--- product_id: 18119147 title: "Snow Like Ashes: A YA Fantasy of Dark Magic, Dangerous Politics, and One Girl's Destiny" price: "€ 30.93" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/18119147-snow-like-ashes-a-ya-fantasy-of-dark-magic-dangerous store_origin: HR region: Croatia --- # Snow Like Ashes: A YA Fantasy of Dark Magic, Dangerous Politics, and One Girl's Destiny **Price:** € 30.93 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Snow Like Ashes: A YA Fantasy of Dark Magic, Dangerous Politics, and One Girl's Destiny - **How much does it cost?** € 30.93 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/18119147-snow-like-ashes-a-ya-fantasy-of-dark-magic-dangerous) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description A striking fantasy tale of dark magic, dangerous politics, and discovering your true self―perfect for fans of Game of Thrones , An Ember in the Ashes and A Court of Thorns and Roses . 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. Training to be a warrior―and desperately in love with her best friend, Winter's future king―she would do anything to help Winter 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―only to find 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. Best Friend’s Romance: Meira has loved Mather her whole life, but he’s the future king of Winter and she’s just a soldier. Duty stands between them… for now. Rebellion and Uprising: Sixteen years after their kingdom was conquered, eight survivors are all that stand against an evil king. They must reclaim their magic or Winter will be lost forever. An Intricate Magic System: Winter’s power resides in a magical locket, broken in two and lost to the world. Meira’s quest to find it will plunge her into a realm of dark power and political intrigue. A Lost Princess: Meira has always believed she was a nameless orphan. But as she fights for her kingdom, she’ll discover her true destiny is far more dangerous and vital than she ever imagined. Review: An Epic Fantasy! - An epic fantasy! Sara Raasch's SNOW LIKE ASHES is truly unique. It has all the makings of an unforgettable book. Magic, romance, adventure, action, and an unforgettable heroine who has quickly become one of my favorites. Snow Like Ashes gave me everything I had hoped it would, and then some. What makes this book stand out among many, is it's coming of age story. This story is about courage, sacrificing for the greater good of the community, and finding ones place in the middle of it all. THE SETTING Set in a world, where kingdom are divided into seasons, each kingdom has it's own magic. A power, which comes from the royal heir who rules over that kingdom. This power is what helps the people living within in that particular kingdom. It is a power that can be used for good or something evil. When Meira's kingdom, the kingdom of Winter, is over thrown by Spring, most all of her people are destroyed. Much of the hope, and power that the few remaining Winterians need, now lies with the very few who have escaped. THE MAIN CHARACTER Though this story is set in a beautiful, and deadly fantasy world, I found it incredibly easy to identify with Meira's self discovery of who she is, and where she fits into this world. Meira is a character I liked from the get go. She is a feisty, stubborn, incredibly strong girl. Despite what others say, and what is customary, she doesn't let her lack of standing within the kingdom hold her back on what she wants, and knows she is good at. She is out to prove she is worthy to fight for her country, and defend the last bit of Winterian magic that is still left. Her much of her life she's had to struggle with fitting in into a broken kingdom that has tried to mold her into someone she's not. She has had to work harder than anyone to prove her self, and her worth. She'll stop at nothing to be accepted for the greatness she knows she has within in herself, that she's constantly having to withhold. Meira is the kind of heroine I wish I had read about when I was teen. She proves that even when she doesn't have much choice, there is always a choice. She proves that in a world ruled by power, and women and men have rules within her kingdom, she can fight for the role she knows she's destined to have. She proves that you can never give up, and you have to learn to face the things that scare you the most. Most importantly, Meira proves that when something is worth fighting for, you don't stop fighting for it. THE ROMANCE The relationships in this book are great, but the romantic interests are fabulous. Raasch does such a wonderful job at allowing me to understand both Theron and Mather. I liked being able to understand where they are coming from with their decision making and choices they both make. Both characters have a lot they have to deal with, and they both have a lot they stand to loose, though Theron stands to loose more than Mather. PRINCE THERON STOLE MY HEART From the moment he entered the story, I knew he would be a perfect match for Meira, and he'd would be the one for me. Prince Theron is not who I was excepting him to be. Especially after knowing who is father is, and the way Sir and Mather have treated Meira. I was excepting someone more like them. He's far from them. From the moment he meets her, Theron treats Meira like an equal. He doesn't look at her as anything, but someone who's capable of doing great things. Excuse me while I yell and cheer over that! Theron supports Meira in what she can do, vs holding her back. He helps her learn how she can still be herself, and not lose herself to the circumstances that are currently out of both her and Theron's control. I admired the fact that against what is allowed, he wants her to be able to make her own choices. He understands what it feels like, more than anyone else, to have choices. I love that he gave her friendship. AND, Theron fights for Meira! If he hadn't already won my heart over with how he treats Meira, he would have won over it in the scene that happens near the end of the book. I love how these two got each other. They both offered each other so much. With all Theron gives Meira, she gives him trust, support friendship, and hope. She allows him to see that he can go against tradition and what is taught as right, and fight for something he knows is right. While they come from different kingdoms, they both have so many similarities, and really understood what the other was feeling. There is a connection between these two, that I felt Meira and Mather never had. To me, Mather is a familiar safe harbor for Meira, while Theron becomes her rock. He makes her feel stronger by having confidence in her abilities, something she's never had before. Sure Mather has grown up with Meira, and they've been through a lot (that's an understatement), but he doesn't fight for her like I wanted him to. He doesn't offer her all that Theron does. I felt Mather lacked in proving his worth to her Meira, because of that. He never takes a stand, and fights against all they are dealing with, to be beside her. He doesn't treat her as an equal like Theron does. I really needed Mather to do these things. Most importantly, I wanted him to always stand beside her, and he doesn't. While I get that he can't always, Theron proves otherwise. IN CONCLUSION Oh this book, and all the feels that come with it! It is one heck of an epic adventure, fantasy with all the makings of a top ten feature. This is a book when I was handed an arc of it, I was told this is a book that was right up my alley. Indeed it was! I feel like I've said that word many times during this review, but it is. I loved everything about this story. The twist and turns, the magical elements, the seasons, the characters, the writing, and the connection I felt to it's main character. SNOW LIKE ASHES gave me everything I wanted, and so much more. If this is Raasch's debut, I can hardly imagine how her next book will read. This debut is epic! I highly recommend picking this one up! I can not wait for it's sequel. Review: An exciting fantasy read! - I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I pretty much read it in one sitting which is always a good sign. While the plot originally seemed fairly typical of a YA novel (kingdom overrun by evil, young unlikely protagonist fights to reclaim her kingdom, etc) there were quite a few twists and turns throughout the story that I enjoyed. It took me a while to catch on to the structure of the world in Snow Like Ashes, but once I did I appreciated the world-building. There are eight kingdoms, four Season and four Rhythm. Many of the cities are a play on the names of months such as Jannuari and Abril. Each kingdom has a magical conduit that helps ensure prosperity for the people (good health, agriculture, etc). The way magic was incorporated into the world was clever. It was used in concert with nature to provide for the kingdoms, which is fitting with the structure of the world! Yes, there is a lot of information shared when you first start reading but I felt it was necessary to understand the workings of Meira’s world and the relationships between the kingdoms. Meira’s kingdom is Winter, and sixteen years ago they were conquered. There are not many Winterians left but they are planning on fighting to retake their kingdom. Mather is the heir, and Meira’s childhood friend. She also has feelings for him. Again, this has a lot of elements of a typical YA fantasy plot, but pretty early on the book takes a surprising turn and things really speed up from there! I really liked Meira as a character. She was an exciting, kick-ass heroine. I like that she was so overeager and naive in the beginning. She desperately wanted to be “someone” in her kingdom. She wanted to do anything possible to help, when she was often too young and inexperienced to go on the missions. This mindset made for some great character development later in the story when Meira is forced to face some truly difficult decisions and is faced with the possible extinction of her kingdom. Also, those chakram are awesome! I loved seeing her fight with such a unique weapon. So then there’s that love triangle… I actually didn’t mind it, and I honestly think it added to the story. Typically, I am not a huge fan of love triangles because the first love is the young childhood friend who never has a chance when the protagonist meets her new, more interesting love interest. That was not the case in this book! Both Mather and Theron are complex, wonderful characters and I thoroughly enjoyed them both. I hope there is more to see from both of them! I even loved the fact that later on in the book when things start to calm down, Meria notices that the two boys are still jealous, and how happy she is that that’s all she has to worry about. I definitely get annoyed in some books when something huge is happening (like the fate of a kingdom) and the girl is sitting there dreaming about her man like its the end of the world. The romance here was appropriate and gave us more insight into each of the characters. Normally when there is a love triangle, I am a fan of the new guy. While I REALLY did enjoy Theron, I loved Mather as well! He is such a beautifully complex character and I am not ready to give up on him yet. His relationship with Meira is complicated and I think they both have a lot of growing to do. But he is definitely not this flat, annoying childhood friend character that we so often see in YA books. Poor Mather goes through so much in this book and I feel for him! I think he will have a huge impact on future books. I truly enjoyed this story and I while I was pleased with some of the directions the plot took, I still felt as if it lacked that extra step of originality. However it does have excellent character development and world-building. I am not desperately running to pick up the next book but it is definitely on my TBR!:) ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #953,086 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #113 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Orphans & Foster Homes (Books) #854 in Teen & Young Adult Historical Romance #1,032 in Teen & Young Adult Survival Stories | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 3,042 Reviews | ## Images ![Snow Like Ashes: A YA Fantasy of Dark Magic, Dangerous Politics, and One Girl's Destiny - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91yyi4qZljL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Epic Fantasy! *by A***R on January 27, 2015* An epic fantasy! Sara Raasch's SNOW LIKE ASHES is truly unique. It has all the makings of an unforgettable book. Magic, romance, adventure, action, and an unforgettable heroine who has quickly become one of my favorites. Snow Like Ashes gave me everything I had hoped it would, and then some. What makes this book stand out among many, is it's coming of age story. This story is about courage, sacrificing for the greater good of the community, and finding ones place in the middle of it all. THE SETTING Set in a world, where kingdom are divided into seasons, each kingdom has it's own magic. A power, which comes from the royal heir who rules over that kingdom. This power is what helps the people living within in that particular kingdom. It is a power that can be used for good or something evil. When Meira's kingdom, the kingdom of Winter, is over thrown by Spring, most all of her people are destroyed. Much of the hope, and power that the few remaining Winterians need, now lies with the very few who have escaped. THE MAIN CHARACTER Though this story is set in a beautiful, and deadly fantasy world, I found it incredibly easy to identify with Meira's self discovery of who she is, and where she fits into this world. Meira is a character I liked from the get go. She is a feisty, stubborn, incredibly strong girl. Despite what others say, and what is customary, she doesn't let her lack of standing within the kingdom hold her back on what she wants, and knows she is good at. She is out to prove she is worthy to fight for her country, and defend the last bit of Winterian magic that is still left. Her much of her life she's had to struggle with fitting in into a broken kingdom that has tried to mold her into someone she's not. She has had to work harder than anyone to prove her self, and her worth. She'll stop at nothing to be accepted for the greatness she knows she has within in herself, that she's constantly having to withhold. Meira is the kind of heroine I wish I had read about when I was teen. She proves that even when she doesn't have much choice, there is always a choice. She proves that in a world ruled by power, and women and men have rules within her kingdom, she can fight for the role she knows she's destined to have. She proves that you can never give up, and you have to learn to face the things that scare you the most. Most importantly, Meira proves that when something is worth fighting for, you don't stop fighting for it. THE ROMANCE The relationships in this book are great, but the romantic interests are fabulous. Raasch does such a wonderful job at allowing me to understand both Theron and Mather. I liked being able to understand where they are coming from with their decision making and choices they both make. Both characters have a lot they have to deal with, and they both have a lot they stand to loose, though Theron stands to loose more than Mather. PRINCE THERON STOLE MY HEART From the moment he entered the story, I knew he would be a perfect match for Meira, and he'd would be the one for me. Prince Theron is not who I was excepting him to be. Especially after knowing who is father is, and the way Sir and Mather have treated Meira. I was excepting someone more like them. He's far from them. From the moment he meets her, Theron treats Meira like an equal. He doesn't look at her as anything, but someone who's capable of doing great things. Excuse me while I yell and cheer over that! Theron supports Meira in what she can do, vs holding her back. He helps her learn how she can still be herself, and not lose herself to the circumstances that are currently out of both her and Theron's control. I admired the fact that against what is allowed, he wants her to be able to make her own choices. He understands what it feels like, more than anyone else, to have choices. I love that he gave her friendship. AND, Theron fights for Meira! If he hadn't already won my heart over with how he treats Meira, he would have won over it in the scene that happens near the end of the book. I love how these two got each other. They both offered each other so much. With all Theron gives Meira, she gives him trust, support friendship, and hope. She allows him to see that he can go against tradition and what is taught as right, and fight for something he knows is right. While they come from different kingdoms, they both have so many similarities, and really understood what the other was feeling. There is a connection between these two, that I felt Meira and Mather never had. To me, Mather is a familiar safe harbor for Meira, while Theron becomes her rock. He makes her feel stronger by having confidence in her abilities, something she's never had before. Sure Mather has grown up with Meira, and they've been through a lot (that's an understatement), but he doesn't fight for her like I wanted him to. He doesn't offer her all that Theron does. I felt Mather lacked in proving his worth to her Meira, because of that. He never takes a stand, and fights against all they are dealing with, to be beside her. He doesn't treat her as an equal like Theron does. I really needed Mather to do these things. Most importantly, I wanted him to always stand beside her, and he doesn't. While I get that he can't always, Theron proves otherwise. IN CONCLUSION Oh this book, and all the feels that come with it! It is one heck of an epic adventure, fantasy with all the makings of a top ten feature. This is a book when I was handed an arc of it, I was told this is a book that was right up my alley. Indeed it was! I feel like I've said that word many times during this review, but it is. I loved everything about this story. The twist and turns, the magical elements, the seasons, the characters, the writing, and the connection I felt to it's main character. SNOW LIKE ASHES gave me everything I wanted, and so much more. If this is Raasch's debut, I can hardly imagine how her next book will read. This debut is epic! I highly recommend picking this one up! I can not wait for it's sequel. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ An exciting fantasy read! *by K***R on July 17, 2016* I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I pretty much read it in one sitting which is always a good sign. While the plot originally seemed fairly typical of a YA novel (kingdom overrun by evil, young unlikely protagonist fights to reclaim her kingdom, etc) there were quite a few twists and turns throughout the story that I enjoyed. It took me a while to catch on to the structure of the world in Snow Like Ashes, but once I did I appreciated the world-building. There are eight kingdoms, four Season and four Rhythm. Many of the cities are a play on the names of months such as Jannuari and Abril. Each kingdom has a magical conduit that helps ensure prosperity for the people (good health, agriculture, etc). The way magic was incorporated into the world was clever. It was used in concert with nature to provide for the kingdoms, which is fitting with the structure of the world! Yes, there is a lot of information shared when you first start reading but I felt it was necessary to understand the workings of Meira’s world and the relationships between the kingdoms. Meira’s kingdom is Winter, and sixteen years ago they were conquered. There are not many Winterians left but they are planning on fighting to retake their kingdom. Mather is the heir, and Meira’s childhood friend. She also has feelings for him. Again, this has a lot of elements of a typical YA fantasy plot, but pretty early on the book takes a surprising turn and things really speed up from there! I really liked Meira as a character. She was an exciting, kick-ass heroine. I like that she was so overeager and naive in the beginning. She desperately wanted to be “someone” in her kingdom. She wanted to do anything possible to help, when she was often too young and inexperienced to go on the missions. This mindset made for some great character development later in the story when Meira is forced to face some truly difficult decisions and is faced with the possible extinction of her kingdom. Also, those chakram are awesome! I loved seeing her fight with such a unique weapon. So then there’s that love triangle… I actually didn’t mind it, and I honestly think it added to the story. Typically, I am not a huge fan of love triangles because the first love is the young childhood friend who never has a chance when the protagonist meets her new, more interesting love interest. That was not the case in this book! Both Mather and Theron are complex, wonderful characters and I thoroughly enjoyed them both. I hope there is more to see from both of them! I even loved the fact that later on in the book when things start to calm down, Meria notices that the two boys are still jealous, and how happy she is that that’s all she has to worry about. I definitely get annoyed in some books when something huge is happening (like the fate of a kingdom) and the girl is sitting there dreaming about her man like its the end of the world. The romance here was appropriate and gave us more insight into each of the characters. Normally when there is a love triangle, I am a fan of the new guy. While I REALLY did enjoy Theron, I loved Mather as well! He is such a beautifully complex character and I am not ready to give up on him yet. His relationship with Meira is complicated and I think they both have a lot of growing to do. But he is definitely not this flat, annoying childhood friend character that we so often see in YA books. Poor Mather goes through so much in this book and I feel for him! I think he will have a huge impact on future books. I truly enjoyed this story and I while I was pleased with some of the directions the plot took, I still felt as if it lacked that extra step of originality. However it does have excellent character development and world-building. I am not desperately running to pick up the next book but it is definitely on my TBR!:) ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ My new favorite Book! *by K***D on October 15, 2014* Snow Like Ashes is one of those rare books that has everything I love in a book. The beautiful writing, kick-ass main character, picturesque setting, and an absolutely gorgeous cover. I absolutely love this book and everything in it. Meira is the kind of heroine I love to read. I connected with her instantly and I understood everything she was feeling. She is having to fight a war for a Kingdom she doesn’t even remember. She’s trying so hard to figure out her place in this world. All she wants in the chance to prove herself, to prove that she belongs. She is a fighter. She is strong, brave, and willing to do whatever it takes to save the Kingdom of Winter. My favorite thing about Meira is the transformation she goes through. She grows up a little in this book and the woman she becomes is incredible. Mather and Theron were amazing characters. A King and a Prince. Mather is King of a Kingdom that needs a female heir and like Meira is having to figure out his place in this world. He is the guy that Meira has loved for years. They grew up together, both orphaned by the falling of Winter. Theron appeals to Meira because they share similar views of the world and of the war. They are thrown together in this book, but the connection they have is genuine. I really enjoyed their interactions. I like how much respect he had for Meira and her will to do what was right. Yes, there is a bit of a love triangle. Although at this point it’s more of an I have very strong feelings kind of triangle. I expect that will change in the next book. I am annoyed sometimes by love triangles, but the one in this book seemed right. I think it fit with the story so well and it was so well written that it seemed genuine to me. I’m not telling you who just yet, but I have picked a side. I thought both Mather and Theron were interesting characters. They are similar in many ways, but with such different personalities. It makes it really hard to choose which one to side with. Let’s talk about the world building. In this story we have 8 Kingdoms. 4 of the Kingdoms experience all of the seasons and the other 4 experience 1 season perpetually. In this book we get to visit quite a few of the Kingdoms. They are distinct in so many ways. The people of the Kingdoms have these interesting features that set them apart. Winter is cold and white and anyone from Winter will have pale skin and snow white hair. We didn’t get to visit all the Kingdoms, but I’m hoping we will get to do that at some point in this series. The writing was so beautifully done that even though I hate winter I wanted to live in Winter. I found the magical aspect of this book to be so interesting. It was done in a way that way that was refreshing. It placed value on the female heirs on the Kingdom’s and I really enjoyed that. It made parts of the book very exciting. The end of this book sets up a perfect transition into the next book. It is going to be very hard to wait patiently for the next book. I can’t wait to be back in this world and to continue this journey with Meira. This book has something for everyone. Action, adventure, politics, drama, and of course a little hint of romance. If you are hesitant to read this book because of the hype it’s been getting, do yourself a favor and read the book. I absolutely loved this story and I think you will love it too. *E-Arc provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hr/products/18119147-snow-like-ashes-a-ya-fantasy-of-dark-magic-dangerous](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/18119147-snow-like-ashes-a-ya-fantasy-of-dark-magic-dangerous) --- *Product available on Desertcart Croatia* *Store origin: HR* *Last updated: 2026-07-10*