Ash by Malinda Lo

From Goodreads:

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted. 

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love. 

Entrancing, empowering, and romantic, Ash is about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief.

 I have to admit that I enjoyed this book but not as much as I enjoyed Huntress. So, instead of having it enhance this experience I tried to ignore some of what I read in the prequel. I think it is mostly because there was a almost never-ending adventure with the first and only one retold story with this book. The stories were connected but only by space. They both seemed like completely separate stories in the end.

Cinderella was never my favorite fairy tale. Oh, true... I loved the Disney version, but mostly because of Gus Gus the mouse. I also liked the retelling with Drew Barrymore but that is because that princess was a rare creature, sure of herself and, in fact, saved herself. I now will add a third retelling that I did enjoy and that is Ash. The world building was lush and main characters in this book were so easily likable. Therefore, I think the retellings have been superior to the generally known Cinderella tale.

My only criticism in this book was Sidhean, the fairy prince. He was necessary in this story and yet his character fell flat. I felt that his story needs to be told. I am very curious about what happened to him and what had specifically befallen him with Ash's mother. Doesn't mean that I wanted Ash to end up with Sidhean (I don't think I'm spilling anything since it was clear it wouldn't happen from the blurb); no that romantic story was perfect as told, I'm just a curious cat.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars. You do not have to read Huntress before Ash. They are very different even though the stories take place in the same place but at different time periods.

I received this book in winnings from the Misfit Salon. Her review is HERE.