Review: Lady Smoke

Hello, book dragons! I hope you’re all doing well. It’s been cloudy and rainy and cold here in SA, which is my favourite type of weather. I hope you enjoy my review of Lady Smoke, the second book in the Ash Princess trilogy.

{You might also like – Review: Ash Princess}

Title: Lady Smoke

Author: Laura Sebastian

Rating: 4 Stars

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books

Date Published: 5 February 2019

Goodreads Description: A tale of love, revenge, power and betrayal, Lady Smoke is Laura Sebastian’s epic fantasy sequel to the New York Times-bestselling Ash Princess.

After escaping from imprisonment under the brutal Kaiser, Theodosia is on the run, plotting to take revenge and reclaim her rightful place as queen of the enslaved Astreans.

Thousands of miles away from her people and her throne, Theo and her friends must work to gather an army. And the only way is to auction herself as a bride – to the kingdom who will pay the most. Freedom always comes at a price and with the Kaiser closing in, she must rely on her wits to identify who she can really trust.

I received a free copy from Pan Macmillan SA. All opinions are my own.

Story

As I’ve said in my review for Ash Princess, the story is again nothing new. You’ve probably read this type of YA fantasy before. Theo needs to marry in order to get an army to defeat the Kaiser. It’s all very same same, but Sebastian just has this way of pulling you into the story and making you care for the characters that you need to keep reading.

Writing

Sebastian’s writing is seriously phenomenal. I could not put this book down. The writing is so engaging and flows so well, I would read anything this woman publishes. The world-building was once again stunning, especially now that we’re being introduced to some of the neighbouring countries.

I just enjoyed every part of this book, even if it was predictable in some ways.

Characters

The other thing that stands out really well in this book is the characters. I loved Theo’s development and journey. She’s constantly torn between being like the Kaiser, the man who essentially raised her, and being like her mother, the queen who came before her. Her choices are very much based on her upbringing, and she quickly realises that if she wants to rule she’s going to have to be herself, not her mother or the Kaiser.

I was hoping we’d see more from Cress, she’s honestly such a unique and stand-out character, a true villain that will make a formidable foe in the next book.

I wasn’t really feeling the love interests in this book either. Soren is still my favourite, but Blaise just feels like Mal 2.0 and I am not here for that. I like how Theo’s arc doesn’t revolve around the two boys too much, but if we could just avoid the love triangle completely I would be fine with that.

Lady Smoke was a solid entry in this trilogy, and I cannot wait for the next one.

Let me know your thoughts on Lady Smoke.

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