Benyu Born of Ash Review (ARC) — Alexandrian Archives

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The thing that mainly got me to request this book on NetGalley was the cover: right off the bat I was like “huh, this looks like a phoenix and/or firebird creature”.

Little did I know, that was the point.

I have to admit, I wasn’t completely sure what the book was about and it was only maybe 5-7 chapters in that I understood thoroughly the world-building. Listen, normally I would skip the prologue (lol yell at me if you need to) but in this case, I think it warranted for either a prologue or maybe some sort of glossary because phew, it was difficult. Not saying that in a bad sense of course, it just seems that there were all these, clearly made up, terms that had words in our languages and our mythologies that had roots in specific mythologies but I was a bit lost as to what was what.

Here’s the synopsis:

Neurodivergent Elemental, Roan, doesn’t belong in any of the worlds. She boils things, she dreams of death, and she keeps to the shadows whenever she can. But her copper freckles and ashy red curls make her about as subtle as the benyu, the fiery bird of the myth keepers’ stories. On her nineteenth birthday, Roan’s village is beguiled by conquering Woodlanders. In an effort to save her people, she throws herself into a reckless blood bargain with Galin, the roguish Woodland general who challenges her heart, complicates her sense of self and unmasks the true nature of her magic. And he’s not the only one who wants to forge her into a weapon….Roan must find her own voice in the darkness of trauma and, like the benyu, rise from the ashes to set her people free.

Clearly, by the synopsis, you can tell that my thought of the cover was correct: the benyu was most definitely something of a firebird/phoenix (really they’re almost the same creature). It was interesting, but my main complaint is that I felt that the world-building wasn’t the clearest. I eventually figured it out but what really threw me off was the fact that the main character’s name is Roan and there was a sort of name for the land which is called The Roan (?) which I found interesting but I really had to keep reading twice when The Roan was mentioned and not the main character’s name.

There was, of course, the big twist. I did see it coming because it was mentioned “oh my gosh, these types of people have been gone for thousands of years” and, it was obvious that the main character is (cue the biggest gasp) part of this group! Wow! While I did see it coming, I still found it cool because it clearly sets up the challenges that the characters will be set up against in the next books.

Another slight complaint was that for the first third, Roan seemed to faint almost every chapter at the end. Like the chapter would end with her falling/fainting and everything fades to black.

On a brighter note, I did really like Galin, the main love interest. It did bug me that Roan was in love with him for one second and on the next page she cusses him out because, surprise surprise, she was manipulated for whatever reason. LIsten, I understand why Roan lashed out but like really? A complete mess of emotions.

Another character who I wish we had more of is Roan’s brother, whose name I genuinely forgot haha but he seemed like a really sweet character and his growing bond with Galin was so sweet like, brother-in-laws bonding!!!!

Well, I think that is the bulk of my review. I am on the fence with the rating but I think I will give it 4.75 stars. It was just the little things that bugged me which is why I docked .25 and not a whole star.