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kayshiddenshelf's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
4/5 Stars
“Sometimes, not saying anything was the best course of action: words had a horrible way of making things worse in certain situations.”
After reading Memories of Blood and Shadow by Aaron S. Jones, I knew I needed to read more of his writing, and I am so glad I did.
Flames of Rebellion is a self-published grim dark fantasy, with a diverse world, religious zealots, rebellions, magic and lore. We see a cast of characters that felt developed and distinct from one another, in a cold and harsh world.
The story is told from 5 POVs; Arden, a young boy looking for his place in the world. Katerina Kane, a retired inspector within the United Cities of Archania. Sly, a warrior of the Borderlands. Cypher, a torturer in Archania’s dungeons and Aleister, a warrior come home from battle.
Each character had a distinct personality from one another, were well developed and contributed to the plot. With how well Aaron S. Jones writes characters, I’m eager to see how their arcs will unfold over the trilogy. Some characters were reminiscent of Joe Abercrombie’s characters (Glotka and Logan), though with a darker side to their personalities.
The tale of a kingdom on the verge of rebellion, its people and the magi have been oppressed and rebellion is stirring. Along with war threatening the fragile peace of the kingdom. The world has a gritty feel to it and takes place in a medieval setting.
“Time was the one enemy that always seemed to have the upper hand”
The pacing was medium to fast throughout and had story lines that kept me theorizing. I found myself feeling for the characters situations, or on the edge of my seat with what might happen next.
The prose is easy to read, and the story pulled me in quickly as mystery is built early on. Having read Aaron’s most recent book before this, it was a pleasure to see where his growth and confidence has changed in his writing. I also appreciate his ability to create a wide range of side characters that feel just as important as the main characters.
I would have liked to see more development in one area in the book, but with 2 more books in the trilogy, this may come later.
We see lots of action, interpersonal conflicts, political scheming, religious influences, great character work, and a high stakes plot.
I would highly recommend Flames of Rebellion for any fans of grim dark fantasy or Joe Abercrombie (for characters and world).
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