Third Read Feb. 1, 2020
Re-read in preparation for the third and final book coming out this month, Ember Queen. This book is still great. The most common criticism I see of this series is that it's very reminiscent of other YA fantasy series, and while I guess I see what they are getting at, I just feel like the writing here is so much better than a lot of hyped YA fantasies out there right now. The me from March 2019 said she'd give that read 4 stars. She must've been having a rough day, because this is still a 5-star book for me.


Re-read March, 2019, in preparation for Lady Smoke, the second book in the series. I still enjoyed this quite a bit. I listened to the audiobook this time around. It was okay, but there are a few parts where multiple voices come in chanting that is a little strange. I do appreciate that they tried to do something a little different, but I’m not sure it worked.
I would probably give this book closer to 4 stars on re-read, but maybe that’ll because I already knew what was going to happen.

Original review May 10, 2018:
I've received a lot of books in subscription boxes that have surprised me, and Ash Princess can be added to the list. I hadn't actually heard that much about this book before the release, but the cover is fantastic and it's a YA political fantasy. So...please and thank you.

I went into the book with very few expectations, and I was thoroughly blown away. This was really entertaining. I loved the world, the characters, the socio and geo-political aspects. It all worked for me.

So I was really surprised to come onto Goodreads after finishing the book and see so many 2 and 3-star ratings. Most of them criticized the book as being 'just another tropey YA fantasy with a love triangle.' They said that if you've read any number of other YA fantasies, you've read Ash Princess. And while I completely respect that other people may have a different opinion and it doesn't make mine (or theirs) any more or less valid, I just don't get it. I feel like I read a completely different book.

I'm not going to sit here and say that the premise was wholly unique, because I don't think that's true. A young princess loses her family when her country is invaded and she fights to free her people. I know that there are many YA fantasy books that have similar concepts. But I feel like where this story separates itself is with the details of the world, the cultures, the characters. I felt like the author did a wonderful job making this world unique. She thought about things like fashion, food, art, music, and history when creating the Astrean and Kalovaxian cultures. The world was rich and interesting. Now, we only got to see a small slice of it in this book because Theo was kept under guard for most of this book, but the foundation was built in this book and I'm excited to see where we go from here.

Another way this book differs from many other 'YA princess stories' is in it's brutality. This is not light and fluffy. Our main character is repeatedly tortured by her captors for a decade, whipped bloody every time the kaiser (the man who invaded her country) wants to quell any hint of an uprising in her people or punish her when there is an incident involving her people. Her maid has had her mouth sewn shut. The stitches are taken out so she can eat and then it's sewn back shut. People are enslaved and brutally murdered on both sides and the depiction of these things is not watered down.

The characters are complex and interesting. Theo in particular is not your average, run-of-the-mill heroine, despite what other reviews may say. Instead of using magic or physical prowess, she must use her wits and knowledge of the players involved to navigate her situation. Of course, her emotions are not all as straightforward as she would like to pretend they are, and people she has come to rely on are also people she knows are enemies to her people, which makes for some very difficult decisions. I loved the conflict that she felt, and how honest she was with herself about them.

As far as the love triangle goes, yeah, there is one. Some people hate love triangles with a burning passion. I don't have a problem with them as long as they aren't poorly written. I need to feel that there is a chance that she could end up with either one of the love interests, and I need to understand why they would be attracted to her.

In this book, I get it. I get why she would feel a connection with Blaise, and he with her. They've known each other since they were young and they are trying to save their people and help each other through their respective traumas. I also get why there would be a connection between Theo and Soren. They've also known each other for years, although he's been away for several years prior to the beginning of this book. I think he sees in her a way to break away from his father and make his own way. He doesn't want to become his father and the treatment that Theo has received is a tangible representation of everything he hates about his father, so that in turn makes him want to protect Theo. I think he also has a lot of respect for her and the way she carries herself after everything she's been through. He already admires her before they even really get to know each other. It may seem a little insta-lovey to some, but it just didn't bother me that much, especially because there are different layers to their relationship that make it more complex than just an ooey, gooey romance.

As far as the plot goes, this is definitely more of a foundational book. There are many internal plots regarding Theo and her decision to finally fight back and help her people, but I have a feeling the next installments will have quite a bit more action in them. And I'm totally okay with that. This first book's purpose was to introduce the world, the characters, and their struggles. And I think she did a fantastic job.

I'm so glad I didn't look at the reviews before reading this book, because I might have chosen to skip it instead, and that would've been a shame.