katrinaawright 's review for:

Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham

4.75

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Age of Ash, the first book in a new fantasy trilogy by Daniel Abraham, follows various citizens of the bleak city of Kithamar as they face a year of violence, plague, political machinations, and mystery. This multi-POV story displays poverty and the need for survival in an incredibly realistic way. Though I didn’t always agree with the characters’ actions, I understood their motivations and never doubted that the narrative choices were intentional for the overarching plot of the series. Similar to his work in the Long Price Quartet, Abraham effortlessly weaves the plot of this story with the economic background of the city and meaningful character relationships and interactions. Some of my favorite parts of this book were the conversations between two characters and watching the way they develop. 

 

I loved this book and can’t wait for news of the release of book two. The narrative framing of Age of Ash does leave the reader with unanswered questions by the end of the book, which I think is intentional and didn’t retract from my enjoyment of the story; however, I can see how this  choice will bother some readers. With that being said, I have full confidence in Daniel Abraham’s plotting skills and feel like this could be a new favorite series for me. 

 

Many thanks to NetGalley for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!