Witches of Ash and Ruin

I have wanted to read this since before it came out, and now that I have... I am more than a little disappointed. There are so many great elements, and both the premise and the general direction of the story are intriguing. However the various elements are not seamlessly woven into the narrative, but sort of “sprinkled” here and there. The world building is nearly non-existent, and that makes for something that feels rather patched together. The story progresses relatively quickly, but the overuse of inner dialogue combined with the stumbling narrative style makes the pace feel much slower, even tedious at times. Even the reveals felt underwhelming, and the stuff that should have been big reveals isn’t broken down and said out loud, just sort of hinted at, counting on the reader to assemble the pieces — which would normally be fine, but the pieces are so, so scattered! I did like several characters (though I didn’t find most of them fleshed out enough, or easily distinguishable from everyone else) and the general direction the story took, and I originally rated it 3 stars, but I now realize that I would have zero interest in reading a sequel, so I’m settling at 2 1/2 STARS. It’s not terrible, just rushed and unsatisfying.

Well, that was a ride. A good one? I'm not sure. Gimme some time. ------------- I wasn't expecting this to end the way it did, with so many layers of pain and betrayals and reveals. I hadn't expected to feel for Cora the way I did, or hate Grandma King as much as I did, but alas, here we are. I hadn't expected (view spoiler)[Fiona to be involved in the way that she was. I had honestly though she was Carmen incarnate not her spurned lover. What?! And then we see Cora waking up as possibly Carmen in the end when Meiner and the others have finally let their guard down. The omen of the three crowns at the end? That's CREEPY af. (hide spoiler)] The abuses that both Meiner and Dayna experience at the hands of the people that are responsible for their care and safety was heartbreaking. No one should be treated that way and not feel like they could escape it. Cora never stood a chance.

I received this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review Everyone get ready because I’m going to be throwing this book left and right at everyone!! Witches of Ash and Ruin was honestly everything that I wanted in a book about witches and ancient celtic mythology. No one tell American horror story : Coven but…this book gave me e v e r y t h i n g I’ve ever wanted in a story about a coven of witches. It was also the perfect mixture of murder mystery and spookiness! I want to first talk about the overall spookiness level of this book – it was um how do you say, spooktacular! If you want a spooky October read this year absolutely add this to your TBR. Between The Butchers murders and the witchcraft/dark magic this book had the hairs on my arms standing a couple times. There was even one scene that had me looking over my shoulder while I was reading alone at night! I haven’t read anything that creeped me out in a very long time (or ever? I can’t remember) so for fans of mystery and spookiness I absolutely recommend this book! If it wasn’t for the current state of the world this would have been such a fast read for me regardless of how long this book actually is to be honest with you. The characters!!!!!! Gosh I love them all so much…even Cora and The King Witch. The characters in this story are all refreshing and complexly their own person. Dayna my little sunflower witch she deserves so much *insert crying emoji* Meiner effing King…Where do I start with her?! what a freaking badass!! Daynas bestfriend Reagan- everyone needs a best friend like Reagan! I love that she was so -on her side- I’ve read so many books where the best friend is usually an annoying problem (which I absolutely hate that cause I would be nothing without my best friend) Cora Cora Cora all im going to say is – now thats a complex character. Bronagh, Yemi, Faye, Brenna – I love the family bond between all of them and regardless of being background characters they didn’t feel pushed to the side. Harriet mcfreaking King…wow what do I even say about her without giving too much away?! I love the notorious King Witch! All I’m going to say is she gives me the creeps and I love her. Then theres Sam who honestly I have no idea where his life is headed but I really hope he supports Dayna in her future endeavors or we’re gonna fight. and I can’t forget Daynas parents – The reverend and Fiona. I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about the revered but I know his whole ~church camp~ thing freaks me out it reminds me of those crazy church cult stories its hella freaky and Fiona is one of those people that I would not want to be alone in a house with she would probably silently stand behind me in the kitchen and give me a heart attack one I turn around. I really feel like the author took her time with these characters to make sure the reader could feel out each personality and really add depth to the story. The Butcher – This is the horrible witch killing villain i’ve been waiting for. I felt like his chapters really added that ‘horror’ factor to this book. I don’t want to give away much but just know as a villain he’s cold, ruthless and terrifying! Despite this book having about 75 chapters I really felt like it was well put together and the pace of this book was not slow for a second! 75 chapters of pure genius honestly. I didn’t have any issues with the writing style and I actually really liked the way it was done and how there was more than one point of view. (Meiner was probably my favorite just saying) This was a really fun read for me I had been looking for something mystery/horror related and the fact that witches were involved was just a plus! I’m finding it so difficult to express my love for this book without giving to much away so I’m just gonna tell you to pleaseeee read it!! my rating for this book is 4.5 out of 5 stars and it definitely left me wanting more! (book 2 please and thanks)

4.5 stars When I first read the blurb for this book, I knew it was a must-read. I was not disappointed. I loved it! I'm a big fan of witchy books, and this was so much fun. I loved the Celtic mythology throughout the book. The characters are amazing. Loved all the witches in the coven. Each with their own unique personality that blended so well together. Not quite a 5 star read, but close. I would definitely recommend this if you enjoy witch stories. I can't wait for more.

Disclaimer: I received an e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own. Book: Witches of Ash and Ruin Author: E. Latimer Book Series: Standalone Rating: 3/5 Diversity: LGBT friendly! Bi main character! Publication Date: March 3, 2020 Genre: YA Fantasy Recommended Age: 15+ (murder, being outed, family issues, violence, some gore) Publisher: Freeform Pages: 384 Amazon Link Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Dayna Walsh is struggling to cope with her somatic OCD; the aftermath of being outed as bisexual in her conservative Irish town; and the return of her long-absent mother, who barely seems like a parent. But all that really matters to her is ascending and finally, finally becoming a full witch-plans that are complicated when another coven, rumored to have a sordid history with black magic, arrives in town with premonitions of death. Dayna immediately finds herself at odds with the bewitchingly frustrating Meiner King, the granddaughter of their coven leader. And then a witch turns up murdered at a local sacred site, along with the blood symbol of the Butcher of Manchester-an infamous serial killer whose trail has long gone cold. The killer's motives are enmeshed in a complex web of witches and gods, and Dayna and Meiner soon find themselves at the center of it all. If they don't stop the Butcher, one of them will be next. With razor-sharp prose and achingly real characters, E. Latimer crafts a sweeping, mesmerizing story of dark magic and brutal mythology set against a backdrop of contemporary Ireland that's impossible to put down. Review: I really liked this book for the most part. The book did well to have excellent LGBT representation, and it was based on Celtic folklore. The setting was well detailed and the family dynamics were amazing! However, there are 5 POVs and it was a lot to take in. The book was hard to get into and it was hard to connect with the characters. The book almost felt forced to tell a story. Verdict: It was a good book, but not for me.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley, and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication. There was a little witch in every woman, but not every woman was a witch. Something about this quote really stuck with me, and I just really loved it. Now, was that my favorite part of the book? Still not sure yet, but it really, really stuck with me. I will say that this book got me a little bit confused in the beginning. I feel like I was a little lost at some parts, but then I was able to get it together. I think I was just getting some parts mixed up and I feel like I had to reread some things to make sure I was understanding correctly. I’m still really freaking pissed off that Dayna was outed as bisexual though. I absolutely hate it when people are outed before they are ready, and then really bad circumstances end up happening to them that they weren’t even prepared to handle or deserve. That’s one of my biggest pet peeves in this novel and I hate that outing is used as a plot device in books. Sure it’s a source of drama but it’s painful, even if that person is a fictional character. Other than that, I thought it was a pretty good book!

I received this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review Everyone get ready because I’m going to be throwing this book left and right at everyone!! Witches of Ash and Ruin was honestly everything that I wanted in a book about witches and ancient celtic mythology. No one tell American horror story : Coven but…this book gave me e v e r y t h i n g I’ve ever wanted in a story about a coven of witches. It was also the perfect mixture of murder mystery and spookiness! I want to first talk about the overall spookiness level of this book – it was um how do you say, spooktacular! If you want a spooky October read this year absolutely add this to your TBR. Between The Butchers murders and the witchcraft/dark magic this book had the hairs on my arms standing a couple times. There was even one scene that had me looking over my shoulder while I was reading alone at night! I haven’t read anything that creeped me out in a very long time (or ever? I can’t remember) so for fans of mystery and spookiness I absolutely recommend this book! If it wasn’t for the current state of the world this would have been such a fast read for me regardless of how long this book actually is to be honest with you. The characters!!!!!! Gosh I love them all so much…even Cora and The King Witch. The characters in this story are all refreshing and complexly their own person. Dayna my little sunflower witch she deserves so much *insert crying emoji* Meiner effing King…Where do I start with her?! what a freaking badass!! Daynas bestfriend Reagan- everyone needs a best friend like Reagan! I love that she was so -on her side- I’ve read so many books where the best friend is usually an annoying problem (which I absolutely hate that cause I would be nothing without my best friend) Cora Cora Cora all im going to say is – now thats a complex character. Bronagh, Yemi, Faye, Brenna – I love the family bond between all of them and regardless of being background characters they didn’t feel pushed to the side. Harriet mcfreaking King…wow what do I even say about her without giving too much away?! I love the notorious King Witch! All I’m going to say is she gives me the creeps and I love her. Then theres Sam who honestly I have no idea where his life is headed but I really hope he supports Dayna in her future endeavors or we’re gonna fight. and I can’t forget Daynas parents – The reverend and Fiona. I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about the revered but I know his whole ~church camp~ thing freaks me out it reminds me of those crazy church cult stories its hella freaky and Fiona is one of those people that I would not want to be alone in a house with she would probably silently stand behind me in the kitchen and give me a heart attack one I turn around. I really feel like the author took her time with these characters to make sure the reader could feel out each personality and really add depth to the story. The Butcher – This is the horrible witch killing villain i’ve been waiting for. I felt like his chapters really added that ‘horror’ factor to this book. I don’t want to give away much but just know as a villain he’s cold, ruthless and terrifying! Despite this book having about 75 chapters I really felt like it was well put together and the pace of this book was not slow for a second! 75 chapters of pure genius honestly. I didn’t have any issues with the writing style and I actually really liked the way it was done and how there was more than one point of view. (Meiner was probably my favorite just saying) This was a really fun read for me I had been looking for something mystery/horror related and the fact that witches were involved was just a plus! I’m finding it so difficult to express my love for this book without giving to much away so I’m just gonna tell you to pleaseeee read it!! my rating for this book is 4.5 out of 5 stars and it definitely left me wanting more! (book 2 please and thanks)