A review by laurenleigh
The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is actually hovering around a 3.75 if I did quarter stars...maybe I will in 2025! I loved the first book so much, and this didn’t deliver as strongly. The plot dragged for too long in the beginning, and I needed more action or at least something to move us forward. The structure of the trials from book one really helped the pacing, and that was missing here. I still plan to continue the series, since the next two books focus on new characters. I like Oraya and Raihn, but I think their story has played out.