Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes Series #1)
4.2
51
5
1
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780062286932 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Publication date: | 09/15/2015 |
| Series: | Snow Like Ashes Series , #1 |
| Pages: | 448 |
| Sales rank: | 55,437 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 1.01(d) |
| Age Range: | 14 - 17 Years |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Snow Like Ashes
4.2 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
53 reviews.
 |
I wanted to read this one because I enjoyed Throne of Glass and have been looking at other YA fantasies that catch my interest. The forbidden love aspect as well as how hardcore and strong Meira sounds. The cover also caught my eye, and then I read more of the synopsis and liked the way the world building with the different kingdoms and their quest to restore a broken one and regain their magic sounded like an adventure that I could get into.
I liked Meira right away and identified with her trying her best to impress as well as make a difference. Now, I am not a strong warrior or very brave, but I enjoy reading about characters who are. The political aspect got started pretty quickly and we saw the kingdom of Winter, where Meira is from broken, but fighting hard to restore their name. After a victory though they are left still wondering how they will complete the rest of their mission of restoring magic and gaining back their land.
Enter Cordell, where alliances will be made, but Meira will be put into a position that she never thought... But still in a position to help her people the Winterians. She just has to figure out how to accept her new place and how she can achieve the goals of the people without losing herself.
So... There is a setup for a love triangle of sorts, and while I won't talk much about it, I am less than halfway through when writing this paragraph so I will discuss a bit without being spoilerish. I obviously don't know how this will play out and if one of the legs of the triangle may end up being a non-issue in this one or future books. But right away we see how she is attracted to Mather, the next in command after his father and the one who has had a hand in raising Meira. Mather is a nice guy, and he is strong and kind. But I only ever got the attraction and the forbidden draw. I didn't have a good feeling of how deep the attraction between them went before Theron entered the scene. I ended up really liking what I saw of him because he is the one that shows Meira how while he feels like a puppet at times, he manages to do his duty, but still cultivating the parts of him that he would rather do instead of battle and history and leading... art and reading and writing. He does it, maintaining who he feels inside with what he must do. He always treated Meira with respect and kindness, and he let her into his beneath the surface. The royalty who talks to the servants and cares about their day to day. The man who trains and fights, but also writes poetry. I feel like I got more of his depth, and I feel like them being together is something that seems like it has to happen, but there is also attraction between them.
So much happened after the setup that I didn't take another break to write anything down until I was finished. Meira grows a lot in this one and the visions that she has developed into something that I started to suspect. It didn't take away any enjoyment that I saw it coming, I still had to see how Sara would write it and how it would play out.
Duty and loyalty and sacrifice are all huge themes in this one, and we get to see quite a few young selfless leaders in this one following an example of a surprise character in Meira's dream/visions. This is in sharp contrast with some of the leaders that are currently in place, they are all worthy of some beat down and eye opening on how they are really acting.
I enjoyed where this one ended, but I am surely excited to keep reading this series, because I know of several threads that while wrapped up for this book, I can't wait to see how they are going to progress and play out.
Bottom Line: Great beginning to a new YA fantasy series with a great main character and interesting set-up for the romance.
|
|
This book is too hard for me to simply slap a star rating on.
I'm going to switch things up for this review.
The Good:
The action.
There is plenty of action in this book to pull you in. It's well written and it really adds to the feel of the story.
The characters.
You won't find any Mary Sues in Snow Like Ashes. These characters are flawed and lovable in their own ways. Meira especially stands out as a strong main character. Some people may not agree with me because she had her moments. But I'd rather have a character who has very real flaws than a Mary Sue. I enjoyed her and her strength a lot. She makes for the perfect female lead in a high fantasy!
The Bad:
The love triangle.
Yep. You read that right. There's a budding love triangle. Just not my thing, ya'll.
The In-between:
The world building.
Okay. Let me say this up front: Sara Raasch has crafted an amazing world full of history for this series. It's truly amazing and entertaining to learn about and submerse yourself in. But. The amount of info dumping to educate the reader about said world was tiring. At times, it felt like a constant thing. Ultimately, it really soured my reading experience with this book. There was a lot of potential with the world, but the way it was introduced to the reader left me with a headache.
**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.
|
|
When the Kingdom of Winter was defeated by Spring, the queen sacrificed herself so that her son, and heir, could escape. He was only a babe but he was whisked away with some other lucky survivors, but now there are only 8 left outside the grasp of Spring and these 8 are on the run and searching for the Queens locket, the source of her power, which was broken when she died.
Meira is an orphan and is being raised by Sir and his wife. She was just a babe when they escaped too and has grown up alongside the Prince. She has trained every day beside them yet Sir refuses to let her go on missions to find the locket, that is until he has no choice! They learn the location of one half of the locket and Meira is the only one able to go. Unfortunately, while the mission is a success, Meira is thrust into a world of evil, betrayal and danger and needs to do everything in her power to stay alive.
I can sum up Snow Like Ashes in one word, and that's AMAZING!!! From the very first page Raasch draws you into a world you wont want to leave. I still cant believe that this is her debut because her talent for story telling is fantastic.
Everything about this book was flawless!! The world building was unique and imaginative. The seasons each have their own realm ruled by a King or Queen. Each of those Kings or Queens have a magical trinket that is the source of their power and that can only be passed from Queen to Daughter or King to Son. No one else can wield that power and that power cant affect any of the other realms. Or so they thought until Springs magic was used to defeat Winter. Its like nothing I've read before and I adored the world the author created.
Then there's the characters. Meira is absolutely without a doubt one of the strongest, fiercest, lovable heroines I've read in a long time. She was a-freakin-mazing. So strong, loyal and kick ass yet she is kind and caring. Next we have the handsome Prince and Meiras best friend, Mather. He is overwhelmed with the legacy he has to uphold but he does whats needed of him. He has trained with Meira everyday and knows everything about her. I adored his relationship with Meira and loved seeing it kind of develop into a romance, and what I mean by kind of is that its complicated. You need to read the book to understand!! Then we have Prince Theron, the son of the King Sir is hoping will help them. He was so sweet and kind and so lovable. Meira and Theron are kind of thrown together but the chemistry is instant (and not in the dreaded insta love way). Sara Raasch has created a love triangle that I don't hate and love interests where both of them captured my heart! Both Mather and Theron are perfect for Meira in different ways and I'm still torn in deciding whom I adore more ;)
Anyway, I think I'd better wrap up this review or I'll be gushing forever about Snow Like Ashes. A stunningly written, magical debut and one you should run out and buy NOW!! You wont regret reading this action packed story filled with danger, deception, destruction and a touch of romance. Its one of the best debuts I've read and will firmly stay on my favourites shelf forever! Now all I need is more from this magical world.
|
|
i loved this book and i cant wait to read the second one ice like fire i think this book in my opinion was better than the hunger games and it should become a movie i recommend this to anyone who asks about it
|
|
This was excellent YA fantasy! It was well written and not just more of the same dystopian wars that are so popular the last few years. It's new and fresh and I loved it. Also, the characters development is amazing. You will be rooting for them all. Other reviewers mention the "love triangle" but that term is really premature for this book. There is magic and adventure and VERY little romance. It might happen in the future (probably will), but it is not even an issue in this one.
|
|
First things first. I recommend this great, fantastic book to EVERYONE. This is no ordinary book. It reminds us about these things and so much more: BELIEVING in ONESELF, knowing that there is LIGHT when there is nothing but darkness around you, DO NOT GIVE UP, there is GOOD in this world and it's worth FIGHTING FOR, HOPE, be YOU, STAND UP for what you believe in, and know that YOU ARE NEVER ALONE. These are just a few things that this book touches on.
The world building is so vivid that it is real. You can picture each scene in detail that you even believe that you are in this world too. The pacing and writing flows of each page which made this book a fast, wonderful, enjoyable read. Each character was well developed and felt like real living people. You cheer for these characters. I myself was cheering and yelling "yeah!" for Meira, Theron, Mather, and others. They were such a delight.
The characters that really grew on me were Meira and Theron. Meira is a great heroine that anyone can relate to. She is determined, strong, brave, resourceful, smart, stubborn, and not ever giving up without a fight. Theron is also a great character. He is determined, strong, brave, and is always hopeful, not giving up being who he really is. It is great to see how he reminds Meira of this because she always wants to prove herself that she can be important to her home, Winter. These characters grow on you and it is wonderful to see these characters grow leaps and bounds throughout this book. The villain is one heck of a character as well. He is pure evil and he is one of the most evil villains I have ever read in a book. The darkness that seethes through him makes you cringe especially with how he channels his magic conduit to control people into doing what he wants them to do.
There is so much that I want to say in this review, but I don't want to spoil this book. Plus I just finished reading it so I am still reeling from it, filled with raw emotions.
There are eight kingdoms in Primoria. These kingdoms are divided into Seasons and Rhythms. Each kingdom has a magical conduit that gives the royal heir of each kingdom the power and magic to use as they see fit. There is an evil known as the Decay. It is dark and very powerful. The Kingdom of Winter was conquered, most of the Winterians murdered while the rest were enslaved to the Kingdom of Spring. Their magical conduit was broken in half, leaving them powerless. Only 25 survivors escaped. One of these survivors is Meira. She is an orphan who is training to be a soldier alongside her friend, Mather. Mather is the heir of Winter. What is now left of the survivors(8), they are searching for the two halves of their Winter conduit. This book follows Meira and the rest of the survivors as they venture throughout the lands in search of the Winter magic conduit, fighting for their lives, and trying to defeat the evil King of Spring. Lives are at stake; who will rise above the ashes and who will fall.
Overall, this is a wonderful, amazing, spectacular book that will leave you breathless, craving for more. It is filled with action, suspense, mystery, a dash of romance, strong believable characters, and so much more. I cannot wait for the next book in this series. This book is definitely an owner. I highly recommend this book to EVERYONE!
|
|
4.5 Stars
I absolutely loved this book!
To start, the MC is one of my favorite female protagonist that I have read in a while. Meira was strong, smart, and sassy while still managing to be real. The way Raasch balanced her strengths with her reckless, impulsive, and self-doubt made her feel real. Even when she was acting rashly she was self-aware, and I really enjoyed that. Possibly my favorite trait was her ability to be snarky even in dire situations, which made her a delight to read. I am so excited to see her character growth in the next books.
**SPOILER-ISH** {{Love triangle. Now I hate love triangles in books. Like most people who read YA, I find them to be over used, boring, and played out. For some reason though I didn’t hate it in this book. It’s probably because Raasch utilized two of my favorite tropes: fake engagement & childhood crush. Apparently I’m a sucker. & the worst part is that I LIKE both the boys, so I can’t even pick a team. That’s fine with me though, because I’m team Meira (I’m so corny).}} **END SPOILER-ISH**
My only qualm with the book was at the very beginning. There was a lot of exposition. I understand as a fantasy we needed that world building, but I felt like much of the first 50 pages was repetitive.
I really liked the overall story. It was fast paced and a great start to a series. I really can’t wait to see where Raasch goes with it. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WAIT TILL FALL FOR BOOK 2?!
|
|
Received a copy from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book when I saw the ARC pop up. The description said GAME OF THRONES meets GRACELING. YES. Please!!!!
SNOW LIKE ASHES is a thrilling high fantasy debut from a very talented author. I was drawn in from the first page. Meira is a wonderful hero. She’s tough and a total badass. But unlike many other heroines in the genre, she was super relatable. She was young and vulnerable without being annoying. As the reader, we struggled right along with her. But we also felt empowered when she found her strength.
I adored the love story woven in because it felt anything but contrived. Yes, there was a triangle, but it wasn’t the main focus of the story. It was the delicious icing on the cake.
Sara Raasch really knows how to surprise the reader as well. This story was full of fantastic twists and turns. But nothing felt like it came out of left field. She subtly dropped hints throughout, so that when a big reveal came you went “OF COURSE!”
This is one is a serious page turner with an incredibly satisfying ending. Felt like it could be a stand-alone, but overjoyed to see this is part of a series. Cannot wait for the next!
|
|
Tackling SNOW LIKE ASHES was hard at first—it’s very information heavy and I’ll be honest, confusing. My head hurt trying to keep up with the kingdoms, the capitols, the kings and queens, the alliances, and the magic rules. But once I started to catch on, the story had me. Raasch has written some kick-ass characters and put a lot of thought into her plot. I LOVED the twists (I want to gush about a particular one, but I don’t want to spoil!), LOVED the action and LOVED the character growth. And there is no love tringle… there’s only Theron ;) Can’t wait for ICE LIKE FIRE.
|
|
What an exciting, epic, little masterpiece of a fantasy. I’m a sucker for maps, so this book had me from hello, and I enjoyed the history of the kingdoms and the magic. Raasch does an impeccable job of including information without overwhelming the reader because of the action involved: missions, secrets, persecution, and war.
And without spoiling anything… I just need to fan my face and say, “THERON!”
I loved Meira, a strong, capable (badass of a) heroine who isn’t perfect but makes realizations that make her completely human and easy to root for.
Readers are going to love this one.
|
|
Excellent+
|
|
If you're a fan of riveting high fantasy with a splash of romance, this is a series for you!
|
|
Great!
|
|
I did really like this book. I loved the world. It was predictable, yet it didn't turn me away from the story because I felt it was about the character's journey. I will be reading the second book.
|
|
Just wish I didn't pay $10 for it.
|
|
This a wonderful read and I really enjoyed the great storyline
|
|
Meira is one of only 8 Winterians left who are free. The rest have been enslaved to Angar, the King of Spring. For years they have been hunting for the two halves of the locket, which will hopefully restore their magic and help them rescue their people and rebuild Winter.
This book has been sitting on my shelf (along with the other 2 books in the trilogy) for about a year now. I read this as a buddy read with someone in one of my Goodreads groups and wish I had picked it up sooner. I really enjoyed the story and it moved pretty quickly. I love the idea of “seasons” for kingdoms where the atmosphere of the kingdom goes along with the name. The characters were written very well but I could have used more in the world building area.
When it comes to the history of how the overall magic system came to be, it was a bit overwhelming and complicated to follow. Information about the history of the kingdoms and their conduits were just thrown at us in one spot in the book. I had to re-read it and still had a hard time placing everything and just had to move on. However, it doesn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the story and I don’t’ feel that you really need to understand it as in depth as it was explained.
Meira isn’t your typical 16 year old. She doesn’t want to be a “Lady” but a soldier who fights for her kingdom. She spent her whole life training and is finally allowed to fight. When she is captured, she is reunited with the enslaved Winterians but they see her as a beacon of hope. Someone who was sent to rescue them.
I really liked Mather’s character. He was willing to help Meira when others just wanted to push her aside. He is her best friend but she wants more. I was totally shipping them until Theron came into the picture. He is good looking and likeable right from the start. Meira feels a connection with him and I really hope they end up as a thing!
I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series because I am curious to see how things end up with Meira and the kingdom of Winter now that the plot twist was thrown in the mix!
|
|
This is a superb fantasy read. Raasch did well at introducing us to the world and building excellent characters. I highly recommend this book, but unfortunately I didn't enjoy the rest of the series to the same level. I know I'll re-read this multiple times in the future, but might try to think of it more as a stand alone novel.
|
|
Good read
|
|
|
|
|
|
I really like this book and I would read it over and over again! :)
|
|
I saw the twist coming, but it was still a great journey getting there
|
|
Book 2 wasn't as good as book 1. This second book was just too slow for me, and it felt boring. Even Theron and Meira's love chemistry was boring. Mather seem to be bringing his sexiness back but other than that, I find myself skimming through most of the pages. Sorry, maybe because half the story is mostly focus on politics and politics makes me sleepy LOL.
|
|
I've read a lot of astonishing debuts, especially this year 2015, but Snow Like Ashes is definitely one of the best.
Meira is such a strong, fierce, determined heroine. She wants to be in control of her destiny, and has lots of defiance in her. I absolutely love that Sara Raasch thought of such normal, yet original names for the kingdoms of her world.
When I met Theron, I immediately felt a connection, and in my heart I thought he was the one. It's a close call, but I'm on Theron's side at this point. I really hope the love triangle dissolves peacefully instead of ruining the series.
As I was nearing the end, I realised I had book two; it might not sound like much, but I just love to read series one book after the over. I've waited for a long time to finally read Snow Like Ashes, but I don't regret it. Sara Raasch has created a detailed and deliberate world, and Snow Like Ashes is an amazing debut.
|