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A review by toggle_fow
Age of Ash by Daniel Abraham
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Alright alright alright alright.
This was an all-around neat package. Characters well-made, nuanced and evolving. Worldbuilding distinct and present and intricate, but not overwhelming or burdensome. If anything, the story is the slow part, but I didn't mind that.
Kithamar is a harsh city in a harsh world, and the members of its disadvantaged ethnic group live a nasty, brutish, and short existence if they aren't skilled or ruthless enough to make ends meet.
Our first main character is Alys. She starts as the would-be hero, a slum rat and petty thief who sets out to unravel a mysterious shadow plot at the heart of the city and avenge her dead brother.
Our second main character is Sammish. She starts as a nobody, a person with no people and no place who follows Alys as her mindless shadow because she has a crush.
As we go on, the city's shadow plot became more interesting and creepier. Alys became someone I don't like, and then maaaaybe redeemed herself. Sammish went from nameless and faceless to being the strongest, most dynamic person here. Overall, the character arcs were impressive.
The plot mystery really doesn't take hold, in my experience, until more than halfway through the book. Up until then, you're just following the girls as they try to find their way in the world. When I started to see the threads of meaning come together, though, it was good. The creepiness here is compelling, and I really want to see what happens next.
We don't even find out who stole the knife in the first place, or if the prince took the throne knowingly or on accident, or what the demon monster IS. What will it do now!? Clearly the conspiracies here run deeper than we know.
The narrative tied off the girls' story in a way that seems neat, but left plenty of worldbuilding questions open, which I really liked. Making each book in a series feel satisfying enough that it justifies my time as a reader, yet leaves me wanting more is, I think, one of the highest authorly art forms.
I kind of hope the next book picks up with some new characters to take us further into the story.
This was an all-around neat package. Characters well-made, nuanced and evolving. Worldbuilding distinct and present and intricate, but not overwhelming or burdensome. If anything, the story is the slow part, but I didn't mind that.
Kithamar is a harsh city in a harsh world, and the members of its disadvantaged ethnic group live a nasty, brutish, and short existence if they aren't skilled or ruthless enough to make ends meet.
Our first main character is Alys. She starts as the would-be hero, a slum rat and petty thief who sets out to unravel a mysterious shadow plot at the heart of the city and avenge her dead brother.
Our second main character is Sammish. She starts as a nobody, a person with no people and no place who follows Alys as her mindless shadow because she has a crush.
As we go on, the city's shadow plot became more interesting and creepier. Alys became someone I don't like, and then maaaaybe redeemed herself. Sammish went from nameless and faceless to being the strongest, most dynamic person here. Overall, the character arcs were impressive.
The plot mystery really doesn't take hold, in my experience, until more than halfway through the book. Up until then, you're just following the girls as they try to find their way in the world. When I started to see the threads of meaning come together, though, it was good. The creepiness here is compelling, and I really want to see what happens next.
We don't even find out who stole the knife in the first place, or if the prince took the throne knowingly or on accident, or what the demon monster IS. What will it do now!? Clearly the conspiracies here run deeper than we know.
The narrative tied off the girls' story in a way that seems neat, but left plenty of worldbuilding questions open, which I really liked. Making each book in a series feel satisfying enough that it justifies my time as a reader, yet leaves me wanting more is, I think, one of the highest authorly art forms.
I kind of hope the next book picks up with some new characters to take us further into the story.