Legends of Ash and Dust by Kate Cowan is the first book in The Fearless Saga, a young adult fantasy series. It introduces Aerona, the last of the Shae Warriors, who is not only the sole survivor of her people but also the first female Shae in history. The plot revolves around her quest for revenge after the Shae are wiped out by the Red Wolf Army, and her duty to protect a prince named Niran.

The novel features an atmospheric, Asian-inspired setting, which many readers appreciate for its unique take on world-building without directly copying existing cultures. Cowan’s writing has been praised for its vivid descriptions and immersive world, but some readers have noted inconsistencies in pacing, especially in the second half, where the story sometimes feels rushed. The character of Aerona, balancing her warrior identity and emotional turmoil as a teenager, adds depth to the narrative.

Overall, Legends of Ash and Dust is lauded for its intriguing premise and promises of further development in future installments, though it may require some patience with its uneven pacing

Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me with the DRC and allowing me to provide my honest review

For some reason, this book never got registered as me having finished the book, despite having written a previous review on it.

Legends of Ash and Dust is a book that reminds me (a little) of Mulan - yes, I mean the girl who transformed herself into a guy to go in her father`s stead. I get this feeling as our main character - Aerona - was raised to be in a supposed way as she did not know how her life was like before the book`s beginning. On that note, she is also placed to protect a prince and wish revenge upon the killing of the only family she ever knew.

It does indeed have an incredibly interesting premise to be honest, and I do not regret giving this book a go. I would definitely give it another go in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of Legends of Ash and Dust by Kate Cowan.

I enjoyed Legends of Ash and Dust. Following Aero as the last Shae was really interesting and nail-biting!

I may read the sequel next year.

I always love a good fantasy and this one just didn't live up to my expectations. That is not saying it is bad it just didn't hit the mark for me.

The story itself is pretty good but it just didn't have to substance I would expect from a book of this genre. I enjoyed the characters and thought they were well written and I think this is a good book in the making but just isn't there yet.

Thank you NetGalley and Kate Cowan for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

What I loved
-Strong Character voice and development
-Good Pacing
-Excellent premise with a strong follow through
What Didn't work as well for me
-My E Arc had some distracting spelling errors
-some dialogue tags were over used
Who I would recommend this title for
Legends of Ash and Dust by Kate Cowan is an enjoyable fantasy read that will fit well for fans of the Poppy War.

Thanks so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC copy of this book!

I have scheduled promotional posts around release day for this book and I will provide a full review on my Instagram once I am able to get to this read.

Rating 5 stars on Netgalley as a placeholder for me to update later once the review is complete.

Will also complete a review on Goodreads once read.

Thanks again!

Exciting plot line. The spelling errors that i have seen mentioned in other reviews appear to be fixed. I found it to be a little bit difficult to read at some parts, and the ending was a bit disappointing, but that was only because Kate Cowan did such a good job at making me love the characters. Hopefully what happens at the end can be resolved/ rewound in the next book!

The whole time this book reminded me of The Poppy Wars but in man, this book really wants to be like The Poppy Wars. I really liked The Poppy Wars; I wish I was reading the sequel to The Poppy Wars instead of this right now.

In terms of character and world-building, both fall flat to me here. Aero doesn't develop much from the character we meet in the first few pages and the love interest with Niran is cliched and felt like it was there because that is the trope. I had trouble really trying to understand the world-building here or anything that made it unique or set apart.

It's a pretty standard story with standard characters and standard setting. Maybe the second book can develop both better, but I won't be holding my breath until it comes out.

This was such a good book! The characters were full of life and so interesting. I love when stories keep moving and I get sucked more and more into the characters journey and this book really did that. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Cowan for the opportunity to read rare and review this arc which is now available for purchase!

These are my thoughts. No insult to the author but I have many issues. You can tell this story was supposed to be Asian inspired but clearly written by someone not in those cultures. Lackluster writing and many many liberties taken with a culture not her own. I do not recommend this book to anyone.

DNF 50% there was something uncomfortable to me about how the setting was written, and the characters were flat. That left me bored with everything that was happening in the book, and I found myself disengaging and becoming more and more cynical with the plot and characterization as the book went forward, I don’t think it would serve me or the author to continue my journey through this book.

A young woman who is more than she appears saves the life of a prince. Aerona was raised by the Shae Warriors and is always trying to prove herself, the only woman among men. But why take in a woman? It appears the Shae have kept many secrets, but Aerona does not realize that until she starts her journey to restore the Shae. Aerona has never left the sanctuary, but the upheaval has caused her to flee with the son of the emperor and return him home. Niran and Aerona encounter much on their journey, especially danger. From those hunting Aerona to those involved in slavery, the two travel until they reach the city. Nothing is as it seems, everyone has an ulterior motive, and trust is almost nonexistent. Everyone keeps secrets, but the right price will lead to betrayal. To discover the truth, Aerona must look to the past for answers and discover what she truly is and why she is being hunted.
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher. Thank you! All thought and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed everything about it though! Aerona “Aero,” which I think is just the coolest name ever for a fantasy character, was such a fearless and innocent main character growing up with the Shae warriors—never even seeing the outside world.
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The story is action-packed at every turn which made it so easy to be sucked into the story! There’s friendship, family, love, betrayal, and demons. Unraveling all the secrets surrounding her life and those in this brand new world around her gives the book good tension and mystery.
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The ending was very unexpected to me and set up the next book in the saga perfectly! Thank goodness it comes out this summer!! I’m really looking forward to continuing Aero’s story!! I’d recommend if this sounds like something you would enjoy!! It’s also on kindle unlimited!
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Well. This was certainly center-aligned.

Sorry to the author, but I'm not going to be kind. There was almost an error on every page, some pages many errors. I don't expect perfection in an ARC, but I do have some expectations.

Sentries are centuries, quotation marks are missing, commas in the wrong spot, lots of colons and semicolons which are not always used correctly. Given the amount of errors, I have to assume this wasn't beta'd. It's just a lot to look past for a mediocre book.

"A dark YA Fantasy" This book isn't what I would call dark. It's like bubblegum dark if at all. It's called legends of ash and dust, but I do not get the reference. Unless it somehow cropped up in the last 10% I skimmed, I don't see how the title is relevant.

The story is not compelling. It reads quite blatantly as a book with Asian themes written by a White person. It's just cringey. There's an element of romance, but it's not interesting. The characters are all quite static and boring. The main character is very bland and, for someone who is supposed to be bad ass, often a bit weak and dumb. I made it to like 90% and finally felt the urge to peace out, so I just skimmed the rest, and there isn't even a satisfying ending.

Boo-urns.