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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ashes of gold is the last book in the wings of ebony duology. I finished Wings of ebony a couple of weeks ago and in my review I made clear why I liked it less then I hoped. For me the fast pacing is the problem. Because of this choice we don’t really get to know the characters and story’s as well as I would have liked.
Characters
The characters are diverse but they aren’t as put together as I would have liked. The pacing of the books is so incredibly fast that we don’t really get to know them. Rue/Jelani is the typical ya main character but then fit into a more modern standard. I cannot speak about the representation, since it’s not my place to judge. I didn’t really like here as a main character since she is a bit whiny, especially in the second book. But even though I find her to be a bit annoying, she isn’t the main problem in the character department. The thing I hated were the two love interests. The love relationships started really superficial. And while there was a chance to get to know them better in the second book, the author didn’t really take it. We get told they love each other, we even get explained why but we don’t see it happen….
Story
The story isn’t bad. It has compelling elements and that’s exactly why it’s so frustrating that everything in this book is done so hastily. It takes away from the story.
Worldbuilding
In the first book the worldbuilding was a bit sloppy. We didn’t really get a worldbuilding. In the second book we get a lot of answers and the worldbuilding is definitely better.
I would recommend this books for readers between 13-17 years old.
Characters
The characters are diverse but they aren’t as put together as I would have liked. The pacing of the books is so incredibly fast that we don’t really get to know them. Rue/Jelani is the typical ya main character but then fit into a more modern standard. I cannot speak about the representation, since it’s not my place to judge. I didn’t really like here as a main character since she is a bit whiny, especially in the second book. But even though I find her to be a bit annoying, she isn’t the main problem in the character department. The thing I hated were the two love interests. The love relationships started really superficial. And while there was a chance to get to know them better in the second book, the author didn’t really take it. We get told they love each other, we even get explained why but we don’t see it happen….
Story
The story isn’t bad. It has compelling elements and that’s exactly why it’s so frustrating that everything in this book is done so hastily. It takes away from the story.
Worldbuilding
In the first book the worldbuilding was a bit sloppy. We didn’t really get a worldbuilding. In the second book we get a lot of answers and the worldbuilding is definitely better.
I would recommend this books for readers between 13-17 years old.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I have been waiting for this book since the first one came out, and let me tell you, IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!! It was also nothing like I expected, I was kept guessing every which way. It was beautifully written, and I loved the new characters just as much as I loved the original characters. I will recommending this series to everyone until I die.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was actually a HUGE let down for me. I really loved the first book, calling it one of my favorite books of 2021 and I went into this one with such high expectations and I was seriously let down. We continue to follow Rue in this story as she is trying to help take down the chancellor and help the people of Ghizon reclaim their magic...My first big problem with this whole story is Rue's character. At the end of Wings of Ebony, she was ready for any and everything to come her way. She was literally ready to take the crown and become the queen of Ghizon. I don't know what the heck happened, but we did NOT get the same person in this book. In this we got someone that was not ready for anything. She wasn't ready to lead anyone, she didn't want to make any big decisions and the first time she made a mistake she was ready to give up. I would have been okay if this was the type of character we got left with at the end of book one and we continued to see her grow, but we literally saw a strong girl for some reason get weak, then wait til the end of the book to get it back together again.......Then in the first book we spent a lot of time with Rue going back and forth between Ghizon and East Row, but in this we saw her a majority of the time in Ghizon, which was fine. The thing I loved so much about the first book was her relationship with her sister and how that was talked about and explored and there was none here. I believe that was because she hardly went back home. I understand this is more of a personal gripe but I was hoping to continue to get more of that out of this book as well.......Another issue that bothered me was how conveniently they were able to get out of their situations. Rue's friend Bri had a bag of tricks for everything. I mean she literally had a bag of gadgets that seemed to come in handy for what ever situation they came across. There was some gadget or potion that seemed to help them escape or get them to where ever they needed to go to next. It also just took me about half way before the story even got interesting. I just thought the whole story was slow to start. Once the story did get going I was able to fly through it and there were a couple of revelations in there that were fine, but still nothing jaw dropping. Once Rue did start to believe in herself again I was here for it but let's be honest, that was also after EVERYONE else kept telling her to believe in herself. It's safe to say I was underwhelmed by this.
Update: UHMMMMM. SPEECHLESS. SO THANKFUL FOR THIS BEA-U-TIFUL COVER & TITLE!
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OMFG CAN NOT WAIT FOR THIS!!!!!
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OMFG CAN NOT WAIT FOR THIS!!!!!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.5 ⭐ CW: violence, medical trauma, descriptions of blood, caste system
Ashes of Gold is the second book in the Wings of Ebony duology. This book was a great coming of age story and an important one for Black girls. Literal Black Girl Magic.
"Leading is a never-ending battle between believing you are good enough to do it and understanding you are capable of making a grave mistep."
We pick up with Rue/Jelani back in Ghizon and trying to figure out how to get rid of the Chancellor and get magic back to her people. She struggles with the mantle of leadership, feeling unworthy and inexperienced, even though the Ancestors chose her. This only gets worse when Rue makes some fatal mistakes, her people lose their home, and she is captured.
As Rue struggles to piece back her memories of her imprisonment, she has a crisis of trust. Not knowing who is actually on her side and who is working against her. I'm not gonna lie, I totally fell for the red herring and was a little disappointed at first that I had seemingly figured out the twist, but nope! I am shook and heartbroken.
Where do I even begin with the messages in this book? First, let's start with an oppressed people taking their land back, and the consequences the oppressors and those complicit have to endure when they take something that isn't meant for them. Second, we have commentary about horizontal hostility, the concept of those on the margins fighting against each other when the real enemy are those in the center (in this case the Grays). Third, we have themes on anxiety, the imposter syndrome that Black girls especially face, and the importance of believing in yourself and trusting yourself. Elle gives us a story about how it's not about never making mistakes, it's about what you do after. "You don't always have to know what you're doing. It's okay to try something and mess up. And learn from it."
We also get a great depiction of allyship from Bri in this. We saw her starting to work on her privelege last book, so we get to see her struggle through that and be called out on her privelege. We get much more world building of Ghizon this book. I also love how Elle fuses magic and science and technology.
Ashes of Gold is the second book in the Wings of Ebony duology. This book was a great coming of age story and an important one for Black girls. Literal Black Girl Magic.
"Leading is a never-ending battle between believing you are good enough to do it and understanding you are capable of making a grave mistep."
We pick up with Rue/Jelani back in Ghizon and trying to figure out how to get rid of the Chancellor and get magic back to her people. She struggles with the mantle of leadership, feeling unworthy and inexperienced, even though the Ancestors chose her. This only gets worse when Rue makes some fatal mistakes, her people lose their home, and she is captured.
As Rue struggles to piece back her memories of her imprisonment, she has a crisis of trust. Not knowing who is actually on her side and who is working against her. I'm not gonna lie, I totally fell for the red herring and was a little disappointed at first that I had seemingly figured out the twist, but nope! I am shook and heartbroken.
Where do I even begin with the messages in this book? First, let's start with an oppressed people taking their land back, and the consequences the oppressors and those complicit have to endure when they take something that isn't meant for them. Second, we have commentary about horizontal hostility, the concept of those on the margins fighting against each other when the real enemy are those in the center (in this case the Grays). Third, we have themes on anxiety, the imposter syndrome that Black girls especially face, and the importance of believing in yourself and trusting yourself. Elle gives us a story about how it's not about never making mistakes, it's about what you do after. "You don't always have to know what you're doing. It's okay to try something and mess up. And learn from it."
We also get a great depiction of allyship from Bri in this. We saw her starting to work on her privelege last book, so we get to see her struggle through that and be called out on her privelege. We get much more world building of Ghizon this book. I also love how Elle fuses magic and science and technology.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Medical trauma
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
My favorite element of Ashes of Gold has to be the way Elle explores leadership. In the wake of startling discoveries and battle casualties, Rue has to figure out how to live up to what people expect. To take up the mantel of being Chosen. Rue has to navigate not only what it means for her, as a leader, but what it means to those around her. Not only that, but in Ashes of Gold the tensions between various communities and her own upbringing start to clash.
How can we work together as a united front given disappointments and divisions? It feels like Rue is always playing catch up. Trying to get used to this new setting and these tensions, while also struggling with her own memory loss. When we lose our memories, what pieces of us do we retain? In the ashes of what we thought would be our victory, how do we regroup? Ashes of Gold is full of action, but what I loved was the exploration of these themes.
My favorite element of Ashes of Gold has to be the way Elle explores leadership. In the wake of startling discoveries and battle casualties, Rue has to figure out how to live up to what people expect. To take up the mantel of being Chosen. Rue has to navigate not only what it means for her, as a leader, but what it means to those around her. Not only that, but in Ashes of Gold the tensions between various communities and her own upbringing start to clash.
How can we work together as a united front given disappointments and divisions? It feels like Rue is always playing catch up. Trying to get used to this new setting and these tensions, while also struggling with her own memory loss. When we lose our memories, what pieces of us do we retain? In the ashes of what we thought would be our victory, how do we regroup? Ashes of Gold is full of action, but what I loved was the exploration of these themes.
I was not vibing with the start of this book, but that may have been due to the almost year-long gap between me reading this book and the first one. I liked the middle section, but then was annoyed for a bit, but the story really picked up again toward the end. Bri, Zora, and the Seer were definitely my favorite characters this time around. It was cool that we got to spend a lot more time on the island, but I was still often confused by her suddenly ending up in East Row once in a while. The plot felt a bit half-baked at times, but still really compelling for the most part. The romance infuriated me and honestly, I think the story would have been just as compelling without the drama. I loved seeing Rue really come into her own and I thought the ending was the perfect way J. Elle could've wrapped up this series. It was very hopeful and left me feeling very satisfied with how it all ended.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Even though, I didn't read the first book in the series I was able to keep up with the story. I was rooting for Rue/Jelani to defeat the Chancellor with her odd team of strong personalities. I didn't read about the connections she formed with the current supporting characters (first novel) but I was still moved by the way they cared about each other. It was truly an inspiring story of taking on the unbeatable, by coming to terms with who you are and what you are capable of.
