New trilogy opener, set in the city of Kithamar, where many races mingle. When Alys’s brother is killed, her revenge quest sets her into affairs magical and political. Meanwhile, the young woman hopelessly in love with Alys is being drawn to the other side of the conflict, in service of a foreigner searching for her son. It’s a good starter.

’ve been a fan of Daniel Abraham’s work since the Long Price Quartet, so every new novel of his is a highly-anticipated event. Each of his novels and series offers something new for readers. Age of Ash is the first in a new fantasy series, and is packed with interesting ideas and cool twists on fantasy tropes and elements.

The story predominantly follows the journey of Alys — a thief mourning the loss of her brother, and trying to forge a place for herself in Kithamar. She takes a fake-it-’til-you-make-it approach to her new life, and finds herself entangled in deadly palace politics. Meanwhile, we also spend plenty of time with her friend Sammish: smitten with Alys, but unable to make these feelings known, she settles for being a confidante and colleague. However, as Alys’s life takes her deeper into the intrigues of the Kithamar elite, Sammish comes to worry about what is happening to her friend. Inevitably, they find themselves on somewhat opposing sides in a struggle that is so far out of their league.

One thing that is very clear from early on is how well Abraham has constructed this fantasy world. Even though it’s completely new, it feels pretty complete and comprehensively conceived. Abraham gives us a lot of information about how the city of Kithamar works — its social structure, the struggles of its inhabitants, the neighbourhoods. We also, gradually, learn of the politics and power struggles of the elite. Given the reveals that are well-spaced throughout the novel, it’s a little difficult to write about them without spoiling some surprises. So, to avoid this, I’ll just say that the author has included some great twists on palace intrigue, resurrection, and an understated magic system.

Despite this excellent world-building, I found myself struggling to connect with the novel. At times, it felt like a bit of a slog to get through. I ultimately didn’t feel as engaged with the characters as much as I’d hoped (and certainly not as easily as I did with his previous works). Even though we spent quite some time with her, Alys felt distant and not as engaging as one might expect. For me, Sammish was a much more interesting character. Certain seemingly-major events happened off-page, and were announced rather suddenly. I’m not sure if this is a result of my attention drifting, but there were times when the plot felt subordinated to the world-building (and descriptions of pickpocketing tactics — there’s really only so many ways to describe what they’re doing, so not sure why we need as many of them as we got…).

The story felt drawn out. I’m not sure how the second novel in the series is going to shape up (or even feature any of the same characters). I’ll still read it, in the hopes that some of the events of Age of Ash fall more clearly into a bigger picture. I would not be surprised, though, if at the end of the series I find myself thinking it could have been a shorter and more tightly plotted. (I’m very open to being proven wrong, and I hope I am.)

Abraham has a gift for writing series and novels that feel quite different from his others. If you like one, you will likely find much to like in his other books. If you don’t like one, then you are still likely to find something to like in his others. Unfortunately, for me, Age of Ash didn’t quite work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

This was 100% not for me. I could t get past the writing. So many seemingly random terms are made up that it’s hard to follow or make sense of. Also, when a girl was mentioned as being worth less than the jewelry she wore, it just struck me wrong. I feel like it could’ve been worded differently to show how much the jewelry was worth. It left a bad taste in my mouth for the rest.

The descriptive prose building the world in which this story is set is absolutely beautiful. It was simply a joy to explore city of Kathamar and some of the denizens therein from the POV of the struggling street rats. All of the flawed characters were sympathetic and easy to identify with although there is plenty to dislike as well … the two main being Alys and Sammish who are part of a ‘crew’ of pickpockets that are thrown into the intrigue of the powerful city rulers with a mystery … and that is really what this story is about … the mystery … so if you are looking for any action, there really isn’t much and even the mystery takes a while to pick up and get going (about half way through the book). Alys tries very hard to follow in her dead brother’s footsteps, not seeing his flaws even as she takes them on as well. Her friend Sammish struggles with how to help Alys get back to the person she fell in love with and ends up working for the other side. Neither of them are strong enough to operate outside of the shadows; which is probably the reason there isn’t much action. While the main characters do evolve and most of their story is completed by the end, it still feels like a story left unfinished when you get there … just enough to pull you into the sequel (maybe).

I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#AgeOfAsh #NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for a review. (I was really excited to get to read this early.)

What a stunner of a book! Pure joy to read. Abraham’s ability to drive big story and large drama with small characters and private intrigues shines here: Tregarro’s and Sammish’s unrequited loves, Elaine a Sal’s clandestine and doomed affair, Gray Linnet’s daycare treasure hunts. Even the side and small characters have their impact on the story. The lives of the main characters feel full and lived in, particularly Alys and Sammish and the people of Longhill.

Alys’s coming of age is so effective and powerful, her longing to find her place in the world as she grows combined with her grief for her bother and what it drives her to. The crucible of her journey was so enjoyable to follow her through, and the scenes where the impurities burn away and leave only Alys’s essence behind are some of the best in the book. I loved the conversation and confession between her and her mother.

I didn’t see the shape of this book until halfway through, and that is so refreshing. I value the lack of exposition at the beginning to set up the story, the absence of clues to give the game away. The choice of Alys and Sammish as the reader’s entry into the story, the dramatic framework, the gateway for information is brilliant. That distance between the two sets of characters, the two parts of the story, allows the story to unfold, allows an ambiguity and uncertainty about who is the hero and who is the villain. BY the time it becomes clear which is which, you feel every inch caught in the trap along with these characters, wondering how they’re going to solve this, fearing that every scene may be their last. Abraham uses the knives in the story for theme as well as plot devices, and keeps the characters, the whole city, and reader on the edge of the blade.

Thrilling to see the cracks already forming as Andomaka goes forward into the next phase of this story. While there is a victory at the end of this book, it’s unclear how long it will hold, and what complications wait on the horizon. Can’t wait for the next volume.

Daniel Abraham creates a complex society with all it's dirt and glamour. I like that the protagonists were gutter rats. The characters were well developed and real.

If you like fantasy, Age of Ash is a good book.

There has only been two times in my tenure as a book reviewer where I was utterly let down. Both instances were courtesy of Mr Abraham. I know that doesn't sound like praise; it is. Mr. Abraham writes big ideas in a way that is all consuming and propulsive. His writing style is magnetic - it isn't rosy or fluffy. He writes to tell a story, convey big ideas, and entertain. If a fantasy or sci-fi book had to be pitched to Michael Bay (because lord knows he wouldn't read one), it would be an Abraham (or Corey depending on the series) book.
Enter Age of Ash. From the beginning, the plot is launched out of a cannon, traveling at high speeds. There are pick pockets, some light magic, and a tragedy. Revenge is on the menu, and Abraham is whipping up the meal. The problem I have with this book, like Caliban's War, is the need to advance plot without creating a world for the story to breath. This book is the result of other books being thrown into a blender, and presented as something new, when it isn't. It is a standard revenge tale with light magic, a weak attempt at a same sex love story, and an identity crisis with tone. The Lies of Locke Lamora was a great heist fantasy. Better than this. Shadow of the Gods was a great revenge tale that introduced us to a bigger, badder world. Better than this. Mistborn was a saga of street kids doing stealing stuff to make ends meet. Better than this.
Age of Ash is enjoyable, it just lacks depth. And the world is boring. The writing is engaging, the story moves briskly and the characters are alright. But it just isn't special like so many of Abraham's previous efforts. But like with his other disappointment, I can't wait to see his course correction.

This is a very well written, interesting, engaging story. It's more about the characters and their relationships with each other than anything else. There's nothing particularly original or remarkable, but the author has a great understanding of human motivation. I particularly liked Sammish, and I was waiting to find out if her ability to not be noticed was a form of magic, but it seems it's just intrinsic to being a plain girl. It was nice to see her employ this to her benefit.

When I first looked at the cover of Age of Ash, the first thought that came to my mind was: This looks like Minas Tirith from Lord of the Rings, and I absolutely have to read it.
As it turned out, the first assumption was utterly wrong. Kithomar is a messy and brutal place to live in. The ordinary people and street gangs are permanently fighting for survival, all while the noble classes entertain themselves with wealth and the struggle for more power.
Daniel Abraham manages to masterfully portrait the struggles of both sides and weave them together in a grand fantasy spectacle.

Age of Ash is a book I requested due to my love of the Expanse series, and I am extremely interested to see where it goes. Daniel Abraham absolutely knows his way around an ensemble cast.

I enjoyed the multi-POV perspectives, and found all of the characters likable, while also recognizing the effort put into simply building the world. Abraham tends to be a world/atmosphere-focused guy, and this series is looking to continue that streak. There was a strong goal to create a living, breathing society while checking in on characters of various statuses within that society.

I did find the book dragged at times and I did end up putting it down for a while. The movement dragged to a halt around the 20% mark and sometimes felt repetitive.

I think fans of the Expanse will really enjoy this new adventure, and it has quite a lot of potential.

Daniel Abraham did it again! His writing style is amazing and I can't recommend this book enough! Read this book!!!

Age of Ash is the first book in a fantasy trilogy set in the city of Kithomar with a plot setup centering around gangs of orphans who set about pickpocketing the populace, mysterious witches, and a knife of power. It is a well-developed fantasy world, but the action takes rather awhile to develop and it often does not succeed in fully capturing the reader's attention.

"Age of Ash" is set in the city of Kithamar, a place with deep secrets, subterfuge, and a fascinating past. The story follows Alys, a petty thief from the slums trying to discover who killed her brother and why. With a cast of interesting characters, deep magic, and a web of betrayal and distrust, it is easy to get caught up in this sweeping tale that is almost entirely confined within the city walls. There is a gravity to the city that I should reiterate here, in that it touches every character and story, with a lot of attention placed on how people live and work in different ways depending on the part of the city they reside, with huge festivals and momentous events both temporarily unifying and making clear the divide between groups. This feels like a real city with real people, and readers who like fantasy that dives deep into a specific place will feel right at home here.

This author is the less know author in the fantasy world and he his amazing. Of course he as his fan but not enough, he deserves way more credit and reconnaissance! Amazing book once again. Great world, characters and a nice writing. Everything is there. Read it!