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Ashes of Allegiance
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 6, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 9, 2026
Author of the novel here 👋
Writing this book has been an incredible journey, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. Publishing a full-length novel has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, and seeing that dream become a reality is something I’ll never take for granted.
I don’t know how many people will read this book, and honestly, that was never the reason I wrote it. This has never been about sales or popularity. It has always been about sharing my stories with the world and connecting with people who are passionate about what they love.
If you’ve picked up this book, thank you. Your support means more than you know. I hope you enjoy the journey, and I hope it inspires you to keep chasing your own dreams and finding happiness along the way.
Much love,
Zane
Writing this book has been an incredible journey, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. Publishing a full-length novel has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, and seeing that dream become a reality is something I’ll never take for granted.
I don’t know how many people will read this book, and honestly, that was never the reason I wrote it. This has never been about sales or popularity. It has always been about sharing my stories with the world and connecting with people who are passionate about what they love.
If you’ve picked up this book, thank you. Your support means more than you know. I hope you enjoy the journey, and I hope it inspires you to keep chasing your own dreams and finding happiness along the way.
Much love,
Zane
Did Not Finish
September 15, 2026Thank you to the author, Zane H. Calder, for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: DNF @ 10%
Spice: I don't know, I didn't get far enough to find out if there is romance in this book
Quick Summary: Set in a modern city where signs of an organized and dangerous movement begin appearing across the streets, Ashes of Allegiance by Zane H. Calder follows Seb Carter, who begins questioning his best friend Jake after discovering that the graffiti and enemy symbols appearing around the city may be connected to something much larger. What starts as a crack in their friendship leads Seb into an international conspiracy involving a powerful and mysterious weapon known as Prometheon. As the threat of war grows, Seb is forced to reconsider his loyalties, his understanding of those closest to him, and his own identity.
**SPOILER-FREE REVIEW**
Short statement: DNF @ 10%
Reasons for DNF-ing: There are a few reasons as to why I had to DNF this book. I want to mention that I gave it a good try, but I don't feel that this book is the right fit for me. I wasn't engrossed in the story the way I hope to be when I start a new book. Here are some of the reasons I put the book down:
It didn't feel like anything happened on-page in the story. What I mean by that is the author spent more time telling me what had passed rather than taking the opportunity to show me the scene as it took place. In Chapter 4, I feel there was a real opportunity missed. Without giving any spoilers, our main character was worried about his friend Charlotte. It would've been great to see our main character run after her and find her, but ultimately end up amidst the chaos. Instead, we only get the aftermath of it all, and he didn't even have to chase after her.
There were also a couple of instances when the characters would talk to each other, but it almost didn't feel like a human conversation. For example, our main character got home from a long day and wanted to tell his mother that he was going upstairs to his room. He said, "I'm tired. Going up." Maybe it was just me, but it felt really awkward. That is just one of the instances I wanted to mention.
There were grammar mistakes. I usually like to be more lenient with my criticism of self-published books and their grammar, but there is always a line. Unfortunately, this book had a few too many grammar mistakes and story inconsistencies for my liking. There are 2-3 instances where we learn the main character's younger brother is 14 years old, cut to a few chapters later, and it's written that the younger brother is 16 years old. In another moment, our main character says he sees 3 words written on a wall (he explicitly says 3), then tells us it says "Not in my city." It is many little things like those two examples that add up over time. If there weren't grammar mistakes, then I may have been inclined to believe that the author wanted to portray the main character as an unreliable narrator, but with all the examples taken into account, it feels more like mistakes.
I don't want this review to come off mean or cruel. My intention in leaving this information is to help possibly guide the author on future stories. I am incredibly grateful that the author reached out to me and gifted me this copy of the book. Publishing a book is a great accomplishment and should always be celebrated. Keep writing and don't give up!
**Content and Structure Overview**
Age Category: young adult?
Fiction/Non-Fiction: fiction
Genre: dystopian, thriller
Series/Standalone: I don't know
POV: single POV, first person, present tense
POV Character(s): 22-year-old male (Seb Carter)
Romance: I don't know
Spice: I don't know, I didn't get far enough to find out if there is romance in this book
Is there profanity? I don't know about the rest of the book, but there was none in the first 10%
F-word? I don't know about the rest of the book, but there was none in the first 10%
Book-to-screen adaptation? no
Trigger Warnings (in the first 10% of the book): off-page bombing, gunshot wound, death of a loved one and/or family member, brief mentions of grief, injuries after smoke inhalation
Rating: DNF @ 10%
Spice: I don't know, I didn't get far enough to find out if there is romance in this book
Quick Summary: Set in a modern city where signs of an organized and dangerous movement begin appearing across the streets, Ashes of Allegiance by Zane H. Calder follows Seb Carter, who begins questioning his best friend Jake after discovering that the graffiti and enemy symbols appearing around the city may be connected to something much larger. What starts as a crack in their friendship leads Seb into an international conspiracy involving a powerful and mysterious weapon known as Prometheon. As the threat of war grows, Seb is forced to reconsider his loyalties, his understanding of those closest to him, and his own identity.
**SPOILER-FREE REVIEW**
Short statement: DNF @ 10%
Reasons for DNF-ing: There are a few reasons as to why I had to DNF this book. I want to mention that I gave it a good try, but I don't feel that this book is the right fit for me. I wasn't engrossed in the story the way I hope to be when I start a new book. Here are some of the reasons I put the book down:
It didn't feel like anything happened on-page in the story. What I mean by that is the author spent more time telling me what had passed rather than taking the opportunity to show me the scene as it took place. In Chapter 4, I feel there was a real opportunity missed. Without giving any spoilers, our main character was worried about his friend Charlotte. It would've been great to see our main character run after her and find her, but ultimately end up amidst the chaos. Instead, we only get the aftermath of it all, and he didn't even have to chase after her.
There were also a couple of instances when the characters would talk to each other, but it almost didn't feel like a human conversation. For example, our main character got home from a long day and wanted to tell his mother that he was going upstairs to his room. He said, "I'm tired. Going up." Maybe it was just me, but it felt really awkward. That is just one of the instances I wanted to mention.
There were grammar mistakes. I usually like to be more lenient with my criticism of self-published books and their grammar, but there is always a line. Unfortunately, this book had a few too many grammar mistakes and story inconsistencies for my liking. There are 2-3 instances where we learn the main character's younger brother is 14 years old, cut to a few chapters later, and it's written that the younger brother is 16 years old. In another moment, our main character says he sees 3 words written on a wall (he explicitly says 3), then tells us it says "Not in my city." It is many little things like those two examples that add up over time. If there weren't grammar mistakes, then I may have been inclined to believe that the author wanted to portray the main character as an unreliable narrator, but with all the examples taken into account, it feels more like mistakes.
I don't want this review to come off mean or cruel. My intention in leaving this information is to help possibly guide the author on future stories. I am incredibly grateful that the author reached out to me and gifted me this copy of the book. Publishing a book is a great accomplishment and should always be celebrated. Keep writing and don't give up!
**Content and Structure Overview**
Age Category: young adult?
Fiction/Non-Fiction: fiction
Genre: dystopian, thriller
Series/Standalone: I don't know
POV: single POV, first person, present tense
POV Character(s): 22-year-old male (Seb Carter)
Romance: I don't know
Spice: I don't know, I didn't get far enough to find out if there is romance in this book
Is there profanity? I don't know about the rest of the book, but there was none in the first 10%
F-word? I don't know about the rest of the book, but there was none in the first 10%
Book-to-screen adaptation? no
Trigger Warnings (in the first 10% of the book): off-page bombing, gunshot wound, death of a loved one and/or family member, brief mentions of grief, injuries after smoke inhalation
July 3, 2026
Great start for a debut novel!
First things first, the writing is awesome. The author has great prose and conveys what he is trying to say wonderfully. The story is also very fun with interesting characters (ATLIS in particular). This book is a good setup for a future sequel.
I’m excited for the sequel and more books from this author
First things first, the writing is awesome. The author has great prose and conveys what he is trying to say wonderfully. The story is also very fun with interesting characters (ATLIS in particular). This book is a good setup for a future sequel.
I’m excited for the sequel and more books from this author
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews