Welcome to my tour stop for Out of the Ashes by Alicia Buck! This story was so fun. I loved it! Check out all the book and author info, my full review, and a giveaway below...
Out of the Ashes
by Alicia Buck
YA/NA Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Paperback & ebook, 288 Pages
September 8, 2015 by Sweetwater Books
Paperback & ebook, 288 Pages
September 8, 2015 by Sweetwater Books
Summary
When Ashelandra’s father dies, she ends up a servant in her own house, instead of the Baroness she was supposed to become. But Ash’s secret sorcery could be the key to winning back her home and following her heart to a future she never imagined. This fantasy-infused Cinderella story puts a magical twist on a classic tale. Riveting and original, it’s a spellbinding read.
My Review
I was expecting a Cinderella story from Out of the Ashes, and there is one, but there were enough twists and turns and depth that I really felt this story was its own. I loved the characters (even when I wanted them to have stronger backbones), the dialogue, the plot, and the way this romance blossomed over time and trials until it was love. It's the best way to tell a fairy tale.
Ashelandra, or "Ash," was a great main character. She had spunk, ingenuity, spirit, and was kind and intelligent. She mourned for the mother she never knew and her father that was so dear to her during his life. She could fit in with high society, but also be completely comfortable astride a horse or in the woods or the kitchen among the servants. She had her pride and her naivete that kept her from seeing the danger in her future. There was Prince Phillip who was pulled in by Ash's personality and wild beauty, but was blind to who she was and her situation. He was his own character in his own right and held his own in this story, and, more importantly, counter to Ash's character. There was Ash's uncle who was a dangerous villain and one that disclosed his true intent and hatred over time as he sought to cripple Ash and gain what he thought was his due. There was the timid cousin, Jane, and the prideful cousin James. There was the sorcerer Tioroso who appeared in and out of scenes. There were the servants who tried their best to help Ash while also keeping their necks.
I liked how the author could give much of a character even in small snatches so that you could picture them and feel like you knew them, at least a little. There were times when Ash wasn't always consistent or follow what her brain should have been telling her. Some of it had to do with the shock that she would even find herself in the situation that she did. It had never crossed her mind to face these trials and not be truly aided by a soul.
The story kept me engaged from the first chapter, when we meet Ash and her father after one of her pranks, to the very end. I found it endearing, while also feeling sorrow and anger for this girl who had lost everything thinking she still had something left and then to find that they wanted to take that from her as well. I loved the way she learned magic and her determination to do so, as well as her determination to help others. There was heartbreak, humor (with plenty of sparring, which I always thoroughly enjoy), danger, deception, friendship, magic, and romance. I really just loved this story! This is one book that I'll keep on my shelves and read again.
Content: Clean
Source: From tour host/NetGalley/ebooksforreview.com, which did not affect my review in any way.
Ashelandra, or "Ash," was a great main character. She had spunk, ingenuity, spirit, and was kind and intelligent. She mourned for the mother she never knew and her father that was so dear to her during his life. She could fit in with high society, but also be completely comfortable astride a horse or in the woods or the kitchen among the servants. She had her pride and her naivete that kept her from seeing the danger in her future. There was Prince Phillip who was pulled in by Ash's personality and wild beauty, but was blind to who she was and her situation. He was his own character in his own right and held his own in this story, and, more importantly, counter to Ash's character. There was Ash's uncle who was a dangerous villain and one that disclosed his true intent and hatred over time as he sought to cripple Ash and gain what he thought was his due. There was the timid cousin, Jane, and the prideful cousin James. There was the sorcerer Tioroso who appeared in and out of scenes. There were the servants who tried their best to help Ash while also keeping their necks.
I liked how the author could give much of a character even in small snatches so that you could picture them and feel like you knew them, at least a little. There were times when Ash wasn't always consistent or follow what her brain should have been telling her. Some of it had to do with the shock that she would even find herself in the situation that she did. It had never crossed her mind to face these trials and not be truly aided by a soul.
The story kept me engaged from the first chapter, when we meet Ash and her father after one of her pranks, to the very end. I found it endearing, while also feeling sorrow and anger for this girl who had lost everything thinking she still had something left and then to find that they wanted to take that from her as well. I loved the way she learned magic and her determination to do so, as well as her determination to help others. There was heartbreak, humor (with plenty of sparring, which I always thoroughly enjoy), danger, deception, friendship, magic, and romance. I really just loved this story! This is one book that I'll keep on my shelves and read again.
Content: Clean
Source: From tour host/NetGalley/ebooksforreview.com, which did not affect my review in any way.
About the Author
Alicia Buck was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on a cold November day and has hated the cold ever since. Luckily, she lives in the desert now with her husband, Jason, and three children. Alicia loves to read, and goes through book craze phases where she reads a book a day until guilt kicks in and she tries to do something productive like get back to work writing and fix the disaster her home has become. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s in English, and had to constantly defend her major when she had absolutely no desire to teach. Out of the Ashes is Alicia’s second novel.
Giveaway
ebook of Out of the Ashes
Provided by the publisher
Open internationally
Ends September 30th
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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