A review by popthebutterfly
A Curse of Ash and Embers by Jo Spurrier

4.0

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Curse of Ash and Embers

Author: Jo Spurrier

Book Series: Tales of the Blackbone Witches Book 1

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: paranormal, fantasy, magic

Publication Date: November 3, 2018

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: 17+ (child abuse TW (emotional, verbal, physical), domestic violence, misogyny, dissociation, suicide TW, gore, death, violence, kidnapping TW)

Publisher: Voyager

Pages: 368

Synopsis: A dead witch. A bitter curse. A battle of magic.

Some people knit socks by the fire at night. Gyssha Blackbone made monsters.

But the old witch is dead now, and somehow it's Elodie's job to clean up the mess.

When she was hired at Black Oak Cottage, Elodie had no idea she'd find herself working for a witch; and her acid-tongued new mistress, Aleida, was not expecting a housemaid to turn up on her doorstep.

Gyssha's final curse left Aleida practically dead on her feet, and now, with huge monsters roaming the woods, a demonic tree lurking in the orchard and an angry warlock demanding repayment of a debt, Aleida needs Elodie's help, whether she likes it or not.

And no matter what the old witch throws at her, to Elodie it's still better than going back home.

Review: Overall, I liked the book. The book was very atmospheric and perfect for the Halloween season! The book had witches and darkness and  things that go bump in the night! The characters were likeable and well developed. The world building was amazingly well done. I liked this book!

The only issues I had with the book is that the pacing was a bit too slow in my opinion and the plot was a bit hit or miss in places. Sometimes I got fed up with the book and had to walk away from it. The book also talks about a lot of very tough subjects and it’s a really hard read, especially for someone like me who has somewhat thick skin.

Verdict: It was good!