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Ash Princess cover art

Ash Princess

Written by: Laura Sebastian
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
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Publisher's Summary

The first book in the New York Times best-selling series

"Made for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Sabaa Tahir" (Bustle), Ash Princess is an epic new fantasy about a throne cruelly stolen and a girl who must fight to take it back for her people.  

Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia's family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess - a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner.

For 10 years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She's endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside. 

Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of reclaiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn't always won on the battlefield. 

For 10 years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.

"Sure to be one of the summer's most talked about YAs.... A darkly enchanting page-turner you won't be able to put down." (Bustle)

©2018 Laura Sebastian (P)2018 Listening Library

What the critics say

"Tense and imaginative, this story of a diminished yet vengeful princess inciting a rebellion to recapture her rightful place of power strikes a timely chord. Ash Princess is a smart, feminist twist on a traditional tale of a fallen heroine, with plenty of court intrigue, love, and lies to sweeten the deal. Good luck putting this one down." (Virginia Boecker, author of The Witch Hunter series)

"The story leaps and twists like a swordswoman, and its blade carves the characters anew and divides them against themselves. This searing page-turner is a compelling examination of the complexities of both evil and resistance." (Sarah Porter, author of Vassa in the Night)

"An emotionally complex, breathtakingly suspenseful series starter." (Booklist)

What listeners say about Ash Princess

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Get rid of the music

Super weird music for no reason at random times? Please take this out - it’s just weird

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

not sure how I feel

this was a predictable story. I'm a sucker for reclaiming the throne stories but I wasnt that impressed with this one. narration was great, background music was strange. overall decent.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Fde
  • 2021-02-15

Great Book

The story line was great, she was able to create a new world with likeable characters. I didn't like the accents used for the characters and how mischievous she tried to make the voices sound (Its actually laughable and cringy at times). Great story and would likely listen to second book if its a different narrator.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

loved it

only negative, comment is the music in the background sometime, it's weird. I thought it wasn't in the book removed headset a few time to realized that it was in the book. I didn't like it but loved the performance and the story.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

I finished it, it's average

The story was really captivating at first. As it continued, I found it difficult to really latch on. It had its moments here and there, but I found the main character a little annoying at times. Ending didn't capture me enough to continue. This book maybe for some people, but it wasn't for me.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Loved it!

Great book... I will be listening to the next one! Love Saskia’s narration. Loved it!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyed it

I enjoyed this book and the world that Laura Sebastian created.
I found the book somewhat slow moving, and very long. I felt like some good editing could’ve cut out some unnecessary scenes and a lot of repetitive comments. There was a lot of over-emphasized regret, and constant reminders of what had happened earlier in the book.
Aside from those relatively minor defects. I did enjoy the book and I look forward to reading the sequel.
The narrator did a good job and was interesting to listen to. However at times I found her too breathy, almost whispering with an overly dramatic flair. But for the most part she was good.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

I tried

I tried to like the book, but I found the characters boring and with not really any back story, it just didn’t catch my attention. I forced myself to listen to as much as I could. While this book will be amazing for a lot of people, it was just not my taste. My apologies.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

So glad I gave this book a try!

I had little expectations as I'd seen Ash Princess in bookstores many times but the blurb didn't quite catch me, but I decided to give the audiobook a try. I am so glad I did! The narrator was fantastic and the world created was fascinating. Theo was a great combination of conflicted views and morals. I loved it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

My Favorite Book if 2018

I loved everything about the Ash princess and I can't wait for book two !

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