Posts Categorized: out of the ashes

Out of the Ashes

by Alicia Buck
Published by Sweetwater on September 8, 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 288
Format: eARC

Source: Sweetwater Press
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When Ashelandra’s father dies, she ends up a servant in her own house, instead of the Baroness she was supposed to become. But Ash’s secret sorcery could be the key to winning back her home and following her heart to a future she never imagined. This fantasy-infused Cinderella story puts a magical twist on a classic tale. Riveting and original, it’s a spellbinding read.

I should start this review with a disclaimer that I really struggle with fairy tales. In this Cinderella re-telling, the first half outlining the cruelty of an unkind uncle almost made me put the book down. But finally the main heroine Ash broke away from her guardian’s mistreatment and the book picked up. The tale has a twist with two subservient cousins instead of evil step-sisters, and a sorceress set to inherit her home as a servant.

I enjoyed the author’s world building of the enchanted kingdom with healing plants and crystal birds. The romantic relationships are sweet and respectful. After warming up, I dove in to Out of the Ashes and came away glad I stuck with it.

About the Author

Alicia Buck was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on a cold November day and has hated the cold ever since. Luckily, she lives in the desert now with her husband, Jason, and three children. Alicia loves to read, and goes through book craze phases where she reads a book a day until guilt kicks in and she tries to do something productive like get back to work writing and fix the disaster her home has become. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s in English, and had to constantly defend her major when she had absolutely no desire to teach. Out of the Ashes is Alicia’s second novel.