Book review – Ash Princess (Spoiler Free)

“Because I am not all right. I am a hurricane barely contained in skin.”

• Title: Ash Princess
• Author: Laura Sebastian
• Genre: YA Fantasy
• Pages: 464 pages
• Publication date: April 24, 2018

Ash Princess came to me in a weird way. I don’t remember when I first heard about it, but I must’ve asked for it because it was gifted to me. Except Lady Smoke (book two) was actually given to me instead. (I must’ve gotten them mixed up.) So, about a year later—not even exaggerating—I finally got Ash Princess.

Ash Princess follows Theodosia, who watched her mother die and her kingdom fall as a child. For the past ten years, she has been beaten for rebellions and put on show like a pet, forced to be someone she’s not. But after she’s forced to murder one of the lead rebels, she decides enough is enough and plans to take her country back.

Theodosia is indecisive, which I liked. I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but as someone who is also indecisive, I get it. Decisions can suck.

I enjoyed the worldbuilding and learning about the guardians. They can manipulate one of the four elements after devotion to their gods. I do hope their magic gets explored more later in the series. I also liked seeing the cultural differences between the overtaken country and the ruling country.

My main critique is just how…cliché the whole story felt. Between the love triangle that seemed unnatural to a ruler denied their throne, I wanted it to break away from YA standards a bit.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, and I’m looking forward to reading book two.

Score: 8.7/10
Average rating on Goodreads: 3.89/5