Disclaimer: Before we get into this review, if you have not read Ash Princess yet, please stop here and go read it! Otherwise, this review will spoil the ending/parts of the first book. I highly encourage you to give Ash Princess a read!
Okay, with that warning out of the way, I’ll begin by saying that after the ending of Ash Princess, I needed to know more. Not only is this a story of a young princess who’s been antagonised for a good portion of her life, but now that she’s freed she must contend with the tyrannical ruler after her, and becoming the face of a revolution. Plus the romance, and the best friend now turned enemy really reeled me in. I will admit, I am also in awe of said enemy. She’s a terrible person, but something about her character in this book demanded respect, and I feel that she definitely earns it.
Lady Smoke picks up where readers left off at the end of Ash Princess, Princess Theodosia is on her aunt’s ship, the famed pirate Dragonsbane. Though she shares her mother’s face, the two women could be nothing alike. Theo doesn’t know if she can really trust her aunt, despite her claim to want to help her reclaim the Astrean throne. Moreover, in order to help secure an army to reclaim the throne, Theo must marry. No Astrean queen has ever done so, but if it means securing freedom for her people, she’ll make the ultimate sacrifice. Will she be able to help her people without losing herself in the process?
There is so much more to say about Lady Smoke, but let’s start with the fact that it was such a great read. A long read to be sure, but a great one. There’s so much development happening in this book, and it’s going to make waiting for the third book in this series worth it. Theodosia especially was a delight to see grow as a character, in terms of coming into her own power and dealing with her mental state after escaping years of abuse. Her feelings are raw and that’s something I can appreciate. It made her even more genuine to me. The insight that Laura Sebastian gave us into the mental states of the characters was phenomenal, even as an outsider looking in. Though the story is told in a singular perspective, you still get to know the characters more than on the superficial level. It’s obvious that time has been taken in cultivating the relationships that are occurring in the book.
I’m not always a big fan of first-person point of view. However, it works really well to give the story a sense of urgency that permeates throughout the book. Theo must work fast to outrun the Kaiser as well as think quickly to help free her people from bonds of servitude and slavery. However, despite this urgency, the story itself is not rushed. Moments are savoured, and care has been taken so that readers can really see the effects of the actions taken upon certain characters. I loved being able to connect not only with Theo, but Heron, Artemisia, and Prinz Soren as well. I felt Artemisia displayed a lot of growth in this book, especially in contrast to her mother. Despite that crabby personality, there is a soft and squishy side to her.
Tension building is intense, and done so well, especially between Dragonsbane and Theo. Dragonsbane comes off as callous, and with so many secrets, readers won’t be able to tell whether she’s friend or foe. That said, she did grow on me. Painted against an opulent but oppressive setting, it is all the better. The romance was enjoyable, although it wasn’t my favourite aspect of this book. I felt like Theo was such a strong and independent character without needing a man on her arm. I definitely want to see a bigger development on this front in the next book.
I’d rate Lady Smoke a 9/10. There wasn’t much about the story that I didn’t love, although at times it did feel like the pace was dragging a little bit. However, it was mainly because I’m not as big of a fan of palace politics/intrigue.
Though the story ended in another cliffhanger, it was such a good one! It teases the reader about what might come in the next book, and argh…I hate that I have to wait until 2020 for the next book. It’s a good thing I have a gigantic stack of books to be read.
Lady Smoke is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Will you be reading Lady Smoke? Or have you read it already? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
The sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller that was “made for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Sabaa Tahir” ( Bustle ), Lady Smoke is an epic new fantasy about a throne cruelly stolen and a girl who must fight to take it back for her people.
The Kaiser murdered Theodosia’s mother, the Fire Queen, when Theo was only six. He took Theo’s country and kept her prisoner, crowning her Ash Princess–a pet to toy with and humiliate for ten long years. That era has ended. The Kaiser thought his prisoner weak and defenseless. He didn’t realize that a sharp mind is the deadliest weapon.
Theo no longer wears a crown of ashes. She has taken back her rightful title, and a hostage–Prinz Soren. But her people remain enslaved under the Kaiser’s rule, and now she is thousands of miles away from them and her throne.
To get them back, she will need an army. Only, securing an army means she must trust her aunt, the dreaded pirate Dragonsbane. And according to Dragonsbane, an army can only be produced if Theo takes a husband. Something an Astrean Queen has never done.
Theo knows that freedom comes at a price, but she is determined to find a way to save her country without losing herself.
“A darkly enchanting page-turner you won’t be able to put down.” –Bustle on Ash Princess, Book 1 in the Ash Princess series
