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clkipp103's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
storyphile's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Body horror, Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, and Death
Moderate: Suicide, Homophobia, Drug use, and Drug abuse
km_reads_and_edits's review
5.0
Wow. This was brilliant. The way the author weaved in horror/fantasy elements with the main character's struggles with grief and trauma was unlike anything I have ever read before.
It took me a few chapters to get into the first-person, present tense writing style - as well as the strangeness of the Hollow Forest world - but once I did, I could not put this book down!
Highly, highly recommend! I'm looking forward to reading what Iona writes next.
It took me a few chapters to get into the first-person, present tense writing style - as well as the strangeness of the Hollow Forest world - but once I did, I could not put this book down!
Highly, highly recommend! I'm looking forward to reading what Iona writes next.
thecommonplace's review
5.0
CW: This book contains references to rape, suicide, drug use, overdose, homophobia
Ashes is a modern adult fairy tale that explores grief and trauma in a beautiful and heart breaking way. The subject matter is handled with respect and at no point felt exploitative in a way many books dealing with the same themes seem to be.
The world of the Hollow Forest is both horrifying and enchanting and the book throws you into it immediately. Wayland does an amazing job of weaving the present and the past together and allows you to slowly discover what is happening as we come to care more and more about Angela and her struggles.
I'm only sad that this is the author's first book and I don't have a bibliography to dig into!
Ashes is a modern adult fairy tale that explores grief and trauma in a beautiful and heart breaking way. The subject matter is handled with respect and at no point felt exploitative in a way many books dealing with the same themes seem to be.
The world of the Hollow Forest is both horrifying and enchanting and the book throws you into it immediately. Wayland does an amazing job of weaving the present and the past together and allows you to slowly discover what is happening as we come to care more and more about Angela and her struggles.
I'm only sad that this is the author's first book and I don't have a bibliography to dig into!
sabrinav625's review
4.0
My favourite part of this book is that the weaving of the fantasy present and Angela's haunting past was so well done. It was so fluid and while both sides of the story were interesting, I found the past absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful. There is a richness in the writing, and yet it remains simple and easy to read.
Angela was a likeable character, and seeing what she went through and everything she tried to do to keep her head above the water, it was very well done.
I enjoyed the fantasy element of it, and how it felt like a big metaphor for grief and dealing with unresolved trauma.
I never really *lost* myself in the book, though, as a few elements of it left me struggling to visualize it. Other than that, though, this was a well established book I think a lot of people will be able to get something out of - particularly those who may have something from their past that perhaps they need to face.
Angela was a likeable character, and seeing what she went through and everything she tried to do to keep her head above the water, it was very well done.
I enjoyed the fantasy element of it, and how it felt like a big metaphor for grief and dealing with unresolved trauma.
I never really *lost* myself in the book, though, as a few elements of it left me struggling to visualize it. Other than that, though, this was a well established book I think a lot of people will be able to get something out of - particularly those who may have something from their past that perhaps they need to face.
wanderonwards's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Ashes is a dark, emotional journey dealing with trauma and grief set against the backdrop of a magical and fantastical forest with horror elements. It’s compulsively readable: the story immediately grabbed my attention and I ended up finishing it in one day. Even though this story handles heavy subjects, it does so in an informed and compassionate way. Parts of the story were on the edge of too graphic for my tastes, but overall this is a stunning debut and I look forward to watching this author’s career progress.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Blood and Homophobia
maisierosereads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
I won an eARC of Ashes from the author in a giveaway - thank you Iona! All views here are my own.
Content warnings: drug use, addiction, overdose, suicide, assault, rape (including a graphic flashback), graphic violence, homophobia, consensual sexual situations, grief, attempted murder
I sat down today thinking that I would start to read Ashes, not realising that I would also finish reading it today. Once I started reading I had to continue, capitvated by the writing and desperate to see where Angela's journey through grief and trauma would end.
Ashes is beautiful and horrific all at once. The author's perspective as a trauma-informed mental health professional showed in how compassionately she depicted such difficult experiences and ways in which the trauma from such experiences can present. The realities of serious traumas are mixed with dark fantasy in a way which enhances rather than detracts from these issues.
The flaws of all characters are very much on show through this story, but many of these flaws are addressed and the character development is handled really well. I would say that the cast of characters is diverse.
The worldbuilding is also excellent, as is the way the writer mixes the main character's present timeline with flashbacks and memories to gradually build the reader's understanding of what has happened.
I won't risk spoiling this story for anybody by going into detail but I felt satisfied with the ending and I'm very glad I read this book!
Recommended for:
Fans of dark fantasy & horror
Fans of the movie Annihilation
People who like their horror to be written from a trauma-informed perspective
Fans of magical realism
People who like diversity across a book's cast of characters
People looking for latinx characters written by latinx authors
Content warnings: drug use, addiction, overdose, suicide, assault, rape (including a graphic flashback), graphic violence, homophobia, consensual sexual situations, grief, attempted murder
I sat down today thinking that I would start to read Ashes, not realising that I would also finish reading it today. Once I started reading I had to continue, capitvated by the writing and desperate to see where Angela's journey through grief and trauma would end.
Ashes is beautiful and horrific all at once. The author's perspective as a trauma-informed mental health professional showed in how compassionately she depicted such difficult experiences and ways in which the trauma from such experiences can present. The realities of serious traumas are mixed with dark fantasy in a way which enhances rather than detracts from these issues.
The flaws of all characters are very much on show through this story, but many of these flaws are addressed and the character development is handled really well. I would say that the cast of characters is diverse.
The worldbuilding is also excellent, as is the way the writer mixes the main character's present timeline with flashbacks and memories to gradually build the reader's understanding of what has happened.
I won't risk spoiling this story for anybody by going into detail but I felt satisfied with the ending and I'm very glad I read this book!
Recommended for:
Fans of dark fantasy & horror
Fans of the movie Annihilation
People who like their horror to be written from a trauma-informed perspective
Fans of magical realism
People who like diversity across a book's cast of characters
People looking for latinx characters written by latinx authors
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Sexual violence, Suicide, Chronic illness, Vomit, Violence, Blood, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Homophobia and Body horror
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