The Booktique

Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: October 14th 2014

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

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 who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

-Goodreads Description

Like so many of the books I've been reviewing this month, Snow Like Ashes is a book that I had been looking forward to reading for a very long time. The concept seemed unique and I could see Raasch writing being a similar kind of style as Sarah J.Maas's Throne of Glass series. This was enough of a push to get me started but the fantasy genre aspect to it really hit the nail on the head.The high-fantasy genre, as you can probably tell, has really captivated me recently and I just can seem to get enough of the captivating world-building and the action, not to mention the romance ;) So, I was excited when I was finally able to get my hands on this bad boy which I am happy to say succeeded in all the right ways. 

Despite my utter satisfaction, I will admit that this book is pretty long, 422 pages long to be exact and there was deemed to be at least some parts that felt dragging. The beginning, although advancing pretty quickly into the action stages, had some character development issues. Meira, the protagonist of the story, is a badass who can hold her own in any situation however her character can feel flat at the start. A particular peeve of mine was her constant need to state that she was meaningless and was not useful in any aspect that mattered in order to recapture their kingdom, Winter. Whilst I admire a humble attitude, the endless echoes of these thoughts were quick to get on my nerves. As the narrative progressed, I did find that this was minimized but it is something you have to deal with. Besides this tiny annoyance, I was really able to connect with her humorous charisma and her dedication to the cause. 

Whilst the summary might outline a love triangle, readers quickly realize that this is not quite so accurate.  Mather, the king of Winter, is Meira's age and has grown up with her his whole life. Little do they know, they both harbor feelings for one another. Just as they begin to recognize the potential of their mounting relationship, the group of refugees once again face threats which force them to flee. This leads her to meet Theron, a noble, intelligent and oh-so-handsome prince from a rhythm kingdom. 

Lastly, the concept of the seasons as kingdoms didn't sit with me very well at first. Not only did I view it as childish but quite dull :/ Buuuuuut, after reading the book, I can 100% assure you that it gets better with time, trust me :)

Great read with interesting characters and strong story line!
                                                                          - Alana, xxx