A review by cassiecollins
The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

So, while this entry was just as well-written as the previous book, there were several choices the author made that I, personally, am not a huge fan of: a mid-series swap from single- to multi-perspective, introducing a never-before-mentioned MacGuffin, and resolving the main conflict with

not one but two deus ex machinas (especially considering the first book ended the same way)

. And, Raihn felt pretty flat as a character in this entry. His and Oraya's arcs parallel each other, so it's hard not to compare them and see that Oraya's is far and away the stronger and more dynamic of the two. Overall, though, I did still enjoy this and am looking forward to seeing the world of Obitraes expanded in future entries.