Skip to main content

Blog Tour: Air and Ash (Tides #1) by Alex Lidell: A Book Review

AIR AND ASH (Tides #1)
Author: Alex Lidell
Pub. Date: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Danger Bearing Press
Pages: 284
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Find it: Amazon, B&N, Goodreads
Genre: YA Fantasy/Steampunk
Source: This book was given to me by Rockstar Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Master and Commander meets Tamora Pierce in a seafaring adventure of duty, love, magic, and a princess’s quest to protect her kingdom on her own terms.

     After a lifetime of training, seventeen-year-old Princess Nile Greysik, a lieutenant on the prestigious Ashing navy flagship, sails into battle with one vital mission—and fails.

     Barred from the sea and facing a political marriage, Nile masquerades as a common sailor on the first ship she can find. With a cowardly captain, incompetent crew, and a cruel, too-handsome first officer intent on making her life a living hell, Nile must hide her identity while trying to turn the sorry frigate battleworthy. Worse, a terrifying and forbidden magic now tingles in Nile’s blood. If anyone catches wind of who Nile is or what she can do, her life is over.

     But when disaster threatens the ship, Nile may have no choice but to unleash the truth that will curse her future.

     AIR AND ASH is the thrilling first installment of the TIDES series. Recommended for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Tamora Pierce, and Naomi Novik.

     My Review: Princess Nile is a lieutenant on the Ashing naval flagship. On a mission, the ship sails into battle and fails. Discharged from the Navy, Princess Nile finds herself facing a political marriage. She decides to run away by pretending to be a common sailor and works on the first ship she can find. However, her problems are far from over. She must deal with a greedy captain, a mean officer, and a hostile crew. The biggest problem that Nile faces is that she must hide her identity and her magic powers.

  Nile is a loveable character. She is very relatable. She is a compassionate woman who wants to save her brother. She is stubborn and majestic. While she is not strong physically, she is nevertheless a determined heroine. She never gives up. Thus, she is tough on the inside. At times, she can be disrespectful to her superiors. She believes that she knows what s best and this proves to be her worst flaw. She is also very judgmental and gullible at times. She acts before she thinks. Still, I love this hardworking princess, and I look forward to her next adventure!

   Overall, this book is about family love, love, and mistakes. The characters were engaging, and all of them are very likable. The world-building was complex, but very creative. There were some violent scenes in this book. Thus, I recommend it for mature teens sixteen and up. I was a bit disappointed in how the book ended. It was very abrupt and left in a cliffhanger. Still, I can’t wait for the sequel! Air and Ash is full of magic, adventure, romance, and is very action-packed! Readers will love this feisty heroine and will devour this book in one sitting! I recommend this novel for fans of Shadowfell, The Black Mage, and Daughter of the Pirate King.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars


About Alex:



     Alex Lidell is an avid horseback rider, paramedic and ice cream addict. Born in Russia, Alex learned English in elementary school, where a thoughtful librarian placed a copy of Tamora Pierce’s ALANNA in Alex’s hands. In addition to becoming the first English book Alex read for fun, ALANNA started Alex’s lifelong love for YA fantasy books. Alex’s debut novel, THE CADET OF TILDOR, was an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards finalist. Her second book AIR AND ASH releases in May 2017.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram


Giveaway Details:


     1 winner will receive a finished copy of AIR AND ASH & a hardcover of A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN by Sarah J. Maas, INTERNATIONAL.




Tour Schedule:


Week One:

5/1/2017- Wandering Bark Books- Excerpt
5/1/2017- Twinning for Books- Review
5/2/2017- Don't Judge, Read- Interview
5/3/2017- Fiction Fare- Review
5/3/2017- Book Princess Reviews- Review
5/4/2017- Two Chicks on Books- Interview
5/5/2017- Margie's Must Reads- Review
5/5/2017- Angelic Book Reviews- Review

Week Two:

5/8/2017- BookHounds YA- Guest Post
5/8/2017- Book Briefs- Review
5/9/2017- A Backwards Story- Interview
5/9/2017- Mundie Moms- Review
5/10/2017- Book Sniffers Anonymous- Excerpt
5/10/2017- J.R.'s Book Reviews- Review
5/11/2017- Bibliobibuli YA- Review
5/11/2017- Booklove- Review
5/12/2017- Reese's Reviews- Review
5/12/2017-A Dream Within A Dream- Review



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Interview with Melanie Karsak

Today, I have the pleasure of having an interview with Melanie Karsak! I have read and enjoyed her many series of books on some of history's more obscure or misunderstood women. Often, little is known about their true histories, either from not being recorded because of their gender and the unimportance given to women or else intentional character assassination. Mrs. Karsak seeks to bring light where much is shrouded in darkness. As a result, we are enriched by their lives and these fascinating women can speak to us through the centuries. In this interview, Mrs. Karsak talks about what drew her to these women and her writing pro cess! Thank you Mrs. Karsak! You have written books on Lady MacBeth, Hervor, Queen Boudica, Queen Cartimandua, and now Freydis. What drew you to write about these women? I like the unsung and maligned heroines. Hervor is a significant character in the Norse Hervarar Saga . In fact, there are two Hervors in that tale—grandmother and granddaughter. But ...

A Nurse's Tale by Ola Awonubi: A Book Review

A Nurse’s Tale Author: Ola Awonubi Genre: Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Romance  Publisher: One More Chapter  Publication Date: 2023 Pages: 385 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review  Synopsis: Born Nigerian royalty, Princess Adenrele Ademola trained as a nurse at Guy’s Hospital in London and stepped up to serve the people of Britain when war broke out – facing both the devastation of the Blitz and the prejudice of some of the people she was trying to help.    80 years later, Ade’s great-niece Yemi arrives in London clutching the Princess’s precious diaries and longs to uncover the mysteries they hold…      A richly-detailed, compelling historical novel shining a light on a hidden voice of WW2 and one woman’s courageous contribution to Britain.        My Review: Princess Adenrele Ademola was a Princess of Egbaland and a nurse during WWII. A Nurse’s Tale chronicles Princess Adenrele...

Marie Von Clausewitz: The Woman Behind The Making Of On War by Vanya Eftimova Bellinger: A Book Review

Marie von Clausewitz: The Woman Behind the Making of On War Author: Vanya Eftimova Bellinger Genre: Nonfiction, Biography, History Publisher: Oxford University Press Release Date: October 1st, 2015 Pages: 312 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: The marriage between Carl von Clausewitz and Countess Marie von Brühl was a remarkable intellectual partnership. Many historians have noted the instrumental role Marie played in the creation, development, and particularly in the posthumous editing and publishing of Clausewitz's opus, On War , which remains the seminal text on military theory and strategic thinking. Highly intelligent and politically engaged, Marie was also deeply involved in her husband's military career and advancement, and in the nationalist politics of 19th-century Prussia. Yet apart from peripheral consideration of her obvious influence on Clausewitz and on the preservation of his legacy, very little has been written...