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4.41 AVERAGE
4.41 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-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
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
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
Rating 4.75 / 5.0
Ashes of Man is a bit of an interesting book to discuss. Originally, Kingdoms of Death and this were one novel. The two were split due to the publisher and paper shortages at the time. In its original form, the combined novel would have been monstrously large and maybe packed to the point of being too much. A lot of trauma happens in Kingdoms of Death, and that trauma needed time to breathe. The end of that book and the start of this one work well on that front to give you the needed pause before hopping back onto the emotional roller coaster of Hadrian Marlowe's life.
-
On its own, Ashes of Man is still an incredible book and absolutely has some of my favorite moments from the entire series thus far. Personally, I love the eldritch lore of Sun Eater, and in this book we are told a bit more, but the reader does not confront it, nor is it as harrowing as it has been. Kingdoms of Death was much more focused on that front, while Ashes of Man turns the lens more towards the Empire (which I still find executed very well). Hadrian is much older, more weathered, and more spiteful now, and seeing his character continue to evolve is one of the highlights of the series.
-
Lastly, I was reading this while I was quite ill. My physical and mental state at the time of consuming a book certainly affects my enjoyment of it, so some of that may have bled over into this being ever so slightly lower rated than some of the previous entries. Still another great entry and one that elevates the series as a whole.
Ashes of Man is a bit of an interesting book to discuss. Originally, Kingdoms of Death and this were one novel. The two were split due to the publisher and paper shortages at the time. In its original form, the combined novel would have been monstrously large and maybe packed to the point of being too much. A lot of trauma happens in Kingdoms of Death, and that trauma needed time to breathe. The end of that book and the start of this one work well on that front to give you the needed pause before hopping back onto the emotional roller coaster of Hadrian Marlowe's life.
-
On its own, Ashes of Man is still an incredible book and absolutely has some of my favorite moments from the entire series thus far. Personally, I love the eldritch lore of Sun Eater, and in this book we are told a bit more, but the reader does not confront it, nor is it as harrowing as it has been. Kingdoms of Death was much more focused on that front, while Ashes of Man turns the lens more towards the Empire (which I still find executed very well). Hadrian is much older, more weathered, and more spiteful now, and seeing his character continue to evolve is one of the highlights of the series.
-
Lastly, I was reading this while I was quite ill. My physical and mental state at the time of consuming a book certainly affects my enjoyment of it, so some of that may have bled over into this being ever so slightly lower rated than some of the previous entries. Still another great entry and one that elevates the series as a whole.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Thank you Astra/DAW for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
First and foremost, Christopher Ruocchio continues to impress me. This book has further cemented the Sun Eater series as my favorite series ever. It just hits all of the right notes. It tackles everything I gravitate towards in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy series. Safe to say that whatever Ruocchio writes in the future will be an automatic buy from me, and in multiple formats (please put Samuel Roukin on retainer!).
After the events of Kingdoms of Death, I wasn't sure how Hadrian Marlowe would be able to rebound and fulfill his duties. Ruocchio perfectly captures the fallout from such a traumatic experience, while forcing our protagonist into another seemingly impossible mission.
It's hard to dive really deep into this without spoilers, but some of the high level highlights:
The setting - So many unique set pieces, some show the scope of the empire, the threats it faces, and some create such a sense of claustrophobia and allow for great character moments.
The side cast - The best it's ever been, which is saying a lot.
The action - Ruocchio has proven the ability to write great action set pieces without meandering, and there were some moments in the climax that hyped me up big time.
The emotional beats, the shocking moments.. it's all there. I found myself shocked, sad, hyped, concerned, touched. I literally couldn't sleep after finishing the book.
This was definitely my book of August, and I'm sad that it'll be a bit before book 6. Just leaves more time for a reread of the entire series and novellas!
First and foremost, Christopher Ruocchio continues to impress me. This book has further cemented the Sun Eater series as my favorite series ever. It just hits all of the right notes. It tackles everything I gravitate towards in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy series. Safe to say that whatever Ruocchio writes in the future will be an automatic buy from me, and in multiple formats (please put Samuel Roukin on retainer!).
After the events of Kingdoms of Death, I wasn't sure how Hadrian Marlowe would be able to rebound and fulfill his duties. Ruocchio perfectly captures the fallout from such a traumatic experience, while forcing our protagonist into another seemingly impossible mission.
It's hard to dive really deep into this without spoilers, but some of the high level highlights:
The setting - So many unique set pieces, some show the scope of the empire, the threats it faces, and some create such a sense of claustrophobia and allow for great character moments.
The side cast - The best it's ever been, which is saying a lot.
The action - Ruocchio has proven the ability to write great action set pieces without meandering, and there were some moments in the climax that hyped me up big time.
The emotional beats, the shocking moments.. it's all there. I found myself shocked, sad, hyped, concerned, touched. I literally couldn't sleep after finishing the book.
This was definitely my book of August, and I'm sad that it'll be a bit before book 6. Just leaves more time for a reread of the entire series and novellas!
