What do you think?
Rate this book
Ascendant Kingdoms #2
Reign of Ash (Ascendant Kingdoms, #2)
Survival is just the beginning.
Blaine McFadden endured six long years in the brutal Velant prison colony, exiled for murder. War devastated his homeland of Donderath and destroyed the magic on which the Ascendant Kingdoms relied. Now Blaine and a small group of fellow exiles have returned to a lawless wasteland, where unrestrained magic storms wreak havoc and monsters roam free.
Yet, amidst the chaos, rumors persist of a new magic that could restore the kingdoms. But the key lies with a dangerous, ancient ritual and a group of vanished survivors. Now McFadden's only hope is a small, desperate, quickly rallied army. Together they must make one last stand knowing that if they fail, the civilization of the Ascendant Kingdoms dies with them.
The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga
Ice Forged
Reign of Ash
War of Shadows
Shadow and Flame
Blaine McFadden endured six long years in the brutal Velant prison colony, exiled for murder. War devastated his homeland of Donderath and destroyed the magic on which the Ascendant Kingdoms relied. Now Blaine and a small group of fellow exiles have returned to a lawless wasteland, where unrestrained magic storms wreak havoc and monsters roam free.
Yet, amidst the chaos, rumors persist of a new magic that could restore the kingdoms. But the key lies with a dangerous, ancient ritual and a group of vanished survivors. Now McFadden's only hope is a small, desperate, quickly rallied army. Together they must make one last stand knowing that if they fail, the civilization of the Ascendant Kingdoms dies with them.
The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga
Ice Forged
Reign of Ash
War of Shadows
Shadow and Flame
657 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
56 people are currently reading
1369 people want to read
About the author
Gail Z. Martin
178 books1,785 followersGail Z. Martin discovered her passion for science fiction, fantasy and ghost stories in elementary school. The first story she wroteat age fivewas about a vampire. Her favorite TV show as a preschooler was Dark Shadows. At age 14, she decided to become a writer.
She enjoys attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and living history sites. She is married and has three children, a Maltese and a golden retriever.
Gail Z. Martin is also Morgan Brice, which is her pen name for urban fantasy MM paranormal romance.
In addition to the online sites listed below, you can find me on
Facebook.com/Groups/MartinShadowAlliance
Facebook.com/Groups/WorldsOfMorganBrice
Twitter: @GailZMartin and @MorganBriceAuthor
YouTube: YouTube.com/c/GailZMartinAuthor
IG: @MorganBriceAuthorGail & Larry newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dd5XLj
Morgan Brice newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dy_8oL
BookBub for Morgan: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/morga...
Bookbub for Gail: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/gail-...
Amazon profile: https://www.amazon.com/Morgan-Brice/e...?
Amazon profile: https://www.amazon.com/Gail-Z-Martin/...
Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail) www.Pinterest.com/Gzmartin
She enjoys attending science fiction/fantasy conventions, Renaissance fairs and living history sites. She is married and has three children, a Maltese and a golden retriever.
Gail Z. Martin is also Morgan Brice, which is her pen name for urban fantasy MM paranormal romance.
In addition to the online sites listed below, you can find me on
Facebook.com/Groups/MartinShadowAlliance
Facebook.com/Groups/WorldsOfMorganBrice
Twitter: @GailZMartin and @MorganBriceAuthor
YouTube: YouTube.com/c/GailZMartinAuthor
IG: @MorganBriceAuthorGail & Larry newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dd5XLj
Morgan Brice newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dy_8oL
BookBub for Morgan: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/morga...
Bookbub for Gail: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/gail-...
Amazon profile: https://www.amazon.com/Morgan-Brice/e...?
Amazon profile: https://www.amazon.com/Gail-Z-Martin/...
Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail) www.Pinterest.com/Gzmartin
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
July 30, 2014
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths Reviews
Where Ice Forged (Book One of The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga) was an interesting fantasy twist on post-apocalyptic fiction, Reign of Ash is an entertaining but forgettable story that spends far too much time focused on familiar fantasy tropes and vampires.
What does one do when a whole civilization built upon magic sees magic vanish completely from the world? It is a very novel question that Gail Z. Martin set into motion in book one and which I assumed would be the focus of this second novel in the series. So as Reign of Ash began, I envisioned gritty stories of those left behind’s struggle to survive as well as the spotlight being focused on the main character of the novel, Blaine McFadden, desperately trying to discover a way to return magic to the world. Unfortunately, Reign was not the novel I expected it to be.
Oh, Gail Z. Martin does focus much of the story on Blaine McFadden, but here he spends as much time trying to deal with his growing attraction for his female friend from Edgeland as he does dealing with the horrors of civilization crumbling. Sure, there are chapters that detail food shortages or pay lip service to the lawless state of the world, but it never seems that the harshness of life ever really touches Blaine or his companions. At every turn they find a former friend to help them or an ancient scholar leaving them clues or – God forbid – another cell of vampires wanting to serve and protect his important ass. So very quickly, it becomes fairly unbelievable that Blaine is living and traveling in a war torn and devastated land.
And as for our hero’s quest to restore magic back to the world, it soon turns into a connect the dots journey. One where all he and his friends have to do is go to Point A and find a marked book that then leads them to Point B where their benefactor has left instructions to Point C where they will find the sacred items needed to lead them to the hidden, magic city. Because there is a hidden, magic city. A place filled with mages, scholars, and an order of knights who are merely waiting for McFadden, or someone else of royal lineage, to connect the dots on their clues and arrive so they can begin the ceremony to reignite the flame of ordered magic in the world. Wham, bam, it’s over, man!
Well, actually it is not over; my review that is. I forgot to mention another problem with this novel: vampires. Let me just go ahead and admit it: I am not a vampire aficionado. Perhaps I have Twilight hangover or whatever, but they have lost their luster for me. Not that I hate them or dislike that other people adore them, because I don’t on either point. It is just that a little vampire goes a long way for me, especially in my fantasy stories, so when it became apparent in Reign of Ash that the vampires were going to play all the main roles in the story from all-knowing benefactors to Blaine’s primary protectors/guides to the villain trying to kill him I went into a diabetic-like coma from TOO MUCH VAMPIRE. My vampire level was way over the too much mark. Hell, it was almost to the death by vampire mark, and I had to quickly inject myself with some zombie gore from The Walking Dead to get my phantasmagoria level back in line. Once again, nothing inherently wrong with all the vampire love in Reign, but it wasn’t for me.
With all that critique aside, I want to be fair and say that – for all its missteps, in my opinion – I still enjoyed the novel. There were many fine moments throughout where the interaction between the characters was well-written, sincere, and heart felt. Especially entertaining were the times when Blaine and his friends journeyed out alone to discover this or that clue and surveyed the wreck of the world or stumbled into adventures that showed me firsthand the state of the world.
So, as you ponder whether to try Reign of Ash, just be aware that this is a novel about vampires, connect the dot quests, a very fortunate hero, and a post-cataclysmic world that seems pretty tame in comparison to other writer’s vision of the end of civilization. It is still an enjoyable read, but it does not stray far from the familiar, fantasy formula that longtime readers of the genre are accustom to.
I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank both of them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
Where Ice Forged (Book One of The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga) was an interesting fantasy twist on post-apocalyptic fiction, Reign of Ash is an entertaining but forgettable story that spends far too much time focused on familiar fantasy tropes and vampires.
What does one do when a whole civilization built upon magic sees magic vanish completely from the world? It is a very novel question that Gail Z. Martin set into motion in book one and which I assumed would be the focus of this second novel in the series. So as Reign of Ash began, I envisioned gritty stories of those left behind’s struggle to survive as well as the spotlight being focused on the main character of the novel, Blaine McFadden, desperately trying to discover a way to return magic to the world. Unfortunately, Reign was not the novel I expected it to be.
Oh, Gail Z. Martin does focus much of the story on Blaine McFadden, but here he spends as much time trying to deal with his growing attraction for his female friend from Edgeland as he does dealing with the horrors of civilization crumbling. Sure, there are chapters that detail food shortages or pay lip service to the lawless state of the world, but it never seems that the harshness of life ever really touches Blaine or his companions. At every turn they find a former friend to help them or an ancient scholar leaving them clues or – God forbid – another cell of vampires wanting to serve and protect his important ass. So very quickly, it becomes fairly unbelievable that Blaine is living and traveling in a war torn and devastated land.
And as for our hero’s quest to restore magic back to the world, it soon turns into a connect the dots journey. One where all he and his friends have to do is go to Point A and find a marked book that then leads them to Point B where their benefactor has left instructions to Point C where they will find the sacred items needed to lead them to the hidden, magic city. Because there is a hidden, magic city. A place filled with mages, scholars, and an order of knights who are merely waiting for McFadden, or someone else of royal lineage, to connect the dots on their clues and arrive so they can begin the ceremony to reignite the flame of ordered magic in the world. Wham, bam, it’s over, man!
Well, actually it is not over; my review that is. I forgot to mention another problem with this novel: vampires. Let me just go ahead and admit it: I am not a vampire aficionado. Perhaps I have Twilight hangover or whatever, but they have lost their luster for me. Not that I hate them or dislike that other people adore them, because I don’t on either point. It is just that a little vampire goes a long way for me, especially in my fantasy stories, so when it became apparent in Reign of Ash that the vampires were going to play all the main roles in the story from all-knowing benefactors to Blaine’s primary protectors/guides to the villain trying to kill him I went into a diabetic-like coma from TOO MUCH VAMPIRE. My vampire level was way over the too much mark. Hell, it was almost to the death by vampire mark, and I had to quickly inject myself with some zombie gore from The Walking Dead to get my phantasmagoria level back in line. Once again, nothing inherently wrong with all the vampire love in Reign, but it wasn’t for me.
With all that critique aside, I want to be fair and say that – for all its missteps, in my opinion – I still enjoyed the novel. There were many fine moments throughout where the interaction between the characters was well-written, sincere, and heart felt. Especially entertaining were the times when Blaine and his friends journeyed out alone to discover this or that clue and surveyed the wreck of the world or stumbled into adventures that showed me firsthand the state of the world.
So, as you ponder whether to try Reign of Ash, just be aware that this is a novel about vampires, connect the dot quests, a very fortunate hero, and a post-cataclysmic world that seems pretty tame in comparison to other writer’s vision of the end of civilization. It is still an enjoyable read, but it does not stray far from the familiar, fantasy formula that longtime readers of the genre are accustom to.
I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank both of them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
November 13, 2023
DNF @ 25%
Going into this one, I had the series already on thin ice, as the first book was one of the most bland fantasy stories I had read. With that being said, it did read easily, and I found myself flying through pages so I thought that book 2 would be just as easy to get through.
To an extent, it was. I managed to read 150 pages quite quickly, but realized that I was not interested in the story at all. This book opens up with exposition on exposition, mostly through conversation between characters. There was so much talking and so little doing that I just couldn't get invested in the story.
One of my biggest issues with the first book was how every problem the MC's face failed to build tension because of how everything was so easily resolved. That is the case here as well. Nothing is earned. Worked for. There is no struggle. As a result, the story completely lacks tension.
Combine all these reasons, and I felt nothing for the characters. Couldn't understand character motivations and most of the somewhat interesting side characters in the first book felt like passengers here
Going into this one, I had the series already on thin ice, as the first book was one of the most bland fantasy stories I had read. With that being said, it did read easily, and I found myself flying through pages so I thought that book 2 would be just as easy to get through.
To an extent, it was. I managed to read 150 pages quite quickly, but realized that I was not interested in the story at all. This book opens up with exposition on exposition, mostly through conversation between characters. There was so much talking and so little doing that I just couldn't get invested in the story.
One of my biggest issues with the first book was how every problem the MC's face failed to build tension because of how everything was so easily resolved. That is the case here as well. Nothing is earned. Worked for. There is no struggle. As a result, the story completely lacks tension.
Combine all these reasons, and I felt nothing for the characters. Couldn't understand character motivations and most of the somewhat interesting side characters in the first book felt like passengers here
July 12, 2014
Oh, geez. What a mess.
I don't even remember the last time that I read a book that grated on me on a technical level like this. It's rare; I guess I usually manage to avoid them.
First off, the title of this book is pure cheese and is not connected to the narrative in any way. No volcanoes are present. The cover has some cheesy art that also seems to have nothing to do with the story, and the tagline "Live a coward or die a hero" or whatever it is, also completely unrelated to anything happening. There's no character who has any tendency towards cowardice. It's like it's just trying to plug in generic stock phrases in hopes that they can be joined together into something. They aren't.
So many characters blend together into the background. They are lucky to get one note. The book does not do a very good job of keeping track of who is traveling with Blaine in the sense that sometimes a character will pipe up after like four pages of silence when you didn't even realize they were there in that scene until that very moment. Two of the gang of five from Edgeland in the first book just have nothing to do here, Dawe and Vellan.
The plot is not bad when you get down to it, other than the fact that there's no hiding when convenient things happen for the sake of the plot. Which is pretty bad now that I think about it. This happens in most books to some extent, but it's not telegraphed quite as much. Maybe it's that most of the things I read have more depth to them, so when a convenient thing happens here or there, it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.
We're in need of a map, given how important specific places are to what passes for the narrative, but there's just no sense of where any of these things are relative to one another.
There's also just like, messy tenses. I don't know how else to describe it - clunky prose. There is a lot of "He had (verbed)" for something that JUST HAPPENED, which, when you're doing a third-person limited POV, don't do that stuff! Just keep the action flowing in real time, unless the character is thinking of the past, then make it clear there's reminiscing going on and don't keep using the word "had" in there.
Oh well. I made it to the end, so it could have been worse.
I don't even remember the last time that I read a book that grated on me on a technical level like this. It's rare; I guess I usually manage to avoid them.
First off, the title of this book is pure cheese and is not connected to the narrative in any way. No volcanoes are present. The cover has some cheesy art that also seems to have nothing to do with the story, and the tagline "Live a coward or die a hero" or whatever it is, also completely unrelated to anything happening. There's no character who has any tendency towards cowardice. It's like it's just trying to plug in generic stock phrases in hopes that they can be joined together into something. They aren't.
So many characters blend together into the background. They are lucky to get one note. The book does not do a very good job of keeping track of who is traveling with Blaine in the sense that sometimes a character will pipe up after like four pages of silence when you didn't even realize they were there in that scene until that very moment. Two of the gang of five from Edgeland in the first book just have nothing to do here, Dawe and Vellan.
The plot is not bad when you get down to it, other than the fact that there's no hiding when convenient things happen for the sake of the plot. Which is pretty bad now that I think about it. This happens in most books to some extent, but it's not telegraphed quite as much. Maybe it's that most of the things I read have more depth to them, so when a convenient thing happens here or there, it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.
We're in need of a map, given how important specific places are to what passes for the narrative, but there's just no sense of where any of these things are relative to one another.
There's also just like, messy tenses. I don't know how else to describe it - clunky prose. There is a lot of "He had (verbed)" for something that JUST HAPPENED, which, when you're doing a third-person limited POV, don't do that stuff! Just keep the action flowing in real time, unless the character is thinking of the past, then make it clear there's reminiscing going on and don't keep using the word "had" in there.
Oh well. I made it to the end, so it could have been worse.
March 23, 2014
The second in the series, directly following the cliffhanger ending of 'Ice Forged.' I'd recommend beginning with the first one.
Here, Blaine McFadden, the last living Lord of the Blood, has accepted that he is likely the only man who has a chance to restore the magic than his civilization depends on. Therefore, gathering his friends around him, he embarks on a quest to find the thirteen disks that were held by the original thirteen Lords of the Blood when the magic was harnessed to men's will.
Assisting him are cryptic clues inserted into his companion Connor's mind by the enigmatic mage Vigus Quintrel.
Opposing him is the vicious bastard lord Pollard and his ally, the vampire Reese.
Luckily, McFadden's also got a powerful vampire (and his followers) on his side: Penhallow.
The plot progression felt very much like watching someone play a videogame: collect these tokens, figure out this clue, defeat these monsters. On to the next level... Collect another token, get past this obstacle, have another clue revealed. Time for a battle...
If you're into this kind of thing, your mileage may vary. The first book was firmly within the familiar tropes of the fantasy genre, but this one, I found even more predictable. For me, it got tedious well before I got to the end (and it's quite long - over 650 pages.) I also found myself annoyed that the only female main character in the story, Kestel, who was the coolest part of the first book, here gets relegated to the position of love interest - and thus lost my interest.
I wanted more - the drama between Blaine and his family members at their unexpected reunion is interesting, but not fully explored. I wanted more about the villains' motivations. I wished all the characters were more rounded; not just "I'm a thief! Whenever I see a lock, I'm just itching to pick it!" or "I'm a beautiful gypsy! I will constantly hint darkly about the visions that come to me in dreams!" (etc.)
There's another book in the series coming, but I was glad to find that this installment ends on a much more satisfactory conclusive note than the previous book did.
Advance copy provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Here, Blaine McFadden, the last living Lord of the Blood, has accepted that he is likely the only man who has a chance to restore the magic than his civilization depends on. Therefore, gathering his friends around him, he embarks on a quest to find the thirteen disks that were held by the original thirteen Lords of the Blood when the magic was harnessed to men's will.
Assisting him are cryptic clues inserted into his companion Connor's mind by the enigmatic mage Vigus Quintrel.
Opposing him is the vicious bastard lord Pollard and his ally, the vampire Reese.
Luckily, McFadden's also got a powerful vampire (and his followers) on his side: Penhallow.
The plot progression felt very much like watching someone play a videogame: collect these tokens, figure out this clue, defeat these monsters. On to the next level... Collect another token, get past this obstacle, have another clue revealed. Time for a battle...
If you're into this kind of thing, your mileage may vary. The first book was firmly within the familiar tropes of the fantasy genre, but this one, I found even more predictable. For me, it got tedious well before I got to the end (and it's quite long - over 650 pages.) I also found myself annoyed that the only female main character in the story, Kestel, who was the coolest part of the first book, here gets relegated to the position of love interest - and thus lost my interest.
I wanted more - the drama between Blaine and his family members at their unexpected reunion is interesting, but not fully explored. I wanted more about the villains' motivations. I wished all the characters were more rounded; not just "I'm a thief! Whenever I see a lock, I'm just itching to pick it!" or "I'm a beautiful gypsy! I will constantly hint darkly about the visions that come to me in dreams!" (etc.)
There's another book in the series coming, but I was glad to find that this installment ends on a much more satisfactory conclusive note than the previous book did.
Advance copy provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
August 10, 2016
3.5 stars but rounding up
Controlled magic is dead, leaving behind a shattered world in conflict. Two parties are racing to collect magical discs and key personnel in an effort to either contrive or permanently block magic's return, but they also have to avoid the storms created by the wild magic. Battles and academies, hidden clues and genealogies, secret maps and tunnels, vampires and ghosts... all are here.
Some of the plot and writing style is reminiscent of Katya Reimann, particularly the feel of magic and how it can be manipulated, leaving it firmly in the "heroic quest" epic fantasy genre.
Reign of Ash wasn't quite as enthralling as the first, which tended more towards "heroic adventure". This is probably due to the length, but I also found myself doing a little eyerolling on occasion. (Blaine's seriously wounded again? A magically locked box with booby traps... never mind, we've got a master thief. Oh look, a convenient gypsy troupe with a seer!) Blaine's family complications redeemed at least part of that, reminding me very much of the Prodigal Son.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Controlled magic is dead, leaving behind a shattered world in conflict. Two parties are racing to collect magical discs and key personnel in an effort to either contrive or permanently block magic's return, but they also have to avoid the storms created by the wild magic. Battles and academies, hidden clues and genealogies, secret maps and tunnels, vampires and ghosts... all are here.
Some of the plot and writing style is reminiscent of Katya Reimann, particularly the feel of magic and how it can be manipulated, leaving it firmly in the "heroic quest" epic fantasy genre.
Reign of Ash wasn't quite as enthralling as the first, which tended more towards "heroic adventure". This is probably due to the length, but I also found myself doing a little eyerolling on occasion. (Blaine's seriously wounded again? A magically locked box with booby traps... never mind, we've got a master thief. Oh look, a convenient gypsy troupe with a seer!) Blaine's family complications redeemed at least part of that, reminding me very much of the Prodigal Son.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 28, 2014
It's rare that a sequel, or at least a Part 2 of a series, surpasses the original. This book does it. It makes it so.
We continue to go along with Blaine McFadden in his quest to restore magic to his injured land. With the addition of a few more POV characters, we get a broader view of the action, and from both sides of the struggle. I'm not going to get too much into the plot; that's what the blurb and the other reviews are for. THIS review is to proclaim that the book is awesome. So:
This book is awesome! Go read the first one, and then this one. And then sit and wait and hope another comes out. Just like I have to.
We continue to go along with Blaine McFadden in his quest to restore magic to his injured land. With the addition of a few more POV characters, we get a broader view of the action, and from both sides of the struggle. I'm not going to get too much into the plot; that's what the blurb and the other reviews are for. THIS review is to proclaim that the book is awesome. So:
This book is awesome! Go read the first one, and then this one. And then sit and wait and hope another comes out. Just like I have to.
April 18, 2014
Reign Of Ash is a strong story and a worthy sequel to Ice Forged. Gail Z Martin does a wonderful job of not just continuing the momentum of the series but also building upon it. The world she creates and the characters she peoples it with are believable and enjoyable. The concept of a post apocalyptic medieval society makes for a very intriguing story. I truly enjoyed reading this story and am eagerly awaiting the next book!
April 7, 2014
First let me say that this is a long, LONG book (627 pages per Amazon) and I usually find myself scanning large chunks of books this long, this was a major exception to that habit. This story had me involved on almost every page and my only fear was that I would find myself in a cliffhanger ending, I am very relived to find that it was not true (many authors love to torture their readers in such fashion).
Second if you have not read Ice Forged (The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga) then you will not be able to enjoy this novel so go get it (it was a steal at $1.99 as of this writing).
The adventures of Blain/Mick and his band of former convicts continues, their mission to bring back the magic is far from simple, the fact is they really don't know where to start so they spend a goodly part of this novel fighting off various enemies while trying to gather clues left by a former mage to tell them where to go, it is far from a dull trip :)
Throw in several battles of swords and archers, a few monsters straight out of a nightmare, a vicious vampire that does not want them to succeed and you have a great story since if they fail, civilization will crumble with them.
The Wraith Lord was my favorite addition to this story, along with a good hearted mercenary (is that an oxymoron?) and some long thought dead warriors, there was not any way to really improve on this story.
Since I can't really summarize 600+ pages in this review, let me just say it IS the best epic fantasy novel I have read in many years, the level of enjoyment is equal to Tad Williams and Robin Hobb but packed with more action to keep the reader involved.
I should mention that this second book ends in a much better fashion than book 1 and makes it a bit easier to wait on the next one.
5 Stars and I can't wait to see where the story goes from here.
Second if you have not read Ice Forged (The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga) then you will not be able to enjoy this novel so go get it (it was a steal at $1.99 as of this writing).
The adventures of Blain/Mick and his band of former convicts continues, their mission to bring back the magic is far from simple, the fact is they really don't know where to start so they spend a goodly part of this novel fighting off various enemies while trying to gather clues left by a former mage to tell them where to go, it is far from a dull trip :)
Throw in several battles of swords and archers, a few monsters straight out of a nightmare, a vicious vampire that does not want them to succeed and you have a great story since if they fail, civilization will crumble with them.
The Wraith Lord was my favorite addition to this story, along with a good hearted mercenary (is that an oxymoron?) and some long thought dead warriors, there was not any way to really improve on this story.
Since I can't really summarize 600+ pages in this review, let me just say it IS the best epic fantasy novel I have read in many years, the level of enjoyment is equal to Tad Williams and Robin Hobb but packed with more action to keep the reader involved.
I should mention that this second book ends in a much better fashion than book 1 and makes it a bit easier to wait on the next one.
5 Stars and I can't wait to see where the story goes from here.
June 18, 2015
For the entirety of both books the characters talk and talk, rehash and tell each other their obvious feelings about things that just happened. The characters are never in any real fear, as it is made quite obvious the characters aren't going to be killed off. Even their struggles don't seem very struggling, or perhaps it's because everything is portrayed as dull. These books are a chore, and their is much better in the fantasy genre.
June 18, 2018
Compared to the first book, the opening chapters sucked me in a lot more...but then i just seemed to hit a lull with it. It was a good book, however that's all I felt about it throughout - it was just good. It wasn't great, it wasn't amazing, it wasn't a heart-stopping, page-turning read...it's just just a book I read and half liked.
I didn't particularly feel any chemistry between the group of characters; I didn't feel sadness for any tragedies for any losses or upsetting histories; I smiled a couple of times at jokes but didn't laugh out loud; I wasn't worrying if anyone would betray the group; to be honest I wasn't particularly thinking about what I was reading unless I was reading it.
The setting and characters were just okay for me, so it's just getting an okay score. I have decided not to continue on with the last 2 books in the series because that's another 1200+ pages I just don't wanna spend my time reading to just "like".
I didn't particularly feel any chemistry between the group of characters; I didn't feel sadness for any tragedies for any losses or upsetting histories; I smiled a couple of times at jokes but didn't laugh out loud; I wasn't worrying if anyone would betray the group; to be honest I wasn't particularly thinking about what I was reading unless I was reading it.
The setting and characters were just okay for me, so it's just getting an okay score. I have decided not to continue on with the last 2 books in the series because that's another 1200+ pages I just don't wanna spend my time reading to just "like".
July 7, 2023
The more I read Gail Martins books the more impressed I am. There is a good story, interesting characters, lots of action and some twists and turns in the book. I can hardly wait to start the next one. I would highly recommend these books
May 5, 2014
Both Ice Forged and Reign of Ash are full of great characters, action and adventure. I met Blaine Mcfadden, Piran Rowse, Dawe Killick, Kestel Falke, and Verran Danning in Ice Forged and continued my acquaintance in Reign of Ash. Gail Z. Martin did a great job of character building. I loved each of the five when I first met them in Velant, the prison colony. As the plot unfolds each has an important part to play as they make their way home. More characters join in the journey, each adding to the complexity of the story. The journey is full of adventure and danger.
There is a lot of world building in both books. It was mixed into the action and added to the story line. There are monsters, sword fights, spirits and both good and bad vampires. There continued to be surprising additions to the world throughout the story.
Ice Forged ends with a failure that leads to Reign of Ash. Reign of Ash ends with one important task completed. Reign of Ash is a middle book that does not leave the reader hanging. I did not feel let down at the end of either book. The story line is well though out and kept my attention.
I do recommend reading Ice Forged before Reign of Ash. While there is back story in Reign of Ash it is more a reminder for those of us who have read Ice Forged.
There is a lot of world building in both books. It was mixed into the action and added to the story line. There are monsters, sword fights, spirits and both good and bad vampires. There continued to be surprising additions to the world throughout the story.
Ice Forged ends with a failure that leads to Reign of Ash. Reign of Ash ends with one important task completed. Reign of Ash is a middle book that does not leave the reader hanging. I did not feel let down at the end of either book. The story line is well though out and kept my attention.
I do recommend reading Ice Forged before Reign of Ash. While there is back story in Reign of Ash it is more a reminder for those of us who have read Ice Forged.
April 8, 2014
Woo a 5! Ok so I'm a long time fan of Gail Z. Martins work, and really loved the first book in this new series of hers, and the second one continues and builds on the first novel, offering more action, more suspense, and a lot of character development.
The story starts up where the previous book left off, Blaine McFadden and his group, continue to search for a way to bring back human controlled magic to the currently ruined country of Donderath, all the while the uncontrolled magic, is causing magical storms of terrible strength, creatures hungry for human blood to appear, and a mysterious madness to affect the people of this country in need.
The pacing of the book is good, and several new and interesting characters are introduced, the book explores the relationships between characters in greater detail and expands on the pasts of others. Overall the book proves an excellent read, especially if you were a fan of the first book in the series, or of any other of Gail's work.
The story starts up where the previous book left off, Blaine McFadden and his group, continue to search for a way to bring back human controlled magic to the currently ruined country of Donderath, all the while the uncontrolled magic, is causing magical storms of terrible strength, creatures hungry for human blood to appear, and a mysterious madness to affect the people of this country in need.
The pacing of the book is good, and several new and interesting characters are introduced, the book explores the relationships between characters in greater detail and expands on the pasts of others. Overall the book proves an excellent read, especially if you were a fan of the first book in the series, or of any other of Gail's work.
June 26, 2014
I'm really enjoying this epic series. I'm fond of disaster stories, but it seems to me there's a dearth of tales about what happens after the end of the world. A lack, I might add, which Gail Martin has filled admirably. I did kind of find myself wishing, as the protagonist and his friends fought to restore magic to their land, that the author had abandoned the whole 'noble blood' plot line. It would have been cool to see the common folk who have battled heroically to save their land get the chance to step up . . . but that being said, this volume reached a satisfying conclusion, tying up some loose ends while still leaving plenty to do in future stories.
March 25, 2021
Gail Z. Martin has done it again! Although I absolutely love the Chronicles of the Necromancer series and its sister books, these new characters and new time are very interesting. I think I like this one better than Ice Forged, the first in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga. I felt like this one really had more character development, and the story tied up some lose ends from the first, making the world in which we are thrust much more believable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2016
This was another fun book from Gail Z. Martin. She writes the kind of fantasy adventures that I enjoy reading. Her characters are people I feel like rooting for, and the heavy doses of action keep me turning the pages. Martin has also grown a huge amount as a writer since she wrote The Summoner. Still, there's something that's keeping me from ranking her books among my absolute favorites. I can't quite put my finger on it.
Rating: 8/10
Rating: 8/10
May 28, 2015
The story was good enough to continue to finish and I'm glad I did, but if I have to wait too long for the 3rd audiobook, I don't necessarily have to continue the series. This story ended in a good spot. :)
Kestel and Blaine's relationship was lukewarm at best and the magic was recreated by the end, but the adventure in the meantime was interesting enough.
Kestel and Blaine's relationship was lukewarm at best and the magic was recreated by the end, but the adventure in the meantime was interesting enough.
April 30, 2014
My only issue is that this entry ended too soon & it's a year of waiting for book three! Hopefully time will pass quickly.
June 3, 2014
Great book. Both elements of high anf low fantasy. Vampires that are not wussies.
May 27, 2014
Loved it. Can't wait for book 3. Wish I didn't have to wait for so long. Going to see what else she has written. Wondering if the author is related to G RR Martin?
July 6, 2014
i loved it
July 10, 2015
Oh *that's* going to have consequences. Picks up next book in series and starts reading it...
May 14, 2014
I love this story... i believe the first was better... but its a good story none the less
August 11, 2017
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.5 of 5
Gail Z. Martin continues her 'Ascendant Kingdoms' series with this second book: Reign of Ash.
In my review of the fist book I wrote: "These aren't intelligent savages hacking and slashing their way through the world, these are civilized men and women in a world of war, agriculture, and magic." It was this aspect of this epic fantasy that set it apart for me from all the other epic fantasies that are out there. But with Reign of Ash, we've fallen back to relying on the usual fantasy tropes and constant battle sequences or at least preparations for battle.
I also previously wrote that I wasn't sure how I felt about having vampires included in this sort of fantasy. Here, I actually liked it. Perhaps this is because they were now established in this world whereas they took me by surprise in the first book. But then... are vampires a feared enemy? Is the fact that both sides in the battles have a vampire a form of 'equal power'? The vampires (Penhallow with our hero, Blaine, and Reese with the cruel Lord Pollard). Both vampires seem mighty powerful, but neither really does much other than frighten people with their presence.
Our hero, Blaine McFadden, recognizes that he is probably the only one who can save and restore the magic that has kept his community alive. So, even though they had banished him in the previous book, he's off to set things 'right.' There are, of course, those trying to stop him (Pollard, mentioned above) and he brings on a few friends to help him in his quest. And of course, because this is an epic fantasy, it's not so simple as o in, fight, win. There are a series of quests/tasks that must be performed. And a lot of wandering through open, desert countryside, where it's hard to hide from enemy forces. But just when things seem bleakest, a friend happens along to help Blaine out.
This was one of my complaints about the first book ... Blaine's charmed life. He never really has to work too hard, himself, at anything. There's even a whole covey of vampires that come to help him at one point.
And because of this...I got bored.
This is a lot of book to be going from one mini-crises to another only to be saved at the last moment each time, but deus ex machina.
Most of the supplementary characters only appear when necessary - not always present - and so it's easy to lose track of them. More than once I'd stop to think, "Now who was that?" And the same goes for the locations. Where are they now? Where is this in relation to that?
I've come to realize that I'm not a big fan of the epic fantasy story, though there have been exceptions. Martin's writing style is very readable and enjoyable, but the plotting and over-population of characters who don't really matter, made this a tedious read.
Looking for a good book? Reign of Ash by Gail Z. Martin is the second book in an epic fantasy series, that could have been half the length and told the same story without losing anything meaningful.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Gail Z. Martin continues her 'Ascendant Kingdoms' series with this second book: Reign of Ash.
In my review of the fist book I wrote: "These aren't intelligent savages hacking and slashing their way through the world, these are civilized men and women in a world of war, agriculture, and magic." It was this aspect of this epic fantasy that set it apart for me from all the other epic fantasies that are out there. But with Reign of Ash, we've fallen back to relying on the usual fantasy tropes and constant battle sequences or at least preparations for battle.
I also previously wrote that I wasn't sure how I felt about having vampires included in this sort of fantasy. Here, I actually liked it. Perhaps this is because they were now established in this world whereas they took me by surprise in the first book. But then... are vampires a feared enemy? Is the fact that both sides in the battles have a vampire a form of 'equal power'? The vampires (Penhallow with our hero, Blaine, and Reese with the cruel Lord Pollard). Both vampires seem mighty powerful, but neither really does much other than frighten people with their presence.
Our hero, Blaine McFadden, recognizes that he is probably the only one who can save and restore the magic that has kept his community alive. So, even though they had banished him in the previous book, he's off to set things 'right.' There are, of course, those trying to stop him (Pollard, mentioned above) and he brings on a few friends to help him in his quest. And of course, because this is an epic fantasy, it's not so simple as o in, fight, win. There are a series of quests/tasks that must be performed. And a lot of wandering through open, desert countryside, where it's hard to hide from enemy forces. But just when things seem bleakest, a friend happens along to help Blaine out.
This was one of my complaints about the first book ... Blaine's charmed life. He never really has to work too hard, himself, at anything. There's even a whole covey of vampires that come to help him at one point.
And because of this...I got bored.
This is a lot of book to be going from one mini-crises to another only to be saved at the last moment each time, but deus ex machina.
Most of the supplementary characters only appear when necessary - not always present - and so it's easy to lose track of them. More than once I'd stop to think, "Now who was that?" And the same goes for the locations. Where are they now? Where is this in relation to that?
I've come to realize that I'm not a big fan of the epic fantasy story, though there have been exceptions. Martin's writing style is very readable and enjoyable, but the plotting and over-population of characters who don't really matter, made this a tedious read.
Looking for a good book? Reign of Ash by Gail Z. Martin is the second book in an epic fantasy series, that could have been half the length and told the same story without losing anything meaningful.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
September 7, 2019
Although this is a long book, it didn’t feel like a long read as I found myself turning pages to find out what happened next. I enjoyed reading more about the characters and world introduced in the first book. The world building is fabulous, and I particularly enjoyed the magic system, and reading about how a world that has magic intrinsic in everyday life copes when that magic is gone.
I liked that the characters made mistakes and that their quest wasn’t straightforward. I also liked the addition of the new characters introduced in this story and very happy that some of them are staying to help Blaine and his friends. Connor is one of my favourite characters. I enjoyed reading his character arc and growth, and the introduction of the Wraith Lord and his connection to Connor.
I also liked that characters have their own motivations that aren’t always what they first appear to be, and the surprises in store within that group of vanished survivors. I’m looking forward to learning more about the Knights of Esthrane.
I’m very happy that there is more of this series to read, including a prequel.
I’d recommend Reign of Ash to readers who enjoy high fantasy with fabulous world building, interesting characters who make mistakes, and a plot that spans a series.
I liked that the characters made mistakes and that their quest wasn’t straightforward. I also liked the addition of the new characters introduced in this story and very happy that some of them are staying to help Blaine and his friends. Connor is one of my favourite characters. I enjoyed reading his character arc and growth, and the introduction of the Wraith Lord and his connection to Connor.
I also liked that characters have their own motivations that aren’t always what they first appear to be, and the surprises in store within that group of vanished survivors. I’m looking forward to learning more about the Knights of Esthrane.
I’m very happy that there is more of this series to read, including a prequel.
I’d recommend Reign of Ash to readers who enjoy high fantasy with fabulous world building, interesting characters who make mistakes, and a plot that spans a series.
May 20, 2019
Not usually a fan of vampire novels, but the vampires are not the important part of this book, the story line is more involving human derring-do and adventure, with plenty to distract the reader from any vampire-related obsession - I was wary of a twilight style book once I realised the involvement of vampires, but this is more game of thrones or lord of the rings - heroes who are in no way perfect, but are most definitely interesting, and at least involve one woman, though I felt there was scope for more tbh, and villains who are relatively one-dimensional, though not sickeningly so! Have to admire the writing style as well, chapters ending when the story demands it, and a great ending!
All in all, a book worth reading, whether as part of the series or simply on a stand alone basis, and I really enjoyed it!
All in all, a book worth reading, whether as part of the series or simply on a stand alone basis, and I really enjoyed it!
November 7, 2017
This i part two of the series, and though it took me quite a while to finish this book, I still liked it a lot. I assume I will read the next book too. I read this book in book form, and the big volume kept me from reading it everywhere I liked.
November 27, 2017
I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it a local library.
March 16, 2019
Follow on to Ice Forged. We continue the story of Blaine McFadden and his friends, a good read. I found this book a little slower than the first book in the series, which made it a bit harder to stay motivated and finish the book.
December 31, 2021
The world has gone back to a time before magic and the few inhabitants are left fighting for what little they can find. Vampires are at war, nobles are trying to position themselves better and we need to restart the magic to make life better .
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews