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alexalily's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Grief
Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, Police brutality, Violence, Blood, and Death
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Confinement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Slavery
maggieslibrarycard's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.5
Age of Ash (Kithamar #1) by Daniel Abraham
4.5 stars
Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers): Death/Death of a Child/Death of a Sibling, Violence/Gore, Suicidal Thoughts, Self Harm, Body Horror
Age of Ash follows the story of Alys, a young thief living in an impoverished neighbourhood in the city of Kithamar, over the course of an emotionally devastating and politically turbulent year. The death of the previous prince of the city and subsequent coronation of the next ruler kicks off a series of events which lead to a grieving Alys becoming intermingled with the proceedings of the cultish dark magic at the helm of the city, and Alys must decide whether she should embrace this life or not. While Alys is the main perspective, I would argue that the perspective of Sammish, another young thief from Longhill, is equally important. Sammish is a few years younger than Alys and has had a crush on her for as long as she can remember. However, as Alys gets pulled deeper into dark plots, Sammish needs to decide for herself whether to follow Alys. We also get the perspectives of a few other, very interesting characters, which definitely add some dimensions to the story, but Alys and Sammish are by far the most prevalent!
I thought the writing style of this novel was so unique and engaging, I hadn’t really read anything written in this way before. I think the best way to describe it would be like a very dark fairytale. From the very first chapter, I was immensely captivated and drawn in to the story, and I could hardly put the book down. The pacing was very even throughout the book (although not really fast-paced, which is fine by me, but maybe not everyone’s preference). I also liked how the more mystical elements of the plot were gradually revealed as the book progressed, it made it very easy to put myself in the shoes of Alys or Sammish, and I really felt for their confusion and eventual terror as they began to understand more of what was going on. It also made some given the world of the city that little bits were revealed at a time, as the mystical elements of the book are very much a secret from pretty much nearly everyone who lives there.
The novel is, in my opinion, very character focused and I really felt a lot for Alys and Sammish while I was reading. Both of the characters were crafted in a way so that they were simultaneously very relatable but very flawed, and I definitely found myself getting frustrated at them at times, which to me is an indicator of a very human and realistic character. I think the themes of growing up, loneliness, loss, and grief were all explored in a very interesting way over the course of the novel and I definitely could perceive the growth in the two main characters from the start of the novel to the end. While I certainly haven’t experienced anything very similar to Alys and Sammish’s lives over the course of the book’s year, as someone who is (probably?) around the same age as them, I definitely related to some of their uncertainties about who they wanted to be and what they wanted their lives to be. I loved that the book took its time exploring these themes and I think this was what led to such a great exploration of them.
That being said, this is definitely a quieter and more introspective fantasy novel, so there aren’t very many action sequences or things of that sort. I didn’t have a problem with this, but it's a good thing to be aware of before beginning the book in my opinion just so you don’t go in with the wrong expectations! However, I will say that the extensive discussion of thievery techniques in this book was really entertaining to read about and it was interesting to see how particular characters’ roles and techniques in regards to petty crimes related to their inner growth and personality. I also think the book leaned into small amounts of horror, particularly when describing the cultish aspects of certain groups, which I really enjoyed.
If I were to critique one aspect of the book, it would be that I wish there was a bit more worldbuilding, especially as the book takes place inside of a single city. I would have loved to learn more about the politics, cultures, and traditions within the city and I hope this is included in greater detail in a future instalment of the trilogy. This isn’t to say there wasn’t any worldbuilding at all, I think sufficient amounts were done for the story’s purpose, I am just always hungry for more when it comes to this sort of thing.
Overall, I think this was a unique, enchanting, and entertaining entry into a new trilogy! While this is definitely adult fantasy, I think it would also serve as an excellent gateway into the genre for younger readers who don’t mind a slower paced, character focused story.
4.5 stars
Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings (may contain spoilers): Death/Death of a Child/Death of a Sibling, Violence/Gore, Suicidal Thoughts, Self Harm, Body Horror
Age of Ash follows the story of Alys, a young thief living in an impoverished neighbourhood in the city of Kithamar, over the course of an emotionally devastating and politically turbulent year. The death of the previous prince of the city and subsequent coronation of the next ruler kicks off a series of events which lead to a grieving Alys becoming intermingled with the proceedings of the cultish dark magic at the helm of the city, and Alys must decide whether she should embrace this life or not. While Alys is the main perspective, I would argue that the perspective of Sammish, another young thief from Longhill, is equally important. Sammish is a few years younger than Alys and has had a crush on her for as long as she can remember. However, as Alys gets pulled deeper into dark plots, Sammish needs to decide for herself whether to follow Alys. We also get the perspectives of a few other, very interesting characters, which definitely add some dimensions to the story, but Alys and Sammish are by far the most prevalent!
I thought the writing style of this novel was so unique and engaging, I hadn’t really read anything written in this way before. I think the best way to describe it would be like a very dark fairytale. From the very first chapter, I was immensely captivated and drawn in to the story, and I could hardly put the book down. The pacing was very even throughout the book (although not really fast-paced, which is fine by me, but maybe not everyone’s preference). I also liked how the more mystical elements of the plot were gradually revealed as the book progressed, it made it very easy to put myself in the shoes of Alys or Sammish, and I really felt for their confusion and eventual terror as they began to understand more of what was going on. It also made some given the world of the city that little bits were revealed at a time, as the mystical elements of the book are very much a secret from pretty much nearly everyone who lives there.
The novel is, in my opinion, very character focused and I really felt a lot for Alys and Sammish while I was reading. Both of the characters were crafted in a way so that they were simultaneously very relatable but very flawed, and I definitely found myself getting frustrated at them at times, which to me is an indicator of a very human and realistic character. I think the themes of growing up, loneliness, loss, and grief were all explored in a very interesting way over the course of the novel and I definitely could perceive the growth in the two main characters from the start of the novel to the end. While I certainly haven’t experienced anything very similar to Alys and Sammish’s lives over the course of the book’s year, as someone who is (probably?) around the same age as them, I definitely related to some of their uncertainties about who they wanted to be and what they wanted their lives to be. I loved that the book took its time exploring these themes and I think this was what led to such a great exploration of them.
That being said, this is definitely a quieter and more introspective fantasy novel, so there aren’t very many action sequences or things of that sort. I didn’t have a problem with this, but it's a good thing to be aware of before beginning the book in my opinion just so you don’t go in with the wrong expectations! However, I will say that the extensive discussion of thievery techniques in this book was really entertaining to read about and it was interesting to see how particular characters’ roles and techniques in regards to petty crimes related to their inner growth and personality. I also think the book leaned into small amounts of horror, particularly when describing the cultish aspects of certain groups, which I really enjoyed.
If I were to critique one aspect of the book, it would be that I wish there was a bit more worldbuilding, especially as the book takes place inside of a single city. I would have loved to learn more about the politics, cultures, and traditions within the city and I hope this is included in greater detail in a future instalment of the trilogy. This isn’t to say there wasn’t any worldbuilding at all, I think sufficient amounts were done for the story’s purpose, I am just always hungry for more when it comes to this sort of thing.
Overall, I think this was a unique, enchanting, and entertaining entry into a new trilogy! While this is definitely adult fantasy, I think it would also serve as an excellent gateway into the genre for younger readers who don’t mind a slower paced, character focused story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Violence, Toxic friendship, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Blood
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Confinement, Kidnapping, and Slavery
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