Review: Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch

Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch
 
Published October 14th 2014 by Balzer + Bray

Hardcover, 422 pages

Series: Snow Like Ashes

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Source:  I got a copy of this book from the publisher  in exchange of an honest review.
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads

 

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

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.

Meira is an orphan who got orphaned during the fall of her kingdom Winter and lived her entire life as a refugee, raised by her kingdoms general, Sir. Winter fell sixteen years ago, and those who haven't died in the battle, have been enslaved. Now Winter has no monarch to rule and its magic is gone as well. Those who managed to escape the enslavement are their people's only hope. Now they must recover the pieces of the ancient locket to restore Winter's magic and free their people from the evil that enslaved them.

Gah where to begin?

• I have not read a good fantasy in a while so when I saw this book, I was pretty excited. Well, I got that for the most part. Snow Like Ashes is mostly fantasy based, but as far as fantasy goes, this one is on a weaker side. The world building lacked in this book tremendously, which is unfortunate for the first book in the series. The stuffs that was explained, I felt weren't explained enough and left me with a running headache when I found myself re-reading several parts more than once. There are Seasons and there are Rhythms, but as far as who is who or what is what. I am lost on that. I was lost till about 70% of the book as far as why Winter has been. Even when it has been explained, I still found myself pretty lost.
• Meira. I didn't know how to feel about her. I was actually surprised by her age. She desperately wants to become a warrior and help her small group of people fight to save her kingdom, but she wants to do it out on the field with the rest of them. Okay, that's nice, but she gets's upset when Sir tells her no. She has a hard time dealing and listening to authority, is reckless and impulsive. Jumps into things head first without thinking and causes a chain reaction that puts her crew in danger of getting killed. I'm sorry Meira, but for you to become a warrior, you must first learn how to take orders and on multiple counts you have failed to do so. Throwing tantrums and endangering those around you does not earn you the right to become a warrior, not when you are that reckless.
• Love Triangle? Or not.. I am not really sure what's going on there. At first she loved boy #1 we will call him. Then she meets boy #2 and begins to realize her feelings for boy #2 are different from for boy #1. So she comes to a conclusion that her feelings for boy #1 are brotherly until the end of the book where she sees it as a battle for her affection and which one of them will one? I thought that was decided....apparently not.
• The pacing. It went from slow to fast to slow again to fast again. Some parts really dragged. Other parts made it drag more when I had to reread them because of confusions in world building. I liked the action when it happened, but I did find myself pressing through the book just to finish it.

Overall, I gave this book 3 1/2 stars because in some parts I did enjoy it. As far as writing goes, I thought Raasch does a wonderful even beautiful job sometimes. But the world building lacking in a fantasy novel as a big draw back, so was the reckless and immature heroine. Add the terribly confusing triangle and it really does make my head hurt a little. I liked the action thought that happened in the book, when it happened and I did enjoy the story line. I really thought it really looked promising, if only it was added on it. Some filler stuff could have been taken out.