Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch

🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Synopsis:

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

I didn't expect to connect with the main character as much as I did. Meira desperately wants to find her place in the world and to help fight for the home that she never really knew. She was just a baby when the Kingdom of Winter fell and has been on the run every since trying to find the answers to freeing the rest of her people from Spring's clutches. Meira wanted to carve her own path rather than being restricted by what other people asked of her but she also wanted to be accepted. It seemed like the thing that she wanted most was to matter and not just be a pawn to be used as others saw fit. There were points in the book where I was very close to tears because of Meira's inner dialogue stating what I just described. Her voice was what touched me the most about this story.
Although the story was fantastic as well! I thought that the author explained the effects that the magical battles had on the present time frame in the book really well. The world building was top notch and I thought that the way that the author did so through the main character was creative and interesting. Meira knows as much as readers know as the book begins and we learn along with her as things are revealed.  I knew what the reveal was going to be way before the author finally gave it away towards the end of the book. I felt that it was obvious but it didn't bother me in the least. I enjoyed knowing something in advance before the characters in the story did.
I enjoyed many things pertaining to this book...the action was fantastic, the characters were wonderful, and I enjoyed learning about magic and the world that it built. The only thing that I would have changed was adding another point of view when some of the characters are separated from each other in the book. I wanted so badly to know what was happening with those particular characters. It made me feel like I had a blind spot where the book was concerned which left me feeling uneasy. The author explains a few things that happened later but I would have liked to have had more.