Early Review: Kingdom of Ashes by Rhiannon Thomas #AroundTheWorldARCTours #BibPleaseReview

Title: Kingdom of Ashes (A Wicked Thing #2)
Author: Rhiannon Thomas
Publisher: HarperTeen (HarperCollins)
Release Date: February 23, 2016
Acquired Via: Around the World ARC Tours
The kiss was just the beginning . . . The second book in Rhiannon Thomas’s epic retelling of Sleeping Beauty combines adventure, magic, and romance for a sweeping fantasy about one girl’s journey to fulfill her destiny.

Aurora was supposed to be her kingdom’s savior. But when she was forced to decide between being loyal to the crown and loyal to her country, she set events in motion that branded her a traitor.

Now, hunted by the king’s soldiers, Aurora’s only chance of freeing her kingdom from the king’s tyrannical rule is by learning to control her magic. But Aurora’s powers come at a price—one that forces her to leave the only home she’s ever known, one that demands she choose between the man she loves and the people she seeks to protect, and one that will cause her to unravel the mysteries surrounding the curse that was placed on her over a century before . . . and uncover the truth about her destiny.

My Review

As excited as I get about new series, I think I'm going to stop reading them.

Seriously.

I'm tempted.

You see, I'll read a book, love it, and then when the sequel comes out a year later... Nothing. A complete blank. That's pretty much what happened with Kingdom of Ashes when I started reading it. I loved A Wicked Thing - it was one of the biggest surprises for me in 2015 - but I barely remembered all of the events, and Kingdom of Ashes didn't do a lot of catching up at the beginning. I had to go reread my review and others of A Wicked Thing to fill in those blanks. I didn't want to reread because I didn't really have time or realize how much I had forgotten. (I read a lot of fairy tale retellings, and they blend together.)

The funny thing is - my visit to the world in Kingdom of Ashes was VERY different from reading A Wicked Thing. I still liked Aurora, but she was an entirely changed person. I did like Finnegan a great deal in this book, and according to my review, I disliked him immensely last go round. And there are dragons. How can you not like dragons?

As I kept reading the book, though I liked it muchly, I began to realize that I just couldn't keep up. I have to go back and reread A Wicked Thing before finishing the book so I can have the full experience and enjoyment of this well-written novel. Thankfully, Amazon has A Wicked Thing on sale at the time of this review for $1.99, so I'm going to revisit it over the holidays, and when Kingdom of Ashes hits the shelves for real - I'll be ready.

If you like fairy tale retellings or fantasy in general, I truly recommend this series. However, be sure to start with A Wicked thing, not Kingdom of Ashes.

- Review to Be Continued -

Buy Links
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To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance copy of the book briefly for reviewing purposes through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for an honest review. The book was likely provided to the tour by the publisher or author, which has in no way affected the outcome of my review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.