Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch (Snow Like Ashes, #1)

That cover is just so pretty

Goodreads/ Amazon

Rating- 4/5 stars

Publisher- Balzer and Bray

Pages- 416 (Paperback)

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch was one of my most anticipated reads of last year but because I was busy with graduate school applications, I put it on hold. When spring finally rolled around, I picked it up and thank goodness I waited because I had the biggest book hangover once I was done.

Synopsis

A striking fantasy tale of dark magic, dangerous politics, and discovering your true self—perfect for fans of Game of Thrones,An Ember in the Ashes and A Court of Thorns and Roses.

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. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, Winter’s future king—she would do anything to help Winter 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—only to find 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.

Review

Okay, so the world of Primoria is gorgeous. When I first saw the maps I was in awe and then I read the book and it became even more beautiful. Winter is my favorite not because of our heroes belonging to that kingdom but because the description is so beautiful. It makes you love the kingdom and season in a way that puts Frozen to shame.

The world building of the Rhythms and Seasons is beautiful. In this book, it mostly focuses on Winter, Spring and Cordell which are so beautiful- I cannot. I will keep going on about the beauty of this book for eternity because BEAUTIFUL OH MY KITTENS.

The magic system is amazing. To create conduits and gender assign them was pretty awesome. And of course Winter has a female heir. *sigh* My hear just filled with happy snowflakes when I read that.

Meira is one of those awesome tomboy characters that I feel are pretty rare in Young Adult literature. There are badass female characters who also have a fairly feminine side but then you have Meira who loves pants and shirts and doesn’t like dresses all that much. It comforts me because I’m like that. Anyway, her character is so awesome. She’s a go getter and is a brilliant soldier. Her love for her kingdom is so admirable.

Mather, heir to the throne of Winter, is pretty clearly in love with Meira but we all know that those two are never going to end up together. He’s shown more as jealous but someone who also supports Meira in every way. It was sad what happened to him in the end but then it made so much sense that you couldn’t possibly be upset.

Theron, Prince of Cordell, seems a bit too good to be true. I adore him because he’s one of those guys who wants to change how his father has shaped his kingdom and make it better and I’m hoping he doesn’t ruin things by the end of the series. He’s so sweet and I ship Meira and him so hard like- please, be cute together and give me fluff feels. The sacrifice he makes at the end had me whooping and clapping and screaming, it was the best feeling.

This book sets the precedent for a lot of things and there are so many things that happen that I’m afraid to give out spoilers. If you haven’t read it, do pick it up. It’s a beautiful and amazing fantasy book.

I rated this book a 4/5 stars.