This was such a good book. I was totally surprised with how the book turned out. I loved reading about the kingdom and how they rule their kingdom. To see a different way to rule kingdoms and how the woman were the power source in this world was very interesting. I did feel for Bess and to see how she was betrayed then how she had to handle that betrayal was very interesting. The ending made me cry so hard. I don't think I could have been as strong as Bess was in the final bits of the book. I cannot wait to see what comes next as this book leads into what could possibly be another book.

A Queen. A Princess. And a Consort who must be chosen to ensure the future of the Throne of Ash.
The Queen's Face masks all—even the woman who wears it. None may see her without it, not even her Consort responsible for ensuring she brings forth a healthy daughter to succeed her. If he fails, being cast aside is the most favourable of outcomes.

When Queen Cecily unknowingly determines on her sister's lover as her Consort, ambition, jealousy, and the demands of courtly etiquette threaten the stability of the Throne of Ash.

Princess Bess knows only too well her responsibilities towards her sister, the queen, but when one of the powerful noble families attempts to ensnare both sisters with one lover, there can only ever be one winner.

This really kept me interested. The Characters were interesting. The plot kept me interested

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The synopsis of this book was intriguing to me. When I first read it, I was immediately drawn in to the world and the story, I wanted to know more. Overall, I enjoyed this book but it was not my favorite. I enjoyed the switching of the gender roles throughout the story, where normally women are cast aside in favor of men, it was the exact opposite here. The idea of a “forbidden” love triangle between a queen, her sister, and a consort was exciting and intriguing to me, but it didn’t pan out the way I imagined.

Again, I enjoyed the book, however I think it could have been further developed in multiple aspects. I wish there was also more history explanation. I am glad for the thorough explanation of the court hierarchy and the descriptions of the clothes and castle, however, I wish we had more lore explanation and depth given to the characters. There were scenes that seemed a bit repetitive over the course of the book due to the same conversations/arguments being had.

If you are interested in Tudor inspired stories, this would be right up your alley. I will most likely not continue in the series, but enjoyed the time I spent with the Throne of Ash.

A throne governed by ritual, a queen whose face must never be seen—even by the man chosen to father her heir. Two sisters, bound by blood and torn by duty. And a court where silence is strategy.

The Throne of Ash offers a fascinating concept: a matriarchal system where power lies in presence, absence, and the precise weight of every word. It’s a story of control, etiquette, and quiet ambition.

But for much of the book, I found myself waiting. The narrative moves slowly, deliberately. There’s beauty in that restraint, but also a sense of emotional distance. The characters feel poised at the edge of something—something that doesn’t quite arrive when you expect it to.

Only in the final 10% of the story does everything snap into place. The tension rises, the stakes crystallize, and the action surges forward with clarity and purpose. It’s in these final chapters that the book truly comes alive—sharp, adrenaline-fueled, emotionally resonant. That explosive finale is what lingers, what redeems much of the earlier restraint.

In the end, The Throne of Ash is a novel of high emotional stakes and quiet power, but one that reveals its full strength perhaps too late. A beautiful story—for those willing to wait for the fire beneath the ash.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I was intrigued by the premise of The Throne of Ash, as someone who has a love of the Tudor period and fantasy. The story is told through the eyes of the Queen's sister, Elizabeth, and you can very much see the influence of the Tudor period throughout this book. I enjoyed seeing the gender role reversal, which added a unique element to the story. Elizabeth's perspective really does show the prejudice held towards men in this society. I would have liked to have seen Elizabeth have some more character development and really get an insight as to why she loved Harry so much.

Overall, I found the pacing to be a little inconsistent, as a long time is spent on a particular event at the start of the book but then there are time jumps of months later in the book. I was also unsure as to the reasoning of some events towards the end of the book and why they had to take place. The world of the court and palace was build well, however I found some of the descriptions of clothes and characters to be a little repetitive.

Overall, I did enjoy this book but feel that it had potential for the plot to be developed further. If the politics of the Tudor period interest you, then I would recommend this book for you.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you, Lissy Porter and NetGalley for the early preview of this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Title: The Throne of Ash
Author: Lissy Porter
Format: e-book

Review:
Although this book started slow, with heavy detail on a specific event and the clothing worn to said event, I am invested in this story and I’m very much looking forward to the next book in this trilogy. I was very intrigued by a kingdom ruled by females where males are, in a sense, second class. This is a great spin of society as we have seen in through the ages, and a spin to King Henry VIII’s obsession with a male heir.

This story is told from the point of view of sister of the newly crowned Queen. Princess Elizabeth has had a secret lover from a less noble house and is obligated to maintain court etiquette when Queen Cecily selects him as her Consort.

This book was not “easy to read” and, for me, required some time to digest what was being said. I struggled connecting with characters deeply, as they don’t have much depth. But I do feel that the plot is interesting and becomes quicker paced within the last 50 pages.

A Queen who must choose a Consort to give her the best chance at having a daughter - the only heir worth having in this world where gender roles are reversed. A Princess who at the very beginning of the book sees the future she envisaged for herself abruptly wrenched from her grasp.

This story has a great premise, and I appreciated the thoroughness of the world building at the beginning in terms of the descriptions of the noble houses. I would have liked to see some further background provided to Princess Elizabeth and Harry’s relationship, as she continually goes on about being in love, and they had also slept together in secret. I think this would have helped with the character development as well, giving us more insight into what drives Princess Elizabeth.

At times the writing felt slightly repetitive, however given the book is from Elizabeth’s POV that is to be expected, and I didn’t find myself overly bothered by it.

Overall I felt the world building was done well, and the political intrigue of the Court of Ash kept me interested. The feminist take on a Tudor Court was compelling and I give this book a solid 3.5 stars. I look forward to the future books in the series.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with an ARC of Throne of Ash in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for this book!

I am a big fan of the Tudor era and I thought it was really interesting to see a take on it where it's a matriarchy. The social and political systems of the world were definitely some of the stronger points of the story, even if I did struggle with so many minor characters that I occasionally forgot who was who.

While the worldbuilding was great, I did find the plot of the story to be incredibly slow, and the stakes weren't too obvious to me until about halfway through. I also found the characters to be shallow and a bit one-dimensional, even the main character. She seems to fall very quickly for men and there was no depth or reason given to her relationship with Harry, we're just constantly told that she loves him.

The end was very fast-paced considering the rest of the story, and honestly was a bit confusing to follow at times. I'm not too sure if this is a standalone because it ended on an odd note, but otherwise it was an interesting concept but I think could have been executed better.

Well, I was very intrigued at the beginning, waited for something to happen throughout the whole middle, and felt entertained again the last 30 pages. I really like the concept of a matriarchy and seeing how even this society has negative outcomes like patriarchy but hell, yeah sister, let’s have a kingdom rolled by women! Was there too much focus on clothes? Was there an emphasis on confusing and seemingly unimportant politics? Was there an overuse of the word “lover?” Was there too much politics with very little story? Yes. I feel like I learned something, but don’t feel compelled to learn more. I very much liked this time period but I wish there was more character development and dialogue. Overall, a decent read though it feels like a long prologue rather than a full first novel of a trilogy. This was the first book I read on NetGalley and I’m very grateful to read something new!

The storyline was captivating, and the relationships between most of the characters were thoughtfully developed. While I noticed a few grammatical issues, they didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the story and the richly imagined universe.

This was an interesting book. I have never read a book quite like this one. It is set in the Tudor era and it is a gender swapped world. I did not really like the writing style but I think other people would like the story.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this eCopy to review

When I first opened The Throne of Ash, I was drawn into its lush, Tudor-inspired fantasy world filled with ambition, jealousy, and political intrigue. Following Queen Cecily and Princess Bess as they navigate the deadly game of choosing a Consort to secure their dynasty’s future, I felt immersed in the high stakes of court life, where every gesture hides an agenda.

Queen Cecily is captivating yet complex—powerful, yet vulnerable to the pressures of ruling and securing her realm. Her younger sister, Bess, provides a vivid foil, brimming with her own aspirations and loyalty. Their interactions felt authentic and raw, reminding me how familial love can be both a shield and a dagger.

The political manoeuvring was gripping. I found myself emotionally invested in the characters’ schemes and alliances. One standout moment was the intense banquet scene, where the tension between Cecily and a power-hungry rival had me gripping the pages, desperate to know the outcome.

The rich setting and compelling central characters make for an intense story of family rivalry

The Throne of Ash by Lissy Porter is a historical fiction inspired by King Henry VIII’s obsession to obtain a male heir, but with a gender bent twist. Here, a matriarchal society is in charge and revered, while men take on the expectations to provide a female heir for the throne. The novel is told through the perspective of the second sister to the Queen who watches her sister chose the man that she loves as the male consort to father her daughters. This causes jealousy amongst the sisters.

Unlike the history of the Tudor era, there is no true marriage for this world, and rather the use of men is watered down to only providing an heir for the crown. Though the mothers of the men are constantly in the background using their sons to elevate their homes, the men themselves are nothing but set dressing, and there is no depth to the male characters. This contradicts the actual women during this time. Both Catherine of Aragon and Anne Bolyn were some of the most intriguing people in the Tudor era, beyond the scheming of their fathers, so I was really disappointed that the men were not given any personality themselves.

The prose of this novel was also difficult to get through. Written in first person present, the sentences are choppy, all tell with no show, and dumps of repetitive exposition with little dialogue to forward the plot. Lines like “Queen’s Face” is heavily repeated to describe a ‘Poker Face’. The author fails at using any other terms like stoic, aloof, unreadable, etc. We also have repetitive lines where we are told something, and then repeated the same sentiment, only with different phrasing. Here is a list of a few of these instances:

“It’s a rare sight to see my sister’s hair. It’s a rare sight to see any woman’s hair. It signifies their virginity. The prize of being my sister’s first Consort is a rich one indeed.”

“It is unusual for an initial failure to be given another chance with the same Consort arrangement. It’s not entirely unheard of, but very unusual.”

“No one person, aside from the queen, makes the decisions within our kingdom. No one person but the queen is entirely in control of every aspect of the court of the Throne of Ash. She sits upon the Throne.”

“It’s as though I have donned the Queen’s Face. It’s as though I must be the one to hold aloft from revealing any emotion.”
“Here in the court of the Throne of Ash, women know how to prevent unwanted children. Here, in the court of the Throne of Ash, its imperative they do so.”

“I’ve allowed Lady Mary to apply some pale white powder to my face, and some brighter red colour to my lips. It will, I hope detract from the redness of my eyes and the blotchiness of my skin from all my tears. It will also mask me. I’ll wear my own version of the Queen’s face.”

Beyond this, the story seems lacking of depth, and the characters seem shallow. There is no intuitive thought, and the characters are having the plot happen to them, rather than their actions driving the plot. The choppiness of sentences took me out of the story, and the MFC’s whiney narrative made me dislike her, and not want to root for her. This story could have done better with a clear goal in mind, deeper world building, and a few more rounds of editing.

An alternative view of historical fiction in an Elizabethan parallel world where women are in charge and men simply tools for making daughters.

First book of a trilogy so lots left unresolved, but with a dynamic plot

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book at 26%. The premise of this book sounded very interesting to me. I loved the idea of putting a feminist spin on the world of Henry VIII, with an element of both historical fiction and fantasy, the politics that play into choosing a consort and the responsibility of duty for the crown vs. self. I was very excited to delve into this world, but unfortunately I had a hard time getting into the story. There a quite a few elements I enjoyed, but ultimately had to put it down.

Characters:
So the story is told from first POV of Princess Elizabeth, the queen's sister. I loved the idea of the story being told by both an insider and an outsider of the Queen's court as it adds another layer to the book, providing an inside look at this world that is based on a facade. However, I had a hard time connecting to the character. In 6 chapters we still only know a handful of things about her and even less about there other characters. There are breadcrumbs there that can be explored such as her relationship with her father, her stance at court, the freedoms she has that others do not, her painting hobby and how that plays into all this.

World Building
As a fantasy reader, I understand that sometimes quite a bit of a book may be devoted to world building and a Tudor inspired fantasy had so much potential in my mind. I think my expectations of this were perhaps higher, but I was looking for a world rich with colors, textures, visual descriptions. Quite a bit of time is spent on describing the different Houses at court and the male figures they are presenting as potential consorts, but other than the color yellow and a few sparse descriptions of the emblems of each house I found the world hard to imagine.

Themes
Again there is so much here to explore and really built upon that the potential for this to be an amazing book is there.
Loved the flip of this feminist world ruled by women.
loved the politics and pressure of aligning with the right house, what this means for the crown and what this means for the houses
loved the conflict of having to choose btw crown and state vs. self and how this affects the characters themselves

Honestly the themes is where this book shines and there's so much there to build upon.

Writing
So the story is told in 1st person omniscient point of view, which can definitely work. However, the sentences themselves I found unnecessarily wordy without being very descriptive. Ex. "Her waist is cinched in so tightly, my hands, covered in gloves but roughed by time with brushes and canvas, could encircle it." Too many ideas but really the visual is just the same. Quite often I found details missing. Things are described as being the 'finest materials" but there's no visual concrete adjectives or examples to portray these in the reader's mind (Ex. Silks the color of bright rose petals from the (whatever area/region of the kingdom she is describing). I feel because of this I had a hard time really getting a sense of the world the author was trying to portray and unfortunately because of this had a hard time really being engaged in the story.

Additionally, the same words or ideas are quite repetitive in each chapter. The words "codpiece" and the color "yellow" are repeated so often it that is became distracting for me personally, while the reasoning for the prevalence of the color yellow is not brought up or explained until Chapter 6. The words 'Throne of Ash" or "Court of Ash" are repeated so many times it honestly took me out of the story and the ability to enjoy it.

Overall, I was really intrigued by the premise of this book, the political stakes and feminist take on this Tudor style world, but felt the execution lacking in regards to character development, world building and ultimately the writing. I would have loved to see more details in the description of this world, a lot more insight on the characters themselves and a lot more action to move the plot along.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with a digital review copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This was a fantastic book, with a great look into a unique kingdom- do not be fooled by its cover, this is not just a repeat of the story you've read before! Prepare yourself for intrigue, for fascinating looks into the female society, and for toxic gender roles to be flipped around. I feel like this book will truly make you think about the world around you, and will make you consider the fact that things are the way they are based on chance, not just how it "ought" to be. I also feel that anyone interested in history should read this- the imagery and historical depictions stole my breath. One negative could have been the lack of dialogue- I felt like we could have gotten to know Elizabeth a lot better if she had more room to breathe, and more simply conversations with other, rather than lengthy exposition. Still, I loved this look into a unique world, and I hope everyone else enjoys it as well!

This book was a great, easy read. It had some plot holes and could have had a bit better character development. However, I genuinely enjoyed reading and I appreciate the opportunity to read early!

I don’t think this book was meant to me even that the gender-swapping and a tudor era rule by females catch my attention.
It definitely had the good indication that was going to be an interesting book but it definitely feel dull. There were moments in which the characters were not convincing to me.

The novel's premise was intriguing and had a lot of promise. I loved the idea of a gender-swapped Tudor-esque court; however, it ended up falling flat.

I really liked the intrigue and relationships between characters, especially between Princess Elizabeth and her sister. However, I feel like many of the characters had wasted potential. We had the potential for a strong villain, but too much happened off-page to be satisfying. Additionally, the main character had so much potential to grow but ended up a flat, 2D character continuously pining after a flat, 2D love interest.

My two major issues were the writing and the character development. The language was clunky and flowery, which disrupted the flow of reading. The worst for me, which continuously took me out of the story, was the frequent repetition of the phrases “The Throne of Ash” and “The court of the Throne of Ash”.

Overall, I enjoyed the world-building and political intrigue of the court in this book but was left wanting in terms of the characters and a higher-stakes climax/conflict.

2.5/5 stars

Wow. I never thought I would read about a kingom that is ruled by females but here we are.

Overall, I think its almost 3.5 going to 4 but because of getting too repetitive with words, and the girl being too dumb, I will give this book a 3.45 so I an round it down.
Thank you to Netgalley & the Author for an arc of this book for my review.

- I knew she would get back with him when she said: " I’ll have Harry back. No matter how embarrassing. No matter how mortifying. He’s my lover, and when the queen has finished with him, I’ll take him far from here, and we’ll live in obscurity, forgetting every single coupling he’s forced to endure with Queen Cecily." and then said she wont take her back. There were too many chapters where she says she is deep in her thoughts but we barely get to hear any of them.
- She kept saying "No one will see it, no one but me. "
"They wouldnt know it but i know my sister i would know and understand" in the first half, which almost led me dnf the book, along with the repetitiveness of some words like "bedecked". We hear her saying that like 20 times in 5 chapters or something. If this book was her debut, I would say she can improve but this is her like 5th book so I think she still yet has to improve her writing.
But aside from that, I definitely loved and enjoyed reading a book where females are superior and males are worth very little.
SPOILERS!
What I dont understand is why she doesnt think about NOT being intimate UNTIL the queen actually gave birth. It's stupid of her. And also why she doesnt think about her own baby growing in her belly after the Queen died. Like girl, you promised your sister you wont have successor so that Queen Cecily's daughter will rule. You had to fix that problem even before killing Harry. Talk to your mother, father or even Lady Mary.
There was also not really tension between love interests because she kept going back and forth between Harry & Charles. She had to make a choice, had 50% percent chance but picked the wrong one, Harry.
Overall, I think its almost 3.5 going to 4 but because of getting too repetitive with words, and the girl being too dumb, I will give this book a 3.45 so I an round it down.
Thank you to Netgalley & the Author for an arc of this book for my review.