A Curse of Ash and Embers by Jo Spurrier
Rating: ★★★★☆

What stood out to me about A Curse of Ash and Embers was its refreshing departure from romance-driven plots. Jo Spurrier takes a different approach by placing a strong emphasis on characters rather than relying solely on the plot. While I enjoyed this shift in focus, I found myself yearning for deeper character development.

Set in a world steeped in dark magic and ancient curses, the story immerses readers in a realm where survival hinges on uncovering the secrets buried within each character's past and present. Spurrier skillfully weaves together elements of mystery and fantasy, creating a tapestry of intrigue and suspense that kept me eagerly turning the pages.

The plot's twists and turns were engaging, and I appreciated the way Spurrier crafted a narrative that balanced action with introspection. However, I couldn't help but wish for more exploration into the characters' inner lives and motivations. While the story kept me hooked with its suspenseful pacing, a deeper dive into what drove the characters would have added another layer of richness to the narrative.

Despite this, A Curse of Ash and Embers remains a captivating read that explores complex themes such as power dynamics, loyalty, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

So refreshing to have a story not romance driven. I wish I would have read this in October it gives the perfect vibe for the season

Thank you so much for letting me read and review this title! I really enjoyed it and hopefully will get to read more from this author in the future! I thought this was such an interesting read and was sad I waited so long to get to it. Probably too long for this review to be much help, but it was a quick read that I enjoyed and would revisit again.

3.5 stars.

This read like an independently published book. And I love indies, so that’s not a bad thing, it just didn’t read like what I was expecting. It’s a fast, easy read, but there is a lot of description. It’s plot-based more than character-based, because while I did like Elodie, I didn’t feel connected to her. For a lot of the time, she just followed what her mistress told her to do, which made her a passive character, but at the same time she constantly made the choice to stay when she could have left. I wish there had been more character development for her since this was the first book. But I really liked her and Aleida’s exchanges with each other. I’m unsure if I will read the next one.

Mostly enjoyable, quick read. I enjoyed the character of Aleida, but didn't care as much for the supposedly actual MC of Dee.

A Curse of Ash and Embers by Jo Spurrier

368 Pages
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, Voyager AU
Release Date: September 24, 2018

Fiction, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Witches, Teens, Young Adult, Coming of Age

Elodie lives with her mother, stepfather and her siblings. A letter arrives with a job offer at Black Oak Cottage. Her stepfather has not allowed her to learn how to read and write so her options for employment are limited. For this position, she must leave immediately without saying goodbye to her siblings. It will take several days to get to the cottage, and she must travel with the teamster leaving now. When she arrives at the town, she learns the cottage is the home of the Blackbone Witches. Aleida is the young mistress of the house. She is weakened after a death fight with Gyssha, the elder Blackbone. Should Elodie stay and help Aleida or leave? She cannot go home so where else would she go?

The book has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. Elodie is a strong young woman determined to honor her commitment to Aleida. The author does a fine job of confusing the reader with the personalities of the characters. It keeps you guessing which one is the good person. If you like young adult sci fi and fantasy books with a good versus evil theme, you will enjoy reading this book.

I got this book ages ago and thought I reviewed it, but I guess not?? The concept was SO COOL, but the writing was honestly difficult to get through at some points & made reading feel like a slog. I can’t remember too much about it. Again, the plot WAS cool, so I think some people might like it!! So sorry for the late review.

The characters were there, and some of world building was great but the connection was lost between characters and things i wanted to happen or thought should happen didnt but it wasnt all bad!

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Gorgeous cover, and sounded like something I’d love. I didn’t get into this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I don’t know why I struggled so hard with this book. The writing was difficult to get through for me.

I did not finish this book. It did not suit my taste and I did not enjoy what I read. 5 star thank you.

Not my favorite but still really good.

I really enjoyed the world and characters in this one.

I would recommend it to fans of YA fantasy!

I have elected not to read and review this book due to time constraints. Thank you for the opportunity.

I love YA fantasy and especially books with witchy protagonists. This book is first in a trilogy but it works fine as a stand alone story. I loved following along with Elodie as she learned about the existence of magic and was introduced to different characters and magical creatures. The concept of "constructs" was especially cool. It did take a while to get to the actual magic: what felt like the first third of the book was all about "Dee" traveling to the witch's house and hearing stories about how great and terrible she was, but no actual action. I connected with Elodie and the witch Aleida but think they could have been more three-dimensional. For example I don't get why Elodie makes a lot of the choices she makes, other than to advance the plot. Most of my questions were answered in this first book, and the main bad guys slain. Overall I enjoyed reading this book but probably won't check out the sequels.

Feminism and fantastic world building. Was nice to see a book not centered around romance as well. I think some of the character manipulation was a bit less believable.

This book is one of my all time favorite books I have read. I truly could not put it down. I ended up ordering a physical copy after finishing it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I did not finish - I have tried reading this book on multiple occasions and just could not get into it.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I usually enjoy books like this but found it hard to get into.