet the main character's family and learn she is being sent away to work as a servant by her cruel step-father. While I appreciate that we started off with a taste of normalcy right on the brink of change, there was too much exposition shoved into the dialogue ("but ma, why?" type questions/answers), and it made the main character sound much younger than she did for the rest of the book. From the time Dee left home and started on the road, the book picked up, and I'm glad I kept reading. The story offers great character development and relationships between characters, light foreshadowing on the road, and pacing that kept you on your toes, but also comfortable to explore Dee's new world. The descriptions of setting, especially the witch's house, was gorgeous and effective, and the action scenes were well-placed and well-written. If you like fantasy, witchcraft, and stories that highlight the bonds between women, A Curse of Ash & Embers would be a great fit for you.

I really enjoyed this book as a quick and fun read. The pacing is more on the slow side, but the character interactions help make it go a bit quicker. There was quite a bit of a let down with the lack of world building, however I feel the books after this one will involve more of the world. Overall, I loved the plot and characters, and am looking forward to reading more in the series. I definitely recommend!

While I deeply enjoyed the characters and plot executed by Spurrier in A Curse of Ash and Embers, the narrative unravels at a slow and extremely detailed pace. The writing itself was clever and well executed, but could have been better paced so that readers can go about their reading with more ease. That being said, I truly enjoyed this new world and I easily connected with the main characters. I would recommend this book to any fans of fantasy.

I read this all in one sitting, it just read so quickly and sucked me in!

Sometimes fantasy books take a bit to get into and have too much world building, but this drops you right into the story. Ellodie is a good character to follow, she's smart and resourceful and she asks a lot of questions that the reader wants to know. Even though she doesn't want to leave her home, she does what she needs to and tries to make the best of it. She gives Aleida her respect and doesn't judge her for being a witch. She's fierce and even when she's scared she carries on.

The world is easy to understand and the magic makes sense. The author has a good balance of showing and telling, so it's not information overload but I also didn't have too many unresolved questions. The ending wraps up well with room for the sequel without leaving us on a cliffhanger.

Fun story and I really enjoyed the characters!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. What an amazing read. I loved the characters and the writing really surprised me.I highly recommend this one.

This story was really interesting. Elodie is a sweetheart and Aleida has that sass I love. Life or death witch mayhem and twisty speeds keeps you wondering the whole way through. I highly recommend!!

I think that this book had the potential to be truly amazing. However, the writing style was really off putting for me as a reader. There were long, detailed pages of description where nothing was happening (at one point I skipped 6-7 paragraphs and had missed no plot point or action in the story). This slow pace made it hard to feel engaged with the story, particularly at the beginning when you are learning about the world and the characters. The characters themselves are alright but don't feel particularly special or attention grabbing. The dialogue is very simple. Overall, I think that the book had potential and if you are someone who enjoys slow, flowery writing, then you might enjoy this book.

A Curse of Ash and Embers tells the story of Elodie, a young woman sent away from home to work in a mysterious cottage. Elodie’s new mistress is the witch Aleida, who is secretly struggling with a curse. After defeating the previous cottage witch, Aleida has inherited all of the burdens and treasures of Black Oak Cottage. But someone is haunting the cottage and enemies are gathering to challenge Aleida. As Elodie learns more about who haunts Black Oak Cottage, she must decide who to trust and what she ultimately wants to be.

This was a fun read! I enjoyed the plot and the magical world. A Curse of Ash and Embers reminded me of Dealing with Dragons, by: Patricia C. Wrede. Throughout the book, Elodie must learn about magic and decide how far she will go to help Aleida. A Curse of Ash and Embers has powerful witches, morally grey characters, and fearsome villains. I’m looking forward to seeing how Elodie and Aleida’s adventures continue! A Curse of Ash and Embers releases November 3, 2020. Thank you to Jo Spurrier, Voyager- AU, and Netgalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Elodie is an outcast in her family. A bit of sass and a good heart. She’s been summoned as a servant girl. She travels for days and finally reaches her destination. Black Oak Cottage, where she meets Aleida. Things are not what they seem, and starts Elodie’s journey of magic and more.
I really enjoyed this book. Her journey to find her place was fun. The connections and the sass. Definitely worth a read.

This was a fun magical read. It mainly focuses on the journey of Elodie and her path to living with a witch and surviving. I enjoyed reading from Elodie’s perspective and found her character to be really likable. I liked the journey that Elodie goes on from uprooting from her family to an entirely new home. I enjoyed the magic and the mystery of a dead witch who is attacking them. Overall a great fantasy book about finding a place for yourself and growing.

Unfortunately this was a book that I never managed to fully take a hold of as I struggled to understand what it was trying to be.

“A Curse of Ash and Embers” follows Dee as she is forced to leave her home and take a position as a household secret for a mysterious mistress who has secrets of her own and along the way she learns that the stories of monsters and witches are far from fictional.

This is probably one of the hardest reviews I’ve ever had to write because I still don’t know what to make of this book. It has all the trappings of your typical girl stumbles in to a world of magic and becomes an apprentice but never managed to go there. I felt like there was so much of this world to explore but we got a watered down version and I can’t understand why.

The witches were portrayed as cunning and vicious creatures and we got some of that but a majority we just had to take at face value as Dee learned of the towns past through that of her neighbors and very little was shown on the page. We get a Stranger Things rift, a couple who are more creature than human and hybrids ripped right out of AHS Coven with hardly an explanation between them as to not only how they fit together but how they work in the story itself.

I thought the relationship between Dee and Aleida and their back and forth as one was too hurt to scare off the other was nice but their relationship was just that, nice I never felt that one had this awful reputation or that they would be able to grow together to be the very beings that are so powerful that it lead one to the other in the first place.

I don’t know this one is both strange and dull but offers promise if it found the right direction.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**