Rarely do I find a book that grabs me from the first page and holds me until the last - scrambling to look for pages that I will to magically appear. Devouring the acknowledgements - hoping to find a tiny hint of what's to come. Ash Princess did just this.
Laura Sebastian's debut novel is the first in a new trilogy about a young princess who's world is ripped from her. Theo was stripped of her family, her title and her name. Forced to live in her palace, not as the future queen, but as Lady Thora the Ash Princess - a title that was given as a mockery from the King who stole her throne - used as a surrogate, abused and beaten in front of her people in order to break their will. She is a girl, pushed to the brink of madness - when suddenly, an event forces her to reexamine her life and what she stands for. Feeling like every piece of her is broken, a nudge from an old friend and a reminder of who she is sends her on a path of quick wit, cleverness and courage that digs deep into herself.
If that doesn't make you want to read the book - do it anyways! HEHE! To start with, the cover is GORG! The simplicity of the cover was eye catching and hinted at meaning of the title. It's so hard to gush about this book without giving away spoilers, but I swear -- no spoilers here!
"Today is done, the time has come
For little birds to fly."
Normally, there are small signs that a novel is a debut - some kind of plot holes, characters aren't as developed as more experienced authors, sentence structure, etc. Laura blew this story away! The plot is driven and fast paced - while not being too fast. Every chapter held clues to what Theo/Thora was planning, foreshadowing was dropping like bomb. This is something I personally LOVE. So much of the thrill of reading is deciphering what the characters are really saying, what the author is trying to tell us underneath. From the prologue - starting the book off with a bang, all the way to the epilogue. Each chapter pulls you in, weaving you into the fabric of the story unfolding. First person is always a tricky POV for me but Laura was able to not only describe the world in a way that painted a picture, the emotions poured into Theo's thoughts enhance and submerge the reader deep within Theo, struggling and fighting with her.
There are a handful of characters in the story but each one plays a specific role. There were no extra characters seemingly there for fluff. Each person you meet along the way holds a piece of the puzzle, the next thought that helps Theo fight back from the oppression of her people. Friends new and old are crafted in a way that forces the reader to relate to them, to understand the trauma and hardships they have endured by the hand of the Kaiser.
The relationships in the novel are expertly crafted, a mix of fantasy and reality - the problems they face bringing consequences instead of sliding by the way side as many YA novels tend to do with conflicts - never coming to a resolution. Ash Princess explores these relationships; everything from family, friendship and love in a way that is believable and heart wrenching.
The final pull for me was the magnificent world that Laura Sebastian built. Every detail was important and yet felt as though she was simply my best friend, telling me a story of fantastic worlds that I could only dream of. I could feel cold stone of the palace, the warmth of the spiritgems and the pain of each lashing that she endured. The world of Astrea is a world I stepped into and was not ready to come back from.
Today is the official release of Ash Princess, and already I cannot wait for "Lady Smoke". I give this Young Adult High Fantasy Debut a solid FIVE STARS! Thank you Laura Sebastian for this thrilling story. I have no doubt Theo will stay with me for a long time to come. If you have not picked up a copy yet, DO IT NOW! :D
**WARNING THIS BOOK DOES ELUDE TO SEXUAL ASSAULT AND OTHER TRAUMAS**
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