Scan barcode
A review by thecozykay
Ashvale: The Vampire's Thrall: a spicy vampire suspense by Jade Church, Jade Church
4.0
╰► 4/5
it’s been awhile since i’ve read any sort of vampire book, and this did NOT disappoint! in this story, jade church takes the supernatural and school/academy tropes and merges them into a fantastic novel of compelling world-building, fun characters, thrilling mystery and steamy romance!
the main relationship is a little slow burn, but i’m enjoying how it’s simmering! i feel there’s still a long way to go with these characters and i am eagerly anticipating how this will develop in the next book!
the school setting itself is not dissimilar from other novels with the same trope, but jade takes the idea of a vampire training school and turns it into something of real character. leonora is a really active protagonist, and we start to sympathise to her cause from very early on in the book. she’s a fish out of water in this brand new environment, fighting to prove she’s something in a world where she can’t even truly remember who she is. i’m often not a fan of the ‘amnesia’ trope, but i do really feel it works well here.
the other students within the school felt slightly cliché to me (especially the girl bully who soon becomes an ally), but it wasn’t necessarily bad to read. i liked that leonora became something of a leader during her so-far short time at the school, really stepping up to help her fellow students when the teachers were failing them.
i’m intrigued to see where the supernatural ‘lore’ in this book will go, as there’s a lot of groundwork and foreshadowing that has been laid (this is a spoiler free review, but you’ll understand what i mean when you read it!). i liked the addition of other supernatural elements other than vampires (like magic and werewolves, which are always a bonus when writing in this specific genre).
overall, i really enjoyed this book and i am impatiently awaiting the sequel!!
Merged review:
╰► 4/5
it’s been awhile since i’ve read any sort of vampire book, and this did NOT disappoint! in this story, jade church takes the supernatural and school/academy tropes and merges them into a fantastic novel of compelling world-building, fun characters, thrilling mystery and steamy romance!
the main relationship is a little slow burn, but i’m enjoying how it’s simmering! i feel there’s still a long way to go with these characters and i am eagerly anticipating how this will develop in the next book!
the school setting itself is not dissimilar from other novels with the same trope, but jade takes the idea of a vampire training school and turns it into something of real character. leonora is a really active protagonist, and we start to sympathise to her cause from very early on in the book. she’s a fish out of water in this brand new environment, fighting to prove she’s something in a world where she can’t even truly remember who she is. i’m often not a fan of the ‘amnesia’ trope, but i do really feel it works well here.
the other students within the school felt slightly cliché to me (especially the girl bully who soon becomes an ally), but it wasn’t necessarily bad to read. i liked that leonora became something of a leader during her so-far short time at the school, really stepping up to help her fellow students when the teachers were failing them.
i’m intrigued to see where the supernatural ‘lore’ in this book will go, as there’s a lot of groundwork and foreshadowing that has been laid (this is a spoiler free review, but you’ll understand what i mean when you read it!). i liked the addition of other supernatural elements other than vampires (like magic and werewolves, which are always a bonus when writing in this specific genre).
overall, i really enjoyed this book and i am impatiently awaiting the sequel!!
it’s been awhile since i’ve read any sort of vampire book, and this did NOT disappoint! in this story, jade church takes the supernatural and school/academy tropes and merges them into a fantastic novel of compelling world-building, fun characters, thrilling mystery and steamy romance!
the main relationship is a little slow burn, but i’m enjoying how it’s simmering! i feel there’s still a long way to go with these characters and i am eagerly anticipating how this will develop in the next book!
the school setting itself is not dissimilar from other novels with the same trope, but jade takes the idea of a vampire training school and turns it into something of real character. leonora is a really active protagonist, and we start to sympathise to her cause from very early on in the book. she’s a fish out of water in this brand new environment, fighting to prove she’s something in a world where she can’t even truly remember who she is. i’m often not a fan of the ‘amnesia’ trope, but i do really feel it works well here.
the other students within the school felt slightly cliché to me (especially the girl bully who soon becomes an ally), but it wasn’t necessarily bad to read. i liked that leonora became something of a leader during her so-far short time at the school, really stepping up to help her fellow students when the teachers were failing them.
i’m intrigued to see where the supernatural ‘lore’ in this book will go, as there’s a lot of groundwork and foreshadowing that has been laid (this is a spoiler free review, but you’ll understand what i mean when you read it!). i liked the addition of other supernatural elements other than vampires (like magic and werewolves, which are always a bonus when writing in this specific genre).
overall, i really enjoyed this book and i am impatiently awaiting the sequel!!
Merged review:
╰► 4/5
it’s been awhile since i’ve read any sort of vampire book, and this did NOT disappoint! in this story, jade church takes the supernatural and school/academy tropes and merges them into a fantastic novel of compelling world-building, fun characters, thrilling mystery and steamy romance!
the main relationship is a little slow burn, but i’m enjoying how it’s simmering! i feel there’s still a long way to go with these characters and i am eagerly anticipating how this will develop in the next book!
the school setting itself is not dissimilar from other novels with the same trope, but jade takes the idea of a vampire training school and turns it into something of real character. leonora is a really active protagonist, and we start to sympathise to her cause from very early on in the book. she’s a fish out of water in this brand new environment, fighting to prove she’s something in a world where she can’t even truly remember who she is. i’m often not a fan of the ‘amnesia’ trope, but i do really feel it works well here.
the other students within the school felt slightly cliché to me (especially the girl bully who soon becomes an ally), but it wasn’t necessarily bad to read. i liked that leonora became something of a leader during her so-far short time at the school, really stepping up to help her fellow students when the teachers were failing them.
i’m intrigued to see where the supernatural ‘lore’ in this book will go, as there’s a lot of groundwork and foreshadowing that has been laid (this is a spoiler free review, but you’ll understand what i mean when you read it!). i liked the addition of other supernatural elements other than vampires (like magic and werewolves, which are always a bonus when writing in this specific genre).
overall, i really enjoyed this book and i am impatiently awaiting the sequel!!