Scattering Lilac Ashes

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

[This is now a stub as I prepare for querying - thank you for all your support]

“You’ve just been staring at me all day. Are you good?”

Lila’s insatiable curiosity had landed on Asher, the long-running Dux of her cohort. No longer the prim and proper poster child for their school’s strict regimes upon returning from summer holidays, Lila couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something disturbing lurking beneath this change. Perhaps it was the way that he spoke to her, upon being paired for an English project, or the way that his askew tie and tousled hair was so jarringly mismatched from the usual tendencies that he’d had over the past nine years.

Year after year, he put in the most amount of effort out of anyone in their cohort in all facets of the College’s metrics of pride – attendance, intelligence, sporting prowess, rule-following, and uniform-wearing – but now, when faced with their last two years at school, he looked to be giving up.

Lila was dead-certain that he was hiding something, her voracious appetite for answers being practically genetic.

But, as she starts to dig for answers, she discovers that everyone surrounding them has secrets they’re trying to hide, practically begging to be revealed – including her emerging feelings for Asher. Will she uncover the truth underpinning his transformation? Or will it remain elusive, obscured by the concealed desires, goals and identities of those around her – including her own family? And just how is she meant to survive the trials and tribulations of high school life whilst pursuing the verity of the mysteries shrouding everything she thought she knew?

And remember – trust no one, not even the missing.

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2023
Author: jasfysh

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.8/ 5.0
Followers: 30
Views: 86,160

Chapters(211 total)

What readers say about Scattering Lilac Ashes

“If you want to be transported to the halls of highschool and journey along with two beautiful souls as they navigate life, teenage angst, hurt,love and mystery... this is the story for you. Every chapter answers questions and creates further questions.... M…”
JamieWRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“While definitely not the usual target demographic of Royalroad users, I was searching for stories over 1000 pages by most recently uploaded and I found this gem. Now, it's not for everyone, this is a more slow paced mystery focused with somewhat of a teenag…”
exo14Royal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(3)

JamieWRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
If you want to be transported to the halls of highschool and journey along with two beautiful souls as they navigate life, teenage angst, hurt,love and mystery... this is the story for you. Every chapter answers questions and creates further questions.... My full review is in the comments of Chapter 110 - please continue, this story is only the beginning x
exo14Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
While definitely not the usual target demographic of Royalroad users, I was searching for stories over 1000 pages by most recently uploaded and I found this gem.
Now, it's not for everyone, this is a more slow paced mystery focused with somewhat of a teenage drama focus. It is somewhat unique with its focus on each character having a secret that can be found out, and it stands out from other similar novels.
However, it is very good at what it does. I didn't realise how engaging it would be to try and figure out the mysteries of each character, with the excellent subtle foreshadowing done beforehand. It helped add grist and extra dimensionality to all the side characters as the story goes through them.
The story is more of a along the way sort of style, but because it's very well written, the slow pace didn't really feel slow at all, until I got to the end of the published chapters in a few hours (Chapter 69) and saw that there were no more to be had.
It manages to write teenage characters very well, no treating them like they're regular adults with cardboard emotions like so many stories on here do.
I don't think I spotted a single spelling or grammar mistake either which is also pretty rare.
Chau Nguyen V.H.Royal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Things that I like: The first thing that stood out to me is the beautiful writing style. It flows naturally, and I can really feel what the protagonist feels, which makes the experience very immersive. The mystery at the heart of the story is strong enough on its own, and I love that it doesn’t need fantasy or isekai elements to stay engaging. It almost reads like a detective case slowly being solved by two students, and that simple yet powerful setup is enough to keep me turning the pages.
Things that make me feel uncomfortable: This is less about the story itself and more about my personal taste. The mystery is already heavy, and I found myself wishing for a brighter relationship line to balance things out. In the first ten chapters, the dynamic between Lila and Asher is already complicated and emotionally demanding. Sometimes I had to pause and take a breath before continuing. It’s definitely a sign that the writing works—since I feel the same stress as the lead—but it also made me nervous to keep reading too quickly.
Things the author can consider to improve: With more than 4,000 pages, the length can be intimidating. Dividing the story into arcs or volumes, giving chapters titles, and adding small author’s notes with hints or questions could make it easier to follow. I hope the journey leads to a happy ending—my fragile heart can’t handle a sad one!