Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

A LIGHTNING-FAST TALE OF LOYALTY,
LOVE, AND FINDING ONE'S DESTINY.
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 rebuild the kingdom ever since.
Orphaned as an infant during Winter's defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee. Training to be a warrior - and desperately in love with her best friend and future king, Mather - she would do anything to help Winter rise to power again. So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore their magic, Meira decides to go after it, only to find herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics - and to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

MY REVIEW

There is one thing that I need to tell all of you before I start this review: (ahem) I love Winter. I love the snow, the ice, the hot cocoa, making snowmen and snow angels, and most of all the peppermint and its cool feeling. I get very excited when I see a single flake of snow falling to the ground. Now that you know that, you understand my beginning interest in this series.

Fan art by rozette28 on tumblr
"Even the strongest blizzard starts with a single snowflake." -Sara Raasch, Snow Like Ashes

Beside all of that, I was really interested in the type of magic that the back of the book described, magic that could heal the wounded, make land rich and fertile, that could make soldiers confident and courageous in the face of battle. We get a lot about them in this book, a lot of history that makes the story inside it even more real, more immersive, and gives you a different look at magic itself. In summary, every kingdom's monarch has a different magical item, or conduit, that is only usable by the royal line's male or female heirs. However, conduits can only be wielded by an heir of the same sex as the first monarch, so if they were male, the conduit would only work if you were male too. I would love to talk about this the entire blog, but I can't tell you much more about it because of spoilers. So, let's take a look at the setting.

A map of Primoria, where the books take place.

In this world, there are two types of kingdoms, the Seasons, which only go through one season (Winter is full of lots of snow and ice, Spring is littered with tons of blooming flowers, etc.), and then there are the Rhythm Kingdoms who, just like us, go through each season every year. In the middle are the Rania Plains, a hot wasteland where everything is hard to grow except for the sun-scorched plants that already live there, which is where we find our main gal at the beginning of the book.

This is a picture of a Chakram, a weapon with origins in India, and Meira's weapon of choice.
It also takes a very special place on the cover of the book.

What I really love about Meira, the main character in this book, is no matter what obstacle she is pushed towards during the book, no matter how many people tell her "you can't do that", she fights back just as fiercely and ends up finding a way to do what she wants, and to be herself. There is a flame of hope in her that is never truly extinguished, which makes her a lot of fun to read. I know that a lot of you were a little thrown out of interest when the back said "desperately in love with her best friend and future king, Mather", but if you aren't into the kind of lovey-dovey books, there is still at least seventy-five percent of the book to enjoy, and their forbidden love doesn't come up too often.
I know that a lot of you will want to know more about Meira's love interest, but I'm afraid that saying any more would lead to unforgivable spoilers, so if you're that interested I'd recommend just reading it.

The next book in the series; Ice Like Fire.

All in all, if you love a book filled to the brim with vivid history, beautiful scenery, awesome magic, and a plot with a lot of twists and turns, what are you waiting for? Pick this up and start the adventure!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then: her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things, and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Snow Like Ashes is her debut book. It does not feature her hand-drawn pictures. (Awwww...) She can be found on the web at www.sararaasch.tumblr.com and on twitter at @seesarawrite.

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"The rays of the sun prickle my skin as I stare up into the blue sky, wincing at a particularly sharp stone under my back. This is the fourth time in the last twenty minutes that I've ended up on the ground, watching stalks of prairie grass billow around my head. My lungs heave and sweat beads down my face, so I stay on my back, basking in this moment of peace.
Mather bends into my line of sight, upside down over me, and I hope he attributes the sudden heat in my cheeks to exertion. No matter how many times he puts me on the ground, he never looks anything but handsome. He's the kind of good-looking that makes me physically ache, makes me stumble for chairs when I'm caught unawares. A few pieces of his white Winterian hair dangle by his cheek, the rest of the shoulder-length strands held together by twine. The leather breastplate stretched over his chest highlights the fact that he's spent most of his life using those muscles in combat training, and his arms are lean and uncovered but for brassards. Freckles trail all along his pale face, his neck, his arms, a testament to the blinding sun of Rania Plains.
"Best six out of eleven?" The hopeful note in his voice, as if he honestly believes that I have a chance at beating him, makes me cock an eyebrow.
I groan. "Only if the next six events can be ranged."
Mather chuckles. "I'm under strict orders to get you to win at least one sword match by the time William and the rest return."
I narrow my eyes and try to swallow the longing that rushes at me. Sir left with Greer, Henn, and Dendera on a mission to Spring while the rest of us stayed behind: Mather, the future king (who gets to go on the more dangerous missions because he's been trained since birth in the art of fighting); Alysson, Sir's wife (who has never shown the slightest skill in fighting); Finn, the other able-bodied soldier (Sir's rule - Mather always has to have a capable fighter to back him up); and me, the perpetually in-training orphan girl (who, despite six years of sparring practice , still "isn't good enough" to be trusted with the important assignments).
Yes, I've had to use some of my skills on food-scouting assignments, to fight off the occasional soldier or disgruntled citizen of one of the four Rhythm Kingdoms. But when Sir arranges missions to Spring, missions on which we'll be directly benefiting Winter instead of simply bringing back supplies for the refugees, he always has an excuse for why I can't go: the Spring Kingdom is too dangerous; the mission is too important; can't risk it on a teenage girl."

pages 2-3

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

See which season you are in this Epic Reads quiz!

See which Rhythm Kingdom you are in this Epic Reads quiz!

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

TWO MEN LOVE HER
THE WHOLE LAND FEARS HER
ONLY SHE CAN SAVE THEM ALL
In a world without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass (roll credits) but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she will be released from prison to serve as the King's Champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.
The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. And a princess from a faraway land will befriend her. But something evil dwells in the castle - and it's here to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival - and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

MY REVIEW

I'm sure some of you are salivating over that summary like I was when I first picked this book up, and I am more than happy to say that this book is everything that you would expect and more. The competition was interesting and when the murders started happening the story shot forward and I found myself reading chapter after chapter with no concept of what was going on around me.

A fan's interpretation of Celaena's unforgettable looks.

I immediately fell in love with the main character, Celaena Sardothien. She is witty, flirty, dangerous, and has a past that we only touch on in the first book. Not only that, but she has some qualities that I would describe as feminine, even though she had spent a year breaking her back in Endovier's mines. And to top it all off, no matter what she goes through she can always get back to smiling when the dirty work is done. She is such an interesting character, and to say that she attracts the most interesting people in the palace is an understatement.

A character profile for Dorian Havilliard, or the Prince.

First, let's talk about the Crown Prince. He's set up in the beginning as the spoiled Prince Charming who only wants Celaena to compete for him to go behind his father's back. However, the more you get to know him, the less he fits into the Prince Charming mold. He speaks against his father regularly, has some very awkward moments, and is willing to put aside his duty as a prince to be a better person over all. He is nothing at all like his father, the man who kills people in his sleep (just for fun). To be honest, it's surprising that he didn't come out to be just like his parents.

Here's some pretty good fanart of Dorian and Chaol (the Captain of the Guard) by deesney

Next, we have the Captain of the Guard, who is the one who escorts Celaena from the mines and into the Prince's presence, and then protects everyone else from the assassin's threat. He is very guarded, not only of the people that he is supposed to protect, but also of his own feelings. He tries to keep the Prince away from Celaena's affections because of her dangerous nature, and yet it seems that when he is around our assassin, he lets his thoughts and feelings show more and more. This makes him more and more interesting as you go on.

Some fanart of Celaena and Elena, Celaena's spiritual protection in this book

All in all, if you enjoy a book with witty comebacks, action and suspense, mysteries to be solved, then this is the book for you. Just make sure that you don't have anything too important to do while you read it.. ;)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series: Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, and Heir of Fire, and the series' prequel The Assassin's Blade. A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog.
www.sarahjmaas.com
www.facebook.com/throneofglass
@SJMaas

A LITTLE EXCERPT

""And you're Celaena Sardothien, Adarlan's greatest assassin. Perhaps the greatest assassin in all of Erilea." He studied her tensed body before he raised his dark, well-groomed brows. "You seem a little young." He rested his elbows on his thighs. "I've heard some rather fascinating stories about you. How do you find Endovier after living in such excess in Rifthold?"
Arrogant ass.
"I couldn't be happier," she crooned as her jagged nails cut into her palms.
"After a year, you seem to be more or less alive. I wonder how that's possible when the average life expectancy in these mines is a month."
"Quite a mystery, I'm sure." She batted her eyelashes and readjusted her shackles as if they were lace gloves.
The Crown Prince turned to his captain. "She has somewhat of a tongue, doesn't she? And she doesn't sound like a member of the rabble."
"I should hope not!" Celaena interjected.
"Your Highness," Chaol Westfall snapped at her.
"What?" Celaena asked.
"You will address him as 'Your Highness.' "
Celaena gave him a mocking smile, and then returned her attention to the prince.
Dorian Havilliard, to her surprise, laughed. "You do know that you're now a slave, don't you? Has your sentence taught you nothing?"
Had her arms been unshackled, she would have crossed them. "I don't see how working in a mine can teach you anything beyond how to use a pickax."
"And you never tried to escape?"
A slow, wicked smile spread across her lips. "Once."
The prince's brows rose, and he turned to Captain Westfall. "I wasn't told that."
Celaena glanced over her shoulder at Chaol, who gave his prince an apologetic look. "The Chief Overseer informed me this afternoon that there was one incident. Three months-"
"Four months," she interrupted.
"Four months," Chaol said, "after Sardothien arrived, she attempted to flee."
She waited for the rest of the story, but he was clearly finished. "That's not even the best part!"
"There's a 'best part'?" the Crown Prince said, face caught between a wince and a smile.
Chaol glared at her before speaking. "There's no hope of escaping from Endovier. Your father made sure that each of Endovier's sentries could shoot a squirrel from two hundred paces away. To attempt to flee is suicide."
"But you're alive," the prince said to her.
Celaena's smile faded as the memory struck her. "Yes."
"What happened?" Dorian asked.
Her eyes turned cold and hard. "I snapped."
"That's all you have to offer as an explanation for what you did?" Captain Westfall demanded. "She killed her overseer and twenty-three sentries before they caught her. She was a finger's tip from the wall before the guards knocked her unconscious."
"So?" Dorian said.
Celaena seethed. "So? Do you know how far the wall is from the mines?" He gave her a blank look. She closed her eyes and sighed dramatically. "From my shaft, it was three hundred sixty-three feet. I had someone measure."
"So?" Dorian repeated.
"Captain Westfall, how far do slaves make it from the mines when they try to escape?"
"Three feet," he muttered. "Endovier sentries usually shoot a man down before he moves three feet."
The Crown Prince's silence was not her desired effect. "You knew it was suicide," he said at last, the amusement gone.
Perhaps it had been a bad idea for her to bring up the wall. "Yes," she said.
"But they didn't kill you.""

pages 9-11

Well, that's all for now!

See you next year!

~Sea-Solo

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Today's review will be about:

THE SUMMARY

MARE BARROW'S WORLD IS DIVIDED BY BLOOD - 
those with red and those with silver. Mare and her family are lowly Reds, destined to serve the Silver elite whose supernatural abilities make them nearly gods. Mare steals what she can to help her family survive, but when her best friend is conscripted into the army she gambles everything to win his freedom. A twist of fate leads her to the royal palace itself, where, in front of the king and all his nobles, she discovers a power of her own - an ability she didn't know she had. Except... her blood is Red.
To hide this impossibility, the king forces her into the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks her new position to aid the Scarlet Guard - the leaders of a Red rebellion. Her actions put into motion a deadly and violent dance, putting prince against prince - and Mare against her own heart.
From debut author Victoria Aveyard comes a lush, vivid fantasy series where loyalty and desire can tear you apart and the only certainty is betrayal.

MY REVIEW

As you can imagine, when describing this book to others, you sort of have a hard time doing so. There are just too many elements to this story, just enough plot twists in it that sometimes you just end up saying "You just have to read it and figure it out." I figured out a way to describe this book in the simplest way possible, however. I describe it as a mix between Cinderella and X-Men. Now this isn't a perfect description because the people with powers aren't in hiding, but rule the entire government, and Mare's family doesn't hate her, only wish that she would find another way to make money other than stealing, but it allows for the person that you are talking to to get the basics of the story to ask more questions.

This is the cover of the next book in this series. Can't wait to read it! :)

Now that I've gone through the very basics of the story, let's talk about it. Despite my anti-romantic tendencies, the romance in this book didn't bother me at all. When Mare and a stranger met while she was stealing from him, at first glance I shipped them. (Meaning: to endorse a romantic relationship, for those of you less internet-savvy.) I sort of guessed who he was in the beginning, but I'm not going to tell you so that you can figure it out... ;)

This is a map of the kingdom where this story takes place. As you can see, it is set in a futuristic North America.

The whole point of this book, in my eyes, is that while Mare is in the palace, you and her get to discover who she can trust, and who she really can't. I had sort of figured out the main betrayal in the beginning, but I stayed around to see what that person would do. This is the mark of really good writing, because if you couldn't piece together the pieces on your own, or if the person (let's say) who committed the murder was nowhere on the suspect list in the first place, that would just make the reader really frustrated with you as a writer. A good writer, however, leaves little clues for both you, the reader, to figure out along with the character.

"Their blood is a threat, a warning, a promise. We are not the same and never will be."

Another thing - in front of the millions of cameras, in front of the Reds and all of the Silvers, Mare has to hide who she really is so that she isn't killed. A Red has never been seen with any kind of power, so the King and Queen force her to act as a Silver should. Her normal, comfortable clothes are replaced with silk and jewels, her conversation turned polite. Her skin is painted white to hide her Red identity, her hair pulled into fancy up-dos instead of just hanging around her face. A lot of us don't think about just how much work actually goes into being a royal, but this book makes it very clear that it is no walk in the park. Not even being born into it makes it easy.

"I see a world on the edge of a blade. Without balance, it will fall."

Now, there is a little love triangle (or at some point, a love square, where Mare has to pick between three guys), but it didn't bother me as much as it did in books like Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. The romance in this book isn't the main focus. Like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Mare is mostly just focused on surviving, or saving other Reds from the Silvers, which makes her a lot more interesting.

"I'm an accident. I'm a lie. And my life depends on maintaining the illusion."

Along with that, there is a resistance group who call themselves the Scarlet Guard, who are the first to try and fight back for the Red's enslavement to the uncaring Silvers. No one has ever done this before because the Silvers are terrifying. What hope would any of us have against someone with superhuman strength, or who can control the elements that are around you? Knowing all of that, they still fight back, and that makes them suicidal or brave, depending on your mindset. There is a secret, however, that could tip the balance in their favor, but you'll have to read the book to figure that out...

"Spoilers"

All in all, this book is amazing. There are plot twists that you will never see coming, characters that you will instantly distrust, fall in love with, and hate. There are quotes in this book that are really powerful, but I'm afraid that giving them to you would lead to spoilers, and we can't have that.

The question is this: When you are stuck between a rock and a hard place, between saving the helpless and silent, or saving yourself, would you rise, red as the dawn?

A LITTLE EXCERPT

"All I see is purple as I fall, the lightning shield rising up to meet me. It hisses with electricity, singeing the air. I barely have time to understand, but I know the veined purple glass will cook me alive, electrocuting me in my red uniform. I bet the Silvers will only care about waiting for someone to clean me off.
My head bangs against the shield, and I see stars. No, not stars. Sparks. The shield does its job, lighting me up with bolts of electricity. My uniform burns, scorched and smoking, and I expect to see my skin do the same. My corpse will smell wonderful. But, somehow, I don't feel a thing. I must be in so much pain that I cannot feel it.
But - I can feel it. I feel the heat of the sparks, running up and down my body, setting every nerve on fire. It isn't a bad feeling though. In fact I feel, well, alive. Like I've been living my whole life blind and now I've opened my eyes. Something moves beneath my skin, but it's not the sparks. I look at my hands, my arms, marveling at the lightning as it glides over me. Cloth burns away, charred black by the heat, but my skin doesn't change. The shield keeps trying to kill me, but it can't.
Everything is wrong.
I am alive."

Well, that's all for now!

See you next time!

~Sea-Solo

EXTRA! EXTRA!

Watch the music video for a song that was based off of this book!:

Listen to two songs that Victoria Aveyard say remind her most of Mare!:

Take this quiz by team Epic Reads to see what power you would have! (If you were a Silver)

Listen to Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen playlist from Spotify!
(She also has one for Glass Sword, the next book!)