Book Review: Prince of Ash and Shadow (arc)

Prince of Ash and Shadow (2022) by K.A. Erickson

Fiction | Fantasy | Adult

Disclaimer: In every review that I complete, I try my best to avoid spoilers of any kind and include spoiler warnings when necessary.

About the book (from Goodreads)

Perfect for fans of Ilona Andrews and Raven Kennedy, this book about a sassy necromancer and her surprise marriage to a Faerie Prince is impossible to put down.

A life for a life.

I didn’t expect a dying prince and his guard to wind up on my doorstep—but when you run an underground healing ring for the Fae, expectations go out the window. As a necromancer with a price on my head, I keep a low profile by doing favors for the Fae: healing the outcasts and criminals in exchange for information on my pursuer. Keeping my feet planted firmly on the wrong side of the law is what’s kept me safe. Hidden. I heal whoever walks through my door, and they pay me in something far more valuable than gold. That strategy worked for years—until a princeling with an attitude problem finds me.

A soul for a soul.

Prince Rayden Darkbringer claims that he was sent by my former best friend—that she knew I could help him. When I refuse, he offers me a deal: save his life, and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep me safe from the man I’m running from.

A man that happens to be his older brother.

A death for a death.

The problem? The only way to save Rayden is to bind our souls together—permanently. With the bond forcing us to remain together and enemies at our heels, we soon find ourselves embroiled in Court politics and an assassination plot that spans the entirety of Faerie. Somehow, we must survive long enough to depose his brother and reclaim Rayden’s throne. But Rayden isn’t the only one with a dark past and hidden powers, and the real question isn’t whether we can survive in the wake of his brother’s deceit.

It’s if we can survive each other.

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Note: Thank you to K.A. Erickson for an arc copy of this book! Please note that all opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

My Review

Holy. Crap. I was NOT prepared to be hooked right away. I read the entire book in two short sittings (I only stopped because I was reading at 3 in the morning and knew my daughter would be awake before 9). The prologue is gory and intriguing, and I can't even begin to describe my excitement once I finished it.

"You may call me Lady Carnage."

The Good Things

1. The story is thrilling and hooks you from the start.

2. The language is perfectly fitting of a fantasy.

3. Too many times have I read a fantasy novel where the characters are too similar; Erickson does a fantastic job at avoiding that. The characters are interesting and written in a way that they don't blend.

4. Ren. I don't know why, but I'm a sucker for his type of character. I'm hooked, and I want to read an entire story about him.

The Bad Things

1. This is a REALLY fast-paced story. Though this isn't necessarily a bad thing, some of the scenes transition far too quickly into one another.

2. This is a short book, so if you're looking for a long fantasy read, you should wait until a few more books in the series are released! I certainly can't wait to read more!

Overall, the story is thrilling, the characters and interesting and well-written, and the book in its entirety is a fast-paced read, fitting of a fantasy. Highly recommend!

My Final Rating:

☆☆☆☆☆ (Blog)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Goodreads)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Facebook & Instagram)

☆☆☆☆☆ (Amazon - will post as soon as the book is released)

Release Date: February 1, 2022. Pre-order this from Amazon by clicking here!

Note: the prequel to this book (Daughter of Smoke and Stars) is set to be released on February 4, 2022. Pre-order this from Amazon by clicking here!

If you have access to this ARC, please feel free to leave comments concerning how you liked -or didn't like, no judgment here- it! If you don't have access, let me know if this is on your tbr! I would love to hear your thoughts!