Have I convinced you that the world building is cool yet? Four conduits are male blooded and four conduits are female blooded. The royal conduits are the only sources of magic in Primoria and can only be used by the ruling monarchs. Each kingdom has a monarch who controls that kingdom’s conduit. So Winter is set in an eternal winter, Spring in an eternal spring, and so on.

The Rhythms cycle through all four seasons and The Seasons don’t change seasons at all. The book is set in Primoria, which is a land (Continent? Country? Who Knows?) divided in to eight different kingdoms: The Rhythms and The Seasons. Sara Raasch whips up a very interesting world state, perfect for fantasy lovers (like me). So let’s do a good old fashions Pros/Cons!

BUT “Snow Like Ashes” managed to make me enjoy it regardless of some of my personal preferences. Well this book is a YA Fantasy so therefore I was bound to love it, however, there’s a love triangle and whiff of insta-love. “He will not stop me from washing away the ashes of this kingdom’s past and filling our lives with the glorious icy peace of snow.”

But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. Training to be a warrior-and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather - she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since. Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch.

Snow like ashes