Laura Sebastian

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia s family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner. For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.

Ash Princess

From author Laura Sebastian comes Ash Princess, a nail-biting YA fantasy debut full of daring and vengeance. Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Queen of Flame and Fury, was murdered before her eyes. Ten years later, Theo has learned to survive under the relentless abuse of the Kaiser and his court as the ridiculed Ash Princess. When the Kaiser forces her to execute her last hope of rescue, Theo can't ignore her feelings and memories any longer. She vows revenge, throwing herself into a plot to seduce and murder the Kaiser's warrior son with the help of a group of magically gifted and volatile rebels. But Theo doesn't expect to develop feelings for the Prinz. Forced to make impossible choices and unable to trust even those who are on her side, Theo will have to decide how far she's willing to go to save her people and how much of herself she's willing to sacrifice to become Queen.

Kaitlyn Grace

leah

Princesa de cenizas

Era la cuarta vez que empezaba el libro y esta vez me he obligado a terminarlo porque me picaba la curiosidad. La verdad es que el mundo construido es muy interesante, pero lo que tendría que haber sido una trama oscura, no ha logrado serlo. Theodora me ha puesto muy nerviosa, sí, se nota que es humana, pero había momentos en los que la narración se volvía muy tediosa ya que se repetía lo mismo una y otra vez. También siento que los dos plot twist del final han sido un poquito sin más. Me ha gustado el libro, ha sido entretenido, pero poco más. Me leeré los otros dos porque quiero saber como termina la trilogía.

hemera

Sunny

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The country of Astrea was conquered by the Kalovaxians a decade ago. Theodosia, only 6 at the time was forced to watch as the world she barely knew but loved fiercely was ripped and destroyed before her very eyes by the harsh tongued invaders. She was forced to watch as one of these invaders cut her mother’s throat. And Theodosia is beaten out of the little girl, beaten and beaten until meek and agreeable, terrified and docile Thora is born.

Ten years have passed. Ten years of being ridiculed and abused at the hand of the Kaiser – the king of the invaders – as his play-thing and warning to the enslaved Astreans as his Ash Princess. Ten years of receiving the punishments in the form of brutal whippings by the man who killed her mother, for the inconvenience the rebels cause to the Kaiser. Ten years of awaiting someone to save her.

But ten years is a long time. And Theo will rise from the ashes – to rebel against those who hurt her, broke her country and killed her people.

Queen Theodosia Eireen Houzzah will rise anew. Stronger. Fiercer.

Let me just start by saying that the only bad thing about it is that I have to wait til next year for the next booooook 😭 That and p much all of the characters are my babies and I will fight tooth and nail to keep them safe and happy!

Ash Princess starts with an absolute slap to the face, you are dropped into the world a decade after the seige and conquer of Astrea – a once peaceful country that thrived on life and love, beauty and kindness – by the Kalovaxians, a people who’s most favourable trait is strength and domination. The Kaiser is the perfect representation of this. He is horrendous and cruel, and this image doesn’t improve throughout, and though we only get the occasional scene where he is present, you can tell that every word that anyone says, the slightest movements anyone makes – he is there, scaring them into submission by a mere thought. He is an excellent antagonist, I hated him truly and completely and it wasn’t even an “ooh I love how bad he’s made to be!” oh no, it was a pure and complete LOATHING.

The writing is so easy to read, and the pacing had me clutching the pages unable to actually read fast enough to process the situation in it’s entirety.
The characters are so deep and fleshed out, and the conflicts of interest in such a dog-eat-dog world (in two respects; one being the conquered slaves fighting to live, and the second being the high ranking Lords and Ladies who literally will claw down any opposition) are explored so well it’s mind blowing!! You grow to learn just enough about each; Theo, Blaise, Søren, Cress, to bond with them and to think you know them. Emphasis on the think. There are parts where a spanner is thrown into the works and a character shows their true colours and I was literally stunned and my stomach was in knots. This gosh darn book has given me TRUST. ISSUES.
Theo is an excellent protagonist, she is strong and brave and can make decisions, as hard as it is for her to do, because she knows it’s the right thing for her people. If her decisions end up being wrong, she keeps the guilt close to ground herself and remind her that she needs to go on, for her people.

The world is amazing, you don’t get to experience or learn much about it outside of speculation of possible lineages and what Cress brings from her father. This just makes me want to experience it more! We’re going off of Theo’s 6 year old knowledge combined with the rare guarded tidbits she’s fed and it just fits!
We are made aware of other Pantheons but there is – obviously – a focus on those of Astrea, remembered in bits by Theo and I just adore what we learn. That those who wanted to be Guardians had a 50/50 chance of succumbing to mine madness and yet the devotion to the Gods had enough people wanting to take the role of Guardian reflects the mindless following that people can go to.

A wild story where again I can’t tell who I’m rooting for romance wise but I am ready to see the ash princess rise ! 

Brianna Hickey 

Vicky (A City Girl's Thoughts)

I unfairly didn't read past the 1st paragraph or sentence because I was fed up with the fantasy books I had come across at the time of borrowing this. I'm going to give this another chance but I DNF'd the same day I borrowed it, just FYI

Faith Kitowski

***slight spoiler about emotions i feel towards a character***

i’ll start by saying i normally do not like longer chapters, but i did not mind it in this book. it was actually super engaging and interesting. side note i knew the betray would hurt before it came. i almost stopped reading for a bit. but even though my heart hurts for soren, i have hope.

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Queen of Flame and Fury, was murdered before her eyes. Ten years later, Theo has learned to survive under the relentless abuse of the Kaiser and his court as the ridiculed Ash Princess. When the Kaiser forces her to execute her last hope of rescue, Theo can't ignore her feelings and memories any longer. She vows revenge, throwing herself into a plot to seduce and murder the Kaiser's warrior son with the help of a group of magically gifted and volatile rebels. But Theo doesn't expect to develop feelings for the Prinz. Forced to make impossible choices and unable to trust even those who are on her side, Theo will have to decide how far she's willing to go to save her people and how much of herself she's willing to sacrifice to become Queen.From author Laura Sebastian comes Ash Princess, a nail-biting YA fantasy debut full of daring and vengeance.

I was going to give this 4*'s but I don't know I think me taking a break from reading it kind of dulled my love for it? (my bad there!!) I did really like the book though it was really interesting, I'm not usually a fan of the political intrigue, sitting around enemies kinda stories but I did like this one! It really felt like things were progressing and enough was happening to keep me engaged and interested in what was going on. I liked the main character a lot and the world building was nice, also the magic system was really cool. At one point I was sure I was gonna give this 4 even 5 stars but then I had to take a break because life got in the way so I forgot some of the things in between then and finishing the book tonight, if I had read it in one go I think I would have rated it higher.

I will say though I will eventually pick up the next one and probably the final one in the trilogy as I am pretty curious how it'll all play out especially with the end of the book's developments

Beatriz Aguiar

Somewhat reminds me of The Cruel Prince but isn't half as clever.It was enjoyable though. 
I don't really get the romances and I think there are too many focus points at once but this is a trilogy so... we'll see

fizzy

this book sounded so much like red queen, and i had to wait till around 70% of the book till it REALLY grabbed my attention. but anyways i sort of loved it, though i had very high expectations of it and it didn’t fill most of them

This was such a good book, though I wish it hadn’t taken me since September to read it. I cannot wait to read the next two after the ending this one had. 

Aleeya Metro

I love the world, and the strong female leed.

Kayla 

Held captive by the brutal Kaiser since age six when she witnessed her mother's murder, Theodosia, called Ash Princess, is now sixteen and prepared to reclaim the throne by any means necessary.

Claudia Ganea

Disclaimer: I was really hoping to love this one, because it was a gift from a friend, she thought I'd like it, and was very excited to see what I thought of it. If she hadn't made me read it, though, I don't think I would have picked it up any time soon, and for good reason, since it felt more like treading through literal mud rather than an enjoyable reading experience 😅

(view spoiler)[While this is definitely not the worst book I've ever come across, it's predictable, formulaic, repetitive, and reads exactly like you'd expect a typical YA fantasy to, except it doesn't even attempt to bring more to the table other than the tropes we're all too familiar with already (captive princess, enslaved people of color by white colonizers, which is immediately very racist, a barely fleshed-out love triangle - it all left such a sour taste in my mouth from the get-go). I did not care for any of the characters, not even our protag, who is supposed to grow into her courage and finally manage to stand up to her oppressors, but who actually does little more than dawdle around, whine and wait for someone to rescue/help/tell her what to do for four hundred and thirty-three (433) pages - this book is way too long for what it is - instead of being the queen she claims to be. I had no one to actually root for, and for me to get invested, you need to give me somebody to root for at least, but I genuinely could not care less about anything that happened to Theo or her ragtag team. I was just... so supremely bored the entire time. The only redeemable character was Heron, and of course the (token) queer person saves the day.

Again, it's not the worst book in the world, and I would've eaten this up if I would've tried it at 14-15, when I didn't know (or hadn't read) any better. However, I'm fully aware that I wouldn't have made myself miserable and pushed through this to the very end if my friend didn't want me to read it, and rest assured that I will not be continuing on with the series.
 (hide spoiler)]

It was so good and also I lowkey love Sorenz pls I need them to be endgame

Hanifah Ilham

Constance Chédot

** spoiler alert **
           Ce premier tome de série était vraiment incroyable! L’intrigue n’était pas du tout clichée, y’avait pleins de rebondissements et de suspens. La princesse de Cendres n’était pas gnangan. Au contraire, je l’ai trouvé humaine : ni trop téméraire, ni trop peureuse. 
J’ai détesté Cress du début à la fin et honnêtement je suis trop perdue dans le triangle amoureux Blaise-Soren-Theo : genre qui c’est qu’elle aime bruh?? 
J’ai beaucoup aimé le livre. Simplement, pour moi, la fin ne me donne pas spécialement envie de lire la suite. Y’a eu des retournements de malade aux 3/4 du livre qui font que les petits plot twists de la fin ne pèsent pas dans la balance face aux autres. Sinon je recommande vraiment pour ceux qui aiment la fantasy comme moi 👌🏼✨

Menna Khaled

Hey friends,
✒️Genre : This was a YA fantasy 
✒️ Story line : At 6 years old, Theo saw the Kaiser take over her country and order the kill of her mother the Queen right in front of her eyes. The Kaiser Kept Theo for ten years a captive in her own palace issuing many punishments on her at the mere mention of any rebellion from her people. After 10 years of being called the Ash princess and enduring punishments ... Theodosia is repelling and this is her journey.
✒️ Trigger warning : *Physical abuse * Mental abuse * Rape ( mentioned once )
✒️ Discussion : 
 * The Cover is so beautiful
 * The title of the novel is magnificent and empowers the novel more.
 * The writing style is super light and smooth that you fly through the pages yet very sophisticated and greatly portrays the characters feelings without elongated paragraphs ... everything is just naturally felt. 
 * The description of settings and the world is unbelievably summarized yet so clear and vivid. I don't know how the world was explained in this subtle way where i didn't have to read a bulk of paragraphs of description. everything was explained in conversations, feelings , and sometimes memories of the characters I LOVE IT. 
 * Every page in this book has an important detail or an important scene or a strategical move. Not one Page was boring or unnecessary. 
 * Great attention to the smallest of details, Literally everything said or done and sometimes a look is important in the decision making process. 
 * All the characters are loveable including the villains, i admire how all the characters in this book are 3 dimensional , they aren't just good or bad ... it's not black or white .... it's grey ... many times i sympathized with the one or two of the supposed villains.. 
 * Theodosia is very smart and strong feminine character, she hasn't been once annoying or revolting in any way... her thought process is logical and realistic.
 * The Love triangle is written so Impressively well that i don't know who she is supposed to be with and which one is trustworthy or which one i am rooting for in this relationship yet this indecisiveness i am in is not at all annoying me which really shows how good the writing of Laura Sebastian is. 
 * The ending was extremely strategic ... feels more like part one of a big book and not the ending of a first book in YA fantasy series. which was unexpected and i like it.
✒️ Recommendations : YA fantasy, Magic , sort of Dystopian, Monarchy, strategies and war fans. 
✒️ Rating : 5 stars all the way to the moon and back
✒️ Audiobook : 5 stars as well, the narrator's voice did a great job at portraying the different characters and their feelings. I totally recommend listening to it.

Stay safe , Stay at home 🏡 #QuarantineRead

Sven Test

Wow! I was lured in completely! The world-building and the author's writing in itself had me feeling like I was right there with Theo through everything. And the narrator did a magnificent job in bringing this story to life!

OMG! I have to wait till mid 2019. This was better than I expected!

Léa

J’ai mis un temps infini à terminer ce livre et il a failli me provoquer une panne de lecture ! 
Le début me semblait prometteur, rempli de tout un tas de choses intéressantes pour la suite mais malheureusement arrivée à une centaine de pages, on a vite tourné en rond... c’est devenu très redondant, prévisible et beaucoup de lignes pour finalement pas grand chose. 
Et on a ensuite un regain d’intérêt durant les 100 dernières pages, remplies de plot twist surprenants et qui donne envie de lire la suite. 
Pour moi le bémol de ce livre c’est vraiment le milieu qui est trop long et ennuyeux. 
Les personnages principaux sont intéressant bien que je n’ai ressenti aucun attachement particulier. 
En revanche, gros point positif : la diversité au niveau ethnie des personnages, c’est rare d’avoir ça dans un livre et ça fait plaisir !

Megan Lowe

I quite enjoyed this book. I liked the cast of characters and the intrigue of the plot. The strong romance themes were also a very welcome addition.
This wasn’t a pretty book. Some pretty heavy stuff happened, so if you’re not okay with violence or abuse I’d give this a miss, but it also had unexpectedly sweet moments which I liked.
I’m interested to see where the rest of the series goes.

Savannah Winchell

Livia

I really, really need a half-star option, because this book is a solid 3.5 stars (GOODREADS I KNOW YOU KNOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS)

The story and the world itself is interesting. It is very YA and trope-y, but it was done fairly well. Theo is a princess in "captive" when her kingdom is being taken by another kingdom. The part about her that annoys me is when she's playing the "damsel in distress" because it's so cringy to read. And I hate the love triangle in this. She really can't decide between the two boys, and I don't like the boys as her love interests. Blaise is just flat-out annoying and at times, possessive. The way the author handles the "friends to lovers" trope is not how I thought it was supposed to be like. Søren is better in terms of his character, but he falls for Theo as quickly as it took for me to cook instant noodles. 

Aside from that, the whole idea about gems containing magic and what-not is interesting and I'll def pick up Lady Smoke

lindy strauss

So I liked this a lot more than I expected after the first, like, 15% and also what I expected when I saw the 3.89 average rating. (Sometimes a 3.5-3.9 rating is accurate and sometimes it signals that a book is far, far worse.) But I think the 3.89 rating here is actually spot on- this book is very close to being 4 stars for me. 

A decade ago, her kingdom was invaded and her mother was killed. Now, Theodosia (renamed Lady Thora by the invading country) is deemed the "ash princess" and is forced to play a part in the court under the evil kaiser. However, at a banquet, she recognizes a face from her childhood and begins to plot a rebellion. 

I won't lie- it started off slow. But once it picked up a little bit (around 30% and on) I was really into it and had to switch from audiobook to kindle so I could finish it - because I HAD to. 

Picked up the sequel immediately and I am excited to see where it goes! Very much employs all the YA fantasy elements you would expect but honestly that's not the worst thing in the world.

Zara Doulton

I really enjoyed it. I have found myself a new trilogy!

Steysha

Ash Princess sounds like every other average YA out there. Conquered country, rebel princess, enemy love interest? We heard it a million times. The only thing that she lacked was a discovery that she has unique superpowers, but I think we are getting there in the next instalments. 

Still, it was pretty interesting, thought I think I would have liked it more, if I was 14-16 years old. I think fans of Red Queen will enjoy it, though they are not very similar. My main problem was with the plot. I mean, what`s the point of the conquering King to leave the real princess alive? It was said that he did this in order to suppress the uprising, but how can a living heir stop people from rioting? Unless the previous monarchs were so terrible that people would not want to overthrow the present king in fear that the old family would return, but that's not the case. The explanation is illogical. Not to mention the fact that the king who seized power wanted to make her his queen – nonsense!

I also didn`t like the insta-love between the prince and Theo. It could be only physical attraction, since they haven`t talked much till the half of the book. Nevertheless, he`s ready to fight his father and betray his own people for her. Meeeeh, that doesn`t sound realistic. 

Also, Theo’s small group of rebellions is pathetic. They name her their queen, which means that they are her servants, but still she has to do all the dirty work while they do nothing but talk. They couldn’t even protect her, so what was the point in them? 

What I really liked was Theo’s relationship with her best friend Cress. Technically, they are enemies, since the girl is a Kalovaxian, but they a heart sisters, which makes it harder to betray her. I`m looking forward to their meetings in future books. Something tells me it`ll be epic. 

All in all, if you want to read a story about princesses, cruel kings, rebellion, conspiracy and strategy – this one is for you.

Leah Patton

After having less than 20 pages left to read for a few days, I finally finished it! I would say this was interesting and unique. Mark my words though, Laura Sebastian is one to watch. I feel like that's a debut that shows some series potential for growth. It had some good twists in it and hit on some interesting points. It was a story that we've all seen before done differently and I really appreciate that.

Ash Princess

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