Ashes of Retribution
By L. J. Andrews
Published June 28, 2018

Why I chose this book:
Until I was contacted by L. J. Andrews, I had been unable to settle on the next book I would read. The synopsis of this book more than piqued my interest, and once my copy of the book arrived from Andrews, I could hardly put it down!

Review

Adira's privilege in society positions her to help those in need before she joins a rebel group to effect more substantive change.

Forget about the labels of YA and fantasy and dystopia for a moment. At it's core, this is a portrayal of a young woman's evolution; Adira slowly disregards long-held societal prejudices against those with imperfect appearances. Her initial clandestine aid to those in need, those with imperfections, leads her to ultimately join a community of rebel assassins to effect more substantive change in society.

Between the superb world-creation, the exciting storyline, and the compelling characters, Ashes of Retribution pulled me in and didn't let me go. Andrews creates a world where the elite of society, the pure, have no physical flaws; the worthless impure are those with any physical flaw, even a tiny scar. The status of pure can change as fast as a knife slips while chopping onions. If that happened, the newly-impure would be ripped away from the pure family, be viewed as less than human, and forced to serve the pure who enjoy every luxury to excess. At first, it seems that Adira is the only discontent, but soon she connects with others who seek to upend the social norms, replace those in power, and create a system where appearance is secondary. The setting, story, and characters are so thoroughly developed that at no time is the reader's suspension of disbelief interrupted.

I've mentioned before that I particularly enjoy books with confident or self-reliant heroines, and that is precisely what was so compelling about this book. Although readers recognize the horror in Adira's society, she is born pure and raised to believe fervently in the distinction until her hand is burned. She hides the scar and recognizes that despite the physical flaw, her nature has not changed. Her physical change leads to a mental one; she questions the difference between pure and impure, finally understanding that outward appearance is not a measure of human worth. As the story progresses, Adira must continue to evaluate her preconceptions and push herself to adapt; it does not always go smoothly and she does melt down in tears on more than one occasion. The wavering of self-confidence as comes to rely on herself mentally and physically is part of what makes her character believable. By the end of the book, the timid, uncertain, pure girl has been replaced my a fierce, confident, strong woman. I'll reiterate: superb character, story, and world creation.