Lady Smoke - Book Review

Lady Smoke (Ash Princess Trilogy #2)
by Laura Sebastian

What is it about:
The Kaiser murdered Theodosia's mother, the Fire Queen, when Theo was only six. He took Theo's country and kept her prisoner, crowning her Ash Princess--a pet to toy with and humiliate for ten long years. That era has ended. The Kaiser thought his prisoner weak and defenseless. He didn't realize that a sharp mind is the deadliest weapon.

Theo no longer wears a crown of ashes. She has taken back her rightful title, and a hostage--Prinz Soren. But her people remain enslaved under the Kaiser's rule, and now she is thousands of miles away from them and her throne.

To get them back, she will need an army. Only, securing an army means she must trust her aunt, the dreaded pirate Dragonsbane. And according to Dragonsbane, an army can only be produced if Theo takes a husband. Something an Astrean Queen has never done.

Theo knows that freedom comes at a price, but she is determined to find a way to save her country without losing herself.

What did I think of it:
This is a worthy sequel to Ash Princess.

I loved the overall story and the intrigue. So many people want things from Theo for many different reasons. It's unclear who she can trust and who will stab her in the back if she is not careful. I will say that although Theo acts smart most of the time, she is also a bit dense at times. With the danger she is in I would have expected her to be a lot more careful than she is.

The love triangle drama that started in Ash Princess is far from over: Soren and Dingus (yeah, I totally can't remember his name, which might tell you who my favorite of the two is) are in a pissing contest to win Theo's attention and heart, and Theo is angsting over who she likes best while also shopping for a husband elsewhere. The whole love mess is the least interesting part of the story I will confess. I hope Dingus gets dumped soon.

I love the relationship between Theo and Artemesia, one of her advisors and her cousin. Artemisia is not used to having friends and is wary of showing her feelings. I loved seeing the trust and friendship between the two of them grow over the course of the book. I'm rooting for them to be best friends and inseparable by the end of this trilogy.

All in all this story is full of intrigue, difficult decisions, and danger. Some really cool things happen, and the ending left me eager for the next book. I need to know what will happen next. You bet I'll get my trotters on the last book once it releases.

Why should you read it:
It's a cool YA Fantasy read.


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Ash Princess - Book Review

Ash Princess (Ash Princess Trilogy #1)
by Laura Sebastian

What is it about:
Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Queen of Flame and Fury, was murdered before her eyes. Ten years later, Theo has learned to survive under the relentless abuse of the Kaiser and his court as the ridiculed Ash Princess.

When the Kaiser forces her to execute her last hope of rescue, Theo can't ignore her feelings and memories any longer. She vows revenge, throwing herself into a plot to seduce and murder the Kaiser's warrior son with the help of a group of magically gifted and volatile rebels. But Theo doesn't expect to develop feelings for the Prinz.

Forced to make impossible choices and unable to trust even those who are on her side, Theo will have to decide how far she's willing to go to save her people and how much of herself she's willing to sacrifice to become Queen.

What did I think of it:
The plot of this book sounded cool enough to give it a try, although I will confess I expected it to be just another fluffy YA Fantasy that only hints at horrors and is actually all about the romance.

And I was pleasantly surprised.

Theodosia has been humiliated, whipped, and almost broken. She learned to keep her head down to survive. Then she is forced to execute a rebel and she has had enough. She starts to plot how to escape, and how to get revenge of what is done to her and her country.

I loved how Sebastian doesn't pull any punches: people die, Theo has to make truly difficult choices, and has to decide where she draws the line. How far will she go for herself and her people? And when she starts to get feelings for the Prinz that adds to her growing burden.

The story is suspenseful and I could really understand Theo and why she makes certain decisions. She is well aware what might happen to her when the Kaiser discovers she is plotting a rebellion, so when she at times wants to take the easy route instead of sticking to the plan she and her allies made I couldn't fault her for it. She has a great sense of self-preservation, and when she goes against that instinct it makes her all the more brave in my opinion. As the story develops she grows into her new found courage and I rooted for her to succeed in her plans.

It almost wouldn't be a YA without a love triangle, so of course there's another boy Theo falls for as well. I will admit that although I could understand this love interest in his feelings towards the empire, I didn't like him and Theo together. Where I could understand the attraction between Theo and the Prinz, the attraction between the other love interest and Theo felt... unequal. It felt like Thea had to conform to what he thought she was, instead of him liking her for who she really is. She might not be herself when with the Prinz either, but because of the game she is playing she is in control, where with her other beau she has to submit. Maybe it's just me, and I'm rooting for the wrong guy once again.

The end of the book brought some revelations that promise lots of action, more difficult decisions, and more heartache in the next book, so you bet i'll be getting my trotters on it as soon as it releases.

Why should you read it:
It's a YA Fantasy full of intrigue.


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