What do you think?
Rate this book
Tales of Fairy #1
A Tale of Ashes
She's hunting the story of a lifetime. But she's not the only one stalking in the dark.
Across the country, human teens are going missing, and all eyes are turning to the fae.
Seventeen-year-old Freddie is a human at a magically diverse boarding school who longs to report on the war-torn realms of Fairy. When humans disappear on campus, it’s the perfect opportunity to jump-start her journalism career. While the public blame the fae, Freddie wants facts. If she’s going to get published, she’ll need to find out who or what is behind these disappearances.
Aiden is a fae soldier with a murderous reputation. Raised in the dark fae court and forced to partake in the brutal Fairy Civil War, he thirsts for revenge against the realm which murdered his family. His new mission gives him the opportunity he’s longed for. But when Freddie snoops into his life, he questions if revenge is worth the price of his freedom.
Lured by her suspicions and distracted by his curiosity, Freddie and Aiden form a tenuous bond. But as their feelings for one another grow, so does the danger. Every clue points to Aiden as the kidnapper, and as his enemies close in, Freddie must make a choice: turn against him or fight for a relationship doomed to fail.
A Tale of Ashes is a fairy tale mash up, set in a world where all the creatures from your childhood stories live alongside humans. But these creatures are not who you remember.
Readers of Holly Black and Cassandra Clare will enjoy this romantic contemporary fantasy where good and evil are not what they seem.
Across the country, human teens are going missing, and all eyes are turning to the fae.
Seventeen-year-old Freddie is a human at a magically diverse boarding school who longs to report on the war-torn realms of Fairy. When humans disappear on campus, it’s the perfect opportunity to jump-start her journalism career. While the public blame the fae, Freddie wants facts. If she’s going to get published, she’ll need to find out who or what is behind these disappearances.
Aiden is a fae soldier with a murderous reputation. Raised in the dark fae court and forced to partake in the brutal Fairy Civil War, he thirsts for revenge against the realm which murdered his family. His new mission gives him the opportunity he’s longed for. But when Freddie snoops into his life, he questions if revenge is worth the price of his freedom.
Lured by her suspicions and distracted by his curiosity, Freddie and Aiden form a tenuous bond. But as their feelings for one another grow, so does the danger. Every clue points to Aiden as the kidnapper, and as his enemies close in, Freddie must make a choice: turn against him or fight for a relationship doomed to fail.
A Tale of Ashes is a fairy tale mash up, set in a world where all the creatures from your childhood stories live alongside humans. But these creatures are not who you remember.
Readers of Holly Black and Cassandra Clare will enjoy this romantic contemporary fantasy where good and evil are not what they seem.
285 pages, Paperback
First published April 13, 2021
10 people are currently reading
788 people want to read
About the author
Ann Dayleview
5 books33 followersAnn Dayleview writes fantasy novels which aim to transport the reader to worlds unlike any other. She reads any young adult and middle grade fantasy novel she can get her hands on. Her writing is often inspired by the wild assortment of music she listens to as well as her travels into different countries and cultures.
In addition to writing, Ann loves spending time with her two dogs, baking all the sweet things, and bringing awareness about taking care of your mental health. She lives in Pennsylvania with her ever rotating collection of books she lugs from place to place.
In addition to writing, Ann loves spending time with her two dogs, baking all the sweet things, and bringing awareness about taking care of your mental health. She lives in Pennsylvania with her ever rotating collection of books she lugs from place to place.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
November 6, 2021
Human teenagers across the country are going missing, and Freddie, aspiring journalist, takes it upon herself to find out why. She finds Aiden, a murderous dark fae. The two form an unlikely bond, but that doesn’t mean Freddie has ruled him out of her suspect list.
If you like fae folk, you need to read this one! Although the main plot involves Aiden and Freddie’s relationship and the missing teens, the fae folk are also at war, which plays into the story as well. Getting more knowledge about how the different courts function and what they consist of was super interesting. Also, this story is dual POV (Freddie + Aiden), so you don’t only follow one character, which makes it much easier to keep track of what’s going on!
If you like fae folk, you need to read this one! Although the main plot involves Aiden and Freddie’s relationship and the missing teens, the fae folk are also at war, which plays into the story as well. Getting more knowledge about how the different courts function and what they consist of was super interesting. Also, this story is dual POV (Freddie + Aiden), so you don’t only follow one character, which makes it much easier to keep track of what’s going on!
December 31, 2021
Rounded up from 4.5 stars
This is a YA fantasy about a 17-year-old student journalist, Freddie, who must use her investigative skills to find out who’s been kidnapping her fellow students. Along the way, she meets a mysterious fae called Aiden, and starts falling for him even though he might be the very kidnapper she’s trying to hunt down ...
I gotta say, I LOVED the characters in this book! Freddie is whip-smart and super brave with a heart of gold. Aiden, despite being a brooding bad boy, is secretly a himbo who doesn’t know anything about the human world — with often hilarious results! I’m admittedly slow burn trash, so I would have liked to see their romance develop a bit slower, but whatever they’re cute :D
The tone of the book isn’t comedic per se, but there were some REALLY well-timed jokes that made me cackle so loud that I’m sure my hallmates were a little concerned. It’s similar to the way that Leigh Bardugo’s writing in the Grishaverse books is more or less serious, but sometimes she’ll poke fun at a character in a way that’s totally hilarious. So if you like that style, this book should be on your radar!
The mystery was enjoyable, and I loved seeing Freddie uncover all the clues. There are some things you learn in Aiden’s POV that help you work out some of what’s going on in Freddie’s investigation, but not everything is completely revealed until the end.
Overall, this was a fast, fun fantasy read, and I’d really recommend it to anyone who loves fae, found family, social justice themes, and/or HIMBOS!
Thanks to the author for providing an advance review copy of this book -- this has not affected my review in any way.
This is a YA fantasy about a 17-year-old student journalist, Freddie, who must use her investigative skills to find out who’s been kidnapping her fellow students. Along the way, she meets a mysterious fae called Aiden, and starts falling for him even though he might be the very kidnapper she’s trying to hunt down ...
I gotta say, I LOVED the characters in this book! Freddie is whip-smart and super brave with a heart of gold. Aiden, despite being a brooding bad boy, is secretly a himbo who doesn’t know anything about the human world — with often hilarious results! I’m admittedly slow burn trash, so I would have liked to see their romance develop a bit slower, but whatever they’re cute :D
The tone of the book isn’t comedic per se, but there were some REALLY well-timed jokes that made me cackle so loud that I’m sure my hallmates were a little concerned. It’s similar to the way that Leigh Bardugo’s writing in the Grishaverse books is more or less serious, but sometimes she’ll poke fun at a character in a way that’s totally hilarious. So if you like that style, this book should be on your radar!
The mystery was enjoyable, and I loved seeing Freddie uncover all the clues. There are some things you learn in Aiden’s POV that help you work out some of what’s going on in Freddie’s investigation, but not everything is completely revealed until the end.
Overall, this was a fast, fun fantasy read, and I’d really recommend it to anyone who loves fae, found family, social justice themes, and/or HIMBOS!
Thanks to the author for providing an advance review copy of this book -- this has not affected my review in any way.
August 26, 2021
Книга, в целом, неплохая. Забавная, с интересными и милыми персонажами.
Но, понятно, она крайне наивна и написана в типичном стиле YA прошлых лет. Но в этот раз это не минус. Сейчас все YA мрачные и жуткие, а вот таких забавных и относительно светлых (если можно так назвать книгу о войне) книг совсем не пишут. И поэтому она мне понравилась. Нескромно, есть убийства и насилие, но, в то же время, герои веселые и милые, и романтика неплохая.
Я давненько ничего такого не читала, и мне эта книга очень легко далась.
Правда, народ, похоже, от такого поотвык. Слишком просто это и наивно всем кажется. Ну, трудно с этим не согласиться. Но для меня это, повторюсь, не такой уж и большой минус.
Мир мне показался достаточно оригинальным. Конечно, это не первая книга о том, как волшебные существа явили себя простым смертным. Но обычно это более мрачные истории. И уж точно не рассказываются они через героиню, которая относится к магическим существам исключительно толерантно.
И да, меня, на удивление, не раздражало это «исключительно толерантно» в книге. Да, Фредди действительно действует исключительно под знаком юношеского максимализма. Но ее можно понять. Она молода, немного наивна, но искренне верит в то, во что верит. И это не может не впечатлять. Невозможно не проникнуться к ней симпатией из-за ее желания добиться справедливости и всем помочь при помощи того, что она любит – писательского мастерства.
Эйден – персонаж посложнее. Он живет в мире, который мы плохо знаем и понимаем. Этот мир более мрачный и не особо прописанный (как-то не хватало некого введения в него, что ли). Но в человеческом мире Эйден раскрывается, как милый паренек, который искренне радуется, когда ему удается рассмешить Фредди, и который даже покупает (отчаянно стесняясь) руководство по свиданиям с человеческими девушками, чтобы впечатлить Фредди (и забавно пытается следовать его указаниям в развитии их отношений).
Так что главные герои тут были неплохими, и мне понравились. Только вот второстепенные персонажи уж очень шаблонные и примтивные (особенно «злодейка», которая доставала Фредди).
Единственное, что меня с самого начало смущало, это то, что автор не особо вводила нас в ее книжный мир. Скорее, так сказать, закинула нас туда. Постоянно создавалось впечатление, что я читаю не первую книгу серии. Так как волшебные существа уже жили в человеческом мире, а у Фредди до того, как мы с ней познакомились, в жизни происходило немало всего, связанного с ними, остается ощущение, что автор забыла нам что-то рассказать.
То же самое с волшебным миром. Эйден воспринимает его как данность, а нам автор не особо желает рассказать подробно о его строении и обо всем, что там происходит. Поэтому мне многое осталось непонятным (ну, может, в следующей книге автор это объяснит).
Сюжет и концовка действительно несколько наивные. И отношения вместе со всем, что тут происходит, немного… скажем так, неправдоподобные и нереалистичные (если можно так сказать о фэнтези). Но раньше жанр YA именно таким и был. И я немного скучала по этой наивности.
P.S.: Обложка больше подходит эпическому, а не городскому фэнтези.
Итоговая оценка: 7/10
Но, понятно, она крайне наивна и написана в типичном стиле YA прошлых лет. Но в этот раз это не минус. Сейчас все YA мрачные и жуткие, а вот таких забавных и относительно светлых (если можно так назвать книгу о войне) книг совсем не пишут. И поэтому она мне понравилась. Нескромно, есть убийства и насилие, но, в то же время, герои веселые и милые, и романтика неплохая.
Я давненько ничего такого не читала, и мне эта книга очень легко далась.
Правда, народ, похоже, от такого поотвык. Слишком просто это и наивно всем кажется. Ну, трудно с этим не согласиться. Но для меня это, повторюсь, не такой уж и большой минус.
Мир мне показался достаточно оригинальным. Конечно, это не первая книга о том, как волшебные существа явили себя простым смертным. Но обычно это более мрачные истории. И уж точно не рассказываются они через героиню, которая относится к магическим существам исключительно толерантно.
И да, меня, на удивление, не раздражало это «исключительно толерантно» в книге. Да, Фредди действительно действует исключительно под знаком юношеского максимализма. Но ее можно понять. Она молода, немного наивна, но искренне верит в то, во что верит. И это не может не впечатлять. Невозможно не проникнуться к ней симпатией из-за ее желания добиться справедливости и всем помочь при помощи того, что она любит – писательского мастерства.
Эйден – персонаж посложнее. Он живет в мире, который мы плохо знаем и понимаем. Этот мир более мрачный и не особо прописанный (как-то не хватало некого введения в него, что ли). Но в человеческом мире Эйден раскрывается, как милый паренек, который искренне радуется, когда ему удается рассмешить Фредди, и который даже покупает (отчаянно стесняясь) руководство по свиданиям с человеческими девушками, чтобы впечатлить Фредди (и забавно пытается следовать его указаниям в развитии их отношений).
Так что главные герои тут были неплохими, и мне понравились. Только вот второстепенные персонажи уж очень шаблонные и примтивные (особенно «злодейка», которая доставала Фредди).
Единственное, что меня с самого начало смущало, это то, что автор не особо вводила нас в ее книжный мир. Скорее, так сказать, закинула нас туда. Постоянно создавалось впечатление, что я читаю не первую книгу серии. Так как волшебные существа уже жили в человеческом мире, а у Фредди до того, как мы с ней познакомились, в жизни происходило немало всего, связанного с ними, остается ощущение, что автор забыла нам что-то рассказать.
То же самое с волшебным миром. Эйден воспринимает его как данность, а нам автор не особо желает рассказать подробно о его строении и обо всем, что там происходит. Поэтому мне многое осталось непонятным (ну, может, в следующей книге автор это объяснит).
Сюжет и концовка действительно несколько наивные. И отношения вместе со всем, что тут происходит, немного… скажем так, неправдоподобные и нереалистичные (если можно так сказать о фэнтези). Но раньше жанр YA именно таким и был. И я немного скучала по этой наивности.
P.S.: Обложка больше подходит эпическому, а не городскому фэнтези.
Итоговая оценка: 7/10
Want to read
November 7, 2021Seventeen-year-old Freddie is a human at a magically diverse boarding school who longs to report on the war-torn realms of Fairy.
Interesting... but have I heard this before?
Aiden is a fae soldier with a murderous repu—
ADD ADD ADD IT. RIGHT NOW. ADD IT- *slams dunk on to-read button*
Interesting... but have I heard this before?
Aiden is a fae soldier with a murderous repu—
ADD ADD ADD IT. RIGHT NOW. ADD IT- *slams dunk on to-read button*
April 11, 2021
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC of the novel. These opinions are my own.
A Tale of Ashes is a fantastic YA fantasy with a diverse cast of characters and lots of magic. If you love dual POV stories with mystery, romance, and action, AToA is for you!
The strongest part of the story for me was how the author used magical beings to show how racism affects society. It was so well done.
Freddie and Aiden are the MC’s and are both likeable in their own ways. Freddie is hard-working, brave, and hilarious. Despite Aiden’s amazing powers, he is broken and a great example of a gray character. Aiden was by far my favorite character in the entire book! I want to learn so much more about him.
I am very excited to see what these characters do next and where their relationship is headed.
*Warning: spoilers ahead*
A Tale of Ashes is a fantastic YA fantasy with a diverse cast of characters and lots of magic. If you love dual POV stories with mystery, romance, and action, AToA is for you!
The strongest part of the story for me was how the author used magical beings to show how racism affects society. It was so well done.
Freddie and Aiden are the MC’s and are both likeable in their own ways. Freddie is hard-working, brave, and hilarious. Despite Aiden’s amazing powers, he is broken and a great example of a gray character. Aiden was by far my favorite character in the entire book! I want to learn so much more about him.
I am very excited to see what these characters do next and where their relationship is headed.
*Warning: spoilers ahead*
April 12, 2021
Note: I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for a voluntarily and honest review.
Original review on my blog Boekensteeg
A Tale of Ashes is the first part of Ann Dayleview's Tales of Fairy series of four and also her debut.
After a night out, Freddie kisses a handsome fae. What she doesn't know, however, is that he is the most feared dark fae soldier named Aiden. Meanwhile, more and more human students are disappearing and all arrows point to the fae, but Freddie is sure they are innocent. When she gets a school assignment, it seems like the perfect opportunity to write a good article about these disappearances and find the culprit. Will she be able to find the culprit?
With his deadly reputation as a soldier, everyone seems to fear Aiden. However, the girl from the bar didn't seem to care. Who is this girl anyway? Why does he keep thinking back to that one kiss? And as his deadly missions continue, Aiden begins to have doubts. Is all that murder necessary? Will he be able to regain his freedom?
My expectations for this book were completely different from the actual story. Where I had counted on a trip to Fairy, this story is more like a murder investigation and a behind-the-scenes look at Fairy. Throughout the story I had hoped that the storylines of Freddie and Aiden would come together into one, but this is not the case. The two storylines remain very separate from each other, and do not always fit together nicely. However, this makes the story very unique and leaves enough room for the next parts of this series.
Freddie is a very curious character with an interest in Fairy. All disappearances ensure that she has a mission, which she can also link to a school assignment. At first Aiden comes across as very free, but when you get to know him better you discover that is no less true. And although Aiden and Freddie are very different, they both have one thing in common and this is their interest in each other.
In A Tale of Ashes , different types of fae emerge classified by colors. However, this is not clearly explained in the story, but this was once explained in the author's newsletter. Personally, I would have liked it if there had been a short list of types of fae in the story, so that as a reader you get a clear picture of this while reading.
A Tale of Ashes is certainly a successful debut and I am certainly curious about the next parts in the Tales of Fairy series.
Original review on my blog Boekensteeg
A Tale of Ashes is the first part of Ann Dayleview's Tales of Fairy series of four and also her debut.
After a night out, Freddie kisses a handsome fae. What she doesn't know, however, is that he is the most feared dark fae soldier named Aiden. Meanwhile, more and more human students are disappearing and all arrows point to the fae, but Freddie is sure they are innocent. When she gets a school assignment, it seems like the perfect opportunity to write a good article about these disappearances and find the culprit. Will she be able to find the culprit?
With his deadly reputation as a soldier, everyone seems to fear Aiden. However, the girl from the bar didn't seem to care. Who is this girl anyway? Why does he keep thinking back to that one kiss? And as his deadly missions continue, Aiden begins to have doubts. Is all that murder necessary? Will he be able to regain his freedom?
My expectations for this book were completely different from the actual story. Where I had counted on a trip to Fairy, this story is more like a murder investigation and a behind-the-scenes look at Fairy. Throughout the story I had hoped that the storylines of Freddie and Aiden would come together into one, but this is not the case. The two storylines remain very separate from each other, and do not always fit together nicely. However, this makes the story very unique and leaves enough room for the next parts of this series.
Freddie is a very curious character with an interest in Fairy. All disappearances ensure that she has a mission, which she can also link to a school assignment. At first Aiden comes across as very free, but when you get to know him better you discover that is no less true. And although Aiden and Freddie are very different, they both have one thing in common and this is their interest in each other.
In A Tale of Ashes , different types of fae emerge classified by colors. However, this is not clearly explained in the story, but this was once explained in the author's newsletter. Personally, I would have liked it if there had been a short list of types of fae in the story, so that as a reader you get a clear picture of this while reading.
A Tale of Ashes is certainly a successful debut and I am certainly curious about the next parts in the Tales of Fairy series.
April 11, 2021
*I received an eARC from the author for an honest review*
A Tale of Ashes is the first book in a new series that promises mystery, adventure, and slow-burned romance.
At first, I was a bit disoriented in this world where magical creatures and human coexisted. It took me a while to understand how many kinds of magical creatures there were and how magic worked. After Freddie started her investigation things became more interesting and I just couldn’t put it down! The book is overall well-paced and a fast read. However, the ending comes a bit rush. Everything fell together just too conveniently. The cliffhangers made the last two chapters felt empty. Although some things might be explained more in the sequel, I would like it even more if the ending were better.
Except for the ending, I LOVE this book. My favorite is the distinct and dynamic personalities of the characters. Some were optimistic, some were anti-heroes and some were totally evil. Freddie was compassionate and independent, for one, and I loved investigating with her. Pelrin, her ex as well as a powerful fae prince, had a great sense of responsibility but a bit too protective. Aiden was my favorite though. He was a total cinnamon roll and I loved how he changed for Freddie.
A Tale of Ashes also addressed issues of racism. The prejudice and discrimination toward fairies reflected the problems within our society. I love how this book explored the idea of empathy toward other races.
All in all, I enjoyed A Tale of Ashes very much and I would recommend it to fantasy readers!
A Tale of Ashes is the first book in a new series that promises mystery, adventure, and slow-burned romance.
At first, I was a bit disoriented in this world where magical creatures and human coexisted. It took me a while to understand how many kinds of magical creatures there were and how magic worked. After Freddie started her investigation things became more interesting and I just couldn’t put it down! The book is overall well-paced and a fast read. However, the ending comes a bit rush. Everything fell together just too conveniently. The cliffhangers made the last two chapters felt empty. Although some things might be explained more in the sequel, I would like it even more if the ending were better.
Except for the ending, I LOVE this book. My favorite is the distinct and dynamic personalities of the characters. Some were optimistic, some were anti-heroes and some were totally evil. Freddie was compassionate and independent, for one, and I loved investigating with her. Pelrin, her ex as well as a powerful fae prince, had a great sense of responsibility but a bit too protective. Aiden was my favorite though. He was a total cinnamon roll and I loved how he changed for Freddie.
A Tale of Ashes also addressed issues of racism. The prejudice and discrimination toward fairies reflected the problems within our society. I love how this book explored the idea of empathy toward other races.
All in all, I enjoyed A Tale of Ashes very much and I would recommend it to fantasy readers!
April 16, 2021
Reading this book was like CANDY! A Tale of Ashes is very reminiscent of A School For Good and Evil with a Riverdale twist and I honestly couldn’t get enough.
There are some issues here and there with the structure but the characters and campiness more than made up for it for me. My favorite part was seeing our dark brooding boy Aiden be fascinated by everything, it was absolutely adorable.
I’ll definitely have my eye out for more from this author; I think with a little more polishing her writing is really going to be something fun and special ✨
There are some issues here and there with the structure but the characters and campiness more than made up for it for me. My favorite part was seeing our dark brooding boy Aiden be fascinated by everything, it was absolutely adorable.
I’ll definitely have my eye out for more from this author; I think with a little more polishing her writing is really going to be something fun and special ✨
May 3, 2021
See this review and more at my blog, The Scribe Owl!
Thank you to the author for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
4/5 stars!
A Tale of Ashes is a paranormal urban fantasy story set in our modern world, perfect for fans of The Mortal Instruments!
Going into A Tale of Ashes, I had just read four contemporary books in a row and I was starving for a fantasy, any fantasy. I didn't have abnormally high expectations either, but I loved this! More than I was expecting to. On the surface level, it doesn't really look like my kind of book, but I just couldn't put it down!
That said, it wasn't a perfect book. The thing that annoyed me the most was one of our antagonists by the name of Mallory. She's bothersome and downright cruel sometimes about her treatment of the fae, but she was also pretty one-dimensional. I'd love to get some kind of backstory or something in book two about why she's such a jerk to make her a person instead of just a villain.
Some of the arguments that were had in this story were completely realistic to our society, such as how the fae seem to be having their own batch of immigration issues. I liked that it was a big theme in the novel, but it felt pretty one-sided. All people that dared to oppose Freddie's opinion were instantly gross and villainous. I would have liked to see that argument be not quite so black and white to add some conflict and depth.
My last quick dislike was all of the fae species. Not the species themselves, those were pretty diverse and interesting. I just didn't like that we got no explanation about them at all. Some I knew from previous stories, but most I didn't know and still don't!
I loved Freddie, our protagonist, and Aiden, our love interest! Freddie is one of those strong female characters that is actually a strong female character if you know what I mean. And Aiden is both dark and innocent at the same time which is just so endearing!
As I said earlier, I could not put this down. It was fast-paced and utterly addicting! As for the writing style, it was not something that I would not normally like, but it was really working for me here! Maybe because it sounded so true to Freddie's voice.
All in all, I really enjoyed this novel! I would recommend it, and I'm anxiously awaiting book two.
Thank you to the author for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
4/5 stars!
A Tale of Ashes is a paranormal urban fantasy story set in our modern world, perfect for fans of The Mortal Instruments!
Going into A Tale of Ashes, I had just read four contemporary books in a row and I was starving for a fantasy, any fantasy. I didn't have abnormally high expectations either, but I loved this! More than I was expecting to. On the surface level, it doesn't really look like my kind of book, but I just couldn't put it down!
That said, it wasn't a perfect book. The thing that annoyed me the most was one of our antagonists by the name of Mallory. She's bothersome and downright cruel sometimes about her treatment of the fae, but she was also pretty one-dimensional. I'd love to get some kind of backstory or something in book two about why she's such a jerk to make her a person instead of just a villain.
Some of the arguments that were had in this story were completely realistic to our society, such as how the fae seem to be having their own batch of immigration issues. I liked that it was a big theme in the novel, but it felt pretty one-sided. All people that dared to oppose Freddie's opinion were instantly gross and villainous. I would have liked to see that argument be not quite so black and white to add some conflict and depth.
My last quick dislike was all of the fae species. Not the species themselves, those were pretty diverse and interesting. I just didn't like that we got no explanation about them at all. Some I knew from previous stories, but most I didn't know and still don't!
I loved Freddie, our protagonist, and Aiden, our love interest! Freddie is one of those strong female characters that is actually a strong female character if you know what I mean. And Aiden is both dark and innocent at the same time which is just so endearing!
As I said earlier, I could not put this down. It was fast-paced and utterly addicting! As for the writing style, it was not something that I would not normally like, but it was really working for me here! Maybe because it sounded so true to Freddie's voice.
All in all, I really enjoyed this novel! I would recommend it, and I'm anxiously awaiting book two.
April 14, 2021
Firstly, happy release date to Tale of Ashes. I would like to congratulate the author, I know it’s not easy to right a book and release it.
The author did send me a review copy, however my review is not biased and all thoughts and options are my own.
.
I was truly hoping to like this book as it’s not easy being sent a book for review and it not being for you. I just want to state that even though this was not my type of read, you may love it so please don’t let my options sway your thoughts. If this sounds interesting to you then please give it a try.
.
A Tale of Ashes follows Freddie, a teenage girl living in the city who longs to be a journalist. Then we follow Aiden. A Fae warrior of the winter court who is being held captive by summer. The plot essentially follows Freddie trying to uncover mysteries of the missing students from her college.
Where this is an urban fantasy, I was not looking for the excessive amounts of world building as I would in other fantasy books. I was generally excited when I first started it as it was giving me The Iron King vibes but then it all suddenly fell flat. The characters all had their own little personality but other than that were not well developed and I found their actions to be quite childish. Freddie is your typical damsel in distress, whatever happened to her didn’t happen for long and instead of even fighting for herself she expects for someone to come to her rescue and of course she gets that rescue. The side characters were pretty meh. The only character I actually liked was Aiden.
The plot is what really fell flat. To be honest it didn’t keep me engaged and I was bored after a while. It seemed like nothing was happening and it was just Freddie going around asking everyone questions about the missing students. I was slightly enjoying the little romance but yet again I wouldn’t actually ship any of them. I think generally everything could have done with a bit more development, for the characters, the world and the plot. What I found quite different from other urban fantasy is that Fae (vampires and werewolves are also classed as Fae in here) and humans live amongst each other and are all known. I found it to be a great little edition to the story but I find that creatures like them hiding in plain sight makes it all the more interesting.
I gave it a two start because I generally liked the start, it gave me mortal instruments/ iron king vibes and I love those two but it became such a disappointment, and the ending had no clarification either. It was a little messy and there was no cliffhanger. I would have rather preferred a cliffhanger. The question is would I pick up the sequel? Probably not but I’m open to trying out more of her work in the future.
Again, I would still like to congratulate the author. It’s not easy writing and putting your work out there but you did it and a big well done. I hope that if this book does interest you that you will pick it up. My thoughts and opinions don’t have to be the same as yours, this book wasn’t for me but it may be for you.
Happy Reading!
The author did send me a review copy, however my review is not biased and all thoughts and options are my own.
.
I was truly hoping to like this book as it’s not easy being sent a book for review and it not being for you. I just want to state that even though this was not my type of read, you may love it so please don’t let my options sway your thoughts. If this sounds interesting to you then please give it a try.
.
A Tale of Ashes follows Freddie, a teenage girl living in the city who longs to be a journalist. Then we follow Aiden. A Fae warrior of the winter court who is being held captive by summer. The plot essentially follows Freddie trying to uncover mysteries of the missing students from her college.
Where this is an urban fantasy, I was not looking for the excessive amounts of world building as I would in other fantasy books. I was generally excited when I first started it as it was giving me The Iron King vibes but then it all suddenly fell flat. The characters all had their own little personality but other than that were not well developed and I found their actions to be quite childish. Freddie is your typical damsel in distress, whatever happened to her didn’t happen for long and instead of even fighting for herself she expects for someone to come to her rescue and of course she gets that rescue. The side characters were pretty meh. The only character I actually liked was Aiden.
The plot is what really fell flat. To be honest it didn’t keep me engaged and I was bored after a while. It seemed like nothing was happening and it was just Freddie going around asking everyone questions about the missing students. I was slightly enjoying the little romance but yet again I wouldn’t actually ship any of them. I think generally everything could have done with a bit more development, for the characters, the world and the plot. What I found quite different from other urban fantasy is that Fae (vampires and werewolves are also classed as Fae in here) and humans live amongst each other and are all known. I found it to be a great little edition to the story but I find that creatures like them hiding in plain sight makes it all the more interesting.
I gave it a two start because I generally liked the start, it gave me mortal instruments/ iron king vibes and I love those two but it became such a disappointment, and the ending had no clarification either. It was a little messy and there was no cliffhanger. I would have rather preferred a cliffhanger. The question is would I pick up the sequel? Probably not but I’m open to trying out more of her work in the future.
Again, I would still like to congratulate the author. It’s not easy writing and putting your work out there but you did it and a big well done. I hope that if this book does interest you that you will pick it up. My thoughts and opinions don’t have to be the same as yours, this book wasn’t for me but it may be for you.
Happy Reading!
March 29, 2022
This is such a good read. A gripping story full of action, mystery, intrigue, magic, fae, humans and twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. Exciting and enjoyable I loved our characters journey in this interesting and intriguing world of the fae and then there’s also a little romance. It’s a great start to this series.
January 15, 2023
I'm so glad I came across this book. There was something very real and emotional about each one of the characters. I won't spoil it for anyone but I will say this, it is worth it.
My favorite character would have to be Aiden. And I can't wait to read the next book and see what happens.
My favorite character would have to be Aiden. And I can't wait to read the next book and see what happens.
July 14, 2024
I really enjoyed this story and came to care about the characters, their struggles, and the various dynamics between them all. There are obvious parallels in the bigotry between the humans & fairy world as well as the various hierarchies within each to our currect society, but it doesn't feel like a lecture. It's definitely timely messages in a fantasy setting and a fun (somewhat intense) read.
April 1, 2021
A tale of ashes is a nice fantasy that combines modern reality with fantasy. It started out great but somewhere in the middle I felt like something is missing. The first club scene was great and it made a great atmosphere for the next parts. The murder mysteries were a great addition for the action.
I liked Aiden more than Freddie, and I would have liked to see more of his backstory than Pelrin's awful flirting. I had some good laughs but there were a few issues that bothered me a bit, like the fae categories (should have been explained more) and the fact that Freddie nicknamed Mallory every time instead of using her name (it was childish and annoying) .
I liked Aiden more than Freddie, and I would have liked to see more of his backstory than Pelrin's awful flirting. I had some good laughs but there were a few issues that bothered me a bit, like the fae categories (should have been explained more) and the fact that Freddie nicknamed Mallory every time instead of using her name (it was childish and annoying) .
April 7, 2021
Who doesn't love magically disappearing teens and fae in a book? I certainly do as I read through, A Tale of Ashes about 17-year-old Freddie in a magical boarding school, (she's human). I really enjoyed having the fantasy fairy world mashed with our modern one to create the story setting. This was quite enjoyable and I liked reading scenes with Freddie and Aiden together.
February 7, 2021
I was lucky enough to receive and ARC copy of this from the author.
The modern world melding with Fairy is great! This book tackles many issues we are facing today.
The characters are interesting. Freddie is super relatable and who doesn’t love a “bad” boy, Aiden.
The story definitely pulled me in, though there were a few slow moments.
I highly recommend for fans of fae and can’t wait to see what else happens!!!!
The modern world melding with Fairy is great! This book tackles many issues we are facing today.
The characters are interesting. Freddie is super relatable and who doesn’t love a “bad” boy, Aiden.
The story definitely pulled me in, though there were a few slow moments.
I highly recommend for fans of fae and can’t wait to see what else happens!!!!
January 29, 2021
Aiden is a fae soldier with a murderous reputation. Raised in the dark fae court and forced to partake in the brutal Fairy Civil War, he thirsts for revenge against the realm which murdered his family. It was a great book and I highly recommend reading it. Thank you to StoryOrign for allowing me to read this book.
January 26, 2021
I do not typically enjoy fantasy novels but this was fantastic and impossible to put down. It felt like the political climate of our reality but with magic and mythical creatures added in. I need a sequel. Stat.
April 24, 2021
Honest review for ARC.
Fae and humans? Yup. This YA fantasy has both. Storyline isn't dark fantasy, which was a nice change of pace. Characters and storyline well developed. Kept me reading, and has me looking forward to more by this author.
Fae and humans? Yup. This YA fantasy has both. Storyline isn't dark fantasy, which was a nice change of pace. Characters and storyline well developed. Kept me reading, and has me looking forward to more by this author.
April 29, 2021
I loved this book. The best part is that Freddie is that chick!! Stubborn and head strong. I loved the magic system!!!
May 16, 2022
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
3.5 stars—this was honestly pretty enjoyable! I had my doubts going in because I could see how the author was trying to set up the story but wasn’t quite sure if the execution would pay off. However, the more I read and the further I got into the story, things started to click and I found myself being more invested than I expected to be. Was it perfect? No, but it was enjoyable and an easy read and I liked it more than I thought so that’s a pretty big win.
Real quick What I Liked:
- The overall story was really fun and I thought that the social commentary on humans and fae coexisting but constantly living with prejudice and racism was really interesting and thought provoking. There were times where it could’ve been more subtle, or at least explored more if the book was longer, but I liked how not only was there a war within the Fairy Realm but it seemed like it was almost carrying over into the Human Realm, which will be interesting to see how that will play out
- The world building wasn’t perfect but I still found it to be fascinating. I like the idea that the Fairy Realm has existed since the beginning of time and humans have always known about them and fae have been “immigrating” to the Human Realm for years and years, and it wasn’t just something new for this particular plot line. Having references to fae being around for things like WW2 and other historical time periods was smart and created depth. It strengthened the urban fantasy setting and felt more believable in a way.
- Freddie was a great main character and kept showing me why she was the main character and why exactly she was involved and Aiden was equally as great. While Aiden probably had more stake in the plot than Freddie did, I still felt they were both important to the story and also were great together. I liked seeing their relationship gradually build and blossom and I kept wanting more out of them. Again, I feel like we were just scratching the surface with these two and kept wanting to get deeper into Aiden’s backstory and all of Freddie’s goals and motivations, and go even deeper in their feelings, but we ran out of time. It’s the kind of thing that makes me want more.
- The plot twist at the end was something I truly did not see coming so good job to the author for surprising me. I wish there were more consequences out of that but I’m assuming if there’s a book two then it’ll be addressed there.
- Thank you to the author for writing in third person and dual POVs. The key to my heart in YA fantasy novels, really.
What I Didn’t Like:
- While I liked the world building and found it to be fascinating, it also could’ve been explored more. I think the book overall lacked a fair bit of depth, whether it’s the world or the characters, but there was enough to get by. However, I think with the fae and their hierarchy, there should’ve been a deeper analysis on who everyone is and what they do, where they stand on the power scale, etc. The author didn’t commit too much “tell and not show” but this is one thing where I kind of want to be told what’s going on, I guess. There was so much diversity on what the fae were and included so many different creatures I wasn’t expecting, which was actually really refreshing and reminiscent of The Cruel Prince, but like I said I just needed to know more about who did what and those inner-fae relationships dynamics.
- Couldn’t stand Pelrin. He’s like the embodiment of every rich white boy I’ve read about in romances that we all hate and has no social awareness. Kind of wished that Aiden killed him but here we are.
- Again, the book was short and lacked a fair bit of depth and the story could’ve been more developed than it was, but then we’d need to have a longer book. The characters had all the set up for further depth and exploration but I don’t think the author felt there was enough time for that. The plot could’ve been explored even more, especially all of the social commentary layers, but it kept coming up short. There was so much more that could’ve been said or done to really fill out the story but we just didn’t get there. The plot is fine on its own and accomplished what it set out to do, but I think with more time and pages we could’ve done so much more.
Like I said, I enjoyed this far more than I expected. There is definitely room for improvement and I do think it’s something that can be accomplished by the author, but there is so much potential in this story. The layers and depth are there, we just gotta get a pick-ax and carve it out. But this was fun, I became invested, and I kind of want to see where this story is going to go next. If this is a debut then the author did a great job and has a lot of potential.
3.5 stars—this was honestly pretty enjoyable! I had my doubts going in because I could see how the author was trying to set up the story but wasn’t quite sure if the execution would pay off. However, the more I read and the further I got into the story, things started to click and I found myself being more invested than I expected to be. Was it perfect? No, but it was enjoyable and an easy read and I liked it more than I thought so that’s a pretty big win.
Real quick What I Liked:
- The overall story was really fun and I thought that the social commentary on humans and fae coexisting but constantly living with prejudice and racism was really interesting and thought provoking. There were times where it could’ve been more subtle, or at least explored more if the book was longer, but I liked how not only was there a war within the Fairy Realm but it seemed like it was almost carrying over into the Human Realm, which will be interesting to see how that will play out
- The world building wasn’t perfect but I still found it to be fascinating. I like the idea that the Fairy Realm has existed since the beginning of time and humans have always known about them and fae have been “immigrating” to the Human Realm for years and years, and it wasn’t just something new for this particular plot line. Having references to fae being around for things like WW2 and other historical time periods was smart and created depth. It strengthened the urban fantasy setting and felt more believable in a way.
- Freddie was a great main character and kept showing me why she was the main character and why exactly she was involved and Aiden was equally as great. While Aiden probably had more stake in the plot than Freddie did, I still felt they were both important to the story and also were great together. I liked seeing their relationship gradually build and blossom and I kept wanting more out of them. Again, I feel like we were just scratching the surface with these two and kept wanting to get deeper into Aiden’s backstory and all of Freddie’s goals and motivations, and go even deeper in their feelings, but we ran out of time. It’s the kind of thing that makes me want more.
- The plot twist at the end was something I truly did not see coming so good job to the author for surprising me. I wish there were more consequences out of that but I’m assuming if there’s a book two then it’ll be addressed there.
- Thank you to the author for writing in third person and dual POVs. The key to my heart in YA fantasy novels, really.
What I Didn’t Like:
- While I liked the world building and found it to be fascinating, it also could’ve been explored more. I think the book overall lacked a fair bit of depth, whether it’s the world or the characters, but there was enough to get by. However, I think with the fae and their hierarchy, there should’ve been a deeper analysis on who everyone is and what they do, where they stand on the power scale, etc. The author didn’t commit too much “tell and not show” but this is one thing where I kind of want to be told what’s going on, I guess. There was so much diversity on what the fae were and included so many different creatures I wasn’t expecting, which was actually really refreshing and reminiscent of The Cruel Prince, but like I said I just needed to know more about who did what and those inner-fae relationships dynamics.
- Couldn’t stand Pelrin. He’s like the embodiment of every rich white boy I’ve read about in romances that we all hate and has no social awareness. Kind of wished that Aiden killed him but here we are.
- Again, the book was short and lacked a fair bit of depth and the story could’ve been more developed than it was, but then we’d need to have a longer book. The characters had all the set up for further depth and exploration but I don’t think the author felt there was enough time for that. The plot could’ve been explored even more, especially all of the social commentary layers, but it kept coming up short. There was so much more that could’ve been said or done to really fill out the story but we just didn’t get there. The plot is fine on its own and accomplished what it set out to do, but I think with more time and pages we could’ve done so much more.
Like I said, I enjoyed this far more than I expected. There is definitely room for improvement and I do think it’s something that can be accomplished by the author, but there is so much potential in this story. The layers and depth are there, we just gotta get a pick-ax and carve it out. But this was fun, I became invested, and I kind of want to see where this story is going to go next. If this is a debut then the author did a great job and has a lot of potential.
August 12, 2022
Today, I will be writing a slightly different review. When I came on Goodreads to update my reading status for this book yesterday, I'd read half of it and happened to notice there were some one and two star ratings for A Tale of Ashes. I don't usually read other people's reviews of the books I read, but considering I was enjoying the book up to that point, even if the tempo was a little slow, I was curious to know what people hated so much about it. This review is my response to those criticisms. Let's dive right in!
One of the worst reviews I saw, criticised this book for nothing happening and for having a poor plot. That is far from the truth. Yes, as I mentioned, the first half has a slow tempo, but this is clearly done deliberately because from 50% onwards there are four massive climaxes, each one more intense than the one before (that's a climax roughly every 10% with 10% at the end to tie off loose ends). It was a rollercoaster ride! Clearly, that reviewer stopped reading the book around half way and didn't have the decency to say so in their review. Bad form!
Another criticism is that young adult reads in this genre are usually dark, and this book isn't, making it appropriate for younger, middle grade readers. No. Absolutely not. Just because there isn't bad language, torture and more, doesn't make this book appropriate for pre-teens. There are elements of this book that are exclusive to the experiences of young adults in their final years of high school, least of all a lot of sexual innuendo. I don't consider hanging out in clubs, drinking the odd shot of alcohol, furiously making out etc appropriate for pre-adolescents, and additionally, there are themes explored in this book that would go right over the heads of most readers under the age of fifteen.
Considering these themes are a high level of social commentary geared towards making young people think about the world they live in and how our society treats people who are different, it would be a waste for a very young reader to read and miss this important element of the book. I would like to commend Dayleview for her excellent attempt at weaving high quality, important social commentary into her novel in such a brilliant way. There is so much relevant information explored in this book, related in a great way to show up the ills of our society and our human tendency to group ourselves with those who are like us and paint anyone different as the enemy. On top of that, this author has also managed to transform someone who would usually be portrayed as a villain into a true hero. Aiden's character is brilliantly written and I cannot wait to see how this story develops further, just to find out more of his story. Freddie's side of the story is also engaging, and I felt they were well-suited to show a balanced version of the different perspectives of this novel and prove the author's point about understanding all sides of a story before judging people, and especially not judging based on what people look like.
Finally, there was a criticism about how information relating to the worldbuilding is relayed. I've seen this one mentioned in several reviews, not just the negative ones. People are complaining that Dayleview doesn't spell out the different classifications of fae. The reader has to figure out which types of fae fall into the different categories. I don't see this as a downside at all. I would like to thank the author for providing me a young adult book that kept me engaged because it forced me to think and keep track of the information that came before so I could figure it out for myself based on hints here and there, and through the characters' dialogue. This is the epitome of showing!
It's also a key element in the message about prejudice, stereotypes, and our human tendency to group ourselves. Even as a teenager, I hated books that spelled it all out and essentially had the subtext that I was too stupid to figure something put if it was written between the lines. So, I'd like to thank the author for treating young adults as capable readers who can figure this out for themselves and don't need to be babied.
All in all, it is a good book, not a great one, hence the four stars. And anyone who'd like to escape the humdrum of reality for a few hours to experience something different, with a unique take on the Celtic legends of Fae and actually be left with something to think about after, should definitely read this book! I can't wait to read the rest of this series.
One of the worst reviews I saw, criticised this book for nothing happening and for having a poor plot. That is far from the truth. Yes, as I mentioned, the first half has a slow tempo, but this is clearly done deliberately because from 50% onwards there are four massive climaxes, each one more intense than the one before (that's a climax roughly every 10% with 10% at the end to tie off loose ends). It was a rollercoaster ride! Clearly, that reviewer stopped reading the book around half way and didn't have the decency to say so in their review. Bad form!
Another criticism is that young adult reads in this genre are usually dark, and this book isn't, making it appropriate for younger, middle grade readers. No. Absolutely not. Just because there isn't bad language, torture and more, doesn't make this book appropriate for pre-teens. There are elements of this book that are exclusive to the experiences of young adults in their final years of high school, least of all a lot of sexual innuendo. I don't consider hanging out in clubs, drinking the odd shot of alcohol, furiously making out etc appropriate for pre-adolescents, and additionally, there are themes explored in this book that would go right over the heads of most readers under the age of fifteen.
Considering these themes are a high level of social commentary geared towards making young people think about the world they live in and how our society treats people who are different, it would be a waste for a very young reader to read and miss this important element of the book. I would like to commend Dayleview for her excellent attempt at weaving high quality, important social commentary into her novel in such a brilliant way. There is so much relevant information explored in this book, related in a great way to show up the ills of our society and our human tendency to group ourselves with those who are like us and paint anyone different as the enemy. On top of that, this author has also managed to transform someone who would usually be portrayed as a villain into a true hero. Aiden's character is brilliantly written and I cannot wait to see how this story develops further, just to find out more of his story. Freddie's side of the story is also engaging, and I felt they were well-suited to show a balanced version of the different perspectives of this novel and prove the author's point about understanding all sides of a story before judging people, and especially not judging based on what people look like.
Finally, there was a criticism about how information relating to the worldbuilding is relayed. I've seen this one mentioned in several reviews, not just the negative ones. People are complaining that Dayleview doesn't spell out the different classifications of fae. The reader has to figure out which types of fae fall into the different categories. I don't see this as a downside at all. I would like to thank the author for providing me a young adult book that kept me engaged because it forced me to think and keep track of the information that came before so I could figure it out for myself based on hints here and there, and through the characters' dialogue. This is the epitome of showing!
It's also a key element in the message about prejudice, stereotypes, and our human tendency to group ourselves. Even as a teenager, I hated books that spelled it all out and essentially had the subtext that I was too stupid to figure something put if it was written between the lines. So, I'd like to thank the author for treating young adults as capable readers who can figure this out for themselves and don't need to be babied.
All in all, it is a good book, not a great one, hence the four stars. And anyone who'd like to escape the humdrum of reality for a few hours to experience something different, with a unique take on the Celtic legends of Fae and actually be left with something to think about after, should definitely read this book! I can't wait to read the rest of this series.
August 10, 2021
4.5 Stars rounded up
A Tale of Ashes by Ann Dayleview takes place in a world similar to our own - and vastly different.
Freddie lives in a world where the Fae are not a secret. They are intermingled into society, though not everyone is as welcoming to them as she is. As more and more Fae try to come to the human realm, more and more humans try and push back. To top it off, human teens are going missing, and the public is blaming the Fae. As an aspiring journalist, Freddie is determined to find out what is really happening. Who is taking these teens? Where are they disappearing to?
In the Fairy realm, things are in turmoil. Dark Fae are trying to take over the seasonal realms, and summer is next. Pelrin, the prince of summer, is determined to keep them out, but Aiden is indebted to the Dark Fae, and he hates summer. He’s determined to take it for the Dark Fae, even if he knows it’ll be difficult.
This book has so much to it. Not only is it a fantasy, but there’s also mystery, romance, war, and basically any kind of magical/fantasy creature you can think of. They all fall under the category of Fae, but there are castes within that categorize them. Red Fae are the ones we would be most familiar with, like vampires and werewolves. They live in the human realm more than the fairy realm. The rest are more predominant in fairy, but they’re starting to migrate over to the human realm too. Green Fae are magical fairies, while brown Fae are creatures that don’t have magic. There are many other classifications, but Dayleview helpfully adds a list at the end of the book that breaks down the different types. Any Fairy mentioned in the book is listed, so you know what they are and what makes them fairy. The class types are also broken down, so you can understand who falls into what category.
Freddie is the main female protagonist, and she’s a very determined main character. She knows what she wants and doesn’t let anything stop her. She’s dead set on finding out where the missing people are going, and she will put herself in danger if it means getting to the bottom of it. She often has pushback from her ex-boyfriend, Pelrin, but she isn’t living by his rules anymore. In the mix, she meets Aiden, and a spark ignites a romance between the two. She knows Aiden is dangerous, but she can’t help but care about him, too.
Aiden is our main male protagonist. He works for the King and Queen of the Dark Fae, but he’s conflicted about everything they have him do. He doesn’t like having all the blood on his hands, but he owes them a life debt, and so he does their bidding. Aiden doesn’t know much of the human world, but seeing him and Freddie interact is so cute. I love the way he is portrayed when they are together.
Amanda and Raul are cool characters and good friends to Freddie. They support her and her work on her article, but they also don’t like all the danger she puts herself in.
Pelrin is Freddie’s ex. He’s the prince of summer, and he’s pretty frustrating. Though they broke up, he still interjects himself into Freddie’s life, and he doesn’t ask for things. He makes demands. Though it all comes from a place of caring, it made it hard for me to like him. Still, I didn’t want anything bad to happen to him or the summer fae.
The way Dayleview makes you want both the summer and dark Fae to win is fantastic. Aiden is a part of the dark Fae army, and you don’t want anything bad to happen to him. Still, the dark Fae are not good, so you don’t want them to win. The conflicting feelings follow you throughout the book, and when one side wins, you worry about the other.
Overall, I found this book so interesting to read. I feel like I’ve only gotten a taste of what this world can offer, and I can’t wait to see what the next book holds!
A Tale of Ashes by Ann Dayleview takes place in a world similar to our own - and vastly different.
Freddie lives in a world where the Fae are not a secret. They are intermingled into society, though not everyone is as welcoming to them as she is. As more and more Fae try to come to the human realm, more and more humans try and push back. To top it off, human teens are going missing, and the public is blaming the Fae. As an aspiring journalist, Freddie is determined to find out what is really happening. Who is taking these teens? Where are they disappearing to?
In the Fairy realm, things are in turmoil. Dark Fae are trying to take over the seasonal realms, and summer is next. Pelrin, the prince of summer, is determined to keep them out, but Aiden is indebted to the Dark Fae, and he hates summer. He’s determined to take it for the Dark Fae, even if he knows it’ll be difficult.
This book has so much to it. Not only is it a fantasy, but there’s also mystery, romance, war, and basically any kind of magical/fantasy creature you can think of. They all fall under the category of Fae, but there are castes within that categorize them. Red Fae are the ones we would be most familiar with, like vampires and werewolves. They live in the human realm more than the fairy realm. The rest are more predominant in fairy, but they’re starting to migrate over to the human realm too. Green Fae are magical fairies, while brown Fae are creatures that don’t have magic. There are many other classifications, but Dayleview helpfully adds a list at the end of the book that breaks down the different types. Any Fairy mentioned in the book is listed, so you know what they are and what makes them fairy. The class types are also broken down, so you can understand who falls into what category.
Freddie is the main female protagonist, and she’s a very determined main character. She knows what she wants and doesn’t let anything stop her. She’s dead set on finding out where the missing people are going, and she will put herself in danger if it means getting to the bottom of it. She often has pushback from her ex-boyfriend, Pelrin, but she isn’t living by his rules anymore. In the mix, she meets Aiden, and a spark ignites a romance between the two. She knows Aiden is dangerous, but she can’t help but care about him, too.
Aiden is our main male protagonist. He works for the King and Queen of the Dark Fae, but he’s conflicted about everything they have him do. He doesn’t like having all the blood on his hands, but he owes them a life debt, and so he does their bidding. Aiden doesn’t know much of the human world, but seeing him and Freddie interact is so cute. I love the way he is portrayed when they are together.
Amanda and Raul are cool characters and good friends to Freddie. They support her and her work on her article, but they also don’t like all the danger she puts herself in.
Pelrin is Freddie’s ex. He’s the prince of summer, and he’s pretty frustrating. Though they broke up, he still interjects himself into Freddie’s life, and he doesn’t ask for things. He makes demands. Though it all comes from a place of caring, it made it hard for me to like him. Still, I didn’t want anything bad to happen to him or the summer fae.
The way Dayleview makes you want both the summer and dark Fae to win is fantastic. Aiden is a part of the dark Fae army, and you don’t want anything bad to happen to him. Still, the dark Fae are not good, so you don’t want them to win. The conflicting feelings follow you throughout the book, and when one side wins, you worry about the other.
Overall, I found this book so interesting to read. I feel like I’ve only gotten a taste of what this world can offer, and I can’t wait to see what the next book holds!
June 19, 2022
Truly shocked this one didn’t hit the floor running.
What an absolute joy this book was to read!
Dayleview truly knows how to tell a tale of Fairy.
Our story unfolds when 17-year-old Freddie, decides to take matters into her own hands.
You see Freddie is a journalist, and right now someone is kidnapping the students at her school.
Freddie sees a chance of a lifetime here for her.
She can kick start her career as a journalist by investigating and solving the case.
I mean they haven’t kidnapped her right?
Not to mention everyone in town has already started blaming the Fae that live amongst the humans, for this tragic misfortune.
While Freddie is out investigating the kidnappings, she runs into a strange/dark Fae (who she’s already kissed at the club. BTW!) named Aidan.
Poor Aidan, caught in a demanding situation. Suffering from PTSD (Fae form)
He has a murderous reputation. Could he be the kidnapper? (It certainly seems like all signs for Freddie are pointing towards him)
Together these two form a bond, him for his curiosity about the human world, her for the way she feels about hm. (She’s actually falling for him)
Now Aidan’s little backstory was interesting, how he was indebted to Pelrin the Prince of Summer.
Who just happened to be Freddie’s ex, not to mention in the Fairy world he is part of the Dark Fae’s like Aidan, where all hell’s about to break loose.!
With the Dark Fae’s trying to steal summer.
SAY WHAT NOW?
Aidan is starting to second guess his decisions on helping get summer for Pelrin, but he must do the King and Queen’s bidding, because he swore a life debt.
Once you swear a life debt you are bound to it.
Dayleview mixes Murder, and modern-day colloquialisms and brings them front and center.
Such as there being a division of separation between the Human and Fae Races.
The Faes being called refugees is the same as real life happenings.
Dayleview does an outstanding job on her ability to bring her imagery to your minds eye.
Her word building was also dynamic and intelligent for her intended audience.
Her characters are Quirky, Smart, Funny and Endearing.
You’re given Mystery, Murder, Mayhem, Fairies’, Mythical Creatures and Magic.
You would possibly, get the whole kitchen sink if you thought on it hard enough.(LoL)
I was totally surprised how much I totally enjoyed this book from start to finish.
Freddie and Aidan’s return to innocents’ romance was absolutely beautiful. Job well done!!
Thank you so much for gracing me with your talent.’
P.S. Can we smack Pelrin Now or Later please?
Book 2, Here I come!!!
I received a copy of this book from the author, this review is simply my own. Thank you@@@
What an absolute joy this book was to read!
Dayleview truly knows how to tell a tale of Fairy.
Our story unfolds when 17-year-old Freddie, decides to take matters into her own hands.
You see Freddie is a journalist, and right now someone is kidnapping the students at her school.
Freddie sees a chance of a lifetime here for her.
She can kick start her career as a journalist by investigating and solving the case.
I mean they haven’t kidnapped her right?
Not to mention everyone in town has already started blaming the Fae that live amongst the humans, for this tragic misfortune.
While Freddie is out investigating the kidnappings, she runs into a strange/dark Fae (who she’s already kissed at the club. BTW!) named Aidan.
Poor Aidan, caught in a demanding situation. Suffering from PTSD (Fae form)
He has a murderous reputation. Could he be the kidnapper? (It certainly seems like all signs for Freddie are pointing towards him)
Together these two form a bond, him for his curiosity about the human world, her for the way she feels about hm. (She’s actually falling for him)
Now Aidan’s little backstory was interesting, how he was indebted to Pelrin the Prince of Summer.
Who just happened to be Freddie’s ex, not to mention in the Fairy world he is part of the Dark Fae’s like Aidan, where all hell’s about to break loose.!
With the Dark Fae’s trying to steal summer.
SAY WHAT NOW?
Aidan is starting to second guess his decisions on helping get summer for Pelrin, but he must do the King and Queen’s bidding, because he swore a life debt.
Once you swear a life debt you are bound to it.
Dayleview mixes Murder, and modern-day colloquialisms and brings them front and center.
Such as there being a division of separation between the Human and Fae Races.
The Faes being called refugees is the same as real life happenings.
Dayleview does an outstanding job on her ability to bring her imagery to your minds eye.
Her word building was also dynamic and intelligent for her intended audience.
Her characters are Quirky, Smart, Funny and Endearing.
You’re given Mystery, Murder, Mayhem, Fairies’, Mythical Creatures and Magic.
You would possibly, get the whole kitchen sink if you thought on it hard enough.(LoL)
I was totally surprised how much I totally enjoyed this book from start to finish.
Freddie and Aidan’s return to innocents’ romance was absolutely beautiful. Job well done!!
Thank you so much for gracing me with your talent.’
P.S. Can we smack Pelrin Now or Later please?
Book 2, Here I come!!!
I received a copy of this book from the author, this review is simply my own. Thank you@@@
September 6, 2022
Book one of the Tales of Fairy series was an interesting read. The plot was explained well and the world building was descriptive and easy to follow. A Tale of Ashes is a fairy tale mash up, set in a world where all the creatures from your childhood stories live alongside humans. But these creatures are not who you remember.
Freddie is a human at a magically diverse boarding school who longs to report on the war-torn realms of Fairy as an aspiring journalist. When humans disappear on campus, it’s the perfect opportunity to jump-start her journalism career. While the public blames the fae, Freddie wants facts.
Aiden is a fae soldier with a murderous reputation. Raised in the dark fae court and forced to partake in the brutal Fairy Civil War, he thirsts for revenge against the realm which murdered his family. But when Freddie snoops into his life, he questions if revenge is worth the price of his freedom.
Freddie and Aiden form a tenuous bond. But as their feelings for one another grow, so does the danger. Every clue points to Aiden as the kidnapper, and as his enemies close in, Freddie must make a choice: turn against him or fight for a relationship doomed to fail.
The world and humans discriminating against fae and attacking them hit too close to home. The author has done a great job bringing out the struggle and attacks the fae had to endure in the hands of the humans. There were so many punchable characters that added to the seriousness of the issue.
The romance part was a bit bizarre to be honest. Watching them flirt was so awkward, even if it was very brief. Aiden kept a lot of secrets but Freddie almost never cared about learning more about him ever. This added to the clumsiness in their relationship. It felt weird from start to finish.
Then we got a hyper protective cheating scum of an ex whose controlling behaviour is downplayed a lot. He is in Freddie's friend circle and they hang out together even after breaking up. At one point, Freddie starts thinking of getting back together with her ex to make it easier for her friends while admitting it's not what she wants at the same time. The story was filled with such awkward moments.
At the end of the day, this was an interesting read and I am excited for the sequel.
Freddie is a human at a magically diverse boarding school who longs to report on the war-torn realms of Fairy as an aspiring journalist. When humans disappear on campus, it’s the perfect opportunity to jump-start her journalism career. While the public blames the fae, Freddie wants facts.
Aiden is a fae soldier with a murderous reputation. Raised in the dark fae court and forced to partake in the brutal Fairy Civil War, he thirsts for revenge against the realm which murdered his family. But when Freddie snoops into his life, he questions if revenge is worth the price of his freedom.
Freddie and Aiden form a tenuous bond. But as their feelings for one another grow, so does the danger. Every clue points to Aiden as the kidnapper, and as his enemies close in, Freddie must make a choice: turn against him or fight for a relationship doomed to fail.
The world and humans discriminating against fae and attacking them hit too close to home. The author has done a great job bringing out the struggle and attacks the fae had to endure in the hands of the humans. There were so many punchable characters that added to the seriousness of the issue.
The romance part was a bit bizarre to be honest. Watching them flirt was so awkward, even if it was very brief. Aiden kept a lot of secrets but Freddie almost never cared about learning more about him ever. This added to the clumsiness in their relationship. It felt weird from start to finish.
Then we got a hyper protective cheating scum of an ex whose controlling behaviour is downplayed a lot. He is in Freddie's friend circle and they hang out together even after breaking up. At one point, Freddie starts thinking of getting back together with her ex to make it easier for her friends while admitting it's not what she wants at the same time. The story was filled with such awkward moments.
At the end of the day, this was an interesting read and I am excited for the sequel.
April 13, 2021
Thanks to the author who provided me with an ARC copy and welcomed an honest review!
I have a thing for strong, confident, driven and somewhat stubborn female protagonists and this book definitely delivers. Freddie seems to go diving into trouble without much thought of the consequences. She is passionate about not just her chosen career but about actual social issues in the human world and in Fairy. When we meet Aiden though, I do really start to question Freddie's judgement but it's fantastic when an author tries to show you the reason behind a villain's actions. Is he really a villain? I was definitely rooting for Aiden by the end of this book. I'm intrigued about his beginnings but who doesn't love a brooder. I'd definitely say that I need a bit more of Aiden's story though. I spent the first half of the book trying to figure out what was going on which was intriguing for me but I can see where it could be taxing for a less patient reader.
It took me some time to fully understand the complexities of the hierarchy in this society but once I did, I was completely drawn into the story and couldn't put it down. This is a great read for lovers of fantasy fiction. The author gives enough of a mix of the human world to allow you to feel like this could really be happening in a subculture that you just haven't come across yet in another city. All in all I'd say that its a decent first book and the storyline is enough to make me come back for more. Looking forward to seeing what happens next!
I have a thing for strong, confident, driven and somewhat stubborn female protagonists and this book definitely delivers. Freddie seems to go diving into trouble without much thought of the consequences. She is passionate about not just her chosen career but about actual social issues in the human world and in Fairy. When we meet Aiden though, I do really start to question Freddie's judgement but it's fantastic when an author tries to show you the reason behind a villain's actions. Is he really a villain? I was definitely rooting for Aiden by the end of this book. I'm intrigued about his beginnings but who doesn't love a brooder. I'd definitely say that I need a bit more of Aiden's story though. I spent the first half of the book trying to figure out what was going on which was intriguing for me but I can see where it could be taxing for a less patient reader.
It took me some time to fully understand the complexities of the hierarchy in this society but once I did, I was completely drawn into the story and couldn't put it down. This is a great read for lovers of fantasy fiction. The author gives enough of a mix of the human world to allow you to feel like this could really be happening in a subculture that you just haven't come across yet in another city. All in all I'd say that its a decent first book and the storyline is enough to make me come back for more. Looking forward to seeing what happens next!
April 15, 2021
3.5 stars
I feel like this book was trying to be too many things at once, and because of this I didn’t feel fully invested in it. The school setting made it feel a bit young with her petty feud with her fellow student, while she was also investigating the disappearances. We then get this fae war that is going on, and I felt like that was very two-dimensional and I didn’t feel like the author would actually kill off any central characters with that sub plot, so wasn’t that invested. I did like the characters and the range of personalities within the friendship group, and I did like the romance and the love triangle that develops within this book. I would’ve liked to got more of Aidens history especially since we get some of the book from his point of view,I was hoping to get some more of his backstory but that’s still quite mysterious at the end of this book. It was pacing at the end of the book also brought my review down a bit because it’s quite rushed and a bit “convenient”.
Overall this is a good book but I just don’t feel like I connected to it, or involved in the plot.
Thank you to the author for a copy of the book, this voluntary review is my own thoughts.
I feel like this book was trying to be too many things at once, and because of this I didn’t feel fully invested in it. The school setting made it feel a bit young with her petty feud with her fellow student, while she was also investigating the disappearances. We then get this fae war that is going on, and I felt like that was very two-dimensional and I didn’t feel like the author would actually kill off any central characters with that sub plot, so wasn’t that invested. I did like the characters and the range of personalities within the friendship group, and I did like the romance and the love triangle that develops within this book. I would’ve liked to got more of Aidens history especially since we get some of the book from his point of view,I was hoping to get some more of his backstory but that’s still quite mysterious at the end of this book. It was pacing at the end of the book also brought my review down a bit because it’s quite rushed and a bit “convenient”.
Overall this is a good book but I just don’t feel like I connected to it, or involved in the plot.
Thank you to the author for a copy of the book, this voluntary review is my own thoughts.
April 17, 2021
I bought this book because the cover drew me into the blurb, which sounds like a lot of fun. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t right for me, but that might not mean it won’t be right for others. Fae live alongside humans, but the reader doesn't have a hierarchy. There are no explanations of the different kinds and colors of Fae, they are just there, and we have to parse them out for ourselves. They are also at war, but we don’t know why.
I felt that the descriptions went from being overly flowy to not, and there wasn’t a good balance between the two styles of writing. Often it felt like the flowy text was there simply as filler, as it didn’t always move the story forward. There were plot points that don't get explained, and perhaps those will be addressed in future books. While this wasn’t for me, I encourage others to check it out, especially as future books release and the author finds their writing groove.
I felt that the descriptions went from being overly flowy to not, and there wasn’t a good balance between the two styles of writing. Often it felt like the flowy text was there simply as filler, as it didn’t always move the story forward. There were plot points that don't get explained, and perhaps those will be addressed in future books. While this wasn’t for me, I encourage others to check it out, especially as future books release and the author finds their writing groove.
June 22, 2022
A Tale of Ashes was a fast paced, fun contemporary fantasy with some mystery elements. Freddie is a 17 year old aspiring journalist. She is brave, compassionate and inquisitive. When young people start to go missing, Freddie decides to investigate. During her investigation, she meets Aiden who is a dark fae enslaved by the Winter Court. They begin to date and find themselves developing feelings.
The world-building in this book was fantastic! There is the human realm which is just like our normal world with the exception of fae living amongst them. Then their is the Fairy realm which is engulfed in a war between the Winter and Summer courts.
The romance in the story was sweet with both characters awkward and unsure at first. Aiden was adorably unaware of human dating rituals which added some himor to the situation.
Fantastic start to the series! I can't wait to start the next one.
The world-building in this book was fantastic! There is the human realm which is just like our normal world with the exception of fae living amongst them. Then their is the Fairy realm which is engulfed in a war between the Winter and Summer courts.
The romance in the story was sweet with both characters awkward and unsure at first. Aiden was adorably unaware of human dating rituals which added some himor to the situation.
Fantastic start to the series! I can't wait to start the next one.
May 1, 2021
ARC REVIEWER:
4.5 Stars for this awesome YA fantasy! I absolutely loved the characters in this book! Freddie is intelligent, brave and kind hearted with a refreshing voice that made the read all the more pleasant. I also really liked Aiden and reading things from his point of view, it really helped give you a good sense of the story, characters and the see the investigation from a point of view that isn't just Freddie's (which helps!). The mystery was enjoyable and moved at a good pace with everything being revealed at the end. I would definitely recommend this book to others!
Thank you so much to the author for giving me an advanced copy to read. This was given to me in exchange for my honest review.
4.5 Stars for this awesome YA fantasy! I absolutely loved the characters in this book! Freddie is intelligent, brave and kind hearted with a refreshing voice that made the read all the more pleasant. I also really liked Aiden and reading things from his point of view, it really helped give you a good sense of the story, characters and the see the investigation from a point of view that isn't just Freddie's (which helps!). The mystery was enjoyable and moved at a good pace with everything being revealed at the end. I would definitely recommend this book to others!
Thank you so much to the author for giving me an advanced copy to read. This was given to me in exchange for my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews