I really loved this book. The story was very gripping once it got going, i really liked the characters, the world building and the storyline. Would definitely recommend.

This wasn’t my favorite book, i was a little lost throughout but i liked some of the imagery and overall it was a decent book. I probably wouldn’t recommend it although the cover is pretty

A Realm of Ash and Shadow tells the story of our MC, Valeria, who is the lost heir from the kingdom of Empyrean who is sent to the mortal realm for her protection.

There’s definitely a lot going on in this book in terms of the world building - little snippets of explanations are littered throughout so pay close attention to get a better understanding of the world.

Parts of this book read more young adult, so be prepared for Valeria to make mistakes, get caught up in her emotions, and make the opposite decisions that you might make with a fully developed frontal cortex.

I did have some issues with some of the abuse that went on in certain scenes. Sometimes Valeria’s actions seemed really extreme compared to how her character was introduced.

Overall a good read and start to the series. I have some thoughts on where I think the plot and some of the characters might end up, so will check out the next book to see if I’m right.

Okay, so i didn't dislike this story. I just felt old reading it.
At times it felt a little all over the place, i dunno, maybe my heart wasn't in it.
I did however, enjoy the characters and there were times where i was shocked and enjoyed the plot twists. It was also pretty fast-paced. I just felt it could have been structured a little better.

"A Realm of Ash and Shadow" by Lara Buckheit is a fascinating and addicting fantasy book that tells a story of political intrigue, power battles, and strange partnerships. Princess Valeria Breault is banished from her kingdom of Empyrean. On her prom night, devils show up and start a fight to the death. She almost got caught by the Realm of the Forsaken, but when she did, she was reluctantly taken back to Empyrean, where she found a nightmare instead of the utopia she had imagined. Valeria's fight for the throne puts her in dangerous situations where she has to make choices that test her loyalty and beliefs.

Buckheit's way of telling stories is both captivating and dramatic, bringing the reader into a world of magic and political games. Valeria and the man who swore to protect her start out as foes but end up falling in love. This adds an irresistible layer of drama to the story. The main character's fight to find her place and express her power while her own darkness grows is a compelling character arc that readers will want to cheer for.

"A Realm of Ash and Shadow" is a masterful example of addictive fiction. It reminds me of Sarah J. Maas's engaging stories and other well-loved books where enemies become loves. Buckheit's writing has just the right amount of drama, mystery, and romance to keep readers interested right up to the last page. If you like action-packed fantasy with complicated characters and a touch of forbidden love, this book is a must-read that will leave you wanting more from Lara Buckheit's exciting and imaginative world.


***A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.***

This book is rife with potential. Potential however, does not make a book great.

The plot isn't well executed (some things just do not add up), and there was just an overall failure to successfully execute some really great ideas.

I found this story to be a bit confusing. I kept getting confused on who was who, and the main character was just sort of annoying to me (like girly what are doing falling in some weird lust with this huge villain who you kept reiterating you HATE). I had a bit of a hard time finishing this, just because I did not really vibe with the story. I can see why and how people would like this story, but I think a lot of the elements could have been more fleshed out and less rushed. Thank you NetGalley for the E-Arc of this book!

Excellent book!! Enjoyed this thoroughly.
An epic read for anyone looking for an original story.
Will be keeping this author on my radar.

This book jumped around a lot and had a lot of info dumps. I generally liked the characters and the plot but there were a few things that didn’t work for me. Valeria comes off a bit whiny at the beginning but she becomes more likable as the book continues. Gideon is a sweetheart but I don’t know how to feel about Vemdour. It just seemed like the time with Vemdour took up too much time in the book. The side characters are amazing and the setting was great. I did eat this book up and read it in one sitting so it kept me enthralled.

This book gave me ACOTAR vibes and I'm here for it. I loved the idea of the different realms and I was definitely engrossed in Valeria's journey and felt like the writing style was done well. Valeria was sassy, and I am here for it.

It started with a bang. The world-building was not complex and the realms were intriguing. I love the 'demons among the mortals' thing, it gave Supernatural vibes. And I loved how Empyrean was depicted. I was hooked.

I was hoping for royal politics surrounding the throne; instead, Realm of the Forsaken happened (and dragged on for way too long, take me back to Seraphicity 🥲) Not gonna lie tho, I would've stayed with Vemdour (he's another version of the darkling)

The reason this book slightly missed the mark is because of the protagonist. Valeria is an "eighteen-year-old princess hoping to get laid." The girl is fickle AF, and I swear to gods, she changes her feelings like her outfits. Imagine reading it from a point of view of someone who is unconsistent and unlikable 😬

Honestly, that last whatever fraction of the book saved it from falling flat 🔥 I mean, the plot twists were unpredictable (also why I rounded it up to 4 stars)

𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁: Oh, the amount of potential this one had! Sliver of hope exists for book two to be better 🪄

🪻 ARC

This one was a fun and solid read, I’ve never read something from this author before.

The world building is interesting and I absolutely wanna know, how the story is continuing!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Author for this ARC!

This is fantasy/ fantasy romance. Our female main character is 17 and just about to graduate high school, but she's also a princess who has been kept in the mortal realm to prevent her being killed by demons for the last several years.

When demons try to kill her on her prom night, she gets rescued and taken back home. When she gets there she discovers that her father is terrible and has ruined the realm, her brother is evil and killed people, she now has a soulmate bond and also there's a whole thing with the king of hell.

There are elements of this which I think show promise, in the story and the world building, but the main character really pulled this down. If you're doing a single first person point of view, they just can't be this unlikeable.

She's a shallow, self obsessed toddler who also tries to have sex with every man she meets. Maybe it's judgemental, but I feel there's probably a better life goal for someone who's just turned 18, than having a threesome.

There are 3 love interests in this - it's not clear if we should be rooting for one over the others, as none are great. The spicy content with a 17/18 year old was maybe just not for me.

I think it tries to pack too much stuff happening in, without allowing the characters (and readers) to take a moment and feel the impact of anything.

But the ending was enough to potentially make me interested in book 2, so there is that!

URGH!, I'm so sad. I just didn't love this at all.
I don't know if I just read it at the wrong time but it just wasn't for me. I didn't love the characters, I felt they were very flat. There was a lot of world building that just felt glossed over and could have been developed a lot more. The pacing felt off and it just didn't work for me.

I can see how others love this book, and I certainly did like points of it. Will I read book 2? Yes, I probably will - just so I know what happened, But I won't be rushing back for a re-read.

I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. Good pace and worldbuilding, funny and intriguing characters. Loved the story and loved how good its was to read this book cover to cover in one sit.

Lara Buckheit's debut novel, "A Realm of Ash and Shadow," is an addictive and thrilling fantasy read that will leave readers craving for more. From the very beginning, the story grips you with its enticing blend of drama, world-building, and captivating characters.

Set in a realm where mortals and gods coexist, we follow the journey of Valeria Breault, an eighteen-year-old princess who has been exiled from Empyrean. Valeria's sharp tongue and penchant for trouble make her an engaging and relatable protagonist. As a horde of demons crashes prom, Valeria's life takes a dangerous turn, leading her to fight for her survival and confront the truths about her kingdom.

Buckheit's world-building is exceptional, crafting a complex and immersive realm filled with gods, monsters, and power struggles. The vivid descriptions transport readers into the heart of the story, allowing them to visualize every scene with remarkable clarity. The author skillfully balances the introduction of new details and revelations, keeping the pacing engaging and never overwhelming.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its well-developed characters. Valeria shines as a resilient and multifaceted protagonist. Her journey of self-discovery, complicated emotions, and desire for power and belonging make her highly relatable and realistic. The supporting characters are equally intriguing, with distinct personalities and motives that add depth to the story. The presence of a love triangle adds an extra layer of tension and keeps readers guessing.

The book successfully blends elements of enemies-to-lovers romance with fantasy, offering a captivating and addictive read. The narrative is infused with spice, stabby energy, and unexpected twists that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Buckheit's writing style is accessible, making it easy to immerse oneself in the story and connect with the characters.

"A Realm of Ash and Shadow" has already garnered comparisons to popular fantasy works such as "From Blood and Ash" and "Kingdom of the Wicked," and it certainly lives up to the hype. Lara Buckheit's debut is a rollercoaster ride of emotions, combining elements of betrayal, found family, and power plays. It's a book that will appeal to fans of fantasy who appreciate strong heroines, intricate world-building, and compelling storytelling.

Overall, "A Realm of Ash and Shadow" is a remarkable debut that showcases Lara Buckheit's talent as a writer. With its enthralling plot, well-drawn characters, and magnetic world-building, this book marks the beginning of an exciting new series. Readers will be left eagerly anticipating the release of the sequel, as Buckheit has proven herself as a rising star in the fantasy genre.

This book is just another look at something that just didn't work out for me. It was confusing and at times boring and slow. Then the pace would change in a way to just confuse me some more. The characters were half way decent but not fully formed and the story at large felt a mess.

This was an extremely fun to read rollercoaster of a book! A new adult fantasy novel with plenty of romance, lust, magic, and conflict. I am still shocked by how much happened in just 300ish pages. The main character was very intriguing and I really enjoyed her internal dialogue, which is something I can have a hard time to enjoy in fantasy novels sometimes.

The book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger and I would be absolutely delighted if I could read the sequel now!

Nope nope nope nope nope. This book gave me major ick, which sucks cause I wanted to like it. I'm a big fan of romance-fantasy and I'll basically consume anything in that genre, but this was just nope.

The main character was whiny and the perfect example of a 'I'm not like other girls' girl. It felt like the author was trying so hard to make a badass female lead, and it ended up falling into the cookie cutter of what people think that should be.

I found the whole thing to be very highschool, teen drama blah. Just not for me at all.

I was intrigued by the description, and the magic system seemed very cool. While parts of this book were great, some of the plot was confusing. It seemed like nothing was happening, but then all at once, it was faced paced. Some aspects were added that made it very confusing and hard to follow. I also only liked the characters some of the time. Overall, it was entertaining but left me with more questions than answers.