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mollyalderson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Confusing and enjoyable ? I think I enjoyed it ? I know I defo found it confusing lol. It was different from what I expected, and what I thought was going to be the plot did not happen. Even though I found the plot tricky to keep up with, I still kept reading and it never felt a chore. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Cat and Marwood, and how everyone was interlinked. A really good thing from this book, is the fact that it's reminded me how much I enjoy historical fiction !!
nuthatch's review
5.0
This is an interesting setting for a mystery. It takes place at the time of the great fire of London, during the reign of Charles II. I loved the historical details in this mystery.
boosmummy's review
4.0
Took me a while to get into the story but once I did I couldn't put it down. Well written characters, good plot, thoroughly enjoyable.
jacki_f's review against another edition
3.0
Set in the immediate aftermath of the Great Fire of London in 1666, this is about the investigation into a murder. James Marwood is a lowly assistant to the editor of the London Gazette, an official newspaper, and is assigned by his boss to investigate the death. The other central figure is a young heiress, Cat Lovett, who is desperate to avoid an arranged marriage. Both Cat and James are the children of men who had fought against King Charles I and who have subsequently been disgraced.
What I particularly liked about this book is the way that London at that time is brought so vividly to life. I didn't know a great deal about this period in history and I found it fascinating. Famous faces like Christopher Wren and Charles II make appearances but they share the pages with both aristocrats and common folk. I also liked James Marwood as a character. However the story is convoluted and hard to stay with. Cat is initially a sympathetic character but she makes decisions that seem unlikely and doesn't have a consistency to her. I liked this book but I didn't love it.
What I particularly liked about this book is the way that London at that time is brought so vividly to life. I didn't know a great deal about this period in history and I found it fascinating. Famous faces like Christopher Wren and Charles II make appearances but they share the pages with both aristocrats and common folk. I also liked James Marwood as a character. However the story is convoluted and hard to stay with. Cat is initially a sympathetic character but she makes decisions that seem unlikely and doesn't have a consistency to her. I liked this book but I didn't love it.
queenterribletimy's review against another edition
3.0
This review was originally posted on Queen's Book Asylum!
I never heard about The Ashes of London (or its author, Andrew Taylor) before, but when it popped up on an Audible sale, it seemed intriguing enough. Plus, I’m a sucker for murder mysteries in a historical setting, especially if that happens to be in London (or anywhere in England, really). None of them ever came close to the masterpiece that is the Shardlake series, though. But that’s fine, I like to try new authors in the genre, especially as I like to mix these with my very fantasy-heavy reading. That being said, I didn’t have much expectations for The Ashes of London, which is probably a good thing, as I wasn’t all that impressed with it all being said.
Events are set in London during and after the great fires in 1666. The devastation caused by it provides a gruesome backdrop to our story. Lives, buildings, and livelihoods are lost, and if that wasn’t enough, a murderer walks the streets of London with the haunting ghost of a regicide. James Marwood works as a clerk, providing for his ill father and keeping his head down. His father still holds to his old beliefs about the Fifth Kingdom which led to the aforementioned regicide, and with his wits failing, he can never know when they find themselves in trouble. Not that trouble doesn’t find James all by itself, but his father’s past certainly makes him interesting for people higher in the society ladder, and so he finds himself not only investigating two murders, but also the disappearance of the niece of a wealthy (and well-connected) merchant. Said niece is the second POV character, so we got to know her story in detail too. With her father on the run and her mom dead, she was handed from one relative to the next. The Alderleys even have their own plans with her, and Cat fights tooth and nail to have her own choices.
The Ashes of London is not a particularly long book, and yet, it took me two weeks to get through it on audiobook. I usually get done with them faster. While I found the story interesting, I was never fully invested in the characters (although I definitely liked Cat more) or the plot. It becomes obvious quite early on who might be the culprit, and the few questions that remain for James Marwood to figure out, are pretty much answered for the reader through Cat’s POV. It’s entertaining to watch James find those answers up to a point, but when there is hardly any mystery left for the reader to puzzle out, it just loses interest. And the few remaining mysteries aren’t much of a mystery either. All in all, this aspect of the book left me pretty underwhelmed.
Being the first book of a series, Taylor spends a lot of time setting the characters up. I daresay it gets more focus than the mystery itself. I’m just not sure they are interesting enough to engage the reader. Although, seeing that the 6th book was released this year and that each book has a good number of ratings and reviews, it certainly has its audience. Makes me wonder if a different medium would have made me like it more. That’s not to say The Ashes of London is a bad book – far from it. I realise my review was slightly more negative than it should have been. It sure has a lot going for it – the setting, for example, and a female character who actually has her own agency and doesn’t sit around waiting for someone to save her, who goes after her dreams and is not afraid to fight for herself. Societal conventions be damned.
The Ashes of London gets a closure, the plotlines are tied up nicely, so even if one decides not to continue with the series, probably won’t feel like there is something missing. I might not have been impressed with it overall, but I still might be a good pick if you are looking to read some historical fiction for a change.
I never heard about The Ashes of London (or its author, Andrew Taylor) before, but when it popped up on an Audible sale, it seemed intriguing enough. Plus, I’m a sucker for murder mysteries in a historical setting, especially if that happens to be in London (or anywhere in England, really). None of them ever came close to the masterpiece that is the Shardlake series, though. But that’s fine, I like to try new authors in the genre, especially as I like to mix these with my very fantasy-heavy reading. That being said, I didn’t have much expectations for The Ashes of London, which is probably a good thing, as I wasn’t all that impressed with it all being said.
Events are set in London during and after the great fires in 1666. The devastation caused by it provides a gruesome backdrop to our story. Lives, buildings, and livelihoods are lost, and if that wasn’t enough, a murderer walks the streets of London with the haunting ghost of a regicide. James Marwood works as a clerk, providing for his ill father and keeping his head down. His father still holds to his old beliefs about the Fifth Kingdom which led to the aforementioned regicide, and with his wits failing, he can never know when they find themselves in trouble. Not that trouble doesn’t find James all by itself, but his father’s past certainly makes him interesting for people higher in the society ladder, and so he finds himself not only investigating two murders, but also the disappearance of the niece of a wealthy (and well-connected) merchant. Said niece is the second POV character, so we got to know her story in detail too. With her father on the run and her mom dead, she was handed from one relative to the next. The Alderleys even have their own plans with her, and Cat fights tooth and nail to have her own choices.
The Ashes of London is not a particularly long book, and yet, it took me two weeks to get through it on audiobook. I usually get done with them faster. While I found the story interesting, I was never fully invested in the characters (although I definitely liked Cat more) or the plot. It becomes obvious quite early on who might be the culprit, and the few questions that remain for James Marwood to figure out, are pretty much answered for the reader through Cat’s POV. It’s entertaining to watch James find those answers up to a point, but when there is hardly any mystery left for the reader to puzzle out, it just loses interest. And the few remaining mysteries aren’t much of a mystery either. All in all, this aspect of the book left me pretty underwhelmed.
Being the first book of a series, Taylor spends a lot of time setting the characters up. I daresay it gets more focus than the mystery itself. I’m just not sure they are interesting enough to engage the reader. Although, seeing that the 6th book was released this year and that each book has a good number of ratings and reviews, it certainly has its audience. Makes me wonder if a different medium would have made me like it more. That’s not to say The Ashes of London is a bad book – far from it. I realise my review was slightly more negative than it should have been. It sure has a lot going for it – the setting, for example, and a female character who actually has her own agency and doesn’t sit around waiting for someone to save her, who goes after her dreams and is not afraid to fight for herself. Societal conventions be damned.
The Ashes of London gets a closure, the plotlines are tied up nicely, so even if one decides not to continue with the series, probably won’t feel like there is something missing. I might not have been impressed with it overall, but I still might be a good pick if you are looking to read some historical fiction for a change.
robatk's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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
3.0
mcfade28's review against another edition
3.0
Set the week following the fire of London in 1666, a lowly clerk is asked to investigate a murder, when a body is found within the charred remains of St. Paul's.
The secondary protagonist is a previously privileged lady, who has to flee her aunt's house after an attack.
I felt the book was just one big buildup, and I'd rather it had gotten to the point, and had the characters meet earlier, but there was too many contrivances and near misses. I also wasn't overly fond of either of the mains, and found Caterine in particular to be a bit too quick to resort to violence. With all that being said, I think the second book in the series could be more interesting, so would return to this series
The secondary protagonist is a previously privileged lady, who has to flee her aunt's house after an attack.
I felt the book was just one big buildup, and I'd rather it had gotten to the point, and had the characters meet earlier, but there was too many contrivances and near misses. I also wasn't overly fond of either of the mains, and found Caterine in particular to be a bit too quick to resort to violence. With all that being said, I think the second book in the series could be more interesting, so would return to this series
juliareads's review
3.0
Mixed feelings about this one. I really wanted to love it but felt like there's something missing. The historical details and context were great as are the descriptions of London but there was something about the plot or characters that just didn't grab my attention.
margaret21's review against another edition
3.0
What did I enjoy about this book? The picture it evoked of London life in the immediate aftermath of the Great Fire of London. What didn't I enjoy? The over complex plot, and the flimsy characterisation. The book is peopled by 'goodies' and 'baddies', and we know for sure which are which. I'm not minded to read the following book to this.
kerrysj's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0