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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
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
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was enjoyable, as a first to a trilogy it does a good job of laying the foundation. However, the pacing was extremely slow and there are moments where everything felt really chaotic yet hardly anything really happens. I enjoyed both the main characters although it's clear that A is the intended focus, however she often feels like the background character. I'm hopeful the second book will fill the void I have for more depth in this world. The concept is really interesting and overall it was pleasant just not great for me.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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
A wonderfully unique mythology established in this world and I'm always a fan of fantasy where magic is subtle, just out of sight, and somewhat terrible to behold. The characters and their emotional journeys become the star of the story and I can't wait to see Sammish and Alys again in book 2.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
„Age of Ash“ is an example of succesfull world building, which is something like the super power of the Fantasy genre. The city of Kithamar comes to life in Daniel Abraham’s work and you can feel that he spent a lot of time in the skin of his protagonists.
It’s the start of a new trilogy and it may be a slow start for some readers. Because he shows us the world through the narrow perspectives of his two main characters, it takes a lot of time until you can see the bigger picture.
A very good read for patient readers who don’t need battles, orks and gods in their Fantasy world. I’m looking forward to the next two books and expect a payout for my invested time.
I especially liked the fact that the showdown in „Age of Ash“ is about a heist to steal a dagger. No universes safed in this one, two girls simply survive the blender they are thrown into. That’s different.
It’s the start of a new trilogy and it may be a slow start for some readers. Because he shows us the world through the narrow perspectives of his two main characters, it takes a lot of time until you can see the bigger picture.
A very good read for patient readers who don’t need battles, orks and gods in their Fantasy world. I’m looking forward to the next two books and expect a payout for my invested time.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
Thank you, Orbit Books, for giving me approval to read an e-ARC of this book for an honest review.
What an absolutely fascinating read. Right from the beginning, Abraham throws us into a new world of unique cultures and customs that make it seem vivid and real. From Longhill to Kithamar, the world-building was both lyrical and vast. That’s not to say that this is the type of high fantasy read that is just mostly world building. I appreciated that the moments where Abraham sets the scene, he is both concise and fully paints a picture.
Where I believe the story shines is with it’s characters. Abraham does not tell you forthright about his characters. Instead, he gives you chapters that follow the actions and mindset of one character at a time and you come to understand them through their choices and thoughts. Walking in their shoes, learning their desires and secrets, and seeing how their puzzle piece fits in with the other characters.
One reason this really increased this book’s rating for me was how immersive the writing and world were. Many times, I forgot to read critically because I was swept up in the story. I laughed, cried, grew anxious, grew curious, and even got angry at characters a few times. Getting swept up like that is unusual for me so I was very impressed by this book.
What an absolutely fascinating read. Right from the beginning, Abraham throws us into a new world of unique cultures and customs that make it seem vivid and real. From Longhill to Kithamar, the world-building was both lyrical and vast. That’s not to say that this is the type of high fantasy read that is just mostly world building. I appreciated that the moments where Abraham sets the scene, he is both concise and fully paints a picture.
Where I believe the story shines is with it’s characters. Abraham does not tell you forthright about his characters. Instead, he gives you chapters that follow the actions and mindset of one character at a time and you come to understand them through their choices and thoughts. Walking in their shoes, learning their desires and secrets, and seeing how their puzzle piece fits in with the other characters.
One reason this really increased this book’s rating for me was how immersive the writing and world were. Many times, I forgot to read critically because I was swept up in the story. I laughed, cried, grew anxious, grew curious, and even got angry at characters a few times. Getting swept up like that is unusual for me so I was very impressed by this book.
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked the two other series of Daniel Abraham's - The Dagger and Coin and The Long Price Quartet - so was looking forward to his new fantasy series with anticipation. Thanks to Orbit Books and Netgalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
To me, Abraham's strength is in his worldbuilding and Age of Ash exhibits that well. The different neighbourhoods that make up the ancient city of Kithamar- Longhill, Green Hill, Newmarket, Riverport, Seepwater, Stonemarket, Riverside etc. are described with care complete with socioeconomic delineations. The alleyways, the extensive temple of the Daris Brotherhood, the grimy river, the butcher, the knife sharpener; all of these are rendered alive in the mind's eye. Having said that, it took awhile before the story sank its addictive claws into me, which occurred around the two thirds mark.
Alys and Sammish are two young girls belonging to a gang that runs 'pulls' in crowds, essentially pickpocketing and petty theft. They live in impoverished Longhill with its own street culture and code of ethics, surviving by their wits. A pull goes wrong and they are pursued by a City Guard, luckily saved by Alys' older brother Darro. Darro's body is later found and Alys attempts to take over his work and lodgings to process her grief. Both Alys and Sammish become entangled in long buried secrets of Kithamar, embroiled in political intrigue and dark magic.
I like how the book pulls no punches when describing the effect of poverty on the Longhill inhabitants. It's intergenerational as shown by Alys' mother Linly as well as a group that grooms generations of orphans and street rats. This is reminiscent of the Gentleman Bastards by Scott Lynch. In this setting, I found some of Alys' capers not quite plausible, such as the time she successfully pulls off a reckless wild bluff when facing ruthless slave smugglers and hardened mercenaries. As always, the characters that captured my interest were the older ones with life experience:- Andomaka, Saffa Rej, Linly, Tregarro and the being that can live infinitely via metempsychosis .
To me, Abraham's strength is in his worldbuilding and Age of Ash exhibits that well. The different neighbourhoods that make up the ancient city of Kithamar- Longhill, Green Hill, Newmarket, Riverport, Seepwater, Stonemarket, Riverside etc. are described with care complete with socioeconomic delineations. The alleyways, the extensive temple of the Daris Brotherhood, the grimy river, the butcher, the knife sharpener; all of these are rendered alive in the mind's eye. Having said that, it took awhile before the story sank its addictive claws into me, which occurred around the two thirds mark.
Alys and Sammish are two young girls belonging to a gang that runs 'pulls' in crowds, essentially pickpocketing and petty theft. They live in impoverished Longhill with its own street culture and code of ethics, surviving by their wits. A pull goes wrong and they are pursued by a City Guard, luckily saved by Alys' older brother Darro. Darro's body is later found and Alys attempts to take over his work and lodgings to process her grief. Both Alys and Sammish become entangled in long buried secrets of Kithamar, embroiled in political intrigue and dark magic.
I like how the book pulls no punches when describing the effect of poverty on the Longhill inhabitants. It's intergenerational as shown by Alys' mother Linly as well as a group that grooms generations of orphans and street rats. This is reminiscent of the Gentleman Bastards by Scott Lynch. In this setting, I found some of Alys' capers not quite plausible, such as the time she successfully pulls off a reckless wild bluff when facing ruthless slave smugglers and hardened mercenaries. As always, the characters that captured my interest were the older ones with life experience:- Andomaka, Saffa Rej, Linly, Tregarro and
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Confinement, Slavery
dark
slow-paced
This was the first time I have listened to a fantasy novel on audiobook. It took some getting used to and I had to focus more then I usually do when listening to audiobooks in order for me to keep the characters straight. I enjoyed the narration and I think that Soneela did a good job of trying to differentiate the characters voices. Ultimately, I enjoyed being able to listen to the audiobook, sometimes when you pick up a fantasy novel the size of the book can feel quite overwhelming.
I find most fantasy novels do a lot of world building in the first book and this book was no exception. I always try to give book #2 a chance to see if the author has moved away from the world building and more into a plot and character driven story. This book started out slowly and did get much more interesting in the later parts of the book. Looking forward to book 2 to see where the story leads and what happens to the characters.
I find most fantasy novels do a lot of world building in the first book and this book was no exception. I always try to give book #2 a chance to see if the author has moved away from the world building and more into a plot and character driven story. This book started out slowly and did get much more interesting in the later parts of the book. Looking forward to book 2 to see where the story leads and what happens to the characters.