Lady Smoke (Ash Princess) Hardcover – February 5, 2019

Lady Smoke is book two of the Ash Princess trilogy by Laura Sebastian and I’ve been waiting to get my hands on this book since I turned the last page of the first book. No spoilers for Lady Smoke ahead but if you haven’t read Ash Princess, I can’t promise anything, so you are officially warned.This book picks up right after the end of book one which was great. Theodosia has escaped from the Kaiser, she’s taken back her title of Queen, and is now looking for a way to get her throne and Astrea back for her people. The biggest (I can’t say only) problem is, Theo doesn’t have an army big enough to take on the Kalovaxians but Dragonsbane has made a deal that will help her get one.Theo has shown some growth since the first book. Not only is she learning more about herself, but she is putting her years of experience in court to good use. Her years of being under the thumb of the Kaiser has helped her in that most people underestimate her, and it absolutely helps when she is in Sta’Crivero. See, the deal Dragonsbane, Theo’s aunt, has made is that Theo will choose a husband even though that has never been Astrea’s way.There are a lot of secrets and when Theo finds herself in the midst of a dangerous situation (again), she has to figure out who she can truly trust and clearly it isn’t everyone. There are some murders happening around Theo and her suitors are the targets, but the question is who is responsible? Unfortunately, someone in her entourage is accused and Theo has to figure out how to get them out of trouble on top of everything else that is going on.Speaking of her entourage, Theo’s shadows are some of my favorite characters and I loved seeing how her relationships with each of them evolved over the span of this book. I’m not going to lie, there is a love triangle in this book and if there is one thing that had me on the fence, it is that…mostly because it felt off to me. I mention this because Blaise, while one of Theo’s oldest friends, never really felt like more than a friend to me, even though it came across as something more. Heron is great and even though he disagreed with Theo, he still supported and helped her. I get where he is coming from and can’t blame him for his feelings toward the Kalovaxians. And then you have Art - she doesn’t cut Theo any slack and Theo is better for it, I think. Art challenges Theo and pushes her to be someone more than what the Kaiser made her.Dragonsbane is one of the other characters I will briefly mention here. It is clear she has her own agenda and I don’t know if I trust her even now that I have finished this installment. I get it, she has had her own issues but I don’t like how she treats Art and that is all.I don’t think I mentioned it yet but if you read Ash Princess, you know how Theo’s relationship developed with Prinz Soren. You also know then, that she kidnapped him and while he started out as her hostage, it is clear their relationship isn’t as simple as that. I have to be honest here and say that he is the one I feel is the better fit for Theo. Even though she was lying to him almost the entire time in Ash Princess, things shift a bit in Lady Smoke for them and Theo begins to rely on Soren to help and guide her. Even though she tries to hide from (or one could say avoid) her feelings, she can’t for very long and Soren tells her how he feels as well but the thing I love about it is that he’s realized she is more than Thora, the girl who needs to be protected.As things come to a head in this book, it’s clear something big will happen. I have to admit I didn’t see what happened really coming…at least not yet. Because of that, I am very interested in seeing what happens next for all characters involved.Sebastian does a great job of building out the world in this book as well. In book one, we really were stuck within the Kalovaxian court so getting outside allowed me to get a better picture of the world outside of Astrea and characters that inhabit it.So…I can’t say much more here without potentially giving something away, so I won’t. If you enjoyed book one, I think you will love how Sebastian continues this story. I will definitely be picking up the next book in this series as soon as I can get my hands on it. Seriously, I need to get on that waiting list. If you’re looking for a fantasy that has a bit of mystery, a bit of romance, and a great story with interesting characters, consider checking this one out.

Novel #2 is rarely as good as the first. Often you know what to expect from the author and the characters so it doesn’t offer many surprises. Add to that, it’s not the flashy beginning or the suspenseful ending of the story so it’s usually just ok. It moves the story along, sets up the ending, and shows some character growth. Lady Smoke smoked all of these theories and expectations of a second novel. Sure, it moved the story along and set up the ending and showed some character development but it did it all while cloaked in fire and smoke. You can’t predict all twists and turns or the characters action or even their feelings in the one. Best book 2 I’ve read in a long time.

I’ve read through many different fantasy genres. A good story can pull you through even if it's not necessarily your cup of tea. The best stories have a little bit of everything from action to simple intrue, humor to romance, and all run the reader through a gambit of emotions. Looking at this romance fantasy seires the first book kept me engaged mainly through a powerful opening that immediately attached me to the character and hit my heartstrings. I have no doubt the author is talented but some of the flaws in the first book are more pronounced in the second. The story was still enjoyable but the suspension of this belief is harder to achieve if you pull back and think about the story at times. Really good characters can cover up a lot of flaws in the story, as well as how the story is being consumed. The audible version really does bring the story to life, but is priced at a higher level than I think matches the scope and scale of the story. Which is a bit ironic because the story itself has a scope and scale issue. I found myself confused by the strength and size of certain countries. Also there remains a lack of world building when it comes to the the people outside of the nobles. Honestly this is a rainy day read that is not meant to be looked too deeply into. The first person presence tense pov with pull you in emotionally. The characters' feelings toward each other are the strength of the author. If you start thinking about logistics, logic, the magic system that seems powerful but was useless in the past, and some social ideas that are assumed it gets really distracting. When you come across an eye roll worthy moment you go with it or let it go. Each time you have to make that choice however is a reader speed bump, temporarily disengaging the read from the story.As a hobby writer it is hard not to put a bit of myself in whatever I write. My worldview may come across through certain characters by flavoring their views and how and what is noticed by them. This can be a bit confusing or off-putting when the author's worldview might be completely opposed or different from your own. But a good story, like a good debate or conversation, can make the reader reevaluate their thoughts.This story isn't that subtle; the author often shows her worldview through the idealization or vilification of how her characters look at the world. One weird moment in the story was having the fallen country of our righteous protagonist not even have the word for virginity, which makes absolutely no sense. It's a concept that every teenager, though it's been years since I've been one, knows almost by instinct at a young age. It's been romanticized in thousands of books and is a source of constant jokes. But to point out how backwards the nobles were in their attitudes the author decided to just say that our main protagonist didn't have that concept and she had to explain it to her friends. That was as cringey for me almost as the antagonist nobles attitudes were.There are other elements in the story where social beliefs of the modern day left are just the natural assumption of this fantasy world. To me it does create some issues because it doesn't feel real and even more fantasy than actual magic. Modern social anachronisms are a heavy spice that if added too much into the story pulls the reader out. There has to be a balance in things even if you have a certain worldview. If you want to push your worldview as an author it is even more important to have antagonist that feels real, so that even if they are horrible people there's a reason and logic behind what they do. They're just not evil for evil's sake.Overall I will say that the author's ability to make me care about the characters makes thid6 an easily re-readable 3 star fantasy romance. It remains interesting and kept me engaged. Granted I winced a bit when it came to using real swords to train with, and again having a magic system that could be awesome but really not usinging to the full extent. At the same time I enjoy great heroes that are skilled whether they be male or female. It's just another element that you have to read through and enjoy the story for what it is.

Second volume in the younger adult fantasy trilogy 'The Ash Princess'. First book of which was called Ash Princess. This picks up from where that left off, and isn't really a jumping on point. So new readers start with that. Regular ones read on.This is probably best for those aged fourteen and up. A large amount of peril. A fair bit of violence. And some pretty dark stuff with it. Some mild adult moments too.It runs for four hundred and eighty six pages. There's a couple of maps of the setting at the start. There's a prologue, a fair few chapters, and an epilogue. The chapters all have titles rather than numbers. But all are pretty short in length.After the end of the last book, Theo is on the run. She needs an army. The only way to get that is to visit another land where she can meet potential suitors. This is a strange new place. The Kaiser is still after her. She can't be sure who to trust. And dreams of her former friend won't go away. Much more jeopardy and many more though decisions await.An excellent second volume. There's some great world building in the setting for where most of the book takes place. And in lands we only hear about but don't get to see. As before the level of jeopardy is great, and you can feel for Theo. Not least because of this and the huge amount of trust issues she has. You can never be entirely sure of certain people's motivations, and that really does add an edge to this.Just not quite a five star read, but tantalisingly close. Because it does threaten to drift a little in the middle. Good second books in trilogies should escalate the situation from book one, rather than just move it along and set up stuff for a finale. This pretty much manages the former, but nearly slips into the latter at a couple of points.However the ending is superb. This really does grab you, and leaves you desperate to see what will happen next.I did like this a lot. I just think with a few less chapters it would have been five stars. But even so, it was a very good read indeed, and I look forward to the finale.

This is the second book of the Ash Princess and every bit as enthralling as the first. Once you start reading, you can't put it down. Great characters and full of suspense, danger, happiness and sadness. Can't wait until I read the third book to see how it all turns out. Highly recommend. Brilliant author. Hope Laura Sebastian writes lots more books in this genre.

I am enjoying the book! However getting hold of it was a hassel. The fost one arrived and the first page was badly damaged. I exchanged it for a different copy. When that arrived it was also damaged. I wasn’t able to exchange it so i got a refund and re ordered it. The third book came and it was damaged. Not as badly but the clear film on the cover was starting to peel and the corners folded over. I am honestly fed up of the hassle of returning that i have kept it. All it all the story is great but the seller not so much

I love these books! However my only issue is that there may be a touch to much descriptive writing. Thoughts of characters we don’t really need to know, that kind of thing. The story line however is well crafted and enthralling! I can’t wait to read the third!

I couldn't put the book down and would much prefer to read it rather than go to sleep... And I love my sleep. This is by far favourite trilogy, this will not disappoint!