Book Review: Snow Like Ashes

Title: Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1)
Author: Sara Raasch
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: October 14, 2014
Genre: Young Adult // Fantasy
Format: Physical Copy
Source: Purchased (Amazon)


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).



Snow Like Ashes boats a beautiful world with magic and mystery. While I enjoyed it, I think the amount of hype had my expectations a tad bit too high. 

Plot: I read this book for my Black Friday read-a-thon and managed to finish it within 4 hours. The writing captivated me and I wanted to know more about this world that Sara Raasch had constructed. I was a bit disappointed because I called the "plot twist" on page 56 (I don't know why I remember that, but I did). 


Characters: I wanted to love Meira, because who doesn't love a badass who isn't afraid to maim (or kill)? Unfortunately, I didn't feel connected to her in anyway, and that goes for all of the characters. The romantic interests fell flat for me as did the Big Baddy Spring. There is so much that I want to know about all of the characters. I did appreciate that the love triangle was very light, it was almost nonexistent really, but I'm sure it'll become more prominent in future books.

World Building: The idea of lands built on seasons fascinated me. I loved how everyone was described and how each land had its own motivation. I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were other lands in addition to the Seasons. The Rhythms added to the strain and it was interesting to see how everyone had their own end goal.

Short N Sweet: Snow Like Ashes was a decent read, but I didn't feel any connection to any of the characters. Hopefully my mind will change with future installments.


Labels: , , , , ,