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Ashes on the Waves

Mary Lindsey (Goodreads Author)

3.79 · Rating details · 1,085 ratings · 202 reviews

Liam MacGregor is cursed. Haunted by the wails of fantastical Bean Sidhes and labeled a demon by the villagers of Dòchas, Liam has accepted that things will never get better for him—until a wealthy heiress named Annabel Leighton arrives on the island and Liam’s fate is changed forever.

With Anna, Liam finally finds the happiness he has always been denied; but, the violent, ...more

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Hardcover, 373 pages

Published June 27th 2013 by Philomel/Penguin

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Aug 15, 2012 Mary Lindsey added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: stand-alone, young-adult, philomel, penguin, gothic, celtic

Writing this book was an honor and delight. I am so grateful for the opportunity. Thank you to everyone who has given me support along the way.

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Dec 05, 2012 Sarah Elizabeth rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, as, romance, read-2015, read-with-abbie, young-adult, paranormal

“Love is the only thing that lasts forever.”

This was one of those books which when I tried to read it, it really irritated me, but when I tried listening to it instead, I actually quite liked it.

Anna was a bit of a b*tch at the start of this book, but it was nice to see how she grew over the course of the story. I found it quite difficult to really connect with Liam, and I can’t say I really felt all that much for him, I preferred Anna.

The storyline in this was a little strange, and it was ...more

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May 13, 2013 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it it was ok

Shelves: beta-male, alternate-retelling, to-read-released, girly-guy, high-school, why-do-i-hate-myself, boring-main-character, ya, romance, magic

"I wept for my own condition. My loneliness. My misery. Myself."

Ye gods, so much emo here.

This book starts off with a text of Edgar Allan Poe's beloved poem, Annabel Lee. I am a proud, card-bearing member of the Edgar Allan Poe bandwagon. I absolutely love his writing, particularly his poetry, and Annabel Lee is among my favorite poem among his wide repertoire. The premise of the story being based on the poem suckered me in. And I mean, suckered, since this book is a hot mess with a microscopic ...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Giselle rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, own

"He's cursed. He's human flesh worn by a demon."

A fantastically atmospheric Gothic novel, Ashes on the Waves is based on an eerie Edgar Allan Poe poem - which is really all you need to know, right?

In a way, this novel reminded me a little of Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz. It's set on a secluded island where people live in the old ways without much as far as laws and structure goes. There is also paranormal presence that makes the island unique, and a little chilling. Like in Teeth, you will need "He's cursed. He's human flesh worn by a demon."

A fantastically atmospheric Gothic novel, Ashes on the Waves is based on an eerie Edgar Allan Poe poem - which is really all you need to know, right?

In a way, this novel reminded me a little of Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz. It's set on a secluded island where people live in the old ways without much as far as laws and structure goes. There is also paranormal presence that makes the island unique, and a little chilling. Like in Teeth, you will need to go into this with an open mind as the novel is not considered a paranormal, but a Gothic story. Meaning the paranormal aspects are not examined in detail as far as their history or any kind of explanation behind them. They're merely a part of the story, and you just have to accept it.

Unexpected because of the cover, we get a male protagonist for this story. Crippled with the use of only one arm and said to have a demon possessing him, Liam is, for good reason, a lost, lonely soul on this island. Having not had much as far as friends or any social contact, he's inexperienced and a little naive. When Anna, his childhood crush, comes back to the island he's feeling overwhelmed with emotion. Ashes on the Waves is a love story through and through. It's romantic and powerful, unmistakably classic true love. Though can their love survive the meddling of the paranormal? I thought this premise was fantastically imagined and does a number on our hearts, but I did find the meddling - creatures trying to sever their love - could have been executed better. I was hoping for more elaborate schemes that would make my heart pound with hopeless fear that they wouldn't get through it, instead the plans were mostly done without us really knowing what they were until after the fact. As they progressed I started feeling irritated that they were grasping at straws and going through such lengths without (known to me) reason. I think if I had understood the creatures better it would have helped; the poem talks of envy, but I still feel I didn't have a strong grasp on them and their motives. As for Anna and Liam, I'm not sure why they didn't scrutinize (and suspect) Ronan much more as well, but I excuse some of it because of Liam's pure innocence. Regardless, I did find the love story hauntingly beautiful.

The atmosphere is what I loved the most about Ashes on the Waves. The secluded antiquated island is extremely vivid and especially creepy. I could feel the isolation and mystical aura the island was exerting. I could picture everything so very clearly as if I was the one walking the woods, hearing the cries of the Bean Sidhe shrieking in my ears. This is a place where residents get away with murder, burn their dead on pyres, and seek revenge in the most inhumane of ways. I got chills only thinking of what could be in store for Liam who's hated, even feared, by most of them. Unsurprisingly, there are some great mysteries to go along with the already creepy setting. First there's the creepiest of all - Mrs Ronan. This woman makes me want to cower in a corner and cry. She's terrifying! And she obviously has something up her sleeve with her strange going abouts. The second is the mystery of Liam himself. After his birth, his mother was found not only dead but torn apart as if Liam clawed himself out of her. Yikes!

Ashes in the Waves is for fans of tragic love stories. It's heart-wrenchingly unjust, but also beautiful in its cruel perfection.

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

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

...more

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Mar 24, 2017 Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya-ya-land, pnr-uf, doth-the-goth

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Remember when TWILIGHT was at the height of its popularity, and people began opening up Wikipedia to search for paranormal creatures to have fall in love with some ditzy teenage girl so they could write the Next Big YA Paranormal Romance, too? Yeah. I think we all remember the "girls in prom dresses" period of YA fiction. Those were dark times, my friends. Dark, dark times.

I feel like ASHES ON THE WAVES is definitely influenced by TWILIG ...more

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Jan 01, 2012 hayden marked it as to-read

My <3 for Mary Lindsey + my <3 for Edgar Allan Poe + my <3 for retellings = OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGTHISBOOKISGOINGTOBEAMAZING.

...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Joie marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2013-want-to-read, gothic

Edit: 10/19/12

That. Cover.

description

1/06/12
description

Y U NO HAVE COVER YET?!?! ...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Rachel rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

Review TK if I can sum up my thoughts in any coherent way. Reading it a second time was better in some ways and more heartbreaking in others. But I loved this story, was totally transported. Liam was just as amazing as I remembered him and Anna was even more amazing than I remembered her to be.

I love this type of love story. One that's both ill-fated and hopeful. The author did an amazing job at bringing Poe's poem to life in a way that was much more relatable and "real."

So glad I re-read and th ...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Victoria Scott rated it it was amazing

Eerie and beautiful, Mary Lindsey takes you on a journey into a small town with haunting secrets. Liam is a character readers will immediately care for, and the intrigue surrounding him will keep them vested. I loved this book! Another HUGE success for Mary Lindsey!

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Jun 12, 2013 Susana rated it did not like it

Shelves: hell-no, 2013, go-away-and-never-come-back, couldn-t-finish-it

Also posted at PaperbackWonderland

Caution:
The following text is an assortment of ramblings and spoilers...
By this, i don't mean to offend the author in any way, i'm just expressing what i felt while reading it...

Jeez!! I'm depressed!! What a mess of non-stop dramas!

Drama number one: Liam, age twenty, lives in a godforsaken island where "people"(i'm inclined to just call them animals, but then i would be offending mother nature) live as if they're stuck on the fourteen century...i'm probably bei ...more

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Jun 04, 2013 Suzanne rated it it was ok

Shelves: peach-consideration

Hmm, I am seeing many glowing reviews for this book, so I am wondering if I should have given it up earlier if I cared for it so little. I am trying to abandon books, particularly those I am screening for the Peach Award, if I can tell after 50 pages or an hour or so of reading that it doesn't seem to have a substantial teen audience or at least a middle-aged audience of one.. This novel, even though I wasn't loving it, seemed as if it might appeal to the angst-loving, blood and roses histrionic Hmm, I am seeing many glowing reviews for this book, so I am wondering if I should have given it up earlier if I cared for it so little. I am trying to abandon books, particularly those I am screening for the Peach Award, if I can tell after 50 pages or an hour or so of reading that it doesn't seem to have a substantial teen audience or at least a middle-aged audience of one.. This novel, even though I wasn't loving it, seemed as if it might appeal to the angst-loving, blood and roses histrionic romance types. They have a right to their kind of books, too, right? So I kept going and hoping.

My favorite parts of the book were actually the Poe quotations from both prose and poetry, nicely chosen to set off each chapter. My favorite character was a nice lady named Francine who intervened many years before to keep the local yokels from killing a newborn baby with a paralyzed left arm, one whose mother appeared to have been ravaged and clawed to death during or just after giving birth to Liam. A woman who was there told all that he was a demon in a human skin, responsible for his mother's death and likely to bring terror to all the islanders on Dochas, an island far off the coast of Maine--it must be really far off, in fact, not a part of the United States of America or the State of Maine for there for be no school, no electricity, and no indoor plumbing for those people. In fact, this island has no governance or rule beyond the elders and the population's strong belief in the old Celtic lore and otherworlders brought by their Irish and Scottish ancestors. Huh? The island that time forgot?

I never could manage to get past the details that struck me as so illogical about the existence of such a place in modern times. However, those younger than I or better able to suspend disbelief might have an easier time of it. Oh, some plot might be nice. When Anna, now a sometimes scandalous NYC rich teen queen, visited the island and stayed at her family's mansion ten years before, she was allowed to play with Liam on the beach. He fell in love with her as a child and continued to fan that flame all those long years, hoping that she would return some day. She does, and the two are drawn together after Liam saves her from the malicious blue skinned creatures who try to lure humans to their watery deaths. Both also hear the screams of banshee-like creatures who are supposed to be only audible to those with a connection to the wrongfully dead.

The strong beliefs of the villagers make these creatures of superstition powerful there. Even the seals are selkies, able to shed their animal pelts to become human should they wish. Anna and Liam face many obstacles to their love, human ones in the form of nasty housekeeper Ms. Ronin, the villagers who want to blame Liam for every death on the island, and even some of Anna's visiting friends or her parents from afar. They also become the object of a bet between supernatural forces around the island, one side that believes in the transcendent power of the young people's love and one that believes it will crumble in the face of adversity. And so they are thrown some adversity while these warring factions bicker about what's fair, and a kind-hearted selkie who cares for Liam even comes to land to play her part.

There didn't really seem to be enough plot to sink my teeth into until perhaps the bet is made and the couple's love is truly tested. Romance with the twist of Liam's disability went on for around 100 pages. Give me some conflict! The writing was serviceable, but I never lost myself in the tale or stopped noticing the plot elements that just didn't make sense. I may try the teenaged daughter test to see if it's just me who didn't buy in.

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Jul 03, 2012 Ems Loves to Read rated it really liked it

Shelves: retelling, young-adult, paranormal

First of all, super huge thanks to Mary Lindsey and Rockstar Book Tours for providing me with an ARC for review. It's one that I've been DYING for, and when I got this chance, you better believe I jumped on it!

I can sum up my experience with this book in a few words: Gorgeous. Haunting. Breathtaking. Cruel. Hopeless. Shattering. Hopeful.

Wait, it's both hopeless AND hopeful?! How does that even work?

I'll attempt to tell you. Be warned, there might be spoilers afoot if you aren't familiar with Poe ...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Bookeegurl rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult

This book was nothing like I'd expected, especially the ending. I was really surprised it was told from a male point of view, but it works because that's like the poem. The cover made it seem like it would be a girl point of view. The setting was perfect and created an eerie gothic setting. Ronan was my favorite character. Loved it. ...more

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Jul 03, 2013 Olivia--Porcrastinator Extraordinaire rated it did not like it

Shelves: dnf

I, like many young readers, had a Poe phase. I was obsessed, and of course as a relatively romantic minded young woman, Annabel Lee was particularly appealing.

This book was an excellent idea in theory. Writing a flushed out story around one of the most romantic poems ever written? Where could this possibly go wrong? Well, I 'll tell you. For me, it was the modern day context or at least the way she did the modern day context. See, Liam is a crippled young man who is living on an island complete I, like many young readers, had a Poe phase. I was obsessed, and of course as a relatively romantic minded young woman, Annabel Lee was particularly appealing.

This book was an excellent idea in theory. Writing a flushed out story around one of the most romantic poems ever written? Where could this possibly go wrong? Well, I 'll tell you. For me, it was the modern day context or at least the way she did the modern day context. See, Liam is a crippled young man who is living on an island completely isolated on the coast of northern Maine. On this island, people are incredibly superstitious, so much so that they hate Liam with a passion because of his possibly evil ways.

This type of story I can handle. The isolation, the backwards reality of rural America. The way people can live in such an old way despite the revolutionary and rather commonplace development of television, cell phones, the internet..etc. Yes, I get that mythical something or other means no cellphone service, maybe even no internet. In fact, I kind of like those kinds of stories. An island so mythical that technology and modern science can't quite break its way in. The way Lindsey presented the story it made me hard to refuse to believe that there are many places in which cars are not frequently used, and if not, then what about leaving the island for everyday healthcare, or modern very plastic items? Liam or somebody close to him presumably did frequently in order to get tabloids for him to obsessively pour over in an attempt to keep track of Anna, so why was Liam so completely old school? Lindsey was insisting that this island was isolated, but by bringing in the oh so painfully normal teen Anna (something we are perfunctorily reminded of with rather ridiculously forced slang), I couldn't let myself get lost in the mythical atmosphere that would allow me to accept a place where the internet, tvs, cellphones and modern day laws do not exist.

Also as a side note, NO teen boy, much less one who strangely has no contact with young women, would be so clean with his first encounter with a teen girl his age, much less one he's been obsessing over for years. I don't expect a vision of him beating the meat, but really if you are going to use his perspective I expect more than just "she's so beautiful." I am all for the moral male, but really something about this just didn't quite mesh. It made Liam a little too perfect, so much so, that he lost his potential appeal as a believable, thus attractive, teen boy. Don't get me wrong, virtue can be workable, but this.. just no.

Anna was also very obnoxious. Serena Vanderwwhatever (I can't even remember) a la Gossip Girl. Perfectly messed up for perfectly good whiny reasons. Her overindulged crybaby ways were only made more offensive by Liam's clearly horrific and truly disturbing life.

Which really brings me to my overarching point, here. There are so many conflicting things, that I couldn't get into it. Isolation, but Anna reminds us so often (and somewhat poorly) of the normal world, so the mysticism is totally ruined. Liam's life is so awful, which only makes Anna's pain seem even more ridiculous, which might be the point: Anna's personal growth, a smack in the face to get her to stop whining, but I just didn't like her enough to care. I was so annoyed that I barely made it half way. Which, let me tell you, I tried. I love Celtic myths, Scorpio Races is one of my favorite books, plus you throw in Poe and romance, I should be sold. I was unsold. So completely unsold. In fact, it was the thinly veiled presence of that poorly flushed out good stuff that made it so gosh darn awful. ...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Brad Sells rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-own, 2013-favorites, re-read, 2013-top-13, all-time-favorites

First read from February 20 to 21, 2013

Ashes on the Waves is a powerful and chilling read that haunted me late into the night and had me on the edge of my seat. This is easily one of the best books I have ever read.

Talk about a creepy atmosphere. Right from page one, Ashes on the Waves delivers a strong and creepy atmosphere that consumes this world with darkness and curses. The town of Dochas was so original, luminous and a bit terrifying. I knew that something was up with this world - this n First read from February 20 to 21, 2013

Ashes on the Waves is a powerful and chilling read that haunted me late into the night and had me on the edge of my seat. This is easily one of the best books I have ever read.

Talk about a creepy atmosphere. Right from page one, Ashes on the Waves delivers a strong and creepy atmosphere that consumes this world with darkness and curses. The town of Dochas was so original, luminous and a bit terrifying. I knew that something was up with this world - this novel blew me away. I can't even begin to express how much I love this book. It's unreal how fantastic and genius it is.

The character were the best part of the book for me. Liam and Anna together are brilliant - I can see them being the next big love couple. They're misfits living in a cruel and broken world, but when they find each other, everything changes. I loved Anna right from the moment she enters the novel. She's incredible! I felt so many emotions with her character, and Lindsey did a stunning job at building her character development up so well. I felt so bad for Liam! He's basically been named a monster by everyone; seeing him so alone and shattered really made me connect to his character. I was rooting for him the entire book!

And oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh that ending. If you've been reading my reviews for awhile now, you'll probably know that I am huge sucker for climatic and thrilling endings - and Ashes on the Waves packs in just that and more. I zipped through those final 50 pages; the book was too fast-paced and energetic to put down! And this is one of those books where I didn't even consider putting it down. I had to know what would happen! Needless to say, Ashes on the Waves is a phenomenal and riveting novel.

Overall, Ashes on the Waves is truly a masterpiece and a definite must-read. Riveting, haunting and fantastic in every way possible, Mary Lindsey's sophomore novel is a climatic and mind-bending novel. Absolutely wonderful.

Second time read from August 18 to 19, 2013

My gosh, I just love this book so much. Beautiful, haunting, and riveting, I adore this book to pieces. ...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Kari rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-teen, releases-2013

This book blew me away. Honestly, this is one of those books that I can't properly put into words all the reasons I loved it so much. The writing, foremost, is absolutely stunning, bring to life not only the setting, but the atmosphere, the emotions, and all the little things... not to mention, Lindsey has done an amazing job of giving a Poe-esque voice to a teenage boy, without going too far one way or the other in terms of Poe or modern. Then there's Liam, who is not at all your typical hero, ...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Karren rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

It's been a while since I liked a retelling. I loved this one.

I loved Liam. Anna rubbed me a bit the wrong way, but ended up being okay. I think the juxtaposition of old and new worked.

I was not a fan of the sea creatures, though. Not sure how Celtic tied to Poe, but I guess the winged seraphs of heaven and demons of the sea from the poem had to come from somewhere.

This is one I'll read again. I enjoyed the quotes at the beginning of each chapter and how the book tied to them. The book had a ...more

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Aug 05, 2015 Connie rated it liked it

Shelves: ebooks, read-in-2015

Source: I own an ebook copy of this book.
Cost: Free

Title: Ashes on the Waves
Author: Mary Lindsey
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Overall Rating: 2.5 stars

This book had such promise.

The synopsis was so promising, but it quickly went downhill after the first chapter. There was no coherency in this book, I didn't understand what the story was until over halfway through, there was too much build up and when the action finally came...it fell short.

I love me some Edgar Allen Poe. My favourite Poe poem is ...more

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Jun 26, 2013 Darylle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult

I'm kind of at a loss as to how to review this.

At first I thought I was not going to like it. I couldn't get into Liam or Anna at all. Then, I couldn't put it down.

It is different and mysterious and the characters ended up really working for me.

I didn't like the way it ended until I read the poem again and really thought about it. Now, I'm okay with it.

After giving the book a couple of days to sink in, I think it is amazing and I will certainly read it again. Even if you don't like Edgar A. P ...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Cindy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, gothic, romance

A school librarian friend got a review copy of this and let me read it.

Wow. I was blown away. It was beautiful. It was also creepy, dark, and the ending nearly killed me. Poe is one of my favorite authors ever and this book is based on his poem Annabel Lee. LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Jan 04, 2012 Annabelle marked it as wishlist

Well, I do love Annabel Lee. And the name Annabelle, no matter how it's spelled. :) ...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Soumi rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned-arcs, young-adult, owned-copy, to-review, sea-creatures, fairy-tales-retelling, mythology, gothic

I loved loved it. It was lyrical, touching, slow burning, song of a pained heart, and brought tears in my eyes. huh...I got so emotional. Review to come.

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Sep 05, 2011 usagi ☆ミ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: teenage-shennanigans, fairy-tales-retold, arc-galley, urban-fantasy, 2013, reviewed, fantasy, ebook, magical-reality, sexy-tiems

4.5/5 stars!

How much do I love this book? It was everything I was hoping for and more. Poe's "Annabel Lee" is one of my favorite of his works, and you can imagine I was super excited to see a YA book based on that extremely sad, grim poem. And Mary Lindsey did him proud with "Ashes on the Waves", a book full of ghosts, monsters, mobs, and the question: what makes us human? I absolutely adored "Ashes on the Waves", and I hope you do too.

The first thing that really struck me about "Ashes on the Wa 4.5/5 stars!

How much do I love this book? It was everything I was hoping for and more. Poe's "Annabel Lee" is one of my favorite of his works, and you can imagine I was super excited to see a YA book based on that extremely sad, grim poem. And Mary Lindsey did him proud with "Ashes on the Waves", a book full of ghosts, monsters, mobs, and the question: what makes us human? I absolutely adored "Ashes on the Waves", and I hope you do too.

The first thing that really struck me about "Ashes on the Waves" was the immediate sense of the world. From the jump, we have this immediate sense of what the island of Dochas feels like - a place thrown back in time compared to our current society, complete with the creepy mob-like villagers that think that because our MC has partial paralysis, that he's a "demon" waiting to happen. Everyone but his employer, Francine, is cruel to him, and because of it, Liam is the ultimate sympathetic protagonist. I really liked that he was made that much "the other" for others to target, as the island itself is pretty "other" with all of its strange happenings, as we see later on in the book. I found it interesting that Lindsey decided to make Liam the Other, and not Anna, the rich New Yorker, whose family has owned property on Dochas for the last 150+ years. It was a good choice, and it set up everything that happened next really well.

Then there are the characters (aside from Liam and Anna) - they also really contribute to this very thrown-back world where the Otherworlders are revered with the utmost respect to the point of absurdity, as Anna sees it. And then there are the Otherworlders themselves - the Bean Sidhes, the Selkies (I LOVE THAT THESE GUYS WERE INCLUDED YES!), and the Na Fir Ghorm - which make this tale totally larger than life. Though they don't get heavily involved until the second third of the book onward, just the impression of their existence constantly pressing in on the island and its inhabitants creates a delicious tension between this human world, forever stopped in time, and the next world, where monsters and gods all try to coexist yet try to tempt the humans (or save them), reminding them of humanity's up-until-recent eternal coexistence with them. Reminding of what's been lost with technology and advancement, and also reminding them of what could happen to them if they don't listen to the Otherworlders.

I do feel like Anna's character could have been a bit better built and voiced, but since this is mostly Liam's story, what we did get was more than sufficient to go on. I also love how the myth of the Selkie was woven so completely into Liam and Anna's story. It's honestly one of my favorite myths, period, and I love how all around the world, there are varying bits of the myth but its heart (if the creature's pelt/cloak/feathers/etc gets taken, she becomes earthbound) is the same. I feel like Lindsey really used the Selkie myth to its utmost to contribute to the trials that the Otherworlders force Anna and Liam to go through. Out of all of the Otherworlders mentioned, the Selkies get explored the most, and I just loved that.

Now, for something really important considering that this is narrated by a guy - cross-gender narration. Lindsey absolutely does a convincing job with Liam as a real boy - he sounds like a real boy, even though he's a bit antiquified with how he's had to grow up, where he's grown up, and the education (or lack there of, compared to our current system). Nonetheless, it feels like a boy talking - even if he sounds like an early 20th century boy. Liam feels 100% authentic to his gender, and I've talked before on how hard it is to get cross-gender narration correct, but Lindsey knocked it out of the park here. I can't tell you how happy that, as a reader, makes me.

Finally, the ending - and what an ending. True to Poe's poem, this is not a HEA, but Lindsey puts her own spin on it. I can honestly say that some of the Big Reveals that led up to the end, I really didn't see those coming at all. I love it when an author can do that, and Lindsey does that here so very well. So while this definitely isn't a HEA in the traditional sense, there is a sense of closure by the end that won't leave you feeling too down.

The rest? Flawless, more or less, in the technical departments, and absolutely gorgeous.

Final verdict? If you're a fan of the Gothic genre and you love retellings, you simply MUST read this book. And even if you're not, I urge you to give it a try anyway. "Ashes on the Waves" is out June 27, 2013 from Penguin in North America, so be sure to check it out then! Definitely one of my favorites of 2013 so far.

(posted to goodreads, shelfari, librarything, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)
...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Rayne rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, can-i-get-my-hours-back, characters-flat-as-a-board, romance, disappointing, yes-this-is-a-rant, i-expected-better, paranormal, victims-of-the-insta-love-monster, overrated-and-overhyped

After 4 failed/mediocre attempts at pulling off Poe retellings, I feel like I need to tell YA authors to just back the hell off.

I wanted to like this one so, so much because I keep hoping for a truly decent re-imagining of the works of my very favorite author, but I just face disappointment after disappointment. I suppose this one is my fault. I had already tried a Lindsey book and, though I know she has it in her to create chilling atmospheres and truly stunning lines, I was also aware of her After 4 failed/mediocre attempts at pulling off Poe retellings, I feel like I need to tell YA authors to just back the hell off.

I wanted to like this one so, so much because I keep hoping for a truly decent re-imagining of the works of my very favorite author, but I just face disappointment after disappointment. I suppose this one is my fault. I had already tried a Lindsey book and, though I know she has it in her to create chilling atmospheres and truly stunning lines, I was also aware of her tendency towards the overly-dramatic, her often flat romances and undeveloped characters and the creation of shallow third wheels to the romance in order to serve as plot device, all of which were in abundance in Ashes in the Waves.

I was continually exasperated with this novel. The narration was forced, boring and never once felt like an actual teenage boy, never mind one as singular as Liam's backstory would have him be. His way of speaking was so ridiculously overdone and he was completely shallow as a character, being nothing more than a constant reminder of how gorgeous Anna was and how much he loved her. He is, by all means, the male Mary Sue of YA. Anna for her part was as shallow. There are several instances within the novel where the author actually tries to give depth to her characters but they are so heavy-handed and so reliant on telling rather than showing that I had a very hard time keeping my eyes from rolling right out of my head.

Most of the novel is made of villagers being an asshole to Liam and then Liam and Anna making out absolutely everywhere and at any moment, including a seriously absurd part where they decide to engage on a make-out session while in the middle of exploring creepy tunnels within the house and looking for the person responsible for some murders. I could've handled the raging hormones if they had at least some chemistry between them, but they didn't, and any potential for the atmosphere in the novel was ruined by this every step of the way.

The narration changed from 1st person POV to 3rd person without previous notice and focuses on yet another underdeveloped character that's there simply to be a plot device. This particular character was an absolute waste of potential, as well as the overall paranormal aspect of the novel. I won't say the whole Celtic paranormal aspect didn't fill me with skepticism from the get-go, but I was willing to let it go if it was handled nicely. I think this aspect was really mediocre and was included rather clumsily to the plot.

The novel dragged on so much simply because our characters refused to use their brains. They had a fight, and it is obviously a plan of a third party, and yet they decide not to speak about it because, to quote Liam, what would be the point. Uh, I don't know? To clear things up, perhaps and then discover that there was foul play? But no, let's needlessly prolong the drama. After all, no one loved dramatics quite like Liam. The chick that's been helping you all along is trying to warn you of something and it is then that you decide that she must be lying because she's Otherworldly? Yeah, that happened too. Convenient plot devices and out of character decisions were constantly in the story and they were very hard to ignore. Things also happened out of nowhere, often making it lose impact, which is also what happened with the ending.

I am very, very disappointed with this novel. I liked the little Poe citations at the beginning of every chapter, but the truth is that Poe is not exactly an intricate part of this novel. There are very little nods to the original, and I am well aware of the part of the poem where this novel comes from, but this one could've easily been another paranormal romance without any link to Poe whatsoever. Quite truthfully, if there had been no link to Poe, I probably would've been a lot more nicer with it.
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Jul 01, 2012 Stephanie Ward rated it it was amazing

Shelves: print-arc, owned, for-review

'Ashes on the Waves' is a young adult fantasy/paranormal romance novel that is based off of the poem "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe. It focuses on main character Liam MacGregor and his terrible life on the island of Dochas. Since his birth, Liam has been treated as an outcast or worse - a demon wearing a human's skin. Liam has minded his own business and kept himself linked to the only person he ever felt a true connection with: Annabel Leighton - a wealthy heiress whose family own a mansion o 'Ashes on the Waves' is a young adult fantasy/paranormal romance novel that is based off of the poem "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe. It focuses on main character Liam MacGregor and his terrible life on the island of Dochas. Since his birth, Liam has been treated as an outcast or worse - a demon wearing a human's skin. Liam has minded his own business and kept himself linked to the only person he ever felt a true connection with: Annabel Leighton - a wealthy heiress whose family own a mansion on the island. Liam's life is forever changed when Anna is sent to the island by her family. Now that Liam and Anna have found one another, they refuse to be apart. However, the Celtic Otherworlders who have a strong hold on the island place a wager on their love, one that might just be the end of them both.

I am a huge fan of Edgar Allan Poe, as one can easily guess by simply looking at the name I chose for my blog, so I was immediately intrigued by the premise of the book and how it was based on his poem, "Annabel Lee." Let me just say that I was not disappointed. The novel is a complete Gothic romance with a modern setting - completely beautiful, enchanting, and tragic at the same time. There were times throughout the novel that I would smile so much my cheeks hurt and then a few pages later, I would be on the verge of tears. The story of Liam and Anna is one of hope, redemption, true love, and eternity. Liam was a wonderful main character. He's a sweet, smart, truly kind person who has been treated horribly since his birth. He is referred to in the book as the "broken one" because his arm has been paralyzed since birth, during which his mother died. Due to ignorance, rumors, and lore, the people of the island fear and loathe him, regardless of his pure and innocent heart. Anna is a great leading lady for the novel - she's an awesome complement to Liam's character. They are true halves of the same whole and they bring out the best in one another. It sounds really cheesy saying it here, but their relationship in the novel was nothing but romantic and sweet. Being a modern Gothic story, there had to be some trials, heartache, and tragedy mixed in with the romance. I don't do spoilers in my reviews, but I will say that the ending was appropriate for the Gothic genre, even if I hated that it had to be that way. The writing was impeccably well done with incredible detail and vivid descriptions that had me easily imagining myself on Dochas alongside the characters. The Celtic lore was really intriguing for me and I loved that the author put it in with the main plot. I enjoyed learning new things about Celtic mythology and folklore - it added a unique depth to the book that made sure it was one of a kind. There isn't enough time or words for me to really communicate my feelings for this novel and I'm sure it's not completely coherent since I'm still reeling from just finishing the book. This is definitely a novel that fans of fantasy and paranormal will not want to miss out on - and I wholeheartedly think that readers of all preferences should experience the beauty and tragedy that is created within its pages.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Jaime (Two Chicks on Books) rated it it was amazing

Oh Mary I loved it!!!!!!!!

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Aug 08, 2012 Bailey (IB Book Blogging) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: penguin, i-own, conference

One of my absolute favorites. I adore Mary's writing style and her unique spin on Edgar Allan Poe's Annabel Lee. Full review to come. :) ...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Stacee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2013

Absolutely phenomenal. Such a beautiful world, such an amazing love.

I don't even have words. ...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Sophie Jordan rated it it was amazing

So honored to read this book early!

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Mar 23, 2022 Caroline rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, gothic

At first it was a little jarring how Liam's internal monologue and lines differ so much from everyone else's modern lines, but I got used to it in the end.
I think this is a good YA romance story, with kind of a dark setting. Not quite sure what I thought about the (celtic) paranormal aspects, but I felt that overtook the main story.
It's inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's Annabel Lee, but there isn't much to take from, so the end result is very different. The poem is printed in the beginning of the bo ...more

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About Mary Lindsey

Mary Lindsey

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Mary Lindsey is a multi-award-winning, RITA nominated author of romance for adults and teens. She lives on the Texas Gulf Coast with her ever-patient husband, two cantankerous Cairn Terriers, and twenty-six bossy chickens.

Mary also writes under the pseudonym Marissa Clarke ...more