Leah Bobet’s first novel, Above, was shortlisted for the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy. I had high expectations when I picked up Bobet’s second book, An Inheritance of Ashes, a Yong Adult fantasy novel. It’s the story of a pair of sisters trying to survive on a farm during a time of war. Most of the men of Lakelands are gone to fight a dark god. Hallie, a 16-year-old, finds dealing with her older sister, Marthe, more difficult. Marthe’s boyfriend has not returned from the war. Hallie hires a wandering war veteran named Heron to help keep the farm going. Strange birds called Twisted Things fly above the farm. They burn when touched. At 391 pages, I found An Inheritance of Ashes too long and tedious. A good editor could have cut this book in half and improved it. GRADE: C