Friday Book Talk: Kingdom of Ash and Briars

Kingdom of Ash and Briars, by Hannah West

Beautifully crafted, Kingdom of Ash and Briars quickly draws the reader into compelling mystery and a beautiful story. I didn’t even know it included old-fashioned fairy tales until I was well invested in the action. For me, that element was merely a nice surprise. 

We begin with the heroine, Bristal—an orphaned kitchen maid who lives an ordinary life. We feel her predicament; we’ve all felt powerless and unloved. She struggles against her limitations and legitimately fears people who hold power over her. Those fears come into fruition, which leads us into the darker chapters of the book. 

Here, in dark revelations and deadly mysteries, Hannah West builds a solid magical world with rules we can follow and work behind. We are also introduced to Tamarice, a friend-turned-enemy and one of the better villains I’ve read lately. Tamarice is relatable, and we get to empathically understand how she “goes wrong.” Bristal’s character is pure and squeaky-clean, which doesn’t bother me, as she’s the stability in a chaotic epoch. She is constantly working behind the scenes to protect and bring victory to our fairy tale characters. She stumbles upon a great ally and love interest only while feverishly working for the rescue of the kingdoms of Nissera. 

The fairy tale characters themselves are a bit two-dimensional, but the story isn’t really about them. It’s more about the world of the elicromancers and how Bristal is able to bring about happily ever after for all involved. 

There’s an element of dues ex mechina in the final scenes, but because we are brought full-circle into Bristal’s mysterious past, I didn’t mind it too much. I did think the central romance’s problems were too easily solved with the supernatural, and you could see it coming. If you don’t mind that kind of thing, you’ll overlook it, because by then you’re cheering for them.

This is one of the better YA books I’ve read lately and I can wholeheartedly recommend it. The second book in the series is a little more risqué, as well as more confused. West took on more plot points than she could wrangle into order. But since each book stands alone, you can pretend like the sequel doesn’t exist.