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A review by leelah
Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham
5.0
This was fantastic.
I read a lot of fantasy, but there was this moment after only few chapters where I realized this book is tailor-made for me:
-I am a character driven reader. My experience with reading fantasy is that I can deal with the book is plot is not as exciting if I like the world and the characters. And I can deal with the book if world-building is messy, but plot and characters are engaging. What I can't deal with is when I don't care for characters. It's like if characters don't work, nothing works. And if I am extremely lucky, everything comes together and it sparks joy. Daniel Abraham is a writer whose focus is on his characters. There is not a lot of them in Age of Ash, but he made everyone of them come alive on the page. Initially, I thought main character is Alys because she is mentioned by her name in the prologue, but it's not that simple. Alys is, in the lack of better explanation a catalyst character, because plot hinges on many of her decisions. When her brother is murdered Alys decides she wants to find out what was he doing, who was he doing it for and who killed him. But along the way she will make many frustrating moves and stupid mistakes. That's because she is grieving and Daniel Abraham made a point of showing how people sometimes become autodestructive and hurtful toward others because they hurt. Some of the most poignant scenes in the novel are in Alys's chapters and the themes Abraham explores with this character are what pushes the novel into more complex, not-just-epic-adventure story. It's not a backstory you've never saw before, but I really liked how Abraham stripped away his character to the core, to the ugliest inside and wasn't scared to make her unlikeable in the process. Sure he provides you the reasons you can justify her actions upon, but he doesn't demand you really do. These things happen to people and I loved her character more for it.
The other character that shares as much page time as Alys is Sammish. Just like her main trait, she is pretty unnoticeable at first- Alys's friend who wants to help her find out about her brother. But she simply sneaked up to me and I can say, without any doubt she was my favourite. Her resilience, loyalty and determination are woven into story so well, because there was something truly engaging in how unbreakable she is in the light of her circumstances. Powerful character wearing her emotions on her sleeve and making decisions based on her gut telling and experience from living on streets of Kithamar. She, more than anyone else, is that living part, the breathing representation of everything that's right and very wrong in Kithamar. I absolutely loved her. There are other characters who drive the story, important figures that shape this period of power shifting in Kithamar, but somehow that story feels more interesting tied to individual destinies of two street rats than exclusively to kings and nobles.
-The story is incredible. Death of Darro opens up a whole lot of interesting world building and magic entities of Kithamar, and ending is downright thrilling ride of suspense and chaos... And you don't even know what happened on larger scale of things! You just know something huge transpired. BUT because this is the story primarily focused on Alys and Sammish, they are the one to get the closure. Especially Alys. Do not get me wrong: what Abraham showed us about A Sal royal family and what truly lies behind their long rule of Kithamar was fascinating and intriguing and I can't wait to read what happened in subsequent books. It's just that this type of story-telling, focused on characters that in larger scope of thing don't play a huge role (but they do play a role) worked for me incredibly well and I felt I did get the story I hoped to get by the end.
-This is my first Daniel Abraham book, so I had no idea how good his writing is. There are lingering, descriptive parts I occasionally enjoy to get the atmosphere, a nice turn of the phrase I appreciate, a dialogue that's not stiff and lore tidbits left to interpretation which I adore. I am still in shock how I didn't pick one of his books earlier because it's literally the case of book written to suit my taste.
Yes, I want sequel! I am pretty sure a particular guy by the end with a beard is because that's clever and a red bead is such a small thing to tease something interesting, but here we are.
That's it. I loved the book. Beside the Elden Ring, it was the only thing I loved and enjoyed so completely this year.
I read a lot of fantasy, but there was this moment after only few chapters where I realized this book is tailor-made for me:
-I am a character driven reader. My experience with reading fantasy is that I can deal with the book is plot is not as exciting if I like the world and the characters. And I can deal with the book if world-building is messy, but plot and characters are engaging. What I can't deal with is when I don't care for characters. It's like if characters don't work, nothing works. And if I am extremely lucky, everything comes together and it sparks joy. Daniel Abraham is a writer whose focus is on his characters. There is not a lot of them in Age of Ash, but he made everyone of them come alive on the page. Initially, I thought main character is Alys because she is mentioned by her name in the prologue, but it's not that simple. Alys is, in the lack of better explanation a catalyst character, because plot hinges on many of her decisions. When her brother is murdered Alys decides she wants to find out what was he doing, who was he doing it for and who killed him. But along the way she will make many frustrating moves and stupid mistakes. That's because she is grieving and Daniel Abraham made a point of showing how people sometimes become autodestructive and hurtful toward others because they hurt. Some of the most poignant scenes in the novel are in Alys's chapters and the themes Abraham explores with this character are what pushes the novel into more complex, not-just-epic-adventure story. It's not a backstory you've never saw before, but I really liked how Abraham stripped away his character to the core, to the ugliest inside and wasn't scared to make her unlikeable in the process. Sure he provides you the reasons you can justify her actions upon, but he doesn't demand you really do. These things happen to people and I loved her character more for it.
The other character that shares as much page time as Alys is Sammish. Just like her main trait, she is pretty unnoticeable at first- Alys's friend who wants to help her find out about her brother. But she simply sneaked up to me and I can say, without any doubt she was my favourite. Her resilience, loyalty and determination are woven into story so well, because there was something truly engaging in how unbreakable she is in the light of her circumstances. Powerful character wearing her emotions on her sleeve and making decisions based on her gut telling and experience from living on streets of Kithamar. She, more than anyone else, is that living part, the breathing representation of everything that's right and very wrong in Kithamar. I absolutely loved her. There are other characters who drive the story, important figures that shape this period of power shifting in Kithamar, but somehow that story feels more interesting tied to individual destinies of two street rats than exclusively to kings and nobles.
-The story is incredible. Death of Darro opens up a whole lot of interesting world building and magic entities of Kithamar, and ending is downright thrilling ride of suspense and chaos... And you don't even know what happened on larger scale of things! You just know something huge transpired. BUT because this is the story primarily focused on Alys and Sammish, they are the one to get the closure. Especially Alys. Do not get me wrong: what Abraham showed us about A Sal royal family and what truly lies behind their long rule of Kithamar was fascinating and intriguing and I can't wait to read what happened in subsequent books. It's just that this type of story-telling, focused on characters that in larger scope of thing don't play a huge role (but they do play a role) worked for me incredibly well and I felt I did get the story I hoped to get by the end.
-This is my first Daniel Abraham book, so I had no idea how good his writing is. There are lingering, descriptive parts I occasionally enjoy to get the atmosphere, a nice turn of the phrase I appreciate, a dialogue that's not stiff and lore tidbits left to interpretation which I adore. I am still in shock how I didn't pick one of his books earlier because it's literally the case of book written to suit my taste.
Yes, I want sequel! I am pretty sure a particular guy by the end with a beard is
Spoiler
TreggaroThat's it. I loved the book. Beside the Elden Ring, it was the only thing I loved and enjoyed so completely this year.