The Girl of Ash and Snow: To become the hero, one must embrace the monster within

A Saga of Demons and Dragons #1

by C.M. Quinn

When a remote mountain village is attacked, it sets off a chain reaction that will change the course of history...







THE CLIMBER

After tragedy strikes, climber leader, Wren, must strike out on a desperate rescue mission across a kingdom on the cusp of rebellion. By her side, a mysterious ally whose secrets will change the course of her life forever.




THE DRAGONIR

Haunted by a past he cannot escape, Lorca will gamble it all on a stranger whose wild eyes and secrets ensnare him. For with her, he may just find all he seeks...or watch as it all burns around him once again.




THE STRANGER

For her whole life, Sorcha has been hidden away, burdened by ancient magic...and a future that looms like a coming storm. But the time has come for her to claim her destiny, no matter the price.




Worlds will collide in a struggle for power, hope and betrayal. For the path of revenge is steeped in blood and darkness.

Genres: High Fantasy, Fiction, Fantasy

396 pages, Paperback

Published December 14, 2021

Reviews

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl of Ash and Snow focuses mainly on a young woman named Wren, with other supporting characters getting their point of view told from time to time. Wren is from a remote village that survives on selling mysterious red flowers to a merchant who visits once a year to collect. These red flowers are rare - they grow only on the mountain near Wren's village. Thus, the village developed an entire climbing culture in order to get these flowers and survive. But there are other things on the mountain, like wyverns, which make the climb dangerous. One day, Wren gets attacked by a wyvern which leads to a series of events, some of them tragic, that sends her away from her village and into the wider world. She has help navigating this new world from a man who can shapeshift into a dragon. Not everything is as it seems however, and Wren struggles with several discoveries in regards to her true identity. Other POVs include Aziah, an assassin working for the Empress, and Sorcha, a young rebel. There were also a few chapters from the POV of Flynn, another villager and climbing colleague of Wren.

The novel was an enjoyable debut. The story was fast paced and didn’t spend a lot of time world building, but did give more than enough to understand the world (each chapter also had excerpts from in-world primary sources, like diary entries). If you like dragons, female leads, and magic, then I would recommend this book. I would also point out that this is an adult book, so there are some darker themes explored as well, such as slavery, but they are not gratuitous and fit the story world.

[Christina Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the beginning of the story with Wren discovering ancient ruins and finding my favorite character. I won't spoil too much, just know that there are several points of views presented within this story, and the journeys these characters go through all intertwine with each other. The plots all come together at the end in such a jaw dropping climax. I was seriously scared for our heroes and was on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put the book down until I finished it just because I had to know what was going to happen next.

Hold on tight for a fun and thrilling ride on the back of a dragon. This book is so fun and so worth reading, definitely support this talented author.

[Shazz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. I have the 3 books in this series so far so will be starting book two now. I fell in love with a few characters in this book. It was certainly a bit of rollercoaster emotionally and I'm a little worries diving into book two but the way this ended.....I need to know more! Dragons, some spice, adventure, world building and banter. Great story.

[Heather McCorkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a unique, engaging fantasy by a promising new author who I will be keeping my eye on. Filled with mystery, dragons, and a captivating, strong female main character, this novel kept me reading. The plot is original and the world building made me hungry for more.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concepts with likable characters and their backstories and how they overall affected the arc of the story. The end revelation was good. Overall I found it to be an enjoyable read but similar tropes that I've read before.

[Stacey Mckie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing takes some getting use to but the story is very different and has drwn me in to the point I can't wait for the second

[Alex (HEABookNerd)]

DNF @ 30%

From what I read it was interesting but my reading momentum kind of slowed down and by the time I went back to this it was no longer available on KU so I couldn't finish it.

[Dominique Baldock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! So many storylines weaving together ❤️

[W.A. Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book, with lots going on.
I don't want to give away too many spoilers but my heart is breaking for wren.
Book number 2 here I come. Fingers crossed there is some hope for Wren.

[Axli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who can say no to a fantasy world, and a strong female lead?! Not this reader! The way CM Quinn writes is captivating and this makes the book hard to put down - even at the end of a chapter.
Without spoilers, I can honestly say I felt all the feels with this read and I’m rushing to book 2, so that I’m ready for book 3’s arrival!