What do you think?
Rate this book
Legacy of Ash #2
Redfall
Life has always been tough in the great grasslands known as the Heramear.
For years, a young girl named Jhin has lived in the plains with her father, hunting and fishing across the broad wilderness, while the memories of her childhood, memories of another life, slowly fade away. But her father hears the whispers on the wind, the rumours of war rising throughout the barbarian tribes, and knows it is time to head home.
Together they join a small merchant caravan heading east across the plains, leaving the Heramear and crossing the ruined expanse called the Redfall. The journey is long, and with the rest of the caravan, Jhin and her father search for a better life. But the plains are filled with dangers greater than Jhin’s father expects, and soon the caravan must face the wrath of the barbaric kinasahr, fierce nomads of the plains hunting for answers of their own.
For years, a young girl named Jhin has lived in the plains with her father, hunting and fishing across the broad wilderness, while the memories of her childhood, memories of another life, slowly fade away. But her father hears the whispers on the wind, the rumours of war rising throughout the barbarian tribes, and knows it is time to head home.
Together they join a small merchant caravan heading east across the plains, leaving the Heramear and crossing the ruined expanse called the Redfall. The journey is long, and with the rest of the caravan, Jhin and her father search for a better life. But the plains are filled with dangers greater than Jhin’s father expects, and soon the caravan must face the wrath of the barbaric kinasahr, fierce nomads of the plains hunting for answers of their own.
- GenresFantasy
47 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 21, 2014
1 person is currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
James Downe
13 books44 followersJames is a writer and designer in Toronto, Ontario. Raised on Lego, Nintendo, fantasy books, and tabletop role-playing games, he has been creating worlds for as long as he can remember. He is the author of 'Salt & Cinder', 'Sisters of Jade', and 'Sorrow & Shroud'. His work has been published in 'Resident Alien', and has short stories in the anthologies 'Lone Wolf', 'Swords for Hire', and 'Legacy: A One-Shot Anthology of Speculative Fiction'.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 1, 2020
Not a bad fantasy short story by any means, just a little unfocussed at times and not quite what the blurb implies. The open ending with no sign of continuation left me a little disappointed.
We meet a group of travellers crossing what is presumably a desert plain in order to reach civilisation. Their guard captain, Rythan, becomes wary when his daughter discovers the body of a barbarian; he believe it's a warning. His paymaster refuses to honour the barbarian rituals of leaving a tithe, and naturally the tribesmen are less than impressed.
The blurb sets up the backstory; none of Rythan or daughter Jhin's history or motives are part of the narrative. There also not that much of a focus on Jhin as implied. Most of the narration hops between Rythan and other members of the caravan, occasionally flitting into the perspective of the Hollow Tusk tribesmen. I found this lack of focus made it hard to get into the story, and the lack of descriptions of people and places (other than the Hollow Tusk folk) didn't help. I couldn't always remember which named character was which without those details to anchor them.
The ending left me a bit despondent given that I'd thought the story would be more about Jhin. Just as we get to know her, it ends without answering the questions of who she is and where she came from (not to mention more about her father's past and lineage). I felt like I should already know things about them and the world that just weren't explained in the story itself.
The writing is good, but I just felt a little sad being left out of the loop and having no prospect of getting a resolution (unless this is a prequel of some kind).
We meet a group of travellers crossing what is presumably a desert plain in order to reach civilisation. Their guard captain, Rythan, becomes wary when his daughter discovers the body of a barbarian; he believe it's a warning. His paymaster refuses to honour the barbarian rituals of leaving a tithe, and naturally the tribesmen are less than impressed.
The blurb sets up the backstory; none of Rythan or daughter Jhin's history or motives are part of the narrative. There also not that much of a focus on Jhin as implied. Most of the narration hops between Rythan and other members of the caravan, occasionally flitting into the perspective of the Hollow Tusk tribesmen. I found this lack of focus made it hard to get into the story, and the lack of descriptions of people and places (other than the Hollow Tusk folk) didn't help. I couldn't always remember which named character was which without those details to anchor them.
The ending left me a bit despondent given that I'd thought the story would be more about Jhin. Just as we get to know her, it ends without answering the questions of who she is and where she came from (not to mention more about her father's past and lineage). I felt like I should already know things about them and the world that just weren't explained in the story itself.
The writing is good, but I just felt a little sad being left out of the loop and having no prospect of getting a resolution (unless this is a prequel of some kind).
October 26, 2020
Unique and speaking to a greater world.
June 9, 2015
A group of travelers are crossing a vast, desolate grassland, hoping to avoid the barbarian natives. The leader of the caravan ignores some dire omens, resulting in trouble when they meet up with the barbarians - and when one of the travelers turns out to not be what they appear to be.
A long short story (close to novella length), suspenseful and magical, written in evocative language (though it could use one more quick edit to clean up a few mistakes). The characters are memorable, the world is well-developed in a few well-chosen words, and the climactic confrontation is explosive. Intriguing possibilities are left open at the end, and I really hope there'll be a follow-up story. Recommended if you want a quick immersion into an exciting fantasy world.
(Redfall is labeled Book 2 of Legacy of Ash, but it stands alone.)
A long short story (close to novella length), suspenseful and magical, written in evocative language (though it could use one more quick edit to clean up a few mistakes). The characters are memorable, the world is well-developed in a few well-chosen words, and the climactic confrontation is explosive. Intriguing possibilities are left open at the end, and I really hope there'll be a follow-up story. Recommended if you want a quick immersion into an exciting fantasy world.
(Redfall is labeled Book 2 of Legacy of Ash, but it stands alone.)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews