A Curse of Ash and Embers

My kidling picked this up, after a bookstore recommended it for 12-15 year olds, and the cover is pretty so I had a crack at it too.

It is actually pretty meaty for something aimed at the Y in YA (and I do think it sits in the 12+ range), and I enjoyed this particular re-telling of Young Person whisked away from their unhappy home life to discover a bigger world and their place within it.

I'm happy to leave this story as a stand-alone; I'm not in the mood for the next entry, Young Person apprentices to Crotchety Master.

Elodie hates her life. She loves her mother and siblings, but hates her horrible stepfather. He treats her bad just because she's not his. No matter what she does, it's wrong or not enough.
Then, one day he tells her that he got her a job as a maid far away. Elodie is scared and excited. She will finally be free.
When she gets there, she finds out that she will be a maid for a witch. Anything has to be better than her old life right?

This was great! So atmospheric. I love Elodie and Aleida. I am looking forward to the next one.

I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.