Whew, this one was...kinda wild. In a good way, I think.

It's another entry in the New Adult Romantasy genre juggernaut that's so popular at the moment. It features Fae, Demons, a broken kingdom, betrayals, secrets, romance, a dash of spice and a somewhat insane amount of plot twists.

As I was reading A Realm of Ash and Shadow I occasionally felt like it was all a bit much. The author literally threw everything but the kitchen sink into this book's storyline and it did feel a bit messy at times. But as more time goes by since I read it, I actually think I'm appreciating it more in retrospect and I'm definitely still thinking about it and looking forward to any future books to see what the author does next with everything she has begun here.

I also had a few issues with main character Valeria's actions and reactions here and there - she's a tad impulsive - and some of the dialogue made me cringe once or twice, but I can't deny I had fun reading this book nonetheless!

This story may start out feeling very reminiscent of so many other similar Fantasy Romance books you've probably already read, but it quickly deviates and becomes something more unique. I didn't want to rehash any of the plot in my review, but I'll just say that any time you think you know what's going on in A Realm of Ash and Shadow, you don't.

If you're looking for a fun read within this genre we all can't get enough of and have some good neck exercises to help you with the inevitable whiplash you'll experience from the crazy plot, I'd say definitely give this one a go.
4 stars ★★★★