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A review by kevinscorner
We Men of Ash and Shadow by H.L. Tinsley
4.0
We Men of Ash and Shadow would have been a 5-star read had it not been for one specific character choice that I just could not get behind. The book carries with it a gritty dark atmosphere you can feel and a tense undercurrent that runs throughout the story. With compact storytelling and a compelling central character, the book balances a personal story of redemption with the gore and violence of a burgeoning revolution.
John Vanguard kills bad people for a living at the behest of his corrupt employer, the de facto leader of their city-state. When he encounters a young man with similar talents as his of being unseen and going unnoticed, Vanguard takes Tarryn under his wing as his apprentice of sorts. When the balance of power in the city threatens to tip, Vanguard finds himself in the middle of the conflict as he is forced to finally choose a side.
So let’s talk about my issue with the book without getting into spoilers. There was a certain character who takes such an about face for what seems to be no apparent reason. And I don’t accept being a psychopath as an adequate enough justification. It just did not make sense to me so I could not get behind it at all. Maybe some foreshadowing or some hints beforehand would have dampened the whiplash I felt with it.
We Men of Ash and Shadow is a gritty and atmospheric grimdark fantasy (although with very minimal magical elements) of violence, politics, and revolution.
John Vanguard kills bad people for a living at the behest of his corrupt employer, the de facto leader of their city-state. When he encounters a young man with similar talents as his of being unseen and going unnoticed, Vanguard takes Tarryn under his wing as his apprentice of sorts. When the balance of power in the city threatens to tip, Vanguard finds himself in the middle of the conflict as he is forced to finally choose a side.
So let’s talk about my issue with the book without getting into spoilers. There was a certain character who takes such an about face for what seems to be no apparent reason. And I don’t accept being a psychopath as an adequate enough justification. It just did not make sense to me so I could not get behind it at all. Maybe some foreshadowing or some hints beforehand would have dampened the whiplash I felt with it.
We Men of Ash and Shadow is a gritty and atmospheric grimdark fantasy (although with very minimal magical elements) of violence, politics, and revolution.