Book Shelf: Within Ash and Stardust (The Xenith Trilogy #3) by Chani Lynn Feener

Having gone from kidnapped faux princess to the legitimate heir to an intergalactic throne, an impulsive, sarcastic teen must take charge of her own destiny in this epic YA novel.

On Earth, Delaney is a normal teenager who recently graduated high school with a fantastic best friend and a loving boyfriend.

But Delaney isn’t on Earth. She’s on Xenith, a war-torn planet half a galaxy away. Originally mistaken for an alien princess, Delaney has gone from kidnapped imposter to the recognized heir to an alien throne. Oh, and she’s engaged to the prince of an enemy nation whose ruthless father is on the warpath.

Torn between two planets, two fates, and two loves, Delaney is finally ready to choose her own destiny in Within Ash and Stardust, the stunning conclusion to Chani Lynn Feener’s Xenith Trilogy.

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Review:

Within Ash and Stardust is the final novel in the Xenith trilogy by Chani Lynn Feener and brings to a close this intergalactic series with a fast paced and driven ending that will leave readers hooked until the final page.

Delaney Grace’s world has changed dramatically since she was kidnapped from Earth after being mistaken for an intergalactic princess. Multiple planets, a betrothal and even more kidnapping attempts later, Delaney has been named heir of the planet Vakar and is trapped on the planet Xenith as the Klint and Vakar people prepare for war. Torn between two planets and two loves, Delaney is determined to help broker peace, but as she struggles with her growing sense of duty and her desires, Delaney will need to decide once and for all where her destiny lies….if she and her friends and survive first that is.

As the final novel in what has been an adventurous and exciting trilogy, Within Ash and Stardust was a solid conclusion. Having enjoyed books one and two immensely, I was very excited to begin this final instalment, and while I was somewhat underwhelmed in some aspects of the novel on the whole, I was overall quite satisfied with the way in which Chani Lynn Feener brought the trilogy to an end.

Within Ash and Stardust unfolds through the back and forth perspectives of Delaney, Trystan and Ruckus with heroine Delaney being our main focal point, while her two love interests and male leads continue to add insight and understanding to other areas of the novel. I genuinely do like all three main characters and have enjoyed following them throughout the story as different elements of culture, technology and science fiction have brought the novels to life.

Author Chani Lynn Feener really has brought Delaney a long way since she was an innocent human living on Earth, unaware of the existence of alien life and the war between two opposing planets. Gone is this girl and in her place is a capable and determined young woman who is ready to take her place as the head of an alien planet, even though she wasn’t born to the role.

Readers will be forgiven for going into the novel with trepidation as Delaney finally makes the choice between the two men who have stolen her heart. I’m not one for love triangles and I will never be, especially during cases like this where I have honestly come to love both guys. Ruckus has always been fabulous, but Trystan snuck up on me (as he did Delaney) and wormed his way into my heart. I don’t feel Within Ash and Stardust was as “romantic” as the previous two novels, but the angst of having a protagonist torn between two people remains until the final few pages----and I am happy with the choice Delaney made.

Exciting and full of battles and unexpected developments, Within Ash and Stardust is a deeply enjoyable novel that brings to an end a wonderful sci-fi series. I’m excited to see what Chani Lynn Feener does next and I highly recommend The Xenith Trilogy if readers are looking for action, adventure and romance!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Xpresso Book Tours and the author (Thank you ladies!)
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Format: Kindle ebook
Release Date: July 16th 2019
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks
Final Thoughts: A satisfying conclusion to this trilogy, Within Ash and Stardust was a solid read that I recommend.