Snow Like Ashes: A YA Fantasy of Dark Magic, Dangerous Politics, and One Girl's Destiny

An epic fantasy! Sara Raasch's SNOW LIKE ASHES is truly unique. It has all the makings of an unforgettable book. Magic, romance, adventure, action, and an unforgettable heroine who has quickly become one of my favorites. Snow Like Ashes gave me everything I had hoped it would, and then some. What makes this book stand out among many, is it's coming of age story. This story is about courage, sacrificing for the greater good of the community, and finding ones place in the middle of it all. THE SETTING Set in a world, where kingdom are divided into seasons, each kingdom has it's own magic. A power, which comes from the royal heir who rules over that kingdom. This power is what helps the people living within in that particular kingdom. It is a power that can be used for good or something evil. When Meira's kingdom, the kingdom of Winter, is over thrown by Spring, most all of her people are destroyed. Much of the hope, and power that the few remaining Winterians need, now lies with the very few who have escaped. THE MAIN CHARACTER Though this story is set in a beautiful, and deadly fantasy world, I found it incredibly easy to identify with Meira's self discovery of who she is, and where she fits into this world. Meira is a character I liked from the get go. She is a feisty, stubborn, incredibly strong girl. Despite what others say, and what is customary, she doesn't let her lack of standing within the kingdom hold her back on what she wants, and knows she is good at. She is out to prove she is worthy to fight for her country, and defend the last bit of Winterian magic that is still left. Her much of her life she's had to struggle with fitting in into a broken kingdom that has tried to mold her into someone she's not. She has had to work harder than anyone to prove her self, and her worth. She'll stop at nothing to be accepted for the greatness she knows she has within in herself, that she's constantly having to withhold. Meira is the kind of heroine I wish I had read about when I was teen. She proves that even when she doesn't have much choice, there is always a choice. She proves that in a world ruled by power, and women and men have rules within her kingdom, she can fight for the role she knows she's destined to have. She proves that you can never give up, and you have to learn to face the things that scare you the most. Most importantly, Meira proves that when something is worth fighting for, you don't stop fighting for it. THE ROMANCE The relationships in this book are great, but the romantic interests are fabulous. Raasch does such a wonderful job at allowing me to understand both Theron and Mather. I liked being able to understand where they are coming from with their decision making and choices they both make. Both characters have a lot they have to deal with, and they both have a lot they stand to loose, though Theron stands to loose more than Mather. PRINCE THERON STOLE MY HEART From the moment he entered the story, I knew he would be a perfect match for Meira, and he'd would be the one for me. Prince Theron is not who I was excepting him to be. Especially after knowing who is father is, and the way Sir and Mather have treated Meira. I was excepting someone more like them. He's far from them. From the moment he meets her, Theron treats Meira like an equal. He doesn't look at her as anything, but someone who's capable of doing great things. Excuse me while I yell and cheer over that! Theron supports Meira in what she can do, vs holding her back. He helps her learn how she can still be herself, and not lose herself to the circumstances that are currently out of both her and Theron's control. I admired the fact that against what is allowed, he wants her to be able to make her own choices. He understands what it feels like, more than anyone else, to have choices. I love that he gave her friendship. AND, Theron fights for Meira! If he hadn't already won my heart over with how he treats Meira, he would have won over it in the scene that happens near the end of the book. I love how these two got each other. They both offered each other so much. With all Theron gives Meira, she gives him trust, support friendship, and hope. She allows him to see that he can go against tradition and what is taught as right, and fight for something he knows is right. While they come from different kingdoms, they both have so many similarities, and really understood what the other was feeling. There is a connection between these two, that I felt Meira and Mather never had. To me, Mather is a familiar safe harbor for Meira, while Theron becomes her rock. He makes her feel stronger by having confidence in her abilities, something she's never had before. Sure Mather has grown up with Meira, and they've been through a lot (that's an understatement), but he doesn't fight for her like I wanted him to. He doesn't offer her all that Theron does. I felt Mather lacked in proving his worth to her Meira, because of that. He never takes a stand, and fights against all they are dealing with, to be beside her. He doesn't treat her as an equal like Theron does. I really needed Mather to do these things. Most importantly, I wanted him to always stand beside her, and he doesn't. While I get that he can't always, Theron proves otherwise. IN CONCLUSION Oh this book, and all the feels that come with it! It is one heck of an epic adventure, fantasy with all the makings of a top ten feature. This is a book when I was handed an arc of it, I was told this is a book that was right up my alley. Indeed it was! I feel like I've said that word many times during this review, but it is. I loved everything about this story. The twist and turns, the magical elements, the seasons, the characters, the writing, and the connection I felt to it's main character. SNOW LIKE ASHES gave me everything I wanted, and so much more. If this is Raasch's debut, I can hardly imagine how her next book will read. This debut is epic! I highly recommend picking this one up! I can not wait for it's sequel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I pretty much read it in one sitting which is always a good sign. While the plot originally seemed fairly typical of a YA novel (kingdom overrun by evil, young unlikely protagonist fights to reclaim her kingdom, etc) there were quite a few twists and turns throughout the story that I enjoyed. It took me a while to catch on to the structure of the world in Snow Like Ashes, but once I did I appreciated the world-building. There are eight kingdoms, four Season and four Rhythm. Many of the cities are a play on the names of months such as Jannuari and Abril. Each kingdom has a magical conduit that helps ensure prosperity for the people (good health, agriculture, etc). The way magic was incorporated into the world was clever. It was used in concert with nature to provide for the kingdoms, which is fitting with the structure of the world! Yes, there is a lot of information shared when you first start reading but I felt it was necessary to understand the workings of Meira’s world and the relationships between the kingdoms. Meira’s kingdom is Winter, and sixteen years ago they were conquered. There are not many Winterians left but they are planning on fighting to retake their kingdom. Mather is the heir, and Meira’s childhood friend. She also has feelings for him. Again, this has a lot of elements of a typical YA fantasy plot, but pretty early on the book takes a surprising turn and things really speed up from there! I really liked Meira as a character. She was an exciting, kick-ass heroine. I like that she was so overeager and naive in the beginning. She desperately wanted to be “someone” in her kingdom. She wanted to do anything possible to help, when she was often too young and inexperienced to go on the missions. This mindset made for some great character development later in the story when Meira is forced to face some truly difficult decisions and is faced with the possible extinction of her kingdom. Also, those chakram are awesome! I loved seeing her fight with such a unique weapon. So then there’s that love triangle… I actually didn’t mind it, and I honestly think it added to the story. Typically, I am not a huge fan of love triangles because the first love is the young childhood friend who never has a chance when the protagonist meets her new, more interesting love interest. That was not the case in this book! Both Mather and Theron are complex, wonderful characters and I thoroughly enjoyed them both. I hope there is more to see from both of them! I even loved the fact that later on in the book when things start to calm down, Meria notices that the two boys are still jealous, and how happy she is that that’s all she has to worry about. I definitely get annoyed in some books when something huge is happening (like the fate of a kingdom) and the girl is sitting there dreaming about her man like its the end of the world. The romance here was appropriate and gave us more insight into each of the characters. Normally when there is a love triangle, I am a fan of the new guy. While I REALLY did enjoy Theron, I loved Mather as well! He is such a beautifully complex character and I am not ready to give up on him yet. His relationship with Meira is complicated and I think they both have a lot of growing to do. But he is definitely not this flat, annoying childhood friend character that we so often see in YA books. Poor Mather goes through so much in this book and I feel for him! I think he will have a huge impact on future books. I truly enjoyed this story and I while I was pleased with some of the directions the plot took, I still felt as if it lacked that extra step of originality. However it does have excellent character development and world-building. I am not desperately running to pick up the next book but it is definitely on my TBR!:)

Snow Like Ashes is one of those rare books that has everything I love in a book. The beautiful writing, kick-ass main character, picturesque setting, and an absolutely gorgeous cover. I absolutely love this book and everything in it. Meira is the kind of heroine I love to read. I connected with her instantly and I understood everything she was feeling. She is having to fight a war for a Kingdom she doesn’t even remember. She’s trying so hard to figure out her place in this world. All she wants in the chance to prove herself, to prove that she belongs. She is a fighter. She is strong, brave, and willing to do whatever it takes to save the Kingdom of Winter. My favorite thing about Meira is the transformation she goes through. She grows up a little in this book and the woman she becomes is incredible. Mather and Theron were amazing characters. A King and a Prince. Mather is King of a Kingdom that needs a female heir and like Meira is having to figure out his place in this world. He is the guy that Meira has loved for years. They grew up together, both orphaned by the falling of Winter. Theron appeals to Meira because they share similar views of the world and of the war. They are thrown together in this book, but the connection they have is genuine. I really enjoyed their interactions. I like how much respect he had for Meira and her will to do what was right. Yes, there is a bit of a love triangle. Although at this point it’s more of an I have very strong feelings kind of triangle. I expect that will change in the next book. I am annoyed sometimes by love triangles, but the one in this book seemed right. I think it fit with the story so well and it was so well written that it seemed genuine to me. I’m not telling you who just yet, but I have picked a side. I thought both Mather and Theron were interesting characters. They are similar in many ways, but with such different personalities. It makes it really hard to choose which one to side with. Let’s talk about the world building. In this story we have 8 Kingdoms. 4 of the Kingdoms experience all of the seasons and the other 4 experience 1 season perpetually. In this book we get to visit quite a few of the Kingdoms. They are distinct in so many ways. The people of the Kingdoms have these interesting features that set them apart. Winter is cold and white and anyone from Winter will have pale skin and snow white hair. We didn’t get to visit all the Kingdoms, but I’m hoping we will get to do that at some point in this series. The writing was so beautifully done that even though I hate winter I wanted to live in Winter. I found the magical aspect of this book to be so interesting. It was done in a way that way that was refreshing. It placed value on the female heirs on the Kingdom’s and I really enjoyed that. It made parts of the book very exciting. The end of this book sets up a perfect transition into the next book. It is going to be very hard to wait patiently for the next book. I can’t wait to be back in this world and to continue this journey with Meira. This book has something for everyone. Action, adventure, politics, drama, and of course a little hint of romance. If you are hesitant to read this book because of the hype it’s been getting, do yourself a favor and read the book. I absolutely loved this story and I think you will love it too. *E-Arc provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch is a fantasy story set in a lande where magic is wielded by the ruling class. There are eight kingdoms, four for the seasons and four others who look down on seasonal societies. The book takes place after the kingdom of Winter has fallen. Only a few refugees of the kingdom survive and they are on the run, trying to find a way to retake their land and reclaim their home. Meira, a survivor, is one of these refugees. She and her fellow companions travel with Mather, the heir to the Winterian throne. It is up to them to restore Mather to his rightful role and Meira wants to make sure that she has a big part to play. I enjoyed this story quite a lot. Meira is a strong female lead who has a great personality. She wants desperately to make something of her life and play a role in restoring Winter to its rightful place as a kingdom. She was only a baby when Winter was destroyed and therefore has none of her own memories of her old home. Meira doesn’t feel like she fits in anywhere and strives to do her best for her people. She is fierce and fiesty. She doesn’t fight hand to hand very well but she’s a master at ranged weapons, especially the chakram. She jumps into new, dangerous situations without that much thought for her own safety and she doesn’t always get things right. Despite her mistakes and her young age, she’s able to make a difference and have a growing part in the world around her. The rest of the cast of characters in this book are touch and go. Mather and Sir, the general who rescued the children during the fall of Winter, are well developed characters. Mather grew up with Meira and is one of the love interests. Sir is a strong leader who doesn’t let anyone forget that their doing what’s best for the greater good, not just for themselves. The other characters aren’t as well developed though. There are many smaller characters throughout the story that play significant roles but that are rather forgettable. I get all of the secondary characters confused and forget about them whenever they aren’t mentioned for awhile. I would have liked more development in that area. The storyline and the world building was my favorite part of this book. Though the writing is a bit slow, especially in the middle of the book, the world is fascinating. I loved learning about the various kingdoms and the magic that only their rulers can wield. I found the differences between kingdoms to be interesting and I liked the backstory of Winter and how it fell. Winter’s society reminded me a lot of the Nords in the game Skyrim for some reason, most likely because they lived in very cold climates and were pretty tough. I look forward to learning more about them and their history in the next books. The action in Snow Like Ashes is exciting and fast-paced. There are a lot of duels, battles, and fight scenes, all of which are written in a very quick way. There is not overwrought exposition and you jump right into the action. The story begins with the refugees living on the road while trying to find a locket which used to hold Winter’s magic power. After that the story gets progressively more complex and interesting. By the last couple of chapters I was really invested in where the story was going. The only downsides I really had was the slow-paced middle of the book and the love triangle. Halfway through the book I felt that the story slowed down and spent far too much time on Meira’s interest in the two male leads. I’m not a fan of love triangles at the best of times and, while I did like both potential love interests, I could have done with less of that angst and more story progression. Once this hurdle was overcome, however, the book sped on to some amazing scenes and plot twists. Overall, this is a really great book. The world is promising and I look forward to reading more in the series. If you like fantasy stories that focus on the growth of a teenage protagonist, check this one out! Visit my blog for more reviews! http://www.cayt.com

Meira is one of only 8 Winterians left who are free. The rest have been enslaved to Angar, the King of Spring. For years they have been hunting for the two halves of the locket, which will hopefully restore their magic and help them rescue their people and rebuild Winter. This book has been sitting on my shelf (along with the other 2 books in the trilogy) for about a year now. I read this as a buddy read with someone in one of my Goodreads groups and wish I had picked it up sooner. I really enjoyed the story and it moved pretty quickly. I love the idea of “seasons” for kingdoms where the atmosphere of the kingdom goes along with the name. The characters were written very well but I could have used more in the world building area. When it comes to the history of how the overall magic system came to be, it was a bit overwhelming and complicated to follow. Information about the history of the kingdoms and their conduits were just thrown at us in one spot in the book. I had to re-read it and still had a hard time placing everything and just had to move on. However, it doesn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the story and I don’t’ feel that you really need to understand it as in depth as it was explained. Meira isn’t your typical 16 year old. She doesn’t want to be a “Lady” but a soldier who fights for her kingdom. She spent her whole life training and is finally allowed to fight. When she is captured, she is reunited with the enslaved Winterians but they see her as a beacon of hope. Someone who was sent to rescue them. I really liked Mather’s character. He was willing to help Meira when others just wanted to push her aside. He is her best friend but she wants more. I was totally shipping them until Theron came into the picture. He is good looking and likeable right from the start. Meira feels a connection with him and I really hope they end up as a thing! I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series because I am curious to see how things end up with Meira and the kingdom of Winter now that the plot twist was thrown in the mix!

[...] Rating: 5 Stars Snow Like Ashes is a high fantasy story about a world divided. Four kingdoms know as the seasons where they eternally stay in that season, and four kingdoms who have normal seasons but all ruled by magic in the form of a conduit held by their ruler. Sixteen years ago the Winter was conquered, their queen murdered, conduit broken, and people enslaved by the ruthless leader of Spring. Few escaped capture and have spent these years trying to find the pieces of their conduit hoping to put it back together and take back their home with their king, Mather who was only a baby when his kingdom fell. Meira, also raised on stories of her native home having been like Mather, a mere child at the time it was taken, trains alongside the others and tries to find her place and how she can prove herself to her kingdom and helping it rise to power. With a piece of the conduit's location known Meira goes in search of it and will not stop until she has done so. The mission doesn't go as expected and Meira soon learns more than she bargained for, thrown into a world of politics and magic. Beliefs and convictions are tested in many ways. We follow Meira as she is struggling to keep the faith in this quest the only thing she's ever known. For her and Mather, they never knew the land they are fighting for, the land he is meant to be king of, only stories from the others. Still even with this, where some might not feel as connected, they and each and every Winterian, are fighting for their people. There may only be a small group free but they have tons of people in slavery waiting for them to save them. It's such a cruel idea really to know that while you try and try to fight the odds spending your life doing so, the majority of your people, people you've never met but are connected with ice in your blood (they are from a land of eternal winter after all) have lived this time in much different conditions. It's a struggle we see throughout and I enjoyed it. The same for duty and honor, putting aside ones own needs for the good of Winter. Such powerful themes and they are really brought out in different aspects throughout. Now can I take a moment to love that Winter everything is always cold and they are miserable and suffer in hotter climates. Basically 98% of the year they'd hate where I live as much as I do. I do prefer the cold to the heat but I don't know if I'd survive winter 24/7 though if I was built to do so maybe. Judging by seasons only thinking Autumn would be more my speed. Maybe not, we didn't get to see Autumn mostly just Spring, a non-season kingdom of Cordell, and the forests and plains between. I really liked the dynamic of how the different kingdoms work and while it did take a little bit for me to fully grasp the concept of the magic in this realm, I was okay with it because the fact is no one is sure of it. Still while some aspects of the story were predictable I didn't mind as I enjoyed the reveal. While everything in this book comes from Meria's POV we do get to see as she deals with an out of reach crush with her childhood best friend and future king, so basically impossible. Still as you get to see some sweet moments with Mather that make you want to root for him. But we also get to meet another leading man, Theron Prince of Cordell. He is a bit too good to be true, attractive and strong but also on the sweet side preferring art to war. Still both Mather and Theron have one thing in common neither wished to be future kings with the responsibility and so many choices taken from them but still they will do anything for their people. They have many similarities to be sure but I love their interactions with Meria. She was the real star and I enjoyed seeing this world through her eyes. I had a fun time in this world and would recommend it for anyone looking for a good fantasy with a unique world. I'm ready to continue on in the series but I'm holding off on book two for a little while but will have it read before long and hope to check out the third book close to release!

It is always a wonderful surprise to discover new authorial voices to love! Sara Raasch is one such voice, as her debut YA fantasy Snow Like Ashes was quite impressive. Raasch brings to life an exciting new world populated with fascinating characters, settings and lore. She makes use of these elements, inserting them into a story that flows organically from start to finish. Compelling, readable and imaginative, Snow Like Ashes is an excellent fantasy series starter. Raasch will have readers rooting for main character Meira right from the start. Meira is sassy, spunky and smart. She’s also got pretty decent fighting skills, and a desire to serve the kingdom of Winter with her talents. Really, Meira is the brand of female fantasy heroine I personally enjoy – capable of acting like a lady, but fierce as a tigress during battle. It’s all too easy to like her and what she brings to the table. There are also plenty of other characters – heroes, villains, civilians alike. Among the secondary characters, there are three in particular that stand out: Mather (future king of Winter), Theron (a prince of the kingdom of Cordell), and Sir (the general of Winter that leads the merry band of refugees). Each one plays an important part, complete with actions and witticisms that change the course of this story. It would be a pleasure to get to know them more, along with all the others introduced in this series starter. It’s story where Snow Like Ashes really shines though. There’s something utterly magical about the world Raasch builds – a land with magical conduits, various kingdoms and power struggles. The world becomes the foundation upon which this tale is told, and it works. The plot is simple – Meira and the remaining Winterians want to reclaim their kingdom, and are fighting to get the locket (a magical conduit) to do so. However, the plot does not remain simple as politics and relationships soon throw everything into an uproar – and Meira is in the middle of it all. It’s pretty compelling to watch her navigate through every new turn of events! As Snow Like Ashes progresses, it’s revealed that there’s much more to this mission than just reclaiming a kingdom. There’s just the right amount of fodder to lure readers into wanting more, while still ending the story satisfactorily. Two minor reservations, however, as a heads up – There could have been a smidge more character development, and the amount of information, while it’s not dumped on the reader, is pretty overwhelming. While I didn’t have much of a problem, I realize that it’s a potential concern for other readers and thought mentioning it would be best. Sweetness and surprise, tenderness and trouble, mystery and magic – Snow Like Ashes is filled to the brim with all these things and more. From the moment I read the first five pages, it was clear that would be a notable novel. Snow Like Ashes is a debut I’ll be wholeheartedly recommending, especially for those in search of a new fantasy series to fall for.

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch is the first in a young adult fantasy series centering around Meira, a young refugee left orphaned when her country was overrun and conquered by a neighbouring power. It focusses on her struggle to locate the missing magical Conduit of Winter and to free her imprisoned countrymen. What I liked The world. I really enjoyed the world that Raasch has built for her story. There are eight kingdoms; four Season realms, each dominated by a single season (our protagonist is from Winter) and four Rhythm, whose climate cycles through each season. Each kingdom was wonderfully described and I loved their seasonal themes. The tensions between the kingdoms were interesting and well described and I appreciated the political machinations that were going on behind the scenes. The magic system. The magic system of the Conduits was fascinating, and I look forward to reading more about the chasm of magic and the Decay in future books. I always appreciate it when limitations are written into the magic system - often, they are as interesting as the magic itself. In this case I enjoyed the fact that certain artifacts are limited by gender and can only be used in certain ways. I loved reading how the various wielders of the Conduits worked within those limitations to either serve their own ends or help their people. What I didn’t like All the tropes. Too often I felt that Raasch was ticking boxes to see how many YA and fantasy tropes she could fit into this book and more, that they are not subverted. Young orphan discovers she has a secret past and destiny filled future. Check. Missing magical artifact hidden right at the heart of the antagonist’s power. Check. Young king struggling to meet the needs and expectations of his people. Check. Honestly, there are simply too many to name, and many I can’t name for spoiler reasons. Now, I’m aware that there are very few new stories in the world. but I would have liked to see some kind of twist on these old tropes. The foreshadowing. This came across as being rather heavily emphasised, which, along with the use of the tropes, made the story for me at least very, very predictable. The love triangle. This seems an obligatory part of every YA book these days and Snow Like Ashes is no exception. It wasn’t badly done, it just didn’t grab my attention at all. Despite the predictability, the worldbuilding carried me through Snow Like Ashes and I gave it three and a half stars out of five. I probably wouldn’t be interested enough to pay for the sequel, Ice Like Fire, but as it was available from my local library I will check it out.

Great book!! It was beautifully bittersweet. Every now and then you feel like not reading it and then you turn the page, only to hear something in your mind that says, "keep reading, there is great stuff happening ahead". And you read on to find what you predicted about this "predictable" book was nothing close to the actual story. It is a book that makes you happy about reading it, and also cry like,"why do all great things end so soon??" Read it once and you're bound to fall in love with the characters.

Primordia is composed of a group of eight Kingdoms with large areas of unoccupied land separating the two groups of four Kingdoms. The four Rhythm Kingdoms to the north are exposed to all four seasons; south of them are the four Season Kingdoms, exposed to only one season each which they are named for; and further south in the Klaryn Mountains is the Source of Magic, lost to all, but according to the Rhythm Kingdoms because of the Season Kingdoms. When the armies of Spring attacked the Kingdom of Winter most of the survivors were gathered into slave camps within Spring. The twenty-five souls who escaped are now reduced to eight and live just north in the hot Rannia Plains struggling to survive on subsistence crops and trying to rescue some of the captured Winterians. As they decide how to deal with this situation war breaks out and they find they are in the middle drawing other groups into their battle with Spring and they must learn the nature of the magic that controls their civilization. This is an excellent start to the series.

Such a brilliant novel! Though it might take some time to understand how the world created by Sara Raasch operates —many names and places will seem confusing to some readers throughout the first chapter(s)— Snow Like Ashes will count as one of the best books I have read this year. Fast-paced, creative, and cathartic, the interest of the story does not necessarily lie within its complexity, but rather in its intensity. Indeed, a versed reader will figure out the plot rather fast. Yet, the abundance of —and vivid depiction of Raasch's characters emotions will effortlessly hook you up, and you will reach the last chapter before you even realize it.

Vou admitir que só comecei a ler esse livro pela culpa de tê-lo na minha estante por tempo demais sem ler (três meses!) e que não estava especialmente animada para a sua história. Eu o tinha colocado na minha lista e comprado, porque duas das pessoas em quem mais confio tinham dado pelo menos quatro estrelas (e elas praticamente nunca dão cinco, então quatro significa que é um livro ótimo), mas antes de dar uma chance à Neve e Cinzas, fui ler The Kiss of Deception, que é no mesmo estilo, e me decepcionei completamente. Ou seja, estava sem muita vontade de ler outro livro com praticamente o mesmo tema. Honestamente, acredito que, se eu já não estivesse cansada do gênero, teria gostado ainda mais; mas o fato de toda a base da história ser teoricamente algo que não estava me agradando fez tudo ser ainda mais surpreendente. Não só consegui superar isso, como estou extremamente feliz de ter lido e não deixado séries piores me fazerem desistir dessa. E essa é a parte mais importante da minha resenha: se você leu The Kiss of Deception e amou, vai amar esse. Se leu e odiou, vai finalmente encontrar um livro no mesmo estilo que é realmente bom. Melhor ainda, porque este daqui tem mais enredo do que As Crônicas do Amor e Ódio têm em todos os seus livros, e olha que (na edição que eu li) tem só 416 páginas. Neve e Cinzas não teve muito hype, seu mapa é simples e os livros não são tão populares quanto merecem. Mas tem uma protagonista humana, com vulnerabilidades e forças, que se desenvolve e tem relações complexas com outros personagens. Tem também um enredo cheio de acontecimentos, com o maior número de reviravoltas que eu já vi em um livro (sem começar a ficar apelação), além de uma criação de mundo impecável, apesar dos nomes dos reinos serem um pouco caricatos. Tem uma escrita linda também, com frases inspiradoras. E tem um triângulo amoroso, que conseguiu inacreditavelmente me fazer ficar em muita dúvida entre os dois caras, de tão bem que foi trabalhado. Honestamente, eu tenho só duas pequenas críticas a fazer, tão pequenas que não conseguiram ganhar do quanto eu gostei do livro - e acabei dando cinco estrelas mesmo assim. A primeira é que o enredo é realmente rápido, cheio de ação e acontecimentos, e em alguns momentos, só em alguns mesmos, senti que podia estar um pouco rápido demais. A outra crítica é para o começo do livro, apesar de que isso acontece - ainda que mais esporadicamente - por pelo menos 150 páginas: muita coisa é explicada mais do que deveria. Não chega a ser realmente um infodump, mas foram coisas repetidas mais do que o necessário, como se a autora tivesse medo do leitor não estar acompanhando todos os detalhes. Talvez seja melhor pecar por informação demais do que de menos, mas o editor poderia ter percebido que estava começando a ficar um pouco repetitivo. Mas isso mal importa, já que o livro é muito dinâmico e tem uma leitura extremamente viciante! Achei difícil parar de ler, - li em duas sentadas! - sempre me prometia que ia parar e acabava lendo mais umas cinquenta páginas. Se você gosta de histórias de alta magia, com reinos e lutas de espadas, além de uma protagonista forte e incrível que se descobre no meio de uma guerra, o que está esperando para ler? Vai com fé que você não vai se decepcionar!

This book was incredible. From the moment I started reading, I wanted to know more about the world and the characters, and where the story was going. I thought Meira was a fantastic character, she's strong, determined and resourceful, and I took an instant liking to her. I'm glad I read this when I didn't have much else to do, because it was one of those books that I just couldn't put down. I was so fascinated by the world and the way magic worked, and I loved learning about the history of Primoria. The writing was beautiful too; emotive with just the right amount of description, so that it felt like I was right there with the characters and a part of everything they were going through. I can't wait to read Ice Like Fire and find out where the story goes next, because one book in this world, with these characters definitely wasn't enough.