A great and fun read done in one sitting. I haven't finished a book in a while (rather than just being in the middle of 20) and Ashlords was my breakthrough. I was hooked from the beginning in Imelda's point of view and a slight twist in a conqueror's tale. Coming from oppressed peoples, Imelda's dream is to ride with the Ashlords on her phoenix-horse, created from specific combinations of ashes. Pippa, as an Ashlord princess favored to win the races, knows, without a doubt she'll win. Adrian the Longhand has been bred to win the races and cause a war. Told from each person's point of view in a new world of magic and ashes, I found Ashloards to be an engaging and interesting read that leaves me hoping for a sequel.

I loved it! Phoenix horses rising from their ashes. Conspiracies. Races. Betrayals. Gods. War. Alchemy. Multiple point of views. There really wasn't anything I didn't love. Even the weird way Pippa's chapters were written didn't annoyed me as much as I thought they were going to.

The story is told from three different povs, each from a different fraction of how the world is built. Imelda, the dividian, alchemist extraordinaire; Adrian, the Longhand, the big buff boy raised to lead; Pippa, the ashlord, the pampered daughter of two race champions who trained all her life to prove she is worth everything. Each chapter showed a different perspective, how different they've all been raised, the position of heriarchy, what they most valued. Getting to know each of them, it might seem hard to choose a side. And so far, I haven't really made mind between two sides. I need to sequel to understand who I'm cheering for.

I love Reintgen's writing. It captures you immediately. I finished chapter after chapter without noticing how fast I was going. I was really invested in the story. In how alchemy played an important part in the rebirths of the horses. How each component added to the ashes could make a different horse with different abilities. It was truly fascinating. The world building was similar to the ones I've come to love of Robert Jackson Bennett. Similar because of the Gods that have proxies in the real world. How religion mixes directly and intervenes in the lives of the inhabitants of the world of the powerful citizens of Furia. Have I already said I was fascinated? Because I was. I still am.

Can't wait to read more about this world and what's going to happen now. I'm crossing all my fingers to be considered again between the lucky ones to read the sequel in advance!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House Children's Publishing for letting me read and review this fantastic book.
I've read The Nyxia Triad by Scott Reintgen and knew from reading that series that he was a great writer with wonderful stories. I am so excited I got to read this book and can't wait for the next book after this one because I have questions that need answers.
I'm super curious about some things after reading Ashlords with the characters and their stories, what's going to happen to them and with everything, but I'm also super curious to know about some side stories and characters like Quinn for example.
This is pitched as Red Rising meets The Scorpio Races and while I don't know about Red Rising because I haven't read that yet, I can see the similarities with The Scorpio Races. What I kept thinking and being reminded of when I was reading this are The Scorpio Races as mentioned and The Hunger Games. I kept having lots of memories and flashbacks to things/ideas from The Hunger Games.
It's about three phoenix horse riders - yes phoenix horses! and the riders are skilled in alchemy, which you have to be to know how to create the best horse for riding in The Races. In The Races, you have to defend the ashes of your horse at night, but you aren't allowed to kill only maim, injure or poison the ashes of the horse. There are 11 riders in The Races, but only a few that have something to gain or lose.
The Ashlords follows these few characters and what happens with them during The Races. There's Pippa who is a favorite, one they expect to win and her parents were winners in previous years of The Races, The guy she wants to be with, Bravos, who's all about winning. Then there are the others who I was more interested in, Adrian, the Longhand, from one of the other groups/races of people there that are ruled over by the Ashlords and Imelda Beru, the Alchemist, who's the one who gets in on scholarship and is part of one of the other races that's ruled over by the Ashlords as well so these two characters have more to lose.
It's an emotional and intense ride through the book with the characters and you get to understand a lot by the end of this book that sets it up well and leaves you hanging with wanting to know what will happen next. This is one you need to have on your radar and make sure to read!

I absolutely loved this.
The separate points of view completely made this book for me. PIPPA IS A BOSS. I don't know why I instantly connected to her and love her with my whole heart. Getting to read all the differences in where they place in the race was awesome. It felt like I was there. My only reason for even docking a star is because I am a sucker for backstory. I needed more about the overall logistics of this world and it just didn't feel like there was enough. I know plenty about the race itself, but not enough on the history of it, if that makes sense. I just felt like I needed more.
But isn't that a good-ish thing, because I still want MORE.

With comp titles like Red Rising and The Scorpio Races, combined with a stunning cover and intriguing description, I jumped at the invitation to read and review Ashlords.  Being a fan of Reintgen's Nyxia Triad series, I anticipated an exciting read, but this?  Completely above and beyond my expectations.

Phoenix horses - what an outstanding concept.  Toss in alchemy, a Hunger Games-ish race, gods, spirits, a brewing war, and you've got an addictive read.  I have to admit, the world-building overwhelmed me a bit at first, but I settled in by the second chapter.  

And the characters!  Three POVs:  Imelda - a talented alchemist and underdog, Adrian - probably the biggest threat to the Ashlords and the face of the rebellion, and Pippa - the daughter of two champions and favorite to win.  Pippa's POV is in second person, something I haven't come across in YA fiction.  You may start out rooting for one, but will likely change your mind more than once before it's over.  Don't underestimate any of them.  

There's more than the race going on in this novel.  With war, rebellion, and unrest stirring, the next book in this duology promises to be just as compelling.  From nearly the first page, this action-packed, intense plot races (almost literally) to the finish.  I can't wait for the next book - bring on the next rebirth! 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a creative and original author. I started as a Nyxia fan and was in awe of Saving Fable and Ashlords is just another amazing addition to all the books Scott Reintgen has written!

As usual, this world he created is amazing! With Ashlords and Dividians and phoenix horses, I could not stop reading. His books have finally drawn me out of a reading slump!

Besides the amazing setting this novel is placed in, the three main characters are crafted so skillfully and help bring unique perspectives on what could have been too narrow of a view.

As someone who loves a good romance, there wasn’t much in this novel, but you won’t even miss it with all the action going on. (This is pretty hard for me to enjoy a romance-less novel so trust me when I say it’s quite the page-turner.)

They had me at Phoenix horses! What! Omg!

I quite enjoyed Scott's book Nyxia, still need to read the other two, but this one was so much better! I mean I did mention phoenix horses.....

Anyhoo, this is told in three POV's, although there are other characters.

I can see where some of the Red Rising would come into play and for sure The Scorpio Races. I want my own freaking Phoenix Horse! Just in case anyone is giving them away!

Ashlords is a fantastic edition to the fantasy world and has plenty of magic, schemes, etc involved.

I'm super stoked for the next books and I would recommend to anyone that likes ya fantasy with mythological elements!

**Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of this book for review!**

Happy Reading!

Mel ♥

Note to self, read anything and everything that has Scott Reintgen's name on it.

If you told me that a book about phoenix horses will exist in the near future, I would be pumped to read it. If you then told me that book was written by the author of the NYXIA triad, I would do almost anything to get my hands on it. In this story we follow three characters, all from different backgrounds, as they try to become the next winner of The Races - an Iditarod style trek across unforgiving territory on the back of a phoenix horse. Each contestant must be a master rider, fighter and alchemist, for only someone who possesses all three skills will prevail. After the horses burn out at sunset, the riders must protect their ashes from contamination from the other contenders.

This is a high stakes, high stress but high reward type of story. The world building is clear, distinct, and vibrant. No time is wasted in info-dump style description and I can seriously appreciate that. The characters are well developed, interesting and diverse - something I have come to associate with Reintgen's writing. As we follow the characters along their journey's, we discover different motivations with highs and lows they each have to negotiate. The writing is immediately captivating and never lets up. I love how the story begins in the competition setting with hints of political intrigue and leads into a full blown uprising, another similarity to the Nyxia books. The set up for the rest of the series is perfection and I honestly can't wait for what comes next.

Like I said before, I will forever read anything that Reintgen writes. He has quickly become an auto buy author for me. I've been shouting my love for the Nyxia triad from the rooftops for a while now and Ashlords has been added to my crusade. This was amazing, heart pounding, intense and frankly unputdownable (a new word used only to describe this type of exquisite sci fi/fantasy). Do yourself a favor and put this book on your radar ASAP, you won't regret it.

Wow! This was a super fun, fast-paced ride that I couldn’t get enough of!

Now, I’ve never read The Scorpio Races, but based upon the description, this book feels like a mix of that story and The Hunger Games. Toss in some gods and you’ve got a pretty cool mix and a kick ass story.

It’s told from several points of view. And at first, I chose Imelda as a favorite. I loved her voice, her character, her being the underdog and oppressed. Then, I started shifting towards Adrian. The rebel, the other underdog, but also the biggest threat to the Ashlord empire. But, by the 3/4 mark, I loved Pippa. Yeah, she was the favorite. Sure, she could seem arrogant. But as the race went on, she changed.

The plot is easy to follow. The world-building is well done and easy to understand. And so damn cool! Seriously, can I get a Phoenix? Plus the mix of alchemy/magic is an added cool factor. However, I loved that it’s a book about a race, but interwoven with war and rebellion. Schemes and plots. I love that some of our characters planned their races in one way and things didn’t go accordingly. Even though it’s expected, it’s still fantastic to read and uncover.

I knew things wouldn’t fully wrap up at the end. There was a lot of story left to go, but it’s a brilliant start. I loved his Nyxia series, but I have a feeling I’m going to love this one 10 times more! I cannot wait for the next installment...and it’s a long time coming!