Review: Snow Like Ashes - Sara Raasch

Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication: 10/14/14 by Balzer + Bray
Series: Snow Like Ashes Series
Pages: 416 Pages
Format: Library Audiobook
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
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Goodreads Summary: 
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.


My Thoughts: 
I absolutely loved Snow Like Ashes! I haven't been so excited about a book for a long time. The story was beautifully crafted and I loved the world this took place in. I really enjoyed the combination of the rhythm kingdoms and the season kingdoms, it added a lot of depth to the story. Tension and political intrigue is present between all the kingdoms adding a whole extra element to the story. Winter had been enslaved by the Spring Kingdom. So you really feel for the Winterians' and throughout the book I had no idea how they'd be rescued from slavery.

Meira was an awesome main character. She didn't have the "I'm so special" main character complex which I appreciated. She was strong, brave and just wanted to mean something to Winter. It was interesting to see her internal struggles to feel connected to a kingdom she had never really known. This book does however have a slight love triangle, however it is one that makes sense. I am not sure how this will play out in the rest of the trilogy but I hope it never becomes the prominent story line. Both of these boys however are very swoon worthy. Prince Theron is the charming, gentleman you dream of sweeping you off your feet and making you a Princess.

The ending was fantastic. It wrapped things up in this story but leaves so much open to happen in the following books. I don't know how the sequel is going to play out but I already have it pre-ordered! I am dying to know what's going to happen to these characters and their kingdom.

Conclusions: Clearly, I loved this book. It easily became one of my favourites this year. If you are a fan of fantasy, seriously try this one out. It's got great characters and amazing world building. Read it!

Review: Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Genre: YA Paranormal
Publication: 08/04/15 by Putnam Juvenile
Series: Rebel Belle Series
Pages: 345 Pages
Format: Library Hardback
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
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Goodreads Summary: 
Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.
Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him—and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

My Thoughts:
I had Rebel Belle on my TBR sine I heard people talk about it at the end of last year so when I saw it at my library I jumped on it. This was definitely an interesting story and one that I hadn't really read before (aside from the regular YA tropes). However in the end, there was lots of things that I liked about this book and at the same time there were a lot of just meh parts.  

So what did I like, I really enjoyed the use of Paladins. It was something original that I hadn't seen before. But what I didn't enjoy was the use of all the YA tropes and stereotypes. Sure, Harper wasn't a bad character but I've seen her character before. The seemingly perfect girl in high school who can do everything all at once and still remain awesome. I am tired of this character. She isn't bad, but I'm just over it right now. 

Now, the sequence of events was fast paced and interesting. I liked that it takes part during cotillion. I don't know a lot about the tradition besides what was portrayed in the movie She's The Man, 

So essentially nothing but I still find it interesting. What girl doesn't want to dress up in a gorgeous dress and be escorted by a gorgeous guy? And there are gorgeous boys in this book. I am a sucker for nerds, and David Stark sounds like my kind of guy. The romance involved is awesome and gave me some of the warm fuzzies. I find it hard to connect to a lot of YA romances but I liked this one. 

Conclusions: It was fun, interesting and pretty entertaining. I wasn't blown away by any means but I had a good time reading this one. Essentially, it was just the stereotypes/cliches that put me off a bit. Maybe I'm just getting tired of YA (OH NO). But in the end, not too shabby. I am planning on continuing this series but the second book isn't getting the best reviews. Sigh. But I wouldn't let that turn you away from this one.