Reviews

Ashling by Isobelle Carmody

dessa's review

3.0

Nostalgia? Check check check. But unfortunately those rose-coloured glasses can’t cover everything. We’ve got ourselves some stilted language, over-idealized characters, some VERY awkward language surrounding “gypsies” and “half-breeds” that does NOT hold up, and a typical YA romance marred by misunderstandings and bullheadedness. All the same, I remain enamoured with the parts of Carmody’s world-building that really work, and her skill tree of mind powers remains helplessly intriguing and entertaining.

charlmax's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

stuhlsem's review

4.0

While Ashling was slow to start, by the time I was halfway through, I had a hard time putting it down for even such important things as showers (luckily I can brush my teeth while reading).

jo_and_aro's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

winterscomin's review against another edition

2.0

Blazed through the last 100 pages, but honestly before about 400-ish, I was extremely bored during this one. The storyline that I thought was only going to last maybe half the book was actually more like 85% of the book, and it was just not entertaining, plus all the 'twists' were quite predictable.
Thankfully the last 15% had something of the overarching story to it, so it seems I will continue the series, and hopefully the writing will grow over the rest of the books as well.

roxyc's review

adventurous emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

4.5

jessie_f_s's review

adventurous hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.0

tay_paige's review

4.0

This series is a challenge to keep on reading in my opinion, but after you pass the second book in the series, i feel like you no longer have to force yourself to keep reading.
The characters (Ruston and Elspeth) are adictive to follow!

kateyjay's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

4.5

gattolinos_nerdy_nook's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

4.5

I am really enjoying listening to this series so far. The plot and characters are slowly becoming more mature and complex with each book as time passes. This series keeps you hooked from book to book and has you invested in Elspeth and her journey. I can easily see this series being binged by many readers.

I really hope that more people get a chance to read this series. As one of the earlier works in the modern classification of YA fantasy, it is fascinating to see what has and has not changed in the genre over the years. This series especially as it spans a couple of decades.

If you want something YA but different from what is currently on the market I recommend looking into this series.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Death

Minor: Torture