Review: The Beautiful Ashes – Jeaniene Frost

In a world of shadows, anything is possible. Except escaping your fate.

Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been gripped by visions of strange realms just beyond her own. But when her sister goes missing, Ivy discovers the truth is far worse—her hallucinations are real, and her sister is trapped in a parallel realm. And the one person who believes her is the dangerously attractive guy who’s bound by an ancient legacy to betray her.

Adrian might have turned his back on those who raised him, but that doesn’t mean he can change his fate…no matter how strong a pull he feels toward Ivy. Together they search for the powerful relic that can save her sister, but Adrian knows what Ivy doesn’t: that every step brings Ivy closer to the truth about her own destiny, and a war that could doom the world. Sooner or later, it will be Ivy on one side and Adrian on the other. And nothing but ashes in between…

Series: Broken Destiny #1
Release Date: August 26th 2014
Publisher: by Harlequin
Source: Provided by the Publisher
Reviewer: Shannon
Rating:

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Reviewer’s Thoughts

3.5 Cocktails

I’ve been waiting to read this book for a long time.  As a matter of fact, when I discovered the goodie room at the Romantic Times convention had advanced reader copies of this book, I was a tiny bit crushed to discover that others beat me to a copy.  But here I am a few months later, happy to have this little gem and for Jeaniene Frost to introduce us to a whole new paranormal world…including hot Adrian (who to me was a younger mixed version of Vlad and Ian…go figure).

This was such a great premise.  The author puts her own spin on the angels and demons world and it’s a world that has a lot going on.  Our heroine, Ivy, discovers the hallucinations she’s since she was a child are real, that her family isn’t who she thought they were, and her sister’s been kidnapped by demons.  She’s paired up with Adrian to navigate the demon realm to find a slingshot, which can be used to rescue her sister.  As with any book by Ms. Frost, there are so many twists and turns thoughout the story, you find yourself wondering just who can Ivy trust.  And while quite a bit is not what is seems, the relationship that builds between Ivy and Adrian is one that is very reminiscent of certain vampire and vampire huntress and fraught with all sorts of obstacles.

Ivy and Adrian have a lot going against them as they start their search for the slingshot.  They are the remaining decedents of biblical lines:  One will save the world, the other is doomed to betrayal the other.  Adrian tries is hardest to be the world’s biggest douchebag and Ivy’s just trying to survive.  But somewhere along the way, while escaping peril, the two start to like each other and have a hard time fighting their attraction.  And as Ivy learns more about who Adrian is and why he can navigate her through the demon realm, she discovers she has a lot of faith in Adrian.  That faith will get tested as we move into book 2, but I have no doubt Adrian is going to be right there next to Ivy until the very end.