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The Book of The Kingdoms #1
Wrath of Ashar
A richly rendered saga of heroism and magic by a stunning new fantasy talent, Wrath of Ashar is the first volume in The Books of the Kingdoms , a harrowing epic of a world on the threshold of its greatest challenge.
In the north, a fire rages through the world-spanning forest of Beltrevan. Out of the flames is born terrifying being with monstrous powers—Taws, messenger of the fire-god Ashar. The ancient prophecies say he will raise a great Horde from the warlike tribes of the north to bring destruction to the peaceful Kingdoms of Tamur, Ust-Galich, and Kesh.
In the south, a young prophetess of the order of the lady forsakes her vows of celibacy to bear a child, for the Book of Kyrie says that a champion will arise from Tamur to meet the challenge of the Usurper. The boy is named Kedyrn. And as he nears manhood it seems that he may indeed be the child of prophecy, for he wields powers that none outside the Sisterhood have ever claimed. He may be the last, desperate hope for the survival of the Kingdoms—but the Usurper has learned of Kedryrn as well, and his armies are on the march . . . .
In the north, a fire rages through the world-spanning forest of Beltrevan. Out of the flames is born terrifying being with monstrous powers—Taws, messenger of the fire-god Ashar. The ancient prophecies say he will raise a great Horde from the warlike tribes of the north to bring destruction to the peaceful Kingdoms of Tamur, Ust-Galich, and Kesh.
In the south, a young prophetess of the order of the lady forsakes her vows of celibacy to bear a child, for the Book of Kyrie says that a champion will arise from Tamur to meet the challenge of the Usurper. The boy is named Kedyrn. And as he nears manhood it seems that he may indeed be the child of prophecy, for he wields powers that none outside the Sisterhood have ever claimed. He may be the last, desperate hope for the survival of the Kingdoms—but the Usurper has learned of Kedryrn as well, and his armies are on the march . . . .
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
3 people are currently reading
386 people want to read
About the author
Angus Wells
67 books37 followersaka William S. Brady (with John Harvey), J.B. Dancer (with John Harvey), Ian Evans, Charles C Garrett (with Laurence James), Matthew Kirk, Richard Kirk (with Robert Holdstock), James A Muir, Charles R Pike (with Kenneth Bulmer and Terry Harknett), Andrew Quiller (with Kenneth Bulmer and Laurence James), J.D. Sandon (with John Harvey)
Angus Wells (1943 - 2006) was a British writer of genre fiction, including fantasy and westerns.
Angus Wells (1943 - 2006) was a British writer of genre fiction, including fantasy and westerns.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 14, 2021
I like books that has dragons in its cover. They are definitely my type of book. I went to reading this one. It was fairly enjoyable.
October 18, 2016
A very readable fantasy story in the tradition of Robert E. Howard. A young warrior from a provincial part of the world becomes the hero of an entire nation and goes on, battling demons and dark gods to ultimately ascend a throne. The descriptions of the defence of the frontier fortifications protecting the civilized world from the horde of forest-dwelling barbarians beyond the wall seem to prefigure some of George R. R. Martin's ideas.
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January 31, 2022giving up, every time I start feeling like I'm meeting characters it switches to exposition and I just don't have patience for "woman lost powers because she had sex and a baby".
April 22, 2023
I'm revisiting this one after reading the whole trilogy about 10 years ago. I'm not finishing the trilogy again, or this book.
I gave it 100 pages, and ran into a lot of the peeves I find myself having as I revisit all my old fantasy books. The dialogue is repetitive, it was actually on page 100 exactly when it's mentioned for what felt like the hundredth time that the main character's mother had magic power that depended on celibacy, but she gave that up for the sake of the world and the plot. Characters will have a conversation, then go have the same conversation with yet another character.
People smile and/or laugh at everything. Stuff that isn't even amusing will have characters pounding the table in laughter (this actually happened when the main lil lovebirds finally have sex). "Did you... Sleep... Well?" Hilarious.
The bad guys are pretty much Vikings led by some fire god, so the blood eagle is mentioned. The attempt at it would still be an awful way to go, but as described it's not possible. Once the pleural cavity is punctured lungs collapse so... I had to inwardly roll my eyes every time it was mentioned, which was a lot.
Women having their magic power through celibacy is a whole thing, and I personally just don't think purity culture makes for a good addition to a magic system.
People have mentioned the thesaurus use, and it's there, though not as bad as other books I've read. Certainly nothing close to Gormenghast. It just seems thrown in, like a character saying they'd leif have a bath, but then later on have sayings like "So, you going to make an honest woman out of me?"
Some parts were far too descriptive. My favorite is a few paragraphs of what a royal couple dressed in after their bath, followed by 'then they went to dinner' and the chapter suddenly ending. Every dish at a banquet is listed, someone comes into the room and their whole outfit is described, that kind of stuff.
After reading the first hundred pages I skimmed parts of the rest of the whole trilogy, then the last fifty pages. Even in the last bit, there was info dump going on. Why the bad guy did what he did, how it was all 4d chess.
I say all this, but it is one of the better fantasy books I've revisited. It's better than his other book The Guardian, and it's better than Gemmel's Legend. Reminiscent of it too, with the whole giant wall thing. If this was all one book and the story was just told, I'd probably keep it around. There's just not enough to pull me through three books of this again.
There are a few things I remember fondly. One of the barbarians pisses himself, then goes back to his tent and gets all big-man bossy with his woman, demanding she wash him. Only he said lave, because thesaurus. That was funny.
If you like fantasy series and aren't turned off by purple prose or repetition, I do recommend this one. I find myself a little impressed that this is just a self contained trilogy and didn't stretch into a dozen books, like so many other series seem to do. It's just not my thing anymore, I gues.
I gave it 100 pages, and ran into a lot of the peeves I find myself having as I revisit all my old fantasy books. The dialogue is repetitive, it was actually on page 100 exactly when it's mentioned for what felt like the hundredth time that the main character's mother had magic power that depended on celibacy, but she gave that up for the sake of the world and the plot. Characters will have a conversation, then go have the same conversation with yet another character.
People smile and/or laugh at everything. Stuff that isn't even amusing will have characters pounding the table in laughter (this actually happened when the main lil lovebirds finally have sex). "Did you... Sleep... Well?" Hilarious.
The bad guys are pretty much Vikings led by some fire god, so the blood eagle is mentioned. The attempt at it would still be an awful way to go, but as described it's not possible. Once the pleural cavity is punctured lungs collapse so... I had to inwardly roll my eyes every time it was mentioned, which was a lot.
Women having their magic power through celibacy is a whole thing, and I personally just don't think purity culture makes for a good addition to a magic system.
People have mentioned the thesaurus use, and it's there, though not as bad as other books I've read. Certainly nothing close to Gormenghast. It just seems thrown in, like a character saying they'd leif have a bath, but then later on have sayings like "So, you going to make an honest woman out of me?"
Some parts were far too descriptive. My favorite is a few paragraphs of what a royal couple dressed in after their bath, followed by 'then they went to dinner' and the chapter suddenly ending. Every dish at a banquet is listed, someone comes into the room and their whole outfit is described, that kind of stuff.
After reading the first hundred pages I skimmed parts of the rest of the whole trilogy, then the last fifty pages. Even in the last bit, there was info dump going on. Why the bad guy did what he did, how it was all 4d chess.
I say all this, but it is one of the better fantasy books I've revisited. It's better than his other book The Guardian, and it's better than Gemmel's Legend. Reminiscent of it too, with the whole giant wall thing. If this was all one book and the story was just told, I'd probably keep it around. There's just not enough to pull me through three books of this again.
There are a few things I remember fondly. One of the barbarians pisses himself, then goes back to his tent and gets all big-man bossy with his woman, demanding she wash him. Only he said lave, because thesaurus. That was funny.
If you like fantasy series and aren't turned off by purple prose or repetition, I do recommend this one. I find myself a little impressed that this is just a self contained trilogy and didn't stretch into a dozen books, like so many other series seem to do. It's just not my thing anymore, I gues.
Read
October 23, 2025In the north, a fire rages through the world-spanning forest of Beltrevan. Out of the flames is born terrifying being with monstrous powers--Taws, messenger of the fire-god Ashar. The ancient prophecies say he will raise a great Horde from the warlike tribes of the north to bring destruction to the peaceful Kingdoms of Tamur, Ust-Galich, and Kesh. In the south, a young prophetess of the order of the lady forsakes her vows of celibacy to bear a child, for the Book of Kyrie says that a champion will arise from Tamur to meet the challenge of the Usurper. The boy is named Kedyrn. And as he nears manhood it seems that he may indeed be the child of prophecy, for he wields powers that none outside the Sisterhood have ever claimed. He may be the last, desperate hope for the survival of the Kingdoms--but the Usurper has learned of Kedryrn as well, and his armies are on the march . . . .
January 10, 2021
Nel Belrevan, nelle foreste che dovrebbero espitare il Grande Raduno, un misterioso olocausto di fiamme genera il malvagio Taws, mago canuto dagli occhi di fuoco, incaricato dal perfido dio Ashar di riunire le tribù barbare e guerriere del ord per attaccare e distruggere i tre Reamo, protetti dalla Signora buona Kyria.
December 31, 2019
Been sitting on my to read shelf for awhile. Glad I picked out now.
April 18, 2013
Good writing if a little long-winded and a decent plot but the characters are very reminiscent of his other books. Not a lot of dialogue either which can be a good or bad thing depending on your taste. Nice book to pass the time if you don't have anything else to read.
August 28, 2018
My friend Sandy loved these books and insisted I read them. They were fun reads, but nothing to write home about.
July 11, 2009
Inappropriate use of language which gets in the way of the plot, you get feeling great use made of a thesaurus! But started series so as bloody minded will have to finish.
September 28, 2010
I don't care what you guys say, I like this book.
August 11, 2016
Well written and engaging, if not cliched. Not a bad book by any means, but does not bring much new to the genre. Just a strong, if typical, fantasy novel.
September 2, 2011
Inaccessible.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews