“The Ash Princess” is the first book in a new young adult trilogy written by Laura Sebastian. It is set in a fictional land known as Astrea, ruled by the Fire Queen. Astrea is a land of magic that gains its power from gems blessed by gods. All was well in Astrea until the land is conquered by invaders known as Kalovaxians, and the Fire Queen is murdered in front of her daughter, Theodosia.
Theodosia is kept alive and endures endless abuse from her captors. Her title is shamefully stripped to Ash Princess, and her name is reduced to Thora. As Thora, she is good and obedient, but more importantly, she is scared and weak. However, Theodosia still lives in Thora, and she receives a wake-up call, reminding her that her people need her help to end their suffering.
Ash Princess takes a darker approach to young reader novels. It is filled with suspense as Theodosia plays a dangerous game with her captors to win back her country and claim her title as Queen of Astrea. If she wants to rise above the Kalovaxians, she’ll have to gather all the strength she can to succeed and set aside the suspicions of those who doubt her capabilities.
