Lady Smoke (Ash Princess)

People need to stop sleeping on this series. It’s so good! Political intrigue, interesting magic system, flawed characters you want to root for. I think I may prefer this second installment to the first, which isn’t a common thing with second books. Theo is a great protagonist. She is strong-willed and intelligent, using her wits to navigate the murky political landscape. She is surrounded by a bunch of people (mostly men) who are trying to use her for their own gain and she is not having any of it. There is a scene I particularly like where a ruler is explaining to her that she is going to have to prove her purity (virginity) before she can be married off to anyone. She states that in her culture there is no importance placed on chastity and that if she is to adhere to such an affront to her privacy then she expects the man she might consent to marry also undergo an exam to test his purity. There is one WTF moment with Theo that I wish had been handled differently, because her actions felt out of character for her and like they were done simply to move the plot along, but I felt like it could’ve been done in a more believable way. I love the found family aspect of this book as well, and how people who wouldn’t normally have anything in common are compelled to work together toward a common purpose. This second book expands on the world introduced in Ash Princess in a big way. I like that we see cultures that are completely different from both the Kalavaxian and Astrean cultures. Some are led by women, some men. Some are inherited while others are elected. There is even a kingdom that is ruled by religious oligarchy. Each of these countries were culturally unique and I really appreciated that. I also appreciated the fact that this book had several characters who identified as something other than straight, and that it wasn’t treated as a shocking thing. I would tell anyone who thinks this will just be a copycat of numerous other ‘kingdom fantasy’ series to give the first book a try. I found myself flying through this book and cannot wait for the conclusion.

Lady Smoke picks up right where Ash Princess left off, with Theodosia having escaped the Kaiser and taken back her rightful title as the Queen of Astrea plus a hostage that may or not be the beautiful Prinz Soren. Lady Smoke was honestly a very good follow up to Ash Princess but it didn't wow me like I had anticipated unfortunately. There was just or two things that brought it down to 4 stars for me. One thing I still absolutely love about this series is the epic world building. In Ash Princess we were mostly limited to seeing Theo being held prisoner by the Kaiser but in Lady Smoke we were able to see more of this bloody and brutal world. Lady Smoke starts off on a ship as Theo tries to put as much distance between herself and the Kaiser as possible. Joining forces with her Aunt, the formidable Dragonsbane, they come up with a plan to take back Astrea and defeat the Kaiser, only issue being they have no army to achieve this. According to Dragonsbane, the only way to secure an army is for Theo to essentially auction herself off to another Kingdom. This is one of the gripes I have with this book. In Ash Princess we saw Theo go through so much pain, humiliation, and because of it all a lot of growth. She became this strong independent young woman who only wanted to make her mother proud and become the best Queen of Astrea she could be. This never required her to have a husband. In fact, it is even noted from Theo herself that there has NEVER been a Queen of Astrea that took a husband and like, why now? Why did three quarters of this book deal with Theo being auctioned off to the best suitor? Now with that being said, it was still incredibly interesting and entirely gripping to read. There was still mischief and mayhem plus some murders that turned into a 'who dun it' situation and I LOVED it. I'm just a little salty that most of this book was about Theo trying to find a husband 🙃 It's not really a spoiler that the main trope of these books is the love triangle, and while it is a little predictable it is still entirely entertaining. Blaise and Soren are complete opposites and I love that Theo has absolutely no idea what to do with either of them. They are both just giant cinnamon rolls ambling around while also trying to figure out their own feelings. Most of the action in this sequel is towards the end, but man does it pack a punch. There was more than one time I actually gasped aloud as I was listening to the audiobook at work and I am sure my coworkers were concerned with what was happening to me. No big deal, just going through an emotional trauma over here. I think this sequel set things up very well for Ember Queen, the final book in this series. I am so excited to see how everything plays out!

I loved Ash Princess so much I was almost afraid to read this sequel in case it was disappointing or, as happens with so many other series, the author ruins the characters and relationships forged in the first book. But this lived up to my hopes in every way! Theodosia becomes a true queen, with all the powers and burdens that brings. Theo's relationships with Blaise, Artemesia, and Heron grows and deepens, as does her relationship with Prince Soren. Theodosia and her companions (three Astrean Guardians with the powers of Air, Water and Earth + Soren the Crown Prince of the Kalovaxians who also happens to be Theo's love interest) join with the pirate Dragonsbane (Theo's aunt). Dragonsbane takes them to Sta'Crivero, rich neighboring kingdom whose corrupt elderly king is only interested in how he can use her situation for profit. A sea of suitors compete for Theo's hand in marriage (and 1/2 her kingdom) while Theo fights against accepting a forced marriage for political reasons. Each of them struggle with the demons of their past and what they must now do now to regain Astrea. As the group navigates a sea of viperous suitors and tries to aid the starving Astrean refugees in Sta'Crivero, brilliant writing conveys their internal fears that they will become what they loathed in their ruthless parents. Does the end ever justify the mean? Or is empathy just a weakness that must be set aside for the greater good? There are twists and turns that had me cheering with excitement one minute and then shocked and despairing the next, but it is a ride worth taking. We see Erik and his mother Hoa again, and new surprising details of their identity is revealed. Crescentia is back and her transformation makes her into an intriguing and frightening enemy. Soren's political and military genius is put to use as tries to makes restitution for his past and show his love and loyalty to Theo. I loved watching their relationship blossom in this book. Theo finds new allies and moves closer to retaking Astrea. I can't wait for the conclusion to this series!

Wow, I devoured this book in less than a day! Lady Smoke consumed me just as much, if not more, than Ash Princess did. I love when a series gets better with each book, and Laura Sebastian has nailed it with her Ash Princess series. The sequel takes us back to Theo after she escaped the Kaiser and met Dragonsbane. I don’t want to give any spoilers for those who haven’t read Ash Princess, so I’ll just leave it at that. “Hope is contagious. When you have enough it spreads naturally.”— Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian We see a lot of character and plot development in Lady Smoke. Theo is quickly learning that escaping the Kaiser was the easiest part of her journey, and she has many more obstacles to come. She begins to lose her naivety, and learns that people can be treacherous outside of Astrea too. Other characters develop a lot too, such as Artemisia and the emotional side of her she desperately tries to hide. “It’s such a rare moment of vulnerability from Artemisia that I don’t know quite how to reply. Even breathing too loudly feels like it will break the spell that’s fallen over us.”—Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian The love triangle grows, and the romance becomes a lot more interesting. I honestly can’t say I blame Theo, I’m torn between both men too. As I said, the plot develops a lot more, and though I won’t spoil anything for you, I will say that the ending will make you impatiently cry at the release date for the next book. Cheers to those of us waiting for the third book, it’s gonna be tough year! 🍻 “I died the Queen of Peace, and peace died with me,” she says after a moment. “But you are the Queen of Flame and Fury, Theodosia, and you will set their world on fire.”— Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian

Novel #2 is rarely as good as the first. Often you know what to expect from the author and the characters so it doesn’t offer many surprises. Add to that, it’s not the flashy beginning or the suspenseful ending of the story so it’s usually just ok. It moves the story along, sets up the ending, and shows some character growth. Lady Smoke smoked all of these theories and expectations of a second novel. Sure, it moved the story along and set up the ending and showed some character development but it did it all while cloaked in fire and smoke. You can’t predict all twists and turns or the characters action or even their feelings in the one. Best book 2 I’ve read in a long time.

Good read, forward-thinking without it being overwhelming, but falls short of the 5 star potential that I think it has. I'm writing this review before book 3 is released, so I've only read books 1 and 2. This one is slower than the first but I think that's due to world-building and answering questions from the first book. Left off right where book one ended. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars because it didn't grab me quite as well as the first and the plot was slow to start but it was still a good read. The writing is beautiful and the characters seemed to evolve more for the most part but maybe not quite to their full potential or were a bit contradictory, but who am I? Certainly not a literary author. Overall I enjoyed the series but it's not quite a 5 star in my opinion. Would recommend for girls and young women ages 16+ due to amount of violenc and some mild references to rape/sexual abuse. Contains mild swearing but it was pretty scarce (in case anyone is triggered or doesn't like the occasional, but rare, cursing). The 2 books are very forward thinking and feminist without it being overwhelming, aside from what is discussed below in the spoilers, which is refreshing. *******SPOILERS BELOW****** You've been warned! I found that both books were written beautifully but were quite repetitive when it came to past events in the series. Yes, we know the Kaiser overthrew her land. Yes, we know the Theyn killed her mother the queen, by the Kaiser's order of course. Yes, we know she witnessed it. Yes, we know she was forced to kill Ampelio (possibly her father), by the Kaiser's order again. Yes, we know Dragonsbane and Art have a strained relationship. Yes, we know she betrayed Cress and will never be forgiven. Yes, Cress now has a freakish gift that haunts nightmares Yes, queens don't marry Yes, we know Theo doesn't want to forgive Prinz Soren for captaining the raid on Vecturia, though again by the Kaiser's orders etc. I felt like I was watching episode recaps not reading books, and that bothered me. Maybe more than it should but it did. Also there is the stereotypical love triangle and she can't seem to make up her mind on which boy she wants to pursue but doesn't really seem to see it as a triangle, more like she is going to get both and kisses/proclaims her love to each, back and forth, with no real thought to who she actually "loves." This leads me to believe that Blaise will die and she ends up with the Prinz because there doesn't seem to be much of an arguement going on in her head, especially in the second book. With a book so forward thinking and trying to empower women, it doesn't make sense to me why this triangle is the way it is. It doesn't feel like "I'm an independent woman and the choice is mine," more like "emotional teenage girl can't decide." The first book had really good plot other than that and kept me up at night reading until I finished and I believe I overall enjoyed the story The second one I trudged through the first few chapters but once they were on their way to meet the king and suitors, things really picked up the pace. I did not guess the suitor murder culprit initially but started to get an idea of who it was right before it was revealed.

After reading Ash Princess and falling in love with the story, I had to get my hands on the sequel! I pre-ordered Lady Smoke and got it in the mail the day it came out. I put all I had planned for that afternoon and dove right in. I got through about half of the novel that first night; I simply did not want to stop. This novel is an amazing continuation to Ash Princess. This novel picks up after Theo's escaping the grasp of the Kaiser in the first novel. Theo now fights to gain alliances to take back her throne. Though, she finds herself in a tricky situation. To accomplish her goal, she must sacrifice much of the freedom she fought so hard to gain. She has to negotiate and find the best ally to help her take back her country. She goes through a long journey full of danger and adventure. I was annoyed for a long portion of this novel. In the first novel, I was so annoyed with the Kaiser. I hated him, which was the point of his character. I wanted Theo to kill him and could not wait for that grand finale. It did not end how I wanted, but it gave me hope for good things to come in Lady Smoke. In Lady Smoke, I was so annoyed, in the same manner, with Dragonsbane. I mean, in a sense, her character is trying to help the naive Theo get the best alliance, but Dragonsbane just got on my nerves. I had hopes that she would be like a Professor Snape character: one readers hate/are annoyed with until the very end. That hope for the character kept me invested in her as a character. I wanted her to actually become likable.

I’ve read through many different fantasy genres. A good story can pull you through even if it's not necessarily your cup of tea. The best stories have a little bit of everything from action to simple intrue, humor to romance, and all run the reader through a gambit of emotions. Looking at this romance fantasy seires the first book kept me engaged mainly through a powerful opening that immediately attached me to the character and hit my heartstrings. I have no doubt the author is talented but some of the flaws in the first book are more pronounced in the second. The story was still enjoyable but the suspension of this belief is harder to achieve if you pull back and think about the story at times. Really good characters can cover up a lot of flaws in the story, as well as how the story is being consumed. The audible version really does bring the story to life, but is priced at a higher level than I think matches the scope and scale of the story. Which is a bit ironic because the story itself has a scope and scale issue. I found myself confused by the strength and size of certain countries. Also there remains a lack of world building when it comes to the the people outside of the nobles. Honestly this is a rainy day read that is not meant to be looked too deeply into. The first person presence tense pov with pull you in emotionally. The characters' feelings toward each other are the strength of the author. If you start thinking about logistics, logic, the magic system that seems powerful but was useless in the past, and some social ideas that are assumed it gets really distracting. When you come across an eye roll worthy moment you go with it or let it go. Each time you have to make that choice however is a reader speed bump, temporarily disengaging the read from the story. As a hobby writer it is hard not to put a bit of myself in whatever I write. My worldview may come across through certain characters by flavoring their views and how and what is noticed by them. This can be a bit confusing or off-putting when the author's worldview might be completely opposed or different from your own. But a good story, like a good debate or conversation, can make the reader reevaluate their thoughts. This story isn't that subtle; the author often shows her worldview through the idealization or vilification of how her characters look at the world. One weird moment in the story was having the fallen country of our righteous protagonist not even have the word for virginity, which makes absolutely no sense. It's a concept that every teenager, though it's been years since I've been one, knows almost by instinct at a young age. It's been romanticized in thousands of books and is a source of constant jokes. But to point out how backwards the nobles were in their attitudes the author decided to just say that our main protagonist didn't have that concept and she had to explain it to her friends. That was as cringey for me almost as the antagonist nobles attitudes were. There are other elements in the story where social beliefs of the modern day left are just the natural assumption of this fantasy world. To me it does create some issues because it doesn't feel real and even more fantasy than actual magic. Modern social anachronisms are a heavy spice that if added too much into the story pulls the reader out. There has to be a balance in things even if you have a certain worldview. If you want to push your worldview as an author it is even more important to have antagonist that feels real, so that even if they are horrible people there's a reason and logic behind what they do. They're just not evil for evil's sake. Overall I will say that the author's ability to make me care about the characters makes thid6 an easily re-readable 3 star fantasy romance. It remains interesting and kept me engaged. Granted I winced a bit when it came to using real swords to train with, and again having a magic system that could be awesome but really not usinging to the full extent. At the same time I enjoy great heroes that are skilled whether they be male or female. It's just another element that you have to read through and enjoy the story for what it is.

I was a bit nervous getting a used but made sure to look at all conditions and this seller was correct on it being very good but it looked so new after expecting and recommend. I’m happy to finally continue the serious.

The second book in the series and sadly it has the typical second book problem, for most of the book it feels like nothing really happens and it's quite boring. Just a lot of talking and scenes that just felt unnecessary. At the end we got a lot of action but even there I missed some more '' passion '' from the MC. While everything happened I didn't feel that much of it. I just missed something. The book was okay just not a 100% obsessed with it.

Nesse livro nós podemos ver o crescimento de cada personagem. Como Theo se torna a Rainha que nasceu para ser. O relacionamento dela com Blaise e Soren. Eu estou contando as estações para a primavera de 2020! 😍😌

Llegó en perfectas condiciones y me encanta el libro

Le dernier tome de la saga est bien ! Je reste sur ma faim car j’aurais aimé un chapitre sur « l’après-guerre »