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The Afterlight Chronicles #2
Smoke and Ash
Why is the first rule of the Cannon to trust no one? Because even your shadow will leave you in darkness.
This is how Aerietta Elony was raised. She knew better than to trust anyone―especially her enemies. So how did she end up in Hell?
Aerietta has never had a purpose in her life apart from surviving. After escaping the clutch of Azmar Quay, only to fall into the Cruel King's hands, it doesn't feel like her luck is improving. In fact, Aerietta is pretty confident she's going to die in these mines. If she could die, of course. But when Prince Finnegan Atwood shows up at her cell door, she's convinced things are only going to get better. Until she arrives at what Finnegan calls "the Citadel" and realizes what it is―the staging grounds for a war.
Aerietta will do anything for her freedom. To finally be able to walk free, start a new life. But she is plagued with the curiosity about the mysteries surrounding her. Why were the silver mines empty of any silver? Why did Lyom show up in Kinecardine, only to turn away agin? Who are the whisperers that speak to her when she's asleep? And why is the most important artifact hanging around Princess Haraya's neck?
Darkness veils the truth in disorienting shadows, secrets are kept at the cost of one's life, and Aerietta is about to learn that sometimes the only way out of the fire, is through it.
This is how Aerietta Elony was raised. She knew better than to trust anyone―especially her enemies. So how did she end up in Hell?
Aerietta has never had a purpose in her life apart from surviving. After escaping the clutch of Azmar Quay, only to fall into the Cruel King's hands, it doesn't feel like her luck is improving. In fact, Aerietta is pretty confident she's going to die in these mines. If she could die, of course. But when Prince Finnegan Atwood shows up at her cell door, she's convinced things are only going to get better. Until she arrives at what Finnegan calls "the Citadel" and realizes what it is―the staging grounds for a war.
Aerietta will do anything for her freedom. To finally be able to walk free, start a new life. But she is plagued with the curiosity about the mysteries surrounding her. Why were the silver mines empty of any silver? Why did Lyom show up in Kinecardine, only to turn away agin? Who are the whisperers that speak to her when she's asleep? And why is the most important artifact hanging around Princess Haraya's neck?
Darkness veils the truth in disorienting shadows, secrets are kept at the cost of one's life, and Aerietta is about to learn that sometimes the only way out of the fire, is through it.
643 pages, Unknown Binding
First published April 25, 2017
4 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Rose Reid
5 books151 followersStorytelling enthusiast, professional chameleon, 100% genuine cowgirl, and brash contrarian. The strangest of combinations.
You can check out my novels here or on Amazon, visit my website at www.rosereid.com, or check out my Instagram @rosereidd.
You can check out my novels here or on Amazon, visit my website at www.rosereid.com, or check out my Instagram @rosereidd.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 26, 2017
So what is Smoke And Ash?
Well I can’t say a thing without first talking about book one in the Afterlight Chronicles, Crown of Crimson. It’s seldom a fantasy tale comes a long and just plain flat smacks you in the face with visually gorgeous wayfaring cinematics, nasty creepy crawlies and sordid villains, and great characters that know how to kick butt and don’t hestitate to do so along a brilliantly strung-out plot. That said, Smoke And Ash picks up seven weeks after the outstanding climax of Crown of Crimson. That’s seven bleak and bleary-eyed weeks of torture and torment for the Queen of Crimson herself, Girl of The Elements and royal-blooded assassin Aerietta Elony, deep down in the bowels of the laybrithinian Kinecardine prison, the very same stone vault of horrors not a single soul has ever escaped from. And, hanging on to life and sanity by the thinnest of threads, she dreams of Swordmaster Lyom Livingstone and his blue eyes to come and save her.
What follows is not only a fabulously paced action/adventure in its own right, but a magnificently episodic sequel taking the best elements of the mysterious lore of the Afterlighters and the war rifting and ravaging the land and fascinatingly tangled relationships established in Crown of Crimson by going all in, chips to the middle, with perfect pacing and timing and yet another roller-coaster wayfaring plot that shakes the bones and rattles the teeth with stunningly intense action sequences and deliciously absorbing romantic tension.
Again Rose Reid flexes her muscles and stands tall with the finest of the genre but, yet, gives readers of the genre much more that just another lady assassin whose personality is as sharp as the weapons she carries. Reading Crown of Crimson and Smoke And Ash, Etta’s plight as the seemingly doom and gloom half of the chosen one concept resonates in the depth of the human condition, speaking to the struggles of our everyday lives, conflicts of moral responsiblity and freewill, choices of need and want and deepest desire, despite her well-crafted connundrum being of the fantasy variety.
As far as sequels go, it’s dang near perfect, because it threads in the past and forges boldly ahead into an incredibly enticing future. My favorite elements of this story *wink wink to Rose* would be all spoilery, and to say I enjoyed it would be an understatement, and I can’t reccomend Rose highly enough, a true titan in the making in the YA fantasy genre.
Well I can’t say a thing without first talking about book one in the Afterlight Chronicles, Crown of Crimson. It’s seldom a fantasy tale comes a long and just plain flat smacks you in the face with visually gorgeous wayfaring cinematics, nasty creepy crawlies and sordid villains, and great characters that know how to kick butt and don’t hestitate to do so along a brilliantly strung-out plot. That said, Smoke And Ash picks up seven weeks after the outstanding climax of Crown of Crimson. That’s seven bleak and bleary-eyed weeks of torture and torment for the Queen of Crimson herself, Girl of The Elements and royal-blooded assassin Aerietta Elony, deep down in the bowels of the laybrithinian Kinecardine prison, the very same stone vault of horrors not a single soul has ever escaped from. And, hanging on to life and sanity by the thinnest of threads, she dreams of Swordmaster Lyom Livingstone and his blue eyes to come and save her.
What follows is not only a fabulously paced action/adventure in its own right, but a magnificently episodic sequel taking the best elements of the mysterious lore of the Afterlighters and the war rifting and ravaging the land and fascinatingly tangled relationships established in Crown of Crimson by going all in, chips to the middle, with perfect pacing and timing and yet another roller-coaster wayfaring plot that shakes the bones and rattles the teeth with stunningly intense action sequences and deliciously absorbing romantic tension.
Again Rose Reid flexes her muscles and stands tall with the finest of the genre but, yet, gives readers of the genre much more that just another lady assassin whose personality is as sharp as the weapons she carries. Reading Crown of Crimson and Smoke And Ash, Etta’s plight as the seemingly doom and gloom half of the chosen one concept resonates in the depth of the human condition, speaking to the struggles of our everyday lives, conflicts of moral responsiblity and freewill, choices of need and want and deepest desire, despite her well-crafted connundrum being of the fantasy variety.
As far as sequels go, it’s dang near perfect, because it threads in the past and forges boldly ahead into an incredibly enticing future. My favorite elements of this story *wink wink to Rose* would be all spoilery, and to say I enjoyed it would be an understatement, and I can’t reccomend Rose highly enough, a true titan in the making in the YA fantasy genre.
May 31, 2017
This series had such potential it's such a disappointment it went down so quickly. Felt the book had no flow just a jumbled mess of scenes.
April 4, 2017
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this installment considerably more than the first. Reid excels at world-building and characterization, constructing an incredibly intricate and unique universe, as well as creating refreshing characters. While the first book was great and contained both of these, I felt as though this installment was a much stronger example, and had a much better plot. The ending was also more unexpected.
Aerietta Elony is one of the most complex characters I've ever read. She isn't always likeable, and she doesn't always do the "right" thing, but she is always captivating. She is gritty, flawed, and intriguing. Her story is one I will never get tired of reading, and her character is one I will never not root for. She is easily one of my favorite parts of this series, second only to the wondrous world-building the author created.
There are very few authors who create fantasy worlds as beautiful and exceptional as Rose Reid did with this series. The magic-system, the sceneries, the politics, everything, is amazingly well done. I am constantly surprised by the twist and turns throughout these books. This series has me completely hooked, and I cannot wait to read book three.
5/5
~~~~
I actually squealed when I saw this. I'm so friggin excited to read this beaut.
I enjoyed this installment considerably more than the first. Reid excels at world-building and characterization, constructing an incredibly intricate and unique universe, as well as creating refreshing characters. While the first book was great and contained both of these, I felt as though this installment was a much stronger example, and had a much better plot. The ending was also more unexpected.
Aerietta Elony is one of the most complex characters I've ever read. She isn't always likeable, and she doesn't always do the "right" thing, but she is always captivating. She is gritty, flawed, and intriguing. Her story is one I will never get tired of reading, and her character is one I will never not root for. She is easily one of my favorite parts of this series, second only to the wondrous world-building the author created.
There are very few authors who create fantasy worlds as beautiful and exceptional as Rose Reid did with this series. The magic-system, the sceneries, the politics, everything, is amazingly well done. I am constantly surprised by the twist and turns throughout these books. This series has me completely hooked, and I cannot wait to read book three.
5/5
~~~~
I actually squealed when I saw this. I'm so friggin excited to read this beaut.
September 15, 2017
I liked this book, but nowhere near as much as the first one, for several different reasons:
The breakdown;
1. Mild lameness. Is it just me or is Arietta kinda...not as cool as she was in the previous book. I felt like if she was really someone who previously earned the title of Queen of Crimson she wouldn't have to keep reminding herself every 5 seconds she's the queen of crimson.
2. Dominik vs Lyom. No. I just don't understand the choices being made here.
3. Stupid decisions. Questionable decisions being made not only in her romantic life. Maybe if she wasn't so stubborn and took a long recovery sleep for an entire week, she could be clear headed enough to make smarter decisions. I felt like her ribs and other injuries remained broken/injured throughout the entire book because she just kept re-breaking things. I know it doesn't make that great a story if she sleeps for an entire month but I think I would've preferred it.
Apart from a few little things I found irritating, overall I did like the book enough to still be eagerly awaiting the next book. Especially with how the book ended, I need to know how the third book goes! April feels so far away, 3.5 stars.
The breakdown;
1. Mild lameness. Is it just me or is Arietta kinda...not as cool as she was in the previous book. I felt like if she was really someone who previously earned the title of Queen of Crimson she wouldn't have to keep reminding herself every 5 seconds she's the queen of crimson.
2. Dominik vs Lyom. No. I just don't understand the choices being made here.
3. Stupid decisions. Questionable decisions being made not only in her romantic life. Maybe if she wasn't so stubborn and took a long recovery sleep for an entire week, she could be clear headed enough to make smarter decisions. I felt like her ribs and other injuries remained broken/injured throughout the entire book because she just kept re-breaking things. I know it doesn't make that great a story if she sleeps for an entire month but I think I would've preferred it.
Apart from a few little things I found irritating, overall I did like the book enough to still be eagerly awaiting the next book. Especially with how the book ended, I need to know how the third book goes! April feels so far away, 3.5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2017
Holy bejesus, the ending.
In my review of the first book in the series I noted that I think this book series is too similar to Sarah Maas's Throne of Glass series, but that I'd wait it out and see if this one deviated enough to make it interesting. Ignoring the similarities between Aerietta and Lyom, and Celaena and Chaol in terms of basic personality and relationship, AND throwing Aerietta into a mine... actually that is rather a lot and somewhat hard to ignore, but we'll give it a go, shall we?
I feel Aerietta and Lyom's relationship is a bit contrived. There isn't a slow burn of chemistry between them- it just seems to appear, like magic.
Nonetheless, the politics were interesting.
I like Jamas and Carnahan- honest, interesting characters. I also like Finn- I hope he learns to stand up for himself a bit more.
I like Aerietta's paranoia- it makes the story more interesting.
and the ending surprised me. I wonder where Reid will go from here. We never learnt the significance of Lyom's background and I hope we'll find out how the ending was even possible in the next book (I won't spoil it here). Again, Reid could either use as an opportunity to deviate from Maas or keep the storyline frustratingly similar.
In my review of the first book in the series I noted that I think this book series is too similar to Sarah Maas's Throne of Glass series, but that I'd wait it out and see if this one deviated enough to make it interesting. Ignoring the similarities between Aerietta and Lyom, and Celaena and Chaol in terms of basic personality and relationship, AND throwing Aerietta into a mine... actually that is rather a lot and somewhat hard to ignore, but we'll give it a go, shall we?
I feel Aerietta and Lyom's relationship is a bit contrived. There isn't a slow burn of chemistry between them- it just seems to appear, like magic.
Nonetheless, the politics were interesting.
I like Jamas and Carnahan- honest, interesting characters. I also like Finn- I hope he learns to stand up for himself a bit more.
I like Aerietta's paranoia- it makes the story more interesting.
and the ending surprised me. I wonder where Reid will go from here. We never learnt the significance of Lyom's background and I hope we'll find out how the ending was even possible in the next book (I won't spoil it here). Again, Reid could either use as an opportunity to deviate from Maas or keep the storyline frustratingly similar.
March 23, 2018
This was a very disappointing read. I enjoyed the first book but this one? Hell no. This was more like a constant hair-pulling kind of book that I experienced because of how frustrating everything that was going on with this installment.
There were lots of confusing scenes going on that I would get lost and have no idea what in blazes is going on. Also, the characters were so so so frustrating. Don’t get me started with our Girl and assassin, Aerietta. Personally, she’s one of the worst heroines I have ever read. Since her emotions were all over the place, she would make foolish actions. Ugh, I cannot even. When it came to her feelings and beliefs, especially if Lyom is involved, her bipolar moments made it extremely difficult for me to continue through with this book. Honestly, I’m surprised I even got to finish it. And that ending? All I felt was relief of finally ridding myself from the endless torture of reading how Aerietta constantly, and without fail, embarrassed herself with her rashness.
There were lots of confusing scenes going on that I would get lost and have no idea what in blazes is going on. Also, the characters were so so so frustrating. Don’t get me started with our Girl and assassin, Aerietta. Personally, she’s one of the worst heroines I have ever read. Since her emotions were all over the place, she would make foolish actions. Ugh, I cannot even. When it came to her feelings and beliefs, especially if Lyom is involved, her bipolar moments made it extremely difficult for me to continue through with this book. Honestly, I’m surprised I even got to finish it. And that ending? All I felt was relief of finally ridding myself from the endless torture of reading how Aerietta constantly, and without fail, embarrassed herself with her rashness.
June 7, 2017
Mini Review...
When I read Crown of Crimson I knew I found one book that I'll go read over again, I love the characters despite its few flaws, and no matter how cliche the storyline is, I loved and enjoyed it.
So here comes tidbits of my thought regarding Smoke and Ash... (I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.) I'm still trying to come up with how to write a proper book review on how I could fully expressed my full thoughts. Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed with how the story goes, characters and story-wise. Everything is a bit "flat" . Maybe because I was expecting too much from this installment.
With a heavy heart, I'm going to try to write a full review.
When I read Crown of Crimson I knew I found one book that I'll go read over again, I love the characters despite its few flaws, and no matter how cliche the storyline is, I loved and enjoyed it.
So here comes tidbits of my thought regarding Smoke and Ash... (I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.) I'm still trying to come up with how to write a proper book review on how I could fully expressed my full thoughts. Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed with how the story goes, characters and story-wise. Everything is a bit "flat" . Maybe because I was expecting too much from this installment.
With a heavy heart, I'm going to try to write a full review.
September 20, 2018
Ok so this had mess of events...
Felt uselessly descriptive therefore lengthy so lots of skimming...
Cliche revolution shit...
Finn what's ur point?...
ugh the love triangle killll meeee...
Haraya. Is she for girl hate?
The only thing I really liked was the ending!!!
Felt uselessly descriptive therefore lengthy so lots of skimming...
Cliche revolution shit...
Finn what's ur point?...
ugh the love triangle killll meeee...
Haraya. Is she for girl hate?
The only thing I really liked was the ending!!!
July 16, 2017
3.5-4 stars.
Not as enjoyable as the first book, or maybe I just hated seeing Aerietta falling apart and everyone turning against each other. But the last 10% was positively hectic. I sense that the next book will restore my love for the series.
Not as enjoyable as the first book, or maybe I just hated seeing Aerietta falling apart and everyone turning against each other. But the last 10% was positively hectic. I sense that the next book will restore my love for the series.
November 10, 2017
No no no no
He did not just die
HE DID NOT JUST DIE???
IS THERE A THIRD BOOK??
WHATS HAPPENING
WHYY
TELL MEEEE
He did not just die
HE DID NOT JUST DIE???
IS THERE A THIRD BOOK??
WHATS HAPPENING
WHYY
TELL MEEEE
October 18, 2018
DNF at 65%....maybe I will pick it up again one day, but for now I am not invested in the story
April 24, 2019
Smoke and Ash *Whereas the strength of (book 1) Crown of Crimson came from its action-packed plot, Smoke and Ash's was a beautiful rollercoaster ride of pain and emotions. Amazing all the same!
From the start of Smoke and Ash, we're thrown right into the thick of the story. It picks up from the end of Crown of Crimson when Aerietta is cast into Evrallon's most infamous prison, Kinecardine, by the one person--also, the love interest--that she had been beginning to trust.
In CoC, we had seen Aerietta at her best. She was (and still is) a fierce assassin who could do pretty much anything when it comes down to it (morality and feelings aside). I liked her driven character; I liked her strength in adversity and her ability to put aside feelings when it comes to her trade. But I loved seeing this unhinged new side of her in SaA. I loved watching the way she contends with her past demons boiling and bursting inside her. At Kinecardine, she's constantly being beaten within an inch of her life. Crumpled inside a dank lonely cell, she's constantly tormented by the weight of an ability she doesn't want. She's feeling so helpless that the only way she gets through each day at prison is by believing that the one person who threw her into prison is the person who will rescue her.
We've seen her strong, powerful, determined, even troubled. We've never seen her hopeless or helpless. And with it, Aerietta goes from the cold-hearted assassin to the girl we can (kind of) relate to.
Even throughout the rest of the novel, Aerietta still has to contend with those betrayals and pain she felt while in the prison (Dominik, Lyom...pretty much everyone has and continued to disappoint her). She's not your typical rebel queen who can raise armies to fight for her because she's got a great cause. Hell--her primary cause is herself for almost the entire book. Which is why everyone either distrusts her, pities her, or hates her.
Aerietta is a messy character. She's angry, distrustful, selfish, and unapproachable. And she's passionate and selfless all in the same breath. She has so many demons and problems kicking at her front door and so many more lying in the shadows waiting for her to trip up--so many so that she has all but locked the door to everyone. So much of Aerietta's past and painful feelings come out in this book. Through it all, she struggles to figure herself out. And figure out the people who are still important to her.
Final Verdict: If you want a fierce protagonist with messy problems and even shadier morals; if you want a love-hate relationship full of ifs, pain, and so much promise, you'll love this book!
From the start of Smoke and Ash, we're thrown right into the thick of the story. It picks up from the end of Crown of Crimson when Aerietta is cast into Evrallon's most infamous prison, Kinecardine, by the one person--also, the love interest--that she had been beginning to trust.
In CoC, we had seen Aerietta at her best. She was (and still is) a fierce assassin who could do pretty much anything when it comes down to it (morality and feelings aside). I liked her driven character; I liked her strength in adversity and her ability to put aside feelings when it comes to her trade. But I loved seeing this unhinged new side of her in SaA. I loved watching the way she contends with her past demons boiling and bursting inside her. At Kinecardine, she's constantly being beaten within an inch of her life. Crumpled inside a dank lonely cell, she's constantly tormented by the weight of an ability she doesn't want. She's feeling so helpless that the only way she gets through each day at prison is by believing that the one person who threw her into prison is the person who will rescue her.
We've seen her strong, powerful, determined, even troubled. We've never seen her hopeless or helpless. And with it, Aerietta goes from the cold-hearted assassin to the girl we can (kind of) relate to.
Even throughout the rest of the novel, Aerietta still has to contend with those betrayals and pain she felt while in the prison (Dominik, Lyom...pretty much everyone has and continued to disappoint her). She's not your typical rebel queen who can raise armies to fight for her because she's got a great cause. Hell--her primary cause is herself for almost the entire book. Which is why everyone either distrusts her, pities her, or hates her.
Aerietta is a messy character. She's angry, distrustful, selfish, and unapproachable. And she's passionate and selfless all in the same breath. She has so many demons and problems kicking at her front door and so many more lying in the shadows waiting for her to trip up--so many so that she has all but locked the door to everyone. So much of Aerietta's past and painful feelings come out in this book. Through it all, she struggles to figure herself out. And figure out the people who are still important to her.
Final Verdict: If you want a fierce protagonist with messy problems and even shadier morals; if you want a love-hate relationship full of ifs, pain, and so much promise, you'll love this book!
July 30, 2018
2,5
C'est toujours aussi mal ficelé que le 1er. Le style est tellement maladroit, et immature que je me suis demandé plus d'une fois quel âge a Mlle Reid. Je continue à dire que l'histoire possède un certain potentiel, cependant il reste mal exploité. Pour moi l'éditeur n'a pas rempli son rôle ici en dirigeant l'auteur pour rendre son roman plus fluide, réécrire de très nombreux passages, l'empêcher de prendre des raccourcis, mieux planter et expliquer l'univers, et gommer toutes les aberrations rencontrées (quand l’héroïne tue des personnages d'un simple coup hasardeux, qu'elle ne cesse de se contredire, n'a jamais besoin de panser ses blessures qui disparaissent 2 pages plus loin, réalise des sauts acrobatiques à tout bout de champ, même quand c'est impossible, pour rompre les cous de ses opposants avec des ciseaux, elle a déjà parcouru le monde entier qui consiste en 3 ou 4 villes miteuses grand max, et connait tout le monde, etc). À un moment, j'ai arrêté de réagir face à cela, et ai laissé couler parce que c'était sans espoir.
Sachant à quoi m'attendre, je lirai probablement la suite, mais à la condition que ce ne soit qu'une trilogie. Je ne me vois pas du tout continuer sur cette lignée pendant 1001 volumes sans progression au niveau de l'écriture.
C'est toujours aussi mal ficelé que le 1er. Le style est tellement maladroit, et immature que je me suis demandé plus d'une fois quel âge a Mlle Reid. Je continue à dire que l'histoire possède un certain potentiel, cependant il reste mal exploité. Pour moi l'éditeur n'a pas rempli son rôle ici en dirigeant l'auteur pour rendre son roman plus fluide, réécrire de très nombreux passages, l'empêcher de prendre des raccourcis, mieux planter et expliquer l'univers, et gommer toutes les aberrations rencontrées (quand l’héroïne tue des personnages d'un simple coup hasardeux, qu'elle ne cesse de se contredire, n'a jamais besoin de panser ses blessures qui disparaissent 2 pages plus loin, réalise des sauts acrobatiques à tout bout de champ, même quand c'est impossible, pour rompre les cous de ses opposants avec des ciseaux, elle a déjà parcouru le monde entier qui consiste en 3 ou 4 villes miteuses grand max, et connait tout le monde, etc). À un moment, j'ai arrêté de réagir face à cela, et ai laissé couler parce que c'était sans espoir.
Sachant à quoi m'attendre, je lirai probablement la suite, mais à la condition que ce ne soit qu'une trilogie. Je ne me vois pas du tout continuer sur cette lignée pendant 1001 volumes sans progression au niveau de l'écriture.
July 25, 2017
4 stars
April 24, 2017
I recieved an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Crown of Crimson was one of my greatest discoveries last year. It wasn't perfect, but it was fun and fast-paced and I devoured it. Reading Smoke and Ash felt more like reading The Swordmaster. The pacing is slower, there's less action and I had some issues.
My main problem is Arietta herself. I loved her in CoC. I'm always drawn to flawed, morally-grey, even villain-y characters. However, I cannot stand (and this dampened my enjoyment of this book a great deal) girl hate. Arietta literally shames every single girl she encounters. I was really hoping for a female friendship in this sequel, and I was super annoyed whenever she called a girl a harlot, said she wasn't ladylike or insulted her in any way. Also, for an assasin, she's awfully judgemental. Dude, you kill people for a living. Why are you so obsessed with other people's propriety or decorum? These things I take really personally, and they are a big part of why I gave this book a lower rating than I intended.
The plot is interesting, but I was expecting more. I feel like Afterlighters could have been more developed and explained and again, I wish Arietta wouldn't just hate all of them for the crimes of a few. That didn't sit well with me. Also, I just wonder about these little details. And I also was hoping for more diversity among the characters.
On a brighter note, I did enjoy the romance between Lyom and Arietta more in this book. I wish Dominik wouldn't have been dragged into the mix, because I'm not a fan of love triangles, but oh well.
Also, Jamas is my favorite! He's such an adorable little ball of fluff!
That ending was such a cliffhanger though!
Crown of Crimson was one of my greatest discoveries last year. It wasn't perfect, but it was fun and fast-paced and I devoured it. Reading Smoke and Ash felt more like reading The Swordmaster. The pacing is slower, there's less action and I had some issues.
My main problem is Arietta herself. I loved her in CoC. I'm always drawn to flawed, morally-grey, even villain-y characters. However, I cannot stand (and this dampened my enjoyment of this book a great deal) girl hate. Arietta literally shames every single girl she encounters. I was really hoping for a female friendship in this sequel, and I was super annoyed whenever she called a girl a harlot, said she wasn't ladylike or insulted her in any way. Also, for an assasin, she's awfully judgemental. Dude, you kill people for a living. Why are you so obsessed with other people's propriety or decorum? These things I take really personally, and they are a big part of why I gave this book a lower rating than I intended.
The plot is interesting, but I was expecting more. I feel like Afterlighters could have been more developed and explained and again, I wish Arietta wouldn't just hate all of them for the crimes of a few. That didn't sit well with me. Also, I just wonder about these little details. And I also was hoping for more diversity among the characters.
On a brighter note, I did enjoy the romance between Lyom and Arietta more in this book. I wish Dominik wouldn't have been dragged into the mix, because I'm not a fan of love triangles, but oh well.
Also, Jamas is my favorite! He's such an adorable little ball of fluff!
That ending was such a cliffhanger though!
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