Jo Spurrier

I ordered this book direct from Australia because I wanted to read it that badly. It was totally worth the price plus shipping. Spurrier has created this fascinating, complex, political, and harsh world that (while never wanting to live there) I fell right into. Her world building was superb, and subtle. And the plot was great. I got hooked into the story and wanted to scream because the ending just ended and I wanted the next book so I could find out what happens next.

The book did have it's flaws, which isn't unexpected considering it's Spurrier's first book - but to be honest, I overlooked most of them because this book was much better than some other authors' 10th+ book.… (mais)

Elodie receives a letter from a mysterious sender offering her work as a housemaid and when she was hired at Black Oak Cottage, she had no idea she'd find herself working for a witch—Aleida—who was not expecting a housemaid to turn up on her doorstep. Amidst her employment, no matter what the old witch throws at her, to Elodie it's still better than going back to her abusive home even if it means dealing with the consequences of a dead witch—Gyssha Blackbone, who made monsters—, a bitter curse and a battle of magic. Somehow, someway it's Elodie's job to clean up the mess the old dead witch made which lead readers on a otherworldly journey filled with magic, monsters, witches and more.

… and based on the reviews, ‘A Curse of Ash and Embers’ was not as terrible as I thought it would be. I actually quite enjoyed myself. From the relationship between Elodie and Aleida, the cause the death of Gyssha and her resurrection, Dee’s upbringing, outstanding world-building, and the characters themselves had me hooked from the get-go.

The likable characters, refreshing and unique premise, and lack of romance really brought this story together. Though this could really end as a standalone, I am really excited to continue the ‘Tales of the Blackbone Witches’ series to see how Dee and Aleida grow and evolve.

… (mais)

This was such an interesting take on a tale about a witch.
Elodie's family gets a mysterious letter sending her away to Blackbone Cottage to be a handmaid. After quite a journey, where she meets a wizard and a warlock, she arrives to find out the one who sent for her is a witch. Although it turns out Aleida didn't send for her, and it's still unknown who sent the letter.
Much of the story revolves around trying to get rid of that warlock she met on the road, with plenty of other twists and turns thrown in.
Overall a pretty interesting story and am interested to see where the story goes from here.… (mais)