Snow Like Ashes audiobook

I might be biased.

No matter what happens, no matter who turns on me, no matter what pompous swine thinks he has power over me, I am still me. I will always be me. 3 1/2 stars. Okay, let's get some things straight first. Q: Will this book offer a never before seen plot with mind-blowing originality and absolutely definitely no love triangle? A: Nuh-uh. Q: But did I get completely sucked into this world and ended up wildly entertained for the last few hours in which I read the book in a single sitting? A: Hell yes!Anyone who's a fan of YA fantasy will recognise familiar elements of the genre in Snow Like Ashes. A strong heroine, royal politics, reclaiming a stolen kingdom, a touch of magic and, yes, even a love triangle. But it is in the details of this story where the book finds its strength and still manages, in my opinion, to stand out from many of a similar ilk.For one thing, I absolutely loved Meira. She's as badass as Katsa from Graceling but without the troubling pseudo-feminist propaganda. From the very beginning, she wants to fight for the Winterians, she refuses to be beaten down by the expectations of others, but she is also a flawed, complex and sympathetic character.However, she doesn't hold up this novel alone. ALL the characters are well-developed and the character dynamics are superb. Raasch has built up an interesting and complicated web of relationships between them, their situation putting further strain on their ties to one another: That’s how we all are, too hard for what we should be. We should be a family, not soldiers. But all that really connects us is stories, and memories, of what should be. A love triangle typically has me rolling my eyes and yet here I liked both Mather and Theron. I can see how their differences could make it a genuinely difficult choice - should Meira be with the soldier she has loved all her life, or the poet willing to start a war for her? For once I find myself excited to see what will happen between them next.The book does get a touch info-dumpy in parts, but I was honestly thankful for the world-building. The author has crafted a fascinating setting of eight kingdoms, each with their own customs, ideals and magic. The history is woven in seamlessly, bringing this exciting and horrifying place to life in my mind.And parts of this book are indeed horrifying. Meira and her seven Winterian companions have had a hard life, running from those who want to destroy any chance of Winter's throne being reclaimed. I just couldn't put it down. Bloody action scenes give way to shocking betrayals give way to not-so-shocking twists (seriously, I guessed it way in advance, but whatever, it was still fun!).I feel like I shouldn't like this. Like I should be pointing out that stupid love triangle and the same old tropes, instead of wondering who Meira will end up with and whether to drop my other books and read the sequel... but damn - what can I say? - it was just crazy entertaining.Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Youtube

The ending of Snow Like Ashes was just WOW! So many twists and turns I didn't see coming, loved it!

Recycling My First Reviews: A Trip Down Memory Lane, Vol. 1 Then ..Snow and ice and frost above, that was ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ!I can't believe it took me so long to start reading it! Everything, everything that makes fantasy my favorire genre was dominant in Snow Like Ashes; the unique world Sara Raasch created, with the magic's source, the division of the nations based on the season/weather, the evil, cruel monarch who sought unlimited power without hesitating to meddle with dark forces, the insane plot twists, the battles and, above all, a heroine who desperately wanted to find her place in the world without realizing that the fate of her nation depended on her. “Someday we will be more than words in the dark.” Meira was hope, the only hope of a doomed people, born in a sacked city, her roots cut off, her destiny unsure. The only certainty was that she wanted to matter to Winter, and Sir and Mather and everyone who seemed to think of her as a silly girl. That need made her reckless but she was definitely made of the hero material, I came to like her a lot! And of course, I totally adored Theron! He understood her, he wanted to fit in a world that was designed for him by others without losing his identity, he sook what was right, he was so noble and fair! And to my astonishment, I didn't mind the love triangle, perhaps because it wasn't in the spotlight and it lacked drama (praise the snow above)! I can't wait for Ice Like Fire, next months will be insufferable! A wonderful read, one I am thankful it came into my life!.. Now I'm still in love with Theron (I guess some things never change). I have to give you a fair WARNING , though: Do NOT, I repeat DO NOT read the second instalment, Ice Like Fire. It will ruin you, and not in a good way.

I probably would have rated this a tad lower, but ( and I can't BELIEVE I'm saying this ) I adored the love triangle.I KNOW, RIGHT?!No one is as surprised by that statement as I am.And it is a love triangle. There's the boy she's loved all of her life, and then there's the boy she's forcibly engaged to. Guess which one I picked?The new guy!Again, no one is as surprised as I am. I'm a HUGE sucker for the We've-Been-Friends-Forever sort of love. Plus, there's no easy winner in this triangle. Like, it doesn't turn out that Mr. Boy Next Door is hiding nefarious plans for world domination or anything. He's awesome, and he really loves her.However, in the immortal words of the philosopher Beyonce... If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it. Nice world building in this one, as well. The concept of the world and it's brand of magic, while not new-new, had a nice flavor to it. Ok. I'm going to be honest. I can't for the life of me figure out a way to describe the plot that sounds even remotely interesting. I've been staring at this page for several hours (read: minutes), and I'm coning up with a blank. Sorry.There's magical relics, quests, a tough heroine, honorable princes, an evil villain, secrets, and dreams from a dead queen.Read it for yourself if you want to know more.I will say that at times my mind did wander a bit between action scenes, but that's typical for me because I have the attention span of a squirrel, and doesn't necessarily reflect poorly on the book. My only quasi-complaint?The Big Twist was something I guessed fairly early on, but that didn't really lessen my enjoyment of the story all that much. So, yeah...tiny annoyance.This was (on the whole) an interesting book, and I had very few issues with it. If you've been sitting on the fence, go ahead and give it a shot.Also reviewed for:

Well this book was an amazing novel which I will not be forgetting for a long time. I have always struggled with getting into the fantasy genre so at the end of 2014 I said to myself that I need to try the genre bit more! Being the second fantasy novel of the year 2015 that I have read It has not disappointed! Bear with me, I do not normally type reviews but I will give this a go! If you want to buy the book with free shipping here is a link.. http://www.bookdepository.com/Snow-Li...Right, I feel in love with the whole setting and world of this novel. The fact that it was split into eight different kingdoms, four seasons and four rhythms. Meira was a wonderful character who even on the first page showed determination! Meira as a character is definitely a brilliant role model as she proves that not giving up and staying strong really pays off! The element of magic in this book was fantastic, I really an jealous that I don't have a cool conduit of magic like a ring or staff! This book is filled with twists and turns that you would ALL love! Sorry for this rushed review, I much prefer talking to my camera....LOVEBen ox

Ich wurde positiv von dieser SuB-Leiche überrascht! :)Gekauft habe ich das Buch damals vermutlich hauptsächlich wegen diesem bildhübschen Cover, aber dann hat mich der Klappentext irgendwie nicht mehr so recht angesprochen, da das doch alles recht 0815 klang.Daher war ich dann auch echt überrascht vom Inhalt, da ich den viel besser und interessanter fand als der Klappentext vermuten lies. Auch unsere Protagonistin Meira fand ich überraschend sympathisch, obwohl sie mit ihren 16 Jahren noch recht jung ist und dementsprechend manchmal auch etwas impulsiv handelt, konnte ich sie trotzdem gut leiden. Sie war einfach authentisch. Mather hingegen fand ich etwas blass und langweilig... Die Nebencharaktere waren gut gewählt und hatten alle genügend Tiefe und auch den Antagonisten fand ich gut gewählt und dargestellt.Das Worldbuilding hat mich von Anfang an in seinen Bann gezogen. Ich fand die Idee der 8 Königreiche toll, auch wenn ich die Sache mit den Rhythmus-Königreichen nur mäßig verstanden habe (Was bedeuten die Namen? :D). Ein weiterer Pluspunkt ist hier für mich, dass das Buch eine Karte bereit hält, das hilft mir immer enorm. Auch die Idee der Magie fand ich cool, auch wenn ich hierzu noch ein paar offene Fragen habe, die sich vielleicht ja in den Folgebänden noch klären werden.Zu diesen kleinen Kritikpunkten kommt noch hinzu, dass ich den größten Plottwist der Geschichte bereits sehr früh erahnt habe... Gesagt sei noch, dass ich den Schreibstil echt gut fand. Ich hatte stellenweise echt Gänsehaut!Band 2 muss definitv bald bei mir einziehen! :)

I was feeling epic! ♡

Did I ever mention how much I love YA high fantasy? Because I do. Love it, I mean. I REALLY LOVE IT. But you know what I love even more than the genre itself? Finding a YA high fantasy book that I also enjoy, because those are so rare and precious. Well, fellow bookish people, I am happy to announce that I found another bejeweled novel that fits the bill perfectly -- Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch. Let the fangirling commence. *jumps up and down excitedly*First of all, I gotta say Snow Like Ashes not only has a glorious title, but that its cover is real awesomeness. Just look at that pretty thing! Don't you wanna pet it? Second of all, this book resembled on some level the Throne of Glass series and I got serious The Winner's Crime vibes. But besides those deja-vu sensations, I have to say Snow Like Ashes had a bit of everything from the tales we've come to love: the burden of a young monarch that has to rebuild a crushed kingdom, too many vile kings to keep count, a touch of magic and a gloriously fierce heroine you cannot help than cheer for. The story centers on eight Winterians, the last people of the Winter kingdom, one of the eight kingdoms ruling the world of Primoria. Sixteen years ago, Winter was shattered by an attack made by Spring, one that left in its wake only ruins, slaves and the feeble hope that those survivors will somehow manage to get back the kingdom's conduit -- the land's source of magic -- and rebuilt their long lost home. Among these eight survivors are two fateful figures: Mather, the future king of Winter, and Meira, a warrior girl through and through that also happens to be our heroine. “Someday we will be more than words in the dark.” Of course, that was the plot summarized in a few words but there are bits and pieces that proved to be a tad more complicated and will surely become a delight once you read them. The journey was full of imaginative turns, although I have to admit I was able to predict some of the bigger surprises. Regardless, the plot itself had a lot of ramifications that readers couldn't anticipate because the world presented to us was still yet unknown, so that was a source of constant eagerness and thrilling fascination. I loved Meira. I'd describe her as a mix of Celaena and Kestrel, but with a big dose of childishness in her. Not necessarily an immature teenager, but definitely quite independent (a trait that has a tendency to turn into infuriating stubbornness) and impulsive. Thank gods she's clever. Couple that with the fact that she's fierce and stubbornly witty and you got yourself a new Elsa with a vengeance streak and protective behavior. I reveled in her character-development, because by the end of the book she became an incredibly brave young woman that finally realized the important matters at hand. Plus, I love a girl who knows how to humor her way into conflicts and what-nots. You know what's next, don't you? The juicy part, the sigh-inducing element, the key aspect of a great read for fangirls everywhere -- the romance. And I'm telling you, start hyperventilating ‘cause we have a serious case of drooling bound to begin upon reading Snow Like Ashes. There's Mather, the one that Meira is basically smitten about since she knows herself. Then there's Theron, a new guy that had me at hello. Yeah, I wasn't really Mather's fan because I kept imagining Tommen from Game of Thrones as the incapable kings they both are, but I guess he does have some lovable qualities, such as having a gorgeous body and all. Plus, he's royalty -- that has to count up for something, doesn't it? But it doesn't matter because Theron is crown prince, so potato potato. And this guy, lemme just tell you, practically waltzed straight into my heart and into Meira's with his bookish personality (Dorian alarm, srsly), warrior skills, snark-filled banter tendency and unconditional devotion. All that and a handsome face and an even more gorgeous body. IS HE FOR REAL? I LOVE HIM. *drools* “I want to be someone worthy of my kingdom. I want to be someone worthy of you.” No, Andreea, he actually isn't.

******************** 4.5 STARS ******************** "Someday we will be more than words in the dark." This book really surprised me! I didn't really think I'd enjoy Snow Like Ashes because all the reviews seemed to range from mixed to just plain average. I just ended up putting this series off until now because the premise honestly sounded so interesting and I figured I should just form my own opinion and see for myself how I'd like this book.At first, I thought that the beginning was a little slow and info-dumpy. I was starting to get a little bored because nothing interesting was really happening. Although the story took awhile to progress, things turned around for me once we got to Cordell. And that ending though. HOLY CRAP. The last 50 pages was crazy! I was practically almost skimming because I was so eager to know what happened next lol.I LOVED THE SEASONS/RHYTHM WORLD. The world building was definitely one of my favorite aspects of the book. I just loved how one half of Primoria is ruled by Seasons and the other by Rhythms. But I also loved how certain magical conduits can only be used by the proper gender to ensure a balance of power between men and women. And all the poor Winterians. Oh, my heart. My heart broke for them so many times. I just loved everything about them. Their bravery, their perseverance. I literally had goosebumps just reading everything that the Winterians had to go through and what they did to keep their kingdom alive through their memories.

4 Snow Above! ★'s “Even the strongest blizzards start with a single snowflake.”“Holding on to some part of your past even if it means also holding on to the pain of never again having it. That pain is less horrible than the pain of forgetting.” *Some minor spoilers may ensue*Reread

Shaky in places, but nonetheless awesome. Filled with hope and sincerity and the feel of a good old-fashioned fantasy adventure with a soft, poignant edge.Full review to come.

Every time someone asks me about Throne of Glass, I want to chuck Snow Like Ashes at their faces and yell something along the lines of, "Read this thing instead!" Of course, people won't listen to me if I don't justify my suggestion. Here's why I recommend everyone should pick up Snow Like Ashes:Meira knows how to kick ass.“No matter what happens, no matter who turns on me, no matter what pompous swine thinks he has power over me, I am still me. I will always be me.”All her life, all Meira wanted was to become a soldier. A fighter. Someone worthy enough to protect the kingdom she loves so much. She doesn't just want to be a pretty display--she wants to work, and she wants to be deserving of all the things she's been given credit for. Fierce, loyal and protective, Meira's your girl.Snow Like Ashes is high fantasy at its best.I have always been a fan of high fantasy novels. I just love being drawn into new worlds with all sorts of magic and sorcery around. Raasch definitely succeeded in creating a wondrous new world, yet making everything easy to remember and easy to understand. You might be scared to find out that there are eight different kingdoms, but worry not! The author puts everything down simply and sufficiently.Be still, my poor little fangirl heart!I would be crazy not to mention all the feels I got from reading this book, because HELLO MATHER. I was practically in love with this guy since chapter one. Personally, I thought he and Meira and some wonderful chemistry, and I squealed to my heart's delight each time they would have a scene together.Yeah, there is this other guy...Okay, so, there is a love triangle. The guy on the other side is Theron. He's definitely a nice, kind one, but for some reason I couldn't feel anything for him. I was pretty meh every time the guy showed up. I don't hate the guy or anything, I'm just saying that, if by any chance he would, say, get eaten by a bunch of wild piranhas, I wouldn't really care. And yes, I instantly root for the guy the heroine's known longer, and that's Mather in this case. It just seems more believable for me.Raasch knows how to write.“Someday we will be more than words in the dark.”It was really easy for me to get into Raasch's writing. I flew through the pages almost giddily, really. I guess there were a few twists I discovered a bit early, but for the most part, I was on my toes, itching to find out what will happen to Meira, Mather and Sir and not Theron. I also loved that Raasch incorporated family into the story. Sir was like a father-figure to everyone, and I love how they all respected him, and how he gave them care and support in return.

i really really loved this.Here's my review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqmkY...

SNOW LIKE ASHES was completely thrilling from beginning to end. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was surprised. I can’t commend Raasch enough for her ability to create a thoroughly well-thought out world of magic, fantasy and danger. Her descriptions of the flora and fauna of each kingdom were spellbindingly beautiful and her descriptions of the people were just as compelling. Meira’s character development was heartbreaking, believable, and inspiring.