ASH PRINCESS by Laura Sebastian

Which cover do you like better? UK (on the left) vs. US (on the right):




















I kind of LOVE both of them! I'm not sure I can choose! Here's my review:

Opening line:
"The last person who called me by my true name was my mother with her dying breath."

This was a fast and addictive read. I didn't want to stop reading because I wanted justice for those who bore the slaves shackles and whips. I wanted the king to fall, the imprisoned princess to win and the prince to do something about all of it.
There is a lot of hurt, pain, lying, and grimness in this story.
I wanted to see a little bit more from Thora, or the Ash Princess. There was a lot explained away about magic and why this person was kept alive or why this one was killed. Basically, the king is evil.
I wanted to see more from the prince. A lot more, dang it. Actually, I'd like to see more from all the main characters...

For the sensitive reader: fighting, whippings, talk of rape, sexual innuendos and unwanted touches, slavery, abuse (mental, physical, emotional), killings. wars.

Thanks to netgalley for the early read!


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 bear 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.