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The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
So I am 3 days post reading An Ember in the Ashes and I'm still a little numb at the ending. (I will explain below when I explain my character ships.) I never really understood the hype for this book, meaning: it sounded amazing, it got raving reviews the original cover is stunning, ect. Books get such big hypes sometimes and it makes me hesitant. I've always been meaning to read this but I just never got around to it. I currently have a TBR pile about a mile high but I decided to finally read this one. OH. MY. GOD. It lived up to the hype and now I am obsessed and feel shitty for not reading it sooner. I'm not even joking when I say I devoured this book in two sittings (first time I read 120 pages, second time I read the remaining 330.) Sabaa created a beautiful story and world the shows sacrifice for the ones we love and that the most unlikely faces can turn out to be your allies.
Laia is a Scholar who lives a quiet life with her grandparents and brother until one day a Mask kills her grandparents and captures her brother. Racked with guilt about running rather then saving Darin, Laia seeks out help with the group she is convinced is to blame about the horrid events: The Scholar Resistance. In their agreement to break her brother out of prison Laia most pose at the Commandant's slave. The Commandant is the head of the Blackcliff school for the brutal training of Masks. The Commandant is brutal woman devoid of human emotion and will kill with out a second thought. Laia soon meets Elias a Mask who is suppose to have nothing to do with the slave. Elias has struggles of his own, he is in a deadly competition with his best friend Helene and two other Masks to become the next emperor of the Martials. Full of sacrifice and in finding who you are An Ember in the Ashes is a thrill ride from the first page and doesn't stop until the last.
An Ember in the Ashes is told in dual perspective which I love. Elias and Laia each have their own voices and it is amazing to see the ends of the same issues from supposed enemies. I admire Laia's strength and courage where so many have given up, her love and dedication to saving her brother, endured her to go through horrific forms of torture under the hand of the Commandant and she did not give up. Elias is on the side of the enemy, but in the first chapter we learned that he originally planned on deserting his life as a Mask and being a wanted man the rest of his life. With him staying behind you are able to see his struggle between what is moral and what isn't.
Now, I love Helen and Elias together BUT I love Elias and Laia together BUT I wouldn't mind Laia and Keenan together either. See my dilemma? My Elias and Helene ship is what made the ending to An Ember in the Ashes so painful. I have so many different ships for this book and I have a feeling my heart is going to be shredded by the end of this series. The romance does play a part in the book. But it really helped the story come to life. I am really eager to see where Sabaa is going to take these characters and their relationships in the next three books.
In the end I love this book and Sabaa very much. She is a beautiful writer and created a beautifully story that is well loved by many readers. I am really eager and excited to see the places she is going to bring this series. All in all this is one of my favorite books that I have read this year.
So I am 3 days post reading An Ember in the Ashes and I'm still a little numb at the ending. (I will explain below when I explain my character ships.) I never really understood the hype for this book, meaning: it sounded amazing, it got raving reviews the original cover is stunning, ect. Books get such big hypes sometimes and it makes me hesitant. I've always been meaning to read this but I just never got around to it. I currently have a TBR pile about a mile high but I decided to finally read this one. OH. MY. GOD. It lived up to the hype and now I am obsessed and feel shitty for not reading it sooner. I'm not even joking when I say I devoured this book in two sittings (first time I read 120 pages, second time I read the remaining 330.) Sabaa created a beautiful story and world the shows sacrifice for the ones we love and that the most unlikely faces can turn out to be your allies.
Laia is a Scholar who lives a quiet life with her grandparents and brother until one day a Mask kills her grandparents and captures her brother. Racked with guilt about running rather then saving Darin, Laia seeks out help with the group she is convinced is to blame about the horrid events: The Scholar Resistance. In their agreement to break her brother out of prison Laia most pose at the Commandant's slave. The Commandant is the head of the Blackcliff school for the brutal training of Masks. The Commandant is brutal woman devoid of human emotion and will kill with out a second thought. Laia soon meets Elias a Mask who is suppose to have nothing to do with the slave. Elias has struggles of his own, he is in a deadly competition with his best friend Helene and two other Masks to become the next emperor of the Martials. Full of sacrifice and in finding who you are An Ember in the Ashes is a thrill ride from the first page and doesn't stop until the last.
An Ember in the Ashes is told in dual perspective which I love. Elias and Laia each have their own voices and it is amazing to see the ends of the same issues from supposed enemies. I admire Laia's strength and courage where so many have given up, her love and dedication to saving her brother, endured her to go through horrific forms of torture under the hand of the Commandant and she did not give up. Elias is on the side of the enemy, but in the first chapter we learned that he originally planned on deserting his life as a Mask and being a wanted man the rest of his life. With him staying behind you are able to see his struggle between what is moral and what isn't.
Now, I love Helen and Elias together BUT I love Elias and Laia together BUT I wouldn't mind Laia and Keenan together either. See my dilemma? My Elias and Helene ship is what made the ending to An Ember in the Ashes so painful. I have so many different ships for this book and I have a feeling my heart is going to be shredded by the end of this series. The romance does play a part in the book. But it really helped the story come to life. I am really eager to see where Sabaa is going to take these characters and their relationships in the next three books.
In the end I love this book and Sabaa very much. She is a beautiful writer and created a beautifully story that is well loved by many readers. I am really eager and excited to see the places she is going to bring this series. All in all this is one of my favorite books that I have read this year.
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
***THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER HEAVY SO PLEASE READ CAUTIOUSLY***
I highly debated leaving this GIF as the whole review because I still don't know how to put anything that I am feeling into words right now. Though A Torch Against the Night didn't leave me heart broken at the end the events of this book just killed my heart. All the betrayal and death and love and action.
My only issue with this book was the plot. I feel like it went around in circles. Elias is on the run. Laia wants her brother back. Helene needs to catch Elias. But they all come in grasp of this things to loose them again. It was enjoyable to read because I love the characters and the world but it was slower paced then the first novel. I think I feel this way because I went into this book with different expectations. Sabaa added Helene's POV into this book though, so it is interesting getting to see her side of the situation and how she is dealing witth becoming Blood Shrike. I thought she would talk more about her feelings for Elias, since it took up a main part of the first book but I guess I can hope for that in the following books.
I talked about how I was really shipping Keenan and Laia in my An Ember in the Ashes review so I was super excited as they gotten closer in this book. Obviously I knew something sketchy was up with him and things weren't adding up but I never expecting that kind of betrayal. Sitting back and thinking about things now I does make a lot more sense, but it still hurt. I was rooting for them so hard when they were in the cave and they had sex, I thought it was so sweet and it was going to lead to good things. I was wrong. I should have just shipped her with Elias, it would have hurt just as much but at least he isn't the villain in the story.
I liked where A Torch Against the Night ended, it isn't the happiest of endings but he didn't leave me in pain with how An Ember in the Ashes did. Everyone is content and doing what they are meant to do for now. I think I am going to wait before I start A Reaper at the Gates for the obvious reasons, but regardless of the plot issue with this book I still love these characters and this series so much. I am super excited to see where Sabaa is going to take this crew next!
***THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER HEAVY SO PLEASE READ CAUTIOUSLY***
I highly debated leaving this GIF as the whole review because I still don't know how to put anything that I am feeling into words right now. Though A Torch Against the Night didn't leave me heart broken at the end the events of this book just killed my heart. All the betrayal and death and love and action.
My only issue with this book was the plot. I feel like it went around in circles. Elias is on the run. Laia wants her brother back. Helene needs to catch Elias. But they all come in grasp of this things to loose them again. It was enjoyable to read because I love the characters and the world but it was slower paced then the first novel. I think I feel this way because I went into this book with different expectations. Sabaa added Helene's POV into this book though, so it is interesting getting to see her side of the situation and how she is dealing witth becoming Blood Shrike. I thought she would talk more about her feelings for Elias, since it took up a main part of the first book but I guess I can hope for that in the following books.
I talked about how I was really shipping Keenan and Laia in my An Ember in the Ashes review so I was super excited as they gotten closer in this book. Obviously I knew something sketchy was up with him and things weren't adding up but I never expecting that kind of betrayal. Sitting back and thinking about things now I does make a lot more sense, but it still hurt. I was rooting for them so hard when they were in the cave and they had sex, I thought it was so sweet and it was going to lead to good things. I was wrong. I should have just shipped her with Elias, it would have hurt just as much but at least he isn't the villain in the story.
I liked where A Torch Against the Night ended, it isn't the happiest of endings but he didn't leave me in pain with how An Ember in the Ashes did. Everyone is content and doing what they are meant to do for now. I think I am going to wait before I start A Reaper at the Gates for the obvious reasons, but regardless of the plot issue with this book I still love these characters and this series so much. I am super excited to see where Sabaa is going to take this crew next!
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
First off the cover of this book is gorgeous. It has dragons in it. The narrator has horrible anxiety. I honestly don't now how I didn't pick this book up sooner. I want to say how badly I loved this book and that it was everything I was expecting. But that would be a lie. It fell short on a lot of things, and a book that was told to have lots of dragons had only very few dragons.
The one thing I loved about this book was Mira and her journey with anxiety. Anxiety and panic attacks are some of the most scariest experiences you would ever feel, and as someone who has the very same condition as Mira it was easy to relate with her and her struggles. I saw so much of myself in Mira, how she thinks and how she acts and how she copes with her anxieties. Mira obsessively counts to help deal with her anxieties, it had become something that was a comfort to her. This is a behavior that is so normalized with anxiety but something that Mira takes a large amount of shame in. I loved the flashbacks when Mira would talk about dragons, it is her happy place that helps her. I really appreciated Mira's character and the way that Meadows betrayed her.
Now......
I expected a lot of dragons but Mira spends a majority of the book in a dark prison where there are no dragons. I feel like there wasn't much plot, it was more of they day by day life of Mira's imprisonment and her desire to make friends with her silent neighbor rather then a novel about a girl who was imprisoned because of illegal Dragon trafficking. I felt like I knew nothing about the other characters other then Mira and to be completely honest I skimmed the last 150 pages of this book.
As much as I love Meadows's writing in the past, Before She Ignites wasn't one that I can have a lot of love for and I sadly don't plan on continuing the series.
First off the cover of this book is gorgeous. It has dragons in it. The narrator has horrible anxiety. I honestly don't now how I didn't pick this book up sooner. I want to say how badly I loved this book and that it was everything I was expecting. But that would be a lie. It fell short on a lot of things, and a book that was told to have lots of dragons had only very few dragons.
The one thing I loved about this book was Mira and her journey with anxiety. Anxiety and panic attacks are some of the most scariest experiences you would ever feel, and as someone who has the very same condition as Mira it was easy to relate with her and her struggles. I saw so much of myself in Mira, how she thinks and how she acts and how she copes with her anxieties. Mira obsessively counts to help deal with her anxieties, it had become something that was a comfort to her. This is a behavior that is so normalized with anxiety but something that Mira takes a large amount of shame in. I loved the flashbacks when Mira would talk about dragons, it is her happy place that helps her. I really appreciated Mira's character and the way that Meadows betrayed her.
Now......
I expected a lot of dragons but Mira spends a majority of the book in a dark prison where there are no dragons. I feel like there wasn't much plot, it was more of they day by day life of Mira's imprisonment and her desire to make friends with her silent neighbor rather then a novel about a girl who was imprisoned because of illegal Dragon trafficking. I felt like I knew nothing about the other characters other then Mira and to be completely honest I skimmed the last 150 pages of this book.
As much as I love Meadows's writing in the past, Before She Ignites wasn't one that I can have a lot of love for and I sadly don't plan on continuing the series.
In all honesty Dry freaked me out. It is so scary real and if you look at climate change this book can one day be a scary reality for many parts of the world. I got a copy of this book at BookExpo and I quite honestly knew nothing about it butt I saw the cover and was really intrigued. Though I didn't love this book I am still glad that I read it, it was extremely thought provoking and really got into my head.
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
To be completely honest with you have a love hate relationship with this book. When I read the synopsis on Goodreads and saw that the book was currently free for on Amazon for my kindle I jumped at the chance. I haven't read a an urban fantasy book in the longest time and I figured this was going to be a quick read. It was, the story was intriguing and I had to know what was going to happen with Ryann and Lad and stayed up way to late to finish Hidden Deep, which I am not complaining about in the slightest.
I honestly really liked Ryann's character, she is a relatable teenage girl. She actually reminds me a lot of how I was when I was sixteen. Some of her decisions aren't well planned out and pretty rash but that is what being a teenager is like sometimes. Plus with the IRS breathing down her mother's neck for her father's mistakes she feels like the weight of the world is on her shoulders. Not only for her family's sake but also for Lad's as well.
My only I had two issues with this book, the first being the insta-love between Ryann and Lad. I understand that had a connection from a past incident and they been searching for each other for ten years, but they rushed into things really fast. Under their circumstances I understand and also with them being so young and it being their first "love" I am chalking it up to that. (We were all sixteen once, it all had the feeling at least once in our life for a special someone from super early on.) With the mini love triangle with Nox I strongly believe that Patrick is planning for a love triangle in the following books which I am actually pretty down for since both Lad and Nox are totally opposites and I can see her ending up with either on of them.
My second is that were Ryann and her mother were well developed I feel like I know next to nothing about Nox and very little about Lad. Lad had to be very secretive about who and what he was for more then half the book so I sort of understand that and hope that Patrick expands a lot more on him in the next books in the series. Nox was in a majority of the book becoming a love interest but all I knew was he was super attractive and into Ryann and he was in a band that was getting a record deal. Maybe Patrick is saving their character development for future books? I hope so.
Besides the two issues I really enjoyed this book. It's not often that you read a story about Elves. I really like the world that was created for them and their customs. I am really excited to see more of them considering how the story ended with Ryann and Lad perusing a relationship so it only seems likely that Lad's world will play a role in the next book.
Though the romance was kinda fast it is still swoon worthy. Honestly if a guy said half the things that Lad had said to Ryann I probably would have been a puddle on the floor. His dedication and his will to fight for her really had me routing for their relationship and hoping for a really good outcome. I am also kind of in love with Lad sooooooooo I can't blame Ryann for falling for him quickly. *Shrugs*
In the end I ended up reading Hidden Deep super fast and I am really looking forward to the rest of the series. I learned there is three books following these characters, three more following different characters (that have to do with these characters) and then three more that I am not sure what they deal with. But I haven't read a long series in so so so long so I am so down for this. Any who, if you made it this far into to this really long review thank you for listening to my thoughts and ramblings (Its is 4a.m. and I am super caffeinated so I am typing about a mile a minute at the moment.) But let me know if you read this series!!! It seems super underrated.
To be completely honest with you have a love hate relationship with this book. When I read the synopsis on Goodreads and saw that the book was currently free for on Amazon for my kindle I jumped at the chance. I haven't read a an urban fantasy book in the longest time and I figured this was going to be a quick read. It was, the story was intriguing and I had to know what was going to happen with Ryann and Lad and stayed up way to late to finish Hidden Deep, which I am not complaining about in the slightest.
I honestly really liked Ryann's character, she is a relatable teenage girl. She actually reminds me a lot of how I was when I was sixteen. Some of her decisions aren't well planned out and pretty rash but that is what being a teenager is like sometimes. Plus with the IRS breathing down her mother's neck for her father's mistakes she feels like the weight of the world is on her shoulders. Not only for her family's sake but also for Lad's as well.
My only I had two issues with this book, the first being the insta-love between Ryann and Lad. I understand that had a connection from a past incident and they been searching for each other for ten years, but they rushed into things really fast. Under their circumstances I understand and also with them being so young and it being their first "love" I am chalking it up to that. (We were all sixteen once, it all had the feeling at least once in our life for a special someone from super early on.) With the mini love triangle with Nox I strongly believe that Patrick is planning for a love triangle in the following books which I am actually pretty down for since both Lad and Nox are totally opposites and I can see her ending up with either on of them.
My second is that were Ryann and her mother were well developed I feel like I know next to nothing about Nox and very little about Lad. Lad had to be very secretive about who and what he was for more then half the book so I sort of understand that and hope that Patrick expands a lot more on him in the next books in the series. Nox was in a majority of the book becoming a love interest but all I knew was he was super attractive and into Ryann and he was in a band that was getting a record deal. Maybe Patrick is saving their character development for future books? I hope so.
Besides the two issues I really enjoyed this book. It's not often that you read a story about Elves. I really like the world that was created for them and their customs. I am really excited to see more of them considering how the story ended with Ryann and Lad perusing a relationship so it only seems likely that Lad's world will play a role in the next book.
Though the romance was kinda fast it is still swoon worthy. Honestly if a guy said half the things that Lad had said to Ryann I probably would have been a puddle on the floor. His dedication and his will to fight for her really had me routing for their relationship and hoping for a really good outcome. I am also kind of in love with Lad sooooooooo I can't blame Ryann for falling for him quickly. *Shrugs*
In the end I ended up reading Hidden Deep super fast and I am really looking forward to the rest of the series. I learned there is three books following these characters, three more following different characters (that have to do with these characters) and then three more that I am not sure what they deal with. But I haven't read a long series in so so so long so I am so down for this. Any who, if you made it this far into to this really long review thank you for listening to my thoughts and ramblings (Its is 4a.m. and I am super caffeinated so I am typing about a mile a minute at the moment.) But let me know if you read this series!!! It seems super underrated.
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
*Sigh* I am going to be the black sheep on this one. I LOVE Leigh's writing so I hoped that this one was going to be another book by her that I was going to love. But I sadly didn't, I made it about 15% before I decided that it isn't for me at the moment and put it down. I am really bummed but I will try again soon, maybe I am just in a weird reading mood right now.
*Sigh* I am going to be the black sheep on this one. I LOVE Leigh's writing so I hoped that this one was going to be another book by her that I was going to love. But I sadly didn't, I made it about 15% before I decided that it isn't for me at the moment and put it down. I am really bummed but I will try again soon, maybe I am just in a weird reading mood right now.
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
I am always in for a good Sci-Fi. I am a sucker for space adventures, mysterious viruses and books that are going to give me the chills. Contagion exceeded every single one of my expectations and then some. I flew through the novel in less then a day and I was on the edge of my seat the entire 432 pages.
I loved all the character in the novel, mostly. I had a strong disliking for Dylan (more on that soon...) I am not super crazy about books with multiple POVs and especially when they are not labeled and you aren't entirely sure whose POV you are in in that moment. But after a while you are able to distinguish each character's voice. The characters were well fleshed out, we know just enough that we understand why they got dragged into this mission, how they could contribute and parts of their backstories. We didn't get too much unneeded information but I would love to learn a little more about them in the next novel!
Dylan, the captain of the rescue mission was extremely hard to like and relate to. I understand that her crew and her where unfamiliar territory with a threat but she handled it horribly and caused the death of several of her crew members. She also made choices that almost killed several of the characters that did survive. I get that she was trying to redeem herself after messing up when she was in the academy and having to have her dad erase it from record. But she was also handed this job with no experience because of who her father was and though that isn't on her she was still unskilled and made rash decisions. In Nova's POV she briefly discusses a kiss between her and Dylan and developing feelings for her. I wish that Dylan talked about this a little more in her POV because as I reader I was left hanging on where they stood with things and if feelings were actually returned.
I can use two words to describe how the infected were in this book: Space Zombies. The virus is spread through bodily fluids (mainly blood in this book) by an infected victim scratching another victim, injuring themselves and getting their blood in their victims wound. Newly infected are extremely smart and cunning and violent. But the more time they are infected the slower and more zombie like they became. In Contagion we learn that there is an immunity for this virus, but it has to be under the perfect circumstances. The infected were chilling and definitely gave this book its horror vibe, especially seeing familiar characters as some of the infected.
I am really excited what Bowman has in store for in Immunity (Book #2) after the ending of Contagion. I highly recommend this to all my friends who love creepy space sci-fi's that will leave you craving more long after you finish the last page. 2019 can't come soon enough!
I am always in for a good Sci-Fi. I am a sucker for space adventures, mysterious viruses and books that are going to give me the chills. Contagion exceeded every single one of my expectations and then some. I flew through the novel in less then a day and I was on the edge of my seat the entire 432 pages.
I loved all the character in the novel, mostly. I had a strong disliking for Dylan (more on that soon...) I am not super crazy about books with multiple POVs and especially when they are not labeled and you aren't entirely sure whose POV you are in in that moment. But after a while you are able to distinguish each character's voice. The characters were well fleshed out, we know just enough that we understand why they got dragged into this mission, how they could contribute and parts of their backstories. We didn't get too much unneeded information but I would love to learn a little more about them in the next novel!
Dylan, the captain of the rescue mission was extremely hard to like and relate to. I understand that her crew and her where unfamiliar territory with a threat but she handled it horribly and caused the death of several of her crew members. She also made choices that almost killed several of the characters that did survive. I get that she was trying to redeem herself after messing up when she was in the academy and having to have her dad erase it from record. But she was also handed this job with no experience because of who her father was and though that isn't on her she was still unskilled and made rash decisions. In Nova's POV she briefly discusses a kiss between her and Dylan and developing feelings for her. I wish that Dylan talked about this a little more in her POV because as I reader I was left hanging on where they stood with things and if feelings were actually returned.
I can use two words to describe how the infected were in this book: Space Zombies. The virus is spread through bodily fluids (mainly blood in this book) by an infected victim scratching another victim, injuring themselves and getting their blood in their victims wound. Newly infected are extremely smart and cunning and violent. But the more time they are infected the slower and more zombie like they became. In Contagion we learn that there is an immunity for this virus, but it has to be under the perfect circumstances. The infected were chilling and definitely gave this book its horror vibe, especially seeing familiar characters as some of the infected.
I am really excited what Bowman has in store for in Immunity (Book #2) after the ending of Contagion. I highly recommend this to all my friends who love creepy space sci-fi's that will leave you craving more long after you finish the last page. 2019 can't come soon enough!
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
"The hope inside me is not smothered yet. It is dying, yes, with only a few embers left. But I’ve seen fires rekindled with less."
I don’t think it is a big secret that I am a sucker for a beautiful and eye catching cover. When I first saw the cover to Ash Princess I was instantly intrigued and then reading the synopsis was even more intrigued by the whole premise of it. Ash Princess was an interesting fantasy read that I really enjoyed.
"Each time Astrean pirates sank one of the Kaiser’s ships, each time one of the mines tried to revolt, each time a slave spit at their master, it was carved into my skin. The scars are ugly and monstrous and a constant reminder of what I am."
I’m gonna start by talking about Thora because I did like her character a lot but there were a few things that bothered me. Thora, formerly known as Theodosia and heir to the throne is now was is considered the Ash Princess. She is the ashes of the Empire that the Kaiser to took over and a political figurine. I understood a lot of Thora’s turmoil in the beginning of the book. The Kaiser is abusive and a manipulative man, the fact that he made her put a knife in her father’s back only proved how ruthless he is and how weak he want’s to keep Thora. Thora’s thoughts of rebellion are very sudden though, but spark at the blood on her hands. They start when she is cornered by a friend from before her empire fell who offers her an escape, something she had been hoping for for the past ten years but lost the moment her father died. But Thora believes that escaping now is a bad idea and rather wants to stay in the palace so she can gather information and tear down the Kaiser from the inside. Though I appreciate her fierceness and for fighting for what she believes in that thoughts of rebellion seem to be thrown in there quite quickly.
“You’re a lamb in the lion’s den, child. You’re surviving. Isn’t that enough?”
I actually liked the romance a lot. I’m a sucker for relationships that start with the hero trying to get close with the villain and then actually falling for them. The romance does not take up a huge portion of this book but it was nice to have. We see Thora’s inner turmoil as she develops feelings for the Prince and if she can go through with her and the rebel’s plans to kill him. I am really excited to see where Thora and the Prince’s relationship is going to go considering how Ash Princess ended and the possibility of a love triangle?
"I am angry. I am hungry. And I promise myself that one day I will watch them all burn."
All in all Ash Princess is full of beautiful world building and a story that is captivating from the moment you read the first chapter. I can’t wait to see what book two is going to have in store!
"The hope inside me is not smothered yet. It is dying, yes, with only a few embers left. But I’ve seen fires rekindled with less."
I don’t think it is a big secret that I am a sucker for a beautiful and eye catching cover. When I first saw the cover to Ash Princess I was instantly intrigued and then reading the synopsis was even more intrigued by the whole premise of it. Ash Princess was an interesting fantasy read that I really enjoyed.
"Each time Astrean pirates sank one of the Kaiser’s ships, each time one of the mines tried to revolt, each time a slave spit at their master, it was carved into my skin. The scars are ugly and monstrous and a constant reminder of what I am."
I’m gonna start by talking about Thora because I did like her character a lot but there were a few things that bothered me. Thora, formerly known as Theodosia and heir to the throne is now was is considered the Ash Princess. She is the ashes of the Empire that the Kaiser to took over and a political figurine. I understood a lot of Thora’s turmoil in the beginning of the book. The Kaiser is abusive and a manipulative man, the fact that he made her put a knife in her father’s back only proved how ruthless he is and how weak he want’s to keep Thora. Thora’s thoughts of rebellion are very sudden though, but spark at the blood on her hands. They start when she is cornered by a friend from before her empire fell who offers her an escape, something she had been hoping for for the past ten years but lost the moment her father died. But Thora believes that escaping now is a bad idea and rather wants to stay in the palace so she can gather information and tear down the Kaiser from the inside. Though I appreciate her fierceness and for fighting for what she believes in that thoughts of rebellion seem to be thrown in there quite quickly.
“You’re a lamb in the lion’s den, child. You’re surviving. Isn’t that enough?”
I actually liked the romance a lot. I’m a sucker for relationships that start with the hero trying to get close with the villain and then actually falling for them. The romance does not take up a huge portion of this book but it was nice to have. We see Thora’s inner turmoil as she develops feelings for the Prince and if she can go through with her and the rebel’s plans to kill him. I am really excited to see where Thora and the Prince’s relationship is going to go considering how Ash Princess ended and the possibility of a love triangle?
"I am angry. I am hungry. And I promise myself that one day I will watch them all burn."
All in all Ash Princess is full of beautiful world building and a story that is captivating from the moment you read the first chapter. I can’t wait to see what book two is going to have in store!
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
***Trigger Warnings: Rape, Self harm & Abuse***
***This review will also contain spoilers and I will talk about the Trigger Warnings***
Hi. Hello. I really liked Damsel and I am the black sheep on this, but please just hear me out: I know there is so much talk on Damsel and it's content. I will admit that I was a little standoffish considering the themes I heard that this book contained. But I was remembering something an English professor told me once: "If it makes you uncomfortable as you read, then its teaching you something." Damsel isn't your normal "Prince saves the girl and slays the dragon and they live happily ever after." It's Ama learning to have her voice, learning she is a person rather then an object for King Emory's entertainment and pleasure. Damsel is a book that is extremely feminist and showing how one girl took it upon herself to forge her own destiny.
Arnold's writing is beautiful. It's a lyrical and full of imagery. The story comes alive right in front of your eyes. She didn't shy away from the harder descriptions of things as most authors would have which made me appreciate Damsel that much more. Hands down Damsel is an upper YA novel. I wouldn't give it to someone under the age of sixteen unless I was fully confident that they could handle the content that Damsel has. From the start of the book we are given descriptions of Emory's previous conquests and the "slaying" of the dragon. After that there graphic description of a naked Emory as well as a description of his yard/tusk. (This is what Emory's penis is refereed as through out the entirety of the book.) In the castle there us a chapter where Emory comes into Ama's room forces a kiss upon her and then puts his fingers inside of her, he quickly blames the wine but tells her that she must expect this on their wedding night. There is another scene were they are in a carriage on the way to the palace that King Emory unlatches his belt, pulls himself out and uses her hand as a tool in masturbating. All with out Ama's consent, but at this point we are well enough into the story that Ama knows what will happen if she fights back. At the very end we learn about how he truly slayed the Dragon by raping it.
From the beginning of the book I knew Emory was going to be a problem. Woman are nothing more then objects for him. In the first chapter he talks about his previous sexual conquests as he is scaling a mountain to save Ama. He is extremely possessive of Ama and is controlling in everything she does. He touches her as he pleases, threatens her and says belittling things. Emory believes that Ama has no other rights then to please him and give him a son once they are married. In slaying the Dragon, Emory slashes the crevice of its arm and then uses is "yard" to turn the Dragon (who is actually Ama) into the Damsel.
Am I the only one who see's how much of today's society is reflected into the pages of Damsel? Let's take away the fairytale atmosphere (if one could call it that) and replace it with the modern world, is this anything different then we see now? Woman are continuously belittled, forced to commit sexual acts that they would prefer not to have to take part in, controlled in society by the way they act, dress, and appear.
Through out Damsel we watch Ama gain a sense of self wanting. She longs to break the hold that Emory has on her. She wants a life to do as she pleases where she won't be looked down upon. Ama takes her fate in her own hand when she takes up the art of glass blowing, the moment she created the Dragon statue and used its shattered wing to kill Emory she took back her destiny. In the end Ama got her true wish, freedom. She ate Emory's heart, returned to her Dragon form and was free from his constraints once more.
Can we please acknowledged about how feminist this book is? How important it is? Damsel is going to get so much hate based off its content. I've already seen it. This book is a QUICK read but not an EASY read. It is dark and it has a lot of dark and horrible themes. I understand that if you avoiding Damsel for the trigger warnings, it is very triggering and I by no means are telling you to read it. I'm suggesting that for the readers who already crossed this book off their list merely because its rating and the dislike it has received to just give it a shot. Ama's story is one that deserves to be told. Just like every other woman who has no control over her destiny.
Post Reading Thoughts:
I loved the ending to this book. I loved the whole idea of it. I do have a few issues that I will speak of in my review. But I am really glad I gave this one a shot, there is a real important underlying meaning to DAMSEL that is really important for woman in this day and age.
***Trigger Warnings: Rape, Self harm & Abuse***
***This review will also contain spoilers and I will talk about the Trigger Warnings***
Hi. Hello. I really liked Damsel and I am the black sheep on this, but please just hear me out: I know there is so much talk on Damsel and it's content. I will admit that I was a little standoffish considering the themes I heard that this book contained. But I was remembering something an English professor told me once: "If it makes you uncomfortable as you read, then its teaching you something." Damsel isn't your normal "Prince saves the girl and slays the dragon and they live happily ever after." It's Ama learning to have her voice, learning she is a person rather then an object for King Emory's entertainment and pleasure. Damsel is a book that is extremely feminist and showing how one girl took it upon herself to forge her own destiny.
Arnold's writing is beautiful. It's a lyrical and full of imagery. The story comes alive right in front of your eyes. She didn't shy away from the harder descriptions of things as most authors would have which made me appreciate Damsel that much more. Hands down Damsel is an upper YA novel. I wouldn't give it to someone under the age of sixteen unless I was fully confident that they could handle the content that Damsel has. From the start of the book we are given descriptions of Emory's previous conquests and the "slaying" of the dragon. After that there graphic description of a naked Emory as well as a description of his yard/tusk. (This is what Emory's penis is refereed as through out the entirety of the book.) In the castle there us a chapter where Emory comes into Ama's room forces a kiss upon her and then puts his fingers inside of her, he quickly blames the wine but tells her that she must expect this on their wedding night. There is another scene were they are in a carriage on the way to the palace that King Emory unlatches his belt, pulls himself out and uses her hand as a tool in masturbating. All with out Ama's consent, but at this point we are well enough into the story that Ama knows what will happen if she fights back. At the very end we learn about how he truly slayed the Dragon by raping it.
From the beginning of the book I knew Emory was going to be a problem. Woman are nothing more then objects for him. In the first chapter he talks about his previous sexual conquests as he is scaling a mountain to save Ama. He is extremely possessive of Ama and is controlling in everything she does. He touches her as he pleases, threatens her and says belittling things. Emory believes that Ama has no other rights then to please him and give him a son once they are married. In slaying the Dragon, Emory slashes the crevice of its arm and then uses is "yard" to turn the Dragon (who is actually Ama) into the Damsel.
Am I the only one who see's how much of today's society is reflected into the pages of Damsel? Let's take away the fairytale atmosphere (if one could call it that) and replace it with the modern world, is this anything different then we see now? Woman are continuously belittled, forced to commit sexual acts that they would prefer not to have to take part in, controlled in society by the way they act, dress, and appear.
Through out Damsel we watch Ama gain a sense of self wanting. She longs to break the hold that Emory has on her. She wants a life to do as she pleases where she won't be looked down upon. Ama takes her fate in her own hand when she takes up the art of glass blowing, the moment she created the Dragon statue and used its shattered wing to kill Emory she took back her destiny. In the end Ama got her true wish, freedom. She ate Emory's heart, returned to her Dragon form and was free from his constraints once more.
Can we please acknowledged about how feminist this book is? How important it is? Damsel is going to get so much hate based off its content. I've already seen it. This book is a QUICK read but not an EASY read. It is dark and it has a lot of dark and horrible themes. I understand that if you avoiding Damsel for the trigger warnings, it is very triggering and I by no means are telling you to read it. I'm suggesting that for the readers who already crossed this book off their list merely because its rating and the dislike it has received to just give it a shot. Ama's story is one that deserves to be told. Just like every other woman who has no control over her destiny.
Post Reading Thoughts:
I loved the ending to this book. I loved the whole idea of it. I do have a few issues that I will speak of in my review. But I am really glad I gave this one a shot, there is a real important underlying meaning to DAMSEL that is really important for woman in this day and age.