I received an early copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Publishing! All opinions are my own!

Where do I even start with my love for this book?? I am at a loss for words as to how beautiful it was in every single way. From action to emotion and everything in between, this book had it all. Romance and betrayal, one thing I wanted, one thing I very much did not, were just two parts of the bigger plot that showcased such a beautiful world.

This duology had such a rich world that it created, full of such a beautiful culture and religious traditions. It taught me a lot not just about other cultures and issues like systemic poverty and racism, but it taught me a lot about leadership, courage, and love. And it's so good that it teaches you without you realizing that you're even being taught.

Rue is such a strong and beautiful character, and I loved watching her grow. She struggles with confidence in this book, and I related so much to that. Watching her grow and learn more about herself and the world around her was so refreshing, and I feel like I learned so much about myself as well.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, needs to read this duology. This is the most beautiful world, and you will not want to miss it!

Elle has blown me away again with the second installation of this duology. Their power over expressing raw emotion and having the main character make realistic (sometimes bad) decisions kept me absolutely enthralled with this book.

Do I wish I saw some more from Julius and Ms. Leola when it comes to magic? Yes. But more importantly, if I one day found out I was the chosen one of a long line of people and I barely know how to use my power and I am little more than a child being expected to reign over family that are strangers to me, do you know what I would do? Mess up. And panic. And try any way I could to convince these people there are older, better suited candidates for monarchy here.

And that's what Rue Jelani does. She messes up and she declines the automatic designation of queen and yes she has panic attacks and she really just wants her sister to be safe.

I love this series SO MUCH.

What a satisfying conclusion to a Duology. It was amazing to watch Rue develop even more from the first book. We see her same ferocity in Ashes of Gold, but we also see a vulnerable side to her that really gets fleshed out. It made her feel even more real and relatable. I think that may be what made me like this sequel even more than book one. The storytelling and world building was captivating and really kept my interest as well. The only thing that I didn’t fully enjoy was the love triangle. I adored one of the love interests and really despised the other, but the bouncing back and forth felt not only repetitive but also unnecessary for the plot or character development of Rue. But, I am a bit picky when it comes to love triangles so that may just be my personal preference. All in all, a strong ending to a great duology.

Rue has been captured by the Chancellor. After losing a battle and many of her people, she wakes up locked underground, unable to access her magic, and worse, unable to remember what happened exactly. But she does know one thing for sure: thanks to her failed leadership, her people lost a battle, and may be all dead as far as she knows. She was never meant to be queen, and now maybe everyone understands that. But not all hope is lost: Rue still holds all the Ancestors’ leftover magic, after all, and until they can take that from her too, there is still a chance for victory.

I received a free advanced reading copy of Ashes of Gold in exchange for an honest review.

Ashes of Gold is a young adult fantasy novel by J. Elle. It’s also the sequel to Wings of Ebony, which I read last year for the Black Girls with Magic and Books book club. I cried with Wings of Ebony, and even put it in my best books of 2021 list, so of course I had to read Ashes of Gold and see how Rue’s story ended!

Before I continue, be aware that there may be spoilers for the first book here, so read on carefully!

From the very beginning, I loved the focus on Rue and her character. Rue dealt with a lot in the first book. She lost people, learned magic, and also learned that she’s basically been chosen by her ancestors to free all her people, and this is something that we didn’t really see her deal with too much in the last book, but definitely has to work through here.

Here we get to see her struggles and efforts to accept all that’s happened, and mainly fight against who others think she is. It’s not easy to have this destiny thrust upon you, and I thought Elle did an amazing job in this book making Rue feel relatable and insecure. It’s exactly how most teens would feel in that situation!

Also, Rue continues to be flawed. She makes mistakes in this book, and unfortunately, when someone like her makes mistakes, they’re big ones. She’s strong, though. She might sometimes feel like she has failed everyone, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to make it right. Rue’s fear and uncertainty in her own abilities are a familiar narrative to most, but as she begins to learn more about herself and the people she’s grown to care about, she finds herself changing. This change can be inspiring to many of us, and I felt brave as Rue worked so hard to stand up to her fears and to the Chancellor, and save her people.

The story itself continues to be compelling, with a fair share of surprises, and a plot that just will not stop. I was excited, as well as hopeful, throughout. In the end I believe Elle delivered on the story that she set out to tell, and Ashes of Gold was a satisfying conclusion to the story begun in Wings of Ebony.

Ashes of Gold was released on January 11. You can order it from Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers here.

It is Immediately clear from page one of Ashes of Gold, that J. Elle is not holding her punches.
Rue is on the front lines of a pending fight against the Chancellor and the “grays”. The Chancellor has already stolen their land, their magic, and much of their culture, and it’s not enough. He wants it all, every last drop of magic. Rue is the only person of Ghizon to hold the ancestors magic. Naturally, she feels like she has to take on this fight alone, to save them all. This chapter is tough on your heart as a reader because we know that she’s shouldering too much on her own.


If you didn’t meet Rue in Wings of Ebony, she is strong-willed, fiercely loyal to her natural and chosen families, and always puts others needs before her own. Having grown up without magic (nor knowledge of magic) in East Row, Texas, she was very well equipped for the issues she’d find in The Capital and Ghizon.

“Moms raised a diamond, and diamonds don’t crack.” – Rue, Wings of Ebony
Despite what we know about Rue’s strength, she very much doubts herself in Ashes of Gold. All along in both books, Rue portrays the characteristics of a leader: compassion, intelligence, loyalty, selflessness, and more. Yet, with each misstep she makes, she doubts herself just a bit more. Both Jhamal and Julius, her new and old loves, see her as a queen. Jhamal sees it literally, calling her his queen all along, while Julius kind of jokes about it to keep her relaxed. Regardless of which ship you’re on, Jhamal or Julius, I think we can all agree that both young men are good for her. They both are vital to her growth in this story.

With the magic from her ancestors, the time has come for Rue, known as Jelani to her people, to take The Capital down.
The Chancellor has succeeded for too long at keeping the stolen magic of Ghizon for himself, and select citizens of The Capital. He underestimates the determination of Rue, the passion of her people, and the strength of new alliances made under duress. Written in a fantasy-fiction world, Ashes of Gold is a modernized telling of the oppressed rising up against tyranny. There are parallels to American history, and the current state of our society. Readers will lose themselves in this story, and hopefully find themselves full of love and empathy in the end.


“The dirt was not dirt, but ashes of gold.”

Myth: 4.5/5

Powerful, raw, direct, Rue, throughout the trials of the second book, remains consistently Rue, and I loved that. The fact that she is so true to herself, really makes the concept of betrayal that much worse. She’s being open and out there with those around her, but you can’t imagine who, that she’s decided to trust, might not do the same with her. It makes for an even more action packed experience, not only are you on this danger filled journey with Rue and her team, but you’re also trying to sniff out a betrayer, definitely makes for a compelling read.

Rue’s romantic threads were a little less direct. This was where Rue seemed most torn between her new responsibilities to her Ghizon people and her life and family in East Row. Plot points make it difficult to reconcile some of the characters feelings and actions, but it certainly doesn’t take away from the overall message of the story.

Side note: The interactions between Rue and Bri will 100% stick with me, in the first book, they had a scene that was a perfect representation of white women’s tears and in this book, they had a great scene of checking your privilege. It was so impactful for me to see these scenes play out, even in a fantastical setting, they were more relevant to me to experience this way than they would be from any textbook.



Magic: 4/5

Rue is on a mission to save her people and reclaim their magic from the Chancellor. She struggles, this book encompasses her mistakes and the ramifications, but it’s Rue, so she picks herself up, puts herself back together, learns from her mistakes and tries something else.

Overall: 4.5/5

I love that through it all Rue stays true to herself. She learns new things about herself and that can change her opinion on a position that she previously had, but she knows her heart in a given moment and she’s not afraid to speak it. There is a fear vs love concept in the book that, even before Rue hears of it, you just know she lives it. She is a fantastic heroine, putting it all on the line to save her people.

Ashes of Gold is the intense and triumphant conclusion to the Wings of Ebony fantasy duology. Wings of Ebony was a strong debut, but Ashes of Gold takes it to another level. The world of Ghizon and the magic system were more fully fleshed out, and the character development is deeper in this book. Rue remains a strong, badass, tenacious character but has to gain the self-confidence to accept herself as a leader of her people. She was intimidated by the thought of herself as a leader because she hadn't seen anyone like herself do it before. She realizes that she can lead, even if it means not being perfect and risking making mistakes. This action-paced contemporary/fantasy is brimming with humor, betrayal, twists, interesting characters and strong themes of social justice. Thanks to Books Forward and Netgalley for an eARC.

What a beautiful way to end this story!

I loved this from beginning to end. And let me tell you…THAT ENDING!!

Elle does a beautiful job taking heavy topics like race, injustice, how to be a true ally and setting it all in a detailed fantasy world.

This story is relatable and relevant to our world today!

I love to see character growth throughout a story and was very pleased to see this one start off on a heavier darker note. Though I loved the last book, I felt like Rue didn’t really have a lot of moments where we got to see her fail and rise up from it. This one gave me all of the character growth.

I will absolutely recommend this to everyone, no matter your age group!

Rue is back in an intense conclusion to the Wings of Ebony duology. This time, she's in the center of a war to earn back the magic for her people that was stolen by the Chancellor. War is here, and lives will be lost. Will Rue be able to earn her people's magic back and unite her people, or will she die trying?

I will definitely say that as much as I wasn't a huge fan of the first book, I liked this book a lot more. One of the sequel's strongest points is the storytelling element. The author does a great job emphasizing how important this fight is and Rue puts herself into it completely. There are some great characters that are introduced that I think added more of the personal element for Rue to be fighting for the Ghizoni people, and it helped to develop the world as a whole. I do think that we got a better idea of what Ghizon was prior to the war, with a bunch of street names added and what not, but I still wasn't completely invested, mostly because street names don't have much of an impact on me, especially when it's done in a war setting like this.

I will admit that my commitment to this book was a bit wishy-washy. I was completely invested in the first 10% of the book because of how quickly things took a turn for the worst. Then the rest of the first half of the book just... dragged. It felt like all they did was sneak around, almost get killed, then try to make their way back to base. A lot of it for me could have been shortened because it got so repetitive and boring. But then as soon as the major "someone will betray you" line got dropped, I was sold for the rest of the book. I was screaming, I was cheering, I was cursing out characters. It was an emotional rollercoaster. I did guess the first of many plot twists, but even then I was emotional. I even teared up at one point for a character I didn't really like. This was what mainly made me give this book a higher rating than Wings of Ebony.

Now for what I didn't like. As I mentioned prior, a lot of scenes in the beginning felt repetitive and slowed my interest in the book. I would also say the same for Rue's development with confidence in herself. It waned for a good portion of the book, believing she could not be Queen of her people. As a result, for a majority of the book I wasn't completely sold that she could be a leader at all, especially for what happened at the beginning of the book that was almost completely forgotten about by the end of the book. There was also a lot of back and forth between her two main love interests, who I absolutely rooted for one over the other because I did NOT like the other one. And while I was happy with the ending that Rue got with the one love interest, it felt like a bit of whiplash getting there.

While I love that this story is about forgiveness and self-reflection, I will say that the ending with some specific characters did feel a bit rushed in terms of their redemption. It was shoved into one whole chapter and it didn't really seem like there were any ramifications, which I was disappointed by. It's a road to recovery, not a highway to recovery.

I cannot fully speak on the POC representation in this story as I am not a person of color, and highly recommend searching for reviews by reviewers of color to get a better idea of how it is executed.

Ashes of Gold is a solid end to a debut duology, full of Black girl magic and empowerment, powerful plot twists, and a story that will leave your heart warm.

I received a copy of this story as an e-ARC from NetGalley. Any and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved the first book, Wings of Ebony, so reading the conclusion to J. Elle’s duology was high on my must read list for the year.

I definitely wasn’t disappointed in this second book. It’s filled with magic, heartache, love, and social justice. It’s a satisfying read and everything comes to a great conclusion. I love the character of Rue and following her journey of learning about her ancestors and taking back what was stolen from them. And Bri was a great character for white women like me to follow as an example of how to best be an ally.

Highly recommend picking up the first book if you haven’t read it yet, and then checking this one out when it comes out later this year.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon Teen for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

There is no other words I can think to describe J. Elle besides creative genius! ASHES was just as incredible, if not more so than WINGS. I am forever in love with this duology and I can't stop raving about how absolutely magical these books are. If you haven't read these, I implore you to pick them up! You will NOT be disappointed!

I am amazed at how immersed I get into the world. It's so beautifully described it makes me feel like I am there with Rue, watching all of this unfold. At times, I wish I was, even if it was just to give her some moral support. Not that she would ever need my help! She just gets stronger, more confident and more bada** as the pages go on. I have never read a protagonist I love the way I love Rue. She is and should be the standard for phenomenal and incredible protagonists. Her tenacity, her determination and her ability to be capable of anything makes her so compelling to read. She keeps you on your toes, but doesn't always do what you'd expect. Her love for her hometown, her family, friends and now Ghizon is admirable. I also thoroughly love the bond she has with the women in her life. They continue to learn from each other and share an inseparable bond.

I also love how undeniably Rue that Rue continues to be. While showing growth, she never strays from who she is and what means the most to her. She is always willing to protect what she loves and it continues in ASHES. J. Elle does a masterful job with continuing and concluding this duology. I truly wish this wasn't the end. I could stay in this world forever.

The plot, the world building, the writing, the characters, the development, the romance- all of it is sheer perfection! I can't even get over it. It's rare that books make me want to reread them right when I finish, but I've experienced that feeling with both these books! Pick up this duology, you will truly not regret it! It's one of the best series I've ever read!

In Wings of Ebony, Rue had such swagger and personality. Whilst reading Ashes of Gold, I kept looking for this hardened and memorable Rue. Her character felt watered down in the first third of the book, and then she magically reappears after a certain point. Rue’s dialect/way of speaking is also inconsistent, with it peeking through at random moments when, in book one, it was infused throughout. The beginning first third felt like the author was warming back up to Bri; her distinct voice just was not present in the same manner I had expected.

Overall, this is a solid conclusion to the duology. There’s great plot and character development, and I enjoyed the overall pacing. It kept me interested, and this is definitely a duology I’ll be recommending to students and putting in my classroom library. Plus, there’s on-page representation for a Black girl with anxiety and panic attacks.

Huge thanks to Books Forward and Netgalley for the chance to review this title!

Reasons to read a tenacious heroine, superb world-building, and a compelling B cast.

Personal rating: have I met a better duology? Nope.

Wings of Ebony was one of the more unique books I'd read in 2021 ( a weird year, but great for books!) Part contemporary and part fantasy, it solidified itself as one of my favorites. Rue returns in Ashes of Gold with the fierce tenacity we left her with in book one. This time around, she's getting betrayed left and right and left trusting nobody and feeling lost and alone, WHICH IS HOW THE BAD GUYS WANT HER!. GAH

ASHES OF GOLD felt a bit more fleshed out if that makes any sense. I felt the descriptive paragraphs were more robust and the characters were given more space to express their emotions. The journey Elle takes her characters through to "gather tools" (yay Save the Cat Writes a Novel. I knew something would stick) is a big shift from book one and gives book the tension and time clock it needs.

It's not often I find a sequel-never-mind the last in a two-book series-to be equal or better than its predecessor, but this one certainly takes the prize. ASHES OF GOLD shines. I'm sad to see the story end, but I know the author is just getting started.

First off, I loved the style and art that was for the cover. It all gave the impression of magic and beauty, which were some of the feelings and thoughts while reading. I loved the uniqueness of the names and the beliefs in the separate tribes within the island. My heart broke at the thought of someone killing and stealing the magic, I felt the hate,pain and even love. My only issue wasn't even with the story, because I recieved this book for purpose of reading and reviewing I only read this one. So even though you can get make it through without reading g the first in the series, id reccomend starting with the first.

Actual rating 3.5

After the battle against the Chancellor's men, Rue has to pick up the pieces and get all of her people to work together against their common enemy and restore magic to the Ghizoni.

Rue has an amazing character arc in Ashes of Gold as she learns not to self-doubt, trust herself and step in her true role as a leader. As she learns more about the culture and history of the Ghizoni she also learns to blend that with her history at East Row and that being tied to two places only makes her stronger.

My only downside is Rue's love life throughout the book. It doesn't bother me that she has two potential love interests, but when she hops back and forth between the two so quickly it gave me whiplash and made both of the relationships feel not as genuine. It did add more conflict with Rue's ability to trust others and her paranoia of betrayal, but I think it would have fit her arc of self-confidence better to not worry about a relationship with either. Rue is a badass and I thought it took away from that.

Another breathtaking cover for Book 2!  I love the strength and power that both of these covers have displayed.

Book 2 is another action-packed thrill ride fantasy.  Showing more depth in Rue's character, her development and confidence within this story was lovely.

Painful betrayals and exposure of the magical world having so many of our world's issues (racism, elitism, government corruption...) make this storyline easy to sink into and all too familiar, making it easy to feel the heartbreak right alongside Rue.

The writing is just fantastic.  Easily imagined scenes, from the fantastical magical locations to the neighborhood apartments, every place is easy to picture in my head.  Secondary characters are well-rounded and interesting.  Elle has done a fantastic job of world-building.

This duology is deserving of being on the big screen. I hope Hollywood knocks on this author's door!

3.5/5 but rounded it to 4.
I really loved Rue in WINGS OF EBONY and I am happy to say that I still love her in ASHES OF GOLD. While WOE had a more contemporary feel to it, AOG solidly feels like a fantasy and I was absolutely here for it. Rue is a wonderfully developed and multidimensional character who you can't help but love, and I really enjoyed watching her continue to grow into her identity and power in this second installment. I loved seeing how characters like Bri and Julius and other members of her "tribe" came around her and supported her, although there was a big betrayal I won't spoil that I didn't see coming that blew my mind and I'm still not over it. If you read this book, you know. I loved seeing more of the world of Ghizon and how the magic system worked. This felt like it was on more of a solid footing than in the first so you can definitely see improvement, and it was already pretty good in the first book. There is a lot of action in this one so the plot doesn't ever truly drag at one point or another. J. Elle's writing is really good and on point and full of emotionality that you can't help but connect with this characters and this world. ASHES OF GOLD, frankly, shines like gold. It's full of heartbreaking twists and betrayals that will keep fans of the first book super happy like it did me.

This book was a massive shift from the first one, which for the most part was set in the world as we know it. Instead, for the end of the journey we find ourselves in Ghizon. From the beginning it is action-packed and chock full of beautiful traditions Rue is learning from the Ghizoni. I really loved the stunning world building, which we get to experience at the same time as the main character. I did, however, have a few problems with some of the actions in the book. The characters would be running for their lives or sneaking into somewhere, and Rue would be texting? It just seemed very out of place for the severity in those moments. It’s probably nitpicky but it took me out of the action every time. I also really disliked the nonchalance with which people who betrayed her were treated in the end. It made me so frustrated to see her comfort them, and tell them the Ancestors would have been proud, when they did absolutely nothing to redeem themselves, after actively getting people killed. I know there was a major theme of learning from your mistakes and moving forward, but I thought Rue had actively worked on herself, while the praise for the other characters came way too soon. That all being said, I still thought it was a delightful read and it kept me hooked to the end. For me, this was a 3.5/5.

If you like wonderful world building filled to the brim with culture, a protagonist fighting to feel worthy, or you love you some cornbread, this is the one for you.

I received a digital copy of this book free from Books Forward Friends and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review will be posted on pop-culturalist during release week! I love Rue, but I wish my ship sailed. It unfortunately didn’t but the storyline was really good and I’m excited to read whatever J. Elle writes next!!

This story was amazing! I may have enjoyed this one more than WoE. Learning so much about the tribes and culture in Ghizon was reminiscent of what Africa may have been like had it not been colonized. This page-turning story had me guessing until the end. Blag girl magic is definitely on display. As story came to an end I was reminded of the closing scene in the Black Panther Movie. Congratulations to J. Elle for this epic conclusion to the duology. Would love to see this story on the big screen or streaming platform.