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The Castes and the OutCastes #1
A Warrior's Path
Alternate cover edition of ASIN B00HLJ80QE
Two millennia ago, a demon thundered into the skies of Arisa, casting down the First World. She was Suwraith, the Bringer of Sorrows. And on the same night as Her arrival, there rose about the world's great cities the Oases, a mysterious means by which Humanity lies protected against the might of the Sorrow Bringer. It is a temporary respite. Throughout the rest of Arisa, Suwraith’s Chimeras boil across the Wildness, the wide swaths of land beyond the boundaries of the few, far-flung cities, killing any unfortunates in their path and ruling all in Her name. But always She seeks more: Humanity’s utter extinction.
Into this world is born Rukh Shektan, a peerless young warrior from a Caste of warriors. He is well-versed in the keen language of swords and the sacred law of the seven Castes: for each Caste is a role and a Talent given, and none may seek that to which they were not born. It is the iron-clad decree by which all cities maintain their fragile existence and to defy this law means exile and death. And Rukh has ever been faithful to the teachings of his elders.
But all his knowledge and devotion may not save him because soon he must join the Trials, the holy burden by which by which the cities of Humanity maintain their slender connection with one another, and the only means by which a warrior can prove his worth. There in the Wildness, Rukh will struggle to survive as he engages in the never-ending war with the Chimeras, but he will also discover a challenge to all he has held to be true and risk losing all he holds dear. And it will come in the guise of one of Humanity’s greatest enemies – perhaps its greatest allies.
Worse, he will learn of Suwraith’s plans. The Sorrow Bringer has dread intentions for his home. The city of Ashoka is to be razed and her people slaughtered.
Two millennia ago, a demon thundered into the skies of Arisa, casting down the First World. She was Suwraith, the Bringer of Sorrows. And on the same night as Her arrival, there rose about the world's great cities the Oases, a mysterious means by which Humanity lies protected against the might of the Sorrow Bringer. It is a temporary respite. Throughout the rest of Arisa, Suwraith’s Chimeras boil across the Wildness, the wide swaths of land beyond the boundaries of the few, far-flung cities, killing any unfortunates in their path and ruling all in Her name. But always She seeks more: Humanity’s utter extinction.
Into this world is born Rukh Shektan, a peerless young warrior from a Caste of warriors. He is well-versed in the keen language of swords and the sacred law of the seven Castes: for each Caste is a role and a Talent given, and none may seek that to which they were not born. It is the iron-clad decree by which all cities maintain their fragile existence and to defy this law means exile and death. And Rukh has ever been faithful to the teachings of his elders.
But all his knowledge and devotion may not save him because soon he must join the Trials, the holy burden by which by which the cities of Humanity maintain their slender connection with one another, and the only means by which a warrior can prove his worth. There in the Wildness, Rukh will struggle to survive as he engages in the never-ending war with the Chimeras, but he will also discover a challenge to all he has held to be true and risk losing all he holds dear. And it will come in the guise of one of Humanity’s greatest enemies – perhaps its greatest allies.
Worse, he will learn of Suwraith’s plans. The Sorrow Bringer has dread intentions for his home. The city of Ashoka is to be razed and her people slaughtered.
582 pages, ebook
First published December 29, 2013
1330 people are currently reading
3587 people want to read
About the author
Davis Ashura
22 books517 followersDavis Ashura is an author of such sublime depth and beauty that his works have been known to cause a tear to fall from the eyes of even the hardest of hearts.
Just kidding.
But he does write.
This humble writer, who refers to himself in the third person, resides in North Carolina, sharing a house with his magnificent wife who somehow overlooked Davis’ eccentricities and married him anyway. As proper recompense for her sacrifice, Davis then unwittingly turned his magnificent wife into a nerd-girl. To her sad and utter humiliation, she knows exactly what is meant by ‘Kronos’. Living with them are their two rambunctious boys, both of whom have at various times helped turn Davis’ once lustrous, raven-black hair prematurely white (it sure sounds prettier than the dirty gray it actually is). And of course, there is the obligatory strange, adopted cats (all authors have cats-it's in the by-laws). One eats everything placed before him and the other has the world's stinkiest breath.
When not working – nay laboring – in the creation of works of fiction so grand that hardly anyone has read a single word of them, Davis practices medicine, but only when the insurance companies tell him he can.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
October 30, 2013
I won't discuss why this is the finest work of fantasy fiction since J.R.R. Tolkien gave us Middle-Earth. I can't because I am deeply reticent about boasting so freely regarding my prodigious talent. And if I must tell the truth, then I'll have to admit that A Warrior's Path does not rise to the stature of Professor Tolkien's work. It is merely at the level of Frank L. Baum and Oz.
I'll try harder.
And, of course, all of the above is utter bollocks and meant in sheer fun. Except for the five-star rating. That's serious and accurate stuff.
I'll try harder.
And, of course, all of the above is utter bollocks and meant in sheer fun. Except for the five-star rating. That's serious and accurate stuff.
May 14, 2021
Rating 5 stars
Re-read May 2021. I had just finished This authors other book Testament of Steel which ended up having a link to this series. The relationship between the two series wasn't clear in my mind so I thought I would re-listen to this book to see if I was missing something. Turns out my memory was fine. If I had to rate this book after reading it the second time I probably wouldn't give it 5 stars again. There are some parts that were 5 stars but others that I didn't care about at all the second time through. I skipped chapters that didn't have the MC as the focus. My initial review is below.
Yep. That's a big old 5. Excellent epic fantasy with hints of Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archives. When I write reviews, I usually take a paragraph or two to explain my mindset while reading the book. It has nothing to do with the plot or story of the book. Anyone not interested in that, who actually reads my reviews, should skip to the next paragraph. Last chance to skip ahead.....Okay. I find my reading habits to be just like everything else in my life. When I was growing up, I had multiple different small groups of friends. I would hang out with one group to play sports, another group to play video games, and then another group to just hang out with. I had school friends that I would hang out with, but then when school was out, never talk to them. My friend groups were distinct and separate. When I was in college earning my flight degree, I had my aviation friends. I was into comic books and I had a different group for that hobby. I have multiple interests, but never found one thing to really focus on. I thought with my reading that I had finally found one thing to focus on- Fantasy. It seems that fantasy also has different groups in it though. There is epic fantasy, sci-fi fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal fantasy, Lit RPG, and then there are the erotica fantasy stories. I have found the same thing is happening with my reading friends on Goodreads. I have my epic fantasy friends, my paranormal fantasy friends, and then the erotic fantasy friends. I tend to go from one group to the other, reading one style of fantasy and then switching to another. I have been more into paranormal fantasy and erotic fantasy lately and haven't read much epic fantasy lately. I keep forgetting the greatness of epic fantasy but this was an excellent book to remind me.
The story mainly revolves around a young warrior on his first mission named Rukh Shektan. 2000 years ago a demon named Suwraith came and almost wiped out humanity. Since that time, her twisted creations have hunted and tried to kill off humanity. A few cities like the one Rukh is from, Ashoka, are well protected from Suwraith and her spawn, but the wilds are a different story. There still needs to be trade between the cities and that means caravans need to be sent out. Warriors face trials by signing on to protect these caravans. It is a right of passage for every warrior.
Ashoka is a society of castes. All the people there have a little bit of magic in them and each different caste has a different way of expressing that magic. ( I listened to an audiobook, so I have no idea how to spell the word they use for their magical well - something like Jivatma?) Rukh's caste is that of the Kuma ( spelling again?) which is the warrior caste that allows them to increase their speed and reflexes, throw fireballs and create shields. Another caste allows a person to camouflage (or blend). Others have magic with numbers, the arts, healing, leadership skills etc. The main point is that each caste has their own purpose and their own talents, and it is heresy for the castes to intermingle or for someone to learn the talents of another caste. ( I bet you can't guess what happens?).
There are only a few other points of view that the story is told from and most of them are relatives of Rukh, such as his brother, sister and his father. I liken this book to the Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson because it just sort of drops the reader into the world without much explanation. The author didn't slowly point out how the world worked or make a detailed explanation about the rules of society. Instead the author just saturated me with a bunch or words and ideas. The action was pretty straight forward and easy to follow but the why and the how of things had me scratching my head at times. The first 5 times I heard the word Jvatma ( again spelling), I had no clue what it was. Over time though, with repetition, the meaning of these words and their significance became known. It took maybe an hour or so of listening before I had somewhat of the basics of this world.( there was one flashback scene early on about Ruhk that was came out of nowhere and it took a couple of minutes before I knew it was a flashback). The world building wasn't as expansive in this book as in the Way of Kings and there weren't as many different story lines happening but it did have that same .... flavor for lack of a better word.
There was a lot going on in this book. Political intrigue, good versus evil, great action, interesting world building and magical system. The author did a good job of making me care for the characters. There was also the debate about preserving the past while being open to change for the future. Was keeping the castes separate good for the people? I really liked the story and I have already bought the next book to listen.
Re-read May 2021. I had just finished This authors other book Testament of Steel which ended up having a link to this series. The relationship between the two series wasn't clear in my mind so I thought I would re-listen to this book to see if I was missing something. Turns out my memory was fine. If I had to rate this book after reading it the second time I probably wouldn't give it 5 stars again. There are some parts that were 5 stars but others that I didn't care about at all the second time through. I skipped chapters that didn't have the MC as the focus. My initial review is below.
Yep. That's a big old 5. Excellent epic fantasy with hints of Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archives. When I write reviews, I usually take a paragraph or two to explain my mindset while reading the book. It has nothing to do with the plot or story of the book. Anyone not interested in that, who actually reads my reviews, should skip to the next paragraph. Last chance to skip ahead.....Okay. I find my reading habits to be just like everything else in my life. When I was growing up, I had multiple different small groups of friends. I would hang out with one group to play sports, another group to play video games, and then another group to just hang out with. I had school friends that I would hang out with, but then when school was out, never talk to them. My friend groups were distinct and separate. When I was in college earning my flight degree, I had my aviation friends. I was into comic books and I had a different group for that hobby. I have multiple interests, but never found one thing to really focus on. I thought with my reading that I had finally found one thing to focus on- Fantasy. It seems that fantasy also has different groups in it though. There is epic fantasy, sci-fi fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal fantasy, Lit RPG, and then there are the erotica fantasy stories. I have found the same thing is happening with my reading friends on Goodreads. I have my epic fantasy friends, my paranormal fantasy friends, and then the erotic fantasy friends. I tend to go from one group to the other, reading one style of fantasy and then switching to another. I have been more into paranormal fantasy and erotic fantasy lately and haven't read much epic fantasy lately. I keep forgetting the greatness of epic fantasy but this was an excellent book to remind me.
The story mainly revolves around a young warrior on his first mission named Rukh Shektan. 2000 years ago a demon named Suwraith came and almost wiped out humanity. Since that time, her twisted creations have hunted and tried to kill off humanity. A few cities like the one Rukh is from, Ashoka, are well protected from Suwraith and her spawn, but the wilds are a different story. There still needs to be trade between the cities and that means caravans need to be sent out. Warriors face trials by signing on to protect these caravans. It is a right of passage for every warrior.
Ashoka is a society of castes. All the people there have a little bit of magic in them and each different caste has a different way of expressing that magic. ( I listened to an audiobook, so I have no idea how to spell the word they use for their magical well - something like Jivatma?) Rukh's caste is that of the Kuma ( spelling again?) which is the warrior caste that allows them to increase their speed and reflexes, throw fireballs and create shields. Another caste allows a person to camouflage (or blend). Others have magic with numbers, the arts, healing, leadership skills etc. The main point is that each caste has their own purpose and their own talents, and it is heresy for the castes to intermingle or for someone to learn the talents of another caste. ( I bet you can't guess what happens?).
There are only a few other points of view that the story is told from and most of them are relatives of Rukh, such as his brother, sister and his father. I liken this book to the Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson because it just sort of drops the reader into the world without much explanation. The author didn't slowly point out how the world worked or make a detailed explanation about the rules of society. Instead the author just saturated me with a bunch or words and ideas. The action was pretty straight forward and easy to follow but the why and the how of things had me scratching my head at times. The first 5 times I heard the word Jvatma ( again spelling), I had no clue what it was. Over time though, with repetition, the meaning of these words and their significance became known. It took maybe an hour or so of listening before I had somewhat of the basics of this world.( there was one flashback scene early on about Ruhk that was came out of nowhere and it took a couple of minutes before I knew it was a flashback). The world building wasn't as expansive in this book as in the Way of Kings and there weren't as many different story lines happening but it did have that same .... flavor for lack of a better word.
There was a lot going on in this book. Political intrigue, good versus evil, great action, interesting world building and magical system. The author did a good job of making me care for the characters. There was also the debate about preserving the past while being open to change for the future. Was keeping the castes separate good for the people? I really liked the story and I have already bought the next book to listen.
February 15, 2016
Find this and many other reviews at Geekritique!
This book deserves far more recognition than it has thus received. I just happened to stumble upon it, and it's by and large one of the best new fantasies I've encountered in a long while. By laying the groundwork of his worldbuilding in traditional Indian ideas and social structures, author Davis Ashura gives us a story that's fundamentally an Eastern epic, which is as refreshing as it is exciting.
We're thrown into a world divided into seven Castes, each gifted with their own unique abilities and talents; a working magic system known as one's Jivatma. Some Caste's can use the elements to their advantage, where others use it to hide themselves, or to heal others., etc. And anyone known to develop talents outside of one's Caste? Well it's not looked favorably upon.
In fact, even being caught in a relationship with someone of a different Caste is cause for expulsion from the Oasis - an area protected from the evils that lurk and war against humanity. That evil being an army of Chimeras, led and created by Suwraith, an immensely powerful entity colloquially titled the Queen of Madness. Our characters find themselves at a pinnacle period within the history of humanity, where their next actions could mean putting an end to Suwraith's chimeras, lest she annihilate all of mankind.
One thing I really appreciate about how Davis Ashura has built his world is by creating an overbearing societal structure, that has a realistic basis in morality. I see so many science fiction and fantasy authors inject their worlds with an almost anarchic view of morality that often abandons reasons and principals that humans have governed themselves by for thousands of years, and that's just not a realistic understanding of how a world would and should develop. In The Castes and the OutCastes we get a world where morals and justice are central and integral to the understanding of the characters. That said, the social structure of this world takes those principals to the extreme, to a more pharisaical extent. Though we're thrown into the world without knowing any of the unique rules of conduct, the author incorporates a specific scenario early on to get us caught up, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
There are a LOT of characters and POVs in this journey, each balanced very well. Sometimes while reading other books with a bunch of POVs you'll notice that it's difficult to make the switch from character to character - sometimes you're so engrossed in one that the others seem secondary. Not so with this novel. Ashura makes it so that each character feels essential to the plot, and each chapter with a new POV feels much needed and right on time. I never got the feeling that I enjoyed certain characters abundantly more than others, and that's a testament to how good each character was written. I do think the book would have been a bit stronger if it stuck with only a handful of POV characters, but this is a minor niggle.
I will say that by the end of the book, I wished I knew more about the magic system - the different talents produced by one's Caste and Jivatma. I feel like I get it now, but when we're first being introduced to it there is a lot to swallow, and it isn't made abundantly clear.
Davis Ashura's A Warrior's Path is an excellent read. And it's the first in a trilogy, as it's written as the first act in a long book. Book two, A Warrior's Knowledge is on shelves, and book three is well on its way. If I were to compare the world Davis Ashura's crafted with anything else, I'd have to describe the vibes I got while reading it. And it totally reminded me of Brandon Sanderson's The Stormlight Archive (which I hold in the highest regard, so that's a serious compliment). Not that it took any concepts or idea from Sanderson, but the way Ashura balances characters, forms his thoughts, carries his pace, and throws you into a world without having to explain each and every detail - it's just good writing. And more people need to give it a shot. Grab a copy at the link below, and give the author a follow on Twitter.
This book deserves far more recognition than it has thus received. I just happened to stumble upon it, and it's by and large one of the best new fantasies I've encountered in a long while. By laying the groundwork of his worldbuilding in traditional Indian ideas and social structures, author Davis Ashura gives us a story that's fundamentally an Eastern epic, which is as refreshing as it is exciting.
We're thrown into a world divided into seven Castes, each gifted with their own unique abilities and talents; a working magic system known as one's Jivatma. Some Caste's can use the elements to their advantage, where others use it to hide themselves, or to heal others., etc. And anyone known to develop talents outside of one's Caste? Well it's not looked favorably upon.
In fact, even being caught in a relationship with someone of a different Caste is cause for expulsion from the Oasis - an area protected from the evils that lurk and war against humanity. That evil being an army of Chimeras, led and created by Suwraith, an immensely powerful entity colloquially titled the Queen of Madness. Our characters find themselves at a pinnacle period within the history of humanity, where their next actions could mean putting an end to Suwraith's chimeras, lest she annihilate all of mankind.
One thing I really appreciate about how Davis Ashura has built his world is by creating an overbearing societal structure, that has a realistic basis in morality. I see so many science fiction and fantasy authors inject their worlds with an almost anarchic view of morality that often abandons reasons and principals that humans have governed themselves by for thousands of years, and that's just not a realistic understanding of how a world would and should develop. In The Castes and the OutCastes we get a world where morals and justice are central and integral to the understanding of the characters. That said, the social structure of this world takes those principals to the extreme, to a more pharisaical extent. Though we're thrown into the world without knowing any of the unique rules of conduct, the author incorporates a specific scenario early on to get us caught up, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
There are a LOT of characters and POVs in this journey, each balanced very well. Sometimes while reading other books with a bunch of POVs you'll notice that it's difficult to make the switch from character to character - sometimes you're so engrossed in one that the others seem secondary. Not so with this novel. Ashura makes it so that each character feels essential to the plot, and each chapter with a new POV feels much needed and right on time. I never got the feeling that I enjoyed certain characters abundantly more than others, and that's a testament to how good each character was written. I do think the book would have been a bit stronger if it stuck with only a handful of POV characters, but this is a minor niggle.
I will say that by the end of the book, I wished I knew more about the magic system - the different talents produced by one's Caste and Jivatma. I feel like I get it now, but when we're first being introduced to it there is a lot to swallow, and it isn't made abundantly clear.
Davis Ashura's A Warrior's Path is an excellent read. And it's the first in a trilogy, as it's written as the first act in a long book. Book two, A Warrior's Knowledge is on shelves, and book three is well on its way. If I were to compare the world Davis Ashura's crafted with anything else, I'd have to describe the vibes I got while reading it. And it totally reminded me of Brandon Sanderson's The Stormlight Archive (which I hold in the highest regard, so that's a serious compliment). Not that it took any concepts or idea from Sanderson, but the way Ashura balances characters, forms his thoughts, carries his pace, and throws you into a world without having to explain each and every detail - it's just good writing. And more people need to give it a shot. Grab a copy at the link below, and give the author a follow on Twitter.
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Paperback | Kindle | Audible
March 14, 2018
3.5⭐️ A Wild Epic Fantasy
I say again this book was WILD! Vividly written battle scenes and... magic? There’s a lot going on in this tale of good and evil. Caste systems, each with their different special abilities, dark creatures, a stunning city, and a wickedly insane demon queen reeking havoc across the land! Woah! The details of the world are richly described. The action was a constant, if not a little too dragged in some parts, but always intense, leaving your heart pumping! The characters were absolutely authentic and emotional. My only note is confusion about how the “Blend” works, in which the characters can combine together in a battle. Some of the details were so ambiguous, I wasn’t sure what I was reading, but I was still entertained. If you want a rolling ride, epic fantasy with some ethnic characters and a daring plot, this is the book to read!
I say again this book was WILD! Vividly written battle scenes and... magic? There’s a lot going on in this tale of good and evil. Caste systems, each with their different special abilities, dark creatures, a stunning city, and a wickedly insane demon queen reeking havoc across the land! Woah! The details of the world are richly described. The action was a constant, if not a little too dragged in some parts, but always intense, leaving your heart pumping! The characters were absolutely authentic and emotional. My only note is confusion about how the “Blend” works, in which the characters can combine together in a battle. Some of the details were so ambiguous, I wasn’t sure what I was reading, but I was still entertained. If you want a rolling ride, epic fantasy with some ethnic characters and a daring plot, this is the book to read!
March 7, 2019
Okay, first of all, Nick Podehl. Do I really need to say more? If you haven't experienced an audiobook narrated by Nick, then you need to fix that. Like, right now.
Now, the story.
Davis Ashura is a skilled writer, no question. I could be wrong, but I believe the world is heavily influenced by classical Indian (or possibly hindu) mythology and culture. It made for a fascinating world with some very different dynamics than I'm used to seeing.
It was definitely refreshing.
The characters (sorry, I'm not going to try to spell their names!) were all very well drawn, each feeling unique, deep, and real.
I find myself a little confused by the magic system, as it seems a bit whimsy and contradictory.
I'm also disappointed that an aspect of a major death near the beginning, which had a sizable hat hung on it when it happened, was never addressed and answered.
And, telling. This book does it A LOT. I do recognize that without a lot of the telling, this book probably would have been twice it's already substantial length. But all the telling really bugged me.
My biggest difficulties with this book, however, are about the world itself.
This is probably my personal preference and won't bother most readers, but for me it's a serious problem.
This story is presented as (more or less) medieval fantasy. So it really threw me out of the story each time a reference was made to modern ideas.
Here are just a few examples.
Physicians. Not medieval physicars but actual physicians using modern treatments, medicines, and names for muscles, nerves, ligaments, cells, atoms, etc.
A "fist-bump." Don't get me wrong, I do believe it's a celebratory thing that could easily have been done since the beginning of time (or near enough). But calling it a fist-bump is more than I can accept.
Allergy medicine (do I really need to say more?)
And many more.
All that being said, this was an entertaining story with strong characters, a fair amount of complexity, and a detailed world. I just don't think I can overlook the glaring contradictions in the world.
I expect I might eventually continue this series, but right now I have other things I would much rather read.
Now, the story.
Davis Ashura is a skilled writer, no question. I could be wrong, but I believe the world is heavily influenced by classical Indian (or possibly hindu) mythology and culture. It made for a fascinating world with some very different dynamics than I'm used to seeing.
It was definitely refreshing.
The characters (sorry, I'm not going to try to spell their names!) were all very well drawn, each feeling unique, deep, and real.
I find myself a little confused by the magic system, as it seems a bit whimsy and contradictory.
I'm also disappointed that an aspect of a major death near the beginning, which had a sizable hat hung on it when it happened, was never addressed and answered.
And, telling. This book does it A LOT. I do recognize that without a lot of the telling, this book probably would have been twice it's already substantial length. But all the telling really bugged me.
My biggest difficulties with this book, however, are about the world itself.
This is probably my personal preference and won't bother most readers, but for me it's a serious problem.
This story is presented as (more or less) medieval fantasy. So it really threw me out of the story each time a reference was made to modern ideas.
Here are just a few examples.
Physicians. Not medieval physicars but actual physicians using modern treatments, medicines, and names for muscles, nerves, ligaments, cells, atoms, etc.
A "fist-bump." Don't get me wrong, I do believe it's a celebratory thing that could easily have been done since the beginning of time (or near enough). But calling it a fist-bump is more than I can accept.
Allergy medicine (do I really need to say more?)
And many more.
All that being said, this was an entertaining story with strong characters, a fair amount of complexity, and a detailed world. I just don't think I can overlook the glaring contradictions in the world.
I expect I might eventually continue this series, but right now I have other things I would much rather read.
December 15, 2013
A Warrior's Path contains an interesting perspective on a different social structure than is present in other fantasy I've read. Although I had trouble getting into the book, the hierarchy and interplay of beliefs gave me something to think about.
This book's society is a strict caste-based culture, where every rank can only inter-marry within itself and all its members are prescribed certain careers and magical abilities. The story follows several people who discover that they have abilities--and desires--outside their own caste, as they fight a goddess bent on destroying humanity. The moral implications are intriguing: In a time and place when humanity should band together against its impending doom, people are squabbling over the color of skin and talents they believe shouldn't overlap between castes.
The different characters' perspectives on the caste system were varied. Some were traditional and believed that anyone operating outside of the rules was "tainted." Some are in between, not sure which way their loyalties lay. And some were open to accept people as people, despite their background or magical abilities. The morality was a bit heavy-handed, but the caste system unique enough that it kept me interested.
One of the best parts were the villains on the side of the mad goddess. However, a lot was left unresolved and open for a follow-up book, which left me disappointed that we didn't learn more about the plans and happenings of that sect.
I struggled to get into the book because of the excessive world-building and back story. Especially at the beginning, I felt I was reading an essay the author had written on how the society functions and who the characters are. Rather than revealing how the caste system worked bit by bit, it was dumped at the beginning and I found myself skimming, unable to follow everything and everyone. There were a lot of characters, and even at the end, I was only clear on a few of the main ones.
If you're interested in exploring implications of different societal structures, you'll be interested in A Warrior's Path. Note that the story doesn't wrap up at the end but is part of an on-going series.
Also posted on my blog, Magic & Mayhem Book Reviews.
This book's society is a strict caste-based culture, where every rank can only inter-marry within itself and all its members are prescribed certain careers and magical abilities. The story follows several people who discover that they have abilities--and desires--outside their own caste, as they fight a goddess bent on destroying humanity. The moral implications are intriguing: In a time and place when humanity should band together against its impending doom, people are squabbling over the color of skin and talents they believe shouldn't overlap between castes.
The different characters' perspectives on the caste system were varied. Some were traditional and believed that anyone operating outside of the rules was "tainted." Some are in between, not sure which way their loyalties lay. And some were open to accept people as people, despite their background or magical abilities. The morality was a bit heavy-handed, but the caste system unique enough that it kept me interested.
One of the best parts were the villains on the side of the mad goddess. However, a lot was left unresolved and open for a follow-up book, which left me disappointed that we didn't learn more about the plans and happenings of that sect.
I struggled to get into the book because of the excessive world-building and back story. Especially at the beginning, I felt I was reading an essay the author had written on how the society functions and who the characters are. Rather than revealing how the caste system worked bit by bit, it was dumped at the beginning and I found myself skimming, unable to follow everything and everyone. There were a lot of characters, and even at the end, I was only clear on a few of the main ones.
If you're interested in exploring implications of different societal structures, you'll be interested in A Warrior's Path. Note that the story doesn't wrap up at the end but is part of an on-going series.
Also posted on my blog, Magic & Mayhem Book Reviews.
April 21, 2015
This was a very good book. I haven't read a lot of self-published fantasy, so I can't speak for all of it, but if this book is any indication, there is some good stuff out there.
Ashura created a very interesting world with a (usually) fast-moving story and characters I grew to like (though it took a little bit of time). At the same time, he also makes some social commentary with the novel's rigid caste system. It's not preachy or anything, though.
There's a lot of action in this story, and it's thankfully not the Grimdark that's in vogue right now. It's more in the tradition of writers like Brandon Sanderson. I won't say it's in the same league as Sanderson (few are), but it's still worth reading for people who enjoy that type of story.
I love how Ashura integrated the magic system with the caste society. The best magic systems, in my opinion, are those that become fully integrated parts of their world.
There were only a few instances of sloppy editing, and they never jarred me out of the story.
Overall, this book was an 8.5 out of 10 for me (so pretty much my highest four-star rating). I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
Ashura created a very interesting world with a (usually) fast-moving story and characters I grew to like (though it took a little bit of time). At the same time, he also makes some social commentary with the novel's rigid caste system. It's not preachy or anything, though.
There's a lot of action in this story, and it's thankfully not the Grimdark that's in vogue right now. It's more in the tradition of writers like Brandon Sanderson. I won't say it's in the same league as Sanderson (few are), but it's still worth reading for people who enjoy that type of story.
I love how Ashura integrated the magic system with the caste society. The best magic systems, in my opinion, are those that become fully integrated parts of their world.
There were only a few instances of sloppy editing, and they never jarred me out of the story.
Overall, this book was an 8.5 out of 10 for me (so pretty much my highest four-star rating). I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
Want to read
October 24, 2016:)
October 16, 2019
This was a difficult book for me to get through. On one hand, I would say that in many ways, it was well-written and presents a variety of offerings. It's probably more of a 4 star, but based on my personal lack of enjoyment I couldn't see how to rate it as such considering how I'd rated other books that I think do the same thing much better. I think that from the perspective of a young adult or starter epic fantasy, this book is a great read. But having read many epic fantasies, this one just seemed very juvenile and derivative by comparison.
This book did some things well...the problem that I had was that each time something seemed good, it only reminded me of other books that did it better.
There was a large-scale setting in this story, but that's par for the course in epic fantasy. There's an Indian-influenced setting, but to me it seemed like a watered down version of the one in Peter Brett's Demon Cycle series. Honestly, I even had a problem with that series because I just don't find these people likable when they are so holier than thou and bigoted. It took awhile to get invested in the 2nd book of the Demon Cycle, but the characters managed to do it.
Unfortunately, the characters are probably the weakest part of this story for me. They all come across as simpletons. Bigoted and racist simpletons...who also act like toddlers and fly off the handle in a rage at the slightest thing. It is extremely hard for me to like any of them. Even when one of them has an epiphany and acts like a decent human being with empathy for a second, they usually revert back within a scene.
They are always judging each other and praising intelligence, but I never saw any displayed. The crime investigation scenes especially read to me like an outtake from an Ace Attorney game. It was like a bunch of blind people being in awe as a one-eyed guy with cataracts described a sunset. I honestly would have rather seen most of the humans in this story wiped out by their enemies, the chimeras.
A caste system in a bigoted society isn't anything new, but the flavor here gives each caste their own style of magic that they can do. It adds some extra elements to this story, but to me it paled in comparison to the warrens of Malazan. A closer and more overshadowing comparison would be the Traveler's Gate trilogy by Will Wight which has different territories granting its travelers a unique brand of powers.
I think this book to me relates to epic fantasy the same way Eragon relates to general fantasy. It's enjoyable if I get to it early, but after reading the more original offerings in the genre it has no luster.
This book did some things well...the problem that I had was that each time something seemed good, it only reminded me of other books that did it better.
There was a large-scale setting in this story, but that's par for the course in epic fantasy. There's an Indian-influenced setting, but to me it seemed like a watered down version of the one in Peter Brett's Demon Cycle series. Honestly, I even had a problem with that series because I just don't find these people likable when they are so holier than thou and bigoted. It took awhile to get invested in the 2nd book of the Demon Cycle, but the characters managed to do it.
Unfortunately, the characters are probably the weakest part of this story for me. They all come across as simpletons. Bigoted and racist simpletons...who also act like toddlers and fly off the handle in a rage at the slightest thing. It is extremely hard for me to like any of them. Even when one of them has an epiphany and acts like a decent human being with empathy for a second, they usually revert back within a scene.
They are always judging each other and praising intelligence, but I never saw any displayed. The crime investigation scenes especially read to me like an outtake from an Ace Attorney game. It was like a bunch of blind people being in awe as a one-eyed guy with cataracts described a sunset. I honestly would have rather seen most of the humans in this story wiped out by their enemies, the chimeras.
A caste system in a bigoted society isn't anything new, but the flavor here gives each caste their own style of magic that they can do. It adds some extra elements to this story, but to me it paled in comparison to the warrens of Malazan. A closer and more overshadowing comparison would be the Traveler's Gate trilogy by Will Wight which has different territories granting its travelers a unique brand of powers.
I think this book to me relates to epic fantasy the same way Eragon relates to general fantasy. It's enjoyable if I get to it early, but after reading the more original offerings in the genre it has no luster.
April 19, 2017
I picked the audio book up in the recent Audible sale for $2, because why not? I'd heard a little bit about this book online and did not really know much going into it.
The book starts out with the main character taking part in his first Trial, guarding a caravan across the deadly wasteland between the few remaining cities. We then get a flashback scene and some pretty heavy exposition to set the scene and give the reader a background understanding of the world. Normally, this puts me off of a book, but the worldbuilding was just so INTERESTING.
Humanity has divided itself into a rigid caste system, with each caste playing a unique role in society and having access to its own, unique system of magic. This is the state of the world 2000 years after a demonic goddess rose to power and destroyed most of humanity overnight with her army of chimeras. This alone was enough to grab my attention, but after the initial info-dump, Ashura slowly doles out more tidbits about the world in a way that kept me hungry for more, as well as providing a few twists along the way.
The magic is epic, flashy, and completely over-the-top for some of the castes (in the most fun kind of way). There was no gradual introduction to it, either. We go from a quiet scene where members of the warrior caste are conversing with each other and immediately cut to a scene with 20 ft. leaps and enormous fireballs being thrown. Awesome. I particularly like how Ashura makes this all make sense, with common ties between each magic system and limitations set in place to prevent deus ex machina scenes further in the book.
There's political intrigue, murder mystery, epic fight scenes, a demonic goddess, and a definitely non-European setting. All in all, this book was impossible to put down. The fantastic narration by Nick Podehl was a plus, as well.
The book starts out with the main character taking part in his first Trial, guarding a caravan across the deadly wasteland between the few remaining cities. We then get a flashback scene and some pretty heavy exposition to set the scene and give the reader a background understanding of the world. Normally, this puts me off of a book, but the worldbuilding was just so INTERESTING.
Humanity has divided itself into a rigid caste system, with each caste playing a unique role in society and having access to its own, unique system of magic. This is the state of the world 2000 years after a demonic goddess rose to power and destroyed most of humanity overnight with her army of chimeras. This alone was enough to grab my attention, but after the initial info-dump, Ashura slowly doles out more tidbits about the world in a way that kept me hungry for more, as well as providing a few twists along the way.
The magic is epic, flashy, and completely over-the-top for some of the castes (in the most fun kind of way). There was no gradual introduction to it, either. We go from a quiet scene where members of the warrior caste are conversing with each other and immediately cut to a scene with 20 ft. leaps and enormous fireballs being thrown. Awesome. I particularly like how Ashura makes this all make sense, with common ties between each magic system and limitations set in place to prevent deus ex machina scenes further in the book.
There's political intrigue, murder mystery, epic fight scenes, a demonic goddess, and a definitely non-European setting. All in all, this book was impossible to put down. The fantastic narration by Nick Podehl was a plus, as well.
November 9, 2013
I recieved a copy of this book in return for my honest review. :)
Ever since the demon Suwraith appeared over two thousand years ago the First World has been plagued with deadly attacks from her terrible creature, the Chimeras. Humanity struggles to survive as the land is torn apart by war and brutality. And yet Suwraith will not be content until all of civilization is destroyed. But from the darkness, hope shines forth. Rukh is a fighter from the warrior caste who is extremly proficient with weapons and fighting. He has been selected to join the Trials, an excercise in the Wildness which will test his every skill and also the measure of his worth.
I enjoyed this book immensely! As soon as the author contacted me to see if I was interested in reading his book I jumped at the chance. Action? Adventure? Fantasy? Mythology? Heck yes, where do I sign up! Every aspect of this book impressed me. The storyline progressed fluidly and didn't get bogged down at all with boring patches or over descriptions. I loved all the various backgrounds that the author included in this book, you could really see the amount of time and level of care that he used to craft this novel. The characters were fantastic, especially Rukh who was my favorite. Alot of times with fantasy stories the characters can feel sort of like cardboard cutouts and bland, but that was certainly not the case with this story at all. It was vibrant, pulsing with life and history. And finally, the writing style was excellent. I was pulled into the story right from the beginning and that feeling of excitement and wanting to know what happened next didn't let up until the very end.
This was a fantastic story and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well crafted fantasy story.
Ever since the demon Suwraith appeared over two thousand years ago the First World has been plagued with deadly attacks from her terrible creature, the Chimeras. Humanity struggles to survive as the land is torn apart by war and brutality. And yet Suwraith will not be content until all of civilization is destroyed. But from the darkness, hope shines forth. Rukh is a fighter from the warrior caste who is extremly proficient with weapons and fighting. He has been selected to join the Trials, an excercise in the Wildness which will test his every skill and also the measure of his worth.
I enjoyed this book immensely! As soon as the author contacted me to see if I was interested in reading his book I jumped at the chance. Action? Adventure? Fantasy? Mythology? Heck yes, where do I sign up! Every aspect of this book impressed me. The storyline progressed fluidly and didn't get bogged down at all with boring patches or over descriptions. I loved all the various backgrounds that the author included in this book, you could really see the amount of time and level of care that he used to craft this novel. The characters were fantastic, especially Rukh who was my favorite. Alot of times with fantasy stories the characters can feel sort of like cardboard cutouts and bland, but that was certainly not the case with this story at all. It was vibrant, pulsing with life and history. And finally, the writing style was excellent. I was pulled into the story right from the beginning and that feeling of excitement and wanting to know what happened next didn't let up until the very end.
This was a fantastic story and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well crafted fantasy story.
February 24, 2014
one of the best books I have read in the last year.
February 13, 2019
4.2/5
Speculative fiction is an excellent medium to explore questions about humanity. There are some scenarios and questions that can be addressed better via science fiction, but some others need fantasy as a vehicle. Fantasy is a genre that often values good old times and criticises some aspects of contemporary culture. Davis Ashura with A Warrior's Path does a modern take of epic fantasy that explores a speculative scenario, a challenge of the established values and traditions in a fantasy society.
The story takes place in the land of Arisa, where humanity live in remote enclaves protected by the wall. Suwraith, the Sorrow Bringer, has been on warpath to destroy humanity with her Chimera army. Humanity is divided into seven rigid Castes with their own Talents and specialised roles in society. The rigid division and Talents are essential in maintaining the life and logistics inside the walled cities, hence inter Caste marriage is strictly forbidden.
Enter Rukh, a warrior of Caste Kumma (the martial caste), who's on the way home of his first Trial, a trade caravan run from another city. When the caravan is waylaid and routed by uncommonly huge army of Chimera, Rukh has to survive with his friends and and warn the people in his hometown Ashoka. However, in his survival mission he encounters things that destroys his entire world view and principles. Chimeras are not as simple as they seem, and there are OutCastes whose whole existent and being is an affront to the Castes.
Meanwhile in Ashoka, Rukh's family is getting tangled with a problematic family feud, which is followed by several other baffling murders. Their investigation may reveal an ugly side of their city: a coven of traitors.
A Study of Societies
Stylistically, A Warrior's Path reminds me to Brandon Sanderson's writing: complex worldbuilding and magic system, high octane action scenes, and intrigue. Prose wise, this book is also similarly clean and functional, workmanlike if you will, with some smatterings from Robert Jordan and Steven Erikson. There's also that quirk of repetitive phrase often found in fantasy (Ashura really seems to love 'broke the reverie'). And there's the tendency of telling instead of showing, giving the characters' thoughts, traits, and history upfront instead of showing them by actions and dialogue.
In terms of worldbuilding, I had expected more full-on South Asian influences. Yet, Ashura still seemed to be uncertain about taking the risk as he planted one leg in the traditional Medieval European setting and the other in South Asian setting. As a result, the world and architecture feel Medieval European while the people and the food feel South Asian. I'm also not the big fan of the naming convention as it reads so inconsistent and immersion breaking (see Aerith and Bob). As a rule of thumb, people from similar upbringing and culture should share similar naming convention. This is not the case with Rukh Shektan and Rector Bryce, both are from same city, same Caste, and same House.
I think the biggest charm of this book is how Ashura explores the interrelation between Castes and the notion of purity. The traditional teachings of humanity prescribed Castes and specialised societal rules in order to survive. While the Castes are supposed to be equal, there are first and second among them, leading to societal and economic disparity.
This leads to very interesting politics and family feuds. I find the intrigue, investigation, and trial scenes pretty engaging. There are some old revelations and conspiracies to be revealed, and traditions and values to be broken. Unfortunately, the delivery is not perfect as it still retains some rough patches. Some solutions are introduced on the spot when the conflict is nearing the climax, making some of the turns of the event too convenient (albeit not full on deus ex machina). This will be so much more convincing and solid if the elements of the solution have been introduced or foreshadowed beforehands.
I also love how Ashura constructed and deconstructed the themes of purity and prejudice. He successfully explored differing perspectives with their internalised values and prejudices. It's always interesting to see cultural clashes and dialogue between people from different backgrounds, how the notion of purity and assimilation are pitted against each other. There are a lot of nuances and layers to be analysed in the interactions, and it's quite refreshing how these frictions and dialogue often lead to some degree of mutual understanding and respect. I think this kind of cross-cultural theme hasn't been explored much by contemporary fantasy writers.
Conclusion
A Warrior's Path is a solid beginning of a contemporary epic fantasy. Despite some rough patches in the writing, it still delivers an engaging societal tale of prejudice and purity.
Speculative fiction is an excellent medium to explore questions about humanity. There are some scenarios and questions that can be addressed better via science fiction, but some others need fantasy as a vehicle. Fantasy is a genre that often values good old times and criticises some aspects of contemporary culture. Davis Ashura with A Warrior's Path does a modern take of epic fantasy that explores a speculative scenario, a challenge of the established values and traditions in a fantasy society.
The story takes place in the land of Arisa, where humanity live in remote enclaves protected by the wall. Suwraith, the Sorrow Bringer, has been on warpath to destroy humanity with her Chimera army. Humanity is divided into seven rigid Castes with their own Talents and specialised roles in society. The rigid division and Talents are essential in maintaining the life and logistics inside the walled cities, hence inter Caste marriage is strictly forbidden.
Enter Rukh, a warrior of Caste Kumma (the martial caste), who's on the way home of his first Trial, a trade caravan run from another city. When the caravan is waylaid and routed by uncommonly huge army of Chimera, Rukh has to survive with his friends and and warn the people in his hometown Ashoka. However, in his survival mission he encounters things that destroys his entire world view and principles. Chimeras are not as simple as they seem, and there are OutCastes whose whole existent and being is an affront to the Castes.
Meanwhile in Ashoka, Rukh's family is getting tangled with a problematic family feud, which is followed by several other baffling murders. Their investigation may reveal an ugly side of their city: a coven of traitors.
A Study of Societies
Stylistically, A Warrior's Path reminds me to Brandon Sanderson's writing: complex worldbuilding and magic system, high octane action scenes, and intrigue. Prose wise, this book is also similarly clean and functional, workmanlike if you will, with some smatterings from Robert Jordan and Steven Erikson. There's also that quirk of repetitive phrase often found in fantasy (Ashura really seems to love 'broke the reverie'). And there's the tendency of telling instead of showing, giving the characters' thoughts, traits, and history upfront instead of showing them by actions and dialogue.
In terms of worldbuilding, I had expected more full-on South Asian influences. Yet, Ashura still seemed to be uncertain about taking the risk as he planted one leg in the traditional Medieval European setting and the other in South Asian setting. As a result, the world and architecture feel Medieval European while the people and the food feel South Asian. I'm also not the big fan of the naming convention as it reads so inconsistent and immersion breaking (see Aerith and Bob). As a rule of thumb, people from similar upbringing and culture should share similar naming convention. This is not the case with Rukh Shektan and Rector Bryce, both are from same city, same Caste, and same House.
I think the biggest charm of this book is how Ashura explores the interrelation between Castes and the notion of purity. The traditional teachings of humanity prescribed Castes and specialised societal rules in order to survive. While the Castes are supposed to be equal, there are first and second among them, leading to societal and economic disparity.
This leads to very interesting politics and family feuds. I find the intrigue, investigation, and trial scenes pretty engaging. There are some old revelations and conspiracies to be revealed, and traditions and values to be broken. Unfortunately, the delivery is not perfect as it still retains some rough patches. Some solutions are introduced on the spot when the conflict is nearing the climax, making some of the turns of the event too convenient (albeit not full on deus ex machina). This will be so much more convincing and solid if the elements of the solution have been introduced or foreshadowed beforehands.
I also love how Ashura constructed and deconstructed the themes of purity and prejudice. He successfully explored differing perspectives with their internalised values and prejudices. It's always interesting to see cultural clashes and dialogue between people from different backgrounds, how the notion of purity and assimilation are pitted against each other. There are a lot of nuances and layers to be analysed in the interactions, and it's quite refreshing how these frictions and dialogue often lead to some degree of mutual understanding and respect. I think this kind of cross-cultural theme hasn't been explored much by contemporary fantasy writers.
Conclusion
A Warrior's Path is a solid beginning of a contemporary epic fantasy. Despite some rough patches in the writing, it still delivers an engaging societal tale of prejudice and purity.
July 21, 2016
I initially found this book via an ad on r/fantasy and saw it was going for $0 on amazon. All I can say is that I am glad I picked this book up when I did. The world and overall story are extremely interesting since it comes from a different background than the usual western origins. I felt the pacing was excellent and never really got bored with the book. My only issue was some of the dialogue felt a little childish for the situation, but the descriptions of action and places kept me interested.
This book was definitely a great book to read as a "break" after authors like Steven Erikson. Also, I ended up picking up the second book full price on amazon because of how good this book is (and I am already 400 pages through it!). I strongly recommend this book as a change of pace from typical fantasy.
This book was definitely a great book to read as a "break" after authors like Steven Erikson. Also, I ended up picking up the second book full price on amazon because of how good this book is (and I am already 400 pages through it!). I strongly recommend this book as a change of pace from typical fantasy.
Read
November 13, 2014I got this book in return for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I did not finish reading the book. It's not that I did not like it. Just that the story did not compel me. I can't say if it's good or bad, simply not my kind of fantasy. Like Harry Potter, for example. Not for me. The world setting is unique and refreshing, the cast seems intriguing, but then the plot eluded me. The sum of all parts is, well, unknown.
Writing this kind of evasive, mellow no-star-rating review is perhaps cowardly, but I owe at least some feedback to the author. I might get back to reading this one day again, I don't know. Will see.
Igor
Unfortunately, I did not finish reading the book. It's not that I did not like it. Just that the story did not compel me. I can't say if it's good or bad, simply not my kind of fantasy. Like Harry Potter, for example. Not for me. The world setting is unique and refreshing, the cast seems intriguing, but then the plot eluded me. The sum of all parts is, well, unknown.
Writing this kind of evasive, mellow no-star-rating review is perhaps cowardly, but I owe at least some feedback to the author. I might get back to reading this one day again, I don't know. Will see.
Igor
March 10, 2019
Excellent start to a trilogy
Really enjoyed this. Wasn't sure at first, because the fantasy had had a different...taste. But in a good way. The story kept a good pace and Ashura does an excellent job narrating the action. A part of the setup removed me of the Harrington series by David Weber, wherein the main character and their family are truly good people, opposed by broken or truly evil people. The characters had depth which was uncovered along the way, and the stakes are sufficiently high for the series. Can't wait to read the next one!
Really enjoyed this. Wasn't sure at first, because the fantasy had had a different...taste. But in a good way. The story kept a good pace and Ashura does an excellent job narrating the action. A part of the setup removed me of the Harrington series by David Weber, wherein the main character and their family are truly good people, opposed by broken or truly evil people. The characters had depth which was uncovered along the way, and the stakes are sufficiently high for the series. Can't wait to read the next one!
December 21, 2018
Overall rating = 3 & 1/2 stars
Loved this book wherein Davis Ashura combined Indian mythology and western fantasy tropes to provide a thrilling story that begins slowly but ends on a big climax. Absolutely action packed and with a big character cast. This debut marks Davis as an author to follow and see what he does next.
As for me, I'm starting with book 2 immediately. Full review forthcoming....
June 15, 2020
This story is a bit of a mix between Wuxia light, YA and general fantasy.
The first 1/3 of the book is a bit slow, but it really picks up from the midpoint on and the last 1/4 of the book is tremendously entertaining.
I listened to it and the narrator was amazing.
The first 1/3 of the book is a bit slow, but it really picks up from the midpoint on and the last 1/4 of the book is tremendously entertaining.
I listened to it and the narrator was amazing.
November 24, 2020
3.5 stars.
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I struggled a little bit at the start to get into it because of the very simple language. I do enjoy a book that shows rather than tells, but I did start to enjoy it and I will definitely continue the series.
I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I struggled a little bit at the start to get into it because of the very simple language. I do enjoy a book that shows rather than tells, but I did start to enjoy it and I will definitely continue the series.
November 21, 2015
There's some books you just can't finish...
January 10, 2016
I would like to start by saying, I have no affiliation with the author. I saw some suggested advertisement for his book on facebook of all places. First time I had ever seen them try to push a book on me. So I actually checked out the ad, read the synopsis of the book, and thought I'd give it a try. Mostly because of the Indian influences I could tell the author infused into the story. I am somewhat enamored of hindu religion/mythology and culture, so the prospects of seeing how the author tied them into a book modeled on western-style fantasy novels really intrigued me. This is my first ever review on goodreads, and I figured a relatively new and unread author could use a review from me more than, say, authors such as Weeks, Brett, and Sanderson. So here is my two pennies worth.
I genuinely enjoyed the book.
I read it right after finishing the third book in the Lightbringer Series by Brent Weeks. The similarities between Ashura's writing style and Weeks' style are easily noticed. I could definitely see the influence Weeks had on Ashura's writing. And in the same sense that Sanderson influenced Weeks, I can feel a sense of Sanderson in this novel as well. This influence is definitely not a bad thing, by any means. In fact, the similarities between this author's style and Weeks' are a major reason why I enjoyed this book. I can say right now that if you enjoy Weeks' writing style, you should definitely give this book a read. While Ashura's novel is not as polished as Weeks' initial novels, both in the Night Angel Trilogy and the Lightbringer Series, this is understandable, as Ashura is not backed by a major publishing company and the magnificent editors that undoubtedly brings. Nevertheless, his story is an interesting one that moves along at a great pace, despite the few parts of the story that might seem lack luster to some readers. These lack luster parts are often found in an author's first novel, and usually become less and less occurrent as the author improves. I have no doubt it will be the same with Ashura.
His story is told well. The characters are developed well enough to be interesting and their exchanges with one another seeming more or less genuine and believable. It is not the best I've seen as far as characterization and character dialogue, but it has potential. You can see it, and you can feel confident that it will develop as the author and his story does. And what you get is by no means horrible. On a scale of 1 to 5 of depth of characterization, I'd rate Ashura on the brink of a 4. A 3.9 if you will. I didn't write this review to be nice, and I do feel there is a significant level of characterization that the author has not reached yet. I felt much influence from Weeks in regards to how Ashura wrote his characterization, and I enjoy Weeks' style myself, so found Ashura's to be well on its way to being on par with him. If Ashura keeps writing and improving, I have no doubt he can reach that level of excellent found in the 4-5 range, but as of this novel, it is not reached. You are left with something satisfying enough to keep you reading, and the sense of further potential to be fulfilled.
The story and the way it is told is, to me at least, something of a mix between the Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks and the Demon Cycle series by Peter V. Brett. Isolated townships terrorized by a monstrous horde sent by an evil mother of demons. A society ruled by an oppressive system that segregates its people into separate classes, or in this case, castes with specific abilities shared among that class/caste. A magical knife with the ability to steal these class-based abilities. There are many similarities I found between these other novels and Ashura's. But this isn't to say he simply copied them like some style-jacking high school wannabe, who just changes some names and characters and calls it something new. I'm simply suggesting the works that I believe were major influences on the novel. However, Ashura's story is his own, and it takes some turns in the way the story unfolds that I didn't expect at all. It is these rather unique divergences of plot and story telling from any possible influences the author may have had that really make the novel's story engaging. And it is these unique plot points that ultimately kept me reading till the end. I haven't read the second book in the trilogy yet, but I definitely do intend to. I want to see where the author takes his story from here, and how it all plays out eventually in the third book.
This is not as in depth of a review as it could have been, but it's as much as I felt I owed the author, seeing as how he wrote a genuinely good book that might not get as much attention as it deserves. This author is one to watch.
So, in conclusion, if you like Weeks, or Brett, or Sanderson, you'll enjoy this novel. Perhaps this work is not quite on par with the works of those other authors, but what you get will satisfy. Especially in those interim periods between the last release and the next blockbuster novel by Weeks or some other major author, and you're feening for more from them, or at least something that's in the same vein. This novel will get you your fix. Guaranteed.
I genuinely enjoyed the book.
I read it right after finishing the third book in the Lightbringer Series by Brent Weeks. The similarities between Ashura's writing style and Weeks' style are easily noticed. I could definitely see the influence Weeks had on Ashura's writing. And in the same sense that Sanderson influenced Weeks, I can feel a sense of Sanderson in this novel as well. This influence is definitely not a bad thing, by any means. In fact, the similarities between this author's style and Weeks' are a major reason why I enjoyed this book. I can say right now that if you enjoy Weeks' writing style, you should definitely give this book a read. While Ashura's novel is not as polished as Weeks' initial novels, both in the Night Angel Trilogy and the Lightbringer Series, this is understandable, as Ashura is not backed by a major publishing company and the magnificent editors that undoubtedly brings. Nevertheless, his story is an interesting one that moves along at a great pace, despite the few parts of the story that might seem lack luster to some readers. These lack luster parts are often found in an author's first novel, and usually become less and less occurrent as the author improves. I have no doubt it will be the same with Ashura.
His story is told well. The characters are developed well enough to be interesting and their exchanges with one another seeming more or less genuine and believable. It is not the best I've seen as far as characterization and character dialogue, but it has potential. You can see it, and you can feel confident that it will develop as the author and his story does. And what you get is by no means horrible. On a scale of 1 to 5 of depth of characterization, I'd rate Ashura on the brink of a 4. A 3.9 if you will. I didn't write this review to be nice, and I do feel there is a significant level of characterization that the author has not reached yet. I felt much influence from Weeks in regards to how Ashura wrote his characterization, and I enjoy Weeks' style myself, so found Ashura's to be well on its way to being on par with him. If Ashura keeps writing and improving, I have no doubt he can reach that level of excellent found in the 4-5 range, but as of this novel, it is not reached. You are left with something satisfying enough to keep you reading, and the sense of further potential to be fulfilled.
The story and the way it is told is, to me at least, something of a mix between the Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks and the Demon Cycle series by Peter V. Brett. Isolated townships terrorized by a monstrous horde sent by an evil mother of demons. A society ruled by an oppressive system that segregates its people into separate classes, or in this case, castes with specific abilities shared among that class/caste. A magical knife with the ability to steal these class-based abilities. There are many similarities I found between these other novels and Ashura's. But this isn't to say he simply copied them like some style-jacking high school wannabe, who just changes some names and characters and calls it something new. I'm simply suggesting the works that I believe were major influences on the novel. However, Ashura's story is his own, and it takes some turns in the way the story unfolds that I didn't expect at all. It is these rather unique divergences of plot and story telling from any possible influences the author may have had that really make the novel's story engaging. And it is these unique plot points that ultimately kept me reading till the end. I haven't read the second book in the trilogy yet, but I definitely do intend to. I want to see where the author takes his story from here, and how it all plays out eventually in the third book.
This is not as in depth of a review as it could have been, but it's as much as I felt I owed the author, seeing as how he wrote a genuinely good book that might not get as much attention as it deserves. This author is one to watch.
So, in conclusion, if you like Weeks, or Brett, or Sanderson, you'll enjoy this novel. Perhaps this work is not quite on par with the works of those other authors, but what you get will satisfy. Especially in those interim periods between the last release and the next blockbuster novel by Weeks or some other major author, and you're feening for more from them, or at least something that's in the same vein. This novel will get you your fix. Guaranteed.
March 12, 2021
Notes:
I would have loved this story when I was 12. Now? It was good but trying to do too much. If my library has the other books in the series or it comes up in sale, I'd get them to read.
I would have loved this story when I was 12. Now? It was good but trying to do too much. If my library has the other books in the series or it comes up in sale, I'd get them to read.
August 17, 2020
How is this book so highly rated? It just went on and on about the caste system and where everyone belonged in it. I mean, I guess it's in the title of the series, right? But I didn't expect so much of the book to be dedicated to it.
All the information about the different castes, and everyone's strengths and weaknesses according to their race, felt like big info dumps. Every conversation seemed to be added only to push the point home, and give us more information on this "fascinating" world we're reading about. I was bored out of my mind. Even the action scenes went on and on.
As an example of this latter point, at the beginning of the book, we are thrust into a scene right before a battle. The men can see the enemy coming, and their leader tells them they must rush to tell the city of this attack, yet...IT'S OVER A CHAPTER LATER THAT THEY FINALLY GET ON THEIR DANG HORSES AND GET TO FLEEING!!! We are held up by everyone lightening their wagons to go faster, and packing up the belongings they'll apparently need for their flight, and conversations, and just random ponderings of the characters on life. Even here, where it's supposed to be a straight-up action scene, we get to read all about the caste system.
The heavy-handedness of this story is just....it's just too much for me...and I truly don't understand how people can think this book is so remarkable, and such a great addition to the genre. We've seen stories like this before, where different races are better at different tasks, and everyone has their place in the world, but there's usually a bigger, better, more personal plot to go with such a world. Something that is not to be had here. All the stellar reviews actually make me a little mad, because I feel so misled by them *sigh*. Rant over...for now...
All the information about the different castes, and everyone's strengths and weaknesses according to their race, felt like big info dumps. Every conversation seemed to be added only to push the point home, and give us more information on this "fascinating" world we're reading about. I was bored out of my mind. Even the action scenes went on and on.
As an example of this latter point, at the beginning of the book, we are thrust into a scene right before a battle. The men can see the enemy coming, and their leader tells them they must rush to tell the city of this attack, yet...IT'S OVER A CHAPTER LATER THAT THEY FINALLY GET ON THEIR DANG HORSES AND GET TO FLEEING!!! We are held up by everyone lightening their wagons to go faster, and packing up the belongings they'll apparently need for their flight, and conversations, and just random ponderings of the characters on life. Even here, where it's supposed to be a straight-up action scene, we get to read all about the caste system.
The heavy-handedness of this story is just....it's just too much for me...and I truly don't understand how people can think this book is so remarkable, and such a great addition to the genre. We've seen stories like this before, where different races are better at different tasks, and everyone has their place in the world, but there's usually a bigger, better, more personal plot to go with such a world. Something that is not to be had here. All the stellar reviews actually make me a little mad, because I feel so misled by them *sigh*. Rant over...for now...
October 19, 2025
Where do I start with the awesomeness of this book... It really did have everything. Per the title, it mostly had action, which I greatly appreciated. But it had humor, drama, adventure, love, betrayal, politics, and everything in between. And it had it in just the right amount. Not overly complicated or pushy on any measure, except maybe one or two. The author reiterated two ideas a couple too many times. The idea that a warrior can also be smart and sensitive and idea of bigotry. It was brought up a lot at some points but they were good messages so it's easy to read it again and move on.
What I really liked about this book was that there were so many different stories and facets but it wasn't overly complicated. There are other books like this (Stormlight Archives for example) but they are so much longer and more intense. This balanced it well and I'm sure will be able to conclude them well in three books.
Simple but interesting story that really made this a fun book to listen to. Nick Podehl did a great job as always narrating.
What I really liked about this book was that there were so many different stories and facets but it wasn't overly complicated. There are other books like this (Stormlight Archives for example) but they are so much longer and more intense. This balanced it well and I'm sure will be able to conclude them well in three books.
Simple but interesting story that really made this a fun book to listen to. Nick Podehl did a great job as always narrating.
September 12, 2019
Great story, Kudos to the author for creating such a rich and engagin story. A little long from what I am used to, but none the less worthy. The charatcers can be worked up more but it isn't for the lack os skill on the author, more that sincerely there wasn't more space for it after all the plot is heavly rich with a great amount of description to details and setting. I have to say the characters I ended respecting more in the book has to be Rukht parent, the smart and bravery that the both showed at the end was just inspiring, the length they will take to make sure their son would have a chance at live even when he represents something they should hate and loath is only love they can feel for him, it was sweet and sad at the same time. The other pairing were a little bit obvious since they started interacting but even so it was worth it to see how they came to be, even if there will be a literal sh*tstorm brewing because of it.
February 4, 2017
This book was really wordy - a long winded treatise on equality. While I wholeheartedly support equality, being beaten over the head with it by a totally segregated society with which I can't relate is really tedious. It's really very cliche and has an obvious agenda. While there was some action in the story, it's mostly class drama with lots of discussing, meeting, counseling, convening, researching, musing, plotting, judging, and generally inging around. It was pretty floral with luke warm descriptives that worded the story up rather than adding significant value. It took some time to warm up to the characters and then I tired of the unsubtle drama (or perhaps melodrama even) about halfway through. Somehow I still managed to plug away to the end. Although the wind up piqued my interest, I'm not sure I can slog through a sequel. It's unlikely I'll bother.
August 5, 2016
One of the best books i have read in a long time. I got the feeling i was reading something from Brandon Sanderson in some parts of the Story. You start With Rukh as the main character, at first i didnt understand a thing about the book because it starts with a Battle right from the start. But after reading the first 100 pages i just couldnt put down the book. Great Plot, the characters have a nice and steady growth, the way the city and places are described helped to have a clear image of their world. This is a story about Castes, about a tragic Hero and about fighting Racism to the core. Will read again in about 2 weeks and i cant wait the 2nd book.
I really wanted to punch the writter at the end of the book. Theres a Cliffhanger and i really cant wait for the 2nd book to come out.
I really wanted to punch the writter at the end of the book. Theres a Cliffhanger and i really cant wait for the 2nd book to come out.
September 19, 2020
Waste of time...
Boring, author goes on and on droning detail after detail (ad nausium). Story doesn't move along. Shoves at least 9 different creature types, with various crossovers, at you. These have powers, those have different ones, and 'your cursed' if you crossover, not that you can control it.
I am so disappointed...
Boring, author goes on and on droning detail after detail (ad nausium). Story doesn't move along. Shoves at least 9 different creature types, with various crossovers, at you. These have powers, those have different ones, and 'your cursed' if you crossover, not that you can control it.
I am so disappointed...
May 28, 2018
A Warrior's Path.
This is a great book. The differences between the people are well described. I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did because it was a little jumbled for me at the beginning. Now I can't wait to read the second book.
This is a great book. The differences between the people are well described. I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did because it was a little jumbled for me at the beginning. Now I can't wait to read the second book.
June 21, 2022
Books like this: Mistborn, Demon Cycle, Six of Crows
TLDR: An uninspired adventure that was more than a little lacking. If you don’t like to think too hard about your fiction, then you’ll probably enjoy it. Otherwise, I’d give this one a miss.
More reviews at: https://www.fsfreviews.com/
The book is a fairly novel approach on the classic good verse evil, where in this case evil arose 2,000 years before and has been systematically kicking the crap out of the magic-infused human race until only a few oasis cities remain. That, I liked. The dynamic systems of how the cities have evolved and learned to survive and how that has affected their development and culture is genuinely interesting to the lore nerd that I am. The universe has a lot of potential… It’s a shame the writing didn’t match it.
The story revolves primarily around the young people of House Shektan, one a warrior, one an academic, and one a headstrong investigator, with a few other character perspectives occasionally chucked in for good measure. The characters themselves are well developed, but it is the manner of that development that really rubbed me the wrong way. So many times the author, Davis Ashura, describes some scene full of nuance and drama only to then burst any bubbles of suspense or curiosity by categorically explaining exactly what just happened as if we are a class of unruly children that were too busy picking our noses to have been paying attention. Time and time again all the built-up tension or clever bits of intrigue are utterly ruined like air being let loose from a balloon’s soggy blower, and it completely ruins the pacing. It got to the point that every time something interesting would happen I’d start timing how long it would take before all activity was frozen for some extensive inner monologue of how what just happened was going to affect each character, characters which have been well fleshed out and whose reactions we are already anticipating. But wait, it gets worse.
The abrupt jump-cuts and a vast quantity of the dreaded ‘telling not showing’ only go further to hollow out characters and a story that all had such solid foundations. Over and over again the book just becomes an almost bullet-pointed list of the actions the characters are doing as opposed to actually having them doing those actions. It’s like someone hit fast-forward x8 on the remote and we’re just getting intermittent flashes of what’s going on. There’s one point towards the end where the story just leaps a few weeks ahead and casually skips over content that has been built up to for hours and just broadly explains things that I would have loved to have actually seen happen. I was genuinely left wondering if my iPod had skipped a chapter or two. I understand that sometimes a writer must cut down their word count. Trust me… I know! But to spend so many words on needlessly pointing out things that should be obvious throughout the entire novel and then having to claw the words back by skipping the good stuff??? Unforgivable.
I’m really left wondering how this book was nominated for so many prizes. Or maybe not, considering how the painfully predictable love stories of people from different castes who are ‘by no means allowed to fall in love with each other’ played out. I don’t think it was written with pandering to that specific box-ticking in mind, as the caste-system that is described is not only an integral part of the entire universe but also very well thought out, but in today’s climate of anything championing diversity being hoisted up as the pinnacle of it’s artistic field, I can’t help thinking that this book did so well purely because it pushes these progressive ideas and not because of the quality of the writing. I’m proud to call myself one of those very same ‘lefty-progressives’, but just because analogies of issues that me and my ilk think are important are present in a book (in this case, extensively), it doesn’t mean that the book itself is any good, especially when they are used so damned predictably. Sorry, rant over.
There were good parts of the book. Plenty of them, in fact. The subplot with the Bales is fresh and the whole subplot that dominates the first 1/3 or so of the book is well written and is a beautiful method of showing us how Ashokan society is laid out. Emphasis on the ‘shown and not ‘told’. The arch villain, Suwraith, has a lot of potential, but we actually learned very little about her. She may have been the most interesting character, and yet we are only given brief but very detailed snapshots into her mind. Again, this is turning into a negative, but either fully flesh her out or keep her as a mystery. Don’t open the door to something that could be really interesting then just slam it in our faces with no follow through.
In short, I liked the characters, I loved the universe, and I liked the potential of the series, but the poor writing and at times obvious story arcs left me very disappointed. I don’t think I’ll spend the Audible credit on Book 2.
The narration was fairly good. I feel that it may well have been better than that, but the fact that the narrator was the vector through which the poor writing was delivered muddies the waters of my opinion. He did a good job. The characters were distinctive, even down to the differences in inflection and vocal twangs between the castes. I can’t fault him in any way on his performance.
Personal rating. 2.25 stars.
Professional rating: 2.75 stars
TLDR: An uninspired adventure that was more than a little lacking. If you don’t like to think too hard about your fiction, then you’ll probably enjoy it. Otherwise, I’d give this one a miss.
More reviews at: https://www.fsfreviews.com/
The book is a fairly novel approach on the classic good verse evil, where in this case evil arose 2,000 years before and has been systematically kicking the crap out of the magic-infused human race until only a few oasis cities remain. That, I liked. The dynamic systems of how the cities have evolved and learned to survive and how that has affected their development and culture is genuinely interesting to the lore nerd that I am. The universe has a lot of potential… It’s a shame the writing didn’t match it.
The story revolves primarily around the young people of House Shektan, one a warrior, one an academic, and one a headstrong investigator, with a few other character perspectives occasionally chucked in for good measure. The characters themselves are well developed, but it is the manner of that development that really rubbed me the wrong way. So many times the author, Davis Ashura, describes some scene full of nuance and drama only to then burst any bubbles of suspense or curiosity by categorically explaining exactly what just happened as if we are a class of unruly children that were too busy picking our noses to have been paying attention. Time and time again all the built-up tension or clever bits of intrigue are utterly ruined like air being let loose from a balloon’s soggy blower, and it completely ruins the pacing. It got to the point that every time something interesting would happen I’d start timing how long it would take before all activity was frozen for some extensive inner monologue of how what just happened was going to affect each character, characters which have been well fleshed out and whose reactions we are already anticipating. But wait, it gets worse.
The abrupt jump-cuts and a vast quantity of the dreaded ‘telling not showing’ only go further to hollow out characters and a story that all had such solid foundations. Over and over again the book just becomes an almost bullet-pointed list of the actions the characters are doing as opposed to actually having them doing those actions. It’s like someone hit fast-forward x8 on the remote and we’re just getting intermittent flashes of what’s going on. There’s one point towards the end where the story just leaps a few weeks ahead and casually skips over content that has been built up to for hours and just broadly explains things that I would have loved to have actually seen happen. I was genuinely left wondering if my iPod had skipped a chapter or two. I understand that sometimes a writer must cut down their word count. Trust me… I know! But to spend so many words on needlessly pointing out things that should be obvious throughout the entire novel and then having to claw the words back by skipping the good stuff??? Unforgivable.
I’m really left wondering how this book was nominated for so many prizes. Or maybe not, considering how the painfully predictable love stories of people from different castes who are ‘by no means allowed to fall in love with each other’ played out. I don’t think it was written with pandering to that specific box-ticking in mind, as the caste-system that is described is not only an integral part of the entire universe but also very well thought out, but in today’s climate of anything championing diversity being hoisted up as the pinnacle of it’s artistic field, I can’t help thinking that this book did so well purely because it pushes these progressive ideas and not because of the quality of the writing. I’m proud to call myself one of those very same ‘lefty-progressives’, but just because analogies of issues that me and my ilk think are important are present in a book (in this case, extensively), it doesn’t mean that the book itself is any good, especially when they are used so damned predictably. Sorry, rant over.
There were good parts of the book. Plenty of them, in fact. The subplot with the Bales is fresh and the whole subplot that dominates the first 1/3 or so of the book is well written and is a beautiful method of showing us how Ashokan society is laid out. Emphasis on the ‘shown and not ‘told’. The arch villain, Suwraith, has a lot of potential, but we actually learned very little about her. She may have been the most interesting character, and yet we are only given brief but very detailed snapshots into her mind. Again, this is turning into a negative, but either fully flesh her out or keep her as a mystery. Don’t open the door to something that could be really interesting then just slam it in our faces with no follow through.
In short, I liked the characters, I loved the universe, and I liked the potential of the series, but the poor writing and at times obvious story arcs left me very disappointed. I don’t think I’ll spend the Audible credit on Book 2.
The narration was fairly good. I feel that it may well have been better than that, but the fact that the narrator was the vector through which the poor writing was delivered muddies the waters of my opinion. He did a good job. The characters were distinctive, even down to the differences in inflection and vocal twangs between the castes. I can’t fault him in any way on his performance.
Personal rating. 2.25 stars.
Professional rating: 2.75 stars
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