I struggled a lot on how I would rate this book. First, I really enjoyed the last half of the book. It was entertaining, held my attention, and had some heartwarming moments.

On the other hand, I had a hard time getting through the first half of the book. It didn't grip my attention, and honestly, I found myself very bored at certain parts. I didn't connect with the character as much as I did in the second half, and I almost dnf'd it multiple times. That said, I am happy I pushed through and continued reading.

This fantasy romance is definitely not for everyone, but if you're willing to pit the work in and push through the beginning, it could be a good read for you.

I wanted to love this book, it sounded like a bit of a romp set in a fantastical world. Unfortunately I couldn’t related to the MC and didn’t really like the main love interest. Dnf.

I have TRIED my hardest to push through but I'm just so confused, I honestly feel like I have a bit of whiplash with how chaotic this book is. I made it to 40% before unfortunately deciding it was not for me and DNF'ing.

The premise started out really interesting and I thought it was definitely something I would love, however the constant violent switch in plot line is just a bit too much for me. I feel like every time I get settled in and start to understand what's happening something new is thrown in, the MFC was really unlikable and I just found myself frustrated with more and more questions throughout.

Although not for me, thank you to Netgalley and publishers for the chance to read and review this book.

One thing I love is a good fantasy I love a book that can make me forget what's going on in the world and go into an imaginative world where the impossible happens and you meet characters and creatures you would never meet for real and this book had ot all

3.5 ⭐

I had a great time with this book! It wasn't perfect, but it definitely made me want to read the sequel.

My main issue was Valeria, who was such a messy protagonist that it made her insufferable at times. However, she begins to go through a development phase at the end of the novel, and I'm looking forward to seeing where the author takes her next.

Additionally, I would also like to see her relationship with Gideon develop. In this book, their connection felt very abrupt and while this was explained, it didn't feel like enough. I wished they could have existed as their own people before coming together. Hopefully, the next book explore this more.

Overall, an enjoyable romantasy!

Thank you to Sword and Silk Books and NetGalley for my ARC!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed A Realm of Ash and Shadow. The story follows Princess Valeria as she returns to her kingdom after years of exile, only to discover that everything is far from what she imagined. The plot is a captivating blend of fantasy and self-discovery, where Val must navigate the treacherous political landscape and confront her family’s dark legacy.

The characters are richly developed, especially Val, who grapples with her identity and the weight of her lineage. The writing is evocative, bringing the vibrant world to life while effectively balancing action and emotional depth. Themes of empowerment, betrayal, and the search for truth resonate throughout the narrative. The dual love interests add complexity, enhancing the romantic tension that keeps readers invested. Overall, it’s a thrilling read that left me eager for the next installment.

AMAZING...Loved this book and loved everything about it, I can't wait for more from this author.
5 star

First of all the cover is beautiful. I'm gonna need to buy a physical copy to display. I really enjoyed this book. I had a hard time putting it down.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t attached to the writing or plot so I found myself unable to finish the book. The main character irritates me as well. I tried to press through, but I found that I wasn't enjoying it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book to start with, but the protagonist became increasingly unlikeable unfortunately. I liked the politics and the plot enough.

This book had a lot of political lore that was interesting and fun to explore, but as the book went on, I found it difficult to enjoy the protagonist. I enjoyed learning about the political situation of the different worlds, and the way Valeria chose to navigate the world is what kept me reading.

The overall plot of the book was enjoyable. However, the choices and actions of Val often made it so I was unable to side with or enjoy her. She is painted as someone who has been highly trained in combat, yet she cannot keep her weapon in hand every time she fights–her level of training and her ability to use it have such a disconnect it leaves her looking incompetent. Also, the romance in this story was very unrewarding, and I felt as though all the time I had spent reading so far was betrayed, as the sudden change in love interest did not feel earned. The relationships did not feel as though they had been given the time that was necessary to develop, so the reading experience was incredibly frustrating.

Despite the romance, the world-building and lore were engaging and will have me reaching for the next book when it is released.

This isn't likely to hit well for adults. It's being billed as "new adult" but from the first paragraph, it felt very Young Adult. Based on the first 3%, I would say even middle grades could read. Granted, not sure about the sexiness coming later... this just might have missed its mark. The cover really seems to target a young adult audience.

5 stars - self publishing is hard.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sword and Silk Books for the ARC.

Questo è uno di quei romanzi in cui mi ritrovo combattuta sul giudizio.
Probabilmente gli darei 3.5 stelle, più che altro per un inizio un po' troppo lento e noioso e l'infinita serie di prese in giro che io e la protagonista ci siamo dovute sorbire dal resto del cast e dall'autrice. Ma in realtà il libro mi ha preso un sacco una volta arrivati nell'Empireo e me lo sono divorata.
Però!....però la trama è talmente intricata che bisogna portare un decespugliatore per fare ordine in questo caos...per non parlare di tutti i tradimenti ad ogni angolo, bugie, maledizioni...e sinceramente io alla fine di questo libro ancora non mi fido ASSOLUTAMENTE di NESSUNO!

Appena ci viene presentato il primo protagonista maschile (non Mason, lui poveretto, per quanto dolce e tenero, Valeria non l'ha considerato quasi per niente...ed è comunque un personaggio secondario...anche se ho la brutta sensazione che lo rivedremo ancora nel secondo libro), Gideon, è facile fare un paragone con un certo High lord biondo, e continuavo ad avere la sensazione di star leggendo un rimaneggiamento di Acotar. Però mi son dovuta ricredere, e anche se alla base della storia, si c'è Acotar... è molto molto più complicata.
Devo fare i miei complimenti a Valeria, per essersi mantenuta sana di mente dopo esser stata tradita da TUTTI RIPETUTAMENTE e aver ancora un briciolo di sanità mentale.
Sono quasi del tutto certa che quando andrò a leggere il seguito non mi ricorderò minimamente tutti i vari tradimenti e maledizioni varie che hanno i vari personaggi, quindi spero vivamente l'autrice faccia un riassunto a inizio del libro. Ne avremo decisamente bisogno.
Ora la vera domanda è: ci possiamo fidare di Gideon? Io come ho già detto non mi fido di nessuno in questo libro. Sopratutto perchè non hanno ancora scoperto la spia di Vemdour nell'Empireo, di cui Valeria pare essersi completamente dimenticata..
Ci sono ancora troppe domande senza risposta e spero vivamente vengano risolte, perchè voglio assolutamente leggere il seguito di questa storia!

Grazie Netgalley per avermi permesso di leggere questo libro!!!

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This is one of those novels where I find myself torn on judgement.
I would probably give it 3.5 stars, mostly due to a slightly too slow and boring start and the endless series of teasing that the protagonist and I had to endure from the rest of the cast and the author. But in reality the book really grabbed me once we arrived in the Empyrean and I devoured it.
But!....but the plot is so intricate that you have to bring a brush cutter to make order in this chaos...not to mention all the betrayals at every corner, lies, curses...and honestly I'm at the end of this book I still don't trust ABSOLUTELY ANYONE!

As soon as we are introduced to the first male protagonist (not Mason, poor guy, as sweet and tender as he is, Valeria didn't consider him almost at all... and he's still a secondary character... even if I have a bad feeling that we'll see him again in the second book), Gideon, it's easy to make a comparison with a certain blond High Lord, and I kept having the feeling I was reading a rehash of Acotar. But I had to change my mind, and even if Acotar is at the basis of the story... it's much, much more complicated.
I have to congratulate Valeria for keeping herself sane after being betrayed by EVERYONE REPEATEDLY and still having a shred of sanity.
I'm almost completely certain that when I will read the sequel I won't remember at all all the various betrayals and curses that the various characters have, so I sincerely hope the author gives a summary at the beginning of the book. We will definitely need it.
Now the real question is: can we trust Gideon? As I already said, I don't trust anyone in this book. Especially because they haven't yet discovered Vemdour's spy in the Empyrean, which Valeria seems to have completely forgotten about...
There are still too many unanswered questions and I sincerely hope they are resolved, because I absolutely want to read the sequel to this story!

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book!!!

I absolutely loved this book. It was a new twist to fantasy that I loved and couldn't put down! It is a 5 star times 10 read!!

Some parts of this book were very fast paced and it felt like there could’ve been more detail. There are tons of parallels to a well known fantasy series (ACOTAR) that I see in here so it would be nice if there were more original concepts. I felt as if there were missed opportunities to talk about Valeria and Cadens relationship. Overall I enjoyed this book regardless of the things I think that should be worked on. I enjoyed the scenery and the characters a lot and if there was a second book to this i would 100% read it.

The cover is so pretty!!! But it felt like reading fan fiction. I wanted to love it but I just didn't.

I throughly enjoyed this book. It kept me interested from start to finish. The author created memorable characters that the reader comes to care about.

The pacing was excellent and I read it in a single sitting. I enjoyed the world building a great deal.

I highly recommend this book!

I kind of had expectations going into this book since the blurb was pretty interesting and it has such a beautiful cover
To be honest, it’s pretty entertaining to read but that’s only because of the immature writing. It’s so weird though, since it has such a childish writing but the content is so adult. This book kind of reminded me of a bad wattpad story that’s kind of entertaining to read. The plot was all over the place and Valeria, the female main character, is extremely childish that it made me cringe to read her thoughts. She keeps trying to put the blame on people, including herself, and keeps trying to make the situation better but it’s pretty obvious that it’s going to get worse.

The romance was very insta love-y (apparently they are soulmates) and the sex scenes were so uncomfortable since the writing made her seem like a 16 year old. When 18 year olds say they will love each other forever, I just want to puke.

LOVE this book. The plot, the characters, the relationships are all just spot on. I can’t fault this at all. The romance is perfect and is everything you look for in a fantasy romance.

I got hooked by page 14, and I must say it was a rather exquisite read. Perfect length book, very enticing and intimate moments, really overall couldn't put it down, and I'm excited for parts 2 and 3 of the trilogy...