Theo is put on a pedestal where she has to make very important choices that will determine the fate of Astrea and its people.

Or, use that pride to make sense of the situation and still do the right thing. Lady Smoke delves more into the idea of doing whatever it takes to do what is right even if it means giving up your pride and accepting help. So keep that in mind when going into the story. And there is a love triangle which I'll admit, did bother me somewhat.

I wouldn't call this a political story because while there is mention of arranged marriage and armies, the politics are not as prevalent. While I did like Lady Smoke, I can see how this won't be everyone's cup of tea. The only problem is, she has to take on a husband, something a queen has never done in Astrea.Įarlier, I mentioned that this won't be for everyone. Lady Smoke takes place right after the events of Ash Princess where Theodosia escapes her homeland and is trying to form an alliance with another country in hopes of taking back Astrea and defeat the Kaiser. Mind you, this will not be for everyone as I will explain further, but for a second book, I was really impressed by how the story progressed as well as the stakes that were involved. To me, Lady Smoke was a pretty damn good installment to the Ash Princess trilogy. Usually, in a trilogy, there's always the chance where the second book suffers from Second Book Syndrome. ' A darkly enchanting page-turner you won't be able to put down.' -Bustle on Ash Princess, Book 1 in the Ash Princess series Theo knows that freedom comes at a price, but she is determined to find a way to save her country without losing herself. Something an Astrean Queen has never done. And according to Dragonsbane, an army can only be produced if Theo takes a husband. Only, securing an army means she must trust her aunt, the dreaded pirate Dragonsbane. But her people remain enslaved under the Kaiser's rule, and now she is thousands of miles away from them and her throne. She has taken back her rightful title, and a hostage-Prinz Soren. He didn't realize that a sharp mind is the deadliest weapon. The Kaiser thought his prisoner weak and defenseless. He took Theo's country and kept her prisoner, crowning her Ash Princess-a pet to toy with and humiliate for ten long years. The Kaiser murdered Theodosia's mother, the Fire Queen, when Theo was only six. The sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller that was '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.

Ash princess book