I wanted to like this book and for the most part I did. Even with jumping back and forth between the two sisters. The only character I really didn't like was Nightshade. Her entire purpose is selfish constantly and while I don't think that's necessarily a bad reason for a fictional war, there's also the fact that none of them seem very heartbroken about the fact that the Ember keeps killing people. It becomes almost nonchalant at one point where they just go "it's okay" almost like shell shock. There really wasn't enough emotion for me and it made the characters seem a bit wooden. The story was good, ending appropriate, and I understand that the soldiers and therefore ember's lack of emotions mean that their parts should be without emotion but that would mean significant difference rather than "what is this I think I have a feeling" compared to Solange who has feelings.

Crimson Ash is a fast paced, dark dystopian novel with complec world buildong and a gripping story line. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recomend it to any fan of dystopian fantasy

I think the premise for this book was great. However, I think it failed in execution.

As soon as I started reading this book, I felt out of sorts. This novel throws you right into the action ... but with very little background. It almost felt like I was reading the second book in a series, and not the first. I kept waiting for there to be an explanation or some kind of recounting of events to explain how things got to be to the present time in the book, but it didn't really happen. The few things that were explained were glossed over, which was disappointing. I love reading about the world authors create, but this novel really didn't do that. No context = tons of confusion!

The novel looks like it is going to be full of action ... and while there is some of that, it is mostly about the bond between Ember and Solanine. I actually liked the way the author told this. As an older sister, I could really connect with the sisters in this story and how they struggled to trust each other. The emotional interactions between the siblings was done quite well. However, apart from their bond, I didn't really feel like the sisters had any well-developed interactions with any of the other characters in the book. Told in alternating perspectives, we read about how each sister learns to forgive themselves and move on from their guilt through the help of various other characters. But it was all so one-dimensional; I never got a feel for the other characters and the interactions were just too rushed for them to have any significance or value.

One of the characters that completely baffled me was Nightshade, who is part of the resistance (and no, this resistance is also not really explained). For someone who is supposed to be a leader, she didn't do much of it. Nor did she have any plans. She did nothing and was swayed by her own emotions. I think this issue could have been resolved if the author had built the character better and had a more concrete backstory that was explained.

There are a lot of instances of self-harm and abuse in this novel, which may bother some readers. At first, I appreciated the author mentioning these things in the story, as it highlights how easy it is to get into destructive behaviour patterns. However, it became too frequent of an occurrence, and began to feel like the author was including these instances just for the sake of having something to write about.

Before the halfway point of the book, not much was happening. It was very focused on the sisters trying to communicate. After the halfway point, the plot started to move fairly quickly. But the lack of explanation about the way this dystopian world was set up meant I had a lot of questions and very few answers. There was a lot of redundancy in the action events themselves, with characters getting caught, then escaping, then getting caught again. It just got boring very quickly.

Overall, I think that the concept behind this novel was good but the execution was lacking. There needed to be a lot more world-building and explanations for how things work. Characters also needed to be more developed. There needs to be the right balance between theme/plot and setting/world-building, and this novel did not have that. However, since I liked the sisterly bond aspect, I'm bumping my rating up to a 2/5 stars.

I received this novel as an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

If you love story driven books with surprise story arcs and deals with tough themes, this book is for you.
The plot is very interesting, and there is more than one shocking plot twists.
The story is well written and interesting. It does keep the pages turning, but maybe a bit more slowly than you'd like. Overall a good read.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Write Plan for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

By judging synopsis, it looks like it is a story of sister bonding, Solanine and Ember, which it isn’t as it looks by title and synopsis.

Solanine story is from 3rd person POV While Ember is from her, it is the quite distracting thing, I am not the person who minds any POV, but the combination of two? No, it didn’t work. This is the dark dystopian tale, which is sorry to say flatly written and how can I forget to mention That

Breaths in
Breaths out

It was used I guess more than 5 times, and I was super annoyed, Okie, I got it, why again and again, why not named the book Breaths in, and Breath out.

But maybe that's the weakness in love.It makes us believe we have forever when we don't.

It is future, the year 2065, and people are using daggers? I don’t have anything against daggers, but when everywhere it is technology around, these curative creams, neutralizer pills, this panel and hacking city, and on the other hand for fighting they are using daggers, it didn’t sit well for me.

These sisters, they love each other care for each other, but no they don’t talk they don’t spend time, and the story was like taking place in a loop, Ember lost her memory, Solanine lost, Ember lost, Solanine lost.

On the other hand, Mordecai built a whole graven city with soldiers, but cleansing didn’t work on Cahira and Kella, and no one came to know? And in the end, Kane, or all of them were such amazing actors?

And what was the aim of this Graven city? Only hunger for power? Nothing else? Not even a background story?

Only thing I enjoyed about this book was Solanine and Kane, they were cute together.

I wanted to DNF this book so badly, then I decided to skim it, so I skimmed half of the book, and I don’t have any regret.

The story revolves around two sisters, Solanine and Ember, who were separated by the technology-devoted government years ago. Though there are quite a few conflicts that are raging through the story, the main idea seems to be consistent—the technology-abusing government to be thrown over and for humanity to be restored. For those who might not know, I’m a huge fan of humanizing oriented facets especially when they are spotlighted in a worsened dystopian future. This one worked really well in that aspect, I would say.

The characters were quite well developed. Solanine and Ember were evidently focused on more and I wouldn’t call it bad since their sibling relationship was the main focus throughout. While Solanine was an on-the-run-to-find-her-sister refugee, Ember was a soldier in The City Of Graven. Speaking of this city, it was a locked down place where everyone were either brainwashed or mind-controlled by someone whose name would give away spoilers and you guys know how huge of an advocate I am of sealing my mouth when it comes to spoilers.

Both the main characters touched my heart at different points throughout the story. Solanine was the more ‘human’ one who couldn’t believe how easily people were killed. On the other hand, Ember had been succumbed to her instiled ideologies which made her make unforgivable mistakes. Her genetically altered dark eyes, expressionless face, and a night vision that didn’t allow her to see the stars, made her look as deadly as she could be. And of course, it hurt Solanine to see her sister this way.

The supporting characters were built up pretty good and I found myself cheering for all of them at one point. While I’m at it, let me state a warning: there are quick, unexpected deaths in this story and some might rip your heart off so good luck sewing it again. Which brings me to the descriptions and world building. I liked it. There’s enough information to create the scene perfectly and the illustrative writing can easily make an overwhelming sequence vivid enough. Another trigger warning: graphic scenes especially centered around possible suicide.

One thing I would mention (because it requires a round of applause) is how the I-love-a-person-but-they-are-gay scene relayed in this story and the gay was a girl so it’s like a love triangle—though it isn’t established—where there are two girls and a guy (like it always happens, haha) but the girl is a lesbian, though she might even be bi since it isn’t clearly stated. Anyway, what I mean is I appreciate usual tropes being used on queer characters since that shows them to be more real than people wish to believe.

The writing was fine for me. It was good enough with the visual elucidations but overall it fell a little flat; I wasn’t particularly drawn into it but it wasn’t frustrating either. Also, while the overall story was played out well enough, it wasn’t anything out of the box. A fairly good science fiction, dystopian is what I would regard it. There were disclosures and revelations during the first half that rose my intrigue but once every thing was laid out, the story unfolded quite predictably. Did I not like it? No, I did like it but I would say my preferences made this a more entertaining read for me.

I would recommend this to all those who love a dystopian ridden with some tropes but parallelly developing a sibling relationship while fixing it all with some science and a rebel attitude.

*thank you to Netgalley and Write Plan for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

DNF @ 43%

1.5 stars

I donno what happened. The beginning of this book was really quite good. It was engaging and interesting. The description sounded so good and I really like the cover. But unfortunately at about 25% it started to descend. The story was not as strong and I got bored. I can see others clearly enjoyed this which is great but it just shows that its probably not the authors fault but more so accurate that it just wasnt for me.

This book was pretty good
I loved the idea behind it, the characters were so well done. Can't wait to read more by this author

Something about the City of Graven pulls me in. Maybe it's the sense of security only a set routine can bring. Maybe it's the comfortable live I'm living without having to hunt for my next meal. Maybe it's the lack of pain I feel.
Maybe it's because I finally belong as one of the Blinded.
The people may pretend with their forced laughter. False smiles. Dead eyes. But all of this is the result of conforming. To belong means to give up your dreams. Your identity.
Giving mine up is easy because the past ahs always been full of suffering. I've spilled too much blood. I don't have to be a house burned in the flames anymore, where returning to the place of destruction brings painful memories. No objects remain to serve as a reminder of where I came from or who I was.
In the City of Graven, I don't have to look back at the crimson stains on the ash.


I was initially drawn to this book because of the focus on the relationship between the sisters. I really like strong sibling relationships in books, particularly as there is so often a tension between the love for your family and the competitiveness or sibling rivalry.
I was surprised by how dark some of the themes in this book were and I think this is a worthy addition to dystopian visions of the future. I really liked how Solanine and Ember were built up as characters and their development throughout the story. In such a bleak world, where almost everything they try goes wrong, their relationship provides a flash of brightness and hope.
At times, I found the change in perspectives difficult to follow and I was confused by the antagonist's motivation - what was he trying to achieve? This added to the sense of menace, but I do enjoy it when a villain is flesh-out too.
Overall, this would be enjoyed by people who are already fans of the dystopian genre, particularly those who would appreciate a bit more grittiness and realism in their future visions.

Ember takes a few steps forward, then hesitates before sitting next to Solanine. Silences descends upon the sisters for eternity as if no words can mend what lies between them. They have been through hell and back over the years, but they experienced different Hells. Even though they rest only inches apart, worlds of distance separate them.

What I liked: Acknowledgement of mental health struggles and various coping mechanisms such as self-harm and alcoholism - I think this is very realistic. In a post-apocalyptic world most of us would fall apart rather than find reserves of inner strength so we would be likely to choose the ease of giving up on our dreams and living as drones in the city - those left outside this system would have a lot to deal with and it is inevitable that mental health problems would become more prevalent and people would develop their own ways of numbing the pain as the healthcare system and other support networks are not there to help. I liked the description of the grieving process and the acceptance of love in any form it takes. I also really liked the description of how conformity and social cohesion comes at the cost of persona dreams and aspirations.

Even better if: I would have liked to know more about the villain's motivation - we never really find out what his overall vision is or what he is hoping to achieve with his dictatorial control. Is he insane or is there a hidden meaning to his actions? I found it a bit jarring that Ember's chapters were told in first person, while Solanine's were told in 3rd person. I am assuming that this was a choice made by the author to keep the two voices distinct, but I did find that it distanced me slightly from Solanine and her feelings.

How you could use it in your classroom: I would not recommend using this in a primary or secondary classroom as there is a lot of adult content - violence, mental health, drinking and sex. However, I could see this being used at a tertiary level or in adult reading groups to prompt discussion about the pros and cons of state control over the individual and how various mental health problems can be address.ed

The book was too long for me too get into. I didn't like the constant point of view change that seemed to have no point.

Will all respect to someone’s hard work, I am just not the audience for this book. I gave it ten chapters, but I couldn’t connect with either sisters POV.
Dystopian world building has potential. The brainwashed soldiers are great, and there is a lot of drama building up in regards to the sisters actions during their forced separation.

I feel like I read a different book from everyone else?

When I first saw this book, I thought it sounded really promising. I've been on a - let's call it "dystopian revival kick" lately and when I read the synopsis of this one, I wanted to give it a chance.

Some of the reviewers said that this was an action-packed story that never lets up and I think I just went into it with way too high expectations. I know I'm a girl who deeply depends on connecting to characters to like a story. This obviously is not a character-driven story and that's fine but I just feel like there was nothing exceptionally distinguishable about our protagonists. They were going through some pretty dramatic events (I mean, there's murder in here) but I just didn't feel anything? Even the relationship between the sisters was - well, it didn't keep my interest, much like the other relationships.
Still, I believe if the actual plot would have been intriguing I could have ignored the not-connecting to anyone part. But the plot felt underdeveloped, at times rushed and then too sped up to follow with the eh conclusion.
I guess this one just wasn't for me.

I'm sooo excited to review this! Crimson Ash by Haley Sulich is such an amazing, unique book! It is a fun but dark read. So prepare for angst and a lot of emotion. The book moves fast. From the first chapter on, there are surprises that you don't see coming mixed with themes of dealing with depression, loss and self blame while learning on how to deal with all of those.
I literally devoured this book in one day. My only regret is that it's over!!

This book grips you from the moment you read that first page. The world building is crazy; it's dark and twisted and dangerous and incredibly imaginative with the technological advances the author has thought up.

The year is 2065 and a virus called the Devil's Dream has wiped out most of the human race. The origin of the virus is unknown, because it spread to fast. Soldiers search the Earth for survivors and give them the Choice to take part in the new society (live) or die. Ember is one of these soldiers, while her sister Solanine still roams the Earth freely. Solanine wants to save her sister from the soldiers and joins Nightshade and her rebels in their fight against evil.

The sisters are both still teens, but instead of being whiney and way too perfect girls, these two have real issues and real struggles that actually fit within the storyline. Their story is filled with death and destruction and their mental health, naturally, shows it. These characters are some of the most complex I've read. They often make difficult choices and the author does a great job of making you understand why they make those choices and what they must learn as a result. They are all on a path to healing in some way and the author creates their arcs in a way that feels real and satisfying by the end of the story.

I wish some of the side characters were expanded more upon and some of the battles were more elaborate. There's advanced technology being used, which is great, but no explanation as to how it is possible that this technology is available less than 50 years from now after the world has succumbed to a very deathly virus. There's also an element of mind control but it's not clear if this is all advanced technology or something else.

But overall, this book is a unique, roller-coaster dystopian. A must read! I highly recommend it!

When I saw this book on Netgalley I thought it looked promising. The cover was appealing and the plot seemed intriguing. Even though the dystopian fever has been fading, I still enjoy reading this type of novels once in a while.

However, I didn't like this one and I have to confess that I only finished it because I had received it from Netgalley so I wanted to comply with the "in exchange for an honest review" policy.

The main reason why I didn't like it is simple: I was bored. Maybe some readers will find the story engaging, but I had read a couple of reviews that said it was a novel in which there were things going on all the time and I was disappointed when I found out I had to disagree with those statements. Several things happen in the story, yes, but the way they were written made me feel like I was reading a draft or a fanfiction story. I was lost in this schematic string of events and often confused about the timing because I would start a chapter and find a little reference to time, like "several months passed" or "weeks later", and that was it.

As regards the characters, I have to say that I never managed to connect with them, not even with the two troubled sisters. They were living dramatic experiences and they would reflect about them and their feelings, but I just couldn't care, even though I usually empathize so much with characters that I cry like a baby when they suffer.
I wasn' t impressed with the writing either, I would sometimes find expressions and comparisons that sounded really weird. For example: “her ivory skin matching the pigment of the snow that will soon drift from the frigid air”. I strongly believe it will actually match…

The dystopian aspect of the book was weak too. I think it is the same case as with the plot itself: it seems too schematic. We get a few glimpses of how cruel the ruling society is, but in my opinion, it is underdeveloped. However, I wouldn’t have been so bothered by it if the plot had compensated the lack of information. I don’t need to get a detailed description about the organization of a dystopian society (even though that is usually one of the most interesting features of this type of stories), but I really need a plot that makes me keep reading. And unfortunately, the combination of the weak plot and the lack of connection with the characters prevented me from enjoying this novel.

Deeply mediocre.

There weren't really any gripping relationships, despite being full of romance. Even the sibling bond the book is centered around falls flat, which is a tragedy because sibling relationships usually hold my interest above all other things. The plot alternates between periods of too-chillness where nothing is happening except people being angry at each other, and periods of frenzied yo-yoing action where desperate plans are launched and fail so quickly it's hard to keep track of or care about them.

The only really interesting thing was the co-main character's alcoholism and a side character's problem with self harm -- you don't often see that kind of thing included in YA dystopias, despite how realistic it would be in a population of young people actually living in those circumstances. Mad props for this, but also this book forced me to read the phrase "their lips crashed together" in an actual published novel rather than a Wattpad fanfiction, so not <i>too</i> many mad props.

The year is 2065 and a virus called the Devil's Dream has wiped out most of the human race. The origin of the virus is unknown, because it spread to fast. Soldiers search the Earth for survivors and give them the Choice to participate in the new society (live) or die. Ember is one of these soldiers, while her sister Solanine still roams the Earth freely. Solanine wants to save her sister from the soldiers and joins Nightshade and her rebels in their fight against evil.

This was such a refreshing story! The sisters are both still teens, but instead of being whiney and way too perfect girls, these two have real issues and real struggles that actually fit within the storyline. Their story is filled with death and destruction and their mental health, naturally, shows it.
I also really liked that there was no insta-succes. As in real life, you can plan out every single step you are going to take, but when fighting a bad guy there will be counter actions and you have to adapt. This story shows just that and it's great. The bad guy is actually a smart cookie and it takes a lot to fight him.

There were some little things that I stop me from giving 5 out of 5 stars. There are a lot of characters and they all have a role to play, but some could have benefited from a bit more backstory. I would also have loved a bit more explanation of the world this story is set in. It took about half of the book for me to find out what year this is set in. There's advanced technology being used, which is great, but no explanation as to how it is possible that this technology is available less than 50 years from now after the world has succumbed to a very deathly virus. There's also an element of mind control but it's not clear if this is all advanced technology or something else.
All in all though, I really liked this story.

Okay read. I tired of the of the switches and then who was actually who at the end

I had really high hopes for this, but I had to DNF at 10%. The language is overblown and doesn't make sense, there's no back story, nothing is explained. Maybe it gets better further on, but it's not for me, I'm afraid.
Thank you very much for letting me read it. I hope to read more from you at another time.