A Curse of Ash and Embers follows Elodie, who is sent away from her stepfather, mother and siblings to work at Black Oak Cottage. But as Elodie journeys there, she will discover that she is working for a mistress named Aleida, who is left to care for the house after the passing of Gyssha Blackbone, an infamous witch.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, despite it being rather slow to start off with. However, I found myself flying through the novel once Elodie arrives at Black Oak Cottage. I really liked the writing style and found the magic system to be thoroughly interesting. As a feminist, I enjoyed Elodie’s strong character and was glad to see that, even though there are a few hints of romance, it is not the main focal point of the novel. I found myself caring a lot about Elodie as she described her stepfather’s attitude throughout the first few chapters. I also enjoyed the incorporation of ghosts in the first scene between Elodie and Aleida.
Rating: 7.5/10
Writing: 9/10
Plot: 6.5/10
Characters: 7/10
Recommended For: Teen or Adult Looking to Delve Into a new fantasy world.
‘Escaping From Houdini’ once again chronicles the trials and tribulations of Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Creswell, who, after the events of ‘Hunting Prince Dracula’ arrive on board the RMS …
Take Three Girls is the collaborative effort of YA writers Cath Crowley, Fiona Wood and Simone Howell. It follows the lives of three boarding school girls as they find themselves [...]
Released to the public on September 3rd of 2018, Violet Grace’s novel The Girl Who Fell tells the tale of Francesca ‘Chess’ Raven, an adolescent girl living with a woman …
Melina Marchetta’s coming-of-age novel is a refreshingly mature young adult adventure that captures the feeling on the crux of growing up and watching all that was familiar with the world …
The absolutely electrifying Australian crime novel ‘The Tell’ by Martin Chatterton weaves a wickedly satisfying tale of Raze Tanic, an upper-class Sydney student whose family-run an illustrious crime ring in …
Cally Black’s In The Dark Spaces is an immersive sci-fi thriller that features some incredible aliens and insightful thoughts on human nature. While it’s full of action and danger, the [...]
Book Review – A Curse of Ash and Embers by Jo Spurrier
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, despite it being rather slow to start off with. However, I found myself flying through the novel once Elodie arrives at Black Oak Cottage. I really liked the writing style and found the magic system to be thoroughly interesting. As a feminist, I enjoyed Elodie’s strong character and was glad to see that, even though there are a few hints of romance, it is not the main focal point of the novel. I found myself caring a lot about Elodie as she described her stepfather’s attitude throughout the first few chapters. I also enjoyed the incorporation of ghosts in the first scene between Elodie and Aleida.
Rating: 7.5/10
Writing: 9/10
Plot: 6.5/10
Characters: 7/10
Recommended For: Teen or Adult Looking to Delve Into a new fantasy world.
Related Posts
Book Review – Escaping Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco
‘Escaping From Houdini’ once again chronicles the trials and tribulations of Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Creswell, who, after the events of ‘Hunting Prince Dracula’ arrive on board the RMS …
Take Three Girls – by Cath Crowley, Simmone Howell & Fiona Wood
Book Review – The Girl Who Fell by Violet Grace
Released to the public on September 3rd of 2018, Violet Grace’s novel The Girl Who Fell tells the tale of Francesca ‘Chess’ Raven, an adolescent girl living with a woman …
Book Review – On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Melina Marchetta’s coming-of-age novel is a refreshingly mature young adult adventure that captures the feeling on the crux of growing up and watching all that was familiar with the world …
Book Review – The Tell by Martin Chatterton
The absolutely electrifying Australian crime novel ‘The Tell’ by Martin Chatterton weaves a wickedly satisfying tale of Raze Tanic, an upper-class Sydney student whose family-run an illustrious crime ring in …
Book Review – In the Dark Spaces by Cally Black