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ofpagesandink 's review for:
Ash Princess
by Laura Sebastian
This book didn't take the turn I thought it would. I was hoping it would give me some ideas on where to take a story of my own with a similar beginning plot line. It didn't. However, I still really enjoyed it. I think I mostly enjoyed the cultures she built for her world. I wouldn't go so far as to say world building considering we only ever see Astrea, but you get a taste for a new language and some trade stuff as well as religion. Being someone who has attempted to create a language for her stories, I applaud how beautiful hers came out. I know it's not easy.
I like how... twisted the plot is with the characters. I know that doesn't make the most sense but as I was reading, it was like being twisted together instead of strung. The people you thought weren't important characters gained importance. Characters only mentioned a few times played parts you weren't expecting. I liked that. I like the kind of things that come from the background to the forefront making you rethink everything you've read.
I liked Artemisia and her obvious dark history. I thought Cress was a very interesting character as the story went on. I didn't expect her character arch to take the turn that it had. I like that Heron is gay and I hope that she touches on that further because he's a good guy and deserves some love. Honestly, I hate Blaise. His character feels flat and like he was put there simply to build a love triangle so readers question who Theo is going to end up with.
I like Soren so much better. He's a complete mystery in the beginning and one you expect to turn out vicious like his father, but as you read you learn he's not like his father. He's barely even a Prince (Prinz). He's a sailor. He loves his ship and the sea. He enjoys being around sailors and cats. He likes to learn about other places and cultures. He doesn't care for violence like he was trained to be. He just sees it as a way to be more like his father, someone he knows he doesn't want to become.
Moving into spoilers here because I have some things to rant about so to recap before I get into it: Interesting world and culture, enjoyed characters, hate Blaise, Love Soren.
And Theo? Well, Spoilers.
Theo honestly pisses me off from the very beginning. The way she chooses survival over rebellion. He's using her as a pawn no matter what she does so at least she could fight. (However, I'm not sure I'd be strong enough to do the same in her position, but still...) Then she just turns on a dime, killing her father being the thing to make that change like... THAT was your last straw? Not the many times you were whipped? But having him make you kill your own father? Then there's the whole "Oh I'm falling for Soren" think followed by "Oh wait I think I like Blaise" followed by "No Soren" "Oh Blaise I'm in love with him" Like gurl, he's your childhood friend and nothing more. You know nothing about him from after the siege. You didn't even REMEMBER him until you saw him at the feast or banquet party whatever. Soren tried to comfort you after you killed your father. He showed you that any blood on his hands, he regrets and remembers. Like you he's done it to survive. He shows you something he's probably never shown anyone (well I mean like he's never taken them on the boat to just escape. He's probably shown it off to like Erik and his sailors) and he tries to learn your language, to give you that piece of your history. And he follows an order of his fathers that would've happened anyway considering he was leading his father's men on the attack (I mean he had his too, but not enough)? And you turn on him completely? What the hell Theo??
I like how... twisted the plot is with the characters. I know that doesn't make the most sense but as I was reading, it was like being twisted together instead of strung. The people you thought weren't important characters gained importance. Characters only mentioned a few times played parts you weren't expecting. I liked that. I like the kind of things that come from the background to the forefront making you rethink everything you've read.
I liked Artemisia and her obvious dark history. I thought Cress was a very interesting character as the story went on. I didn't expect her character arch to take the turn that it had. I like that Heron is gay and I hope that she touches on that further because he's a good guy and deserves some love. Honestly, I hate Blaise. His character feels flat and like he was put there simply to build a love triangle so readers question who Theo is going to end up with.
I like Soren so much better. He's a complete mystery in the beginning and one you expect to turn out vicious like his father, but as you read you learn he's not like his father. He's barely even a Prince (Prinz). He's a sailor. He loves his ship and the sea. He enjoys being around sailors and cats. He likes to learn about other places and cultures. He doesn't care for violence like he was trained to be. He just sees it as a way to be more like his father, someone he knows he doesn't want to become.
Moving into spoilers here because I have some things to rant about so to recap before I get into it: Interesting world and culture, enjoyed characters, hate Blaise, Love Soren.
And Theo? Well, Spoilers.
Theo honestly pisses me off from the very beginning. The way she chooses survival over rebellion. He's using her as a pawn no matter what she does so at least she could fight. (However, I'm not sure I'd be strong enough to do the same in her position, but still...) Then she just turns on a dime, killing her father being the thing to make that change like... THAT was your last straw? Not the many times you were whipped? But having him make you kill your own father? Then there's the whole "Oh I'm falling for Soren" think followed by "Oh wait I think I like Blaise" followed by "No Soren" "Oh Blaise I'm in love with him" Like gurl, he's your childhood friend and nothing more. You know nothing about him from after the siege. You didn't even REMEMBER him until you saw him at the feast or banquet party whatever. Soren tried to comfort you after you killed your father. He showed you that any blood on his hands, he regrets and remembers. Like you he's done it to survive. He shows you something he's probably never shown anyone (well I mean like he's never taken them on the boat to just escape. He's probably shown it off to like Erik and his sailors) and he tries to learn your language, to give you that piece of your history. And he follows an order of his fathers that would've happened anyway considering he was leading his father's men on the attack (I mean he had his too, but not enough)? And you turn on him completely? What the hell Theo??