Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Snow Like Ashes
(Snow Like Ashes #1)
by Sara Raasch
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Publication Date: October 14th 2014
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 422
ISBN: 9780062286925
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy
Source: Edelweiss \ Own

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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)

When I was trying to decide on the last book I wanted to read for 2014, I knew I wanted to read something really great. So with high hopes I picked up Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch. I’d heard so many great things about the book, so I was hoping it would be just what I was looking for. And I boy was it!! Snow Like Ashes has earned as spot as one of my favorite reads of 2014!

The main character in the story, Meira, was very well written.  I’ve seen some people compare her to a young Xena: Warrior Princess, and that’s pretty much how I imagined her as well. She was strong and determined; willing to do what she needed to do for her people. She wants nothing more than to see her Kingdom once again restored to power, and freedom for her fellow Winterians’. Through all the things that she went through in the story, she stayed strong and proved herself to be a really great character, and a fierce warrior.  The secondary characters were well written as well. I especially loved Sir, Mather & Theron.

There is a bit of romance in the book, but it’s not overpowering in a way that it takes away from the storyline. It felt like there was meant to be a love triangle as well, but it really didn’t feel that way to me the more I read the book. It felt like one half of the triangle were two people who were really comfortable with each other because they’d never really known anyone else. And the other half of the triangle is a new relationship that I am really going to enjoy watching grow in the future. Hopefully.

Another thing that had me completely hooked when reading this book was the action. There was never really a dull moment in this book, and all the suspense and surprising plot twists kept me turning the pages well into the night. And let me tell you, there are some super surprising twists in this story, including a few that had me pumping my fist into the air in joy! Also, the world-building was super creative; I could easily imagine in my mind all of the kingdoms as they were described in the book. My favorite kingdom would have definitely been Winter! How wonderful this place sounds.

Overall; If you’ve read a hundred reviews already that said Snow Like Ashes was awesome, then mine is just another to add to the list. This book definitely closed out my year with a bang, and I’m so glad to have read this as my last read of 2014. If you haven’t read the book yet, or added it to your to-read list, I implore you to do so. You definitely won’t be disappointed!

My Instagram journey with Snow Like Ashes...