Jocelyn Bleu: Wings of Ash & Flame

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222097691-wings-of-ash-flame

Book Blurb:

Rivals by design. Lovers by choice. Enemies by destiny.

Alaire Aerendyl has survived by her fists, her wits, and sheer defiance. An orphaned human, unjustly imprisoned by the powerful fae houses that rule her world, she's never truly known freedom—only how to fight for scraps of it.

So when she's offered a place at a brutal fae academy known for its deadly magical trials and bonded mythical winged creatures, she doesn’t hesitate. Freedom is worth any risk.

Alaire is meant to fail. But when she bonds with a legendary phoenix, reviving the long-lost House of Ashfyre, everything changes. Memories awaken. Magic stirs. And Alaire becomes the target of powers far darker than she ever imagined.

Bound by duty, fae prince Dawson Knox is broody, lethal, and infuriating. Forced to train alongside him, Alaire finds herself pushed to every limit. He’s the last person she should trust…and the only one who makes her burn.

The blistering tension between them is a distraction she can’t afford. Because the academy’s trials are merely preparation for what lies ahead, war is brewing between the fae and vampires, with humans caught in the crossfire. If Alaire can’t uncover the secrets of her past and conquer her traitorous heart, there might not be a future worth fighting for.

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Romantasy *enemies --> more *magic *Fae *danger *family secrets

*academy *magical trials *Vampires *powers awakening *darkness is moving in

Thoughts:

Alaire (FMC) has survived for years on her own facing challenges of living on the streets, she knows what it's like to struggle and as a human in a world full of Fae that hold all the magical powers and humans are seen as weak she is used to being underestimated and so she has had to learn how to survive in different ways by learning combat techniques and street smarts.  

When she witnesses something she can't let go and interferes she finds herself in a jail cell... naturally in a worse situation than she was already in after serving some time she gets a visit from a surprise visitor who gives her the option to go to a magical fae academy instead of staying in prison... umm ok yea must be better than this.

Once at the academy she trains along side Fae who are less than welcoming (minus a few friends she makes) she also catches the attention of Fae Prince Dawson Knox he is broody, handsome (not that she's noticed) and they can't stand each other... naturally they are picked to be partners for the school year and now their accomplishments and failures are linked.

Alaire doesn't remember her past her memories are gone, but once at the school some of her memories begin to return, she begins to feel a pull of power and what... a legendary phoenix thought to be long gone returns... and bonds with her, but just when she feels like she's getting closer to the truth of what happened in the past things continue to feel out of reach.  

What is more surprising is how she is beginning to feel closer to Dawson... because she hates this guy... doesn't she? ... if that isn't enough the Vampires are getting closer and she needs to find out what happened in the past to help protect her future.  

Some Likes:

Interesting world building I appreciated the bond with elemental creatures and liked that once bonded they were mind linked.

Kaia (FMC's bestie) is just the friend Alaire needed in this school full of enemies 

Dawson is broody, handsome and has some things going on that he isn't telling anyone, tell us your secrets

I do enjoy an enemies --> more 

Really enjoyed Solflara (Alaire's bonded Phoenix) she was sassy, protective and even had some funny moments like when she was talking about not wanting the male elementals to think she liked them.

I've been enjoying books with trials lately and this one had some difficult trials for our characters to overcome.  

some dislikes:

While I haven't read many romantasy books and I haven't read the more popular ones... this book felt to me like checking off boxes for a bunch of different popular romantasy tropes examples:

• Poor girl orphaned and fighting for survival 
• hidden past due to memory loss
• powers awakening
• riding legendary creatures 
• angry at everything all the time (?) brooding

While the Narrator did a good job with what was there, my poor ears suffered because these characters are always angry about something the characters would speak softly and I would turn up the volume then every few sentences they are shouting at each other and needed to turn the volume down... 

I struggled with the FMC... she was constantly angry about something didn't allow someone to explain themselves and leaping first and thinking after... it got her into trouble multiple times throughout the book and got others in trouble too throughout the book because they had to save her, I think she was supposed to be self sufficient and strong... but it came off as naive, immature and selfish at times. 

The MMC goes from disliking the FMC to protective very quickly with nothing happening in between to lead me to believe that their relationship was getting closer.

This was a situation where there was so many things trying to be placed into the story that nothing felt fully formed and everything felt rushed to fit it in, the pacing was uneven. 

I might continue this series at some point to see what happens next

Have you read this one?  What did you think?