Review: Snow Like Ashes

Review:

This one was a bit of a let down for me. Started off quite good. I started reading on a kindle, then had to get a hardback copy because I needed a map I could refer to easily and its not so easy to do that on a kindle.

 

Unique world building and a reasonably interesting main character. I admired Meira's fierceness. though her pining over the boy who's supposed to be the Winter King (whose name I have already forgotten) did get very irritating very quickly. But the more I read, the more....something was just missing from this one for me. Its like I've seen this before. It reminded me very much of the Throne of Glass series - magic missing, tyrannical king determined to rule everyone and be the most powerful dude ever. The lost princess. The forbidden romance angle. It was all a bit...meh. 

 

There were some pretty fantastic battle scenes towards the end when the plot finally picked up, some very intense and exciting scenes when Meira finds herself face to face with the enemy and the tension really starts to build. But it seemed like it took so long to finally get anywhere! 

 

It wasn't necessarily a bad book really. Apart from the missing magic and tyrannical king the world building was most unique and what I liked most about it, the Seasons kingdoms and the Rhythm kingdoms, and the Winter refugees trying to maintain their shattered kingdom and get their heirloom back was quite a gripping plot line in some points.

 

And Meira's determination to do something to help her people, her fierceness and willingness to do whatever it took to get her people and where they should be (even if she was only some orphan who wanted to help the course but you just know there's going to be more to that story line) made her quite endearing. However, when she was finally given a task to help - she whinged about it. Because it wasn't fighting on the front lines. A political move because she was the only girl who could do it. And this new story line introduced another prince of a Rhythm kingdom  and a love triangle. (Though personally I'm rooting for the Rhythm prince who was a much more likable character than the first one who doesn't seem to do anything much) When Meira was told her true identity and her destiny was revealed it was more eye roll inducing because again - its been done before and didn't feel like a unique twist on the story.  It was missing something. 

 

The whole thing felt like something was missing though the stupid thing is I'm not even sure what. It just felt meh overall. Though it did pick up at the end, and even though this is not one of my favorite YA fantasy series, I'm interested enough at least look forward to see where the next book in the series goes. 

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