Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
This is such an amazing fantasy, with hardened rugged characters and a storyline that doesn't let up with the action (sometimes gory) that's addictive to read. This reminded me a lot about Game of Thrones with the way this was written, not the storyline but with the epic world building and an amazing wartime premise. This is skilfully written and Molles weaves an incredible story and start to what will be an epic series. I can see this becoming a must read and I highly recommend.
An intriguing exploration of military brutality and the experience of those who suffer under it. I really enjoyed the fantasy elements that were woven into it. I was left wanting more detailed aspects of the worldbuilding as that interested me the most but overall 4/5 stars.
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-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
A Harvest of Ash and Blood is a white-knuckle ride that gets your heart pounding and your pulse racing as it rampages through the hell that is the battlefield. D. J. Molles has written around twenty novels prior to this, almost all of which seem to be some flavor of military thriller. Maybe it's because I haven't read much like this, but I'm thoroughly impressed by the book's continuous intense action from start to end except for a few breaks for the characters to rest for a bit. The fantasy elements are well-integrated, though those looking for a typical epic fantasy adventure may find themselves with a rather different narrative. This is almost entirely a series of brutal military engagements that reminded me of a mix between twentieth century and medieval wars.
Depending how caught up the reader is by the action there may be little time to think about what is happening, why it is, or what it means. Although many details are stated directly, the implications are left for the reader to determine and the real-world similarities may not be immediately obvious. The narrative walks a fine line between being morally repugnant and awesome, though depending on your sensibilities it may only be the former. I chose to see it as more the latter, if only because the characters reacted what they had done and had great interactions between them. This is as much about the characters as it is about what they do.
The fantasy elements serve both practical and metaphorical functions. The former is how technology is powered by magic, which is a properly deceptive term on multiple levels. A select few individuals have specific magical abilities. Magic is mostly used by the enemy forces, though the allied forces have a few that can. As for the latter I found that there's surprisingly a lot to consider when making real world connections that go deeper than the surface level statements. There's a lot of social commentary, though it's often presented in ways that could be easy to overlook. For those who want it, it's there, and for those who only want the action, it's not difficult to let it all pass by.
This is listed as a standalone on the author's site and it works as a self-contained story, as long as you can be satisfied with many of the worldbuilding specifics being left unexplained. The opening map depicts a tidally locked planet and it's implied as such in the text, though that may not be evident if you didn't already know what that was. There's more than enough left for it to become a series, though that's probably dependent on how well this one does. If there are more, I'll definitely be reading them. If nothing else, this may get the author a few new readers for his primary series who otherwise wouldn't have known about them or gave them a try. I'll certainly try reading what else he's written.
Rating: 4.5/5
I received this DRC from Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley.
Depending how caught up the reader is by the action there may be little time to think about what is happening, why it is, or what it means. Although many details are stated directly, the implications are left for the reader to determine and the real-world similarities may not be immediately obvious. The narrative walks a fine line between being morally repugnant and awesome, though depending on your sensibilities it may only be the former. I chose to see it as more the latter, if only because the characters reacted what they had done and had great interactions between them. This is as much about the characters as it is about what they do.
The fantasy elements serve both practical and metaphorical functions. The former is how technology is powered by magic, which is a properly deceptive term on multiple levels. A select few individuals have specific magical abilities. Magic is mostly used by the enemy forces, though the allied forces have a few that can. As for the latter I found that there's surprisingly a lot to consider when making real world connections that go deeper than the surface level statements. There's a lot of social commentary, though it's often presented in ways that could be easy to overlook. For those who want it, it's there, and for those who only want the action, it's not difficult to let it all pass by.
This is listed as a standalone on the author's site and it works as a self-contained story, as long as you can be satisfied with many of the worldbuilding specifics being left unexplained. The opening map depicts a tidally locked planet and it's implied as such in the text, though that may not be evident if you didn't already know what that was. There's more than enough left for it to become a series, though that's probably dependent on how well this one does. If there are more, I'll definitely be reading them. If nothing else, this may get the author a few new readers for his primary series who otherwise wouldn't have known about them or gave them a try. I'll certainly try reading what else he's written.
Rating: 4.5/5
I received this DRC from Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Wow. Very original and very easy to get into. I think this is an amazingly thoughtful book that makes you think and feel and ponder. Wartime fantasy with an interesting magic system and a writing style that never quite gives everything away.