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shewalksinfiction's review against another edition
4.0
Heir of Ashes by Jina S. Bazar, is an urban fantasy YA novel. The story picks up from one year after being on the run from PSS (Paranoid Scientists Society). Roxanne has taken a new name, as a safety measure. A lot of people are looking for her. She got to stay away from trouble, and keep her abilities & identity hidden. Then she meets Logan. Both of them together sets up off to a adventure filled journey.
Got this book in exchange of an honest review via The Book Robinhoods. I read it a couple of weeks ago but I was unable to write a review because of my pathetic writer's block.
I read the book in one sitting. The book is an amazing page turner. It was physically impossible for me to put the book down. I loved the world she (the author) created for the book. I loved the suspense of the story. The author revealed everything at the right time.
The book is full of diverse characters. I loved how they developed over the time. The main lead, Roxanne was a bit annoying at times. It stopped bothering me once I realized she's been through a lot(really a lot!) and most probably is a bit unstable emotionally? But I really loved how fierce, strong and determined she was despite everything. Hope to find more about her in the next book. I kinda adore Logan. Rafael is quite cool too.
This book has drama, mystery, action, paranormal vibe, epic fantasy elements and a little romance. It's the whole package. I can not wait to get my hands on book two. šššš stars. This book comes out on 15th April! Grab your copy.
Ps : there are mentions of abuse and rape here and there. Not graphic, but if you're easily triggered, this book is not for you.
Got this book in exchange of an honest review via The Book Robinhoods. I read it a couple of weeks ago but I was unable to write a review because of my pathetic writer's block.
I read the book in one sitting. The book is an amazing page turner. It was physically impossible for me to put the book down. I loved the world she (the author) created for the book. I loved the suspense of the story. The author revealed everything at the right time.
The book is full of diverse characters. I loved how they developed over the time. The main lead, Roxanne was a bit annoying at times. It stopped bothering me once I realized she's been through a lot(really a lot!) and most probably is a bit unstable emotionally? But I really loved how fierce, strong and determined she was despite everything. Hope to find more about her in the next book. I kinda adore Logan. Rafael is quite cool too.
This book has drama, mystery, action, paranormal vibe, epic fantasy elements and a little romance. It's the whole package. I can not wait to get my hands on book two. šššš stars. This book comes out on 15th April! Grab your copy.
Ps : there are mentions of abuse and rape here and there. Not graphic, but if you're easily triggered, this book is not for you.
marshmallowpudding's review against another edition
3.0
Will review this once I finish reading [b:The Curse|38894349|The Curse|Jina S. Bazzar|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1522996289s/38894349.jpg|60440610] :)
popthebutterfly's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author! Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Heir of Ashes
Author: Jina S. Bazzar
Book Series: The Roxanne Fosch Files Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: dystopian and urban fantasy lovers
Publication Date: April 2018
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, slight gore, slight romance and sexual content)
Publisher: Creativia
Pages: 424
Synopsis: Roxanne Fosch had a perfectly normal life at the age of twelve. Cool, popular, pretty, smart. Her dreams of a perfect, successful and prosperous future seemed well within her grasp.
By the time she was twenty-two she had become a commodity. A fugitive. She was being hunted.
As Roxanne embarks on the dangerous quest to search for half-truths about her past, she discovers sheās not just an abnormal human, but a rarity even among her Fee peers.
She is hunted by scientists, keen to exploit her extraordinary abilities, as well as other beings far more dangerous whose plans for her she cannot fathom
Review: For the most part I liked this book. I thought this book had great writing for the most part and the world building was amazing. I liked the plot and the ending kept me wanting more. The book also did well to keep the twists and turns fresh and unexpected!
However, I did think that the character development could have been better, especially some of the romance. The book did well and I feel invested in these characters, but I would like more. The pacing was also slow in parts and it made it a little disjointed in reading it.
Verdict: This was a well done book and great beginning to the series!
Book: Heir of Ashes
Author: Jina S. Bazzar
Book Series: The Roxanne Fosch Files Book 1
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: dystopian and urban fantasy lovers
Publication Date: April 2018
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, slight gore, slight romance and sexual content)
Publisher: Creativia
Pages: 424
Synopsis: Roxanne Fosch had a perfectly normal life at the age of twelve. Cool, popular, pretty, smart. Her dreams of a perfect, successful and prosperous future seemed well within her grasp.
By the time she was twenty-two she had become a commodity. A fugitive. She was being hunted.
As Roxanne embarks on the dangerous quest to search for half-truths about her past, she discovers sheās not just an abnormal human, but a rarity even among her Fee peers.
She is hunted by scientists, keen to exploit her extraordinary abilities, as well as other beings far more dangerous whose plans for her she cannot fathom
Review: For the most part I liked this book. I thought this book had great writing for the most part and the world building was amazing. I liked the plot and the ending kept me wanting more. The book also did well to keep the twists and turns fresh and unexpected!
However, I did think that the character development could have been better, especially some of the romance. The book did well and I feel invested in these characters, but I would like more. The pacing was also slow in parts and it made it a little disjointed in reading it.
Verdict: This was a well done book and great beginning to the series!
starryeyedenigma's review against another edition
4.0
I have to start this by saying, how grateful I am to the author (Jina S.Bazzar) for letting me read an ARC (Advance Readership Copy) of her up coming book. The book comes out on 15th of April 2018, and Iām not being paid to write this review:) All opinions are mine alone and honest thoughts of what I thought about the book. I would recommend it to young adult readers, who like this genre of fantasy mixed with action and some mystery behind it. It is a fast paced read.
Alright, so lets get down to business! In one short sentence, I was thoroughly entertained by the first book of the series. I donāt usually read a lot of Young Adult novels- the last few that I read were some of John Greenās, the Divergent series, the Twilight series and The Hunger Games (which come to mind), and I had enjoyed all of these.
The first book has a fast paced and action packed story, and all the while I felt like I was watching a movie about the X-Men and Twilight actors combined! There is a mix of fantastical creatures such as werewolves, vampires, shape shifters, fire mages, evil sorcerers and present day villains such as evil scientists. Add to this a kick ass female lead, Roxanne Fosch, who is racing against time to survive, and escape her lab-type prison and tormentors. She canāt trust anyone and that actually helps her survive and plan ahead. But she isnāt a sorted individual either. She has her own battles that every young woman would have, her desires to be a normal girl and have a normal life and her desire to belong somewhere, belong to a tribe. I felt very strongly for the female lead and kept praying that she gets out of the next bad situation quickly.
In the background, there are some parallel story lines and a budding romance plot as well, which keep you yearning for more answers. Obviously, all your questions arenāt answered in this first book, but you get a glimpse of what is coming. It is similar to other fantasy books Iāve read in some aspects- such as having vampires and werewolves and a female lead, and yet it is different because the magical elements and the powers that each creature and Roxanne have, are new- at least something that I havenāt come across before- for example, all the information around āaurasā- youāll have to read the book to know more about that..hehe
I do have to mention that there is a lot of action in the book and some of it quite violent too. There are also some serious subjects such as dealing with sexual harassment and abandonment issues that are touched upon in the book. So if you are faint hearted about any of these subjects, you might want to be prepared while reading this. At times I did feel like I was getting slightly tired of Roxanne having to constantly escape from being captured- it felt slightly repetitive, but since I enjoyed the book overall, I canāt really complain much..lol!
What I loved about the leading character of the book was how normal she is. Although Roxanne is destined for great things (that we will probably find out about in the later books) and she has powers that even she isnāt aware of, all she wants is to be a normal girl. She has normal needs like every girl has- of dressing up well, having a good meal, hanging out with friends, having a family or parents who love her, having the need to peeā¦that was so awesome! Because I always wondered, donāt superheroes need to pee ever? lol Also, Frizz reminded me a little of Gollum..lol (Again, youāll have to read the book to know who Frizz is) š
Alright, so lets get down to business! In one short sentence, I was thoroughly entertained by the first book of the series. I donāt usually read a lot of Young Adult novels- the last few that I read were some of John Greenās, the Divergent series, the Twilight series and The Hunger Games (which come to mind), and I had enjoyed all of these.
The first book has a fast paced and action packed story, and all the while I felt like I was watching a movie about the X-Men and Twilight actors combined! There is a mix of fantastical creatures such as werewolves, vampires, shape shifters, fire mages, evil sorcerers and present day villains such as evil scientists. Add to this a kick ass female lead, Roxanne Fosch, who is racing against time to survive, and escape her lab-type prison and tormentors. She canāt trust anyone and that actually helps her survive and plan ahead. But she isnāt a sorted individual either. She has her own battles that every young woman would have, her desires to be a normal girl and have a normal life and her desire to belong somewhere, belong to a tribe. I felt very strongly for the female lead and kept praying that she gets out of the next bad situation quickly.
In the background, there are some parallel story lines and a budding romance plot as well, which keep you yearning for more answers. Obviously, all your questions arenāt answered in this first book, but you get a glimpse of what is coming. It is similar to other fantasy books Iāve read in some aspects- such as having vampires and werewolves and a female lead, and yet it is different because the magical elements and the powers that each creature and Roxanne have, are new- at least something that I havenāt come across before- for example, all the information around āaurasā- youāll have to read the book to know more about that..hehe
I do have to mention that there is a lot of action in the book and some of it quite violent too. There are also some serious subjects such as dealing with sexual harassment and abandonment issues that are touched upon in the book. So if you are faint hearted about any of these subjects, you might want to be prepared while reading this. At times I did feel like I was getting slightly tired of Roxanne having to constantly escape from being captured- it felt slightly repetitive, but since I enjoyed the book overall, I canāt really complain much..lol!
What I loved about the leading character of the book was how normal she is. Although Roxanne is destined for great things (that we will probably find out about in the later books) and she has powers that even she isnāt aware of, all she wants is to be a normal girl. She has normal needs like every girl has- of dressing up well, having a good meal, hanging out with friends, having a family or parents who love her, having the need to peeā¦that was so awesome! Because I always wondered, donāt superheroes need to pee ever? lol Also, Frizz reminded me a little of Gollum..lol (Again, youāll have to read the book to know who Frizz is) š
onebookmore's review
4.0
Roxanne Fosch is on the run from the Paranormal Scientists Society, which she escaped from over a year ago. Now she is hunted by mercenaries that want to drag her back to PSS to be further experimented on, tortured, and tested. Roxanne will do whatever it takes to evade their clutches and avoid capture.
Roxanne is a survivor. Strong and brave, she never backs down from a fight even when she knows the odds are stacked against her. I love her determination and willingness to stand up for what is right, as well as her adaptability. Roxanne continually finds things out about herself and others, and she remains strong. She is a bad-ass protagonist dealing with unbelievable obstacles, and she never knows who she can trust.
The action scenes in the book are varied and plentiful. And I mean plentiful!! This is a non-stop action kind of book. From the first chapter, the reader is thrust into a world of the hunter and the hunted, and the hunted isnāt going down without a fight! The romance is a bit inst-love for me, but Logan and Roxanne have a strong connection, and I did come to root for them as a couple.
What I liked most about the story, besides the intense fight scenes, awesome protagonist, and unique supernatural elements, is that the plot isnāt predictable. The story is unique, and I never knew exactly what was about to happen, which I loved. Will Roxanne get caught? Why does the PSS want her so bad? Why is she considered dangerous? Does she have power? Who can she trust? These questions an more are answered, but the answers surprised me.
Heir of Ashes is an action-packed, fast-paced story filled with unexpected twists and turns and a unique and interesting supernatural world. Thanks so much to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Roxanne is a survivor. Strong and brave, she never backs down from a fight even when she knows the odds are stacked against her. I love her determination and willingness to stand up for what is right, as well as her adaptability. Roxanne continually finds things out about herself and others, and she remains strong. She is a bad-ass protagonist dealing with unbelievable obstacles, and she never knows who she can trust.
The action scenes in the book are varied and plentiful. And I mean plentiful!! This is a non-stop action kind of book. From the first chapter, the reader is thrust into a world of the hunter and the hunted, and the hunted isnāt going down without a fight! The romance is a bit inst-love for me, but Logan and Roxanne have a strong connection, and I did come to root for them as a couple.
What I liked most about the story, besides the intense fight scenes, awesome protagonist, and unique supernatural elements, is that the plot isnāt predictable. The story is unique, and I never knew exactly what was about to happen, which I loved. Will Roxanne get caught? Why does the PSS want her so bad? Why is she considered dangerous? Does she have power? Who can she trust? These questions an more are answered, but the answers surprised me.
Heir of Ashes is an action-packed, fast-paced story filled with unexpected twists and turns and a unique and interesting supernatural world. Thanks so much to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
madtcosta's review
5.0
4.5 out of 5 stars
Full review soon (http://presa-nas-palavras.blogspot.com/)
Heir of Ashes was a pleasant surprise. Even tho is not something completely new, and there are some slow moments, the story itself, the characters and the world building were just amazing. I loved it, totally recommend and I can't wait for the second book!
Full review soon (http://presa-nas-palavras.blogspot.com/)
Heir of Ashes was a pleasant surprise. Even tho is not something completely new, and there are some slow moments, the story itself, the characters and the world building were just amazing. I loved it, totally recommend and I can't wait for the second book!
tooruluvr's review
3.0
ā³Full review now posted.
(This review can also be found on my blog!)
(Note: Thanks to the author, Jina, for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by this factor.)
[3/5]
Heir of Ashes is a book with an interesting magic system ā one that, in my opinion, is well-developed. I always appreciate fantasy books with proper world-building, and Heir of Ashes is definitely one of them.
Roxanne is a well-thought-out character, too. I love her independence, her fierce fighting technique, and her ability to stand up for herself and for others. For everything that she goes through in the book, itās clear sheād rather just give in and lose her mind already, but she keeps it together, and I admire that kind of courage.
One of the best things about this book are the action scenes. Weāre thrown into one right from the get-go, and while every reader might not agree with me, I often like that if itās done right. It grabs my attention immediately, and in this novel, showed me just how dangerous Roxanneās life is. If you think things canāt get worse from there, then trust me, they do. Poor girl.
I think Roxanne is the only character I actually really likeāher, and Kincaid, even if he only makes small appearances. But Logan? I canāt get myself to even like him. Not at all, and hereās why:
At one point in the book, Roxanne and Logan get into a fight. Throughout the fight, Roxanne compares Logan to a predator, and his anger scares her. Sheās wary of him, is prepared to strike him down if he oversteps his boundaries, and tells him to stay away from her.
āMy talons were at the ready, in case he decided to get more physical.ā
And then Logan actually kisses her during the fight. And Iām not talking about the āIām-sorry-I-was-wrongā kiss either. Iām talking about the aggressive, forceful kind of kiss, one that Roxanne really doesnāt want, and yet he still does it even though sheās clearly against it. Just look at these quotes:
āBefore I could react, his lips crushed mine with bruising force.ā
āTerror choked me, keeping my struggles feeble. I tried to knee him but he blocked expertly.ā
āāand my eyes were huge with terror ā a response predators pounced upon.ā
And then he expresses that heās been meant āto protect herā and that he wonāt hurt her, and wonāt touch her if she doesnāt want him to, even though he did just that.
I will say that one good thing about this situation is that Roxanne calls him out on it. I was so happy when I saw that because for once, for once, the female protagonist in a fantasy novel calls out the male protagonist about his violent ways of showing āaffection.ā
The bad part?
They become a couple after that.
I mean, what?? How?? Why??
I found the romance to be completely sudden and abrupt, with barely any build-upāand the scenario I just described only angered me further. It feels as though Logan keeps forcing it to happen until Roxanne gives in. Comparing a male to a āpredatorā or a āwolfā or some other ferocious animal is not āromanticā. Itās disgusting. This is one trope that is especially found in fantasy that I really hope stops soon. Itās not okay, and young girls reading books like these should know that consent is a must and that itās a basic human right.
Another male in this story who, in my opinion, is quite problematic is Rafael. Whenever Roxanne wears anything revealing, he gives her weird looks. Iām not sure what thatās supposed to mean, but I didnāt appreciate it.
Other than that, this book is fairly intriguing ā thereās more than what meets the eye in this world that Roxanne has to live in, and as you read on you discover that you canāt really trust anybody. I think that makes the book more surprising and thrilling, having us trying to guess whoās friend and whoās foe. Roxanne is a character you want to root for, and every time she kills someone badass-style, I imagine some heavy metal music playing in the background. Sheās just that cool.
So, Iād say if youāre a fantasy-lover, you can give this one a go, but please be aware of the problematic themes in it. This book isnāt perfect, but itās got potential ā Iām hoping Logan at least recognises his mistakes in the sequel, and Rafael stops giving Roxanne those judgemental looks of his.
(This review can also be found on my blog!)
(Note: Thanks to the author, Jina, for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by this factor.)
āTime was so precious, and it just kept ticking away.ā
[3/5]
Heir of Ashes is a book with an interesting magic system ā one that, in my opinion, is well-developed. I always appreciate fantasy books with proper world-building, and Heir of Ashes is definitely one of them.
Roxanne is a well-thought-out character, too. I love her independence, her fierce fighting technique, and her ability to stand up for herself and for others. For everything that she goes through in the book, itās clear sheād rather just give in and lose her mind already, but she keeps it together, and I admire that kind of courage.
One of the best things about this book are the action scenes. Weāre thrown into one right from the get-go, and while every reader might not agree with me, I often like that if itās done right. It grabs my attention immediately, and in this novel, showed me just how dangerous Roxanneās life is. If you think things canāt get worse from there, then trust me, they do. Poor girl.
I think Roxanne is the only character I actually really likeāher, and Kincaid, even if he only makes small appearances. But Logan? I canāt get myself to even like him. Not at all, and hereās why:
At one point in the book, Roxanne and Logan get into a fight. Throughout the fight, Roxanne compares Logan to a predator, and his anger scares her. Sheās wary of him, is prepared to strike him down if he oversteps his boundaries, and tells him to stay away from her.
āMy talons were at the ready, in case he decided to get more physical.ā
And then Logan actually kisses her during the fight. And Iām not talking about the āIām-sorry-I-was-wrongā kiss either. Iām talking about the aggressive, forceful kind of kiss, one that Roxanne really doesnāt want, and yet he still does it even though sheās clearly against it. Just look at these quotes:
āBefore I could react, his lips crushed mine with bruising force.ā
āTerror choked me, keeping my struggles feeble. I tried to knee him but he blocked expertly.ā
āāand my eyes were huge with terror ā a response predators pounced upon.ā
And then he expresses that heās been meant āto protect herā and that he wonāt hurt her, and wonāt touch her if she doesnāt want him to, even though he did just that.
I will say that one good thing about this situation is that Roxanne calls him out on it. I was so happy when I saw that because for once, for once, the female protagonist in a fantasy novel calls out the male protagonist about his violent ways of showing āaffection.ā
The bad part?
They become a couple after that.
I mean, what?? How?? Why??
I found the romance to be completely sudden and abrupt, with barely any build-upāand the scenario I just described only angered me further. It feels as though Logan keeps forcing it to happen until Roxanne gives in. Comparing a male to a āpredatorā or a āwolfā or some other ferocious animal is not āromanticā. Itās disgusting. This is one trope that is especially found in fantasy that I really hope stops soon. Itās not okay, and young girls reading books like these should know that consent is a must and that itās a basic human right.
Another male in this story who, in my opinion, is quite problematic is Rafael. Whenever Roxanne wears anything revealing, he gives her weird looks. Iām not sure what thatās supposed to mean, but I didnāt appreciate it.
Other than that, this book is fairly intriguing ā thereās more than what meets the eye in this world that Roxanne has to live in, and as you read on you discover that you canāt really trust anybody. I think that makes the book more surprising and thrilling, having us trying to guess whoās friend and whoās foe. Roxanne is a character you want to root for, and every time she kills someone badass-style, I imagine some heavy metal music playing in the background. Sheās just that cool.
So, Iād say if youāre a fantasy-lover, you can give this one a go, but please be aware of the problematic themes in it. This book isnāt perfect, but itās got potential ā Iām hoping Logan at least recognises his mistakes in the sequel, and Rafael stops giving Roxanne those judgemental looks of his.
mistysbookspace's review
4.0
Where do I even begin with this review? First off I want to say thank you to the author for providing me with an ecopy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I love how from the very beginning you jump right into the action. This book is action packed. The main character barely has time to catch her breath before something else inevitably happens. While I did enjoy all the action because it sucked me in and made me want to keep reading to find out what happened next I feel like they managed to get out of each situation so easily. It was like as soon as the āattackā happened there was always an easy way out. I would have liked for things not to have been so easily resolved.
The main character Roxanne or Eliza as she is now called is a badass female character. Sheās not completely human but she, just like the reader, doesnāt know exactly what she is or what she is capable of. Like I said she is constantly on the run but never once does she give up no matter how bad things are. Sure she has some abilities that help her but she goes through a lot in this book and yet she keeps fighting. Logan who shows up to help Roxanne in exchange for her help is the main male character. From the moment he entered into the story I loved him but I have some issues with him. He is very secretive and untrusting throughout the entire book. I feel like at some point they would have started trusting each other more but I didnāt get that. Up until the very end of the book where some things were revealed I was mostly happy with his character but after the ending I was mad.
I have been mentioning this a lot lately on my blog but I donāt like cliffhangers where I am left with so many questions for that book and unfortunately thatās the case here. I donāt like how things are left open and unresolved between certain characters but I am excited to continue on with this series.
If you like action packed books with paranormal aspects as well as a touch of romance I would definitely recommend you read this book.
I love how from the very beginning you jump right into the action. This book is action packed. The main character barely has time to catch her breath before something else inevitably happens. While I did enjoy all the action because it sucked me in and made me want to keep reading to find out what happened next I feel like they managed to get out of each situation so easily. It was like as soon as the āattackā happened there was always an easy way out. I would have liked for things not to have been so easily resolved.
The main character Roxanne or Eliza as she is now called is a badass female character. Sheās not completely human but she, just like the reader, doesnāt know exactly what she is or what she is capable of. Like I said she is constantly on the run but never once does she give up no matter how bad things are. Sure she has some abilities that help her but she goes through a lot in this book and yet she keeps fighting. Logan who shows up to help Roxanne in exchange for her help is the main male character. From the moment he entered into the story I loved him but I have some issues with him. He is very secretive and untrusting throughout the entire book. I feel like at some point they would have started trusting each other more but I didnāt get that. Up until the very end of the book where some things were revealed I was mostly happy with his character but after the ending I was mad.
I have been mentioning this a lot lately on my blog but I donāt like cliffhangers where I am left with so many questions for that book and unfortunately thatās the case here. I donāt like how things are left open and unresolved between certain characters but I am excited to continue on with this series.
If you like action packed books with paranormal aspects as well as a touch of romance I would definitely recommend you read this book.