Ashchronicles : Volume 1 Sanctuary 17

by Edward Grey

When civilization burned, survival became the only law.

The world ended in ash and silence.
Those who endured built sanctuaries in the ruins — fragile havens where humanity still remembers what it means to be human.

But within Sanctuary 17, the lines between safety and control blur.
One man discovers that the true enemy might not be the wasteland outside, but the system meant to protect them.

Ashchronicles Vol. 1 – Sanctuary 17 is a haunting post-apocalyptic survival thriller set in the aftermath of global collapse — perfect for readers of Metro 2033, The Road, and The Last of Us.

Prepare for a journey through fire, fear, and fragile hope — where the ashes hide more than memories.

64 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2025

Reviews

[Junaid Murtuza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ashchronicles: Volume 1 – Sanctuary 17 presents a post-apocalyptic Earth devastated by the Great Rift, where survivors live underground while the surface has become a hostile wasteland inhabited by the Burned and raiders. Liam, Tara and Kane venture outside Sanctuary 17 searching for supplies, but their mission changes when they uncover an abandoned facility containing evidence of experiments that may explain how the world was destroyed.

What I enjoyed most was the combination of survival, exploration and mystery. The abandoned facilities, strange technology and question of whether humanity should reuse dangerous knowledge give the story something beyond a straightforward survival narrative. The wind-powered vehicles and underground settlements also add an interesting element to the world-building.

The writing is straightforward and easy to follow, with clear action sequences. However, I felt the characters could have been developed more deeply. I wanted more insight into their histories, motivations and relationships, and some dialogue and emotional moments could have been expanded.

The encouraging part of the story is its focus on resilience, cooperation and rebuilding rather than simply surviving. The ending leaves enough unanswered questions to suggest a larger story ahead.

I would recommend it to readers who enjoy post-apocalyptic science fiction, survival adventures, dystopian settings and mysteries involving lost technology.

[Don Locke · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Ashchronicles, Edward grey delivers an interesting concept. This is a tale of post-apocalyptic survival as three scouts comb the surface of a barren and scorched Earth searching for anything to aid the survival of their underground colony. Peril pervades every venture with zombie like adversaries and dreadful firestorms hampering the main characters in their mission. The prose and general writing style kicks the story along nicely, creating urgency and setting dystopian intrigue in equal measures. However, there are a few issues. Not least the ending, which just sort of seems to happen. Not the most satisfactory of climaxes lending itself to a level of disappointment that this short story could and should have been longer. Just as you feel invested in the characters, their work is done. There is a little bit of repetition in that we are told the fate of all survivors rests in the hand of the heroic trio, but not really how or why. Also, there are problems with the edit. 'Ist' appears instead of "Its" a lot, speech marks are opened on the lowercase line too and catamaran is often spelled with a k. This detracts from the story a lot and has cost a star on 'ist' own. Had this been a longer tale with a better edit, it might well have made the five stars as the pacing of the story is certainly alluring. Perhaps as a longer series the story will find a way across a parched Earth. I certainly hope so as there is something there in the pacing and the writing in general terms.

[J Martinell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The earth is in ruin. Firestorms rage across the surface, and a terrifying group known as the Burned roams the barren wasteland. Sanctuary 17 lies deep underground, protected from the devastation, but its supplies are dwindling. When two men and one woman venture to the surface in search of anything that might help them survive, they discover something unexpected. Something that could secure their future.


Ashchronicles is a quick, easy read. I found it interesting and engaging, though it left quite a few questions unanswered. Since it’s subtitled Volume 1, I suspect it’s the beginning of a series, and it shows promising potential so far.

[Rise-JK · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Ashchronicles Volume 1 Sanctuary 17 is an engaging post apocalyptic adventure filled with mystery, danger, and the hope of rebuilding a broken world. The ruined setting feels vivid, and the characters' teamwork and difficult choices keep the story moving. I enjoyed the mix of exploration, hidden secrets, and science fiction, though I would have liked a little more character development. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy dystopian adventures and stories about humanity finding hope in difficult times.

[Henri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kane shot him a warning look. “Keep your mind sharp. Out here, fear’ll kill you faster than anything else.” - Epic advice straight out the gate....

I visualize those apocolyptic games where the man must build a shelter while reading the setting in the beginning, it's awesome!

I do wish it continued to a second book to get clarity on what exactly was found. But overall it was good, good decision making, nice action in the beginning, good story telling. Would recommend

[Hunter Chadwick · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

The author has created an intriguing world with more questions than answers. You travel along with our three protagonists as they search for help in the ashes of the civilization that came before. Their journeys lead to clues that hint at something more. I hope this world gets developed and it is revealed in time.

[Fiction and Tea :D · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a fan of post-apocalyptic survival stories, Ashchronicles: Volume 1 – Sanctuary 17 is an enjoyable read. I liked the idea of humanity being forced underground while the surface of the Earth has become an unforgiving wasteland filled with firestorms and terrifying Burned creatures. The mystery surrounding the old experiments kept me turning the pages, and I wanted to find out what the team would discover next.

The book focuses more on adventure, exploration, and world-building than deep character development, but it lays a solid foundation for what feels like a much bigger story. Liam, Kane, and Tara make a likeable team, and I'm interested to see where their journey takes them in future books.

Overall, this is a promising start to a new post-apocalyptic series with plenty of action, mystery, and potential. I'm looking forward to seeing how the story develops.

[sureshot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book definitely had its strong points. The world building was outstanding. People have to live underground and only venture out at night or else the sun will burn them. But the sun is only part of part of the danger moving about the surface. Burnt people, who seemed to have gone out of their minds, dwell there. I really enjoyed the actions scenes. The author did a good job bringing the tension there. I felt this book would have been better with less head hopping. I would have rather the author stuck with one perspective and kept me questioning the motives of the other characters. Also, at time there were references to things that could only be known by an omnipresent perspective. Overall, this is still an interesting and exciting read, and I recommend it for a young adult audience.

[R.E. Hollis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author accomplishes something that isn't easy. He creates a believable post-apocalyptic world without spending pages describing it. Even though Ashchronicles: Volume 1 – Sanctuary 17 is short and fast-paced, I never felt like I was missing the setting. The writing is economical, but the imagery is strong enough that I could clearly picture the ash-covered landscape and the fragile world the characters inhabit. The story moves quickly and leaves you wanting to know more. At times I wished there had been a little more character development or time to explore the world in greater depth, but that's also the nature of a short story.

[Collin Bolton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main reason I'm giving Ashchronicles a 4-star rating is that the author has serious writing potential; however, I felt that their storytelling was lacking. The story just took off too fast with no meaningful character introduction, so I didn't particularly care about what happened to Liam and his new team. I also felt that the entire concept of heat waves scorching the earth and "the Burned" was just a little too close to The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials. Like I said, though, the author has skill in writing, and if you like post-apocalyptic reads, this is an easy one to check out.

[Matthew Tompkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

The post-apocalyptic setting of this short work was terrific, with the dried seas and land. I also liked the twist on why it was really like that. Hidden plotlines are always a plus. The Burned were a scary foe, and the chase scenes built up a great deal of tension. It was simply too short for me, though, with a quick resolution. I think with a bit of polish, this can become a longer book series; it has great potential!

[Ken Morvant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read about a group of survivors in a post-apocalyptic scenario, trying to learn about their past to affect their future lives. It is a good start to what could become a series if developed further. The ending is left open so a sequel seems appropriate. It is a great read, but needs a conclusion. You will enjoy.

[Alex Harb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here comes the Fallout/War-Z style post-apocalyptic novelette. Vivid, sharp, and dystopian as hell. Daylight kills, rain comes down as acid, and remaining humans live in tunnels under the ash. Best bit: a whole generation down there has never seen the sky - blue is just a story the old ones tell.
I’d love to see that story evolve to a bigger book from the same world.