The Carnival Of Ash

A delicious world with filled with such an engaging cast, I loved this story and truly didn't want it to end!

*Full review to be posted closer to publication in March 2022!*

The Carnival of Ash was such an unexpected and refreshing delight. I didn't really know what to expect from this book and I truly never knew what was coming next. A lot of this surprise was due to the nature of how the story was told. The Carnival of Ash follows one character at a time and almost gave me the feel of a connected story collection following connected characters in one city in a continuous timeline. I wasn't sure about this format at first, but as I read and found myself loving each character's story, I realized that I was absolutely loving this story. It is so interesting and detailed, and each story brought something very new to the book. The writing is also very lush and beautiful and takes its time to share descriptions and narratives about the characters and plot. Overall, I really enjoyed The Carnival of Ash and am so glad and appreciative that I had an opportunity to read it!

This book has elements that are very triggering but it's still a very enjoyable read. I was immediately drawn in by the cover and premise and it's a good read.

The Carnival Of Ash by Tom Beckerlegge tells the story of a city that never was in Italy. An alternative history about a city of poets and librarians - and I say alternative history instead of fantasy because it's definitely more alt-history with barely any fantasy elements.

Cadenza is a city run by poets with libraries everywhere. Each chapter is told from a different perspective, starting with Carlo Mazzoni who arrives at the city gates intent on redeeming his families name only to find that the poet-leader who could help with that is recently deceased.

What really stuck out with the story is that you never know what was coming next, which is mostly due to how the story is told. With every chapter following a new character (apart from the last), you learn about how the city functions, all the lies, deceit and underhandedness of those ruling the city both in the public eye and those in the background. With so much worldbuilding going on with all the points of view, splitting them down into chapters of their own made it more of an interesting read than having a particular character's arc split over many and getting lost between constantly switching back and forth between multiple characters. Each chapter is split into multiple sections, but you get a story before moving on to the next. It became enjoyable to notice little bits that tie some of the characters together even if it was just through the mention of a name. Every story brings something new to the story and the city of Cadenza.

All the chapters eventually come to a head in the final chapter where everything meshes together. As the title and cover allude to, the city turns to ash as all those libraries are great for fires. All the grandiose aspirations of the poor and the rich in Cadenza are ripped apart in flame and destruction. A fitting end for a city that is full of corruption and depravity with there being little room for you to feel pity for any of the characters other than perhaps the gravedigger Ercole who you first meet in the very beginning.

Some characters I could read an entire book on. Not all, some I was glad to move on from. Some provided an interesting insight into why the city is like it is, why characters are like they are. Some I wanted more and was disappointed when the story then moved on to following someone else. The changes of pace with each chapter though kept things interesting to various degrees.

The Carnival Of Ash is a book that will divide readers. It'll either be loved or hated. There's no real character to root for, no one to get you going throughout. With the many points of view, some with seemingly little relevance to what came before it or after, it might become a struggle for some. But stick around for the finale and you can see it all come together. It might not be the ending that people want, but you see where everything was leading, finally. Really, I think that's the main problem - you can't tell where the book is going other than with the slight hint in the title and cover.

There are also some very dubious parts that some people won't like. I'm surprised the book didn't come with some sort of warning. There's not just physical violence, but torture (sexual torture along with things like cutting out tongues), sexual violence, stalking, sexism (which for the time period it's set in is not a surprise), and a lot of other very questionable thoughts and actions. It wasn't a problem for me, but you can definitely see some people not wanting to read further in some parts. Some bits needed less detail and to just be implied. Then it might be a bit more palatable for some.

If you can get through it, the final pay off chapter brings everything together well, closing of the book along with the city of Cadenza. The prose was engaging, the world-building was brilliant, and the premise was incredible. Sure, not all of it landed, but there's enough there to keep me going to the final payoff. It won't be to everyone's tastes and that's okay. It's dark and engaging in a way I wasn't expecting, where the real star of the book is the city rather than the characters.

Rating: 4.5/5

I was surprised to realize that I enjoyed this book. The author built an interesting world and characters that kept me turning the pages. However, the story is told from different perspectives like more than ten and it felt like the story of each character is short. But then, Cadenza as the city of poets is worth visiting through this book.

Amazingly addictive read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read a digital arc in exchange for my feedback.

Wow, where so I start?

I found the authors style a little hard to get on with to start, it did not flow well for me, though I admit that I soon got over that and let the characters and the stories slip over me.

I did not now what to expect, but the way the book is arranged, and how one story brings you bac to other characters through out the book intrigued me, as I wondered who would show up next. The characters are rich on both feeling and speech, each commanding their own voice, and none sounding like a simple repetition to another.

I would totally recommend this book though, the stories each pull you in, and you can not help but wonder where they will lead. A passionate and desolate look at the period in time, and a horrifying glimpse into the mind of a mob.

i have very mixed opinions of this book. i feel like i was reading it for absolutely ages and wasn’t getting anywhere! i absolutely loved the writing style, plot, characters - everything was 10/10 except the fact it could’ve been a series. i feel like the separate parts are so random and unconnected it muddled my mind a bit. i loved the premise and the way it was written i just think it would’ve been better written as a series rather than a stand alone.

'The Carnival of Ash' is a novel composed of twelve sections, each from the perspective of a different and very different character, until the very last which ties up all the loose ends. The subject of the novel is not a person or people, rather of a fictional Italianate city-state. Cadenza, the 'city of words', is full of libraries and printers, home to duelling poets and ruled by authors. The separate stories which make up the whole are arranged chronologically, starting with the fall of the brutal dictator who has ruled the city for many years. His replacement is a bureaucrat, more interested in effectively administrating the city than writing verse - unfortunately most of the populace consider those priorities to be the wrong way round. As the city is threatened by its rival Venice, and the horrors of the plague, soon its very existence is under threat.

I'm always someone who prefers novels to focus on a single character/group of characters throughout - I like the continuity and the ability to emotionally identify with the characters. This type of novel which reads more like interlinked short stories is never a personal preference, however this is an example of it being done very well indeed. Beckerlegge is able to quickly draw a reader into a scenario and develop rapid empathy with the characters - essential in this type of book. He presents a diverse array of interesting characters and through the multiple viewpoints on offer he presents a far more comprehensive picture of the city and its fall from grace than he could have done through a conventional narrative.

Several of the stories and character sets would be strong enough to merit a novel of their own, expanded somewhat. Some of the characters and events overlap across the different sections, enabling the reader to keep up with at least some of them, and the final chapter serves well to bring some sense of proper conclusion to everything. One of the frustrations I find with short stories is the sense that things are left unfinished. There is still a degree of that here - not every end is tied up - but it was more satisfying than some novels of this type. By telling the story of the city and its downfall, there is an ongoing narrative thread and drive which unites the book into a whole, even though some of stories are less obviously linked in than others.

With its themes of artists vying with merchants and military men, censorship and book burning, I wonder if it's intended as a big allegory. Maybe some readers will want to take it as such and enjoy speculating about it. Personally the exact allusion passed me by, and I simply read and enjoyed it as a good fictional tale set in the interesting world of city-state Italy. I'd believed it to be a fantasy when I'd first picked it up, but although at the very end there are a couple of more odd stories with unexplained, possibly supernatural events, it is free of official 'magic'. Other than being set in a city that didn't exist in the real world, it isn't really what I'd consider a fantasy. It's more concerned with politics and intrigue than anything whimsical.

Ultimately it is an ambitious and quite original tale that I enjoyed reading even though the structure is not one I personally favour. Beckerlegge is clearly a talented writer and has had both a good idea and the ability to execute it well. I can see this being enjoyed by a wide range of readers and quite possibly being considered for some of the literary prizes. I'd certainly be happy to another book by him and it will be interesting to see what he decides to write about next.