Ash (Ash #1)

Summary:

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.  (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

This is a book that was definitely a little dark so I’d warn folks who are struggling with depression or if life is feeling a bit heavy.  That being said, the story of Ash is just confusing enough to keep it intriguing while also being one that was easy to pick up over a few days. The world-building around the fairies is never explained particularly well, but it did work.  The story is very based on overall tone rather than any one detail so, if you can accept all your questions will not be answered, it pulls together.

I actually think that I found the huntress the most dynamic character in the story as soon as she showed up, so perhaps the book could have benefitted from a slightly shorter lead up and more detail in the latter half.  The ending wrapped up a bit unexpectedly quickly for me, but I think that would be less surprising had I read it as a young adult.  As described, it’s still a fairy tale.

Warning: Contains repeated violence and sexual references.

Rating: 4 stars!

Who should read it? Fans of retellings of classic stories.

Want to read the whole series?

• Huntress (Ash #0.5)