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Crowns & Ash #1
Vanity in Dust
In the Realm there are whispers. Whispers that the city used to be a different place. That before the Queen ruled there was a sky beyond the clouds and a world beyond their streets.
Vaun Dray Fen never knew that world. Born a prince without a purpose in a Realm ruled by lavish indulgence, unrelenting greed, and vicious hierarchy, he never knew a time before the Queen’s dust drugged the city. Everything is poisoned to distract and dull the senses, even the tea and pastries. And yet, after more than a century, his own magic is beginning to wake. The beautiful veneer of the Realm is cracking. Those who would defy the Queen turn their eyes to Vaun, and the dust saturating the Realm.
From the carnivorous pixies in the shadows to the wolves in the streets, Vaun thought he knew all the dangers of his city. But when whispers of treason bring down the fury of the Queen, he'll have to race to save the lives and souls of those he loves.
Vaun Dray Fen never knew that world. Born a prince without a purpose in a Realm ruled by lavish indulgence, unrelenting greed, and vicious hierarchy, he never knew a time before the Queen’s dust drugged the city. Everything is poisoned to distract and dull the senses, even the tea and pastries. And yet, after more than a century, his own magic is beginning to wake. The beautiful veneer of the Realm is cracking. Those who would defy the Queen turn their eyes to Vaun, and the dust saturating the Realm.
From the carnivorous pixies in the shadows to the wolves in the streets, Vaun thought he knew all the dangers of his city. But when whispers of treason bring down the fury of the Queen, he'll have to race to save the lives and souls of those he loves.
- GenresFantasy
305 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2017
About the author
Cheryl Low
5 books50 followersCheryl Low might be a primeval entity, born from the darkness of the universe and vacationing on a forgotten island where she eats coconuts and the souls of stranded sailors.
…Or she might be a mundane human with a deep love of all things sugary, soap opera slaps, and horror flicks.
Find out by following her on social media @cherylwlow or check her webpage, cheryllow.com. The answer might surprise you! But it probably won’t.
…Or she might be a mundane human with a deep love of all things sugary, soap opera slaps, and horror flicks.
Find out by following her on social media @cherylwlow or check her webpage, cheryllow.com. The answer might surprise you! But it probably won’t.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 26, 2018
Check out my interview with Cheryl Low about the Crowns & Ash series @ Metaphors and Moonlight!
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3.5 Stars
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley. This has not influenced my review.*
I’ve never watched a soap opera, but this book was what I imagine a soap opera would be like, just with a fantasy setting and more drugs. It started out decadent and sexy with the characters pretty much just having sex, drinking drugged tea, gossiping, and caring about nothing more than what was fashionable. By the end, it was full of scheming, conniving, treachery, and murder.
My favorite thing about this book though was the main character himself, Vaun Dray Fen. That’s an awesome name. It’s so awesome that it screams “trying too hard,” except that’s what makes it so perfect for this book and this character. Vaun was one if those characters who shouldn’t have been likeable but kind of was anyway. He was a jerk, but the author really nailed his voice and managed to make it sound different from the others, so he was interesting and, at times, entertaining. He spent a hundred years living in this realm where there was no real meaning to anything anymore, so he got high and had orgies and partied and ate cake and had his photos plastered all over the newspapers and just didn’t care about any of it. The only things he did care about were 1) his body, 2) good jackets, and 3) always being alone in bathrooms. But as the story went on, some things happened, and he started to care more about some things and people. In many ways, he was still a jerk, so it was a small enough change to be believable, but still a big enough change to make him a little more likeable.
Other random things you should know about this book:
– The characters all had lots of tea parties.
– Except the tea was spiked with a drug that was literally made of magic.
– Murderous pixies.
– Immortality.
– Duels.
– Ghostly wolves that steal people’s souls.
I only have a couple complaints. One is that there were quite a few POVs, all of which might not have been necessary, but, taking into account the whole soap opera thing, it makes sense that the author was trying to show us what was going on with all the different characters and make sure we got the important information. My other complaint is that the plot felt a little aimless. It was a good story, but I like to know what the goal is so that I know the characters are getting closer, and I never knew what the goal was. The pacing was also kind of slow for most of the book.
Overall though, this was a decadent, unique, magic-and-intrigue-filled book with an oddly likeable main character!
*Note: I categorized this as high fantasy since it was set in another realm, but it’s not your typical high fantasy and has more of a paranormal/urban fantasy vibe in some ways.
*Updated to add: GUYS. THE SECOND BOOK WAS AMAZING. All the complaints I had about this book were fixed, and I absolutely recommend this series if it sounds at all interesting to you!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes fantasy with some darkness, unique worlds, interesting characters, magic, intrigue, beautiful writing, and just a touch of absurdity.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
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3.5 Stars
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley. This has not influenced my review.*
I’ve never watched a soap opera, but this book was what I imagine a soap opera would be like, just with a fantasy setting and more drugs. It started out decadent and sexy with the characters pretty much just having sex, drinking drugged tea, gossiping, and caring about nothing more than what was fashionable. By the end, it was full of scheming, conniving, treachery, and murder.
My favorite thing about this book though was the main character himself, Vaun Dray Fen. That’s an awesome name. It’s so awesome that it screams “trying too hard,” except that’s what makes it so perfect for this book and this character. Vaun was one if those characters who shouldn’t have been likeable but kind of was anyway. He was a jerk, but the author really nailed his voice and managed to make it sound different from the others, so he was interesting and, at times, entertaining. He spent a hundred years living in this realm where there was no real meaning to anything anymore, so he got high and had orgies and partied and ate cake and had his photos plastered all over the newspapers and just didn’t care about any of it. The only things he did care about were 1) his body, 2) good jackets, and 3) always being alone in bathrooms. But as the story went on, some things happened, and he started to care more about some things and people. In many ways, he was still a jerk, so it was a small enough change to be believable, but still a big enough change to make him a little more likeable.
Other random things you should know about this book:
– The characters all had lots of tea parties.
– Except the tea was spiked with a drug that was literally made of magic.
– Murderous pixies.
– Immortality.
– Duels.
– Ghostly wolves that steal people’s souls.
I only have a couple complaints. One is that there were quite a few POVs, all of which might not have been necessary, but, taking into account the whole soap opera thing, it makes sense that the author was trying to show us what was going on with all the different characters and make sure we got the important information. My other complaint is that the plot felt a little aimless. It was a good story, but I like to know what the goal is so that I know the characters are getting closer, and I never knew what the goal was. The pacing was also kind of slow for most of the book.
Overall though, this was a decadent, unique, magic-and-intrigue-filled book with an oddly likeable main character!
*Note: I categorized this as high fantasy since it was set in another realm, but it’s not your typical high fantasy and has more of a paranormal/urban fantasy vibe in some ways.
*Updated to add: GUYS. THE SECOND BOOK WAS AMAZING. All the complaints I had about this book were fixed, and I absolutely recommend this series if it sounds at all interesting to you!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes fantasy with some darkness, unique worlds, interesting characters, magic, intrigue, beautiful writing, and just a touch of absurdity.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
December 30, 2017
I actually ended up with free copies of this book from both NetGalley and LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review
It is therefore unfortunate that I found this to be one of the most mind-numbingly boring books I've ever read. I gave it two stars instead of one based solely on the excellent world building. I love the structure of the city and the way magic works there, although I'm confused if the characters are faeries or just some nondescript magical beings. But the plot ...the plot was just entirely non-existent.
Literally 95% of this book is just reading about spoiled rich people doing drugs. And occasionally having sex. And I guess sometimes sitting around talking about how they'd like to be doing drugs and having sex. Oh sure it all seems really classy at first because they're all wearing fancy clothes and the book is actually beautifully written, but underneath there is literally nothing happening. Maybe that's supposed to be a metaphor for the realm as a whole, but it still makes for an incredibly boring read and that's not good for anyone.
In literally the last 5% of the book we find out some information about who is behind the bad dust in the city [the major 'mystery' of the book] but so many other things are left unanswered that I genuinely don't even care at this point. Like why on earth is Vaun so special? He did basically nothing for the entire book while all the women in his life tried desperately to get him on their side because ....reasons??? I honestly don't know.
Also I hate that it's like heavily implied that everyone is bisexual because oh how exciting and avant garde, but every time there is a sexual scene that is even mildly explicit it is ALWAYS been a man and a woman. Don't use bisexuality for like ...debauchery points or whatever but then sideline it in the main narrative like that.
It is therefore unfortunate that I found this to be one of the most mind-numbingly boring books I've ever read. I gave it two stars instead of one based solely on the excellent world building. I love the structure of the city and the way magic works there, although I'm confused if the characters are faeries or just some nondescript magical beings. But the plot ...the plot was just entirely non-existent.
Literally 95% of this book is just reading about spoiled rich people doing drugs. And occasionally having sex. And I guess sometimes sitting around talking about how they'd like to be doing drugs and having sex. Oh sure it all seems really classy at first because they're all wearing fancy clothes and the book is actually beautifully written, but underneath there is literally nothing happening. Maybe that's supposed to be a metaphor for the realm as a whole, but it still makes for an incredibly boring read and that's not good for anyone.
In literally the last 5% of the book we find out some information about who is behind the bad dust in the city [the major 'mystery' of the book] but so many other things are left unanswered that I genuinely don't even care at this point. Like why on earth is Vaun so special? He did basically nothing for the entire book while all the women in his life tried desperately to get him on their side because ....reasons??? I honestly don't know.
Also I hate that it's like heavily implied that everyone is bisexual because oh how exciting and avant garde, but every time there is a sexual scene that is even mildly explicit it is ALWAYS been a man and a woman. Don't use bisexuality for like ...debauchery points or whatever but then sideline it in the main narrative like that.
July 20, 2022
I RECEIVED A REVIEW COPY FROM THE PUBLISHER. THANK YOU.
My Review: As with all fantasy novels, there's a 50/50 chance I'll resonate to the story harmoniously enough to enjoy the read; odds got us to 60/40 for QUILTBAG themed stories and higher still if there's a bisexual man.
We stalled at 60/40 and never got going again. All the sex is implied; the point of the world's sexual fluidity is played as increasing the sensual options of these decadent people; and in the end, the male MC goes back to his hetero roots. So, disappointments all around. There's also a certain glacial pace issue. There's also a dearth of evidence that a professional proofreader saw the MS (eg, "sooth" ≠ "soothe" nor "horde" substituting for "hoard"), which honestly bothered me quite a lot. Still, a read I'm not sorry I made time for.
My Review: As with all fantasy novels, there's a 50/50 chance I'll resonate to the story harmoniously enough to enjoy the read; odds got us to 60/40 for QUILTBAG themed stories and higher still if there's a bisexual man.
We stalled at 60/40 and never got going again. All the sex is implied; the point of the world's sexual fluidity is played as increasing the sensual options of these decadent people; and in the end, the male MC goes back to his hetero roots. So, disappointments all around. There's also a certain glacial pace issue. There's also a dearth of evidence that a professional proofreader saw the MS (eg, "sooth" ≠ "soothe" nor "horde" substituting for "hoard"), which honestly bothered me quite a lot. Still, a read I'm not sorry I made time for.
July 9, 2017
What an engaging debut novel! Impressive world building, strong character development, and suspense from beginning to end made this an enjoyable read! Awaiting the sequel!
June 14, 2017
Vanity in Dust portrays a fantastical world where beautiful citizens use magic dust to numb reality and live a life of meaningless excess. Despite some unsavory characteristics, anti-hero Vaun is a sensual dreamboat, struggling to fill his royal eternity with petty fights and sex. Each well-developed character fights his or her own internal battle, but Vaun fascinated me the most, as I related to his search for meaning in a world of subdued anger and ash. Author Low immerses you in sensory details, bitter conflict, and characters you both love and hate. A deliciously decadent debut that will make you reconsider the world within which we live--because how different are we than Low's drugged-up citizens of the upper crust?
July 10, 2017
I can't get enough of this book. Can I get the sequel now please? This is a favourite new series.
Cheryl Low is an amazing author. I love her writing style! This book is right up my ally.
I love reading fantasy. I love when characters are dressed well. I love tea parties. I love everything in this book!
The Realm is so lavish and so much fun. There are so many details in this book and you can really notice Cheryl Low has spent a lot of time creating this world and the plot. Every scene has its purpose and she connects it all so well. It's a well written book and it's something I haven't come across before.
I would highly recommend it!
Cheryl Low is an amazing author. I love her writing style! This book is right up my ally.
I love reading fantasy. I love when characters are dressed well. I love tea parties. I love everything in this book!
The Realm is so lavish and so much fun. There are so many details in this book and you can really notice Cheryl Low has spent a lot of time creating this world and the plot. Every scene has its purpose and she connects it all so well. It's a well written book and it's something I haven't come across before.
I would highly recommend it!
August 7, 2017
Vanity in Dust is one of the most captivating fantasies that I’ve read in recent months. With its strange politics and Asian feel, it is very different than most dystopian reads. The setting is gorgeous, at once decadent and desolate. Magic is at once ever present and tightly reined in.
The Realm is ruled by the Queen, rarely seen but immensely powerful. The area surrounding her tower is divided, controlled by three families who regularly war amongst themselves. Dust, a magical drug, distracts and dulls the senses, giving the ruling families immortality. All Dust is produced and sold by the Queen - it is a jealously guarded monopoly. Vaun is a prince of the realm, able to go anywhere, sleep with anyone and do anything. His life of leisure begins to crack when bad dust begins to be seen throughout the realm and he is poisoned by it. Once free of the Dust’s grasp he begins to see that perhaps this life is not what he thought it was.
Vanity in Dust’s characters are intriguing, vibrantly painted and very alive. The complex political machinations will appeal to fans of Game of Thrones, as well to fans of dystopian fantasy. I enjoyed Vanity in Dust immensely and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
5 / 5
I received a copy of Vanity in Dust from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
The Realm is ruled by the Queen, rarely seen but immensely powerful. The area surrounding her tower is divided, controlled by three families who regularly war amongst themselves. Dust, a magical drug, distracts and dulls the senses, giving the ruling families immortality. All Dust is produced and sold by the Queen - it is a jealously guarded monopoly. Vaun is a prince of the realm, able to go anywhere, sleep with anyone and do anything. His life of leisure begins to crack when bad dust begins to be seen throughout the realm and he is poisoned by it. Once free of the Dust’s grasp he begins to see that perhaps this life is not what he thought it was.
Vanity in Dust’s characters are intriguing, vibrantly painted and very alive. The complex political machinations will appeal to fans of Game of Thrones, as well to fans of dystopian fantasy. I enjoyed Vanity in Dust immensely and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
5 / 5
I received a copy of Vanity in Dust from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
July 22, 2017
In Vaun Dray Fen's world, only two things are important: the Queen, and dust, the addictive drug over which the Queen has an absolute monopoly.
Vaun is the youngest son of the Queen, and his life is an endless round of sycophants and parties. His valet, Grayc Illyan, makes sure he is where he needs to be when he needs to be. His only concerns are the addictive dust and enjoying himself--and avoiding his wife, AviSariel.
Then the daughter of one of the three powerful Houses that divide up the Queen's territories goes missing, and bad dust starts turning up, and Vaun realizes that he has completely misread all of the important women in his life: his sister Fay, married to the head of one of those Houses; his valet; his wife--and even, maybe, the Queen.
This book started slow, but somehow I could not put it down, and it turned out to be as addictive as the dust itself. I am very much looking forward to the next book in this series.
I received this book as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
Vaun is the youngest son of the Queen, and his life is an endless round of sycophants and parties. His valet, Grayc Illyan, makes sure he is where he needs to be when he needs to be. His only concerns are the addictive dust and enjoying himself--and avoiding his wife, AviSariel.
Then the daughter of one of the three powerful Houses that divide up the Queen's territories goes missing, and bad dust starts turning up, and Vaun realizes that he has completely misread all of the important women in his life: his sister Fay, married to the head of one of those Houses; his valet; his wife--and even, maybe, the Queen.
This book started slow, but somehow I could not put it down, and it turned out to be as addictive as the dust itself. I am very much looking forward to the next book in this series.
I received this book as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
August 19, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. I'll admit though, that it took me a while to get into it. That could be me or that I was learning about the world. The main character of the book, 'The Prince', also took a while to warm up to. However about a quarter through the book it picked up and then I really got into the story. It is a bit dark and definitely for mature or adult readers. The world is really interesting and the characters grow on you. I am really wondering where the story will develop in the following book(s) as it left it open for more (and I do want to read more!).
Received copy in exchange for review from Librarything.
Received copy in exchange for review from Librarything.
October 11, 2018
What can I say, this book was not what i expected. I really liked the world and the way the magic works. If you'd like a soap opera in a fantasy setting you should really read this one. A lot of sex, magic drugs and intrigues in a cool setting.
The major reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is there are to many POV's. I would rather have spent more time with a fewer number getting to know the charcters better. But on the other hand that would probably make the book loose its soap opera feeling.
The major reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is there are to many POV's. I would rather have spent more time with a fewer number getting to know the charcters better. But on the other hand that would probably make the book loose its soap opera feeling.
Want to read
August 10, 2017WHOSE MANS IS DIS ON THE COVER 😫😫😫😫😫😫
September 11, 2017
This book caught my interest right from the start and kept it throughout. The plot was captivating. The world was enticing. The characters were fascinating. I look forward to the sequel where I can get wrapped up once again in this strange world of tea, dust and magic.
June 5, 2017
This is such a unique fantasy! If you love magic and royalty, but like it set in a stylish, sexy, modern(ish) fantasy world, this will be just what you're looking for. This is a world where the evil queen harvests pixies for their dust, which nearly everyone in the Realm is addicted to. But rebellion is brewing in this lavish, immortal world. Definitely the start of a series--the ending will leave you craving the next book (which should be out in 2018).
September 13, 2018
Omg I loved this book! It pulled me in from the very beginning and I just couldn't stop reading!
More review to come!
More review to come!
September 3, 2017
What a lovely cover that is. I wish the book lived up to it. It's accurate and all, there's a well-dressed, handsome man and he drinks lots of tea and eats lots of pastries, but I didn't love the book as I loved the cover. Now, I didn't hate it. And for most of the rather plodding, slow book I held out hope I'd end it happy. But I did not. Mostly because a very small mystery developed toward the end of the book and it was solved, but the larger mysteries were never even touched on. Not touched on in a way that makes me doubt they'd be solved in a next book or one after that.
I thought the world was interesting. Magic is basically a drug, it suffuses almost every aspect of the wealthy citizens' lives, making them vapid and useless. And you see this in everything from their attitudes, to their sex to the tea cakes and torts that constitute food. It was a well-drawn world. I thought the writing a little purple, but still good. The pace was very slow, but it was atmospheric and I didn't mind until I realized it wasn't going to go anywhere important. So, some really good points for the book, but a few demerits too.
I was annoyed that the one thing that spawned Vaun to action was his affection ( won't call it love) for a woman. The one woman he previously has never been able to have. I HATE this plot device. You have a man who has sexual access to every woman in the kingdom practically. He's a man-slut (they all are). But one woman won't sleep with him. So, she's THE ONE. So, she sleeps with him. I'm always annoyed by this.
But on a more world-level scale I was not happy with the use of bisexuality. At first I was really thrilled to see that bisexuality seemed to be the norm. But it really was just presented as a way for characters to have more sex (twice as many options for sexual partners, you see), and not explored at all. But what's more, it was all inferred. Like, the author was willing to allow for it, but not brave enough to show it. Granted, most of the sex was off-page, but there were plenty of 'waking up in bed together' scenes and they were all M/F, except one, and I didn't sense sex had been involved so much as one man coming into the room in the morning to avoid being seen elsewhere. So, it kind of felt like a cheap use of bisexuality, instead of a representation of it. Similarly, if they were all so sexually debaucherous, why was prostitution still so shamed? More so than a child-like woman who trolls the rough side of town for her rape fantasies and is still considered the only "innocent Vym."
All in all, I had complaints, but I would have rated this quite a bit higher if I felt the overarching mystery was touched on at all, instead of set up to hover over the book like a giant spider and then ignored. I probably will give book two a chance. If it looks like it is going to move the bigger plot along I'll finish the series. If it remains focused on the smaller dramas, probably not.
I thought the world was interesting. Magic is basically a drug, it suffuses almost every aspect of the wealthy citizens' lives, making them vapid and useless. And you see this in everything from their attitudes, to their sex to the tea cakes and torts that constitute food. It was a well-drawn world. I thought the writing a little purple, but still good. The pace was very slow, but it was atmospheric and I didn't mind until I realized it wasn't going to go anywhere important. So, some really good points for the book, but a few demerits too.
I was annoyed that the one thing that spawned Vaun to action was his affection ( won't call it love) for a woman. The one woman he previously has never been able to have. I HATE this plot device. You have a man who has sexual access to every woman in the kingdom practically. He's a man-slut (they all are). But one woman won't sleep with him. So, she's THE ONE. So, she sleeps with him. I'm always annoyed by this.
But on a more world-level scale I was not happy with the use of bisexuality. At first I was really thrilled to see that bisexuality seemed to be the norm. But it really was just presented as a way for characters to have more sex (twice as many options for sexual partners, you see), and not explored at all. But what's more, it was all inferred. Like, the author was willing to allow for it, but not brave enough to show it. Granted, most of the sex was off-page, but there were plenty of 'waking up in bed together' scenes and they were all M/F, except one, and I didn't sense sex had been involved so much as one man coming into the room in the morning to avoid being seen elsewhere. So, it kind of felt like a cheap use of bisexuality, instead of a representation of it. Similarly, if they were all so sexually debaucherous, why was prostitution still so shamed? More so than a child-like woman who trolls the rough side of town for her rape fantasies and is still considered the only "innocent Vym."
All in all, I had complaints, but I would have rated this quite a bit higher if I felt the overarching mystery was touched on at all, instead of set up to hover over the book like a giant spider and then ignored. I probably will give book two a chance. If it looks like it is going to move the bigger plot along I'll finish the series. If it remains focused on the smaller dramas, probably not.
May 1, 2019
I picked this book up at Bubonicon in 2017. I'd been walking around the dealer space looking for books for students and had spotted Vanity in Dust. When asking the publisher about YA recs, they definitely told me this was NOT for young adults, so I walked away from the booth without it. However, at the end of the day, I circled back, mainly because the cover was just so enticing. A gorgeous man and beautiful sweets? I had to know more. I got the last copy left and I'm so glad I did.
When I first read the book, I finished it in a single day. I could not put it down. Everything about it feels like it was tailor-made to appeal to me, personally. Queer characters? Check. Dystopia disguised as a utopia? Check. A hero who must learn not to be a self-absorbed ponce? Check. Dark modern fairy tale feel? Check. There was no way I could've come out of this book disappointed.
The story follows the vain, spoiled, promiscuous prince Vaun, a man who has never had any real responsibilities nor ever faced real consequences for his actions. He is fine with continuing to live the luxurious life given to him in the high districts of the kingdom run by his mysterious mother, but not everyone is as content as he is. There is trouble brewing, from the murmurs of rebellion to someone trying to disrupt the Queen's monopoly on pixie dust, a drug used to dull the senses and keep people in line. Vaun finds himself getting swept up in conspiracy, while also falling in love with his valet, Grayc, who seems pretty deep in the conspiracies herself.
The book's prose is what I can only describe as lush; the world being described is a decadent fae realm, and the descriptions place you right into it, in such a way that you can smell and taste the tea and cakes and magic. Despite this, the prose isn't overbearing, or what would be described as 'purple'. It's enough to weave a very clear picture in your head but not enough that you get lost in it.
The characters are all extremely charming and have their own clear voices. It can be difficult to make snappy dialogue sound like it's coming from individuals, not a single writer, but Low manages to pull it off with style.
The plot is a fascinating political drama, and I say that as someone who isn't usually that into political drama. I'm generally not interested in characters who play mental chess with one another, but I think what makes this book so interesting is that it's not straight politics. It's magic and drugs and family feuds that all weave in and out of each other, with each person wanting something different, instead of all of the characters aiming for the same throne. And, what really sells it for me, is that the book is also a subtle commentary on modern culture, on how the ultra-wealthy prey on the lower classes and destroy lives through boredom and apathy... and the consequences when the lower class being preyed on eventually bites back.
Overall this book is just a tense, sexy, magical good time.
When I first read the book, I finished it in a single day. I could not put it down. Everything about it feels like it was tailor-made to appeal to me, personally. Queer characters? Check. Dystopia disguised as a utopia? Check. A hero who must learn not to be a self-absorbed ponce? Check. Dark modern fairy tale feel? Check. There was no way I could've come out of this book disappointed.
The story follows the vain, spoiled, promiscuous prince Vaun, a man who has never had any real responsibilities nor ever faced real consequences for his actions. He is fine with continuing to live the luxurious life given to him in the high districts of the kingdom run by his mysterious mother, but not everyone is as content as he is. There is trouble brewing, from the murmurs of rebellion to someone trying to disrupt the Queen's monopoly on pixie dust, a drug used to dull the senses and keep people in line. Vaun finds himself getting swept up in conspiracy, while also falling in love with his valet, Grayc, who seems pretty deep in the conspiracies herself.
The book's prose is what I can only describe as lush; the world being described is a decadent fae realm, and the descriptions place you right into it, in such a way that you can smell and taste the tea and cakes and magic. Despite this, the prose isn't overbearing, or what would be described as 'purple'. It's enough to weave a very clear picture in your head but not enough that you get lost in it.
The characters are all extremely charming and have their own clear voices. It can be difficult to make snappy dialogue sound like it's coming from individuals, not a single writer, but Low manages to pull it off with style.
The plot is a fascinating political drama, and I say that as someone who isn't usually that into political drama. I'm generally not interested in characters who play mental chess with one another, but I think what makes this book so interesting is that it's not straight politics. It's magic and drugs and family feuds that all weave in and out of each other, with each person wanting something different, instead of all of the characters aiming for the same throne. And, what really sells it for me, is that the book is also a subtle commentary on modern culture, on how the ultra-wealthy prey on the lower classes and destroy lives through boredom and apathy... and the consequences when the lower class being preyed on eventually bites back.
Overall this book is just a tense, sexy, magical good time.
July 16, 2017
I'm not entirely sure what to think on this one. I loved the world building in this novel, it was excellent - the details on the High, Main and Low were brilliant, along with all the descriptions of the outfits everyone was wearing, the dust parties, etc, it was all brilliant.
But it left a LOT of things unanswered, probably to be answered in the sequel. I may have missed why Vaun is so special, but I couldn't quite get why he's so desperately needed for something. Yet, despite that, I quite enjoyed myself reading it. The middle lost me a bit, probably because I missed a tonne of subtext. I miss subtext a lot, thanks to being an aspie, I generally need that kind of thing to smack me in the house, or to be shouted next to me using a megaphone. I followed along the story line as best I could though, the beginning and ending keeping me very interested.
A bit raunchier than I was expecting, filled with a lot of plot twists, and an incredibly magical world, I enjoyed this book a lot. There were bits I think could have been explained better, maybe had a bit more information as to the importance of Vaun, but overall, I did enjoy the book. Not sure if I'll pick up the sequel, I'll see how I feel when it comes out.
But it left a LOT of things unanswered, probably to be answered in the sequel. I may have missed why Vaun is so special, but I couldn't quite get why he's so desperately needed for something. Yet, despite that, I quite enjoyed myself reading it. The middle lost me a bit, probably because I missed a tonne of subtext. I miss subtext a lot, thanks to being an aspie, I generally need that kind of thing to smack me in the house, or to be shouted next to me using a megaphone. I followed along the story line as best I could though, the beginning and ending keeping me very interested.
A bit raunchier than I was expecting, filled with a lot of plot twists, and an incredibly magical world, I enjoyed this book a lot. There were bits I think could have been explained better, maybe had a bit more information as to the importance of Vaun, but overall, I did enjoy the book. Not sure if I'll pick up the sequel, I'll see how I feel when it comes out.
November 9, 2018
Book 1 in the crowns and Ash series. Vaun is a prince just enjoying the extravaggances his title allows him especially the dust he consumes. Soon rumours of treason and bad dust circulate dragging Vaun into danger.
This was a good read but it took me a while to understand the world and the people. Once I did, I enjoyed the story. It's an interesting idea if a little gory in places. The ending was good and left me wanting to read more.
Vaun is interesting and I enjoyed seeing his character develop and the relationship between him and Grayc. Looking forward to book 2 and hopefully learning more about AviSariel.
This was a good read but it took me a while to understand the world and the people. Once I did, I enjoyed the story. It's an interesting idea if a little gory in places. The ending was good and left me wanting to read more.
Vaun is interesting and I enjoyed seeing his character develop and the relationship between him and Grayc. Looking forward to book 2 and hopefully learning more about AviSariel.
November 13, 2017
It was fine. Just fine. It had the potential to be good but didn't quite make it for me. I liked the world and the premise, but there was too much focus on the the rich people drama and gossip for my liking, and not enough magic. If you enjoy reading about scandal, sex, drugs and corruption, this is for you. I'll probably read the next book to see if we learn more of the magic, the queen, etc., but book two will be it for me if it is just more of the same.
August 21, 2017
Forced to finish
It did not hold my interest. Few of the characters were fleshed out, so to speak. Most were not meshed into the story.
It did not hold my interest. Few of the characters were fleshed out, so to speak. Most were not meshed into the story.
April 5, 2018
While this has too much sex/sexual references which I don't care for, I did like the story.
February 27, 2019
Full review to come!
December 2, 2018
If fantasy is your genre - and you like it sprinkled with all the drama (and flesh-eating pixies for good measure), this tea-and-magic-soaked romp is for you! Cheryl Low has created a world where drugs, debauchery, and status reign supreme, but when bad dust starts tearing apart the world at the seams, shit goes down - and true alliances and motivations rise to the not-so-perfect surface of the Realm. With beautiful writing and tons of intrigue, Vanity in Dust is a spectacular start to this series. You can tell it's building toward something truly fantastic (and maybe terrible?) in the second book, so I can't wait to read the next volume!
November 5, 2018
I thought the world-building was fabulous but the story was lacking. There was a lot of sex and drug use which comprised the bulk of the book. I would have liked to learn something more about the characters.
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