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A review by amarylissw
An Inheritance of Ashes by Leah Bobet
4.0
I was quite pleased to have received this book from the Goodreads Giveaways! Normally, this wouldn't be the type of book I would pick up -- I mean, farming and fantasy? That's . . . different. But I'm glad that I got this book, because I was pleasantly surprised.
Some people have said that they think the pacing was slow. I admit, that to some it may have been -- but I thought it was fine. I didn't mind the lack of action; I always thought there was plenty of conflict and drama to keep the story afloat. Of course, it might've served the story better to have higher stakes in the beginning as well, not just the ending. But I didn't think it was too bad.
Other than the pacing, I really enjoyed the plot. It kept me invested the whole time -- from the first chapter to the last. I didn't want to stop to sleep, actually . . . And the small revelations at the end, though not completely shocking, were still surprising. Overall, I thought the plot was pretty good.
That aside, I'll focus on the characters next. Hallie, our protagonist, I have mixed feelings about. On one hand, I found certain facets of her personality annoying -- her wanting to handle things herself, but then I found other parts of her admirable, like not turning Heron away and stuff. But, in the end, I suppose she's a pretty good protagonist. She has faults, but if you can get me to admire her, that's pretty good.
And I have to admit, Bobet did a pretty fantastic job with the rest of the characters. Each of them had a unique personality and I could understand most of their motivations -- from Heron and his sweet, platonic relationship with our protagonist and own internal conflict and struggle; to Marthe, Hallie's sister, who seems gruff but just doesn't really know how to handle things (do we ever); to Tyler, with his war-torn mind (and eyes) and hope for the future; and Nat, his sister who's trying to keep everything together; and even Asphodel Jones, a character we aren't even really introduced to until later is quite memorable. There are plenty of other memorable minor characters as well! Although I never quite understood Pitts . . . what was with him and the farm?
I'd like to mention two relationships while we're on the characters topic. First, Hallie and Marthe's: I didn't really like or dislike it. I thought it was understandable, realistic. I thought both could do better, but both were under pressure, and humans often make mistakes. It was perfectly reasonable for them to act the ways they did, so I didn't really have any problems with it.
Second, the romance between Hallie and Tyler. GAHH. SO CUTE. I love best-friend-turned-crush-turned-love relationships, and Bobet totally rocked this one. Tyler was adorable and unsure and sweet, and Hallie's dynamic with him was perfect. Loved it.
I loved the setting. Like I said above, it wouldn't normally be my type, but I found it really unique and interesting. The descriptions were beautiful and vivid. And the idea of the world Bobet created was fresh, original. Her writing's so good.
So what did I think of this story overall? Well, I think it really surpassed my expectations. And I'm super glad I won the giveaway, because I probably wouldn't have picked it up otherwise. The characters, the romance, and vivid world -- all pieces that fit together to create a unique story.
Some people have said that they think the pacing was slow. I admit, that to some it may have been -- but I thought it was fine. I didn't mind the lack of action; I always thought there was plenty of conflict and drama to keep the story afloat. Of course, it might've served the story better to have higher stakes in the beginning as well, not just the ending. But I didn't think it was too bad.
Other than the pacing, I really enjoyed the plot. It kept me invested the whole time -- from the first chapter to the last. I didn't want to stop to sleep, actually . . . And the small revelations at the end, though not completely shocking, were still surprising. Overall, I thought the plot was pretty good.
That aside, I'll focus on the characters next. Hallie, our protagonist, I have mixed feelings about. On one hand, I found certain facets of her personality annoying -- her wanting to handle things herself, but then I found other parts of her admirable, like not turning Heron away and stuff. But, in the end, I suppose she's a pretty good protagonist. She has faults, but if you can get me to admire her, that's pretty good.
And I have to admit, Bobet did a pretty fantastic job with the rest of the characters. Each of them had a unique personality and I could understand most of their motivations -- from Heron and his sweet, platonic relationship with our protagonist and own internal conflict and struggle; to Marthe, Hallie's sister, who seems gruff but just doesn't really know how to handle things (do we ever); to Tyler, with his war-torn mind (and eyes) and hope for the future; and Nat, his sister who's trying to keep everything together; and even Asphodel Jones, a character we aren't even really introduced to until later is quite memorable. There are plenty of other memorable minor characters as well! Although I never quite understood Pitts . . . what was with him and the farm?
I'd like to mention two relationships while we're on the characters topic. First, Hallie and Marthe's: I didn't really like or dislike it. I thought it was understandable, realistic. I thought both could do better, but both were under pressure, and humans often make mistakes. It was perfectly reasonable for them to act the ways they did, so I didn't really have any problems with it.
Second, the romance between Hallie and Tyler. GAHH. SO CUTE. I love best-friend-turned-crush-turned-love relationships, and Bobet totally rocked this one. Tyler was adorable and unsure and sweet, and Hallie's dynamic with him was perfect. Loved it.
I loved the setting. Like I said above, it wouldn't normally be my type, but I found it really unique and interesting. The descriptions were beautiful and vivid. And the idea of the world Bobet created was fresh, original. Her writing's so good.
So what did I think of this story overall? Well, I think it really surpassed my expectations. And I'm super glad I won the giveaway, because I probably wouldn't have picked it up otherwise. The characters, the romance, and vivid world -- all pieces that fit together to create a unique story.