Good Morning Lovelies,

Today I am reviewing Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian! This is a Young Adult fantasy book that has been on my list for quite a while, so I am so excited to finally be reading and reviewing it! If you have already read or are planning to, please let me know below!!

Synopsis

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 Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She’s endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside.

Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn’t always won on the battlefield.

For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.

Plot

At first, I was a bit confusing due to the overload of background information. I did not help that the names and countries in this world were hard to read/pronounce. On top of that, learning about the different guardians of magical stones just added to my overall confusion.

As the story progressed, it got much clearer since we were solely focusing on Thora’s. It definitely cleared up, so you have to stick with it.

I love how we first see Thora in her torn down submissive state then we see how the hope of beating the Kaiser builds her up

One of the most compelling things about this story is her struggle with identity. She has been “enslaved” under Kalovaxian rule for so long, she is more like them than her own people, the Asterans. Saving her people means betraying the Prince she has come to love and the best friend who stood by her for ten years and watching her struggle with these two sides of herself, Thora and Theodosia made the book so interesting.

Main Character

Theodosia/Thora –  At the beginning of this book, Princess Theodossia kidnapped and subjugated by a conquering nation, kept alive and renamed Lady Thora the Princess of Ash. The Kaiser uses her to serve as a symbol that all rebellion will be crushed. When presented with the opportunity to escape, Thora says no because she would rather instead find a way to free her people. I thought she was an excellent character and it was fun to see watch her rise up throughout the book.

Last Thoughts

Overall I enjoyed how this book flowed and had a lot of fun with this quick and easy read. Even though the beginning is a bit hard, it quickly levels out, and you just get lost in the world. Perfect for a lover of fantasy and royalty!

Rating

I give this book

I hope you all enjoyed this review! I am excited to read the sequel to this series Lady Smoke which has recently come out!

See you all soon!
XOX Shelby Grace