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A review by kayelina
Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian
2.0
a spoiler/spoiler free review
I am going to come right out and say it: Ash Princess is probably one of the most unoriginal works of fiction I have read in a really long time. It uses every cliché in the book, some bigger than others. The description is a pretty good hook on selling you what the book is about, where some can be so hyperbolized they're misleading so I’ll give them that. That’s probably the only good thing I can say about this book. I have no idea how to go about this review except to rage rant about everything that didn’t make any f*cking sense.
So here it goes:
Theodosia is a 16 year old heir to the Astrea throne. Or she would've been if her mother wasn't slain by the Theyn ten years ago and her country, people, and land hadn't fallen into the hands of the infamous and ruthless Kaiser. In a world where Guardians are chosen by the gods to wield gems of earth, air, water, and fire to protect and serve the throne and the gods, the Kaiser has abused this, forcing all Astrean people to work in the gem mines, going mad, except for Theodosia which he uses as a pawn for fear by beating her at the slightest rebellion and inconvenience that happens involving Astrean people. Her only friend is Cress, the Theyn's sheltered daughter, which is probably the only character I like because she’s actually ignorant, naive and cushioned but doesn’t pretend she isn’t like Theo and so many others. She gets an unexpected character arc, which I actually loved. Her world had been shattered and she truly came into her own, sounding like the author was going to give her more “screen time” in the sequel, which I hope for (provided that it’s written well).
My problems with this book all point to its unoriginality, as the big earth-wind-fire-water society is not something new. The usage of "Spiritgems" that the Guardians utilize like tokens to enhance their nature honing abilities seem silly and much too magically childish for me to suspend my disbelief. Although, I do like how Kaiser and his people abuse the gems as jewelry instead of regarding them as sacred, like the Astreans do, because that’s a good example of what happens during colonization.
The love triangle that attempts to be written in falls flat because unfortunately, a descriptive reaction of how Theo feels during the kisses is not character growth nor does it make readers root for them. Not only that but there's no room for it. Most of the book is Theo trying to get information out of people to escape and turn against the Kaiser so while I see where the space is for romance to flourish, I need to remind people who've read the book or who have yet to read the book that the relationships are given only a one-story month to happen. Meaning, they "fall" in love within four weeks. So unrealistic. Probably just their world ending and the fact that it's mostly forbidden or in secret is what's getting them all hot and bothered so no, thanks.
Again... This is the second chapter. The first twenty pages. This is an intense start. However, I don't see much use in Theo killing her father other than humiliation on her part or just for plain fun on the Kaiser's view, but this wasn't done in public. Just in the throne room, in front of some servants and guards. I have a hard time seeing why this was needed unless it was for entertainment and shock purposes. Which isn’t conveyed, because again this is the first 20 pages and even our first person POV protagonist has let it be known that she barely remembers this dude. I mean, the last time she saw him, she was seven at the oldest; she also prefers to call him Ampelio instead of father when she mentions him throughout the book so his death is pretty easy to get over even though it's supposed to be her emotional catalyst into this entire story. So perhaps, then it's for character development and this will propel into rebellion and self-actualized destiny. But no to that as well.
Shortly after her father's death, Theo has a couple of bad dreams from "PTS" I presume from ruining her pretty dress (which is a legit line she says in the beginning of chapter 2). And then everything falls into her lap. She threw up on her romantic interest or the Prinz Søren, the Kaiser’s eldest son and heir, though after killing her father so she gets points for being likable there and only there.
Her childhood friend, Blaise, sneaks into the palace, despite intense security and Kaiser's “ever watchful eye” because he apparently "sees" everything. But there are multiple, if not, back to back occurrences where Theo is alone, and with Astrean people (which she’s not supposed to do), sneaking away, or plotting revenge. Which she almost always is, but she doesn't get caught of course because she talks through her teeth in a fake smile and is six feet apart from an Astrean so the guards can’t tell she’s talking about overthrowing their ruler. (This is sarcasm).
The biggest obstacle of this, the narrative claims, is the Shadows. They are apparently guards that follow her everywhere and can see into her room through walls? With powers or like wall slits or something, it was confusedly and weirdly explained but then her childhood friends sneak in, kill, and replace her Shadows so now she can run amuck and sneak around easier, as if she wasn’t already doing that. But throughout the whole book, she talks to these childhood friends-turned-Shadow-guards through the wall and they can see her change so she has to tell them to turn around but she can’t see them? A really freaking weird and unnecessary way to sexualize the protagonist. Oh and they throw in a token gay character casually with the cliché of “oh, Heron never really talks about himself, she realizes, 234 pages into the story. Who knew he had a life and personality?!”
Oh, and she has scars this entire time because of how often Kaiser supposedly whips her, which is only once in the book, by the way. It’s claimed she is healed by a hostage air Guardian and he only heals her so she isn’t dead but like the book explains she’s still in immense pain but she’s not because he healed her only a little or sped up the process? I DON’T FREAKING KNOW. But how many times does she wince in pain or is unable to do something due to these intense lashes? Like twice in the second half of the book. This is so pointless and meant to make her look strong but it’s a flop, boo.
All and all, this house-arrested queen has literally been doing whatever the f*ck she wants. Because although the Kaiser has her as his “prisoner," Theo is allowed to take dance classes, swim in the palace pool, and go to masquerade balls and wear fancy, revealing clothing. Doesn't sound like a prisoner to me, which is what her childhood friends-turned-Shadow-guards make fun of her for often which makes me dislike the protagonist even more because they’re right. Theo has yet to gain a backbone this entire book. Not to mention, she had a chance to escape the first night she found out Blaise got a job in the palace but she said she could get information out of the Kaiser but she didn’t. I think the only useful thing she did was save a small town from getting 100% killed and overthrown. They only got like 67% killed because Theo got to warn them. Big whoop.
Not to mention, Theo’s entire revenge and escape plot involves killing three people: the Søren (who she is supposed to trick into loving her for information?), Cress, and her dad, the Theyn. She can’t kill anyone but easily slaughtered her father? When it comes down to it, Theo hands the task down to a 13 year old Astrean, too eager to help her queen and prove herself. And Blaise is the only person throughout this book making some sense, advises against it, and then when he finally gives in (because in this book, Theo gets whatever she wants), he foreshadowing-ly states that the 13 year old is Theo’s responsibility so... OH I WONDER IF SHE’LL DIE AND I WONDER IF IT’LL BE THEO’S FAULT.
She does. And it is.
I took 5 pages of bulleted, single-spaced notes on EVERYTHING that confused me or didn't make any sense. Why is her new name Thora, so close to her real name, and not like Elizabeth or Dora just literally anything other than a spin on Theo? Why keep her alive and not just put her head on a spike in the middle of town square then publicly whip or kill any rebel caught? That would make the antagonist more ruthless, except he’s described as “lazy” and with a supposed beer belly. The Kaiser wants to marry Theo but that’s the biggest villain trope in the book. This does NOT make me root for you to overtake this guy. This is what I expected to happen. I don’t ever want to be able to predict your antagonist’s next steps. Also, the Kaiser doesn’t appear in a good chunk of the book, specifically in the middle. Found that a bit weird for an “all-watching” villain that makes you live in fear.
Theo constantly says the Kaiser and guards underestimate her and therefore, don’t care what she does but I just have a hard time believing that; and surprisingly, Theo eventually agrees with me because she’s even called “expendable” by another character, which just proves there’s legit no reason to keep her alive. At the end, we haphazardly discover one of her childhood friends-turned-Shadows is her cousin, and the famed pirate that helped a town only get 67% killed is Theo’s aunt. Theo’s mother’s twin sister. So… the sister would be the new Fire Queen, not Theo, who has been called “your Highness” this ENTIRE book. Theo’s aunt casually throws in (legit we are at the last five pages of the book now) that she “didn’t want it” and that palace life wasn’t for her, so don’t worry that plot hole was quickly covered up.
Not to mention, of course the Kaiser's handsome Prinz and heir to the throne is the romantic interest and the author tries to create a love triangle with the childhood friend-turned-Shadow-guard, Blaise, but they both fall flat. No matter what sad childhood story Sebastian tries to weave into their backstory, it's always ruined by a parent dying, going gem "mine mad" trope, or a repetition of how Theo knows this person. I think I can count on both hands how often Sebastian described Blaise like, "he laughed just liked how he laughed we were kids, running around the lily pond, dreaming of getting out of this crazy town," or “Søren looked just like his father, and all I see are the Astrean blood covering his ocean blue eyes and perfect jawline” or something stupid as if we weren’t reading the book. So the diction lacks hard in this book to say the least.
I think I've gotten my point across. LOL… she says four pages of rants later. I tried to include almost everything I found wrong with Ash Princess in this review because I disliked it that much. All in all, if you want a read that's easy, light-hearted, doesn't take you anywhere and comes with a ridiculous ending that in no way needs to fit the story, go ahead.
It's a trilogy so it'll definitely help you pass away the stay at home hours. I just think there's much better books out there, like Mary E. Pearson's "Remnants" trilogy with over 1,000 pages of a damn good, strong protagonist that I read in a month and a half. It combines politics, a love triangle, and an overthrow of a government and includes a magical "power" element PROPERLY into a fantasy novel that is believable and realistic and gives people and cultures their own life and language while also taking you on an emotional rollercoaster. But that’s another review…
I also just have a hard time listening to a story where white people complain about being a prisoner in their own home, having their culture, queen, and land overthrown and abused, when that's literally how the United States acquired the Islands of Hawai'i (look it up) and probably many other ingenious lands. I have nothing else to say about this book and if I did, it wouldn't be good.
My next read and review is "A Court of Frost and Starlight" by Sarah J. Maas. Hoping it's a better use of my quarantine time. Follow me on Instagram for more on when the next review is coming @Kayelina.
Thanks for making it this far. See you next time <3
I am going to come right out and say it: Ash Princess is probably one of the most unoriginal works of fiction I have read in a really long time. It uses every cliché in the book, some bigger than others. The description is a pretty good hook on selling you what the book is about, where some can be so hyperbolized they're misleading so I’ll give them that. That’s probably the only good thing I can say about this book. I have no idea how to go about this review except to rage rant about everything that didn’t make any f*cking sense.
So here it goes:
Theodosia is a 16 year old heir to the Astrea throne. Or she would've been if her mother wasn't slain by the Theyn ten years ago and her country, people, and land hadn't fallen into the hands of the infamous and ruthless Kaiser. In a world where Guardians are chosen by the gods to wield gems of earth, air, water, and fire to protect and serve the throne and the gods, the Kaiser has abused this, forcing all Astrean people to work in the gem mines, going mad, except for Theodosia which he uses as a pawn for fear by beating her at the slightest rebellion and inconvenience that happens involving Astrean people. Her only friend is Cress, the Theyn's sheltered daughter, which is probably the only character I like because she’s actually ignorant, naive and cushioned but doesn’t pretend she isn’t like Theo and so many others. She gets an unexpected character arc, which I actually loved. Her world had been shattered and she truly came into her own, sounding like the author was going to give her more “screen time” in the sequel, which I hope for (provided that it’s written well).
My problems with this book all point to its unoriginality, as the big earth-wind-fire-water society is not something new. The usage of "Spiritgems" that the Guardians utilize like tokens to enhance their nature honing abilities seem silly and much too magically childish for me to suspend my disbelief. Although, I do like how Kaiser and his people abuse the gems as jewelry instead of regarding them as sacred, like the Astreans do, because that’s a good example of what happens during colonization.
The love triangle that attempts to be written in falls flat because unfortunately, a descriptive reaction of how Theo feels during the kisses is not character growth nor does it make readers root for them. Not only that but there's no room for it. Most of the book is Theo trying to get information out of people to escape and turn against the Kaiser so while I see where the space is for romance to flourish, I need to remind people who've read the book or who have yet to read the book that the relationships are given only a one-story month to happen. Meaning, they "fall" in love within four weeks. So unrealistic. Probably just their world ending and the fact that it's mostly forbidden or in secret is what's getting them all hot and bothered so no, thanks.
Spoiler
*Spoilers from here on out* The very first chapter is Theodosia, or Thora, as the Kaiser has renamed her, is called into the throne room over news of an Astrea rebellion. They've caught one of the most fearless rebels, Ampelio. Theo makes it clear that she vaguely remembers him. But when she does, she realizes he is the right-hand guard to the previous, overruled fire queen, Theo's mother. Therefore, Kaiser orders Thora to kill him. Now let me reiterate, this is the second chapter! This is quite a heavy start one would say; and Theo knows he will be killed either way, so she agrees and does it, claiming she could end it quickly and as least painfully as possible. And to top it all off, at the last, sword-drawing second, she realizes this is her father.Again... This is the second chapter. The first twenty pages. This is an intense start. However, I don't see much use in Theo killing her father other than humiliation on her part or just for plain fun on the Kaiser's view, but this wasn't done in public. Just in the throne room, in front of some servants and guards. I have a hard time seeing why this was needed unless it was for entertainment and shock purposes. Which isn’t conveyed, because again this is the first 20 pages and even our first person POV protagonist has let it be known that she barely remembers this dude. I mean, the last time she saw him, she was seven at the oldest; she also prefers to call him Ampelio instead of father when she mentions him throughout the book so his death is pretty easy to get over even though it's supposed to be her emotional catalyst into this entire story. So perhaps, then it's for character development and this will propel into rebellion and self-actualized destiny. But no to that as well.
Shortly after her father's death, Theo has a couple of bad dreams from "PTS" I presume from ruining her pretty dress (which is a legit line she says in the beginning of chapter 2). And then everything falls into her lap. She threw up on her romantic interest or the Prinz Søren, the Kaiser’s eldest son and heir, though after killing her father so she gets points for being likable there and only there.
Her childhood friend, Blaise, sneaks into the palace, despite intense security and Kaiser's “ever watchful eye” because he apparently "sees" everything. But there are multiple, if not, back to back occurrences where Theo is alone, and with Astrean people (which she’s not supposed to do), sneaking away, or plotting revenge. Which she almost always is, but she doesn't get caught of course because she talks through her teeth in a fake smile and is six feet apart from an Astrean so the guards can’t tell she’s talking about overthrowing their ruler. (This is sarcasm).
The biggest obstacle of this, the narrative claims, is the Shadows. They are apparently guards that follow her everywhere and can see into her room through walls? With powers or like wall slits or something, it was confusedly and weirdly explained but then her childhood friends sneak in, kill, and replace her Shadows so now she can run amuck and sneak around easier, as if she wasn’t already doing that. But throughout the whole book, she talks to these childhood friends-turned-Shadow-guards through the wall and they can see her change so she has to tell them to turn around but she can’t see them? A really freaking weird and unnecessary way to sexualize the protagonist. Oh and they throw in a token gay character casually with the cliché of “oh, Heron never really talks about himself, she realizes, 234 pages into the story. Who knew he had a life and personality?!”
Oh, and she has scars this entire time because of how often Kaiser supposedly whips her, which is only once in the book, by the way. It’s claimed she is healed by a hostage air Guardian and he only heals her so she isn’t dead but like the book explains she’s still in immense pain but she’s not because he healed her only a little or sped up the process? I DON’T FREAKING KNOW. But how many times does she wince in pain or is unable to do something due to these intense lashes? Like twice in the second half of the book. This is so pointless and meant to make her look strong but it’s a flop, boo.
All and all, this house-arrested queen has literally been doing whatever the f*ck she wants. Because although the Kaiser has her as his “prisoner," Theo is allowed to take dance classes, swim in the palace pool, and go to masquerade balls and wear fancy, revealing clothing. Doesn't sound like a prisoner to me, which is what her childhood friends-turned-Shadow-guards make fun of her for often which makes me dislike the protagonist even more because they’re right. Theo has yet to gain a backbone this entire book. Not to mention, she had a chance to escape the first night she found out Blaise got a job in the palace but she said she could get information out of the Kaiser but she didn’t. I think the only useful thing she did was save a small town from getting 100% killed and overthrown. They only got like 67% killed because Theo got to warn them. Big whoop.
Not to mention, Theo’s entire revenge and escape plot involves killing three people: the Søren (who she is supposed to trick into loving her for information?), Cress, and her dad, the Theyn. She can’t kill anyone but easily slaughtered her father? When it comes down to it, Theo hands the task down to a 13 year old Astrean, too eager to help her queen and prove herself. And Blaise is the only person throughout this book making some sense, advises against it, and then when he finally gives in (because in this book, Theo gets whatever she wants), he foreshadowing-ly states that the 13 year old is Theo’s responsibility so... OH I WONDER IF SHE’LL DIE AND I WONDER IF IT’LL BE THEO’S FAULT.
She does. And it is.
I took 5 pages of bulleted, single-spaced notes on EVERYTHING that confused me or didn't make any sense. Why is her new name Thora, so close to her real name, and not like Elizabeth or Dora just literally anything other than a spin on Theo? Why keep her alive and not just put her head on a spike in the middle of town square then publicly whip or kill any rebel caught? That would make the antagonist more ruthless, except he’s described as “lazy” and with a supposed beer belly. The Kaiser wants to marry Theo but that’s the biggest villain trope in the book. This does NOT make me root for you to overtake this guy. This is what I expected to happen. I don’t ever want to be able to predict your antagonist’s next steps. Also, the Kaiser doesn’t appear in a good chunk of the book, specifically in the middle. Found that a bit weird for an “all-watching” villain that makes you live in fear.
Theo constantly says the Kaiser and guards underestimate her and therefore, don’t care what she does but I just have a hard time believing that; and surprisingly, Theo eventually agrees with me because she’s even called “expendable” by another character, which just proves there’s legit no reason to keep her alive. At the end, we haphazardly discover one of her childhood friends-turned-Shadows is her cousin, and the famed pirate that helped a town only get 67% killed is Theo’s aunt. Theo’s mother’s twin sister. So… the sister would be the new Fire Queen, not Theo, who has been called “your Highness” this ENTIRE book. Theo’s aunt casually throws in (legit we are at the last five pages of the book now) that she “didn’t want it” and that palace life wasn’t for her, so don’t worry that plot hole was quickly covered up.
Not to mention, of course the Kaiser's handsome Prinz and heir to the throne is the romantic interest and the author tries to create a love triangle with the childhood friend-turned-Shadow-guard, Blaise, but they both fall flat. No matter what sad childhood story Sebastian tries to weave into their backstory, it's always ruined by a parent dying, going gem "mine mad" trope, or a repetition of how Theo knows this person. I think I can count on both hands how often Sebastian described Blaise like, "he laughed just liked how he laughed we were kids, running around the lily pond, dreaming of getting out of this crazy town," or “Søren looked just like his father, and all I see are the Astrean blood covering his ocean blue eyes and perfect jawline” or something stupid as if we weren’t reading the book. So the diction lacks hard in this book to say the least.
I think I've gotten my point across. LOL… she says four pages of rants later. I tried to include almost everything I found wrong with Ash Princess in this review because I disliked it that much. All in all, if you want a read that's easy, light-hearted, doesn't take you anywhere and comes with a ridiculous ending that in no way needs to fit the story, go ahead.
It's a trilogy so it'll definitely help you pass away the stay at home hours. I just think there's much better books out there, like Mary E. Pearson's "Remnants" trilogy with over 1,000 pages of a damn good, strong protagonist that I read in a month and a half. It combines politics, a love triangle, and an overthrow of a government and includes a magical "power" element PROPERLY into a fantasy novel that is believable and realistic and gives people and cultures their own life and language while also taking you on an emotional rollercoaster. But that’s another review…
I also just have a hard time listening to a story where white people complain about being a prisoner in their own home, having their culture, queen, and land overthrown and abused, when that's literally how the United States acquired the Islands of Hawai'i (look it up) and probably many other ingenious lands. I have nothing else to say about this book and if I did, it wouldn't be good.
My next read and review is "A Court of Frost and Starlight" by Sarah J. Maas. Hoping it's a better use of my quarantine time. Follow me on Instagram for more on when the next review is coming @Kayelina.
Thanks for making it this far. See you next time <3