Rating: 
Summary: uneven but mostly postive start to new series
Review: Lord of Snow and Shadows starts as Gavril, a young relatively carefree painter, learns that he has just inherited rule of the northern kingdom of Azhkendir after his father (whom Gavril never knew) was murdered. The inheritance has a darker side, however, as his father's line also passes from son to son the Drakhaoul, a creature which lives in their blood and mind and gives them great power at great cost--the eventual transformation of their body and soul. Kidnapped by his father's personal guard and brought back to Azhkendir both to rule and to avenge his father, Gavril must struggle against the creature inside of him, a warring prince of another country, another claimant to the throne, his father's demanding ghost, his own distaste for vengeance, and a host of people who wish to manipulate him for their own personal and political purposes. And oh yeah, there's the girl he loves. Or is that girls? The book is a stand-alone in that it wraps up an entire storyline, but clearly is leading to several sequels.
Ash offers up some pleasant changes of pace from the run-of-the-mill fantasy. Its major setting, Azhkendir, is a mostly icebound northern country and thus not your usual temperate setting where characters can meander around and camp for days on end with weather or geography being of no concern. The time setting is also different, offering a more advanced culture than usual, where gunpowder, magic, science, and alchemy exist side-by-side. The background is more Eastern than Western European, another nice change.
The objectives are more narrow and more personal than most of the epic "save the world" fantasy out there which is actually an improvement I think. And the hero's reluctance comes not from having lived in the typical little valley sheltered from the storm of the outside but from a philosophical repugnance against an eye for an eye as well as the more tangible fact that the more he uses his powers the more monstrous he becomes.
Setting, tone, premise, and general plot are all strengths. Characterization varies widely. Gavril is a bit too much of an unknown quantity when the action begins and many of his actions in the first third seem to come out of nowhere. Why does he feel motivated to protect a people he never knew? Where does he learn to become a leader of men and a plotter of intrigue? Once these abrupt shifts are done and he settles into a stable, recognizable character, things improve, though he never really reaches a fully three-dimensional characterization. The main female character, Kiukiu, a young servant he befriends, is somewhat better drawn, but like Gavril, moves far too quickly and abruptly from immature and somewhat ignorant to a more self-assured master of her own magical gift. More minor characters, Gavril's first love interest, Gavril's mother, Kiukiu's grandmother, a villainous sorcerer, are solid if a bit shallow. Prince Eugene, who attempts to reassemble a long-lost empire by attacking both of Gavril's homelands (where he lived when he was kidnapped and his newly inherited one), gets a lot of space but never really comes alive as a character, though he has moments of complexity which you wish were further explored.
That is probably my biggest complaint. Snow and Shadows has so many strong opportunities for good writing/storytelling but it often seems to fall a bit flat. Characters change too easily or too quickly, dramatic moments are glossed over, internal conflicts too easily resolved. And the ending itself is a bit anti-climatic.
It's a good but flawed beginning and one hopes for some improvement in the next book--deeper characterization, further exploration of motivation and internal conflict, a plot which slows down and develops rather than hops forward quickly and a little awkwardly. Snow and Shadows is a decent appetizer, but one hopes the food following tastes better. A solid recommendation with hopes, and expectations, for improvement.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic Fantasy
Review: Ok before you judge this review as lame as the title let me point out reviewing fantasy is not my forte. Although soon enough with some recent reviews I will have to skip the disclaimer I usually head them with about me not being a fantasy reader.
I am selective, and it was the blurb on the back of this novel that sold me the book.
Gavril Andral artist and sensitive young man living in sunny Smarma and painting a lovely princess. Her family of course looks on him with disdain and the opening gambit in this debut offering from Ash seems predictable. Except unbeknownst to Gavril right away he has royal blood in his veins as well as a dark legacy from his father Lord Drakhoun of Ankerhisk(sp)?. His father was murdered and his retainers kidnap Gavril as the heir to inherit his father's dark gifts and blood feuds with rival klans.
This novel borrows much from Russian lore including some sounds of names and places and folklore/wisdom. It also borrows from such tones as the darkest fantasy, and if Ash continues in this vein I can see comparisions to Barker(though not as dark) but I was also reminded a little of King's Dark Tower.
The action in the tale is a skilful mix of suspense, classic fantasy, mythology and horror. The plot moves quickly, and not even the preview of the second title in the trilogy saturated my appetite for more concerning the characters populating this magical land. Ash's best qaulity is a succinctness in providing enough detail without detracting from the story's excitement and thereby able to cut off her story in a trilogy as opposed to a tetralogy or longer series. I will probably end up reading them all more than once which for a non fantasy reader should be the seller;).
Rating:
Summary: Had the potiential to be so much better!
Review: Overall, this book was OKAY....I liked the plot idea, but as another reader put it, the characters were somewhat shallow. I'm usually not one no nitpick, either, but, in one passage, a female snowy owl is described as being "...smaller, slighter...." Maybe it was just THAT particular owl, but in most cases, female raptors, owls included, are up to 25 percent larger. Anyway, maybe the second book of the series will be better, and like this one, I'll get it from the library.
Rating:
Summary: excellent sword and sorcery
Review: Portrait painter Gavril Andar has always lived with his mother in Smorna, the summer resort town of the Muscobarian aristocracy. It is when his father, the ruler of the cold kingdom Azhkendir in the frozen northern wastelands, is assassinated he learns the truth about his heritage. As the heir to his father's kingdom Gavin learns that his blood is that of the dragon and when danger threatens his people he turns into a Drakhaoul, able to fly and breath down poison fumes on the enemy.Gavin wants no part of his father's legacy, but Azhkendiran warriors kidnap him and bring him back to kill his sire's assassin. While Gavril learns the customs of his people, Prince Eugene of Tielen tries to reunite the old empire with him as emperor. He wants to add Muscobar to his kingdom but he needs to take Azhkendir in order to do it. He sets in motion a variety of schemes to bring down the Drakhaoul but in the end, it is Gavin that Eugene must face to determine whom rules in Azhkendir. Though somewhat typical of the sub-genre, book one in The Tears Of Artamon series is an excellent sword and sorcery tale filled with plenty of action and fully developed characters. The protagonist matures as he faces trials and tribulations from forces aligned against him who want to crush him and his country. By the end of LORD OF SNOW AND SHADOWS, Gavin has become a brave warrior; he is ready to defend the nation he inherited. Sarah Ash's is a bright new star in the fantasy gallery. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Great imagination, but...
Review: The author has a wonderful imagination and can put together an interesting plot, but I thought her characters were flat. I just never cared about them one way or another. I also found it a little jarring to see cliched, modern phrases, like a will ("I, so-and-so, being of sound mind and body") when the author clearly shows such creativity elsewhere. Nitpicky, I know. I'm looking forward to her next book(s), because I think this is an author who will get better.
Rating: 
Summary: Something new and exciting in fantasy!
Review: This book was a very pleasant surprise. It was a very quick read with lots of suspense and action. The characters, nations, and lands all are exciting and diverse. The use of technology such as gunpowder does not ruin the story at all, but enhances it. I reccomend this to anyone who's loves great fantasy.
Rating: 
Summary: I'd give it 2 1/2 stars
Review: This book was so-so. It has an interesting premise, but wasn't a page turner. It was hard to get into, but once you get about 75 pages in things do pick up (although not much).
As I think others have mentioned, the characterization seemed a bit too convenient at times. I have to say that Gavril's mother really was annoying - such an idiot! Kiukiu seems to change too quickly to be believable - she ends up mastering new skills that take others years to master. And as for the feud? The resolution is unbelievable, as is Gavril's solution to his problem.
Check it out from the library. I'm glad I did.
Rating:
Summary: A book of transformation, discovery and destruction
Review: This is the first book in a series called The Tears of Artamon and as such introduces us to the characters of this Russian inspired world and sets the stage for the conflict in the books come. However, thankfully, the author has provided us with a story that wraps up one main thread in this book. Gavril Andar is an artist, unaware that he is also the blood heir to the northern kingdom of Azhkendir. He is also ignorant of the fact that with this inheritance comes the unique family curse of the Drakhaoul which has passed on to him at his fathers death. However this curse brings its sufferer tremendous power, at the cost of their humanity, that has made the Kingdom of Azhkendir impregnable to invasion for generations and the men of his fathers court are prepared to do anything make sure that continues. Even if it includes kidnapping Gavril from his sunny homeland and forcibly installing him as Drakhaon of Azhkendir in the icy north. Of the people in this book it is the abused servant girl Kiukiu who is probably best written, because somehow the other characters, including Gavril, seem to lack the necessary depth to make you feel with their anguish. Despite this, I will be reading book 2 of this series as I would like to know the consequences of the resolution of this book. I would rate this book 3.5 stars if It was a selection option.
Rating:
Summary: bland
Review: This one did nothing for me at all. Bland "good" characters being forced into actions (or should I say reactions) by the marginally more interesting evil characters. The writing itself wasn't good enough to make up for obvious plotting. Made it three quarters of the way through and realized I just didn't care enough to finish the book.
Rating:
Summary: Glad I read it!
Review: This was honestly the best book I've read since Terry Brooks' Voyage of Jerle Shanarrah trio. I could not put it down. The characters were quite varied, well developed, and interesting, although it took me about fifty to a hundred pages to get them all straight. I would have ended the book slightly different, but I love this book, and would encourage any and all fantacy fans to read it!
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