As a lover of YA and fantasy novels, I am sometimes hesitant to pick up new series because I fear they are too familiar to others and I might end up comparing them...which ultimately affects my ability to enjoy them.
I am thrilled to say that while Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian has a familiar storyline, her compelling writing style and the depth of her characters really knocks this book out of the park. The story has us following a young Princess whose country has been stolen and who is forced to live under an abusive tyrant. We are brought along as Theodosia finds her nerve and readies herself to regain her rightful place, while also having to deal with extreme violence, relentless torture, heartbreaking loss, unexpected love, tenuous loyalties, and constant betrayal.
The characters in this story are well-developed and even though we experience them through a lens clouded with violence, we are still able to relate to them, love them, root for them, and even hate them. This book screams empowerment and has a young woman finally finding her voice and her strength to take back what is rightfully hers in order to carve a different future than the once she has been forced to accept. I loved how courageous and bad ass Theo was in the story.
While I initially struggled with this book as I got aquatinted with the setting and the characters, I later found myself unable to stop until I got to the end. I am now glad that I bought the entire trilogy and will soon be diving into the next book.
In the meantime I highly recommend this book to my fellow fantasy YA lovers.