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I doubt their stories are anywhere near as exciting as those in the Kingdom of Ash and Briers, but their nice escapades keep old grandpa out of trouble. Like Liked by 1 person. Like Like. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. January 31, July 20, Katy. By Katy Goodwin-Bates Playing with my daughter is, for the uninitiated, a confusing experience. I won this advanced reading copy from a website hosting a YA book giveaway. Very exciting! It took me awhile to finish due to May being the craziest month ever for me. This book is told in Acts. Strong world building, jumped right into the action, likable protagonist, interesting magic system. Act 2 was not as good in comparison. The author introduced two storylines that were based on Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. I didn't I won this advanced reading copy from a website hosting a YA book giveaway. I didn't like that. I felt like the author did a wonderful job drawing me into a very unique and expertly told story of her own and then this reimagining of old fairytales was inserted into it. It felt very jarring. The third act was the climax into the ending. This act was very strong as well with the story moving at a quickened pace and character storylines coming to a close. I gave this book 4 strong, bright stars. I loved so much about it. I just left one star off for the middle of the book being a little weak and for the fairytale stuff. I recommend this book! Aug 04, Whitley Birks marked it as dnf. I'm just really not feeling this book. Mostly because of the villain. She's so hammy, and any attempts to make her 'grey' or give reason for her villitude are just clunky at best. Plus, carrying on about her amazing sexy looks while she's villaining is just The fantasy aspects and plot are nothing to write home about, and Bristal sacrifices having a personality for being an observer, so there's just really nothing holding me in this book. Rating: 3. The set up was a bit contrived and I was strongly against it, so much so that I wanted to DNF, but the temptation of the romance was too much and I'm really glad I stuck with it because the writing and story became smoother as the author settled into the fairy tales. I am happy for the most part regarding t Rating: 3. I am happy for the most part regarding the ending except how Charles was handled view spoiler [ I think it would've been better for him to die in the second book, for Elinor's sake if nothing else hide spoiler ] Another character I feel was misused and many times was straight up creepy was Brack. Actually, Bristal ogling him was creepy as well and didn't really sit well with me hide spoiler ] Such an interesting character with a long history of dealing with his inner turmoil regarding not only his personality but the situation with Tamarice. Would've really liked if he and Tamarice were fleshed out a little more in terms of backstory. Well, I guess I did remember the review after all, heh. Jul 27, Amy rated it liked it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Bristal is an orphaned servant girl who finds out she has super-speshul powers and that she is a super-rare, super-powerful immortal elicromancer. Elicromancers were wiped off during a war centuries earlier and Bristal is only the 3rd known one still alive apparently they're not all that immortal afterall. Becoming an elicromancer involves being thrown into a lake called the Water that's hidden deep in the forest — if you drown, you're not an elicromancer; if you're worthy, you get spit out wi Bristal is an orphaned servant girl who finds out she has super-speshul powers and that she is a super-rare, super-powerful immortal elicromancer. Becoming an elicromancer involves being thrown into a lake called the Water that's hidden deep in the forest — if you drown, you're not an elicromancer; if you're worthy, you get spit out with a shiny new elicromancer stone that channels or enhances your powers or something…it's not really clear. The pacing in this book is so weird. Not only does Tamarice tell Bristal she's turning dark almost immediately after meeting her but she also tries to lure Bristal to the dark side. Then only 20 percent into the book, Tamarice has a Maleficent moment on Princess Rosamund's name day, curses the princess and vows to destroy the kingdom. Bristal, despite being a brand spanking new elicromancer with little training is given the task of hiding Princess Rosamund away and protecting her until Brack can find Tamarice and destroy her. It's hilarious that immediately after Tamarice curses the princess and destroys half the castle, Brack tells the King "welp, the only thing we can do is take your long-hoped-for infant daughter away, change her name and have a stranger take care of her" and everyone is like "okay sure no problem". So Bristal disguises herself and takes "Rosie" to a peasant village. Then we have a time jump and Rosie is a teenager. Bristal eventually has her mortal??? I found it stupid that Bristal was given the job of protecting Rosie but is away from her more than she's there to protect her. And she puts a human in charge of the princess instead? Also, I never really understood the characters of Drell and her grandmother Kimber. Were they mortal, somewhat magic? It's never explained. Rosie's cousin, Elinor, who was also sent into hiding and is known as the "Lost Duchess" takes on the role of Cinderella in the book. With Bristal as her fairy godmother. Bristal thinks it's important that Elinor marry her betrothed, Prince Charles, who is heir to the throne of one of the kingdoms. I suppose it's better than dragging it out? We wouldn't want suspense or anything. Shortly after, a mysterious boy rides through the forest next to Rosie's hovel and meets the lovely young maiden Rosie and falls immediately in love with her. He tells her he's a peasant boy but while in disguise with the Realm Alliance, Bristal discovers he's the prince of one of the other kingdoms and was betrothed to Rosie on her name day. She just blurts it out without a background check or anything! I was half hoping Prince Nicolas was evil or something and it'd bite her in the butt. Speaking of bad decisions, Brack tells Bristal that Tamarice has set traps to catch the 2 good elicromancers. They normal travel by disapparating materializing and Brack tells her that Tamarice can track her in sort of a no-man's-land so she shouldn't travel by materlializing…so Bristal immediately does travel by that mode of transportation, gets trapped but she's rescued by Brack in less than a page, so what was the point, really? The Curse is eventually enacted and Rosie falls asleep. For like a couple days or weeks, big whoop. Bristal finds out her true parentage and I'm not quite sure how that works since her parents died in the elicromancer war centuries before she was born but whatever. Her father, of course, is the most powerful elicromancer ever so you can see how things are going to turn out. There's a battle, some side characters no one cares about die, Tamarice is easily killed, the Curse is broken…it's pretty anti-climatic. This book reminded me a lot of Uprooted , another highly-praised 'new' fairy tale that I failed to see the hype for. The best thing I can say about this book is that nothing is drawn out…but I'm not sure that the plot moving at break-neck speed is really an improvement. Maybe this is one of those times when a duology would've worked better and the plot and characters could've been fleshed out a bit more and not made so many hasty, reckless decisions. Aug 27, Elisa The-Bookie-Monster added it. Mar 22, Portia rated it really liked it. I really enjoyed this. It was new and I like how there were so many references to other fairytales. May 16, Cassi rated it really liked it Shelves: owned-arcs , debuts. This was an absolutely fantastic read. It was the perfect combination of a fairy tale retelling and a epic fantasy. It was full of magic and adventure. I'm not sure if I would call this a fairy tale retelling but it definitely had aspects of that. It is almost a love letter to the classic fairy tales that we know and love. It rewrites those stories in an interesting way and intertwines them in a complex and c This was an absolutely fantastic read. It rewrites those stories in an interesting way and intertwines them in a complex and compelling way. It's one of those books that feels both familiar and creative at the same time. The fairy tale aspects were not the only thing that felt familiar and creative though. This book also felt like a classic YA fantasy with an epic ending of the world kind of vibe. There was so much action and adventure here that was reminiscent of some of the great epic fantasies. It was a book full of action and adventure. A lot of times you'll see me complain about exposition or a slow plot development, but not here. Here the book slowly built to a thrilling conclusion that had me on the edge of my seat. And yes, sometimes it moved a little too fast with moments just seeming to serve as a springboard for the next step but in general it was a very exciting fantasy read. But it was also a book full of magic with a fantastic and creative magical system. I'm always looking for a unique and different magical system and I feel like I found that here. It was an interesting combination of the two most common systems I see, elemental magic and an object granting someone with inherited powers magic. The elcrin stones were really interesting but that on top of the individual power that the person had made for a cool and interesting kind of magic. But the larger world of this book was also incredibly fascinating. My favorite fantasies are those that have a history and a lore to them. That's exactly what happened in this book. That on top of the political intrigue and threat then actuality of war made for a compelling setting and world for the book to place in. A world that I loved learning about throughout the book. The only thing that didn't super impress me was the characters. They were interesting enough but they didn't really jump off the page for me. I did like Bristal but she didn't have quite the complexity that I was hoping for. However she was someone you wanted to root for because of her selflessly but she felt a little one-dimensional at times. But I will say that I surprisingly didn't hater the romance here. The romantic lead Anthony was likable enough too and the author made me believe it. Which is a surprising feat after ranting about how frustrated I would be if she did fall in love after saying she wasn't equipted for it. But it was a good slowburn and ended up working for me. On the whole, Kingdom of Ash and Briars is a creative and compelling story with a ton of action, adventure, magic, and an interesting world. It perfectly combined fairy tales and epic fantasy to create a story that felt familiar and unique. It's a great modern fairy tale that I think everyone will love. Mar 09, Dorothy rated it really liked it Shelves: sent-to-me. I thought the magic system was created well and the imagery associated with the magic was so vivid. I like how elicromancers can all do some sort of basic magic like materializing and healing, but have an affinity for one specific special power. The allusions made to all the different Disney stories were highly apparent. The romance that went along the Mulan storyline was my absolute favorite! Now I was thrilled with how the plot unraveled, with the battle scenes and surprises that came along. Also, the other romances in this book were very on the spot. May 01, Kara rated it it was ok Shelves: dnf. I liked this book for a while, but I never really loved it. It started out okay, but chapter after chapter went by and it felt like nothing ever happened. It was all exposition and dialogue with no action or tension. I got bored. I can't sit and read a book all the way through anymore unless it's a REALLY intriguing book , so after putting it down and coming back later or the next day, I had forgotten a lot of what I had already read. And with this book that is a problem because there are so ma I liked this book for a while, but I never really loved it. And with this book that is a problem because there are so many kings and queens and princesses and nobles, and all the names ran together and I lost the backstory. This book is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty with some other interesting elements thrown in, but it's just not enough to hold my interest. The reading slump is real, guys. Here we go! Happy birthday, little book! Readers also enjoyed. Young Adult. About Hannah West. Hannah West. She's a freelance writer living in Texas with her husband and their rambunctious rescue dogs. Other books in the series. The Nissera Chronicles 3 books. Books by Hannah West. Escape the Present with These 24 Historical Romances. You know the saying: There's no time like the present In that case, we can't Read more Melina Marchetta. The Long Wait for Tomorrow. Joaquin Dorfman. Pop Princess. Cordelia Jensen. White Cat. Rafael Abalos. The Truths We Hold. Kamala Harris. Jacqueline Woodson. Get Well Soon. Julie Halpern. The Gemma Doyle Trilogy. Cornelia Funke. The Revolution of Ivy. The Stars Never Rise. Rachel Vincent. Dark Water Rising. Patrick Ness. The Theory of Everything. The Here and Now. Ann Brashares. Jessica Cluess. (Book Review) Kingdom of Ash and Briars by Hannah West – Fourth and Sycamore

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I was meant to touch the untouchable, destroy the indestructible. Through a tragic accident, Valory comes to possess a destructive, unruly power and she flees her kingdom. But what she encounters next reveals darker forces at play: a resurrection spell cast by a bitter, lonely prince that awakens a long- dormant evil. As chaos spreads across the realm, Valory meets Mercer Fye, a secretive young man determined to topple the resurrected tyrant. The first page of this book throws the reader directly into the action along with Bristal so we really don't learn anything about her or what's going on. We also learn about the magical aspects and lore of her world as she navigates her story. Although I wasn't able to connect with Bristal very much, I did enjoy her for the most part. The way she was written did make her seem really interesting, but also distant. There were other characters in the story who were important, but equally as difficult to connect with. Instead I'd like to comment on the romance between Rosamund and her prince. Look, I understand that this is supposed to be the Sleeping Beauty part of the story but I honestly wanted to throw up when I read that he loved her and would do anything for her after knowing her for maybe a couple hours. Yes, the Disney version was very instalovey, but come on. This is a retelling. Why can't it be, you know, retold? I have no idea if the Cinderella part of the book was as bad in the romance department because I only saw the very beginning of it. Which brings me to the story. This is marketed as a fairytale retelling and it is certainly a fairytale mashup but I'm not sure if "retelling" is the appropriate word. Usually and maybe I've just happened upon this type of book thus far a retelling uses aspects of a well-known story and makes into something almost entirely new. This is the first time I've seen so many fairytales basically smashed together with a couple details tweaked and they are literally just one after another. Kingdom of Ash and Briars had the potential to be amazing! Bristal's story apart from all of the other fairytales could have been fantastic on its own. I was really interested in everything she had to do to basically try to save the world from a crazy person, but it got really bogged down for me on the way there and I just couldn't keep going. And this is coming from someone who loves fairytale retellings! The magic had the potential to be an amazing aspect of the story but was never quite expanded upon enough to really make sense. I wanted to love this so much and I really hate not enjoying a book, especially when it was given to me for review, but I just couldn't finish this. I tried off and on for nearly a month before just calling it quits and passing it on to another blogger. Luckily for all of you, I seem to be in the minority on this one! Retellings remain my favorite thing to read. Unfortunately, this just wasn't the one for me. View all 4 comments. Aug 07, Brianna Silva rated it it was ok. DNFing this almost pages in. Also, this is a magic-centered story, and I tend not to care for those. But that's my fault for not reading the synopsis more closely. I skimmed through the rest of the book to see how the story plays out I have no regrets for DNFing this almost pages in. I have no regrets for putting this one down. But, maybe you'll like this book?? If you love fairy tale retellings and magic stories, and you're okay with underdeveloped characters?? Just not for me. Jul 07, Katie Grace rated it did not like it Shelves: fantasy , 1-star , skimmed-skipped. I tried, but Feb 29, Ambur rated it it was amazing. And you know what? It completely lived up to that excitement and totally blew past all of my expectations! It was amazing!!! I absolutely loved Bristal! She was such a wonderful main character, and it was a pleasure to get to see what was going on inside of her head. The story itself was magical, and just all-around wonderful! And all of the characters were freaking amazing Add in all of the fairytale elements from Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Hua Mulan plus elements of Jane Austen's Emma, and this story was amazing on every level! It made me laugh, giggle, growl in frustration, cry, and it made me feel immense elation I wholeheartedly recommend this one to everyone!!! Full review to come!! Apr 22, Christa rated it it was amazing Shelves: library-book , , retelling , favorites , ya , fantasy , cover-lust , royalty. Loved it. The plot was compelling and the characters intriguing and mostly well drawn out - would definitely recommend this to people looking for fast paced fantasy or fairytale retellings! The story is simple enough in theory: Bristal, an orphaned kitchen maid, finds out she has shape shifting powers. She also comes to realize that these powers mean she could become an elicromancer, "gifted beings that are destined to guide the kingdoms of men to prosperity and peace, to come to their aid when disaster or war threatens. Ultimately, it becomes Bristal's responsibility to, well, you know, save the world. Betrayal, heartbreak, death, secret identities, magic, love, disguises, shape-shifting It's all plotted together incredibly well, and I love how the fairy tales merged and split and the moments that they became familiar to you like when Bristal hid away with Rosie in the forest, scenes that were all very reminiscent of the Sleeping Beauty film. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in this book, and felt a kinship to Bristal throughout. I loved her relationships with the other characters in the story, and even though I've talked to a few people who didn't really ship the thing, I totally shipped the thing. It's definitely slow burn, but beyond worth it. Just to put it out there, in some ways I was kind of reminded of another fantasy book, Fire by Kristin Cashore. Bristal's relationships with the two girls the matchmaker to Cinderella's Fairy Godmother, and the guardian to Sleeping Beauty's fairies were especially fun to read, and I loved watching those plotlines come together. Find this and other reviews at Bring My Books! May 22, Octavia rated it really liked it Shelves: or-earlier-release. I am thoroughly impressed with this one! And above all, it was a retelling that didn't read like a traditional retelling and that is something I can get behind! Full review to come soon!! So finally I ended up picking it up a couple of weeks ago. But is it bad to want to use your power to bring clean orde to the world? The beginning of the book was so intriguing that made me very excited to see what things were going to happen next. I think the characters were really well done, and their development throughout the book was done quite well in my opinion. I loved the magic system, and even though at the beginning I was a bit confused with some things that were happening, I ended up loving how magic worked in that world and the information provided as I kept reading the story. However something I would have loved to see more was the retelling parts of that novel. The ending was a bit convinient and unrealistic. Some things that happened towards the end were really convinient, and they felt a bit odd to me. Overall, I think this was a nice and solid read, even though I had a few issues with somethings that happened in the story. Nov 09, Anna rated it liked it Shelves: the-ones-i-own , of-coverly-love , lone-wolves , fantastic-fantasies. It was neat. A well thought out book coming to a tidy conclusion with no strings left flapping around. It was creative in how she weaved Bristal into different fairy tales, making a mark on many other people's lives, while the story of Bristal's life was wholly her own. It's strange in my experience anyway, to find a fantasy book that is so short and not in a series, but I think in this case it was a good idea to keep it to one book. It showed that West's eyes were 3. It showed that West's eyes weren't bigger than her stomach, and she knew that she only had so much story to tell. Instead of dragging that out between two or three books with endless chapters of filler, she kept it succinct, and therefore it was well paced and interesting the whole way through. My only qualm with this though, was that I would have actually liked a bit more time in the world she made, and a lot more time with the characters. The romance's were true to their fairy tale origins, happening over night save Bristal's herself Drell, for example, had my love and attention from the beginning, and I feel like she wasn't allowed to grow to what she could have been as a character and friend. I love a tale of a girl coming to power and changing lives, and I really wish that there could have been more on how she individually helped shape those around her. Other than that it was a heart warming story that had me hooked from the start, eager to read more, holding my breath and ultimately feeling very satisfied. And that cover. I am a huge fan of retellings. I mean.. Look at the cover! My take on Kingdom of Ash and Briars is a bit complicated. I mean, the book was fast pacing, we got a strong female lead and I loved the writing style. But yet after finishing, I am not satisfied. It just feels incomplete.. I just liked this book, when it had the full potential of b I am a huge fan of retellings. I just liked this book, when it had the full potential of being loved! I think the place it got a little lacking is the re-telling factor. The book is not a single story retelling, we have got Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and bit of Mulan flavor in it. Part of me wished for a simple Sleeping Beauty retelling that part was really enjoyable , and part of me wished for a more developed relationship story of Bristal-Anthony and Bristal-Rosie. I think that would have made it easier to feel more connected with Bristal?! I mean we get to know that she cares about Anthony and Rosie, but the relationship between them somehow came as very two-dimensional. SO, My overall rating for this book is 3. May 02, Sadie Hartmann Mother Horror rated it really liked it. I won this advanced reading copy from a website hosting a YA book giveaway. Very exciting! It took me awhile to finish due to May being the craziest month ever for me. This book is told in Acts. Strong world building, jumped right into the action, likable protagonist, interesting magic system. Act 2 was not as good in comparison. The author introduced two storylines that were based on Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. I didn't I won this advanced reading copy from a website hosting a YA book giveaway. I didn't like that. I felt like the author did a wonderful job drawing me into a very unique and expertly told story of her own and then this reimagining of old fairytales was inserted into it. It felt very jarring. The third act was the climax into the ending. This act was very strong as well with the story moving at a quickened pace and character storylines coming to a close. I gave this book 4 strong, bright stars. I loved so much about it. I just left one star off for the middle of the book being a little weak and for the fairytale stuff. I recommend this book! Aug 04, Whitley Birks marked it as dnf. I'm just really not feeling this book. Mostly because of the villain. She's so hammy, and any attempts to make her 'grey' or give reason for her villitude are just clunky at best. Plus, carrying on about her amazing sexy looks while she's villaining is just The fantasy aspects and plot are nothing to write home about, and Bristal sacrifices having a personality for being an observer, so there's just really nothing holding me in this book. Rating: 3. The set up was a bit contrived and I was strongly against it, so much so that I wanted to DNF, but the temptation of the romance was too much and I'm really glad I stuck with it because the writing and story became smoother as the author settled into the fairy tales. I am happy for the most part regarding t Rating: 3. I am happy for the most part regarding the ending except how Charles was handled view spoiler [ I think it would've been better for him to die in the second book, for Elinor's sake if nothing else hide spoiler ] Another character I feel was misused and many times was straight up creepy was Brack. Actually, Bristal ogling him was creepy as well and didn't really sit well with me hide spoiler ] Such an interesting character with a long history of dealing with his inner turmoil regarding not only his personality but the situation with Tamarice. Would've really liked if he and Tamarice were fleshed out a little more in terms of backstory. Well, I guess I did remember the review after all, heh. Jul 27, Amy rated it liked it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Kingdom of Ash and Briars by Hannah West

Return to the land of Nissera, home to spectacular magic. An uneasy peace reigns now that Valory has vanquished the Moth King and settled into her rightful place as queen of Calgoran. New leaders Glisette and Kadri hope to usher the neighboring kingdoms into an era of healing and prosperity. All should be well. Driven by vanity, she vows to become the most powerful and beautiful ruler in the world, even if it means oppressing the mortal kingdom she is meant to protect. Meanwhile a dangerous uprising led by elicromancer-hating rebels gains momentum. Rot spreads through the Forest of the West Fringe. Valory goes missing. Facing enemies on all sides, Glisette and Kadri must reckon with the role of magic. To save the kingdoms, Bristal must find the courage to show her true form. Across the land, the powerful sorceresses Bristal and Tamarice are marshalling their armies, readying for a climactic battle to decide the fate of their world. But in a hay-filled barn far off in the countryside, a small group of spies led by a courageous young warrior named Drell is about to launch an offensive in order to root out the identity of a shadowy alchemist. If they fail, the sorceress will come into possession of a weapon that could turn the tide of the war against them. In Fields of Fire, we see another facet of that war—fought by ordinary women and men as well as powerful Elicromancers—setting the stage for Realm of Ruins… in which the peaceful future Drell and Bristal fought for so fiercely is threatened by a powerful enemy from the distant past. But can she channel it to crush a cunning enemy and save the realm from chaos? Welcome to Nissera, land of three kingdoms and home to spectacular magic. A century after her legendary ancestors overcame a bloodthirsty tyrant, seventeen-year-old Valory Braiosa attends a training academy for elicromancers, immortal beings with magical gifts. When you buy a book, we donate a book. Sign in. Sep 11, ISBN Add to Cart. Also available from:. Aug 30, ISBN Sep 15, ISBN Available from:. Paperback —. Add to Cart Add to Cart. Also in The Nissera Chronicles. Also by Hannah West. Product Details. Inspired by Your Browsing History. Red Glass. Marie Rutkoski. Joseph Elliott. Gamer Girl. Mari Mancusi. The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. Diana Wynne Jones. We Regret to Inform You. Ariel Kaplan.

Kingdom of Ash and Briars (The Nissera.. | Book Hunter | VK

I have a feeling that I'm going to be in the minority on this book but this book was so boring. A loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty with shades of Mulan. Without the diversity of Mulan all characters read as white. Tells the tale of Bristol an orphaned kitchen maid who discovers that she is actually one of the last of a breed of ancient magical immortal beings kn Welp! Tells the tale of Bristol an orphaned kitchen maid who discovers that she is actually one of the last of a breed of ancient magical immortal beings knows as Elicromancers. Who through centuries of battle with humans have been winnowed down to three including Bristol. The remaining two train Bristol to use her gifts with include the ability to transform herself into any human or animal form. You know where this is going one of her trusted teachers betrays her, she must decide what side she's truly on, love interests, secret identities, and of course the final battle etc.. Maybe I woke up in a bad mood but I just don't care about this book at all. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters and I just found this book to be very slow moving. Like I said I'll probably be in the minority with my opinion of this book but I didn't like it.. At all. View all 9 comments. Nov 16, Giselle rated it really liked it Shelves: age-young-adult , genre- fantasy , genre-romance , requested-for-review , genre-romance-slow-burn , 4-star , from-publishers , , arc-physical , genre-action-adventure. An Advance Reader Copy was provided by the publisher for review. Quotes pulled from the ARC may be incorrect and may be subject to change. I wasn't expecting such a fun and adventurous read! And even though there are echoes of Sleeping Beauty , Mulan , Emma and Cinderella , the story is still strong on its own. Loved the magical bits a lot and the slow burn romance was just too cute. The writing is vivid and engaging! Right from the start I was invested in it. And I knew I was going to like it. The world building was pretty great because we get to see some of their history being told as well. I loved how we get to see the villain's slow decay into enemy territory. I also like how each character held promise. They all weren't the typical one-dimensional characters we see in the retellings. Hannah West, the author made sure the characters stood on their own and each one had echoes of their fairytale characters, making them whimsical or kind or generous like we know and love them to be. I loved pretty much all the characters, but I especially love how devoted Bristal was to protecting a country that she holds dear to her heart. Even though her past was wholly blank, I wasn't the least bit curious as to how she came to be an orphan until well the end where all was revealed. There are a lot of characters to learn, but they're always mentioned so you can remember who was who. There was also a handy chart so you can look at that as well. I also loved matching the different scenes to the other stories, pointing out in my head, the similarities and such. Can I also mention how gorgeous the inside of the book is? At the beginning of each character there is a tree and it looks lovely every time you start a new chapter. I do feel that the cover felt a bitter much like a middle grade read instead of YA, but that's just me. I still love the cover though. It reflects the magical style of the story very well. The Kingdom of Ash and Briars will have you wanting to flex your own elicromancer skills! This is a lush and riveting read for any fairytale fantasy adventure reader. I must get myself a finished copy soon! But is it bad to want to use your power to bring clean order to the world? Jun 21, C. I loved this book so much! Flawless world building, fascinating characters, an epic story, a swoony romance, and such a clever homage to several fairy tales. View 1 comment. Jul 14, Miranda Reads rated it it was ok Shelves: audiobook. History might be whittled down until all that remains are shining fables of fairy magic and curse-defying kisses. This is the story of a kitchen maid, Bristal, and how she became the most important woman in all the kingdom. Bristal finds out that she is an elicromancer - and that with that magic comes the ability to shapeshift, a responsibility to the kingdom and a healthy amount of danger. Bristal must find a way to stop her before she loses everything. But the thought of death made me coldest of all. So this was an okay twist on the typical fairytale. She was Sleeping Beauty's guardian, she was Cinderella's fairy godmother, there's evil and magic throughout It felt like we ran through the various fairytales - checking them off the list before leaping to the next one. The character development felt rushed to me I really wanted to love this one but in the end, it just felt like too much too fast. View 2 comments. Jan 24, Kerri rated it it was amazing Shelves: ya , debut , , young-adult , ya-fantasy , ya-debut. I could not flip the pages fast enough and cannot wait to see what new adventure Hannah West has in store for us next! Perfect for fans of fantasy, adventure, fairytales, strong female leads, and swoon-worthy romance. Aug 26, Arielle rated it liked it Shelves: forests-ngahere-trees , faerytales , fantasy-traditional , gorgeous-covers. Despite the gorgeous cover, promising beauties to come, once the cover was opened and pages were turned this whole book felt As though the author had neatly laid out a plot and was determined to get from point A to point C at any cost, major events rushed up in a blur and years were lost in the span of a single page. The heroine whose name I have already forgotten gains and masters her powers in the blink of an eye; the enemy is found and made over the same speck of time. We are told Despite the gorgeous cover, promising beauties to come, once the cover was opened and pages were turned this whole book felt We are told that she that name-forgotten main character falls in love with barely a moment to see it happen; we are told she has a deep and important relationship with the lost princess one of two, at least without ever really seeing it; her "search" for the other lost royalty is over before it begins and i still cannot fathom why it was important in the first place. Tales need room to breathe, and this should have had plenty: the hardcover is pages of generous font and illustrated chapter-headings. Not bad , exactly, but too much of a whirlwind to relate to. Apr 13, Gray Cox added it. Hmmm, I don't know if I should give this three or four stars May 16, Eileen BookCatPin rated it really liked it. Kingdom of Ash and Briars is a must-read for fantasy fans. It is officially one of my favourite reads! The book meticulously blends fairy tales together while maintaining complete originality. What an imaginative story! The world in Kingdom of Ash and Briars is intricate with legends and foretelling but also simple and easy to catch onto. I was surprised by the drawn-out timeline but it made perfect sense. This book had bits of various fairy tales mixed into new material. West beautifull Kingdom of Ash and Briars is a must-read for fantasy fans. West beautifully weaves each element together to craft a compelling new story. So creative! I loved the moments where I was able to figure out which twist belonged to which fairy tale. I loved seeing how each was incorporated into the overall story- so refreshing and delightful because the parts came together so well. The kingdoms lived mostly in peace until evil re surfaced and threatened destruction. The darkness lurking just behind the scene heightened the sense of foreboding in the story. I dreaded but needed to see what came next. Every move and decision the characters made impacted their chance of survival. The battle between humans and monsters good vs. While I loved it, it was no less miserable to witness. Oh the sacrifices As one of the few three to be exact elicromancers left in the world, she pledged herself to protecting the kingdoms. She played each of her roles admirably. I was very sad for her when the heavy chip on her shoulder jeopardized her chance at happiness. To find it but not be able to act on it. Pure torture for me. If anyone deserved to be happy, it was Bristal. There are quite a number of characters in Kingdom of Ash and Briars and I loved each one of them. Each played a vital role in bringing out the story. Their relationships were even more crucial to tying in the twists. With courage, danger, passion at every turn, Kingdom of Ash and Briars is one exquisite read. The creative story and brilliantly-executed fairy tale twists made Kingdom of Ash and Briars an unforgettable read. May 17, Tracy Cornerfolds added it Shelves: romance , fantasy , ya , retellings , dnf , read Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds. I participate in a retelling challenge every year and actively seek them out because they're usually amazing. With such an amazing lineup of tales, I expected nothing short of greatness! Kingdom of Ash and Briars is about Bristal, a kitchen maid who is literally dragged to her magical fate as an elicromancer. The first page of this book throws the reader directly into the action along with Bristal so we really don't learn anything about her or what's going on. We also learn about the magical aspects and lore of her world as she navigates her story. Although I wasn't able to connect with Bristal very much, I did enjoy her for the most part. The way she was written did make her seem really interesting, but also distant. There were other characters in the story who were important, but equally as difficult to connect with. Instead I'd like to comment on the romance between Rosamund and her prince. Look, I understand that this is supposed to be the Sleeping Beauty part of the story but I honestly wanted to throw up when I read that he loved her and would do anything for her after knowing her for maybe a couple hours. Yes, the Disney version was very instalovey, but come on. This is a retelling. Why can't it be, you know, retold? I have no idea if the Cinderella part of the book was as bad in the romance department because I only saw the very beginning of it. Which brings me to the story. This is marketed as a fairytale retelling and it is certainly a fairytale mashup but I'm not sure if "retelling" is the appropriate word. Usually and maybe I've just happened upon this type of book thus far a retelling uses aspects of a well-known story and makes into something almost entirely new. This is the first time I've seen so many fairytales basically smashed together with a couple details tweaked and they are literally just one after another. Kingdom of Ash and Briars had the potential to be amazing! Bristal's story apart from all of the other fairytales could have been fantastic on its own. I was really interested in everything she had to do to basically try to save the world from a crazy person, but it got really bogged down for me on the way there and I just couldn't keep going. And this is coming from someone who loves fairytale retellings! The magic had the potential to be an amazing aspect of the story but was never quite expanded upon enough to really make sense. I wanted to love this so much and I really hate not enjoying a book, especially when it was given to me for review, but I just couldn't finish this. I tried off and on for nearly a month before just calling it quits and passing it on to another blogger. Luckily for all of you, I seem to be in the minority on this one! Retellings remain my favorite thing to read. Unfortunately, this just wasn't the one for me. View all 4 comments. Aug 07, Brianna Silva rated it it was ok. DNFing this almost pages in. Also, this is a magic-centered story, and I tend not to care for those. But that's my fault for not reading the synopsis more closely. I skimmed through the rest of the book to see how the story plays out I have no regrets for DNFing this almost pages in. I have no regrets for putting this one down. But, maybe you'll like this book?? If you love fairy tale retellings and magic stories, and you're okay with underdeveloped characters?? Just not for me. Jul 07, Katie Grace rated it did not like it Shelves: fantasy , 1-star , skimmed-skipped. I tried, but Feb 29, Ambur rated it it was amazing. And you know what? It completely lived up to that excitement and totally blew past all of my expectations! It was amazing!!! I absolutely loved Bristal! She was such a wonderful main character, and it was a pleasure to get to see what was going on inside of her head. The story itself was magical, and just all-around wonderful! And all of the characters were freaking amazing Add in all of the fairytale elements from Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Hua Mulan plus elements of Jane Austen's Emma, and this story was amazing on every level! It made me laugh, giggle, growl in frustration, cry, and it made me feel immense elation I wholeheartedly recommend this one to everyone!!! Full review to come!! Apr 22, Christa rated it it was amazing Shelves: library-book , , retelling , favorites , ya , fantasy , cover-lust , royalty. Loved it. The plot was compelling and the characters intriguing and mostly well drawn out - would definitely recommend this to people looking for fast paced fantasy or fairytale retellings! The story is simple enough in theory: Bristal, an orphaned kitchen maid, finds out she has shape shifting powers. She also comes to realize that these powers mean she could become an elicromancer, "gifted beings that are destined to guide the kingdoms of men to prosperity and peace, to come to their aid when disaster or war threatens. Ultimately, it becomes Bristal's responsibility to, well, you know, save the world. Betrayal, heartbreak, death, secret identities, magic, love, disguises, shape-shifting It's all plotted together incredibly well, and I love how the fairy tales merged and split and the moments that they became familiar to you like when Bristal hid away with Rosie in the forest, scenes that were all very reminiscent of the Sleeping Beauty film. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in this book, and felt a kinship to Bristal throughout. I loved her relationships with the other characters in the story, and even though I've talked to a few people who didn't really ship the thing, I totally shipped the thing. It's definitely slow burn, but beyond worth it. Just to put it out there, in some ways I was kind of reminded of another fantasy book, Fire by Kristin Cashore. Bristal's relationships with the two girls the matchmaker to Cinderella's Fairy Godmother, and the guardian to Sleeping Beauty's fairies were especially fun to read, and I loved watching those plotlines come together. Find this and other reviews at Bring My Books! May 22, Octavia rated it really liked it Shelves: or-earlier-release. I am thoroughly impressed with this one! And above all, it was a retelling that didn't read like a traditional retelling and that is something I can get behind! Full review to come soon!! So finally I ended up picking it up a couple of weeks ago. But is it bad to want to use your power to bring clean orde to the world? The beginning of the book was so intriguing that made me very excited to see what things were going to happen next. I think the characters were really well done, and their development throughout the book was done quite well in my opinion. I loved the magic system, and even though at the beginning I was a bit confused with some things that were happening, I ended up loving how magic worked in that world and the information provided as I kept reading the story. However something I would have loved to see more was the retelling parts of that novel. The ending was a bit convinient and unrealistic. Some things that happened towards the end were really convinient, and they felt a bit odd to me. Overall, I think this was a nice and solid read, even though I had a few issues with somethings that happened in the story. Nov 09, Anna rated it liked it Shelves: the-ones-i-own , of-coverly-love , lone-wolves , fantastic-fantasies. It was neat. A well thought out book coming to a tidy conclusion with no strings left flapping around. It was creative in how she weaved Bristal into different fairy tales, making a mark on many other people's lives, while the story of Bristal's life was wholly her own. It's strange in my experience anyway, to find a fantasy book that is so short and not in a series, but I think in this case it was a good idea to keep it to one book. It showed that West's eyes were 3. It showed that West's eyes weren't bigger than her stomach, and she knew that she only had so much story to tell. Instead of dragging that out between two or three books with endless chapters of filler, she kept it succinct, and therefore it was well paced and interesting the whole way through. My only qualm with this though, was that I would have actually liked a bit more time in the world she made, and a lot more time with the characters. The romance's were true to their fairy tale origins, happening over night save Bristal's herself Drell, for example, had my love and attention from the beginning, and I feel like she wasn't allowed to grow to what she could have been as a character and friend. I love a tale of a girl coming to power and changing lives, and I really wish that there could have been more on how she individually helped shape those around her. Other than that it was a heart warming story that had me hooked from the start, eager to read more, holding my breath and ultimately feeling very satisfied. And that cover. I am a huge fan of retellings. I mean.. Look at the cover! My take on Kingdom of Ash and Briars is a bit complicated. I mean, the book was fast pacing, we got a strong female lead and I loved the writing style. But yet after finishing, I am not satisfied. It just feels incomplete.. I just liked this book, when it had the full potential of b I am a huge fan of retellings. I just liked this book, when it had the full potential of being loved! I think the place it got a little lacking is the re-telling factor. The book is not a single story retelling, we have got Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and bit of Mulan flavor in it. Part of me wished for a simple Sleeping Beauty retelling that part was really enjoyable , and part of me wished for a more developed relationship story of Bristal-Anthony and Bristal-Rosie. I think that would have made it easier to feel more connected with Bristal?! Sep 11, ISBN Add to Cart. Also available from:. Aug 30, ISBN Sep 15, ISBN Available from:. Paperback —. Add to Cart Add to Cart. Also in The Nissera Chronicles. Also by Hannah West. Product Details. Inspired by Your Browsing History. Red Glass. Marie Rutkoski. Joseph Elliott. Gamer Girl. Mari Mancusi. The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. Diana Wynne Jones. We Regret to Inform You. Ariel Kaplan. Witch Child. Fire Bringer. David Clement-Davies. Francisco Stork. The Greats. Deborah Ellis. Time Travel for Love and Profit. Sarah Lariviere. The Light of the Oracle. Victoria Hanley. Quintana of Charyn. Melina Marchetta. The Long Wait for Tomorrow. Joaquin Dorfman.

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