Review: Ash by Malinda Lo

Cinderella retold

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.

Title: Ash
Author: Malinda Lo
Genre: young adult, fairy tale
Format: hardcover, 264 pages
Source: library
Published: September 2009
Buy the book:  book depo 


My Thoughts
Ash is a non-traditional retelling of the fairy tale Cinderella. Instead of falling in love with the prince, Ash falls in love with Kaisa, the King’s Huntress. I like how the relationship between Ash and Kaisa blossomed; it transitioned beautifully. Unfortunately, that’s all I liked about Ash.

I had a major problem with Sidhean, a secondary character. It felt like he got short-changed. He started off as such a fascinating and mysterious character and I was hoping to see his character develop but it never happened. In fact, I was quite confused on his role in the book entirely. There is one scene that takes place between Sidhean and Ash (about ¾ of the way into the book) that completely baffled me. Something occurs that went completely against the foundation laid by the author. It felt inconclusive. It angered me.

I had high expectations for this book but it didn't come close. Ash had great potential. I was engaged in the story until ¾ of the way into the book, and then gears started clashing and the storyline faltered at a pivotal moment in the book. I like where the story was going with its non-traditional approach but the ending felt rushed, incomplete and unjustified and left me disappointed.

The Book Vixen Rating

Check out Jacob's Beloved's review of Ash!