Another Unique Spin on a Fairy Tale Classic

Imagine being born without the ability to sustain body warmth and having instead to pull heat from objects or animals or people physically close to you? Imagine never being able to hug or show affection to those you love, afraid your touch might freeze them to the point of death? Imagine receiving censure and animosity from others simply because you look different—would you put your own life on the line to save theirs?

Although Ashen is referred to as a Cinderella retelling, the similarities in the plot lines are so loose as to make me forget all connections until there’s a mention of glass footwear toward the end. Not that it matters—the story carries itself even without reference to the fairy tale. I loved the unique setting among the mountains, near steam vents, inside caves, and beside the sea. The main character, Liz, earns our loyalty from the get-go with her selflessness and devotion to “Auntie” Katryn, who raised her ever since Liz was found as a babe in a barn. A book-lover will lose blissful hours to the lush descriptions and character development within these pages, and I found the stellar quality of writing immensely refreshing.

A wholesome read for tweens and teens, yet engaging enough for the “young adult” in all of us.

Stealer of warmth, bringer of death. What if Cinderella had a secret that kept her locked away?

Unable to make her own body heat, foundling Lizbete survives in the tavern kitchen, drawing warmth from the fires, the sun – and sometimes, other living beings. Her days are spent cooking alongside the tavern owner and avoiding the suspicious gazes of the villagers in her small northern town. While she quietly longs for the handsome Brynar, she knows she has no chance with the mayor’s son, even if he invites her to the First Frost festival.

When sudden earthquakes strike Brumehome, blame falls upon Lizbete, and not even her friendship with Brynar can protect her. She finds shelter in the dangerous caverns of nearby Ash Mountain. There, she discovers mysterious people with her same ability to draw heat – and a fiery doom in the mountain that slowly awakens with every quake.

Now, the festival Lizbete thought to avoid is her only chance to warn the villagers. Yet, even with Brynar at her side, can the strange girl dubbed the Ash Lizard hope to save the town that fears her?

A rugged YA Cinderella retelling set in a fantasy world with light steampunk elements.