ARC Review: The Beautiful Ashes (Broken Destiny #1) by Jeaniene Frost

Dark, grim, edgy with a smudge of humour

Title: The Beautiful Ashes
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Series: Broken Destiny
Publisher: Harlequin Books, US
My ratings: 4 out of 5 stars
Releases: 26th August, 2014
When I saw that the latest Jeaniene Frost book was available for request, my fingers couldn’t move quickly enough to request it. She has been one of my favourite Urban Fantasy authors and her Night Huntress Series made me a hard core fan. The icing on the cake was that The Beautiful Ashes was a New Adult fantasy, which I have screaming for months to be an area of potential. So as soon as my dirty fingers, got hold of this I started reading this bad boy.

The premise goes that Ivy is looking for her younger sister, Jasmine who has been kidnapped. Her parents were killed in a car accident day later. Ivy knows something is worng with her as she keeps seeing visions all her life where reality would lose it’s shroud and an darker, grimmer alternative world of the reality would be standing in front of her. She meets Adrian, a mysterious guy who, on their first meeting, kidnaps her, and very well may be the last hope of finding Jasmine. But Adrian himself is plagued by him own demons, and may even have an agenda of his own.

It would be impossible to write this review without comparing Jeaniene’s previous fantasy work and how well written it was. The main character Ivy was kick ass, not the same way as Cat was but understandably less edgy and soft due to a normal upbringing and her young age. However slowly, as the story progresses we get to see her grow and really bloom into a woman who can really hold her own.

The humour was spread out through the story. I would admit I enjoyed Cat’s and Bones’ dry humour more but Ivy had her own brand of humour when she finds herself in ridiculous circumstances. At one point I was laughing out loud to the dismay of my fellow commuters.

And now for what you all Jeaniene Frost fans have been waiting for. To know more about the Man meat. I mean the main male character. To be honest I am a little conflicted by it. He is by no means Bones, with her cheeky humour and bad ass attitude or his tendencies of wholly taking over a scene by his mere presence. Ahem, it’s not fair to compare both of them here but I simply didn’t quite feel any spark about him. He was angry, frustrated, trying to fight his attraction towards Ivy but he felt flat to me. Even the relationship between Ivy and Adrian seemed half baked. I still don’t see how they ‘fell’ for each other as so far they were only attracted physically but I still cannot see an emotional connection between them. Plus, his secret keeping habit really grated on my nerves.

The plot was good with a world building which was dark, dangerous and full of the strange and wonderfully grim creatures which makes my days when I read fantasy. The background with David, Goliath and the demons was innovative and I am sure with a few more books, Frost will be able to etch out a complex world.

Overall, The Beautiful Ashes is a good attempt at writing a decent Urban Fantasy book. It may not be outstanding or remarkable but it was just right at the exact correct places. It may not have hit the spot but it gave a good few hours.

Releases on the 26th of August, 2014  

ARC received by Harlequin Books, US, via NetGalley