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baldwinme40's review against another edition
4.0
this was weird and spooky and I liked it! Civil War era aesthetic in a post-apocalyptic America setting with a touch of Stranger Things. there's a war, but it's not about the war, it's about the people it touches and how people become legends and then become humans again. my favorite thing was that Hallie did not feel like the average YA Female Lead to me. she really had her own struggle to overcome and wasn't perfect and has to learn to let people in (her friends and family and neighbors not just her S.O.) and rely on them. and there is NO LOVE TRIANGLE!! I'm only detracting one star for predictable plot twists but I got really into this book and loved it.
marieintheraw's review against another edition
4.0
Dystopians normally are a turn away for me, but I really enjoyed this one. There was no love triangle and the fantasy element was fantastic. This is a standalone on top of that. It's rather enjoyable.
I received an e-copy of this through Net-Galley for an honest review.
I received an e-copy of this through Net-Galley for an honest review.
ambeesbookishpages's review against another edition
I may give it another shot before publication date. But for now I have no interest anymore.
cimorene1558's review against another edition
4.0
On the whole, I really enjoyed this book. It's compelling, interesting, and pretty well-written. Two quibbles, however:
1. The Evil God Southward. This is not a good name for a bad guy. It's not cool, it's not evil, it's not snappy. Kudos for not inventing a lame evil bad-guy-name in an invented language, but still.
2. The ending: yes, I know, I complain about unhappy endings, but in what's basically a dystopian YA novel in which the world is being rent apart, is a happy ending with everything neatly tied up and everyone fine and happy realistic? No.
1. The Evil God Southward. This is not a good name for a bad guy. It's not cool, it's not evil, it's not snappy. Kudos for not inventing a lame evil bad-guy-name in an invented language, but still.
2. The ending: yes, I know, I complain about unhappy endings, but in what's basically a dystopian YA novel in which the world is being rent apart, is a happy ending with everything neatly tied up and everyone fine and happy realistic? No.
brandypainter's review against another edition
4.0
This is an excellent fantasy that takes a look at the aftermath and impact war. It is after the great heroic battle with evil is fought and men are coming back from the front (or not). Victory is never as easy as just winning. Bobet uses fantasy elements and excellent characterization to show how war can haunt those who fought it and those left behind. At its core it is a story about growing up, family, and community. I highly recommend it.
literaryanna's review against another edition
4.0
Much better than her first! I really enjoyed it :)
thepaperreels's review against another edition
WHAT WHO IS THIS WHAT WHY HUH BUT WHEN WHAT WAIT WHAT HOW WHO WHAT IS HAPPENING??????
That's just me the whole time.
That's just me the whole time.
bluebeereads's review against another edition
Ouch, two in a row that aren't for me. That kinda sucks. Like the previous one, this one is just simply not for me.
judascomplex's review against another edition
5.0
I received an ARC for this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
If absolutely nothing else, the initial blurb of this book is enough to make me grab it off the shelf. Dark things happening! There was a war! Ugly truths! Risks being taken and secrets being kept! Woo! What more could a reader ask for?!
This book is what.
Let me be honest with you. The plot for this book is not surprising. Many of the twists I saw coming, and it all wraps up the way one might expect. But this is what pushed it from a 4-star review to a 5-star.
The characters.
Hallie and Marthe are a brilliant duo of sisters, desperately trying not to live down to the reputation of their family, and failing every step of the way. They are younger women trying to hold down a farm by themselves, trying to prove they are worth the farm, trying to prove they are worth themselves. They each have their father's temper in spades, though it comes out in different ways, and they haven't quite figured out how to talk to each other as something approximating adults yet.
The farms around them, their friends and supports, are well-rounded without being overpowering. The romance arc that grows with Hallie feels natural and exactly as awkward as it should, there's a natural diversity represented without it ever being Presented As Diversity (in fact, it took me several mentions to realize what I was reading), and they're never treated as one-note "just here for the sake of being here" characters.
And then there's Heron.
In any book, when a quiet stranger is introduced at the beginning and clearly set up to be Not Important, you know they're the ones to watch. Heron is absolutely no different. I can't quite put a finger on what it was about this character that so completely trapped me, but every time he was around, my eyes were on him. There was such a sense of being genuine, such a quiet strength, a silent sense of honor...I don't know. But Heron was an amazing character and I loved every minute of him. He was real, and he was complex, and he was wonderful. I wish I had better words to tell you why.
Character is one of the most important pieces of a story for me. It's one of the pieces I will always focus the most on. Leah Bobet has absolutely nailed the art of subtle and real characters, and for that alone, this book is well worth the read.
Rating: ***** - Highest Recommendation
AN INHERITANCE OF ASHES hits shelves October 4th, 2015.
If absolutely nothing else, the initial blurb of this book is enough to make me grab it off the shelf. Dark things happening! There was a war! Ugly truths! Risks being taken and secrets being kept! Woo! What more could a reader ask for?!
This book is what.
Let me be honest with you. The plot for this book is not surprising. Many of the twists I saw coming, and it all wraps up the way one might expect. But this is what pushed it from a 4-star review to a 5-star.
The characters.
Hallie and Marthe are a brilliant duo of sisters, desperately trying not to live down to the reputation of their family, and failing every step of the way. They are younger women trying to hold down a farm by themselves, trying to prove they are worth the farm, trying to prove they are worth themselves. They each have their father's temper in spades, though it comes out in different ways, and they haven't quite figured out how to talk to each other as something approximating adults yet.
The farms around them, their friends and supports, are well-rounded without being overpowering. The romance arc that grows with Hallie feels natural and exactly as awkward as it should, there's a natural diversity represented without it ever being Presented As Diversity (in fact, it took me several mentions to realize what I was reading), and they're never treated as one-note "just here for the sake of being here" characters.
And then there's Heron.
In any book, when a quiet stranger is introduced at the beginning and clearly set up to be Not Important, you know they're the ones to watch. Heron is absolutely no different. I can't quite put a finger on what it was about this character that so completely trapped me, but every time he was around, my eyes were on him. There was such a sense of being genuine, such a quiet strength, a silent sense of honor...I don't know. But Heron was an amazing character and I loved every minute of him. He was real, and he was complex, and he was wonderful. I wish I had better words to tell you why.
Character is one of the most important pieces of a story for me. It's one of the pieces I will always focus the most on. Leah Bobet has absolutely nailed the art of subtle and real characters, and for that alone, this book is well worth the read.
Rating: ***** - Highest Recommendation
AN INHERITANCE OF ASHES hits shelves October 4th, 2015.