It was obvious from the very start that she would not be able to kill him, let alone harm him, even if he was the Kaiser's son. I mean, yes, it makes sense for her to that in her situation, but at the same time, it kind of made me sigh in disappointment. However, I wasn't overly fond of her painting herself as the portrait of a damsel in distress. However, I will admit that Theo's manipulation of the prince Søren to advance her goals was clever. It was a bit obvious from the start she would be a liability to the mission the entire time. She also kept flipping through self doubt on whether or not she would be able to kill people, which I found a bit annoying. Had she been harbouring honest resentment, I probably would have enjoyed it a bit more. I understand that she did it as a means to survive, but she really internalized her submission, which was what threw me off. To my surprise and disappointment, Theo was far from that, a dainty thing who chose not to feel the any anger in her situation.

I'll be honest, from the cover's gritty crown (also, does anyone notice it looks a lot like the Red Queen cover?), I had been hoping for a tough and rugged princess. He's definitely someone I would want to smack, a tyrant who's fall will bring me much delight. He enslaved all of Theo's people, forced her to bow and scrape to him, continuously shamed her, alienated her, and so forth. The Kaiser's actions were definitely antagonist-worthy. This book's set up had key elements I love in fantasy: tyrants, protagonists forced to do unspeakable horrors, suppressed powers, and a revolution in the wings. And power isn't always won on the battlefield.įor ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough.

Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside. She's endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. Theo was crowned Ash Princess-a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner.įor ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia's family, her land, and her name.

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes.

Laura sebastian books in order