In a Nutshell:
Rebellion, romance and an imprisoned princess set on revenge
This ambitiously epic fantasy debut sees a captive princess rise from the ashes of her traumatic childhood to combat a cruel Kaiser. At the tender age of six Theodosia witnessed the brutal murder of her mother, the Queen of Flame and Fury. Now, ten years on, and backed deeper into a no-hope situation by the cruel Kaiser who’s forced her to live in a degraded state as the Ash Princess, Theodosia is driven to concoct a scheme to exact her revenge. With the assistance of a band of magical rebels she will seduce the Kaiser’s son and ruin him from within in order to reclaim the throne.
While this motif is far from new, the writing is bold and fresh, and this promising debut sparkles with Theodosia’s drive and desire. But, while she’s a straight-talking, sharp-thinking young woman, her lively first-person narrative also reveals hidden fears, doubts and personal conflicts which, alongside the gory grimness of the political climate (slavery, brutal colonisation) and a backdrop of elemental gods, makes for a riveting reading experience that comes recommended for fans of Sarah J Maas and Victoria Aveyard.
| Primary Genre | Young Adult Fiction |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
They killed her mother the Queen in front of her and made her stab her own father. She has lived in the palace with the ruthless Kalovaxians who conquered her kingdom for years, enduring the insults.
They took her mother, her childhood innocence and even her name from her, but now she is fighting back. Plotting escape, revenge and freedom for her people she is determined to one day become the true queen of her own lands. She will need guile and cunning, a handful of true friends and a streak of ruthlessness herself to defeat the Kaiser who no one dare defy. As the sovereign, she feels responsible for the safety of her people who are now dying as slaves in the mines and she is burdened with guilt over not being able to help them. Her loyalties are tested though as her only friend is the daughter of the Kaiser’s right hand man and then, against her own reason she falls in love with the Kaiser’s son. How far is she prepared to go,... Read Full Review
A powerful and thrilling fantasy, Ash Princess kept me on the edge of my seat with its brilliant storyline, complex characters and exciting plots. I absolutely loved it! Ten out of ten!
‘Ash Princess’ is a thrilling and dramatic fantasy novel, about Theodosia Houzzara, the Ash Princess.
Ten years ago, her country, Astrea, was invaded by the Kalovaxians and Theo's mother, the Queen, was murdered in front of her, when she was only six years old.
Now the Kaiser, leader of the Kalovaxians, rules over a fearful and broken Astrea, and Theo has become the Ash Princess; a living joke. The Kaiser took her freedom, enslaved her people, even changed her name to Lady Thora. Theo lives in fear and pain, and most Astreans now work in the dangerous mines, where, after some time, they inevitably go mine-mad and die.
Theo has given up all hope of escape, until a trio of Astrean rebels, all with powerful magical gifts, help her concoct a plot that might just set her free.... Read Full Review
From the start of it I was instantly enthralled and desperate to read more of it. The characters are so good, it’s like the author has actually carved them from human emotion.
As an indicator of how good this book is I read all 419 pages in under a week.
From the start of it I was instantly enthralled and desperate to read more of it. The characters are so good, it’s like the author has actually carved them from human emotion. The plot is so good too, it had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through! And the way the author describes some scenes, it had me crying, holding my breath in worry, and grinning from ear to ear.
The story is told in the first person, from Theodosia’s perspective. A young lady in the court of the Kaiser, dubbed unceremoniously the ‘Ash Princess’.... Read Full Review
