Review: To Astera, With Love by Amanda Ross

Title: To Astera, With Love
Author: Amanda Ross
Genres: Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy
Pages: 205
ISBN: 978-1734985405
Links: Goodreads, Amazon
Content Warnings: drugs, racism (including use of racial slurs), lynching, violence/gore, sexual assault (on-page), rape (off-page)

Blurb

America, 2022 – drugs are legal, witches are real, and a literal vampire is President. In this world of boutique blood bars and policies that force witches to out themselves, 21-year-old Mercury Amell just wants to live. He wishes that the ages-old feud between vampires and witches didn’t exist. He wishes that his powers and his skin color didn’t increase his odds of being burned at the stake.

After making a powerful enemy, Mercury and his friends must travel to Astera, an annual gathering of all witchkind. They battle vampiric cops, evil witches, aggressive humans, and each other along the way as they struggle to make it in one piece. Will their collective power be enough to get them to Astera safely? Or will they fall prey to their enemies and the laws that spell their destruction?

Review

I was surprised when I turned to the first page of To Astera, With Love, and found a news article about how a known vampire was voted into the U.S.  presidency. Haha, that would never happen. Except, the parallels Ross drew between the fictional President Vael and the very real President Trump were obvious. Ross did not pull punches when it came to making commentary on today’s political climate, so if you’re not ready for an honest portrayal of American culture I suggest you find another book.

Since we’re on the topic, I loved that Ross wrote news articles for her book. I thought it was such a creative way for Ross to add another layer of intrigue and worldbuilding. Each time I experienced events with the characters I got a glimpse at the greater effect they had on America. I loved seeing the exposed hypocrisy and how easily facts were twisted to suit the author’s agenda.

Beyond political commentary, To Astera, With Love was just a great story about a group of people trying to survive after one unfortunate night. Mercury was such a relatable character through it all. He was capable and strong, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t overwhelmed. I love that in the midst of all the chaos, the characters were still human and capable of mistakes.

While I loved all of the characters and their group dynamic, there were a couple of conflicts that seemed rushed. To Astera, With Love is short and fast-paced. In a mere 200 pages, Ross did an amazing job at including amazing character development, political commentary, and countless near-death experiences for the characters–seriously, she put them through Hell. However, there were a couple of times when I thought between-character conflicts were underdeveloped. I wish more time was spent on these conflicts because they were interesting and great opportunities to further develop the characters. 

Overall, what really amazed me about this book was how well everything fit together. I couldn’t believe To Astera, With Love was only 200 pages, because so much happens! The plot was definitely fast-paced, and aside from the conflicts mentioned in the previous paragraph, nothing felt rushed. Everything fit together smoothly in an exciting, paranormal adventure. 

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I loved the story and the relevant political intrigue woven into it, but I wish more time was spend on conflicts between characters. If you’re looking for a fast-paced paranormal fantasy, I recommend To Astera, With Love.

May your days be full of magic and dragons,

Peyton

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Goodreads