Lady Smoke

Ash Princess Series, Book 2

By: Laura Sebastian

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

The second installment in the New York Times best-selling series "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 10 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.

Praise for the Ash Princess series:

"A darkly enchanting page-turner you won't be able to put down." (Bustle)

"A smart, feminist twist on a traditional tale of a fallen heroine, with plenty of court intrigue, love, and lies to sweeten the deal. Good luck putting this one down." (Virginia Boecker, author of The Witch Hunter series)

"This searing page-turner is a compelling examination of the complexities of both evil and resistance." (Sarah Porter, author of Vassa in the Night)

©2019 Laura Sebastian (P)2019 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"[Ash Princess] provides a window into the complexities of human interaction and emotion, familial tensions, and the false public face that is sometimes required in politics and at court...culminating in a climactic ending ripe for a sequel." (Publishers Weekly)

"A rebel queen fans the sparks of revolution...[and] Theo's first-person narration remains enthralling with emotional immediacy...[while] packed to the brim with intrigue." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Through unexpected allies and daring escape plans, [Theodosia's] trip from downtrodden princess to queen is an engaging one that fantasy fans will enjoy...[as well as] fans of The Selection series by Kiera Cass and The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins." (SLJ)

Amazing sequel!

The book was enthralling throughout. The ending made me crave the next book. I'm astounded again by this wonderful author. I am transfixed by the narrators voice. Will listen to, again and again.

Amazing sequel

Since I read book one last fall I've been waiting for this book, and it did not disappoint. I am anxious to learn what will happen between Thora and her love interest. I want to know if they can or will be able to work things out. I want to know so many things. I love the characters so much, the author does an amazing job of giving them wonderfully flawed personalities and you can't help but root for them.

The narration in incredible!

I finished this audiobook in just two days. The narrator easily transitions between the many characters and their accents.

Pretty Good

Great sequel, not really disappointed in anything. It just felt like if it had gotten just one more revision, it could've really stood out. Hints to future big events were pretty obvious, making the big turning point very predictable. Watching Theo be calm, cool, and calculating in the first book was enthralling. But in the sequel, watching her do it to the people she loves just comes off as manipulative. "If you really loved me, you wouldn't ___!" just felt so gross. Plot points felt a little clunky, especially compared to the first book. I'm hoping the third book wraps things up much cleaner and smoother.

can't wait for the next book

Over way too soon. Hopefully the next book isn't too far off. I'm obsessed with this series.

Very Enjoyable

Very enjoyable story. Narration was great. I look forward to the next book in this serious.

A dark and gritty sequel with tons of potential

Lady Smoke picks up right where Ash Princess left off, with Theodosia having escaped the Kaiser and taken back her rightful title as the Queen of Astrea plus a hostage that may or not be the beautiful Prinz Soren. Lady Smoke was honestly a very good follow up to Ash Princess but it didn't wow me like I had anticipated unfortunately. There was just or two things that brought it down to 4 stars for me.

One thing I still absolutely love about this series is the epic world building. In Ash Princess we were mostly limited to seeing Theo being held prisoner by the Kaiser but in Lady Smoke we were able to see more of this bloody and brutal world. Lady Smoke starts off on a ship as Theo tries to put as much distance between herself and the Kaiser as possible. Joining forces with her Aunt, the formidable Dragonsbane, they come up with a plan to take back Astrea and defeat the Kaiser, only issue being they have no army to achieve this. According to Dragonsbane, the only way to secure an army is for Theo to essentially auction herself off to another Kingdom.

This is one of the gripes I have with this book. In Ash Princess we saw Theo go through so much pain, humiliation, and because of it all a lot of growth. She became this strong independent young woman who only wanted to make her mother proud and become the best Queen of Astrea she could be. This never required her to have a husband. In fact, it is even noted from Theo herself that there has NEVER been a Queen of Astrea that took a husband and like, why now? Why did three quarters of this book deal with Theo being auctioned off to the best suitor? Now with that being said, it was still incredibly interesting and entirely gripping to read. There was still mischief and mayhem plus some murders that turned into a 'who dun it' situation and I LOVED it. I'm just a little salty that most of this book was about Theo trying to find a husband 🙃

It's not really a spoiler that the main trope of these books is the love triangle, and while it is a little predictable it is still entirely entertaining. Blaise and Soren are complete opposites and I love that Theo has absolutely no idea what to do with either of them. They are both just giant cinnamon rolls ambling around while also trying to figure out their own feelings.

Most of the action in this sequel is towards the end, but man does it pack a punch. There was more than one time I actually gasped aloud as I was listening to the audiobook at work and I am sure my coworkers were concerned with what was happening to me. No big deal, just going through an emotional trauma over here. I think this sequel set things up very well for Ember Queen, the final book in this series. I am so excited to see how everything plays out!

So, so pleased

I’ll start with me. I’m female, I’m 28 years old, and I love fantasy books with a hint of romance.
I’m always desperate for a good book, narrated by a voice I could actually listen to for 15 hours. They are so hard to come by, unfortunately. Let me tell you, I am so thrilled by this one. The book is really enticing, but the voice they have paired with the book is perfection. Honestly, I would listen to anything this narrator read. Her voice is smooth and sultry and her voice-acting abilities are phenomenal. Really couldn’t be more happy with this find.

I was not asked to make this review. I paid for this book, and the first one, and am moving on to the third. The only reason this review is not on the first book is because I accidentally just did the star rating and clicked finish, and forgot to write anything. Oh well.

Filler

It was good, but not like that initial omg that hooked me in the ash princesses. Was a good filler for next in series.... Too be continued🤔

I can't wait

really good. great continuation of an interesting concept and story. I just wish I could continue without having to wait for the next one. great!