Ashen: Dive in Review.

Today I bring you my review of the second book in UUPs Cinderella bundle. Ashen by H.L. Burke. Check out my review of Met by Midnight here.

Add these books to your Goodreads Want-To-Read List:

Ashen – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54343688-ashen

Met By Midnight – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54343721-met-by-midnight

Ashen Dive In Review:

Ashen by H.L. Burke is a very loose take on the Cinderella story. So when you’re reading, and you think you know what’s coming, you are only half right. Make that one sixteenth right.

Ashen goes far beyond it’s fairy-tale roots. You could strip out all of the Cinderella elements and still be left with an original and highly engaging original fantasy. In fact, I suspect that that this story may have been conceived without any thoughts of Cinderella in mind.

Ashen tells the story of Lizbete, an Orphan outcast who no one wants, or trusts, or loves. Except Auntie Katrine, who raised her as her own. Lizbete is constantly blamed for everything that goes wrong by the members of her superstitious community. Her character is so engaging. Lizbete goes through literal hellfire in this story. (Bad author, why are you so evil?) But no matter how far down she is pushed Lizbete rises, from, well the ashes, like a Phoenix.

I am a huge H.L. Burke fan and this addition lives up what I have come to expect from her work. Snarky heroes, original world building, lots of hope and of course, happy endings.

I was given an ARC of this novel for the purpose of early review. I am leaving this review of my own accord and it contains my honest opinion of the provided material.

Stealer of warmth, bringer of death. What if Cinderella had a secret that kept her locked away?

Unable to make her own body heat, foundling Lizbete survives in the tavern kitchen, drawing warmth from the fires, the sun—and sometimes, other living beings. Her days are spent cooking alongside the tavern owner and avoiding the suspicious gazes of the villagers in her small northern town. While she quietly longs for the handsome Brynar, she knows she has no chance with the mayor’s son, even if he invites her to the First Frost festival.

When sudden earthquakes strike Brumehome, blame falls upon Lizbete, and not even her friendship with Brynar can protect her. She finds shelter in the dangerous caverns of nearby Ash Mountain. There she discovers mysterious people with her same ability to draw heat—and a fiery doom in the mountain that slowly awakens with every quake.

Now the festival Lizbete thought to avoid is her only chance to warn the villagers. Yet even with Brynar at her side, can the strange girl dubbed the Ash Lizard hope to save the town that fears her?

A rugged YA Cinderella retelling set in a fantasy world with light steampunk elements.

Born in a small town in north central Oregon, H. L. Burke spent most of her childhood around trees and farm animals and was always accompanied by a book. Growing up with epic heroes from Middle Earth and Narnia keeping her company, she also became an incurable romantic.

An addictive personality, she jumped from one fandom to another, being at times completely obsessed with various books, movies, or television series (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Star Trek all took their turns), but she has grown to be what she considers a well-rounded connoisseur of geek culture.

Married to her high school crush who is now a US Marine, she has moved multiple times in her adult life but believes that home is wherever her husband, two daughters, and pets are.

Social Media Links

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/hlburkewriter/

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Website: http://www.hlburkeauthor.com/