This was a good read.

The first section of the book felt pretty slow for me and as it went on I was feeling more call backs to SJM things than I would have wanted. I know not everyone would say that but it is a personal thought. I think the book could have been a little more polished, but I had a good time and would read a sequel.

Valeria was insurable towards the end and it was a big turn off.
This was a good book and I enjoyed the plot. I know the author can only go up from here so I look forward to her books in the future.

I wanted to like this one but it was not for me and I did not end up finishing the book fully. There were a few plot holes, and the pacing was off. As for the story, I did not enjoy the jealous teenage drama and insta-love. I hope others enjoy it though because the writing itself was beautiful and sassy female main characters are all the rage right now.

I enjoyed this book. I liked that the plot was unpredictable, but the MC does make some very poor choices. HATED the king(good job, Lara). Mistress Marjorie was chef’s kiss! I loved her character. What happened to Cayden was so messed up - Framed, hated, banished, enslaved?!?! We all fell for Vemdour(again, good job, Lara). Such an evil dude. While the story pacing was a little slow, I did love it! Thanks for the ARC!

Although the cover is pretty, I, unfortunately wasn’t captivated by the writing or plot, Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read this.

I was so excited for this one. And while it wasn't the worst, it wasn't my favorite either. The plot was way too complicated and way too confusing. The synopsis drew me in, but the actual execution of that plot was over my head.

I wasn't particularly a fan of this book. There were many times where the plot was confusing and difficult to follow. At the beginning I wasn't fond of Valeria. It was very much high-school drama and she was unfortunately annoying to me. which i think is a big part of my dislike for the book, cause how can i enjoy it when the main character is infuriating? so i think this tainted lense just ruined the rest of the book for me.

This was such a good read! The novel is plot driven where Valeria goes on a journey to find out more about herself and her past. The plot twists in this made me so pumped for the next book! I have mixed emotions on Valeria as a whole cause I wasn't sure if I liked her or not as a character.

"A Realm Of Ash and Shadow" isn't a bad start to a series, but there were some things that had a big impact on my lower opinion of it.
The author's writing style is not difficult to read, but I had gone really slowly through it, as there are quite detailed descriptions that start disappearing over the course of the book. The story has a strong start that sets a really good dynamic already in the first 20-30 pages, which unfortunately, is lost after. The world Buckheit has built is well thought out, and its story is interesting. It is clear that she had thought about it, because it shows the depth in the explanations of how it works. In the first 1/3 of the book, the action is smooth, while at the same time not too sluggish - it moves at a good pace to keep the interest going. Shortly after the middle, however, the dynamics got so lost, that you wonder if you have picked up another book. The political conflict is well developed and on-site written - it brings more life to one of the storylines and makes the story tenser. However, the “wow” effect was missing for me.
I wasn't able to connect enough with any of the characters, even though I found their stories interesting and I liked them. The characters themselves are deep, but they are not well built, because they very quickly changed their character and attitude according to how the author wanted the story to continue, which I do not think is the right approach.
Valeria is a terribly indecisive character, she seems to have no opinion of her own and generally she is all "I go where I somebody tells me to", which at first was not visible, but once she showed it up, it only made her more and more irritating with each new decision. She threw herself to every new male character and tried sleeping with him, because you see, he was THE ONE, but I think she found THE ONE a few times, so I don’t think it counts. Some of her reactions are terribly unrealistic, as she forgets too quickly about the people she claims to love and who she supposedly cares about, when she knows they are suffering.
The sexual tension and chemistry between her and any other of the characters was greater and more interesting to follow than that between her and the protagonist. I had a favorite from the male characters with whom I think they would’ve been a very strong couple, but he, like the other characters, suddenly changed his behavior. Most likely, it will be known whether there will be an opportunity for them as a couple in the next book.
The story managed to surprise me with some of its moments and twists, with others - not so much, because they were obvious.
The climax was very rushed through and underdeveloped. Exactly the moment that was supposed to be the strongest, was terribly weak and ended as if in seconds after the long action through the rest of the book and the increasing tension.
The end remains open for the next book, but I have not yet decided whether to continue with it, given that this one has not managed to grab me enough.
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Rating: 3.5/5

I loved the premise of this book, it had similar vibes to other fantasy books & series I have loved. However I spent the majority of the book incredibly confused, the history of the Realms and the connections of some of the characters was insanely confusing,

The main character often seemed quite silly and some descriptions of her thoughts felt like they came out of nowhere, also some plot twists seemed forced and thrown in at the last minute to explain away plot holes elsewhere which is very infuriating as a reader.

Epic world-building, unpredictable and kept me on the edge of my seat. Action-packed with swoon-worthy male characters to boot. I cannot wait for the second installment as the cliffhanger has me on the edge of my seat months later! Fantastic writing.

The story is well-written, easy to get into, and interesting to read.
I enjoyed the characters and the world was explained well enough.

It is not a new favorite, but it was a fun read.

Now this was a very interesting read! The concept, while not original in fantasy, was so well produced. The character arcs and the world building was tight—I finished the whole book in a night. Loved the ending, can’t wait for more

This is an interesting story. I honestly was intrigued by the synopsis however I think that it didn't gave me what I wanted and felt like this could have been better.

I really loved this book. The story was very gripping once it got going, i really liked the characters, the world building and the storyline. Would definitely recommend.

This wasn’t my favorite book, i was a little lost throughout but i liked some of the imagery and overall it was a decent book. I probably wouldn’t recommend it although the cover is pretty

A Realm of Ash and Shadow tells the story of our MC, Valeria, who is the lost heir from the kingdom of Empyrean who is sent to the mortal realm for her protection.

There’s definitely a lot going on in this book in terms of the world building - little snippets of explanations are littered throughout so pay close attention to get a better understanding of the world.

Parts of this book read more young adult, so be prepared for Valeria to make mistakes, get caught up in her emotions, and make the opposite decisions that you might make with a fully developed frontal cortex.

I did have some issues with some of the abuse that went on in certain scenes. Sometimes Valeria’s actions seemed really extreme compared to how her character was introduced.

Overall a good read and start to the series. I have some thoughts on where I think the plot and some of the characters might end up, so will check out the next book to see if I’m right.

Okay, so i didn't dislike this story. I just felt old reading it.
At times it felt a little all over the place, i dunno, maybe my heart wasn't in it.
I did however, enjoy the characters and there were times where i was shocked and enjoyed the plot twists. It was also pretty fast-paced. I just felt it could have been structured a little better.

"A Realm of Ash and Shadow" by Lara Buckheit is a fascinating and addicting fantasy book that tells a story of political intrigue, power battles, and strange partnerships. Princess Valeria Breault is banished from her kingdom of Empyrean. On her prom night, devils show up and start a fight to the death. She almost got caught by the Realm of the Forsaken, but when she did, she was reluctantly taken back to Empyrean, where she found a nightmare instead of the utopia she had imagined. Valeria's fight for the throne puts her in dangerous situations where she has to make choices that test her loyalty and beliefs.

Buckheit's way of telling stories is both captivating and dramatic, bringing the reader into a world of magic and political games. Valeria and the man who swore to protect her start out as foes but end up falling in love. This adds an irresistible layer of drama to the story. The main character's fight to find her place and express her power while her own darkness grows is a compelling character arc that readers will want to cheer for.

"A Realm of Ash and Shadow" is a masterful example of addictive fiction. It reminds me of Sarah J. Maas's engaging stories and other well-loved books where enemies become loves. Buckheit's writing has just the right amount of drama, mystery, and romance to keep readers interested right up to the last page. If you like action-packed fantasy with complicated characters and a touch of forbidden love, this book is a must-read that will leave you wanting more from Lara Buckheit's exciting and imaginative world.


***A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.***

This book is rife with potential. Potential however, does not make a book great.

The plot isn't well executed (some things just do not add up), and there was just an overall failure to successfully execute some really great ideas.

I found this story to be a bit confusing. I kept getting confused on who was who, and the main character was just sort of annoying to me (like girly what are doing falling in some weird lust with this huge villain who you kept reiterating you HATE). I had a bit of a hard time finishing this, just because I did not really vibe with the story. I can see why and how people would like this story, but I think a lot of the elements could have been more fleshed out and less rushed. Thank you NetGalley for the E-Arc of this book!