Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Book Review: The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost

The Beautiful Ashes  (Broken Destiny #1)
Author:  Jeaniene Frost
Publisher:  Harlequin
Publication Date:  August 26, 2014

From Goodreads:
In a world of shadows, anything is possible. Except escaping your fate.

Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been gripped by visions of strange realms just beyond her own. But when her sister goes missing, Ivy discovers the truth is far worse—her hallucinations are real, and her sister is trapped in a parallel realm. And the one person who believes her is the dangerously attractive guy who's bound by an ancient legacy to betray her.

Adrian might have turned his back on those who raised him, but that doesn't mean he can change his fate…no matter how strong a pull he feels toward Ivy. Together they search for the powerful relic that can save her sister, but Adrian knows what Ivy doesn't: that every step brings Ivy closer to the truth about her own destiny, and a war that could doom the world. Sooner or later, it will be Ivy on one side and Adrian on the other. And nothing but ashes in between…


Review:
I enjoyed this urban fantasy filled with demon parallel worlds and biblical history and searching for ancient artifacts.  I really liked the world-building and the plot, that was my favorite part.  There's non-stop action (it starts from the very first page) and sexual tension between Ivy and Adrian (By the way, this is NA so there are a few steamy scenes).  They're attracted to each other for a supernatural reason, but Adrian resists because he's destined to betray her.  I always wonder about these stories where there's some underlying reason for the way a couple feels about each other.  Is it real?  Shouldn't they question it because of that?  How can they trust it? 

Adrian's pretty tortured and broody, so if you like that sort of thing, you'll love him. I also liked the fate and destiny versus choice aspect to the story.  

What I didn't like was Adrian keeping so much information from Ivy.  That became very frustrating because I just wanted Ivy to demand answers.  The secrets drove me crazy and I wish they hadn't lasted as long as they did.  Some of the secrets were just stupid to keep and actually contributed to the danger.

The book ends in a good place and I'll definitely be continuing with this series. Really liked this one!


Posted by:  Pam

6 comments:

  1. Glad to hear you liked this one! I've read some mixed reviews and I have an ARC from BEA so I've been a bit nervous to read it, but if you liked it, I'm sure I'll do alright with it! :)

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  2. I'm going to wait to see how you like the rest of the series. I'm not convinced yet. This isn't my usual genre and I'm not sure that I will like Adrian.

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  3. I heard quite a bit about this book mostly good things. I may check it out one day. Great review :)

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  4. I've not heard of this one, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. I love it when I pick up the first book in a series I know I'm going to love. I still shy away from NA for the most part--ok completely--but maybe someday I'll give this a try...

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  5. I think I'd get frustrated too with secrets being withheld. That never makes sense to me, like when characters don't communicate for no reason. I'm glad you liked this one though. I'll have to add it to my tbr.

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  6. Glad you enjoyed this one. It looks quite good, but I don't think it's one that I would try.

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