Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch April Spisak Raasch, Sara Snow Like Ashes. Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins, 2014 416p ISBN 978-0-06-228692-5 $17.99 Ad Gr. 8–10 The Kingdom of Winter was vanquished by the Kingdom of Spring sixteen years ago, and most Winterians are enslaved in their former homeland, with only a handful remaining free. Meira has grown up part of a fierce but tiny group dedicated to restoring the freedom of Winter and creating a kingdom where they can use their own magic, revel in the eternal cold, and avenge the endless deaths brought on by power-hungry evil. Meira’s magical abilities seem to be awakening at startling speed, and she’ll need them in the upcoming climactic final battle in this world of eight kingdoms. The world-building is fairly effective: the setup is a cool premise, and the author conveys the backstory subtly. Unfortunately, there is a troubling racial undertone that cannot be ignored: the bravest, most beautiful, and most heroic of all the people in all eight kingdoms are also the palest, with white hair and frequent descriptions of fair, ivory features. In addition, Meira is not only boy crazy but fickle, and her tendency to miss important clues and key chances to enact change because she is distracted by shirtless chests or twinkling eyes impairs her impact as a protagonist. Even so, Meira’s got plenty of snarky humor and an ultimately earnest devotion to her beleaguered people, and those positive traits may keep readers engaged through to the end to see how it all plays out. Copyright © 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois