Series: Snow Like Ashes (bk. 1)
Genera(s): High Fantasy
Subjects: magic, seasons, winter, royalty, kingdoms,
adventure, war, princes and princesses, king and queens, warriors, rebellions,
slavery, orphans
Setting: The Kingdoms of Primoria
POV/Tense: 1st person POV, present tense:
Meira
Age/Grade Level: Teen
Length: 416 pgs.
HC/PB: Hardcover
List Price: $17.99
Publisher: HarperTeen: Balzer & Bray
Summary/ product description: “A heartbroken girl. A
fierce warrior. A hero in the making.
Sixteen
years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved,
leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for
freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting
for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever
since.
Orphaned
as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a
refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and
desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would
do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.
So when
scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s
magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers,
fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed
she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself
thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes
to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.”
My Review: This
extremely unique and thoroughly entertaining fantasy novel is a must read. I
did not wknow what to expect going into it, but I loved it! Meira is such a
funny, relatable character. She know’s she’s not perfect, but she is pretty
kickass with a chakram. Some people have compared her to Zena Warrior Princess
(which I never saw). Meira seems like any teenage girl who wants some guy to
love her and wants to do what she’s always dreamed of. (Her character voice/narration
reminded me of Alina Starkov and Rose Hathaway) She wants to be a warrior and
to know the kingdom that she came from. The king of Spring has destroyed that.
The world building was pretty amazing. Set in a world
that is completely different from our own, it’s complex and simple at the same
time. There’s a nice may inside the book drawn by the same person that did the
map in Exquisite Captive. There are four Season Kingdoms, (west to east)
Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring. Honestly, if I made this world I’d have the
season arranged in a circle with a mountain power source in the center so that
spring and summer where near each other instead of furthest away.
There are also four kingdoms that have normal rotating
season, know as the Rhythmus. Spring has an evil ruler, which is funny because
when you think of spring, it’s usually a happy time of year, but also usually
rainy or stormy. Winter (the usual least favorite season because horrible
driving conditions) has been taken over by spring and Winterians are in work
camps. Each kingdom has a magical conduit (object with power in it) and
winter’s was destroyed (a locket broken in half). There’s even more to this
world and you’ll find out once you read the book.
There’s also something major that you find out in the
book. About a character. I predicted this would happen from about page 100,
maybe sooner. It started as a hunch, but when it come to YA books these plot
twist hunches are always right for me. Obvious or un-obvious, it’s maybe
foreshadowing by the author, possible clichés or my psychic-ish ability to
predict what the author is going for (Like I did with Cinder, Shadow and Bone,
and recently, Messenger of Fear). I was happy because it makes this book even
more epic. I will not say what it is because I don’t want to spoil it but when
you anticipate it make the book more exciting.
Now it’s excited for book two (Prediction for sequel's title: Frost Like Fire, Ice Like Fire, Ice Like Flame). Anyways, it’s just
about winter. It’s November and it snowed already, so this could be the perfect
read for winter even when it’s not set in Winter. Fans of Shadow & Bone
(Grisha Trilogy), The Young Elites by Marie Lu, Incarnate by Jodi Meadows, Girl
of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, and others fantasy YA books may enjoy this.
Also Frozen and Once Upon a Time fans may like it because the wintery magic.
Cover Art Review: Love this cover. The Chakram made me
this it was a Japanese fantasy, but it’s high fantasy like The Young Elites or
Shadow & Bone. It’s metallic and really beautiful photos are used.
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