Game of Thrones meets Graceling in this action-packed fantasy—the highly anticipated final book in the New York Times bestselling Snow Like Ashes series by Sara Raasch. Perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes and A Court of Thorns and Roses. Angra is alive, his Decay is spreading—and no one is safe.Meira will do anything to save her world. With Angra trying to break through her mental defenses, … safe.
Meira will do anything to save her world. With Angra trying to break through her mental defenses, she desperately needs to learn to control her own magic—so when the leader of a mysterious Order from Paisly offers to teach her, Meira jumps at the chance. But the true solution to stopping the Decay lies in a labyrinth deep beneath the Season Kingdoms. To defeat Angra, Meira will have to enter the labyrinth, destroy the very magic she’s learning to control—and make the biggest sacrifice of all.
Mather will do anything to save his queen. He needs to rally the Children of the Thaw, find Meira—and finally tell her how he really feels. But with a plan of attack that leaves no kingdom unscathed and a major betrayal within their ranks, winning the war—and protecting Meira—slips farther and farther out of reach.
Ceridwen will do anything to save her people. Angra had her brother killed, stole her kingdom, and made her a prisoner. But when she’s freed by an unexpected ally who reveals a shocking truth behind Summer’s slave trade, Ceridwen must take action to save her true love and her kingdom, even if it costs her what little she has left.
As Angra unleashes the Decay on the world, Meira, Mather, and Ceridwen must bring the kingdoms of Primoria together…or lose everything.
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I’m reviewing the whole SNOW LIKE ASHES trilogy because you’re not going to stop at book one and all of them are out so let’s not play around, okay?
WHAT IT’S ABOUT:
(Book 1, SNOW LIKE ASHES)
16yo Miera is one of 8 survivors of her Winterian kingdom who escaped when it was overthrown, its people enslaved. She lives on the run as a refugee, training to be a soldier and fighting her love for the future king (16yo Mather) who has been raised as her constant companion. When she learns the location of a locket that could help get their people their power back, she leaps at the chance to prove she’s more valuable than she’s been made to feel, and discovers in the process that her role in their world of magical rules and slippery politics is bigger than she ever imagined.
(Book 2, ICE LIKE FIRE)
In her new role, Miera decides to keep certain information close to her chest in the hopes that it will be best for her people. Mather struggles with the decisions he made in book one, and what his next move should be. A third party has deep faith in their lofty goals, and wants Miera to help make them happen. Their story lines weave and pull in a way that exposes deceptions that none could expect.
(Book 3, FROST LIKE NIGHT)
All the proverbial you-know-what hits the fan. You will not breathe for about 350 of the 480 pages.
WHAT I THOUGHT:
It is rare that a series has equally strong books throughout, but this is one is a star. The first book hooked me, the second committed me, and the third lit me on fire. I WAS NOT OKAY FOR A LOT OF BOOK THREE. [breathes into paper bag]
I’m a fan of solid storytelling with realistic character development (for the better and worse), vibrant visuals, and emotional tethers. This hit all those notes, plus had great love stories, from romantic to familial to friendship.
Sometimes I find fantasy books with the word “politics” in the descriptions to be too complex, have way too many characters or locations to keep track of, but this is so, so well done. Everything felt concise and purposeful. The author did not hold back, did not take the easy road when it came to following through on her characters’ decisions or whether they survived the battles. Keeping a reader who has read quite a bit within a certain genre on their toes isn’t an easy task, but she did it in spades. My toes. Are. Exhausted.
If you’re a fan of books like THRONE OF GLASS, DEFY, EMBER IN THE ASHES, SHADOW AND BONE, and the like, then grab this, immediately.
AMAZING fantasy trilogy and was beautifully narrated (but I did not care for Ceridwen’s narrator). Despite all of the loss and chaos that a war brings, happiness endured. Super impressed with the world and character building along with the unique twists and turns in the plot. Loved the use of magic in this trilogy. Out of the three, the first book was the best anf my favorite, but every book brought such vivid color and detail that it was hard to feel unattached to the story. I am so sad that I will not be reading about these characters any longer. Well done Sara Raasch.