Ash Princess

by Laura Sebastian

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $10.99

Hardcover: $18.99

Kindle: $10.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $26.95 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian was published in 2018 by Delacorte Press.

Page Count: 464 pages (paperback) 448 (hardcover) 441 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 13 hours 18 minutes

Chapters: N/A (Book is not divided into numbered chapters)

Languages: English (also available in the follow translations: Spanish and Portuguese)

Summary of Book:

“Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day the Kaiser took Theodosia’s family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess–a title of shame to wear in her new life as a prisoner.

For ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She’s endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside.

Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn’t always won on the battlefield.

For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here” -Delacorte Press

Author Biography:

“Laura Sebastian grew up in South Florida and attended Savannah College of Art and Design. She now lives and writes in New York City. Ash Princess is her first novel. To learn more about Laura and her books, follow @sebastian_lk on Twitter” -Delacorte Press

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

I purchased this book during the crazy and frightening Black Friday sale at Barnes and Nobel. What drew me to it was the interesting cover. I saw it and something about it caught my eye. I saw a troubled throne, a fallen one. And after reading the synopsis, I realized that is exactly what this story is. I did not hesitate in purchasing this novel.

This novel reminded me of a series I recently read, the Snow Like Ashes series by Sarah Raasch. As I was reading it, I saw that the struggle this character goes through is similar to Raasch’s character. I absolutely loved the Snow Like Ashes series, so as I read more, I fell more and more in love with this story. This story was full of tough decisions, and I just grew anxious to know what the Ash Princess, Theodosia, would do. How would she redeem her family, her thrown, and her people?

To me, Ash Princess was a hit! It kept me wanting more and more. The fallen kingdom Sebastian creates and the Ash Princess’ fight for her people is riveting and drew me in. I wanted to know what would happen to Theo and to those around her. I wanted to know what she would do. Who does she truly love? That is, if she even has time to think of love with everything that is going on in her life. After years of torture and pain, the Ash Princess grows courage, and I cannot wait to see what is in store for her and her people. I will anxiously await Sebastian’s sequel to Ash Princess, Lady Smoke, which is set to release in February 5, 2019.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Saskia Maarleveld

Maarleveld does an magnificent job! Her narration drew me in from the start, and I felt she captivated Sebastian’s Ash Princess and her attitude and emotions effectively. I did have to read at more than a 1.5 speed. 1.0 was too slow for me, and was quite dreadful. At 1.25 speed, Maarleveld’s narration is about the speed I read, so I enjoyed it at that speed the most. However, I did want to get through it quicker so I read it a faster listening speed. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.75 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Ash Princess Series

• Ash Princess
• Lady Smoke