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A review by thewulverslibrary
A Sea of Cinders by Adam R. Bishop
4.0
A Sea of Cinders by Adam Bishop is the first in a series of books set in Cellagor - a land divided between humans and Elves that are drawing closer to an inevitable war. The War of the Fallen is nearly 100 years gone and now the Age of Tranquility is near its end. The King of Havelmir is ready to take up arms for power and revenge whilst the Elven minds are threatened by forces unknown. Will is a sailor residing in the King’s dungeon at the start of war. Given the chance of freedom, he and Baldric aim to survive the army and take important news to the Elven kingdom whilst King Dadro leans on a pyromancer in his effort to fight the Elves.
This epic fantasy tale shows us the story from multiple points of view. The cast is large but not hard to follow as Bishop weaves through different story perspectives. There are brilliantly crafted battle scenes that were structured well and really showed a threat between men and Elves. Will and Baldric were a key part to the story but also pivotal in keeping my interest. Their story from prisoners thrown into a political war but keeping a positive outlook really portrayed Bishops writing of a trusting friendship. There were some parts with these characters that seemed too abruptly convenient that may have been Bishop protecting them but they were fun to read and really picked up the pace in the story.
Bishop really caters for fans of the genre as he includes various staples but the way that the story was written was evident of a true fantasy fan. This spirit from Bishop really shone throughout this piece of art. You can tell when a writer has put a lot of work into a story when you can see the growth throughout. Not only in the characters and the intrigue but the writer also and this really gets me excited for book 2. This was a gritty example of classic fantasy rendered to a modern audience. Bishop has imagined various characters for numerous races that seem so different to each other but still so relatable and this is a hard thing to nail for a fantasy author. The story itself could have been expanded upon at a few points but as this is just the first novel, I'm hoping Bishop has much more lore planned because he has certainly laid the groundwork for this.
This book is the start of a great series and Bishop has crafted and improved throughout the story. I’m definitely invested in book 2 already and recommend this to sit on any fantasy fans shelf.
This epic fantasy tale shows us the story from multiple points of view. The cast is large but not hard to follow as Bishop weaves through different story perspectives. There are brilliantly crafted battle scenes that were structured well and really showed a threat between men and Elves. Will and Baldric were a key part to the story but also pivotal in keeping my interest. Their story from prisoners thrown into a political war but keeping a positive outlook really portrayed Bishops writing of a trusting friendship. There were some parts with these characters that seemed too abruptly convenient that may have been Bishop protecting them but they were fun to read and really picked up the pace in the story.
Bishop really caters for fans of the genre as he includes various staples but the way that the story was written was evident of a true fantasy fan. This spirit from Bishop really shone throughout this piece of art. You can tell when a writer has put a lot of work into a story when you can see the growth throughout. Not only in the characters and the intrigue but the writer also and this really gets me excited for book 2. This was a gritty example of classic fantasy rendered to a modern audience. Bishop has imagined various characters for numerous races that seem so different to each other but still so relatable and this is a hard thing to nail for a fantasy author. The story itself could have been expanded upon at a few points but as this is just the first novel, I'm hoping Bishop has much more lore planned because he has certainly laid the groundwork for this.
This book is the start of a great series and Bishop has crafted and improved throughout the story. I’m definitely invested in book 2 already and recommend this to sit on any fantasy fans shelf.