Reviewed by shannonmiz on
I don't really know what to say about Ash & Bramble, which is a big part of why it is getting the mini-review treatment. I had heard that the first half of the book was rather slow, so I went in knowing and expecting it (and it turned out to hold true for me), but I had powered through in the hopes that the book would become more exciting in the second half. And it did, just not enough to make up for the first half.
I liked Shoe and his storyline more than Pin's. I didn't dislike Pin, I just have as much of a connection or reaction to her. Shoe was more likable for me, and he exuded more emotionally. There were a few minor characters that I enjoyed, but the other key characters were a little underdeveloped for my taste.
The story itself was a bit confusing. The beginning, while slow, at least made sense to me. As the plot got more intricate, I started having a lot more questions. Some were answered, but definitely not all. There was a lot of just accepting things at face value, which I am not very good at doing. Had the world building been stronger, I think I'd have taken to the story more.
But, I was definitely invested in Shoe and Pin enough to see how their story would end, so I did keep reading. The last 20% of the book was definitely paced better, and the characters' personalities became more apparent. I still didn't have all my questions answered, but I read that there'll be a companion novel so that might be interesting.
Bottom Line: The characters, especially Shoe, made me want to keep reading. The story was slow at times, confusing at times, but definitely ended strongly. I'd likely give the companion a try when it comes out, so I think that's probably a plus too.
*Copy provided by publisher for review
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 3 September, 2015: Finished reading
- 3 September, 2015: Reviewed