Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

My Rating: 5/5

Genre: Fantasy

Category: YA

Publisher: HarperCollins

Snow Like Ashes is the first book in a YA fantasy trilogy set in the world of Primoria, a world of magic and mayhem. The world is split into eight different Kingdoms, The four seasons: Winter, Autumn, Spring, and Summer; and the four rhythms: Yakim, Ventralli, Paisly and Cordell. Sixteen Years ago Winter was over thrown by the King of Spring, Angra. All the Winterians were either killed or enslaved in work camps. We follow a young sixteen year old Winterian girl, Meira, as she works with the remaining survivors to locate their magical conduit, Winter’s locket, the item that holds and controls all of winter’s magic (each kingdom has one) and save Winter from the grasps of King Angra.

Okay, wow just wow! This book was nothing like I expected it to be and soooooo much better than I could have ever hoped! I have no idea why I hadn't picked it up before it had everything I want in a book! A fantastically interesting and deep main character; gorgeous world building; a fantastic plot with twists and turns that hit you like a wall; and hot, hunky males. Seriously Snow Like Ashes has everything!

Sara's writing is so beautiful and breathtaking. The world building is subtle and extremely effective, just how I like it. Her characters are so intriguing and compelling. The plot is so engaging and constantly changing that I couldn’t stop reading. The story was so refreshing and nothing like anything I have previously read. I read the first line and from there on I had no idea where the plot was going. I’d think it was going one way and then something would happen that would change everything.

Meira was so amusing and fascinating that I instantly fell in love with her and her story telling, her voice was so lovely that even the fight scenes in the book flowed so smoothly that I felt like I was listening to music. Her story was so emotional, I was laughing and crying so often, honestly Sara’s writing is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read.

Mather, the first of the hunky and alluring males. I was caught in his grasp from the first scene. Mather’s character development is something to behold. The Mather at the start of the novel to the Mather at the end… they aren’t even like the same person. The relationship between Mather and Meira is so heated and electric at the start but it goes through some extremely rocky stages and by the end it is nothing like it was before. It started with them loving each other and by the end Meira only really sees him as a friend.

Oh and then we have Theron… the second and in my opinion the hunkier of the males. When he and Meira are forced into a marriage alliance he is so kind and caring, he looks after Meira, helps her and shows that he understands. He is so adorable and willing to help Meira. Honestly Theron was my favourite character of the book.

The villain in this book is the evil king of spring King Angra. The way Sara manged to portray him was breathtaking. He was evil, sinister and totally repulsing! He was so intriguing that ever chapter he was in had me on the edge of my seat, not having a clue which direction the chapter was going to take.

Favourite Quotes

‘They made decisions; they mold your future. The trick is to find a way to still be you through it all.’

‘Some day we will be more than words in the dark.’

‘Even the strongest blizards start with a single snowflake.’

‘I don't need made-up strength. I'm strong enough on my own - me, Meira, no magic or conduit or anything.’

Overall I absolutely loved this book. I am currently reading Ice Like Fire and loving that one even more! It is definitely one of my new favourite series!

If you haven’t read it you really really really NEED to rectify that!

#SnowLikeAshes #SLA #SaraRaash