zeeky63's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but I was more upset that I didn’t realize this book continues and is a series. I went into it thinking it was a standalone.
jckrbbt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
lasa's review against another edition
2.0
Shame this book offered no resolutions and just spent most of it foreshadowing the next book.
theshaggyshepherd's review against another edition
4.0
Ashlords // by Scott Reintgen
A few months ago, I saw Bloodsworn, book 2 of the Ashlords series, on NetGalley and thought it was the perfect excuse to buy the book 1 if I was approved. If you've seen the covers of either book, you understand why I just couldn't turn this chance down. As a horse lover, I was immediately drawn in. Of course, in my excitement, I didn't pay close enough attention in the rush and accidentally ordered the paperback, which won't ship until the release day of book 2. Thankfully though I was able to read the ebook through my local library.
Ashlords may not be the story Scott Reintgen originally expected to write but I am so glad it turned out the way it did. This is an action-packed story that moves quickly without making it feel rushed. While the world-building isn't as detailed as I enjoyed in my recent read of Legacy of Ash, it still gives us many bits and pieces along the way that help us puzzle together an understanding of the setting. I absolutely adore the phoenixes and the magic that is used with them, especially with its methodical application, but I also enjoyed hearing about other creatures and worlds. While it is sometimes confusing to have both futuristic technological advances as well as a lack of the type of technology we have been so used to in the real world, such as cars and cellphones, it is interesting to see how Reintgen combines those two factors with his magical system and the gods.
The book is told by several people in different forms. While most of them are first person, there is one character that tells her story from the second person point of view. I know that is meant to make the reader feel like they are more immersed in the story, but it has always felt a bit awkward to me personally. It took me several chapters with this character to get more invested in her but eventually it stopped standing out to me as much and I was able to focus more on the story itself, rather than the telling of it. What is great about the multiple POVs though is that we get the see how the events unfold from the inside of the three major groups in this society. There is a clear class system present, which means - as it often happens - there is a clear divide between the oppressor and the oppressed, but the author manages to make us care about all of our available narrators, no matter which class they belong to.
I've recently been struggling with YA books because it felt like some of them were purposely written somewhat "dumbed down" as if they wanted to be as easily understood as possible (don't underestimate your target audience; they might just surprise you!) but didn't have any of those same issues with this book and find this to be an excellent start to the series. I am really excited to have the eARC for Blood Sworn ready to dive into tonight.
A few months ago, I saw Bloodsworn, book 2 of the Ashlords series, on NetGalley and thought it was the perfect excuse to buy the book 1 if I was approved. If you've seen the covers of either book, you understand why I just couldn't turn this chance down. As a horse lover, I was immediately drawn in. Of course, in my excitement, I didn't pay close enough attention in the rush and accidentally ordered the paperback, which won't ship until the release day of book 2. Thankfully though I was able to read the ebook through my local library.
Ashlords may not be the story Scott Reintgen originally expected to write but I am so glad it turned out the way it did. This is an action-packed story that moves quickly without making it feel rushed. While the world-building isn't as detailed as I enjoyed in my recent read of Legacy of Ash, it still gives us many bits and pieces along the way that help us puzzle together an understanding of the setting. I absolutely adore the phoenixes and the magic that is used with them, especially with its methodical application, but I also enjoyed hearing about other creatures and worlds. While it is sometimes confusing to have both futuristic technological advances as well as a lack of the type of technology we have been so used to in the real world, such as cars and cellphones, it is interesting to see how Reintgen combines those two factors with his magical system and the gods.
The book is told by several people in different forms. While most of them are first person, there is one character that tells her story from the second person point of view. I know that is meant to make the reader feel like they are more immersed in the story, but it has always felt a bit awkward to me personally. It took me several chapters with this character to get more invested in her but eventually it stopped standing out to me as much and I was able to focus more on the story itself, rather than the telling of it. What is great about the multiple POVs though is that we get the see how the events unfold from the inside of the three major groups in this society. There is a clear class system present, which means - as it often happens - there is a clear divide between the oppressor and the oppressed, but the author manages to make us care about all of our available narrators, no matter which class they belong to.
I've recently been struggling with YA books because it felt like some of them were purposely written somewhat "dumbed down" as if they wanted to be as easily understood as possible (don't underestimate your target audience; they might just surprise you!) but didn't have any of those same issues with this book and find this to be an excellent start to the series. I am really excited to have the eARC for Blood Sworn ready to dive into tonight.
sfindysz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
brookamber's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
nikkid810's review against another edition
4.0
A friend recommended this book to me because it “reminded them of the Hunger Games” and I can see where they got that with all the fan fare surrounding the races but it was definitely its own story. The Phoenixes-as-horses was different and the idea of them burning out each night and being reborn the next morning was an interesting spin. I enjoyed the story and I really like multiple narrator stories so I quickly found myself rooting for each of them.
nat_json's review against another edition
4.0
I’m a horse girl so of course I picked up this book and I really enjoyed it. It was a bit more dystopian then I thought it was going to be but I was able to get past that. I loved that we got to see three points of view and each chapter was a different one. Sometimes you have to go through a lot of chapters to get back to the one you like the most but with this book you just have to wait two chapters at most. I will say the twist that happened was unexpected and while I didn’t love it I can definitely appreciate it.
ember12's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
The book was very good and I liked it a lot.