Ash by Malinda LoMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
I finished this book last night and as soon as I did I thought "WTF?"...
Aisling "Ash" is definitely not your stereotypical Cinderella. Sure the usual things happen e.g. her mother dies when Ash is only really young, then her dad goes off and marries a complete stranger who's a really nasty piece of work, before he suddenly just dies. No real surprises there, though her father death did sound really awful & quite painful...
The two stepsisters Ana & Clara aren't particularly ugly in this story and though you might feel like strangling spoilt/bratty Ana every once in a while, you might surprise yourself by feeling a little pity for them both. With a mother like theirs pushing them towards a loveless marriage match for the sake of securing a title and fortune, you end up sympathizing them for their lot in life... though not TOO much.
Instead of a fairy godmother, there is seriously hot but distant fairy Sidhean (gives the Winter Prince Ash from Iron King a run for his money in frostiness). Sidhean, of the long white hair & blue eyes, has taken an interest in Ash's well being since she was a child and strikes up a strange/complicated friendship with her but it seems that Ash might be more than just the usual passing fancy to the ice cold fairy of legend. Striking bargains with the fey is a dangerous thing to do but is the promise of Sidhean's help worth risking everything Ash has grown to love in the human world?
Also there is Kaisa, the King's Huntress who seems like one of the boys but is also something apart... A woman who is independent, strong and commanding as well caring and gentle, who wins the admiration of Ash... and perhaps something more. Through a series of chance meetings, shared conversation and laughter, Kaisa and Ash also form a friendship. As Ash's story progresses her bond with Kaisa becomes stronger but will it be enough to save Ash from her promised fate and the lure of Fairie?
While I applaud Malinda Lo for her new twist to an old fairy tale and making Ash go where no Cinderella has gone before, I found the story lacking something more. There was no real spark, it seemed that the characters were just going through the paces and just plodding along to a conclusion which I saw coming. Also the climax was somewhat disappointingly anti-climatic... On the up-side I enjoyed the brief fairy yarns a character would tell from time to time. I always did like a dark themed fairy tale and it was enjoyable to read a couple of new ones I hadn't heard of before.
It wasn't a bad read but it wasn't an exceptionally great read either. Also, if you're not a particularly open-minded person you might want to give this book a miss.
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