BOOK REVIEW: SNOW LIKE ASHES BY SARA RAASCH (SPOILERS!)

Title: Snow Like Ashes [Goodreads Link]

Author: Sara Raasch

Goodreads Summary: 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, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom 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. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds 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.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Review: 

I enjoyed so much of this book but I can't help but feel that it was just missing a little something that could've made it amazing. Before I pick it apart in detail, I want to quickly say that this book wasn't overly unique or original but it had a really well-developed world, an interesting premise, complex characters and really lovely writing (seriously, this has some really great quotable lines in it!), so I would wholeheartedly recommend it. It's a really solid high fantasy novel that I thoroughly enjoyed, I just think it had a little more room to grow to make it even better. Since it is only the first in the series, perhaps we will see this happen in future books.

CONTINUE READING FOR SPOILER-Y CONTENT!