Jaclyn’s Review: Lady Smoke by Laura Sebastian

Lady Smoke (Ash Princess Trilogy #2)
written by Laura Sebastian
published by Delacorte Press, 2019

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, Target, Book Depository, Goodreads

Did I enjoy this book? I loved the first book in this trilogy, Ash Princess, and the second installment did not disappoint! The plot picks up right where Ash Princess left us and keeps moving at the same pace. In this book, Dragonsbane has convinced Theo that she must marry to form an alliance strong enough to defeat the Kaiser. I really thought Theo grew a lot in this book, since she was trying to listen to her aunt while thinking for herself and trying to balance her own agenda. This book was a great reminder that Theo is only a teenager being forced to live in an adult world. I thought this was a fabulous book two, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the final installment!!

Would I recommend it? Obviously, I would only recommend this book if you have read book 1. There is no way you could possibly understand the plot or this world without the first book. That being said, I wholeheartedly recommend this series to anyone who is a fan of science fiction/fantasy.
 

 

About the book – from Goodreads: The sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller that was “made for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Sabaa Tahir” ( Bustle ), Lady Smoke is an epic new fantasy about a throne cruelly stolen and a girl who must fight to take it back for her people.

The Kaiser murdered Theodosia’s mother, the Fire Queen, when Theo was only six. He took Theo’s country and kept her prisoner, crowning her Ash Princess–a pet to toy with and humiliate for ten long years. That era has ended. The Kaiser thought his prisoner weak and defenseless. He didn’t realize that a sharp mind is the deadliest weapon.

Theo no longer wears a crown of ashes. She has taken back her rightful title, and a hostage–Prinz Soren. But her people remain enslaved under the Kaiser’s rule, and now she is thousands of miles away from them and her throne.

To get them back, she will need an army. Only, securing an army means she must trust her aunt, the dreaded pirate Dragonsbane. And according to Dragonsbane, an army can only be produced if Theo takes a husband. Something an Astrean Queen has never done.

Theo knows that freedom comes at a price, but she is determined to find a way to save her country without losing herself.

 

 
 

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** This post first appeared on Every Free Chance Books (everyfreechance.com) on June 12, 2020.