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robotnik's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was really into this book when it first opened up.
A lot of young adult fantasies have a tendency to want to push into some sort of dark territory but they always pull back a little before it goes too far because we can't go scarring the teeny-boppers that much. This book didn't push into any grimdark territory, but it pushed over the line that I find a lot of its ilk won't cross, which I found really elevated it because the Kalovaxians felt a lot more threatening than the usual villainous country of their kind. I liked Theodosia and how she pretty much tried hiding in this persona she had developed to keep herself safe. I liked the general plot beats and it kept me on my toes and kept me interested. Honestly, it was reminding me a lot of The Winner's Curse, which was fantastic and a step above so many other YA fantasies.
And then about 40% in, it lost its way and it lost me.
It was around this point that Theo started getting tiring to listen to. Even as the plot carried on, she would inner monologue nearly every chapter about how she's meant to be the queen, how she has all these people to protect and how she needs to liberate them, and it was like... we fucking get it, girl. That's the plot. You don't actually have to recap us every chapter. And these are relatively short chapters, so you get to read this more often than necessary. Really, it started to feel like bloat.
This was only confounded by Theo's awkward not-romance with Soren. I get it, she was trying to seduce him for her plans, blah blah blah. But they go through these weird teen romance movie-esque scenes together and then she's all confused because she thinks she's actually developing feelings for him and I'm like GIRL WHAT. First off, he's the prince (sorry, prinz) of the people enslaving your people. Second off, you haven't seen him in like 10 years or something since he left for training when you were young so you don't know shit about him. Third off, you've barely spent any time together at that point (they've met up like... 4 times? Up until that point?) and he spends half the book away in a failed invasion. How are you potentially falling into confused love with him?
It felt like a pathetic attempt to start a love triangle because her and Blaise also have a weird thing going. This book was both a romance and a not-romance because I cannot tell if those attempts of romance were intentionally bad or not. It does not make me feel excited for any actual potential romancing going on later in the series. In fact, it does the opposite and I almost hope Theo has no actual love interest because neither are promising.
In the last maybe 10-20% it redeems itself a little. The last few chapters are fast paced and harrowing and leaves it off at a decent place even if it's a rather stereotypical ending to a book 1 or 2 in a YA fantasy (I can probably make a top ten list of books that end this way in almost this exact situation, to be perfectly honest). But it works and ends it off on a good note rather the bland note it was heading towards.
If it had kept up the energy from the first bit, it would have been a 4-star. The middle section turned into a 2-star. But that last bit bumped it up to a 3-star. Would I recommend this series so far? Sure, but it's leaning toward being an one read and done sort of series. We'll see where this goes.
A lot of young adult fantasies have a tendency to want to push into some sort of dark territory but they always pull back a little before it goes too far because we can't go scarring the teeny-boppers that much. This book didn't push into any grimdark territory, but it pushed over the line that I find a lot of its ilk won't cross, which I found really elevated it because the Kalovaxians felt a lot more threatening than the usual villainous country of their kind. I liked Theodosia and how she pretty much tried hiding in this persona she had developed to keep herself safe. I liked the general plot beats and it kept me on my toes and kept me interested. Honestly, it was reminding me a lot of The Winner's Curse, which was fantastic and a step above so many other YA fantasies.
And then about 40% in, it lost its way and it lost me.
It was around this point that Theo started getting tiring to listen to. Even as the plot carried on, she would inner monologue nearly every chapter about how she's meant to be the queen, how she has all these people to protect and how she needs to liberate them, and it was like... we fucking get it, girl. That's the plot. You don't actually have to recap us every chapter. And these are relatively short chapters, so you get to read this more often than necessary. Really, it started to feel like bloat.
This was only confounded by Theo's awkward not-romance with Soren. I get it, she was trying to seduce him for her plans, blah blah blah. But they go through these weird teen romance movie-esque scenes together and then she's all confused because she thinks she's actually developing feelings for him and I'm like GIRL WHAT. First off, he's the prince (sorry, prinz) of the people enslaving your people. Second off, you haven't seen him in like 10 years or something since he left for training when you were young so you don't know shit about him. Third off, you've barely spent any time together at that point (they've met up like... 4 times? Up until that point?) and he spends half the book away in a failed invasion. How are you potentially falling into confused love with him?
It felt like a pathetic attempt to start a love triangle because her and Blaise also have a weird thing going. This book was both a romance and a not-romance because I cannot tell if those attempts of romance were intentionally bad or not. It does not make me feel excited for any actual potential romancing going on later in the series. In fact, it does the opposite and I almost hope Theo has no actual love interest because neither are promising.
In the last maybe 10-20% it redeems itself a little. The last few chapters are fast paced and harrowing and leaves it off at a decent place even if it's a rather stereotypical ending to a book 1 or 2 in a YA fantasy (I can probably make a top ten list of books that end this way in almost this exact situation, to be perfectly honest). But it works and ends it off on a good note rather the bland note it was heading towards.
If it had kept up the energy from the first bit, it would have been a 4-star. The middle section turned into a 2-star. But that last bit bumped it up to a 3-star. Would I recommend this series so far? Sure, but it's leaning toward being an one read and done sort of series. We'll see where this goes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Death
ivywall's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I absolutely loved this book, it made me fall in love with reading in highschool. However on this re-read I noticed a few things structurally that irked me. There was quite a few quick fixes to the plot and repetitive internal dialogue. Also, the author would put certain words in italics for emphasis. Which to me just came off as immaturity.
Now for the good news! It’s still the same wonderful story with all the tension and nail biting drama. I would recommend this to any fantasy fan or even political drama fan. Long live the Queen!
Now for the good news! It’s still the same wonderful story with all the tension and nail biting drama. I would recommend this to any fantasy fan or even political drama fan. Long live the Queen!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Vomit, and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Death of parent, and Classism
lookingfor's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Torture, Violence, and Death of parent
mariyah_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I love Theo. That's it, that's all I have to say.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Colonisation, and Classism
rnfortier's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I think it’s a good intro book for the series. The political intrigue is well done. Even though the violence can be a bit much at times it is fitting for the story.
It can be hard to be patient with Theo’s ignorance, but given her brutally sheltered upbringing it is to be expected.
I’m interested to see how things progress.
It can be hard to be patient with Theo’s ignorance, but given her brutally sheltered upbringing it is to be expected.
I’m interested to see how things progress.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
sweetchocolatez's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Mental illness, Misogyny, and War
Minor: Violence, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
esterslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
allybean07's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Murder
Minor: War
words_and_dreams's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
YA Fantasy
This follows the story of Theo, a Princess whose kingdom was taken from an invading force and her mother killled in front of her as a child. She has grown up under the rule of the Kaiser who keeps her as a trophy, abusing and torturing her. She keeps her head down to avoid punishment.
Events transpire that awaken her from her almost complacency and make her want to fight back and retake the kingdom.
There is alot of elements that crop up in YA including a love triangle but I felt it did work in the context of the story. The stakes always felt high and with the torture etc it definitely had a darker vibe to it. It wasn't perfect but it got me out of a reading slump and was a great page turner.
This follows the story of Theo, a Princess whose kingdom was taken from an invading force and her mother killled in front of her as a child. She has grown up under the rule of the Kaiser who keeps her as a trophy, abusing and torturing her. She keeps her head down to avoid punishment.
Events transpire that awaken her from her almost complacency and make her want to fight back and retake the kingdom.
There is alot of elements that crop up in YA including a love triangle but I felt it did work in the context of the story. The stakes always felt high and with the torture etc it definitely had a darker vibe to it. It wasn't perfect but it got me out of a reading slump and was a great page turner.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Grief
rinku's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Ash Princess is your typical YA fantasy centred around a chosen one that has to earn her right place back by killing the hot prince™. The story is as cliché as it sounds, but still enjoyable because of the characters and the interesting and dark world which is why I gave it 3.5 stars.
Like I’ve said, this general plot is not the most innovative, but I still liked the way that it was told. The main character Theo came into this situation because the Kaiser and his people conquered her country, killing the queen, her mother, in the course of it. Theo is now stuck at the Kaiser’s court as a kind of trophy while realizing that she finally has to do something against it. The story is quite dark already at the beginning where she’s forced to kill her dad which intrigued me immediately. There are many other dramatic moments in the story which were written so well, like Elpis sacrificing herself . Sadly, some plot lines were quite cliché and predictable, like the main character almost having to marry an older man, or the masquerade ball. It was furthermore so predictable that Theo wouldn’t kill Søren and that her plan with the poison would fail as well .
The atmosphere of the story is just so dark and angsty which I absolutely love. The stakes are so high and there were some situations where I didn’t know how Theo would get out of them. Additionally, the lore around the magic and the stones is so interesting but was sadly info dumped at the beginning. It’s especially dark how Theo’s people are treated and how the stones are used by the Kaiser and his people as jewels while they are something holy for Theo’s people. It was also interesting how Theo didn’t use her magic because she didn’t want to risk not going to the afterlife, showing how strong her belief is.
Looking at the characters, I quite liked Theo as the main character. She has a great character development and change of mind in the course of the story. It’s obvious that she struggles with her loyalties and needs time to figure out what the right thing to do is. Her hatred and anger are so powerful as well, I love it. What I didn’t love though was the romance. Theo of course has to fall for the first guy she meets aka prince Søren. It was interesting to see how she was getting closer to him, but their friendship developed a bit fast for my taste. Their relationship didn’t develop fully as I would’ve expected, so that was a little surprise. Sadly though, we also get a love triangle where the other part doesn’t interest me.
Furthermore, what annoyed me was the lack of important female characters besides Theo and Cress and the villain being constantly described as fat. Talking about Cress, her over-the-top jealously annoyed me and it was obvious from the beginning that she couldn’t be trusted but my heart still dropped when she revealed Theo that she knew everything about her. She could be an interesting villain in the following books .
After the dramatic ending, I’ll definitely continue the Ash Princess series. The world and the characters have so much potential, and I hope that this potential will be utilized.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Fatphobia, Vomit, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, and War
Minor: Rape and Abandonment