A review by sabisays
Ashlords by Scott Reintgen
4.0
Ashlords was my first read by Scott Reintgen and it was a really pleasant first encounter.
Ashlords is a high YA fantasy revolving around phoenix riders.
We follow three perspectives: Pippa, an Ashlord, Imelda, a Dividian, and Adrian, a Langhold. All three are taking part in The Races, a race riding Phoenixes that stretches over days and whose winner is crowned a champion. The riders are not only skilled riders but also have to be good at alchemy. The only question left is - who will win?
Okay, phoenix riders, I mean, how cool is that?
I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis of this new release and the premise held what it promised. This was a fast-paced and action packed read, full of intrigue and twists and turns.
The characters were all really differnet and all very interesting to read about. We experience Adrian and Imelda through first person narration, and Pippa through second person narration. The second person narrator is definitely one to stand out, because we rarely see it in fiction and it also creates a pretty interesting relationship to Pippa.
Pippa is the only Ashlord whose perspective we share. Ashlords are the elite of the phoenix riders, Pippa is also the daughter of two former champions, so she is the obvious winner. I‘m normally ALWAYS rooting for the underdogs, which made it even more surprising that I wanted Pippa to win, which is, I guess, in consequence of the second person narration. It is even stronger than the first person. .
.
The story itself somehow reminded me of The Hunger Games, although it was of course entirely unique in its plot. It has also been compared to Red Rising and The Scorpio Races (I haven’t read neither, so I can’t say anything about that!)
Overall this was a really great read. The ending didn’t feel the best developed one to me and at some parts I thought the plot a bit predictable, but it definitely gets bonus points for uniqueness and action!
Overall, 4 out of 5 stars for me ⭐️ .
Ashlords is a high YA fantasy revolving around phoenix riders.
We follow three perspectives: Pippa, an Ashlord, Imelda, a Dividian, and Adrian, a Langhold. All three are taking part in The Races, a race riding Phoenixes that stretches over days and whose winner is crowned a champion. The riders are not only skilled riders but also have to be good at alchemy. The only question left is - who will win?
Okay, phoenix riders, I mean, how cool is that?
I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis of this new release and the premise held what it promised. This was a fast-paced and action packed read, full of intrigue and twists and turns.
The characters were all really differnet and all very interesting to read about. We experience Adrian and Imelda through first person narration, and Pippa through second person narration. The second person narrator is definitely one to stand out, because we rarely see it in fiction and it also creates a pretty interesting relationship to Pippa.
Pippa is the only Ashlord whose perspective we share. Ashlords are the elite of the phoenix riders, Pippa is also the daughter of two former champions, so she is the obvious winner. I‘m normally ALWAYS rooting for the underdogs, which made it even more surprising that I wanted Pippa to win, which is, I guess, in consequence of the second person narration. It is even stronger than the first person. .
.
The story itself somehow reminded me of The Hunger Games, although it was of course entirely unique in its plot. It has also been compared to Red Rising and The Scorpio Races (I haven’t read neither, so I can’t say anything about that!)
Overall this was a really great read. The ending didn’t feel the best developed one to me and at some parts I thought the plot a bit predictable, but it definitely gets bonus points for uniqueness and action!
Overall, 4 out of 5 stars for me ⭐️ .