Review: Ash (Hive #1) by Jaymin Eve, Leia Stone
Title: Ash
Author: Jaymin Eve, Leia Stone
Series: Hive #1
Publication: December 15, 2015
Ratings: 3.5 Crowns
Summary: Are you an Ash?
*Increased stamina
*Lack of appetite
*Anger outbursts
*Insatiable thirst
*Beauty & Strength
*Male
Call the hotline if these symptoms come on suddenly!Turns out Charlie Bennet was all of those things except the last. Don’t let the name fool you, Charlie was all woman and she wanted nothing to do with the ash … until the day she found out she was one.It all started when infected bats bit a small group of humans and created what are now called vampires. Then, the male vampires knocked up some female humans and the result was a gorgeous race of all male ash. Superhuman freaks that had looks to kill.Charlie is the first female ash, aka unicorn of the Hive – the gated compound in Portland that the humans have designated to isolate vampires and ash from society.Problem? The Hive is full and only a select few will be allowed to live there. To live at all, really. If Charlie wants to earn the right to become a citizen of the Hive, she will have to survive the culling – a series of fights to the death. And guess what? Just because she’s a girl doesn’t mean she’ll get special treatment.Good thing there’s Ryder, the mysterious lead ash enforcer, who seems to always have her back. But when secrets bubble to the surface, it will take more than one guy to save her.
Vampires. They have always been a part of YA, but I haven't read a book about vampires or a story that even included vampires in a very long time. I usually don't like vampire books, because they tend to be predictable, and have the same premise. I found that Ash is book that combines old concepts with a new plot.
First a little summary, Ash are the result when a vampire and human can't seem to keep their hands off each other. They have some of the same qualities of the original vampires, such as blood thirst, speed, strength, etc. But the major difference is that Ash can go out in sunlight and vampires cannot.
Charlie Bennet is our heroine that discovers that she is an Ash, which is "impossible" because she is a girl and Ash are always males, but nonetheless she is still an Ash. Ash are forced to live in isolated compounds, but due to limited space, the new incoming Ash are forced to duel in a fight-to-the-death combat to earn their place in the compound. In addition to fight for her survival, she must disguise herself from others that might do harm to her because she is a female Ash, or a "unicorn", as they refer to her.
On to the review, as I've mentioned before, I am not a big fan of vampire stories. I don't find them unique and interesting enough to hold my attention, but I actually finished this book. As a result of my distaste for vampire stories, my review may be biased, but take from it what you will.
Charlie Bennet was a likeable character. She defended herself when she was threatened and was very loyal to her mother and friends. She would put their safety before herself, which I think is a redeemable trait. Her sarcasm and wit was entertaining, especially with her new Ash friend, Jayden.
Jayden, her gay best friend at the vampire compound. This is where the clichés and stereotypes come in. His characterization is so completely stereotypical of the "Gay Best Friend" that I was a little disappointed. Nothing about him was special or memorable. You could replace him with any other "Gay Best Friend" character and nothing would change in the story. I honestly had a difficult time even remembering his name because he was very generic.
Ryder, the love interest. He is the typical bad-boy, more-powerful-than-everyone-else, gorgeous hero. Regardless, I liked his character and his dangerous attitude. The romance was handled nicely. There is no insta-love, but there was attraction between the characters when they were first introduced. He helps Charlie and trains her for the Culling. His "Sexy Six" (which I think is a lame name) is a group of guys that monitor the Ash. I like the group of guys, but some of them were not very memorable so I had a tough time remembering their names.
The story was OK and the writing was simple. There were some twist-and-turns and an interesting revelation at the end. The secondary-characters helped complete the story. It's a vampire story, so there are some clichés and unoriginal plots, but that comes with the territory. Overall, it was an alright story, but I am not sure I will continue with the series. I would recommend this to paranormal, romance lovers that like a little suspense.
