There are no chapter ANYTHINGS. None. It’s just one long, never-ending stream. You want chunkable, bite-sized portions with those mini-cliff-hangers for the taste? Go read Mark Lawrence or something similarly hollywoody. You won’t find those here. Mind you, I love the way Abraham writes. Regardless of the book’s design (he can do chapters, too!), it is always so difficult for me to stop. And this book is truly written like you'd write about a walk through a foreign city that is alien and unknown but becomes more friendly as you start to recognize the most important landmarks and get used to the funny accent of the locals. Or perhaps it would be more apt to state that the story flows like the river that cuts through the city. The current is not that rapid, but it is relentless; it ebbs and flows. That’s why personally, I didn't mind that all we got were three big chunks. In the grand scheme of things, it made sense. What I enjoyed the most were the characters. We have a very diverse set of them ranging from petty thieves, witches from another country, slavers, and members of the (cultish) royal family. They all scheme, and it is all personal: we see grief over losing a loved one shapes one's path; we see someone's idealizing her (unrequited) love interest and grieving with the letting go when that person changes; we see someone losing themselves in a scheme for who is close to their hearts; and we see someone's actions being shaped by their past and her slow realization that she was a pawn, but can no longer be with the right group of friends. Above everything and everyone, I loved Darro and Sammish. Sammish was just very dear to me, I loved witnessing her development from a literal shadow to what she becomes. It's been a long time since I rooted for a character as bad as I have for her. ages. It falls out of its own history, at once the end of something and the beginning of something else.”

Age of Ash is a stunningly written, character driven story, centred on thieves, grief and dark magic. Abraham certainly knows how to enchant his readers and transport them to the city of Kithamar, a place of beauty and of forbidding secrets’ Fantasy Hive Swept up in an intrigue as deep as the roots of Kithamar, where the secrets of the lowest born can sometimes topple thrones, the story Alys chooses will have the power to change everything.

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And now, for the Expanse fans who are thinking 'can this be my new thing?': This is very different from the Expanse. You will not have an Amos or an Avasarala here, though there is a character who may recall you of her. It's not only fantasy but the writing and unraveling of the plot are slower-paced and known to you. There is no found family and, obviously, there is no space nor the Rocinante. That being said, this book has plans within plans within plans. If you enjoyed the character exploration and development in the Expanse, the political intrigue, and how one plan could shake everything (and did), you may certainly enjoy this. Is this going to scratch that The Expanse itch? Probably not, but it is still an insanely good book. From New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author Daniel Abraham, co-author of the Expanse, comes a monumental epic fantasy trilogy that unfolds within the walls of a single great city, over the course of one tumultuous year, where every story matters, and the fate of the city is woven from them all.

It took me a while to get into Age of Ash (and a while longer to finish it, but for once that was entirely scheduling and nothing to do with the book!). The plot is a rather slow burn, and Abraham’s writing style is heavy on description. As a result, I was well over a fifth of the way into the book before I started seeing the bigger picture—but what a picture it is. Conifers commonly show a regular pattern of growth, producing a whorl of branches each year. So if you follow the main trunk up, you can see a whorl of branches all radiating out from the trunk at the same level, followed by a clear section, then another whorl and so on. The magic, let's just call it that so we don't spoil anything, was also fascinating, as well as the Brotherhood, which I just wanted to know more of. I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free. I loved Alys's character, her journey is raw and painful, and although many times she sorely needed to realise the downfall she was heading towards, I understood why she couldn’t. Her relationship with her mother is strained, her friendships with others become distant, and instead of building bridges she shatters them and forges new ones, but with the wrong people.Atoms contain three particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons are located in the nucleus, while electrons orbit around the nucleus. The number of protons determines which element you’re examining. For example, all atoms of carbon have six protons, all atoms of oxygen have eight protons, and all atoms of gold have 79 protons. The number of neutrons, however, is variable. An atom of an element with a different number of neutrons is an isotope of that element. For example, the isotope carbon-12 contains 6 neutrons in its nucleus, while the isotope carbon-13 has 7 neutrons.

Gates of Fire (PvP): Two teams clash over possession of the flag. Gain points by flying through gates while holding the flag! I really enjoyed Age of Ash! It has strong Joe Abercrombie vibes (minus the banter), and the world building was so wonderful. The city of Kithamar is as much a character in this story as any of the people we follow - I feel like I know my way through the streets because it just came to life as I was reading. Now, the real winner of this book is not Alys or any of the other characters, it is Kithamar itself. I didn’t realise until I finished the book that the series was going to be connected through the city rather than the individuals in the novel, but it does make the heightened focus on the setting make more sense. It is clear that the city is sunlight bright in the author’s mind, a place painstakingly developed and offered to the reader with loving enthusiasm. It’s not just that the setting is thoroughly detailed, though it is, but the reader is given a sense of tradition and community that add meaning to the ways in which people live and die, how they celebrate and mourn. For this, the author deserves all the praise. It is a rare talent to be able to create such a truly livid-in place, one that seems worn. The main plot might be the least interesting part, and it is still very good. I won’t go into much detail so as to avoid spoilers. Suffice it to say, there is a dark secret at the heart of the city and its leadership. But the people who maintain this secret have enemies who want to see them fall. Abraham implies that these people aren’t very good, but it’s also unclear if their fall would really be all that better than the system that currently exists. Now Age of Ash is a new book by the coauthor of the Expanse. As a huge fan of the series I have always wanted to read his fantasy but this is my first time with it.

Uses of ash

This felt like a gritty, quite dark and sad story and I really enjoyed it. I feel like there is A LOT of potential for book two, and I'll be here for it. Who gives a shit? Who promised you fair? I didn't. Fair is good people get treated good, and bad people get the bad. That sound like anyplace you know? I've never been there." Kithamar is a city of many colors and many schemes. Those who have coin and royalty hire petty thieves and lowlives to perform roles in their stratagems. Alys, a poor girl from Longhill, gets herself involved in the midst of a pull that can shake the entire city. Some lose coin, some lose their lives, and she may even lose herself as she plays as a little wolf for the puppetmaster.

Be warned that this review focuses on the author's writing as a whole more than on this specific book. Suffice to say I love every book by this author, and Age of Ash is no exception.) Daniel Abraham builds this world up with all the confident craftsmanship you'd expect from an author of his pedigree . . . So hang on to your cloak and dagger, Kithamar is in the hands of a pro. The book also poignantly explores grief in all its forms. Abraham reflects the way grief is never a singular formulaic response; when we lose someone we hold close to us we lose a part of ourselves, and the way our mind copes with the trauma is different for everyone. Many may say “with time it gets easier”, but for some people it just doesn’t. Throughout Age of Ash, Alys experiences grief in various ways, from denial, to sorrow, to anger and finally to becoming more and more like Darro to keep a part of her brother alive. My heart broke for Alys, the way she would remember Darro’s words, repeating them like a mantra, her fond memories of when he’d look after her when the world abandoned her in the cold, and the way she takes on his mannerisms and begins to live by “what would Darro do?” His death clearly colours her every action, and this to my mind is exactly what grief does. Kithamar is a center of trade and wealth, an ancient city with a long, bloody history where countless thousands live and their stories unfold. I am certain that this will go up once I've read the second book, as that is generally what happens every time I read an Abraham series. Age of Ash is definitely a "1st Book in an Abraham series" which may turn some people off, but I urge everyone to trust that Abraham always plays the long 'pull'; his payoffs are everything.

I'd like to thank Orbit Books, Daniel Abraham, and Netgalley for the chance to read and review an early copy of Age of Ash - y'all made my year! Kithamar is a centre of trade and wealth, an ancient city with a long, bloody history where countless thousands live and their stories unfold. This is Alys’s. This was one of those books I enjoyed so much, I could set aside my over-critical mind and just appreciate the journey. It’s only in retrospect while trying to compose this review where I consider what might not work for other readers. There were no major earth-shattering revelations in this story. Very few what I’d call “action” scenes. And in truth I find it hard to describe exactly why reading it was as wonderful as it was, aside from highlighting broader themes of Abraham’s work. It’s one of those cases where if his writing and unique perspective of subtle, character-driven storytelling works for you, then this book is a grand slam. And after hearing some things about the big-picture development of the series as a whole, I’m so there for every last word.