If you're looking for a very YA feeling read, this would be a fun fit, but it just felt too young for me. The world building lacks depth and feels unorganized, though I can tell there was effort put into it, like naming all the demons as an example, but that feels less necessary than giving more character depth. There's times when Val is trying to be made into a mature young woman, with her sexual experience, etc. But sometimes she feels very immature still.

Yup, I don't like this. I'm not going to sugarcoat this review. I don't like this book.

It's in the way how messy the plot and the conflict is. There were a lot of things that very confusing, like how something didn't add up or didn't match. There were one things that didn't make sense inside my head too. I'm not sure was it because I was too stupid to understand or was it simply too complicated to understand? But I'm not gonna lie that this is a very intriguing and interesting story, the premise was promising too and I admit that beside the cover, the synopsis what got me to read this one. But it's an unfortunate that the way it was executed was very messy and I don't like it.

The first section of the book was slow paced and felt very long and without any significant events happening. Towards the middle of the book, I actually grew to like the plot a bit more since it started to pick up it paced and knowing this book is using the same formula as ACOTAR and it worked pretty well in my opinion. But then toward climaxing the conflict everything just got messy, the way these characters trying to resolve a conflict with little effort doesn't sit well in my mind, then the whole info dump/history was just so fucking branched out I got confused as hell, I even got confused which one is the true enemy here. Fuck even I got confused which one is the true love interest here. It's safe to say that the whole plot and story was like tangled yarn that is quite impossible to untangle.

For characters, well I honestly don't like the Valeria. It was just how I couldn't connect with her in deep connection and there were times that I found myself saying she really is a stupid girl lmao. Sure she was relatable and have that certain badass, but was it badass or just stubbornness? The way this girl cheated on her soulmate too 💀 look honestly I'm not sure if it's called cheating because as I said there were a lot of things that very much confusing in this book and that includes the fmc's love interest, so yeah, I think it still counts as cheating too lmao. But honestly I think she is a very interesting character, if the author really do well in evolving her in later books I think it'll be fantastic. It's still book one after all and she's only 18 so I do understand that some things were necessary because we're talking about big picture here. Other than that some characters were okay, I like Cayden he's pretty cool, Gideon was weird but okay too, Vemdour however. Man- that god is just so sensual and fuck I fell for his trap too 😭 Malachi was cool, Sabel was meh, Red was awesome for me. All of them were cool.

But I do actually want to appraise the writing, it was amazing. And throughout the read I found myself mesmerized by the author's writing. I think it's in the way at some point how eloquent the writing felt, it was sometimes funny too and witty. Although I still have to admit that the flow didn't flow smoothly, there were times that the plot felt so dragging and went by too fast. And it went too fast at action scenes especially, it felt like the author didn't dedicate more words or times for those scenes to really happened and it went dragging when nothing particular happened in the plot.

Overall this book has a lot of potential and I feel like all of the things I mentioned above was fair to happened in a first book especially if we're talking about more than tetra or pentalogy. Idk what this book will be but I'm honestly intrigued to see what will happen next and I did enjoy this though not so much.

So I'm gonna give this a 3 stars.
Worth a try if you like a fantasy with different realms at once.

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<i>Big thanks to Lara Buckheit, her publisher, and netgalley for providing me the arc in exchange for an honest review✌🏻

This book was a 10/10!! A truly romantic and beautiful fantasy novel where the main character comes into her own, learns to trust herself and others, and finds the other piece of her soul. I adored this book, and the relationship building between Valeria and Gideon is perfect. The second I read the last page of this book I was ready for the next one!

Wow! I flew to write this review as soon as I finished - I am still catching my breath! What a cliffhanger. The world building was super intriguing and I am SO excited to see more of Gideon, Vemdour, and Valeria's friends. I was particularly interested in Cayden's lore?! Took me by surprise but would love to read more of his story ❤️‍🔥

This book was a bit slow to start, with some eye-rolling at FMC's inner monologue/general attitude about things - she is young (18!) and I tried to remind myself of that when some of the dialogue seemed stilted or childish. If I wasn't determined to review this ARC I would say I might have struggled to finish.

Took off 1 star for the pacing and stilted dialogue but overall I'm super pleased and SO excited to read more. P.S. this book weirdly straddled super-adult content with language, vulgarity, and general descriptions, but spice 🌶️ left a lot to be desired. I hope it's just a slow burn and we get more spice in the next book! Thank you to NetGalley who provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review! ✨

4.5/5⭐

WOW. An absolutely captivating book!

Thank you to the author for an ARC of this book!
A Realm of Ash and Shadow was so twisty and turn-y. I could not predict any of it and was blown away. The characters are such detailed individuals with their own difference. The love triangle was very well explained and that's a big deal on it's own as many books struggle not to make them too complex and confusing. The scenes were well described and detailed as well. The only thing that seemed a little hard to follow was the complexity of the world, but it wasn't dumped all at once. Which made it easy to digest in chunks. I immediately started rooting for the MC from the first few chapters, I love her so much! She's a very relatable teen that's not perfect and makes her more realistic to readers. Wonderful book. Awesome Characters.

This was an amazing book, well written and full of surprises!! The characters have great personalities that distinguishes all of them in their unique way! They all had a great relationship with one an other that gives the story more depth. For the story, it was an amazing read with a lot of twist and turns that surprised me. There was a couple of place in the story that was a bit wonky at first but in the end it all came together and I cannot wait for the sequel to comme out!! I hope this books gets the recognition it deserves and I wish a good luck to the author !!

I am in between 3.5 to 4 but really enjoyed the book. I think Lara Buckheit did a great job with this, I liked the world she built and liked learning more in bits and pieces as the MC was also learning. Sometimes it’s fun to be away from the info dumps in fantasy books.
My major issue is that the MC is 18 and personally I would have preferred a slightly older MC. But, I do also understand how it comes into play in the story, and I did the the very high school behavior was well done but the later aspects of the book felt like they were better suited to a slightly older protagonist.
The writing is good - it keeps you engaged, there wasn’t anything that pulled me out of the story. Also the straddling of the contemporary world and the fantasy was done well, I liked that there was some awkwardness of the how does this translate between worlds.
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy both contemporary and high fiction, the book does a good job in fitting well within both worlds without sacrificing quality.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I was really excited for this book and I really enjoyed the beginning but as the book progressed I found myself disliking it more and more. I didn’t enjoy any of the romances and the main character was whiny. The plot felt choppy and I didn’t feel any sense of urgency.

Oh wow. Just, wow. This book blew my socks off and made me lose one of them somehow!!! This is a masterpiece of a book. I did not know how I was going to like this book when I first picked it up, but I ended up loving it so much and I gobbled it up so quick and was left reeling when it was over phew!!

The story felt very compelling, it felt REAL somehow. I found myself wanting to be able to yell and scream and cry with these characters as they went on their journey.

The plot to me was very different and original in terms of other fantasy romance novels I’ve read recently which was super refreshing. It made the story that much more juicy and unable to put down

Very story driven, I would say spice rating of 2.5/5 but that does not take away from how incredible this book is at all! Don’t shy away from giving this book a decent shot based on that, trust me you will not be disappointed!!!

Seriously DO NOT sleep on this book or the Author after this!!! This is award worthy. I know I’ll be thinking about this book for months now.

Ps. Lara, you are an evil maniac, you know what you did!!! 🤭😂😂😂😂 (don’t worry, I still love ya 😂)

I really really tried to like this book but I couldn't. If I wasn't reading it to review I'd most likely dnf it. The story was so basic which doesn't have to be an issue but it just didn't stick out to me.
Many people gave it 4/5 stars but I don't think this book was for me.


Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sword and Silk Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I feel like this one was too hyped up for me based on the blurb and that ruined my expectations. It’s no secret that I am obsessed with ACOTAR and when the description said it was like that, I jumped on requesting it. However, it felt like it was almost a poor imitation of ACOTAR rather than an inspiration of it.

The story ended up feeling disconnected at times which didn’t work for me.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book!

I rate this one 3 stars! The writing and worldbuilding was the only reason I kept it going. Lara really builds a new world and the fears/worry/anticipation of being its future ruler is shown in her words. We're introduced to the FMC, Valeria, right before her graduation and when she's supposed to return home to her realm of Empyrean. After an incident with demons attacking her realm she rushes back to help fight for her kingdom and be the future of her realm. The FMC fell so flat for me and didn't really do anything do point out she's a strong leader. She was so eager to prove herself to take over her fathers throne but it came off as trying way too hard. She didn't have any strong relationships and her choices were common sense choices but made to be brilliant to make her seem like a leader. The MMC is morally gray but it's more told than showed. Gideon came off as possessive and kind of cheesy at times. I also didn't think they had any chemistry. The ending was not something I expected and maybe I'll read the next one just to see how it'll turn out.

18 year old Valeria Breault is the exiled Princess of Empyrean- living in the Mortal realm for her protection- and if she has her way, she will not be returning before her graduation is complete. When demons crash her prom, Valeria has to use the lessons her Keeper has instilled in her since she was a child in order to keep herself and her best friend Mason safe. Just when it appears the demons from the Realm of the Foresaken will capture her, a handsome Empyrean named Gideon arrives and fights off the remaining demons, then takes an unwilling Valeria back to Empyrean. When everything Valeria has been told since she was a child is called into question, and there is no familiar face to turn to, Valeria must listen to her heart and find her inner strength to save the mortals she loves along with the people of Empyrean.

This ARC was a fun surprise! I was initially drawn to it because of the cover art and the title, but the world building is great, the ‘bad guy’ Vemdour is really well written and the story was enthralling! I definitely feel the target audience is likely Young Adult, however- I would say the content is appropriate for the oldest of that age group. There is sexual content, graphic violence and gore (definitely more so than the Blood and Ash series), abusive relationships and profanity. That was no issue for me, and I felt like its usage was justified in the story, but just as a ‘heads up’ to anyone interested!

Here’s what I really enjoyed about the story:
Vemdour is a great character!! I know you’re generally supposed to despise a villain, but I wanted more of him! The scenes in the story that included him were by far my favourite
The plot: I have certain expectations when I read a romantasy story, and A Realm of Ash and Shadows did not disappoint! That being said, there were still enough ‘surprises’ to keep my interest
Quick pace- I read this ARC in a day- it was fast paced and exciting and I wanted to know what happened next.

Here’s what wasn’t to my taste:
I didn’t love Valeria as a FMC: She had a lot of redeeming qualities and I definitely wanted her to prevail, but I liked the villain more than I liked the protagonist.
The love connections- STOP READING IF YOU DON’T WANT A SPOILER: I just didn’t buy into Valeria’s affection for Gideon. I am in no way shaming her, but in roughly 390 pages she struggles with her feelings for 3 different men, and doesn’t seem thrilled with any of them. Although they all seem to be in love with her. I do LOVE fated mates though.
Prom as a setting: I’m just getting old, and it’s clear- LOL! The setting absolutely makes sense for a YA book about an 18 year old Princess- but as a 36 year old trying to make connections with the character, the days of Prom are well in my past. This is NOT a slight against the book, just something I personally didn’t ‘jive’ with.

Read this ARC if you like:
The Blood and Ash series by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Kingdom of Crows series by Olivia Wildenstein
Fated mates trope
A really good villain

The story ends off with quite a cliffhanger, so I will be keeping my eyes out for the release of the second book in the series!

These days very few YA fantasy books keep me guessing and feel completely unpredictable- this one though- it’s amazing!! One of the best fantasy adventures I’ve read in a long time. I absolutely loved it! Valeria is a kick ass lead and her story is awesome. Definitely looking forward to the next book!

Overall this was a very enjoyable read. The concept of the book, while not particularly new, was fun and I think this is a great middle ground fantasy for anyone looking to get into the genre.
The plot lacked a clear sense of direction and when the goal of the book and main character was finally established and revealed it felt rushed and not particularly well thought out. The inclusion of the Mortal world felt almost unnecessary, especially when the main character spent little time needing to adjust to a world that was completely different to what she had been taught.
What this book did well however, was introducing an eclectic cast who are very easy to get attached to. I am very interested in finding out what happens to them.
The twists and turns of this book are also well done. There were some genuinely surprising moments which really help tie characters motives together and act as a catalyst for future action.

The book was a wonderful debut for LB, it was witty and had a great storyline and progression. I loved the characters and how they all interacted with each other, I also really loved how tropes were handled in the book. But, the book was a little fast in the timings of everything, everything happened so quickly that it could have been a little bit more developed. Time could have been better spent on developing the relationships between characters and the magic system of the world. I think there was too many things happening in the book so it was a little rushed. Don’t get it wrong though, I did enjoy the book!

Valeria is a naive and hopeful princess who also holds a lot of distrust in people. She’s been thrown away by her father and is just guarded, but she yearns to open up that side of her. I loved seeing her growth, she grew into a powerful character and I hope to see more of that power come through. It will be interesting to see how her sense of morality will impact the story for the next book.

Gideon is the purest man I’ve ever read. He has no dark side, and I loved him for her. He balances her out so perfectly. I’ll admit that it was a little insta-lovey on both sides, but I also just fell in love with his character instantly too. I hope he plays a larger part in the next book! I can’t wait to see if he becomes something more, cause he needs a little spice.

Overall, I’m excited to see what LB has in store for her next books. I’ll be paying attention to her journey as an author and there’s definitely room to grow, but I think that this is such a great starting point. She had an interesting hook, plot and mix of characters.

3.5/5 stars

A Realm of Ash and Shadow promised to combine From Blood and Ash with Kingdom of the Feared and SJM, and I would say that it delivered on that promise. It combines a badass queen fighting for her kingdom, with a sexy demon underworld, and a thrilling love triangle (or a square technically?).

Things I liked:
- a strong and capable FMC who didn't need any males fighting for her ("A girl can dream. A princess cannot.")
- descriptive writing and believable narration from the main character, with relatively solid world building
- an intriguing plot that got me really rooting for the main characters by the end
- a good amount of romance and swooning
- a morally grey antagonist that reminds me of Wrath from Kingdom of the Wicked and Rhys from ACOTAR (he helps the FMC reach her full ass-kicking potential and likes to pick invisible lint off of himself)

Things I didn't like:
- the pacing wasn't always the best and there were times it felt like it was either moving too fast or too slow
- it felt a bit cheesy at times (for example, the FMC thinks a man is so attractive she says "sweet sassy molassey, he was gorgeous"), and the FMC uses the term "guys" way too much
- I questioned some of the choices that the FMC was making and it didn't seem like enough justification was put into it sometimes. I get that she's only 18 and going through some stuff, but sometimes it just felt a little rushed and it left me confused
- a little light on the spice, especially when compared to the series its likened to above (but that didn't detract from the story or anything, more just preference)

Overall, it was an enjoyable book and I am definitely planning on continuing to read the series.

I received an ARC copy of this book through NetGalley and I was asked to share a review of what I thought.

I ended up really enjoying this book and look forward to the next one. I will say, the first 30% of the book was hard for me to get through, though it was very much worth it.

Things that made me drop 2 stars:
- you can tell that the author was trying to rush our way through the mortal world to get to the "fun" world.
- I feel that Valeria's character picks and chooses when her childhood is precious to her and when she feels disconnected from it. And not necessarily in a way that shows a conflicted character, but more in a way where the author has a hard time committing to a motive.
- I think that the beginning felt rushed. Valeria, Mason, and Margie's characters needed to be flushed out a little more and their relationship interactions with one another. (This happens later in the book, but I felt that it should have happened sooner to make the characters more believable and make me want to invest in them)

Reasons why I gave it stars:
- once Valeria had some defining charactet traits to make her feel believable, she is really dynamic. She had flaws, thoughts, opinions. It's great.
-bgood twists and turns. Ones that will allow the book to continue into a series.
- the author did a good job not dragging out the story. It was pretty well paced, in my opinion. It kept the story interesting and when I put the book down during the day, I was thinking about what was happening next.
- after we got to some really pivotal surprises, I was able to look back on the story and see where the author had the foresight to set up little hints.

*4.5
I wish I could experience this book for the first time again because it has everything I wanted and more!! A Realm of Ash and Shadow follows Valeria, the fierce exiled princess of Empyrean who is ready to go to prom, and graduate. Growing up in the Mortal Realm she counts down the days until her return to Empyrean, a realm said to be peaceful and perfect. However, before she’s ready to leave her school gets crashed by a horde of demons where she narrowly escapes capture but then gets dragged to Empyrean. There she learns just how wrong she was about Empyrean’s glory and makes it her objective to help her people flourish. Valeria makes many friends, allies, and enemies in her attempts to save her kingdom as she journeys through various realms to get answers – even for some she wasn’t looking for.

This is an adventurous, magical story with plot twists around each corner and witty writing! All the characters were loveable and felt pretty fleshed out by the end. I understood their thoughts, their motives, and really loved what they brought to the table. Valeria was a very funny and flawed protagonist that had me glued to the pages. She sounded and acted like the 18-year-old she’s described as, though I have seen others say they found her to be “all over the place”. To those folks, I’d like to ask, what 18-year-old has their shit together? Valeria was ruled by her emotions most of the time and that’s exactly why she felt real. I enjoyed being frustrated with her at times because I got to see her growth that much clearer. Ooh! And Mistress Marjorie was one of my favorite characters from the start and she only got better as the book progressed!! The world-building was beautiful and easy to imagine even with the number of realms we encounter throughout the book. I loved the magic use and the gods that were woven into the story because it provides a deeper story without being lost in confusion. The book seemed to move at a medium pace which was just fine for me as we often swapped between focusing on Valeria’s inner struggles, and the overarching plot at hand. The spicy scenes were enjoyable and balanced so it never felt like anything sexual was added just for the sake of doing so. This book pulled many emotions out of me from joy to frustration to surprise and it never felt boring!

I only had a few nitpicks to mention as the book did an overall good job of providing a strong story with strong characters. The beginning was a bit slow as it was catching us up on what Valeria knows, who she is, and how she thinks but I really enjoyed building up to the action. Even though I really enjoyed and understood the magic and the gods we read about because I felt that the magic could’ve been delved into more regarding who has it, and who can use it. Lastly, I felt that one or two plot twists were a bit predictable (which is surprising to me as I never catch on to those) but it didn’t take too much away from my experience.

I think this would be a great book to give to someone who is hoping to get into reading the fantasy genre, as well as any seasoned fantasy reader looking for a dark, and emotional ride!

>Trigger Warnings<
Profanity, Sexual Content, Graphic Violence, Gore, Abusive Relationships, Domestic Violence, Abandonment, and Grief.

My deepest gratitude to NetGalley & Sword and Silk Books for giving me the chance to provide my honest thoughts and opinions on this book!

⭐⭐⭐⭐4/5 Stars

I just finished reading Lara Buckheit's A Realm of Ash and Shadow. If you enjoy YA fantasy, this is a book that you don't want to miss. Special thanks to NetGalley and Sword and Silk Books for the ARC.
Release date: April 11, 2023 💜🌺

Valeria Breault seems like a normal high school girl. She is excited for prom and graduation. She even has a bit of a love life with Mason, her best friend. Val has a secret though. She is really the long lost princess of Empyrean, and the Realm of the Forsaken is looking for her. She will have to fight for her life if she plans to ever return to her kingdom.

I really enjoyed this book. It has everything that I look for in a romantic fantasy. The characters are morally grey, there is a love triangle, and the world building is pretty fantastic. Don't miss out on this new book!