If Asheel Won't Burn

by Jenn Jarrett

Another month. Another night haunted by an immortal Reaper. Another grieving family. The hopeless cycle never ends. Only Asheel can sense the Reaper’s next victim, but instead of praise for her gift, she’s blamed for the abductions and despised. Even worse, neighboring cities have heard rumors of the girl with the Reaper’s eyes and seek her magic for themselves. Asheel doesn’t know if she should continue her predictions since they cause more harm than good or if she should start a new life away from the magic.
But none of that matters when the Reaper comes for her. Follow the Reaper into the Monster Realm.

305 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 10, 2021

Reviews

[Megan Tennant · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Asheel Won’t Burn is a theme heavy book full of monsters and worldbuilding. It has a delightful unique vibe with tones of darkness and light that are explored and portrayed in daring ways I’ve not seen before. I never knew where the story was headed and loved all of the twists and turns and character struggles. Jenn is unafraid in her writing and it makes for a beautifully imaginative, tastefully dark world that pairs well with the strong thematic currents running through it.

The characters also change and develop throughout. Asheel especially is a wonderfully refreshing lead as she has strong, realistic flaws and she doesn’t always win in her fight against them. It’s rare that writers let their protagonists be truly flawed and make true mistakes, and it makes for a much more realistic and relatable character and makes the story hit much harder. Asheel feels like a real person, and that is a truly hard feat to achieve in writing.

If you like fantasy books but have read one-too-many, this story will offer a new flavor of magic that will keep you guessing until the very end. And don’t sleep on the descriptions of the characters, and settings, and other visuals because they are all well thought out and beautifully woven into the themes and story. If you like monsters and magic, unique vibes and strong themes, give this story a read.

[T.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the most unique fantasy books I've ever read, not only in terms of worldbuilding and magic system, but also because of the themes explored and the narrative structure itself. It made the story unpredictable in some really interesting ways, and the heavy focus on Asheel's character development makes the story shine in ways I didn't expect.

The story takes place in a world that is separated in two parts: the human realm and the monster realm. We spend the first part of the story in the human realm, where we are introduced to our very flawed but realistic protagonist Asheel and the life she lives, delivering bad news to one family or another each month as she uses her unique ability to determine which among them the dreaded Reaper is most likely to drag away to the monster realm. It's a rather thankless job and certainly not a pleasant one, and as you can imagine, Asheel has some bitterness about how her role impacts her relationships with others and the way they treat her.

Eventually the story brings us to the monster realm, and that's where things really start to get interesting. We learn more about the Reaper and the world he comes from, including what really happens to all the humans he carries off night after night. It's a fully fleshed out world with lots to discover, and Jarrett's beautiful descriptions and clear writing style paint a vivid picture of the strange and unique setting. I really loved getting to know the world and its inhabitants through Asheel's eyes.

The ending of the story is unexpected and structured in a way that felt very different to most stories I've read. It worked for me in some ways and not in others, but it was an interesting change from the norm either way. I appreciated that things didn't come to a quick close after what felt like the big climax, and we really got to sit with characters and the consequences of their choices for a while after. By the end, you're not 100% whether things will be okay or not, but that ambiguity works well in a story where the themes of right and wrong, good and bad, are also painted in deeply varied shades of gray. If you're looking for a unique fantasy book with great character development, definitely give this one a try.

[P.J. Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for this one! It's a brilliant debut novel that doesn't read like a debut novel at all.

This is the kind of fantasy that I love -- character driven, but with plenty of focus on worldbuilding and plot progression. The prose is wonderful, perfectly carrying the reader through the story and painting a vivid picture of the world and characters. The pace never slows, and it was hard to predict where the story was going -- this book pulls no punches!

The settings were fantastic. Jarrett has given us a very creative, very imaginative world. There is clear character progression as the story moves ahead, and we are always close to the protagonist Asheel's thoughts and emotions. She is a sympathetic character that we can relate to and feel for.

The book had the right amount of levity, the right amount of darkness, and just the right amount of strange. It's a fantasy story without the usual tropes, which I found quite refreshing. And I loved the twists! It's the kind of story that is enjoyable to read on the surface, but also carries themes that give us cause for reflection, especially after the thought-provoking ending. I'm there for a sequel if we get one!

[Kyle Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Asheel Won't Burn was an interesting read with a slow start. I picked it up on and off for a month, then read the latter half of the book in one day. Once the fire starts, it blazes bright, and doesn't go out.