Kingdom of Ashes
3.5
2
5
1
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780062303578 |
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| Publisher: | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Publication date: | 01/24/2017 |
| Edition description: | Reprint |
| Pages: | 384 |
| Sales rank: | 800,569 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.20(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.70(d) |
| Age Range: | 14 Years |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Kingdom of Ashes
4 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
3 reviews.
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'Kingdom of Ashes' is the second book in an original and truly enchanting young adult fairy tale retelling series about Sleeping Beauty. The original spin that the author puts on the book is the continuation of the story - what happens after Sleeping Beauty wakes up. I'm really loving the fairy tale retelling trend that's going on lately. I adore the different twists and spins authors are putting into the stories - giving them new life and bringing them back into the reader's radar. As soon as I finished reading the first book in the series, I immediately wanted the second novel so I could continue on Aurora's journey. After loving the first installment, I had some really high hopes for this book because it sounded so different from everything else out there. I'm so incredibly glad to report that it not only lived up to my high hopes and expectations, but it far surpassed them. Every aspect of the novel is mesmerizing - the characters, the setting and world the author created, the plot itself, and so much more. I absolutely love the world that the author creates in the book (and series). It pretty much goes along with what the original story says - castles, royalty, kingdoms, etc. - and even the world Aurora wakes up to is incredibly realistic. The author uses a great amount of vivid imagery and detailed descriptions in every little aspect of the book, which makes it really come alive for the reader. I found myself slipping easily back into Aurora's world and didn't come back until the very last words of the book. It was incredibly easy to lose myself alongside Aurora during the story - I could basically see, hear, smell, and feel everything just as she does.
Aurora continues to be a fantastic main character for the book. She is a strong, opinionated, and determined woman who must make life-altering decisions and then live with the consequences of her actions. She's easy to identify with and I absolutely loved her right away. I enjoyed watching her character continue to change and grow throughout the book as she faces several difficult decisions and situations. The plot was exactly as advertised and all of the obstacles and problems that Aurora must face and go through - both good and bad. The last thing I want to talk about is the writing style. The author uses the third person point of view in the story, which normally is my least favorite style, because I don't feel as connected to the characters or as deeply involved in the story. However, I was able to connect with Aurora right away, just like in the first novel. I felt like I knew her as a person and, as I mentioned earlier, I could easily slip inside the world the author created. It takes true talent, in my opinion, to be able to transport a reader that deeply into the story, even using first person point of view - but to be able to write it with such clarity and intensity from a third person perspective is astounding. When I found out that the first book in the series was the author's debut, I seriously thought that my mind would explode. There's no way anyone would be able to read either of these books and know the first was a debut. The amount of raw talent and storytelling ability that this author has cannot - and should not - be overlooked. The novel was enchanting, thought provoking & wholly unique (as well as many other things). I absolutely LOVED this book & I can't recommend it highly enough!
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
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This was much stronger than the first one. It did drag for the first part of it, but then there were dragons and everything was better.
Aurora is intriguing in this book. She's got magic and I was kept interested in reading her learn how to control it. Finnegan is as much fun as before, possibly even more, and I loved their scenes together.
Did I mention there were dragons? Yeah, there are and they're awesome. Aurora's connection with them may have been the best part of the entire book.
The ending was satisfying, but I'm curious if there will be one more story. If there isn't, I'm good. If there is, I will absolutely read it.
**Huge thanks to Harper Teen and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
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***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Kingdom of Ashes by Rhiannon Thomas
Book Two of the A Wicked Thing series
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 23, 2016
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Asleep for a hundred years, awoken by a kiss, Aurora’s life was supposed to be a fairytale. But since discovering that loyalty to the crown and loyalty to her country are two very different things, Aurora knows she can only dream of happily ever after. Once the enchanted princess, savior of her people, she is now branded a traitor.
Aurora is determined to free her home from the king’s tyrannical rule, even if it means traveling across the sea to the kingdom of the handsome and devious Prince Finnegan—someone who seems to know far more about her magic than he should. However, Finnegan’s kingdom has perils of its own, and any help he gives Aurora will come at a price.
As Aurora and Finnegan work together to harness her power—something so fiery and dangerous that is as likely to destroy those close to Aurora as it is to save them—she begins to unravel the mysteries surrounding the curse that was placed on her over a century before…and uncover the truth about the destiny she was always meant to fulfill.
Brimming with captivating fantasy and life-threatening danger, the sequel to A Wicked Thing takes Sleeping Beauty on an adventure unlike any she’s ever had before.
What I Liked:
I actually liked this book, but I didn't like SOME things about it. I can't help but compare this book to its predecessor, A Wicked Thing. There were some things that were better addressed in this novel, but other things that were even poorer than in book one. Kingdom of Ashes is the second and final book in this duology - as is noted by the Publishers Weekly Rights Report.
Aurora is on the run, hunted by King John, hunted by her own people in Alyssinia. With the help of Nettle, a singer and spy for Vanhelm, Aurora flees to Vanhelm. There, the prince of Vanhelm helps Aurora learn about and practice her magic, which is wildly out of control. Aurora makes a deal with him - help her with her magic, and she'll rid Vanhelm of the dragons that threaten the kingdom. Aurora will learn more than just magic - she'll discover a century of truths and lies about her destiny.
Something that really worked for me in this book - Aurora is now less spineless and more, let's say, innovative, than she ever was. She goes to Vanhelm not because she has nowhere else to turn, but because she knows the Prince Finnegan can help her understand her magic. She's much more assertive and commanding in this book, much more decisive. There is a feminist quality to this book, and I was a fan of the growth of Aurora.
I also really liked seeing Finnegan grow. One of my complaints from A Wicked Thing was that Finnegan seemed very one-dimensional. That is not the case in this book. We get a lot of personal information about Finnegan, a lot of background knowledge that makes him seem a lot less one-dimensional. I liked seeing him unsure and sad, because usually all we saw from him was charm and flirtation and assurances. I love Finnegan's charm and whatnot! I think he is a wonderful male protagonist.
I liked that what I thought was a love triangle in the first book completely disappeared in this book.
Read the rest of my review on my blog, The Eater of Books! - eaterofbooks DOT blogspot DOT com :)
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