Ashes of Twilight (Ashes Trilogy, #1)

Dec 11, 2012 Giselle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own, dystopia-or-post-apocalyptic

Ashes of Twilight starts off very strong and quite intriguing when we're taken into this desolate world inside a claustrophobic dome. After the planet was destroyed, humans were forced to take shelter inside a dome where the royals rule, leaving everyone else as mere slaves to insure it all runs properly.

It's your typical dystopian with minor steampunk elements. The blurb as well as the cover clearly makes it sound much more exciting than it is, however. So, when I'm reading this and I pass the...more Ashes of Twilight starts off very strong and quite intriguing when we're taken into this desolate world inside a claustrophobic dome. After the planet was destroyed, humans were forced to take shelter inside a dome where the royals rule, leaving everyone else as mere slaves to insure it all runs properly.

It's your typical dystopian with minor steampunk elements. The blurb as well as the cover clearly makes it sound much more exciting than it is, however. So, when I'm reading this and I pass the half way point with still nothing very monumental happening other than a lot of talk about wanting to leave, I began to rethink what I had gotten myself into. This wasn't an exciting novel, nor was it intense or really that much entertaining. If you think this novel is about leaving this dome and finally finding out what's on the outside, having to survive, learning dark secrets about their world… think again. The whole novel takes place inside the dome, while Wren questions everything she has ever been taught. She questions if the outside is really only flames and nothingness. She questions their way of life. She questions… and questions… and never actually does anything about it. Sure this world is very dark and sinister, people get burned alive, people suffer and the way they live is unimaginable. Nonetheless, there is no "pulse pounding action" here. There is nothing that even compelled me to turn the page other than wanting to be done with it. I mostly found myself bored with the stagnancy. The part of the blurb that states "Wren unwittingly becomes a catalyst for a revolution that destroys the dome and the only way to survive might be to embrace what the entire society has feared their entire existence" only happens during the last 2 chapters...

Furthermore, I'm not the kind of reader who will always notice or pick at particular annoyances with the writing in a book. I did, however, get irritated by the constant repetitiveness in this one. Aside from the persistent questions asked by our protagonist Every. Two. Pages, the most prominent annoyance is the constant appearance of "yet". It seemed like every third sentence was formed using that same conjunction and it literally became distracting. Instead of reading I was hunting for the next "yet". And there it was, again and again. Yes it's small, and might go unnoticed for some, yet… it stood out for me like a sore thumb that kept poking my eyeball.

Even though I haven't mentioned anything positive up to this point, the book wasn't terrible. I did like the dark, dreary world. I liked the mystery of the unknown outside world. It did have extreme potential if only it had a faster pace; more meat to its frivolous bones. The characters that failed to both charm and compel me were no help, either. Every one of them were cut from the same cloth.

When I go into a dystopian I'm looking for an exciting ride: A pulse pounding story that makes you fear for the characters and cringe at the way they have to live. Although Ashes of Twilight is definitely cringe worthy at times, it simply lacked suspense, narrative drive, and clearly fell short of my expectations.

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An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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Nov 24, 2012 Mitch rated it 1 of 5 stars

For those of you thinking of abandoning Ashes of Twilight after the first chapter, I really can't blame you. There's just something about Kassy Tayler's writing, exposition heavy, consisting of chained sentences reading more like a shopping list of events than a story, lots of telling instead of showing, that really doesn't make this an easy book to read. And although I have to say the writing markedly improves as the story progresses, any improvements in the writing couldn't make up for the dis...more For those of you thinking of abandoning Ashes of Twilight after the first chapter, I really can't blame you. There's just something about Kassy Tayler's writing, exposition heavy, consisting of chained sentences reading more like a shopping list of events than a story, lots of telling instead of showing, that really doesn't make this an easy book to read. And although I have to say the writing markedly improves as the story progresses, any improvements in the writing couldn't make up for the disappointing plot that's far too predictable for anyone who's familiar with the dystopian genre.

But truth be told, it all comes down to Wren - she's a really poor narrator. It's pretty easy to imagine the basic premise, a society forced to live in a domed city because the rest of the world's been incinerated by a comet - except, maybe the city's leaders are lying, maybe the world's perfectly fine beyond the dome, but Wren though, she just tries way too hard getting her point across. Even beyond the action scenes that's basically five or six sentences in a row of I followed by one of a selection of verbs in the present tense (which annoyed me to no end, could she be a little more creative in telling me what she's doing?), she's just really repetitive, not subtle at all, and leaves nothing to the reader's imagination. Intuitively, I know Wren yearns to be something more than just a coal miner, a shiner, stuck at the dirty bottom of this society while the royals get their nice houses and live large off everyone else's hard work, I get it, but it's really disappointing and gets really old really fast that Wren spends so much time telling and summarizing her problems rather than showing them. I think her overemphasis on how terribly unfair and unjust life in the domed city is actually detracted from the hardscrabble coal mining to support the dome world Wren was supposed to show.

Because, don't get me wrong, there are actually a few powerful scenes later on. After Wren's friend Alex is burned to death for discovering the truth, after she meets this guy Pace who's wanted for also knowing the truth, after she has to hide him in the abandoned coal mining tunnels underneath the city, there's this really neat scene, just the two of them, on the run, desperate, with nothing but their determination to get the truth out there, and they're really not doing anything besides sitting next to each other in this cave, but it's one of the few scenes not overburdened by Wren's tendency to overexplain everything and it actually works because it’s the rare scene that shows exactly what Wren normally tells. That's how you make an impact. But unfortunately, the vast majority of the time, it's just Wren telling me how it is instead of showing through details and actions, and telling just doesn't have the same effect or impact, no matter how unfair this system of supporting the royals is.

The writing may have been the biggest issue for me, but the plot didn't really do it either. The summary pretty much gives away everything I needed to know, all that’s left is for Wren and her friends to expose the conspiracy keeping everyone inside the dome, and wow did Wren take her time getting to the bottom of things. In the meantime, Wren and Pace, they had a few scenes, but what dystopian couple don't they remind me of? I'm actually more intrigued by Alex, Lucy, and David because the three of them at least don't so blatantly suffer from the plot mandated relationship, their triangle sets the events of the book in motion, and Alex's death genuinely affects Lucy. But at the end of the day, when Alex is vindicated, when his death is given meaning, when Wren finally figures out why they've been kept behind the dome all this time, I'm actually really disappointed. Not only by the reveal with Wren’s father that couldn’t be more cliche or the reason for keeping everyone inside not being because of roving bands of flesh eating mutants (although the people in charge probably wouldn't have to hide that), no, the actual reason just reinforces my impression that I've just read a typical dystopian where the evil dystopian government perpetrates this big lie on its citizens so it can stay in power and for two hundred years everyone's been really dumb about it and not questioned how the fans and vents worked. Even though Wren must’ve pointed out this fact once every three chapters or so.

I think I would've been much more impressed with Ashes of Twilight had the plot twists not been as predictable and generic as they were, but even so, the writing really sank this one, I'm afraid. Disappointment overall, although turns out that canary on the cover's actually pretty relevant to the plot.(less)

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Dec 17, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, amazing-loved-it, book-with-gorgeous-boy, cliffhanger, complicated-families, cute, forbidden-romance, high-expectations, i-cant-stop-thinking-about, i-own, obsessed

4.5 Stars
Ashes of Twilight is a breathtaking steam punk novel that will captivate readers until the end. I enjoyed the action, suspense and the plot twists that I was not expecting at all! I'm very much looking forward to the sequel, Shadows of Glass.

Just imagine living in a dome, believing that you must live under it because everything outside of the glass is burning, but then you find out that someone close to you has tried to escape and they have found out something big. There is no fire. And...more 4.5 Stars
Ashes of Twilight is a breathtaking steam punk novel that will captivate readers until the end. I enjoyed the action, suspense and the plot twists that I was not expecting at all! I'm very much looking forward to the sequel, Shadows of Glass.

Just imagine living in a dome, believing that you must live under it because everything outside of the glass is burning, but then you find out that someone close to you has tried to escape and they have found out something big. There is no fire. And the sky is not red and black. It is blue. The most beautiful shade of blue. Would you want to stay within the dome? Or escape? Well, that's the choice that Wren MacAvoy had to make. Along side her plotting to escape is the gorgeous Pace, a rebel guard, and some of her friends from the coalmines. Together they will begin a revolution and destroy the dome.

I knew I would love this book as soon as I read the blurb. The premise sounded exciting and I was curious to see the romance side it in. The idea did remind me of Breathe by Sarah Crossan, which I loved, but when I read Ashes of Twilight I was simply amazed. It was unique and the characters were incredibly engaging, and they all had played a significant part in the story.

I loved most things about this book but the one point that let it down was the romance. I mean, I loved the romance between Wren and Pace but I felt that their relationship was a bit too sudden; insta-love. They said 'I love you' after about two weeks after they met... and my reaction was something like, "No! Don't ruin the book with insta-love! PLEASE NNOOOOOOO!" Though, I didn't really mind that much after that brief though because the author did write about their relationship extremely well and it was like the two had known each other for years. Pace also made the book a little more exciting, and I fell in love with his funny and optimistic personality.

Ashes of Twilight is not a book that you should miss if you love the steam punk genre, and if you haven't read a steam pink novel before then you better start with this book! I'm anxiously awaiting the sequel because the book ended with such a cliffhanger. July 2013, come soon!
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May 05, 2013 Cindy Holby rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: by-me, young-adult

According to Huffington Post, Ashes of Twilight is a likely successor to Hunger Games. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-pa...

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Jan 06, 2013 Rayann rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: steampunk

This book was a huge disappointment. I quite liked The City of Ember and was looking to see how this one compared (with the similar premise, how could I not compare them both). Unfortunately, the book fell flat and was a total bore. I had to practically force myself to finish it and that was with skipping ~~a few~~ a lot of paragraphs every now and then.

The writing felt choppy to me, and there wasn't a smoothness or a flow to it. I'm not saying that I could do any better, it's just that I've read wo...more This book was a huge disappointment. I quite liked The City of Ember and was looking to see how this one compared (with the similar premise, how could I not compare them both). Unfortunately, the book fell flat and was a total bore. I had to practically force myself to finish it and that was with skipping ~~a few~~ a lot of paragraphs every now and then.

The writing felt choppy to me, and there wasn't a smoothness or a flow to it. I'm not saying that I could do any better, it's just that I've read works written better. Much better. The writing wasn't engaging, and neither were the characters. Most of the characters lacked depth and I wasn't invested in any of them. I could care less if they all died, really.

I felt that Wren was monologuing too much. Usually, I love novels written in first person since we get to see into the mind of the individual and focus on their thoughts but in this case, it became very tiring after one or two chapters. She tends to overexplain everything. In one scene, she pointed at a bruised eye and said some slang word so it was pretty obvious what she meant. But no, she /had/ to be explain what it meant. We get it, Wren, we get it. There's a lot of telling but not showing. I'd really love to have scene how the environment was not only for the shiners but also the different people above. All I got was Wren telling us that the royals are special, and everyone else serves them, blah blah blah. The same thing over and over and over again. She also seems to think that everything revolves around her.

I had problems with the plot too, since everything was pretty much predictable down to who her father was. I didn't feel any excitement at all while reading the scenes with a little more action. Plus the love story? Too generic and superficial.

The only thing I like is the cover. Overall, I do not recommend this one to anyone. If you've picked this up but feel like abandoning it through the first few pages, I encourage you to do so. It does not get better, I'm afraid. (less)

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Dec 30, 2012 Tiff rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia, ya

WELL, I liked this book until the bit when Wren forgives the man who sexually and verbally harassed her like it was just a minor inconvenience. WHAT. Before that it was pretty alright.

But honestly, WHAT. Early in the book Wren is forced into some uncomfortable sexy encounters with her sort-of-childhood-friend-husband-to-be-ish and it's super uncomfortable. It's straight up harassment with Wren saying she doesn't want it and he's all like 'you so do, what is wrong with you for not liking this?' w...more

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Dec 25, 2012 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

I couldn't put this book down once I started it. I was afraid it was going to be like Hunger Games, though there were similarities it was completely different. It was also one of those books where I didn't realize it was a young adult book until much later.

I can only describe this novel as a Post-apocalyptic steampunk, overthrow the current government for the happiness and well being of all kind of novel. The main character is a 16 year old girl named Wren who inadvertently starts a revolution....more

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Dec 16, 2012 Gail rated it 4 of 5 stars

I don't know why I like stories that describe our society in a time when it is not functioning like what we live in now. They often give me a glimpse of what life might be like and I find myself wondering if I could cope in that kind of a life. I enjoyed The City of Ember because of how interesting it was to me to know how people began to rebuild their life--without the knowledge or supplies we are used to. This book is set in a time when people built a dome to protect the people from fire as th...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Valen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ashes of Twilight by Kassy Taylor is half environmental commentary, half dystopian thriller and entirely good! Wren was a good protag who I enjoyed for the most part. I did not like her romance storyline that much because I felt it all happened way too quickly. After a couple dozen pages or so, maybe even less, Alex and Wren are already proclaiming their love for one another and I just did not buy it. I guess love at first sight does exist, but when sooooooooooooooo many YA books have that eleme...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Jeremy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: wish-it-was-better

This book started out good. I was interested in the world that Wren was trapped in. A dome that was built to make sure that everyone inside would not burn from the fires brought forth from a meteoroid a hundred years ago is actually a prison for the main character. She dreams of the outside world, and it suddenly comes to a head when Wren's friend, Alex runs to escape the dome but is brought back burnt and repeating the words; "The sky is blue."

Possessed by these words, Wren is pulled into a ra...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 4 of 5 stars

here is something about not being able to step out into a world that is lost. Why can't you go outside the wall? What's out there that is so scary? And why is the sky....blue?

Dude! Totally loved this story. From the very first paragraph I'm wanting to explore the possibility of going outside the dome. The plot keeps my feet tightly in the story, never wavering or leaving me behind. I love that it felt so easy for me to read and love. Each chapter the burning phrase," the sky is blue" made me wan...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Emily rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, steampunk, science-fiction, goodreads-giveaway

I'm not angry, just disappointed. I would have been angry if I had spent more time on it - as it was, I quit after about 10 minutes of reading. My initial thoughts were that the narrator (Wren? See, I didn't even get far enough to know her name for sure...) was annoying - speaking way too 'educated' and precisely and properly for someone was was supposed to be a lower class worker. Also, she was questioning and criticizing her society so immediately, it didn't give me a chance to see what the wo...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4review, audiobook, fun, interesting

I grew up with Logan’s Run, first the movie and then the series. There were many things I liked about them, including the characters’ needs to live beyond their assigned roles and years. Ashes of Twilight captures that same feel, but without being a duplicate of this classic. Kassy Tayler leads us into her world, bit by bit through Wren’s eyes. Indeed, this was one of the things I enjoyed about the writing: the story showed me Wren’s world instead of telling it to me. The intensity and action we...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Alex Gardieff rated it 4 of 5 stars

It has been quite sometime since I was absorbed by a book so much. I found myself reading through it non-stop for a solid day. The book combines elements from both Dystopian and Steampunk genres, the storyline and setting are very similar to City of Ember if you have ever read that book, it just feels more developed and more involved than Ember did. Wren is a nicely developed character and someone that you actually care about and I think that's the main reason it turned into a page turner for me...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Darlene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-ya-audiobook-challenge, audiobook, books-given-for-review, 2012-sophomore-reading-challenge

I loved this YA dystopian novel!

This story is told in the first-person from the perspective of Wren MacAvoy, a 16 year-old girl who works as a “shiner” so named because of the silver cast to a shiner's eyes which glow in the dark like a cat’s eyes. Like Wren and many others before her, she knows only of life inside the dome which was erected before a comet crashed down to Earth and engulfed the world in flames. The residents fall into two classes: Royalty and everyone else. The lower classes exi...more I loved this YA dystopian novel!

This story is told in the first-person from the perspective of Wren MacAvoy, a 16 year-old girl who works as a “shiner” so named because of the silver cast to a shiner's eyes which glow in the dark like a cat’s eyes. Like Wren and many others before her, she knows only of life inside the dome which was erected before a comet crashed down to Earth and engulfed the world in flames. The residents fall into two classes: Royalty and everyone else. The lower classes exist to serve the royals. Everything is chosen for the people: Their jobs, where they live, and when they marry. The city under the dome is small, and there is a limited amount of space. People cannot marry until there is a place for them, so a new household cannot be established until someone dies so that a home is freed up.

Wren, like all shiners, lives in an underground cavern. She never knew her mother, who died in childbirth. All Wren knows about her father is that he lives above ground. Her mother never told anyone who he was. Wren has been raised by her maternal grandfather, who is the oldest of the shiners. She felt that she was always treated as an outsider by the other shiners because her father was not a shiner. One boy, Alex, always made an effort to include Wren and they have always been close friends.

Without the shiners, life inside the dome would not exist. They are responsible for tunnelling underground to find coal mines. The coal fuels the steam-powered engines which turn the large fans that circulate the air. Due to the nature of their work, the shiners do not have a very long lifespan. Most die by age 50 of black lung, which slowly and painfully suffocates them.

Wren works the night-shift in the mines. At daybreak when her work ends, she goes above-ground and climbs up to the rooftops where she watches the sun rise each day. Shiners are not typically permitted to go above ground, so she has to be careful not to be seen. Most people wear goggles above ground to protect their eyes from the smoke, which helps her to hide her identity. Sometimes, she swears that she sees shadows outside the dome, which does not make sense because they have always been told that there is nothing but flames outside.

What the Royals do not realize is that the shiners are running out of coal. They have not found any new coal deposits in a long time, and the fans have to work harder to clear the air.

There are some people, called Seekers, who believe that there is a world outside of the dome – and not one engulfed in flames. When one of the shiners escapes from the dome, his charred body is brought back inside as a warning to everyone what will happen should they try to run. Before the victim dies, he tells Wren, “The sky is blue!” which makes no sense at all! How can the sky be blue if the earth is covered in flames?

I was really captivated by Tayler’s prose. Her world-building is phenomenal! Wren is a very introspective girl, and I feel as though I really got to know her and could relate to her. Her pensiveness gives this book an almost literary feel. What I found most interesting was the vast difference in what Wren thought of herself as compared to how others perceived her. It is funny how we can be so wrong about ourselves! Although Wren appears to have fallen quickly for her beau, Pace, it is understandable given the circumstances. They are thrown together and must trust and depend on one another to survive, so that naturally paves the way for stronger emotions to develop.

I cannot wait to read the next in the trilogy, Shadows of Glass, which is expected to be released in July 2013.

Nicola Barber's narration was impeccable. She was perfectly suited for the voice of Wren, and she made a great novel even better! She was flawless - pure ear candy!

I received this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own. (less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Julie Barrett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ashes of Twilight by Kassy Tayler
Wren is a shiner and her grandfather takes care of her under the dome, under the sewers. The shiners work in the coal mines.
The bluecoats are the guards up in the dome that won't allow anybody to leave. Alex left once and they returned him and burnt him til he died. He did say 'the sky is blue' when Wren saw him.
Pace followed her and now they are both wanted. They share that they each lost a good friend and are now trying to survive and talk about outside the dom...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I recently discovered the book giveaways here, so you can probably imagine my surprise and delight when I received an email saying I won this book! A free book through Goodreads First Reads! Yay! The package arrived about a few weeks later, which I eagerly ripped open to take a look. When I flipped the book over to the back, I discovered it was in the Young Adult genre. Oh boy. I'm in my 30's. The only YA books I've read over the past 10 years is Harry Potter & The Hunger Games. But, hey, I'...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Sabrina Jennings rated it 5 of 5 stars

Listened to the audio version- great narrator!

Reminded me somewhat of the Hunger Games, not in the plot, but in the feel of it- Dystopian society, a controlling government with secrets, young female heroine who is strong, tough and watches out for the people she cares about, love interest, and strict social class separation

I thought the characters were very real. For example, Pace is a cute, strong young guy, but he's also scared of dark enclosed spaces and cares about his mama.

I hope that th...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Ashes of Twilight started out interesting enough. I liked that I could immediately get the sense of this strange, domed world where the royalty was catered to and all aspects of life inside the dome were to benefit them. The concept was interesting and, other than the prison like area of the Hunger Games, I had not read anything similar. The argument can be made that this is not an original concept but it is still one I found interesting even if there are already similar stories. I liked the de...more Ashes of Twilight started out interesting enough. I liked that I could immediately get the sense of this strange, domed world where the royalty was catered to and all aspects of life inside the dome were to benefit them. The concept was interesting and, other than the prison like area of the Hunger Games, I had not read anything similar. The argument can be made that this is not an original concept but it is still one I found interesting even if there are already similar stories. I liked the descriptions of shadows passing over the dome and being able to “see the sunrise”. It just made me wonder, “What’s out there?” It left me wanting to know more just like Wren and Alex and Pace, to seek a world where they could have a free life and opportunity.

Another thing I liked about this book is the description of emotion. I could sense the danger and unfairness of life for Wren and those like her. The author did a great job of describing the action scenes. My heart raced as I sprinted through the dome with Wren to escape from the Filchers and the Blue Coats. I could often feel anger and resentment bubbling within me. The only emotion I could not really understand was the connection and super quick love that Wren develops for Pace. One day she is being chased by Pace and escaping with her life and the next she is saving Pace and bringing him to the below ground life of the Shiners and is basically in love with him. Confusing, at least for me.

The final thing that stood out to me in this story was the character Pace. I felt that he was well developed. I liked learning more about his life along with Wren. I liked the depth that came from those moments and the feeling like he knew more than we were let on to. I liked his joke cracking, his blue eyes, and his devotion to Wren (even if it seemed unlikely that such devotion could develop of the very fast paced course of a few days). Pace was brave and kind. He was a character that I wanted to know more about.

So, what didn't I like? Firstly, the flow of the story and the rushed ending. It’s possible I missed something here but I’m fairly certain this entire story took place in less than a week. It seemed unlikely to me that Wren would fall so completely for Pace in such a short time and that she would become the kind of “revolutionary” leader that she did in that time. I just felt that it was all very rushed. The last few chapters were incredibly rushed with lots of action right up until the end and then, it was just done.

Secondly, I didn't like the cliffhanger ending. I won’t say exactly what that is in case you haven’t read it but it just didn't cut it for me. It was like action, action, action, mystery and intrigue, then end and it made me want to scream “SERIOUSLY!?” except I didn't because I would have woken up my entire house.

Lastly, the only other thing that kind of bugged me was some awkward descriptions of physical romance. Come on, it’s a book targeted for teens. While they’re probably no stranger to such things, I feel it was unnecessary to this story to kind of make things sexual for the sake of being sexual. The characters are teens, a good writer could portray that tension without the blatant mention of, ahem, certain parts that Wren could feel. Awkward. Unnecessary.

Overall, this book wasn't too bad. I gave it 2 stars because, really, to me this book was just okay. It was a mostly entertaining read but I just felt that it was too rushed and there wasn't a whole lot of closure to the book.
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Apr 18, 2013 Mai marked it as avail-sj

The City of Ember 2.0?

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Jan 31, 2013 Jenea Whittington rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own

The premise sounded exciting with a dystopian world that has a social caste system in place. Growing up, the children are taught that the world outside the dome is an inferno. The clues found along the way suggest something completely different.
Wren, the main character is strong and defiant. She is what they call a Shiner, they live in the tunnels below the city. It is dark, claustrophobic and not an environment for a young girl to be brought up in. But none the less this is the world they live...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

**Possible Spoilers**

I had been eying this novel for a while after it was published, so whenI received it as a Christmas present, I was extremely happy.

Ashes of Twilight was different from a lot of dystopian / steampunk novels that I've read. While it had some of the same elements as other novels, the novel put a bit of a spin on things.

For over 200 years, people have lived in an underground world, known as the Dome. A comet had crashed into Earth and destroyed everything with fire. The people...more **Possible Spoilers**

I had been eying this novel for a while after it was published, so whenI received it as a Christmas present, I was extremely happy.

Ashes of Twilight was different from a lot of dystopian / steampunk novels that I've read. While it had some of the same elements as other novels, the novel put a bit of a spin on things.

For over 200 years, people have lived in an underground world, known as the Dome. A comet had crashed into Earth and destroyed everything with fire. The people believe that outside the dome, the Earth in consumed by fire and therefore inhabitable. Everything that happens is there life is chosen for them, the inhabitants have very few choices of there own. Wren is a part of the lower class group of people, known as the "shiner". They live in underground cavern below the rest of the inhabitants. It is there job to mine for coal and serve the upper class royal. One day, a friend of Wren's escapes from the dome and learns the truth about the outside world. He is killed because of what he knows. His death help to spark a revolution, with Wren at the forefront.

I was actually able to connect with the characters in this novel. There is great characterization and you learn so much about the characters. Wren has had to deal with the circumstances of her birth and I felt that it help to mold her into a strong lead character. She stands up for what she believe and doesn't back down for anyone. Pace lives above and witnessed what happened to Wren's friend. He protect Wren, while at the same time she's is protecting him.

The world building in Ashes of Twilight is phenomenal. The descriptions of the world are so vivid and life-like the a could easily visualize what I was reading. At times, it felt like I was in the novel.

The romance aspect of this novel wasn't the best, but I still enjoyed it and it added to the novel. While I am not a fan of insta-love by any means, it sort of felt necessary for this novel, in my opinion. The characters don't have a lot of time play around with their relationship, so perhaps insta-love was the right thing for this novel. Wren has finally found someone that accepts her and who isn't worried about her bloodline. So, with this novel, I liked the romance and I felt that it didn't add any distractions to the novel.

However, I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed. The whole novel leads up to it and then it ends. For me, it left many questions unanswered. Still, it does answer some and the novel does finish nicely, leave an opening for the next novel to pick up on.

I loved the cover of this novel. It is what initially drew me to this novel. At first, I didn't understand it's relation to the book, but after reading the novel, I have to say that the cover ties in wonderfully.

All-in-all, this was a great book and I really enjoyed reading it. If you are a fan of dystopian and steampunk novel, I recommend this book to you. Perhaps you will enjoy it, too. (less)

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Jan 02, 2013 Joy (joyous reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

The sky is blue.

Four simple words that would be a catalyst to the revolution that Wren MacAvoy would spearhead. In this book about a dystopian world where a caste social system is in place, a world where people live their lives ruled by a military faction and royals where the privileged few who never had to work a day in their lives, Wren has chosen to live a solitary life. Even surrounded by friends, she doesn't let anyone come close. But when Alex, the one person in her life who made sure she...more The sky is blue.

Four simple words that would be a catalyst to the revolution that Wren MacAvoy would spearhead. In this book about a dystopian world where a caste social system is in place, a world where people live their lives ruled by a military faction and royals where the privileged few who never had to work a day in their lives, Wren has chosen to live a solitary life. Even surrounded by friends, she doesn't let anyone come close. But when Alex, the one person in her life who made sure she was accepted, died in her arms, she would come face-to-face with the dangers of going against the "bluecoats"and trusting one of them to aid in her cause for freedom. Nuggets of doubt would be planted in her mind, specs of restlessness and discontent in living in a claustrophobic dome would bloom inside her as she realizes that Alex made it outside.

The knowledge that the world outside the dome is an inferno has been instilled in them since the beginning of time. But one by one, pieces of clues unfold leading into a discovery that everything isn't what they seem.

At a time when dystopian novels seem to be a dime a dozen, Ashes of Twilight had to work extra hard to distance itself from the rest. I needed to see Wren's world as exactly how she lived it: dark, oppressive, violent - ruled with an iron fist. There's always an extra degree of emotion when you put the characters in difficult situations and the author wrote the exact ambiance flawlessly. I remember watching a movie about Loretta Lynn; aptly dubbed, The Coal Miner's Daughter. In some aspects, this book was exactly how that movie was. Wherein no amount of washing would get rid of the soot under the characters' fingernails or how futile it was to shut off the coughing sound of someone who has a black lung. But it wasn't just the mine where it showed how efficient Tayler was in creating the visceral world in her book. Even the world above where confined apartments were built like tombs against the walls of boulders surrounding the dome. The rivers running underneath the dome and the over-all feeling that the walls would close in on you in a blink of an eye.

Tayler was also very proficient in not giving too much away. In some cases, I found myself questioning why no one would clue in and follow Wren during one of her disappearing acts. I mean if she's got a target on her back, wouldn't anyone want to keep a close eye on her comings and goings? There is an underlying hint that when it comes down to it, no one really cared where ever Wren chooses to go. It made for a suspenseful read anyway: the thought that anyone could follow her in the caves and discover what or who she was hiding. I, myself was at the edge of my seat every time she goes and disappears.

One thing that I've enjoyed with this book as well was the romance between Pace and Wren. I must admit that I've always been on the fence when it comes to love stories in a dystopian setting. After all, how could anyone choose that time to fall in love when the circumstances were dire? Some may say their romance developed fast but theirs didn't feel forced or awkward to me or that it happened instantly. I think the author just did an awesome job at convincing me, that's all. The desperation between the two certainly added to short time it took for the propinquity of their relationship.

The characters were written well. Wren is easily one of those heroines who never had to answer to anybody but herself. She may sound a bit defeatist in the beginning but she'll change your mind once she starts assuming the role she was to play in the revolution.

If I had any qualms about this book, I've got to say it's the amount of questions Wren had to ask on numerous occasions. The paragraphs were littered with them. It frustrated me at times. As well, the author took a lot of time in the romance rather than actually looking for the doorway outside. I mean, if the focus of the story was the fact that one of the characters perished in search of a way outside the dome, you would think that the major characters would actually be doing exactly that and spend less time...canoodling.

Despite my problems, I still enjoyed this book. The ending paved the way for the instalment that has me impatiently and eagerly waiting. Ashes of Twilight is a white-knuckle read that will have your heart on a steady, albeit quick pace.(less)

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Mar 16, 2013 Barbara Sheppard rated it 5 of 5 stars

For me this book was a page turner...very hard to put down. Maybe because it is a teen book but it did not seem to get bogged down with dialogue. The author kept the story moving and did a good job of developing the characters and their relationships. I found the ending to be a bit abrupt but that might be because I wanted more.
I seem to be drawn to the dystopian novels. I guess I envy the author for having such an imagination.
Wren MacAvoy works in a coal mine in a domed city that was built to p...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Courtney (Fuzzy.Coffee.Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

What I Liked: 1) Wren. I always like defiant heroines, and she is defiant from the very beginning. Even when we first meet her she is breaking one of the cardinal rules of her world. She's very strong in that she knows not to just accept what is expected of her, because there is something better out there. 2) I liked Pace a lot. It's hard not to like this guy. He kind of reminds me of a puppy dog. He's a little helpless when he is in Wren's world, but he's got a lot of strength to him t...more 3.5 stars

What I Liked: 1) Wren. I always like defiant heroines, and she is defiant from the very beginning. Even when we first meet her she is breaking one of the cardinal rules of her world. She's very strong in that she knows not to just accept what is expected of her, because there is something better out there. 2) I liked Pace a lot. It's hard not to like this guy. He kind of reminds me of a puppy dog. He's a little helpless when he is in Wren's world, but he's got a lot of strength to him too. Especially when they are "above." 3) "The Sky Is Blue." This is the mantra that seems to keep Wren and her friends going after Alex's death. There is something so simple in that phrase, yet when you are in the book, it's very powerful. I love how it brought everything together and became such an important piece of the story. 4) Two worlds. There are two very distinct worlds within this book. There is that of the shiners, who live below in the tunnels, and that of the people who live above. Author Kassy Tayler did a very good job in making this two places so different, yet showing both the reader and the characters how the spirit of the people can be the same. I thought this was one of the best parts of the story.

What I Didn't Like: Just a few little things here and there: there are some things about Wren that I didn't understand. She is a Shiner, which is someone who lives underground and mines for coal. And there is a very obvious physical distinction between the shiners and other people, that had to do with their eyes. I don't know if maybe my imagination just wasn't working properly, but I can't figure out what that was supposed to be. I know it's supposed to be there, but I had a hard time visualizing it and that really messes me up when I'm reading. Also, there was an unnecessary death that made me quite angry. This isn't so much a complaint about the writing of the story, but I just can't believe she did that to her characters.

Overall Thoughts: Steampunk meets Dystopia in this new YA from author Cindy Holby (pen name, Kassy Tayler). I'm not the biggest steampunk fan, but the dystopian side of the story appealed to me. Heroine Wren takes a Katniss-esque step into the spotlight when she unwillingly becomes the leader of a band of "Seekers" who aim to learn the truth about the world outside the dome. Between the characters and the plot, there is a lot to enjoy about Ashes of Twilight. I had a hard time connecting with some of the details, and it made the visualization a little difficult, but other that I think Ashes of Twilight was an interesting story that will intrigue fans of the steampunk genre.(less)

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Sep 20, 2012 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book through a first reads giveaway, thank you!

From the second I started this book I could not put it down! I absolutely loved the premise (dystopian seems to be my favorite genre lately). I noticed a couple of other people mentioning it being similar to The City of Ember, but I have not read that book so this whole idea was new to me.

I was very impressed with the main character (Wren). She's definitely a character I would want my children reading about and looking up to. She did...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Stefanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: freado, dystopia

Ashes of Twilight is reminiscent of the book City of Ember, it takes place underground when it's believed that the world above is burning in massive fires because of a cataclysmic asteroid, or comet or something crashed into the Earth and the only way to survive was to go underground and preserve the Royal bloodlines for the future. Wren MacAvoy is the main character, she's a sixteen year old girl who works as a miner to mine for coal to keep the fans going so that the more privileged "royals" t...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Terri rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wish that there were half-stars in this rating system especially for books like this one, so that I could rate it 3 1/2 stars. I really did enjoy it; I thought that Kassy Tayler's world building was phenomenal, the character development, in my opinion, not so much.

The premise is intriguing- it takes place in Wales in the not-so-distant future (I did the mental math & am thinking approximately the year 2078). Everyone in Wren's world lives in a dome that was built in the late 1900s to prote...more I wish that there were half-stars in this rating system especially for books like this one, so that I could rate it 3 1/2 stars. I really did enjoy it; I thought that Kassy Tayler's world building was phenomenal, the character development, in my opinion, not so much.

The premise is intriguing- it takes place in Wales in the not-so-distant future (I did the mental math & am thinking approximately the year 2078). Everyone in Wren's world lives in a dome that was built in the late 1900s to protect the citizens from fire and certain death that would come from a comet that was approaching Earth. But, it's many years later & nobody's making any attempt to see what the world is like outside the dome, much to Wren's chagrin. The world of the dome is split into the haves & the have-nots, the Royals being the haves, of course. It's the destiny of all of those who live in the dome, above or below ground, to serve the Royals; to make sure that the blood line is preserved, to make sure that they live in luxury while the rest of the dome's citizens have to fight for what is left over. There is yet another split in the social hierarchy with the separation of those who live above ground and serve the Royals & those who live below ground mining the coal that powers the entire dome, but ultimately still serve the Royals.

The people of Wren's underground community are referred to as "Shiners" because of the unusual way that their eyes shine from being underground and taking care of the coal supply for all of these years. They are definitely treated as if they're worth nothing by those who live above. Their future consists of mining coal until they die of black lung; it's a future that's inevitable, so it has just been accepted by pretty much everyone...except Wren, of course!

Wren wants to see the light outside the dome so badly; the yearning is almost painful. She sneaks above ground every morning after her overnight shift to watch the sun rise through the top of the dome. This is a huge risk as Shiners really aren't wanted above ground & are normally shooed away by shopkeepers or the Bluecoats (police). Let's not forget the Filchers, a vigilante operation filled with derelicts; the worst of the worst that the dome's society has produced. Wren is petrified of the filchers.

Regarding the relationship building, I just feel like Wren & Pace are thrown together under some bizarre and terrifying circumstances, which to me leaves a lot of potential for development & growth. But, I feel that their relationship was rushed by the author; I guess it was just difficult for me to buy into how quickly the relationship developed; how deep their feelings for each other ran after only 2-3 days. I guess it's possible, maybe I'm just Nancy negative here, lol.

Like I said, I wish that there were half-stars available because I would give this one 3 1/2 stars rather than just 3. All in all I enjoyed the story and I will definitely be reading the next installment!(less)

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Feb 08, 2013 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: finishedreviewcopy, yabc-reviews

Having seen a couple of uninspiring reviews for Ashes of Twilight, I did not have high hopes for my own enjoyment of the novel. However, when a review copy comes, you do what you have to do. Thankfully, I enjoyed this more than my compatriots did, finding it an easy, enjoyable read.

The best part of Ashes of Twilight is the writing. Tayler's style suited me well, with pretty sentences and just enough slang that I guessed the book was set in England. By the end of the book, I marked down several q...more Having seen a couple of uninspiring reviews for Ashes of Twilight, I did not have high hopes for my own enjoyment of the novel. However, when a review copy comes, you do what you have to do. Thankfully, I enjoyed this more than my compatriots did, finding it an easy, enjoyable read.

The best part of Ashes of Twilight is the writing. Tayler's style suited me well, with pretty sentences and just enough slang that I guessed the book was set in England. By the end of the book, I marked down several quotes I enjoyed. Tayler has a mature writing style, with no abuse of sentence fragments.

Wren MacAvoy wants more out of life. Born a shiner, she climbs out of the mines every day into the more dangerous reaches of her domed world to speculate on what's above. The rulers say that flames fill the world outside, making the dome a necessity, but she does not think she sees flames out there. Wren is a seeker, curious and unwilling to settle for anything, most especially a life she's been told to live and a boy she's been told to marry.

The characters that stole the show were the animals. I just love adorable animals with tons of personality in my fiction, and Tayler included bunches. Even better, none of them die, which there has been altogether to much of in my recent reads. Tayler kills people instead. Cat, a cleverly named cat, is my personal favorite. Pip, a canary, also warms my heart. So do the ponies with whom Wren works in the mines, who would not have survived without her aid. I love Wren and Pace for taking such good care of them, and I love Tayler for not putting animals in just to kill them off tragically.

While I did enjoy Ashes of Twilight, I really wish there had been more to it, something unique. None of the elements herein were unfamiliar to me: the dome, the class hierarchy punishing to those on the bottom-most rungs, the terrible air quality, the mining, the instalove, the abusive guy who wants to marry Wren, the twist regarding Wren's father, or the plot arc. All of this I have read in other dystopian novels, not all together like this, but I would still hope to see something solely of Tayler's creation. I have read a lot of dystopian novels, however, so this might not be an issue for readers without so much knowledge of the genre.

One element which should have been better handled is the inclusion of the biblical references. For whatever reason, the shiners only have one book, The Bible. As such, Wren references scripture a lot, as she does in the first sentence. I never really could see a point made with this. The references come thick and fast at the beginning of the novel, but drop off significantly towards the end, without seeming to impact the plot. These should either have served a plot purpose or be taken out entirely. They were not preachy particularly, just out of place.

The most worrying aspect of Ashes of Twilight is Wren's tendency to exhibit TSTL syndrome. As I mentioned, the guy she was supposed to marry, James is abusive. In one of the first scenes, he tries to force himself on her. She is, rightly, uncomfortable around him for the rest of the book. However, she also tells him multiple times that he is a great guy who will make some other girl very happy. No, Wren, he's actually not a great guy, and this makes me doubt your sanity. Can we please stop this trend of pretending that attempted rapists are the kinds of guys any girl should want? They're not. End of story.

Ashes of Twilight does have rather a slow pace, but, if you do not mind that, you might enjoy this book. Tayler's debut might work better for those without too much familiarity with the dystopian genre.(less)

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Mar 19, 2013 Brittany added it

Shelves: arc-own, young-adult

Devon is at Keaton School on a scholarship, so she has a hard time fitting in with the kids there. She manages to find a few friends and get by. For her junior year she decides to be a peer counselor (the only one), which is now a needed position since a student, Hutch, killed himself. Devon is a bit thrown by this, because she has to lend support to the people who cared about him, and she is secretly one of those people too. Based on what she hears while counseling, Devon begins to wonder if Hu...more Devon is at Keaton School on a scholarship, so she has a hard time fitting in with the kids there. She manages to find a few friends and get by. For her junior year she decides to be a peer counselor (the only one), which is now a needed position since a student, Hutch, killed himself. Devon is a bit thrown by this, because she has to lend support to the people who cared about him, and she is secretly one of those people too. Based on what she hears while counseling, Devon begins to wonder if Hutch even did take his own life or if it was something more sinister than that. Hutch committing suicide doesn't fit with who she knew, and it doesn't seem to fit the Hutch others knew either. Devon decides it's up to her to figure out what is really going on.

So the first thing that seemed strange to me is the obituary in the beginning of this novel. It mentions that Hutch committed suicide. Usual in obituaries they tend to avoid mentioning cause of death in that case and it seems especially strange since Hutch's parents are high profile people.

The mystery part of the story was pretty good. It kept me guessing, because the evidence only narrowed down some subjects. There were so many factors and that made it a bit trickier to pinpoint what happened. Some things were kept a "mystery" for too long though, and it made Devon seem a bit incompetent.

Also Grant was such a weird guy. I just wasn't sure what was going on with him. What roll did he play? Did he actually like Devon at all? She mentioned them being friends for a while. It seems strange not knowing the relationships between Devon and most of the other characters. Like, really, one night with a kid two years ago and you think you are connected on some super deep level even thought you didn't (maybe) talk at all for the next two years. Like what the hell!? Why didn't Devon and Hutch just hang out? Why weren't they at least friends? What is going on there? Why does Devon have all these sort of friends and no backstory or anything? Why should we care about Hutch? Devon seemed like an okay character. Sort of a Bitch though. A little crazy maybe? Most people in this novel seemed a bit crazy though. Hutch started to be fleshed out as some sort of Charlie Bartlett type.

There was too much that just didn't make sense. There were totally obvious things that Devon couldn't put together and I don't understand how friendship works apparently and why if you really liked the company of someone you would just not speak to them.

I didn't hate reading this book, but I wished that it made a bit more sense. I just had a hard time making connections because nothing seemed to be connected. People came in and out of the story with little more than a name introduction. It was just strange. I will probably read her next book, and hope that the relationships are worked out and explained a bit better.

First Line:
"Jason Reed Hutchins 1996-2012
Jason Reed Hutchins, 16, of Marin County, died Wednesday, September 5th, 2012, of an apparent suicide at the Keaton school in Santa Cruz, California."

Favorite Line:
"He finished and looked to Devon with that crooked smile of his. She now understood that this is the face Hutch made when he was proud of himself."

Read more: http://www.areadingnook.com/#ixzz2NzR...(less)

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