Ashen

Chronicles of Warshard #3

by Katherine Bogle

The world is made of monsters. Adni might be one of them. After the Evil Queen Kadia razed Warshard, leaving thousands homeless or dead, many of Salander’s people fled to the Cinder Mountains, east of the six kingdoms, seeking refuge. Adni, the daughter of a treasure hunter, has always despised her father’s bizarre occupation and loathes every family trip in search of riches. Always desperate for more, her father shoves her off a waterfall to retrieve treasure at the bottom of a lake. Instead, Adni is swept up in a violent underwater current, only to be rescued by Julian, a mysterious woman with a flirtatious smile. Desperate to flee the oppression of her family and the mountains, Adni escapes with Julian to Salander in search of her real father – who might just be a worse monster than the man she left behind.

Genres: Fantasy, LGBT

248 pages, Paperback

First published November 28, 2017

About the author

Katherine Bogle is the USA Today bestselling author of Queen of Thieves, Her Wolf, I am Alpha and the international bestselling Dominion Rising series.

She first found success with her debut novel, Haven, which came second in the World’s Best Story contest 2015. Since then, she has gone on to release 20+ books with one core theme: kick-butt heroines. Though her series may span genres—from fantasy to steampunk to science fiction—she will always write about strong women overcoming the odds.

Join her newsletter for info on upcoming releases, free stuff and more:
https://katherine-bogle.kit.com/8b426...

Her website:
https://linktr.ee/katherinebogle

NOW AVAILABLE:

Haven (Chronicles of Warshard #1)
Savages (Chronicles of Warshard #2)
Ashen (Chronicles of Warshard #3)
Fyre: A Chronicles of Warshard short story collection
The Blood Amulet: A Chronicles of Warshard Short Story

The Aldar Dominion (Dominion Rising #1)
The Zahkx Alliance (Dominion Rising #2)
The Darri Commission (Dominion Rising #3)
The Stowaway Experiment: A Dominion Rising Short Story
The Smugglers Legion: A Dominion Rising Short Story

Queen of Thieves (Clockwork Thief #1)
Daughter of Chaos (Clockwork Thief #2)
King of Empires (Clockwork Thief #3)
Empress of Annihilation (Clockwork Thief #4)
Harbinger of War (Clockwork Thief #5)
Goddess of Death (Clockwork Thief #6)

Her Wolf (Silver Shifter #1)
Her Dragon (Silver Shifter #2)
Her Bear (Silver Shifter #3)
Her Panther (Silver Shifter #4)

Demon's Game (A Soul Collectors Prequel)
Reaper's Fire (Soul Collectors #1)
Reaper's Fate (Soul Collectors #2)

Cruel Monsters (Standalone)

I am Alpha (Rise of the Beast Queen #1)
They Call me Beast (Rise of the Beast Queen #2)

Shifter's Promise (Standalone)

COMING SOON:

Bow to your Queen (Rise of the Beast Queen #3)

Reviews

[Melanie Noell Bernard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this free digital copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.


Interesting Concept
I quite enjoyed the idea behind Ashen and the rest of the Chronicles of Warshard, which are all tied together in one giant finale. Additionally, this particular segment of the series offered more to the wondrous, magical, unique world of Warshard. These two aspects really pulled me in and kept my attention as the story progressed. Though, a little more explanation on some pieces of the world would have been nice, but I just like knowing everything. 😉

A little Flat
I’ll be honest, I found the main character, Adni, to be a little flat. She’s not a particularly active character in the story and has a lot more happen to her than she actually does on her own. It gets a little better as the story progresses, but I would have liked more from her throughout the course of the book so that I could have connected with her better. Or perhaps just offer more of her personality as I didn’t really feel like I knew much about her as a person.

Pacing
The pacing was a bit off for me. It felt a little fast, like the story and scenes weren’t fully fleshed out. I would have liked to have it slowed down more and given more visuals and more interactions between the characters. This would have really helped to develop the character relationships better as they felt a little forced at times and like a few steps of their interactions were skipped. Slowing down would have been great for fleshing this out, especially since the character relationships seem to be a large part of the story.

Romance
I would definitely say the romantic aspect is better in Ashen than the other books in the series. It was much slower, more believable, and progressed to become a focal point without overshadowing the rest of the plot. That being said, part of me was kind of hoping for an unhappy ending with the romance, especially because of Adni finding out the rest of her family is alive. It just felt a little too perfect of an ending to me.

[Mandy Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, how I adore this story (and series)! Adni comes from a rough family of treasure hunters - not a well respected profession. When the man who has been her father figure THROWS HER OFF A CLIFF, Adni discovers that there is more to her than what meets the eye. Rescued by a mysterious and strong woman named Julian, Adni and Julian pair up to reach Salander. On the way, they get way more than they bargained for. This book circles back to characters from Haven, years after that book ends. While the world is now free from Kadia's reign of terror, a larger threat looms over the Six Kingdoms. Bringing even more tension to the story is that Adni is one piece of that threat.

At its core, "Ashen" is a story about overcoming your past/upbringing, fighting for a bright future, and self-acceptance. One of my favorite things about Adni is that she's a reluctant hero. I mean, we had Haven who was very uncertain of herself but willing to do whatever she could. Now there is Adni who admits that she really just wants to run home to her family most of the book. She wants to hide away and not be part of this whole saving the world business. Part of that is because she doesn't accept who she is and her insecurity is severe enough that her desire is to hide. However, slowly, she overcomes that fear. The more she opens up to people, the more they accept her (in general, with one exception).

As always, the writing keeps the reader focused on the characters and plot the entire time. Everything is constantly driving forward. It's one of the things I love the most about Katherine Bogle's books. While it doesn't seem there is anything left to explore in the Warshard universe, I am hoping for more. In the meantime, I plan to dive into her science fiction series!

If you want to see my Top 4 Reasons You Should Read Ashen blog post, please visit: www.mandypetersonbooks.weebly.com/blog

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly I must say that I have not read any of the other books from this particular series. But in saying that it really did not matter.

This book is written in such a way that you haven't needed to read the others to understand the story line. Yes I'm sure you get more of a back story and know more but it wasn't necessary to be able to enjoy the book.

The book is well paced and not always predicable on what happens, with a few sneaky twists. There is just enough action and intrigue to want to know what happens next.

The thing I really want to know is what has happened to Kaldar?? Where did he disappear to and will he and Adni now get to have a brother/sister relationship??

[Richard Goodrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. Great descriptions. And Adni is delightful: self assured, but lacking in self confidence. Julian is an unexpected pleasure.

The first half of the story was slow and ponderous (quite unexpected as it is the third book in the series). But, I was committed to reading the entire story. I am thankful that I was. The second half livened up and became a fantastic tale.

I was provided this book as an ARC by the author; however, the review is my honest opinion.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ashen is book three from the Chronicles of Warshard series. I thought it was good. There was some surprises I did not see coming. Which kept me intrigued and wanting to keep reading on.
I give this book 4 stars.
I received this book from the author but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

[Tina Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got an advance copy but the opinion is my own. The book is well written and action packed I read it in three days. It was about a girl who finds out the man she thought was her father is not. And the adventure that follows after he steals everything the family has and she goes to find him and meets her real father. That is just the beginning.

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really wonderful book. It’s lead, Adni, is a pleasure to follow as she treads the path towards becoming the sort of kick-a** heroine I adore. Add in excellent world-building, a great cast of supporting characters and a neat plot that’s well written. The result is a book that’s sure to please.

Definitely Kent recommended.

[Pam Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really surprised with the family lineage twist. I read it straight through because I didn't want to stop! I would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a wonderful paranormal romance with a surprising twist.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was full of action and I absolutely loved it. 5 stars!

[Jamie Coudeville · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Adni was a great main character. I wish I remembered more of the previous books since these all kind of tied together.

[Birdie O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katherine Bogle has a solid coming-of-age style fantasy in her new novel, Ashen.  I had a difficult time getting into this book, and found myself often drifting off during the lulls.  I can find nothing technically wrong with the story, and when I think about how I would describe it, it sounds fantastic, so I'm thinking it's just a "me" thing.  Overall, this is a well-executed fantasy novel.  The plot moves along at fairly decent pacing, however most of the story is pretty formulaic.  This formula is diverted a bit by the addition of a lesbian romance.  There are a few errors in grammar and word usage here and there, but nothing that really interrupts the reader's ability to enjoy the story.

At first, to me, it seemed like Adni's actions don't make sense.  While reading, I felt like Bogle lost sight of her character in order to move the plot the way she wants.  But then, rethinking it, it's possible the event I'm thinking of is a result of a true reaction of an 18 year old.  As things progress, you see Adni still fumbling in her youth, but also growing into adulthood.  The depth of characters is shown in almost all of Bogle's characters, many of the "good" guys having "bad" moments and vice versa.  It seems there's always a possibility of redemption or fall, and Adni is not exempt from that.

Something that does strike me as odd, though, is Adni's total unawareness of being attracted to...anybody.  How does one reach the age of 18 and have zero experience being attracted to anybody.  She's not shocked by her attraction to a woman...but she doesn't seem to have ever been attracted to a person before.  I love that her attraction isn't something that she struggles with due to Julian being a woman.  So many authors I've read with non-conforming relationships have the MC struggling with accepting that relationship.  I know this happens a lot in the real world, but it's refreshing to see Bogle letting Adni just go with it instead of wallowing in teenage angst.

Overall, this book is a solid fantasy read.  It incorporates dragons and magic and a world that seems determined to tear itself apart.  It's a great coming of age story written in the formula that have starred young men for ages, but instead starring a young woman and her female love interest.

[Diana Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

here is the review - Since it is released, I will put it everywhere I can, thank you for the opportunity to meet Adni and Julian and the rest of the amazing women you have created!

Ashen: Chronicles of Warshard Kindle Edition

by Katherine Bogle

Katherine Bogle does for epic fantasy what Suzanne Collins did for dystopian adventure – she gives us a complex heroine faced with life-altering trials wrapped in a distinctly complex world.

I was blessed with the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for a review. The story of Adni swept me away in a heartbeat. It was the girl's inner strength and the incredibly rare exploration of the heroine's journey, that does indeed reach out to all women, young and old.

Adni's magic is perhaps the most unique I've met, and I've been reading about magic since the, ahem, the '70's gobbling up Xanth and Darkover with equal passion. More importantly, Adni's relationships with family and Julian are special. The relationship with Julian and Adni is so natural and beautiful, a love story for LGBTQIA young adult readers and us old fogies who enjoy the genre as well.

If you enjoy story telling, character and plot this is for you. Please note, that while this is the third in a trilogy, it and the other two books are written well enough to stand on their own or in any order, so perhaps a interlocking series would be a far better term.

5 scaly stars out of 5

https://www.amazon.com/Ashen-Chronicl...

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bogle continues with her awesome storytelling in this third novel! I found the first part to be a bit slow and tedious, but after that it was really jam packed with emotion and adventure. I found myself caught up in the second half of the book. So it's one of those that you will need to push through, but it's very worth it!

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily reviewing.

[Selaya Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as readable as the first two and back to five stars in spite of the continuation of "whooshing of air, breath and wind from lungs." Also, in spite of the fact that this trilogy seems to have been produced somewhat out of order. No matter; it gets there in the end - even with the added "bonus" feature of "The Birth of The Immortal Queen" which is apparently one of the four short stories in the "Fyre" collection. I do think a little more clarification could have been forthcoming on that score. Blessing or curse? Throughout the series I don't think that was ever fully explained, just taken as being the status-quo.

The evolution of the "Holy Fire" could have been explored a little more extensively as well. To simply return any creature not only from death but to their naturally appearing form is not something where one can just fill in the blanks. Two final points: what happened to Adni's amulet and, further towards the end, what was the fate of her stepfather? Guess we'll never know.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something about the start just felt lacking. It got better the further on it went. Just can’t place what wasn’t quite right at the start. Too fast, lacking in character development maybe? Either way, I still liked the book.

I like how the main character didn’t really want to be the hero, she just wanted to stop her father. She just wanted to help people. She was under no illusion that she was some badass. She is just a person trying to find her way, find out who she is and learn how to be good. Darkness and power is a very tempting thing.

The main character is female who likes another female if this is an issue don’t read it.

(Disclaimer: I got a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I really liked the story, it was just a little too sped up for me. I felt like the author didn't always take her time to write things out, and it hurt the story. I think this is why I felt a bit disconnected from the characters, and especially the realtionship between the characters seemed a bit flat to me. Aside from this, I really enjoyed it!

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa Eiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this series

I really enjoyed reading this book. Adni sets out on a journey to seek out her father, that lands her in a variety of unbelievable situations. I'd recommend this book to fans of fantasy and adventure, as well as dragons!!

[Sheila G]

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[Jessica Traver cashen]

Great read. Well written with a great plot and characters. This book has a decent pace, but has some spots where I was bored. It also has a lesbian romance. Overal great book. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley.