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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
slow-paced
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional journey
Oh my, what a journey! Even though the setting is one city over the course of less than one year, the emotional journey is epic. It took me a while to really get into it, but by the halfway point I didn’t want to put it down.
Oh my, what a journey! Even though the setting is one city over the course of less than one year, the emotional journey is epic. It took me a while to really get into it, but by the halfway point I didn’t want to put it down.
Age of Ash
Author: Daniel Abraham
Publisher: Orbit Books
Publishing Date: 2022
Pgs: 432
Dewey: F ABR
Disposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX
=======================================
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
Kithamar is a center of trade and wealth, an ancient city with a long, bloody history where countless thousands live and their stories unfold.
This is Alys's.
When her brother is murdered, a petty thief from the slums of Longhill sets out to discover who killed him and why. But the more she discovers about him, the more she learns about herself, and the truths she finds are more dangerous than knives.
Swept up in an intrigue as deep as the roots of Kithamar, where the secrets of the lowest born can sometimes topple thrones, the story Alys chooses will have the power to change everything.
_________________________________________
Genre:
Fantasy
Dark Fantasy
Action Adventure
Epic Fantasy
Sword and Sorcery
Palace Intrigue
Why this book:
It was in the New Arrivals section at the library and it fell into my to-read pile.
_________________________________________
Favorite Character:
Alys started as a likable character but as you progress she becomes less so.
Sammish comes across as sweet. And grows tremendously in the course of the story.
Favorite Scene:
When Andromaka dies and she sees the thing that awaits her soul beneath the city as it rises and snatches her like a fish rising for bait. Andromaka being aware that she has sacrificed herself to something dark swimming in the waters of chaos that tears her soul asunder rather than simply replacing her in the flesh.
Hmm Moments:
There's a good story here. Not sure that there is a trilogy here. I hate it when I get this feeling about what seems a good book.
I like Sammish laying her cards on the table and telling Alys the whole truth even if she doesn't want to hear it. Maybe Sammish is the hero of the story. Of course, the last time I thought someone was the hero of the story he was dead a few pages later.
Was the thing in the dark Darro's spirit or was it another thing from the greater dark...or some manifestation of the Chthulian horror that is Kithamar? IDK. And that's probably not a point that will be brought back up, but it does make an interesting thought.
Uhm Moments:
Deciding to trust the people using black candle smoke magic and blood magic rituals isn't something you'd expect from street kids.
Really don't like Alys and Sammish lining up on different sides. Sammish's siding with who she seems to be siding with makes sense...provided they aren't lying to her. Alys hiding in her grief and rage ad not seeing what's in front of her is off-putting. Of course, they are both punching way, WAY, above their weight class.
Calling the Ball:
Darro trying to double cross both these groups of people rings as foolish and way out of his depth. Curses and all.
Meh / PFFT Moments:
Alys is masking her pain and throwing herself into whatever is in front of her. You expect more from your protagonist.
Turd in the Punchbowl:
I prefer trilogies that are three connected stories, maybe with an underlying through point, rather than one story padded and stretched to 1200 pages. Hopeful that this doesn't end in a cliffhanger.
Juxtaposition:
I wanted Tregarro to stand up and say no at the last minute. But he didn't, he let his love for the real Andromaka die as surely as her flesh did as the thing that is within the boy rose again in her flesh. Still think he might turn on the Brotherhood.
The Unexpected:
I'm deep in the book and it just dawned on me that all the major characters are female. And there hasn't been any frilly BS misogyny, pretty damned cool. No gratuitous sex either. No swooning either. That's badasses.
Missed Opportunity:
Where's the other team at? Where are the ones who stole the dagger the first time? Sammish shouldn't be alone in this.
I expected more palace intrigue. While it is here, it is subsumed as a C-plot behind the scenes largely, moving the other characters about but never claiming center stage.
Get Off My Lawn:
Getting on my soapbox about all trilogies, not just this one. Every story doesn't need to be a trilogy. The end is coming. The pages are running down. And it doesn't feel like the author is setting up an end, more like a "come back next week for another 350+ pages that won't end the story either". Some of it is publishers wanting books stretched out to trilogies and such. Some of it is authors who want to pad and fluff their story into a bigger page count, books worth. It's the idea that streaming services are both getting and not getting. Binge-watching to see the whole story in a short period of time, vs dropping a single episode a week...and then still not finishing the story and leaving it for next time. Watching/reading about paint drying with brief instances where stuff happens isn't a good experience. Sacrificing flow and pace for page count is rubbish. For this reason, the author who really wants to write a trilogy finds themselves in a sea of crap that most readers aren't wading into. The best modern trilogies are three interconnected, complete stories.
Alys's awakening took too long. the payoff for it will probably end up in the second book that based on my feelings about trilogy for trilogy's sake may or may not be read. I like the story. Just wish it had more meat on the bones like a Green Hill steak rather than sucking the marrow from an overused old Longhill bone.
_________________________________________
Last Page Sound:
The story may be Alys's, but Sammish is the star as far as I'm concerned. Good story.
Not the ending I was expecting, but a real ending. Very nice.
Conclusions I’ve Drawn:
And so, Samish was the hero of the story. Even though Alys was probably supposed to be.
Author Assessment:
I will definitely look at more of this author’s work.
=======================================
Author: Daniel Abraham
Publisher: Orbit Books
Publishing Date: 2022
Pgs: 432
Dewey: F ABR
Disposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX
=======================================
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
Kithamar is a center of trade and wealth, an ancient city with a long, bloody history where countless thousands live and their stories unfold.
This is Alys's.
When her brother is murdered, a petty thief from the slums of Longhill sets out to discover who killed him and why. But the more she discovers about him, the more she learns about herself, and the truths she finds are more dangerous than knives.
Swept up in an intrigue as deep as the roots of Kithamar, where the secrets of the lowest born can sometimes topple thrones, the story Alys chooses will have the power to change everything.
_________________________________________
Genre:
Fantasy
Dark Fantasy
Action Adventure
Epic Fantasy
Sword and Sorcery
Palace Intrigue
Why this book:
It was in the New Arrivals section at the library and it fell into my to-read pile.
_________________________________________
Favorite Character:
Alys started as a likable character but as you progress she becomes less so.
Sammish comes across as sweet. And grows tremendously in the course of the story.
Favorite Scene:
When Andromaka dies and she sees the thing that awaits her soul beneath the city as it rises and snatches her like a fish rising for bait. Andromaka being aware that she has sacrificed herself to something dark swimming in the waters of chaos that tears her soul asunder rather than simply replacing her in the flesh.
Hmm Moments:
There's a good story here. Not sure that there is a trilogy here. I hate it when I get this feeling about what seems a good book.
I like Sammish laying her cards on the table and telling Alys the whole truth even if she doesn't want to hear it. Maybe Sammish is the hero of the story. Of course, the last time I thought someone was the hero of the story he was dead a few pages later.
Was the thing in the dark Darro's spirit or was it another thing from the greater dark...or some manifestation of the Chthulian horror that is Kithamar? IDK. And that's probably not a point that will be brought back up, but it does make an interesting thought.
Uhm Moments:
Deciding to trust the people using black candle smoke magic and blood magic rituals isn't something you'd expect from street kids.
Really don't like Alys and Sammish lining up on different sides. Sammish's siding with who she seems to be siding with makes sense...provided they aren't lying to her. Alys hiding in her grief and rage ad not seeing what's in front of her is off-putting. Of course, they are both punching way, WAY, above their weight class.
Calling the Ball:
Darro trying to double cross both these groups of people rings as foolish and way out of his depth. Curses and all.
Meh / PFFT Moments:
Alys is masking her pain and throwing herself into whatever is in front of her. You expect more from your protagonist.
Turd in the Punchbowl:
I prefer trilogies that are three connected stories, maybe with an underlying through point, rather than one story padded and stretched to 1200 pages. Hopeful that this doesn't end in a cliffhanger.
Juxtaposition:
I wanted Tregarro to stand up and say no at the last minute. But he didn't, he let his love for the real Andromaka die as surely as her flesh did as the thing that is within the boy rose again in her flesh. Still think he might turn on the Brotherhood.
The Unexpected:
I'm deep in the book and it just dawned on me that all the major characters are female. And there hasn't been any frilly BS misogyny, pretty damned cool. No gratuitous sex either. No swooning either. That's badasses.
Missed Opportunity:
Where's the other team at? Where are the ones who stole the dagger the first time? Sammish shouldn't be alone in this.
I expected more palace intrigue. While it is here, it is subsumed as a C-plot behind the scenes largely, moving the other characters about but never claiming center stage.
Get Off My Lawn:
Getting on my soapbox about all trilogies, not just this one. Every story doesn't need to be a trilogy. The end is coming. The pages are running down. And it doesn't feel like the author is setting up an end, more like a "come back next week for another 350+ pages that won't end the story either". Some of it is publishers wanting books stretched out to trilogies and such. Some of it is authors who want to pad and fluff their story into a bigger page count, books worth. It's the idea that streaming services are both getting and not getting. Binge-watching to see the whole story in a short period of time, vs dropping a single episode a week...and then still not finishing the story and leaving it for next time. Watching/reading about paint drying with brief instances where stuff happens isn't a good experience. Sacrificing flow and pace for page count is rubbish. For this reason, the author who really wants to write a trilogy finds themselves in a sea of crap that most readers aren't wading into. The best modern trilogies are three interconnected, complete stories.
Alys's awakening took too long. the payoff for it will probably end up in the second book that based on my feelings about trilogy for trilogy's sake may or may not be read. I like the story. Just wish it had more meat on the bones like a Green Hill steak rather than sucking the marrow from an overused old Longhill bone.
_________________________________________
Last Page Sound:
The story may be Alys's, but Sammish is the star as far as I'm concerned. Good story.
Not the ending I was expecting, but a real ending. Very nice.
Conclusions I’ve Drawn:
And so, Samish was the hero of the story. Even though Alys was probably supposed to be.
Author Assessment:
I will definitely look at more of this author’s work.
=======================================
I found his previous series ok, so I thought I'd try this. Nope. Kithamar is your typically messed up fantasy city. Alys is an emo young woman who is a thief until her older brother is killed and then tries to figure things out as ignorantly as possible. Sammish is in love with Alys and also wanders in a depressed fashion. This is about as dull as possible.
It's an ebook whose page count isn't much longer than other books, so I don't think it's as long as as couple of others I recently had problems with -- It just seems that way. Perhaps it might have made a good short story or novella, but the whines, the angst, and the length made this horrible.
It's an ebook whose page count isn't much longer than other books, so I don't think it's as long as as couple of others I recently had problems with -- It just seems that way. Perhaps it might have made a good short story or novella, but the whines, the angst, and the length made this horrible.
3,5 stars final rating. The prologue was…so freaking confusing, so it made me very hesitant to continue reading this book. I‘m glad I pulled through though. Most of the time I wasn‘t very invested in our main characters but sometimes I was. At the beginning we learned about a characters trait and I liked how later it was actually shown that this character had this flaw, although it made me facepalm a few times. But what really got me was the story about the city and it‘s rulers over the years ever since the city was „born“. This aspect makes me excited for more anf bumped my rating up, sadly there was not very much of it but it was also a short book in comparison to what I usually read. I have to say I quite liked the writing. After the prologue I thought I would struggle a lot, but I didn‘t and it was quite enjoyable writing to read! Looking forward to the next book!
I wasn't going to write up a review for this one simply because I'm a bit behind on a few reviews and I do this simply for my own enjoyment. Once in awhile I just have to settle for rating a book here and there and skip the full review. However, being as I continue to enjoy Daniel Abraham's works and this was our Buddy Read group's April read, I changed my mind and decided to right something up.
As previously mentioned this was a buddy read for April. I hadn't previously known about this book and series prior to it's nomination. I am familiar with Daniel Abraham as his The Dagger and the Coin series was one of the first full series I read when I got back into the enjoyment of reading a couple of years back. I'm also aware of his Long Price Quartet which I haven't yet got around to reading but plan to eventually. I also own the first few books of the Expanse series which he cowrote. Alas, I haven't gotten to read them yet either. So many books, so little time!
The pacing was smooth. I don't know if I'm getting lucky with my selection of reads over the last year or not. However, I rarely find myself with books that don't seem to be flowing well for me these days. We do have some unique character and place names in Age of Ash but nothing too drastic that tripped me up when reading them.
The world building in Age of Ash was simply awesome. I will try to prevent dropping spoilers here. I will however say that this living city the author has created was a treat to experience! Almost the entire book takes place within the single city. However, its describe as so large of a city that it can take an entire day to get from one side to another. We have several different districts where the people living there have completely different cultures than the next. And of course this also brings about different castes that we come to learn about. I am looking forward to what the author does from here. If we continue to spend most of our time in this city in the future or if we venture out and learn more about the world beyond the walls.
The character development was great as well. I will say that we are introduced to a lot of character in book one of this series. We get to learn quite a bit about several of them and then others are just a fleeting glimpse or perhaps may come up again as the story progresses. Alys and Sammish are so very different but what a team they make! I also hope we haven't seen the last of Saffa Rej either now that the first book is wrapped up.
I would recommend this to readers who enjoy an epic fantasy with depth to the world and its characters. I would certainly say if you enjoyed The Dagger and the Coin series you're probably going to enjoy this one as well so far.
As previously mentioned this was a buddy read for April. I hadn't previously known about this book and series prior to it's nomination. I am familiar with Daniel Abraham as his The Dagger and the Coin series was one of the first full series I read when I got back into the enjoyment of reading a couple of years back. I'm also aware of his Long Price Quartet which I haven't yet got around to reading but plan to eventually. I also own the first few books of the Expanse series which he cowrote. Alas, I haven't gotten to read them yet either. So many books, so little time!
The pacing was smooth. I don't know if I'm getting lucky with my selection of reads over the last year or not. However, I rarely find myself with books that don't seem to be flowing well for me these days. We do have some unique character and place names in Age of Ash but nothing too drastic that tripped me up when reading them.
The world building in Age of Ash was simply awesome. I will try to prevent dropping spoilers here. I will however say that this living city the author has created was a treat to experience! Almost the entire book takes place within the single city. However, its describe as so large of a city that it can take an entire day to get from one side to another. We have several different districts where the people living there have completely different cultures than the next. And of course this also brings about different castes that we come to learn about. I am looking forward to what the author does from here. If we continue to spend most of our time in this city in the future or if we venture out and learn more about the world beyond the walls.
The character development was great as well. I will say that we are introduced to a lot of character in book one of this series. We get to learn quite a bit about several of them and then others are just a fleeting glimpse or perhaps may come up again as the story progresses. Alys and Sammish are so very different but what a team they make! I also hope we haven't seen the last of Saffa Rej either now that the first book is wrapped up.
I would recommend this to readers who enjoy an epic fantasy with depth to the world and its characters. I would certainly say if you enjoyed The Dagger and the Coin series you're probably going to enjoy this one as well so far.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes