Reviews

Heir of Ashes by Jina S. Bazzar

roxieprince's review

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4.0

Read this review and more on my blog at Hey, Roxie Reads!.

‘Heir of Ashes: The Roxanne Fosch Files Book 1’ by Jina S. Bazzar
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Finished on May 9, 2019
GIVEN A FREE COPY FOR REVIEW
FREE on Kindle Unlimited | $2.99 on Kindle | $16.99 in Paperback

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
At twelve years old, Roxanne Fosch was taken by a group of clandestine scientists and subjected to a decade of experiments. After escaping, she is relentlessly hunted and living on the run.

Roxanne is desperate to discover the truth about her past. Why did the Paranormal Scientists Society want her? Her quest reveals that she’s not human. She doesn’t know what she is, but she’s rare even among other preternaturals.

Everything Roxanne has ever known is a lie, and she must know the truth.

MY REVIEW:
I was given a free copy of this book for review.

This series was recommended to me by a friend as something I might enjoy, and she was right. ‘Heir of Ashes’ is a fast-paced, exciting, supernatural story. For fans of the genre, the lore is familiar yet unique enough to make for a thrilling new read.

I loved Roxanne as a character. She has been through hell and back. It changed her in ways that she doesn’t entirely understand. She’s tough and paranoid but, deep down, she’s tender and wants nothing more than to be understood — to be normal. She knows she’s unlikely ever to experience the things a normal twenty-something woman does, and she mourns the childhood she should have had. Despite her exceptional circumstances, she’s relatable, and that’s not always an easy thing to accomplish.

We, as readers, are as clueless about Roxanne as she is. What exactly is she? Where did she come from? She’s clearly special, but why? Bazzar maintains the suspense with an expertise that makes for a fun read.

I also liked her relationship with Logan. I felt like Bazzar handled it very well. As someone with PTSD, I know all too well how hard it is to trust someone after you’ve been through extensive trauma. I think it would have been easy (too easy) to turn their story into a romance, but Bazzar gets it. Yes, Roxanne wants a normal life and to be loved, but after everything she’s been through (and continues to go through), it only makes sense that she and Logan’s relationship would be complicated.

As a small side note, it was pretty cool to see someone with a variation of my name as a main character. We don’t often see Roxie (Roxy in Roxanne’s case) used very often, so that was neat!

I finished this novel, immediately dove into the second one, and look forward to the next installment.

wovenfromwords's review against another edition

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4.0

**I received a complimentary copy of Heir of Ashes from the author, in exchange for an honest review**

I knew I was in for a ride at the first couple chapters of Heir of Ashes!

Roxanne Fosch is on the run from the Paranormal Scientists Society, who stole her childhood away when she was 12. This story begins a little over a year after she escaped from the PSS, but now Roxanne faces new, dangerous challenges! Along the way she meets Logan, a supernatural being who blames the PSS for tragic changes in his life. I was very intrigued with Logan’s abilities as a vampire/werewolf hybrid, and his interactions with the main character were bonded halfway into the story. While I wanted to learn more about Logan’s abilities, I still enjoyed this supernatural world!

I loved all the plot twists in Heir of Ashes, and there was non-stop action throughout! Roxanne (now living under a different name) lived through many complications while captured with the PSS. She’s also endured many obstacles in her adventures, yet she stands as a very fearless woman. The PSS sees her as a definite threat, as she is not one to mess with! I love a story entwined with supernatural abilities and strong female characters, and Heir of Ashes certainly lived up to that!

Definitely read Heir of Ashes if you’re a fan of fantasy and the supernatural realm!

swreid1981's review against another edition

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4.0

Every once in a while, a copy of a book will come across my desk that I’ve heard nothing about, but looks so intriguing, I can’t help but take a peek. Heir of Ashes was one of those books and I am absolutely thrilled to have been given a chance to read it.

Heir of Ashes is a YA paranormal fantasy that is is original, intriguing, and like nothing I’ve ever read before. I was completely impressed with the story that Jina wove throughout these pages, and she kept me on my toes and reading late into the night.

This is the story of Roxanne Fosch, a preternatural that was ripped from her family at a young age by the PSS (Paranormal Scientists Society) where she was kept caged and experimented on. Roxanne manages to escape and re-enters society as Eliza Daniels. Moving from town to town, she is continually hunted by paranormal bounty hunters determined to take her back to the PSS. As time progresses it becomes clear that it’s not just the PSS hunting her down and Roxanne can trust no one. Plus there is the mysterious Logan, a born vampire/werewolf that continues to pop up wherever she is.

Roxanne was a kick ass heroine that didn’t take crap from anybody. She’s got a strong survival instinct, and untapped power that everyone wants. Roxanne is probably one of the strongest female characters I’ve read in a long time, and she reminds me of Katy from the Lux series which is my all time favorite. Her power is remarkable, and I can’t wait to see how Roxanne progresses in the next book.

Jina also really excelled at world building, and created an environment that was believable and creepy. I loved the introduction of different types of preternatural creatures and how Roxanne could determine their type through their auras. It was a nice, fun detail that really helped bring a bit more to the story.

Heir of Ashes is like reading a TV fantasy show. Think Supernatural, or Lost Girl. If these type of shows are something you love, than definitely check out this new release!

mardie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.5

"They had forged me into the monster I was today." 

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Heir Of Ashes is a gripping mix of genres, with urban fantasy, portal magic and fantasy elements.   It has plot twists aplenty that kept me on my toes and the occassional cheeky pop culture reference thrown in for humour. 

I was hooked from chapter 1, where the author uses her excellent skill for pacing to give a high energy fight scene.   This also helps build the world and establish some of the characters and their magic.   Mystery plays a large role in the layers of narrative, which I find enthralling, as it is built into so much of the story and answers are drip fed through-out, both to our FMC, Roxanne, and to readers.   

I really like Roxanne - she pushes herself to be as strong as she can, has unusual abilities that I haven't read in other books and questions surround her.   Her history of confinement has hindered the development of her social skills and left her emotionally damaged.   Watching her make careful step after careful step added to my reading enjoyment.   I found her to be a very sympathetic character and because the author has written her as first person POV, the pain from those struggles is clear and immediate. 

There is a dark aspect to this book in the marginalisation and treatment of a subset of the paranormal beings.   Our FMC has lived this and is out for revenge.   I like how she takes all she has learned from her past and applies it with great gusto to her present.   The next book will be an interesting extension of this because she has given her allegiance to a group who supposedly wear white hats and want to train her as a weapon. 

Staying true to form, there is very little in the way of romance in this book.   I like the absence of insta love and spice but appreciated the tentative way one MMC's presence allowed Roxanne to enjoy a little human physical contact and emotional connection. 

I'll definitely be back for book 2!
 

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misshoneybug's review against another edition

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4.0

This was such an enjoyable read. If you like supernatural urban fantasy with a lot of fight and action scenes and a bit of romance, then this is your type of series. The pace was perfect, not a single boring moment (poor Roxanne had to eat and pee always in a hurry). The story is interesting enough to keep you hooked without bringing too much complexity to it. I must confess I was expecting more romantic development or some kind of unforeseen twist, but that aspect remained predictable and didn’t advance as much (but can’t blame them, they were too busy trying to save their necks). However, this is the first book of a series, so I’m eagerly waiting to see how things will change in the next book.

I am so happy that this book didn’t have a dramatic mood. It was easy to bond with the characters and understand their actions, I found myself cheering for Roxanne and getting excited over her victories. I enjoy female characters that take life stubbornly head on, that wont bend down in front of adversity and most definitely wont go screaming for someone to save her. Even more, humorous and sarcastic replies, like the ones Roxanne gave all the time, made me giggle

I didn’t have any issue with the fight scenes, but you are advised that there are some mildly gore moments. Very mild in my opinion, but depends how much you let your imagination run wild. Like with any other "alpha male" character, our guy is a bit forceful at the beginning but then calms down. Rape is mentioned in the story and I think that's all the sensitive topics I found. If you have read other books with romance, alpha males/ werewolves/ supernatural and urban fantasy, you don't need any warning, you know the style, and this book is more on the light side of the spectrum. So, enjoy~ Oh, if you have read J.C. Daniels and liked Kit, you will probably enjoy Roxanne as well.
I received a copy from the author but that doesn't affect my review.

bezzarina's review

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

shh_reading85's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book ticked off all the right boxes for me in terms of a fantasy mixed with science fiction. I loved the main character Roxanne/Eliza. She's this perfect mix of strong, independent woman who boldly faces life with strength and a whole lotta sass. Although she's been handed a fairly crappy deck of cards in life, she seemed to not let that break her spirit. I absolutely appreciated her as a character. Who I was not sold on at all was Logan, and especially not sold on Rafael. In all honestly, Roxanne carried the story perfectly on her own and there wasn't really a need for romance, although as a writer myself, I do understand why the author put it in there, but Logan just gave me the heebies.


Definitely an A plus read for me and quickly slotted itself amongst my favourite reads for 2022.

I received this review copy from the author for free. My review is entirely voluntary. 

zanybibliophile's review against another edition

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4.0

Roxanne Fosch is a young woman on the run after escaping from Paranormal Scientists Society (PSS) that imprisoned her at the age of twelve and performed outrageous experiments on her for years. She is strong, clever and capable of more than she knows. She is also not fully human. Roxanne knows she is part fee (faerie), but does not know what kind or where her supernatural abilities come from. She knows not to trust anybody and that includes the stranger who keeps showing up and saving her.

Logan Graham is that stranger and he is a shapeshifter. He needs Roxanne and her knowledge of the scientific facility to rescue a someone from his clan he believes has been taken there. With the exception of withholding the truth and not always checking situations are safe, he seems to be a decent individual with some scary professional hit man tendencies.

The pair travel to Sacramento to find Roxanne’s mother with hopes of discovering why she handed Roxanne over to the PSS. On their way, they are hunted by PSS personnel and other paranormal beings who want to exploit Roxanne’s abilities for their own agendas. Roxanne and Logan find themselves in trouble a few times over the course of the story, but somewhere along the way, some level of trust and friendship is formed. This relationship humanised Roxanne and by the end of the book I wanted to know if their friendship will last or develop further.

The story flowed rather well and the reveal of important information was spread out over the course of the book so it was not just one big information dump. Most of the characters that were introduced and their roles made sense to the storyline, however, there were some that make a little more sense if you have read the prequel, The Curse.

The first person point of view and narration worked really well as Roxanne viewed the world and people different to how many people might. It was also interesting to read the thought processes behind her actions because, without that insight, her character would have seemed more reckless and standoffish rather than cautious and in survival mode. However, I did like that the epilogue was from Logan’s point of view. It provided just enough of a peek inside his head to see how he felt about the events at the end of the book and get an idea of what he may have been thinking during the story.

My only real complaint is I would have liked more explanations regarding Roxanne’s abilities and more focus on the fee clans, but I know that it would not have worked in this book. However, Jina herself has said that there will be more focus on Roxanne’s abilities and the faerie folklore included in future books in this series, so that does make up for it a little.

Thank you to Jina for supplying me with a digital copy of her debut novel! This was a very interesting read and I certainly appreciated the folklore at the heart of the story. I cannot wait to see where Roxanne's story will go in the next book, Heir of Doom! 

bibliorey's review against another edition

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4.0

First of all, I would like to thank the author, Jina S. Bazzar for contacting me and sending me an e-copy of the book for me to review.

Roxanne Fosch is one of my favourite female characters now. Captured by the PSS, she managed to escape once before and did it again when they got her for the second time. She kind of reminds me of Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass and Jean Grey in X-Men: Dark Pheonix with all the revenge against the people that has mistreated her on the facility while sheʼs searching for her identity too. She is such a badass and I love her character. The fact that the book is written in her point of view is what makes it all interesting too. To hear her thoughts and feel her emotions.

The supernatural in this book was something I found fascinating too. Iʼm not big on supernatural that much so having found another book that has supernatural involved in it—and I enjoyed—is mindblowing. So bravo author!

I gave this book a 4 stars because at the beginning, I was a bit confused over everything that is happening around Roxanne. But as the book progresses, I finally catch up. So that was the only problem I had with this book.

Overall, if you are a fan of supernatural reads like The Mortal Instruments mixed with a badass, revengeful version of Throne of Glass, give this book a read. I have a feeling you will all enjoy it as I did!

wheninapril's review against another edition

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4.0

How can a monster tell if he’s a monster if he’s never known anything else?
Heir of Ashes is a urban YA fantasy by Jina S. Bazzar. I got this book in exchange of an honest review via THE book ROBIN HOODS. Check out their site for more exciting upcoming releases 😀

Oh Boy!!

Lets just say… “I LOVED this book!!”

Reasons:-

– It was an amazing page turner.

There won’t be a chapter where you won’t feel something. Let it be anger, frustration or pure sadness. There is so much happening all the moment! The suspense was breath taking! The writing style makes you feel like, you too are stuck, and looking for a way to escape with Roxanne.

– Great character build ups.

I loved the world Jina created. The story is full of diverse characters. I loved the way they matured and a lot of things got meaning as the story proceeded . How at the beginning you will get annoyed at Roxanne at times, but at the end you will learn to love her. How a lot of things becomes clear with time. I loved Fizzy 😉

– Great Female Lead

As I told you earlier, you will learn to love Roxanne. Of course she too has flaws. But unlike maximum of the YA female leads, she is not insecure about her looks, she knows she is pretty. She did not wait for her prince charming to show up and save the day. She plots her own escape. She makes her own rules and abides by it. I loved how despite of everything she did not loose herself, those problems only seemed to make her stronger, stubborner and wiser. I just couldn’t get enough of her!

– OMG Plot Twists

In more than I could count on places it made me think, OMFG!! What just happened!!! There are countless twists and turns to keep the readers engaged. The badboy scene, veges scene, several PSS attack scenes. Though there were several places which made me spit my coffee out, but my personal favorite is the lowland scene ❤ Oh!! And I love FIZZY ( masssterrr 😛 )

– It have a very small but enough of a Prequel

It has just enough of a filler sized prequel. There are a lot of question/confusions could arise while reading “The Heir of Ashes”, like who is Roxanne, why her own people hate her etc etc. If you read this prequel “The Curse”, you will understand everything. “The Curse” can be read before or after “Heir of Ashes”. Its totally up to you. If you want to keep the suspense to the maximum, you can read “The Curse” after. Or if you like to know and understand your characters better like me, you can read it before reading “HoA”. Any way you read it, its just a small book (approx 94 pages) with max impact.

You have already read my verdict! I LOVED THIS BOOK!!

A huge burning 4.5 stars!!!!

Can’t wait for the next book!!! (Its a TRILOGY)