Jina S. Bazzar

Roxanne Fosch wishes she could just have an ordinary life, but there’s nothing ordinary about her. She spent 10 years locked up in a Paranormal Scientist Society facility, where a group of scientist treated her like an animal, testing her supernatural abilities. She managed to escape, but PSS won’t just let her go - they’ll do whatever it takes to get her back, including sending bounty hunters after her. When Roxanne meets Logan, she’s convinced he’s one of them, but he wants something different from her. And he’s not the only one. Is there anyone Roxanne can trust or will she stay a fugitive forever? And how what she learns about her past along the way will affect her future? ‘Heir of Ashes’ is the first installment of the Roxanne Fosch series by Jina S. Bazzar. It’s a fast-paced, action-packed story, a perfect mix of sci-fi and fantasy. It’s one of those books that grip a reader from the first page and won’t let them go until the last one. If you like novels with strong female leads, you’ll surely enjoy reading Roxanne’s story. She’s been through hell - deprived of a normal life when she was only 12, tortured and abused by the scientists, hunted like a monster they claim she is, but she’s never given up, fighting for her right for freedom and humanity. She’s a brave, strong woman, and even though her difficult past made her distrustful, it didn’t make her cold and cruel. But make no mistake - when in danger, Roxanne knows how to use her powers and she won’t hesitate to do so. Logan’s an interesting character, too - tough, strong, determined and persistent, but he can also be gentle and caring, especially towards Roxanne. I think it won’t be a surprise for anyone when I say there’s something going on between those two. You don’t have to worry about cliches though, there are no overused tropes like insta-love or love triangle in this book. One more thing I liked about Logan is how complex his character is - you can’t just call him a bad guy or a good guy, it varies as the story continues. It’s impossible to get bored while reading “Heir of Ashes’ - the action moves very fast and doesn’t slow down for long. The characters are on the constant move, and there’s a lot of fight scenes, although I must admit some of them were a bit too brutal for my liking. The author presents a wide variety of supernatural beings, like vampires, werewolves, mages, shape-shifters and others, also adding some original ones (I liked those the most!). While the first half of the book is more science-fiction, the second one leans towards fantasy, introducing some new tropes and characters. Both parts are very interesting, and even though I usually like fantasy more, I enjoyed both of them equally. I must say the ending confused me a bit, but it might be because English is not my first language and I might need to read it again to understand everything. However, it doesn’t change the fact that I liked the book very much. ‘Heir of Ashes’ raises the question what really makes a monster - being different from the others or treating everyone who’s different like one. If you’re a fan of engrossing, thought-provoking stories, full of action and interesting characters, with a hint of romance, and you don’t mind some violence, it might be a perfect book for you. I’m definitely interested what will happen next with Roxanne and Logan.