What do you think?
Rate this book
The Firemane Saga #1
King of Ashes
A new novel from internationally bestselling author Raymond E. Feist.
The world of Garn once boasted five great kingdoms, until the King of Ithrace was defeated and every member of his family executed by Lodavico, the ruthless King of Sandura, a man with ambitions to rule the world.
Ithrace's ruling family were the legendary Firemanes, and represented a great danger to the other kings. Now four great kingdoms remain, on the brink of war. But rumour has it that the newborn son of the last king of Ithrace survived, carried off during battle and sequestered by the Quelli Nacosti, a secret society whose members are trained to infiltrate and spy upon the rich and powerful throughout Garn. Terrified that this may be true, and that the child will grow to maturity with bloody revenge in his heart, the four kings have placed a huge bounty on the child's head.
In the small village of Oncon, Declan is apprenticed to a master blacksmith, learning the secrets of producing the mythical king's steel. Oncon is situated in the Covenant, a neutral region lying between two warring kingdoms. Since the Covenant was declared, the region has existed in peace, until violence explodes as slavers descend upon the village to capture young men to press as soldiers for Sandura.
Declan must escape, to take his priceless knowledge to Baron Daylon Dumarch, ruler of Marquensas, perhaps the only man who can defeat Lodavico of Sandura, who has now allied himself with the fanatical Church of the One, which is marching across the continent, imposing its extreme form of religion upon the population and burning unbelievers as they go.
Meanwhile, on the island of Coaltachin, the secret domain of the Quelli Nacosti, three friends are being schooled in the deadly arts of espionage and assassination: Donte, son of one of the most powerful masters of the order; Hava, a serious girl with fighting abilities that can set any opponent on their back; and Hatu, a strange, conflicted lad in whom fury and calm war constantly, whose hair is a bright and fiery shade of red…
560 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2018
2748 people are currently reading
17425 people want to read
About the author
Raymond E. Feist
289 books9,535 followersRaymond E. Feist was born Raymond E. Gonzales III, but took his adoptive step-father's surname when his mother remarried Felix E. Feist. He graduated with a B.A. in Communication Arts with Honors in 1977 from the University of California at San Diego. During that year Feist had some ideas for a novel about a boy who would be a magician. He wrote the novel two years later, and it was published in 1982 by Doubleday. Feist currently lives in San Diego with his children, where he collects fine wine, DVDs, and books on a variety of topics of personal interest: wine, biographies, history, and, especially, the history of American Professional Football.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,114 reviews
March 7, 2018
I received an advance reader copy of King of Ashes in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Raymond E. Feist and Harper Voyager.
For many generations, the five great Kingdom's had enjoyed a time of peace and prosperity. Each realm had its own Monarch and the story begins with a great battle and the betrayal of Steveren Langene, the King of Ithrace. He is known as Firemane because of his bright red hair and his Kingdom was a place of arts, culture, and merriment. His former allies are looking to execute him, his family (not excluding the women and children), and leave his city and legacy in ashes. After the Firemane house's inevitable demise and when the conflict has concluded the powerful Baron Daylon Dumarch finds a mysterious young child in his war tent just before his army is about the return to his freehold of Marquensas. As a former close acquaintance of Firemane's, he believes that this baby is the last of the late King's children and has somehow escaped the rest of his families fate.
Following the prologue, King of Ashes picks up the action 16 years later. There approximately 5 point of view perspectives throughout the narrative; however, 90% of the tale follows two individuals. Hatu, a very angry and often confused fiery haired individual who has been training at a school for a hidden organisation known as the unseen army of Coaltachin. This school trains its members in many criminal activities including spying, robbery, and assassination. The second main perspective is that of Declan, a 22-year-old blacksmith who resides in a sleepy town in an area known as The Narrows. He's looking to progress to be the youngest ever Master Blacksmith. He is reminiscent of Gendry from Game of Thrones.
Feist has created a world that shows real quality and depth that's full to the brim with histories, different races and cults, many religions (although all but one is currently vilified), and political intrigue. My favourite aspect of the narrative was discovering more about Hatu and his two closest friends at the assassin school. Unlike some popular fantasy tales such as The Name of the Wind and A Wizard of Earthsea, most of the education provided to these students isn't classroom-based. It mainly consists of these apprentices being set tasks and objectives out in the streets under the watchful eye of Masters and criminal gang leaders to earn their skills and reputations. The cult is complex with certain codes of ethics and secret statements that say one thing but imply something completely different. These segments were an absolute joy to read.
Another major positive for Kings of Ashes is the well-realised amazing characters. It presents slow burning character development excellence. I really enjoyed reading about Baron Daylon Dumarch and his bastard half-brother whose, although seemingly decent individuals, we never really grasp and understand their motives throughout. King of Ashes is a pretty brilliant first step in what will no doubt be an excellent fantasy trilogy and it seems that only the mere surface of the depth and possibilities have been revealed so far. Especially with reference to magic. I don't like comparing novels to other big names in the genre as it's often a lazy shortcut or an easy sell for a blurb. On this occasion; however, I think King of Ashes deserves to be heralded in the current fantasy scene alongside heavyweights such as A Game of Thrones, The Name of the Wind, and The Lies of Locke Lamora and fans of those aforementioned works will find much to enjoy here. My only real issue is that this is obviously the first of a trilogy/series and it's not brilliant as a standalone tale. It doesn't conclude with a huge battle or insanely intense set-pieces. It sets future events up well though but as a potential reader, I'd say do not expect any real form of closure as the first book in The Firemane Saga concludes. That being said, I read the last 15% of the book very slowly making sure I took in every invigorating word as I truly didn't want King of Ashes to end. There are enough intriguing events at the book's climax and potential avenues the future story arcs could traverse that I will definitely be picking up book #2 as soon as I can. King of Ashes is Epic Fantasy written by one of the masters of the genre and mixes political intrigue, secret assassin cults, and a hidden heir to one of the Kingdoms, whilst always presenting excellent world-building and sublime character development.
For many generations, the five great Kingdom's had enjoyed a time of peace and prosperity. Each realm had its own Monarch and the story begins with a great battle and the betrayal of Steveren Langene, the King of Ithrace. He is known as Firemane because of his bright red hair and his Kingdom was a place of arts, culture, and merriment. His former allies are looking to execute him, his family (not excluding the women and children), and leave his city and legacy in ashes. After the Firemane house's inevitable demise and when the conflict has concluded the powerful Baron Daylon Dumarch finds a mysterious young child in his war tent just before his army is about the return to his freehold of Marquensas. As a former close acquaintance of Firemane's, he believes that this baby is the last of the late King's children and has somehow escaped the rest of his families fate.
Following the prologue, King of Ashes picks up the action 16 years later. There approximately 5 point of view perspectives throughout the narrative; however, 90% of the tale follows two individuals. Hatu, a very angry and often confused fiery haired individual who has been training at a school for a hidden organisation known as the unseen army of Coaltachin. This school trains its members in many criminal activities including spying, robbery, and assassination. The second main perspective is that of Declan, a 22-year-old blacksmith who resides in a sleepy town in an area known as The Narrows. He's looking to progress to be the youngest ever Master Blacksmith. He is reminiscent of Gendry from Game of Thrones.
Feist has created a world that shows real quality and depth that's full to the brim with histories, different races and cults, many religions (although all but one is currently vilified), and political intrigue. My favourite aspect of the narrative was discovering more about Hatu and his two closest friends at the assassin school. Unlike some popular fantasy tales such as The Name of the Wind and A Wizard of Earthsea, most of the education provided to these students isn't classroom-based. It mainly consists of these apprentices being set tasks and objectives out in the streets under the watchful eye of Masters and criminal gang leaders to earn their skills and reputations. The cult is complex with certain codes of ethics and secret statements that say one thing but imply something completely different. These segments were an absolute joy to read.
Another major positive for Kings of Ashes is the well-realised amazing characters. It presents slow burning character development excellence. I really enjoyed reading about Baron Daylon Dumarch and his bastard half-brother whose, although seemingly decent individuals, we never really grasp and understand their motives throughout. King of Ashes is a pretty brilliant first step in what will no doubt be an excellent fantasy trilogy and it seems that only the mere surface of the depth and possibilities have been revealed so far. Especially with reference to magic. I don't like comparing novels to other big names in the genre as it's often a lazy shortcut or an easy sell for a blurb. On this occasion; however, I think King of Ashes deserves to be heralded in the current fantasy scene alongside heavyweights such as A Game of Thrones, The Name of the Wind, and The Lies of Locke Lamora and fans of those aforementioned works will find much to enjoy here. My only real issue is that this is obviously the first of a trilogy/series and it's not brilliant as a standalone tale. It doesn't conclude with a huge battle or insanely intense set-pieces. It sets future events up well though but as a potential reader, I'd say do not expect any real form of closure as the first book in The Firemane Saga concludes. That being said, I read the last 15% of the book very slowly making sure I took in every invigorating word as I truly didn't want King of Ashes to end. There are enough intriguing events at the book's climax and potential avenues the future story arcs could traverse that I will definitely be picking up book #2 as soon as I can. King of Ashes is Epic Fantasy written by one of the masters of the genre and mixes political intrigue, secret assassin cults, and a hidden heir to one of the Kingdoms, whilst always presenting excellent world-building and sublime character development.
April 9, 2018
I received an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
Feist is back in form as the King of Ashes establishes a promising and solid foundation for a completely new saga away from the massive Riftwar Cycles multi-series.
Five kingdoms used to co-exist in Garn, spread across the two continents of North and South Tembria. The Kingdom of Flames was destroyed by an act of betrayal and the ruling line of Firemanes completely wiped out, or so it was thought.
As different as the setting and world of the Firemane Saga can be, there are nonetheless echoes of Magician: Apprentice in this first book of the new trilogy, mainly from the slow-burn character development, minimal plot progression and extensive worldbuilding.
The story predominantly focuses on the characterisation of the main protagonists - Hatushaly and Declan - two young men who are more than they appear to be. Hatushaly, a fiery-haired boy with rage issues, was brought up in the mysterious nation of Coaltachin and trained by the Quelli Nascoti, a legendary group of the world's best spies, infiltrators, saboteurs and assassins. Instead of commencing on Hatu's coming-of-age story from very young, he was already on the verge of becoming a man when we first get his POV, and most of the requisite 'classroom' training had been completed. At this stage of their training, students get assigned on-the-job with crew captains and at times with one of the Masters. Admittedly, learning about the inner workings of the Quelli Nascoti has to be the most compelling part of Hatu's chapters as the growth of Hatu's character can be said to be predictable as was the revelation of his true identity. What that identity portends, however, was not expected and that gave me the promise of exciting things to come.
The other main character, Declan, was a young and talented smith, who witnessed the further collapse of the Covenant as mercenaries traversed the land to press capable men into service for the covetous King of Sandura. In my opinion, Declan's POV is the less interesting of the two main characters. There is also a third POV, who has only a few chapters to her name - Hava, a close friend of Hatu's, and the best female fighter amongst the students in his school. While Hatu is perhaps a little less so, the other two seem to be fairly cookie-cutter characters.
Feist once again demonstrated his skill of creating a world with depth and detail. There is a lot of travelling (and sailing) involved in the narrative which was used to great effect in regaling to the reader the vivid descriptions of the towns, ports, cities and landscapes; how these then impact the economics and commerce of the area depending on its strategic location. We have the cultures of the different people and of course, loads of political intrigue between monarchies, the Church and the independent nobility. One thing I note in particular was the great detail and realism present in Hatu's seafaring adventures and Declan's blacksmithing.
I appreciated that Feist stayed away from the standard magical elements such as wizards, elves and dwarves, even though I enjoyed these very much when I read Riftwar. The tone of King of Ashes is low fantasy at this point, giving me more Game of Thrones vibes than Lord of the Rings. Moreover, we also get a significant amount of narrative around sex in this book, and I am still unsure as to where that stands with me right now. Don't get me wrong, I have no issues with sex in my books, but it just seemed too much like a direction Feist felt he needed to take to stay relevant in the genre.
As a foundational book to set the stage for a larger story to come, King of Ashes did a great job in introducing the readers to the main characters and the world of Garn and its people. Even though the story and characters feel familiar, the pages somehow turn effortlessly as I find myself getting quite absorbed at times. We also do not get any climactic endings of major battles nor are there plot wrap-ups of any sort to be had. I had a feeling that if I had not read Magician in its re-released omnibus edition, I might find myself feeling as unresolved at the end of Magician: Apprentice as I do now at the end of King of Ashes. Hence, I will give Feist the benefit of the doubt to fully take the plot forward in the sequel, as the last few chapters evoked the anticipation of much more to come.
This review can also be found at Booknest
Feist is back in form as the King of Ashes establishes a promising and solid foundation for a completely new saga away from the massive Riftwar Cycles multi-series.
Five kingdoms used to co-exist in Garn, spread across the two continents of North and South Tembria. The Kingdom of Flames was destroyed by an act of betrayal and the ruling line of Firemanes completely wiped out, or so it was thought.
As different as the setting and world of the Firemane Saga can be, there are nonetheless echoes of Magician: Apprentice in this first book of the new trilogy, mainly from the slow-burn character development, minimal plot progression and extensive worldbuilding.
The story predominantly focuses on the characterisation of the main protagonists - Hatushaly and Declan - two young men who are more than they appear to be. Hatushaly, a fiery-haired boy with rage issues, was brought up in the mysterious nation of Coaltachin and trained by the Quelli Nascoti, a legendary group of the world's best spies, infiltrators, saboteurs and assassins. Instead of commencing on Hatu's coming-of-age story from very young, he was already on the verge of becoming a man when we first get his POV, and most of the requisite 'classroom' training had been completed. At this stage of their training, students get assigned on-the-job with crew captains and at times with one of the Masters. Admittedly, learning about the inner workings of the Quelli Nascoti has to be the most compelling part of Hatu's chapters as the growth of Hatu's character can be said to be predictable as was the revelation of his true identity. What that identity portends, however, was not expected and that gave me the promise of exciting things to come.
The other main character, Declan, was a young and talented smith, who witnessed the further collapse of the Covenant as mercenaries traversed the land to press capable men into service for the covetous King of Sandura. In my opinion, Declan's POV is the less interesting of the two main characters. There is also a third POV, who has only a few chapters to her name - Hava, a close friend of Hatu's, and the best female fighter amongst the students in his school. While Hatu is perhaps a little less so, the other two seem to be fairly cookie-cutter characters.
Feist once again demonstrated his skill of creating a world with depth and detail. There is a lot of travelling (and sailing) involved in the narrative which was used to great effect in regaling to the reader the vivid descriptions of the towns, ports, cities and landscapes; how these then impact the economics and commerce of the area depending on its strategic location. We have the cultures of the different people and of course, loads of political intrigue between monarchies, the Church and the independent nobility. One thing I note in particular was the great detail and realism present in Hatu's seafaring adventures and Declan's blacksmithing.
I appreciated that Feist stayed away from the standard magical elements such as wizards, elves and dwarves, even though I enjoyed these very much when I read Riftwar. The tone of King of Ashes is low fantasy at this point, giving me more Game of Thrones vibes than Lord of the Rings. Moreover, we also get a significant amount of narrative around sex in this book, and I am still unsure as to where that stands with me right now. Don't get me wrong, I have no issues with sex in my books, but it just seemed too much like a direction Feist felt he needed to take to stay relevant in the genre.
As a foundational book to set the stage for a larger story to come, King of Ashes did a great job in introducing the readers to the main characters and the world of Garn and its people. Even though the story and characters feel familiar, the pages somehow turn effortlessly as I find myself getting quite absorbed at times. We also do not get any climactic endings of major battles nor are there plot wrap-ups of any sort to be had. I had a feeling that if I had not read Magician in its re-released omnibus edition, I might find myself feeling as unresolved at the end of Magician: Apprentice as I do now at the end of King of Ashes. Hence, I will give Feist the benefit of the doubt to fully take the plot forward in the sequel, as the last few chapters evoked the anticipation of much more to come.
This review can also be found at Booknest
August 18, 2022
I now have a Booktube channel! Find me at: The Obsessive Bookseller
DNF at 30%. Here's the Q&A:
Did you really give King of Ashes a chance?
Admittedly, I didn’t give it as much as I could have. I did make it to about 30% before tossing it aside, while acknowledging that this is one of those rare cases where it could actually have gotten better. It didn’t, according to what I gleaned from my book club meeting, but I was so fed up, it was a risk I was willing to take.
Have you enjoyed other books in the same genre?
Yes. I’m considering this a more modern fantasy even though it’s written by a classic author, and most of my favorite works come from this genre:
The Shadow of What Was Lost - James Islington
Promise of Blood - Brian McClellan
The Blade Itself - Joe Abercrombie
The Dragon's Path - Daniel Abraham
Daughter of the Empire - Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts <-Included because this author has done amazing things in the past.
It’s perfect in line with what I’d like to read.
Did you have certain expectations before starting it?
Surprisingly, I went in with low expectations even though I’ve loved a few early works from this author (he’s a family favorite). But his later Riftwar books proved very unsatisfying, so I was wary of starting this one. Truth be told, had it not been a book club selection, I’m not sure I would’ve have ever made time to pick it up.
What ultimately made you stop reading?
Omg. The execution of the story. The basic idea behind the book was actually super interesting. Something I would’ve wanted to read in any other context. The prologue even had me giddy with anticipation, thinking, “this is going to be good.”
The first thing that threw me off was how the writing was very much at an arm’s distance from the story. Take a conversation between two characters as an example: instead of immersing you in the scene with back and forth dialogue, Feist would take you one step back and describe the conversation happening. Using each point brought up to launch into a couple page description of whatever info needing to be dumped at that point before closing the conversation with one or two lines. I noticed this also with setting. He went off on a ten page diatribe about this market setting instead of having his characters interact with it and dropping in details that way. I’ve no idea if this is a habit he had in his early works because it has been some time since I read them, but now I’m afraid to reread because I know I’m going to notice it now and it will irritate me. I highly doubt it was this passive, though.
The thing that ultimately made me put it down was the book’s very odd fixation on sex. I think it’s important to clarify that I don’t care one way or another if there’s sexual content in fantasy novels. Some authors can even use it to enhance character and provide comic relief (Abercrombie). But the very least I ask is that reading it doesn’t feel like I’m reading the sexual fantasies of a 16 year old, and that those fantasies are completely dominating the story. It was so bad. The characters were constantly thinking about and talking about sex, and when they weren’t, the narration picked it up describing why sex wasn’t allowed in the school or why so and so slept with so and so and it wasn’t until I got to the training brothel (because when you have a guild of spies, that’s the only thing women are good for, right?) I finally threw it down in frustration. This is not what I signed up for. And if you’re going to include sexual content in your books ad nausium, at least make it good sex! Holy shit.
Is there anything you liked about the King of Ashes?
The prologue. And the idea behind the story. He lost me completely on the execution.
Would you read anything else by the author?
I’ve read literally everything he has published (20+ novels) minus one co-written trilogy and a random stand-alone. I think the buck stops here though. I may read that outstanding trilogy eventually, but I’m in no hurry.
So you DNFed the book. Would you still recommend it?
No. Normally my constructive analysis allows me to figure out who might be a more appropriate audience for a given title. Or at the very least, I concede that it might be just me who didn’t like it. In this case, I know it bothered me more than most, but I still wouldn’t hand it to anyone and would actively discourage someone from reading it. It was that bad.
EDIT: so my mom, who loves fantasy, loves Feist, got me into reading as a kid, said she finished the book and told me I stopped reading too soon and it all made sense and came together and I should really consider picking it back up because between this and the second one "it get's really good! You're missing out." I was at peace with my DNF. FML lol. Reviewing is hard, people. I think ultimately I'm going to trust my instincts with this one and just let it be.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
DNF at 30%. Here's the Q&A:
Did you really give King of Ashes a chance?
Admittedly, I didn’t give it as much as I could have. I did make it to about 30% before tossing it aside, while acknowledging that this is one of those rare cases where it could actually have gotten better. It didn’t, according to what I gleaned from my book club meeting, but I was so fed up, it was a risk I was willing to take.
Have you enjoyed other books in the same genre?
Yes. I’m considering this a more modern fantasy even though it’s written by a classic author, and most of my favorite works come from this genre:
The Shadow of What Was Lost - James Islington
Promise of Blood - Brian McClellan
The Blade Itself - Joe Abercrombie
The Dragon's Path - Daniel Abraham
Daughter of the Empire - Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts <-Included because this author has done amazing things in the past.
It’s perfect in line with what I’d like to read.
Did you have certain expectations before starting it?
Surprisingly, I went in with low expectations even though I’ve loved a few early works from this author (he’s a family favorite). But his later Riftwar books proved very unsatisfying, so I was wary of starting this one. Truth be told, had it not been a book club selection, I’m not sure I would’ve have ever made time to pick it up.
What ultimately made you stop reading?
Omg. The execution of the story. The basic idea behind the book was actually super interesting. Something I would’ve wanted to read in any other context. The prologue even had me giddy with anticipation, thinking, “this is going to be good.”
The first thing that threw me off was how the writing was very much at an arm’s distance from the story. Take a conversation between two characters as an example: instead of immersing you in the scene with back and forth dialogue, Feist would take you one step back and describe the conversation happening. Using each point brought up to launch into a couple page description of whatever info needing to be dumped at that point before closing the conversation with one or two lines. I noticed this also with setting. He went off on a ten page diatribe about this market setting instead of having his characters interact with it and dropping in details that way. I’ve no idea if this is a habit he had in his early works because it has been some time since I read them, but now I’m afraid to reread because I know I’m going to notice it now and it will irritate me. I highly doubt it was this passive, though.
The thing that ultimately made me put it down was the book’s very odd fixation on sex. I think it’s important to clarify that I don’t care one way or another if there’s sexual content in fantasy novels. Some authors can even use it to enhance character and provide comic relief (Abercrombie). But the very least I ask is that reading it doesn’t feel like I’m reading the sexual fantasies of a 16 year old, and that those fantasies are completely dominating the story. It was so bad. The characters were constantly thinking about and talking about sex, and when they weren’t, the narration picked it up describing why sex wasn’t allowed in the school or why so and so slept with so and so and it wasn’t until I got to the training brothel (because when you have a guild of spies, that’s the only thing women are good for, right?) I finally threw it down in frustration. This is not what I signed up for. And if you’re going to include sexual content in your books ad nausium, at least make it good sex! Holy shit.
Is there anything you liked about the King of Ashes?
The prologue. And the idea behind the story. He lost me completely on the execution.
Would you read anything else by the author?
I’ve read literally everything he has published (20+ novels) minus one co-written trilogy and a random stand-alone. I think the buck stops here though. I may read that outstanding trilogy eventually, but I’m in no hurry.
So you DNFed the book. Would you still recommend it?
No. Normally my constructive analysis allows me to figure out who might be a more appropriate audience for a given title. Or at the very least, I concede that it might be just me who didn’t like it. In this case, I know it bothered me more than most, but I still wouldn’t hand it to anyone and would actively discourage someone from reading it. It was that bad.
EDIT: so my mom, who loves fantasy, loves Feist, got me into reading as a kid, said she finished the book and told me I stopped reading too soon and it all made sense and came together and I should really consider picking it back up because between this and the second one "it get's really good! You're missing out." I was at peace with my DNF. FML lol. Reviewing is hard, people. I think ultimately I'm going to trust my instincts with this one and just let it be.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
May 18, 2018
I was a big fan of Feist's Riftwar books back in my younger days but lost track of the series more than a decade back. I was hoping that reading this brand new fantasy series of Feist's would inspire me to go back and try a full reread of the much more intimidatingly sized Riftwar series. Did King of Ashes achieve that goal? Probably not as this was not a fantastic fantasy story but it was a readable one despite its flaws!
I think King of Ashes was Feist's attempt to jump on the popular grimdark bandwagon. No doubt he was just trying to keep up with the times but I felt like the result was a story that felt like a bit of both worlds (grimdark and Feist's regular fantasy style) and that left the story with a slightly confused feeling tone. The fantasy world was a gritty one with plenty of death and treachery and stuffed full of morally grey characters but did include a few likeable enough characters. The grim tone was a problem in the early stages as it ended up being difficult to invest emotionally in any of the characters who had the more interesting story arcs. The other issue early was that the one easy to like character ended up with a dull introduction to the story. The result of that was that I ended up pretty bored around the 15% to 25% mark of the book and pondered quitting. I stuck it out and that proved worthwhile as the story settled down and I ended up becoming more invested in the characters and the happenings.
I do feel like the premise of the story was interesting enough. The world of Garn once boasted five great kingdoms, until the King of Ithrace was betrayed by the other four kingdoms and every member of the royal family of Ithrace executed. Well, nearly everyone as a baby heir was smuggled out of the country! Years later a new religion has gained prominence and war is looming again as the remaining kings look to seize even more power for themselves.
The story kicked off with a prologue that explained the political situation of the world and introduced us to a few key figures before the story time jumped and focused on a few younger characters. The POV's were mostly split between Hatu, an exiled prince in hiding and training as an assassin, and Declan, a blacksmith's apprentice. We did get a few other POV's that helped enhance the story but those two were the main ones. I actually struggled a bit with Hatu as a character in the early parts of the book but he did grow on me as the story progressed and he did have the most interesting story arc. I liked Declan well enough from the start but found his story a bit boring. The second half of the book had more happening in Declan's story so that definitely helped me to enjoy it more.
All in all I felt like this was an OK new fantasy from Feist. Nothing special but it settled down to be readable enough after a sluggish start and I'll probably read the sequel when it comes along.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: I was not a giant fan of David Thorpe's performance of this one. He was a bit monotonous sounding in his delivery and he chose some awful accents for the characters.
I think King of Ashes was Feist's attempt to jump on the popular grimdark bandwagon. No doubt he was just trying to keep up with the times but I felt like the result was a story that felt like a bit of both worlds (grimdark and Feist's regular fantasy style) and that left the story with a slightly confused feeling tone. The fantasy world was a gritty one with plenty of death and treachery and stuffed full of morally grey characters but did include a few likeable enough characters. The grim tone was a problem in the early stages as it ended up being difficult to invest emotionally in any of the characters who had the more interesting story arcs. The other issue early was that the one easy to like character ended up with a dull introduction to the story. The result of that was that I ended up pretty bored around the 15% to 25% mark of the book and pondered quitting. I stuck it out and that proved worthwhile as the story settled down and I ended up becoming more invested in the characters and the happenings.
I do feel like the premise of the story was interesting enough. The world of Garn once boasted five great kingdoms, until the King of Ithrace was betrayed by the other four kingdoms and every member of the royal family of Ithrace executed. Well, nearly everyone as a baby heir was smuggled out of the country! Years later a new religion has gained prominence and war is looming again as the remaining kings look to seize even more power for themselves.
The story kicked off with a prologue that explained the political situation of the world and introduced us to a few key figures before the story time jumped and focused on a few younger characters. The POV's were mostly split between Hatu, an exiled prince in hiding and training as an assassin, and Declan, a blacksmith's apprentice. We did get a few other POV's that helped enhance the story but those two were the main ones. I actually struggled a bit with Hatu as a character in the early parts of the book but he did grow on me as the story progressed and he did have the most interesting story arc. I liked Declan well enough from the start but found his story a bit boring. The second half of the book had more happening in Declan's story so that definitely helped me to enjoy it more.
All in all I felt like this was an OK new fantasy from Feist. Nothing special but it settled down to be readable enough after a sluggish start and I'll probably read the sequel when it comes along.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: I was not a giant fan of David Thorpe's performance of this one. He was a bit monotonous sounding in his delivery and he chose some awful accents for the characters.
March 13, 2019
UPDATE: $2.99 Kindle US 3/13/19
March 14, 2020
Having read the far majority of all of Feist's works before now, and even doing so recently, I was pretty astounded to learn that he had a NEW fantasy series. One that requires no previous knowledge or the need to rely on vast previous worldbuilding.
In other words, this is a perfect book to jump into, assuming you want an absolutely gorgeous and detailed kingdom, some rather fully-fleshed out political entities, and two ideal YA character-candidates reminiscent of some of Feist's much earlier (and excellent) work involving two rather precocious princelings. Or their sons.
This is also Feist at the top of his game. He's learned many hard lessons over the years and he has honed all his best strengths into building this book into one hell of a grand Epic Fantasy intro. War hasn't come, but the trap has been laid.
It's unfortunate how much I love these two main characters.
A brilliant young Smith on the rise, kin to the Barony but unknown to any but the Baron and his bastard brother.
And another orphan who is the last son of a king of the Firemanes, red-headed people betrayed and wiped out... who also happens to be the source of magic in the land. He is saved on a whim by the Baron who betrayed his father to death, was allowed to be raised in secret by a clan of assassins.
This couldn't bite anyone in the butt. I'm sure of it.
And yet, with this rather traditional High-Fantasy treatment, I must stress that the devil is truly in the details. It rises and falls with how good the writing is, how invested we get, and how much fun we have.
This book not only holds up well against any modern standard but goes quite a bit farther in that it has deep, wide-reaching roots and a fantastically enjoyable tone.
In other words, ya'll be fools to pass this up if you're into good modern fantasy written by a master of the field with all the heart of the classics (some of which, HE WROTE).
:)
In other words, this is a perfect book to jump into, assuming you want an absolutely gorgeous and detailed kingdom, some rather fully-fleshed out political entities, and two ideal YA character-candidates reminiscent of some of Feist's much earlier (and excellent) work involving two rather precocious princelings. Or their sons.
This is also Feist at the top of his game. He's learned many hard lessons over the years and he has honed all his best strengths into building this book into one hell of a grand Epic Fantasy intro. War hasn't come, but the trap has been laid.
It's unfortunate how much I love these two main characters.
A brilliant young Smith on the rise, kin to the Barony but unknown to any but the Baron and his bastard brother.
And another orphan who is the last son of a king of the Firemanes, red-headed people betrayed and wiped out... who also happens to be the source of magic in the land. He is saved on a whim by the Baron who betrayed his father to death, was allowed to be raised in secret by a clan of assassins.
This couldn't bite anyone in the butt. I'm sure of it.
And yet, with this rather traditional High-Fantasy treatment, I must stress that the devil is truly in the details. It rises and falls with how good the writing is, how invested we get, and how much fun we have.
This book not only holds up well against any modern standard but goes quite a bit farther in that it has deep, wide-reaching roots and a fantastically enjoyable tone.
In other words, ya'll be fools to pass this up if you're into good modern fantasy written by a master of the field with all the heart of the classics (some of which, HE WROTE).
:)
June 10, 2020
I was going to write a really long rant on how this is utter trash but honestly, I can’t be stuffed.
April 23, 2018
It was fantastic to read a new Feist book. It confirmed yet again that he is one of my favorite authors!
This book felt like the start of a great story but really like a start, hence 4 stars.
In the end it was really picking up and I can't wait for the next installment!
This book felt like the start of a great story but really like a start, hence 4 stars.
In the end it was really picking up and I can't wait for the next installment!
August 15, 2022
Starts off in the middle of a battle with some Song of Ice and Fire like intrigue and nastiness. Four kingdoms of the land gang up on the fifth and wealthiest one and destroy it. Firemane's infant son is secretly spirited away. Then we flash-forward 17 years to when the boy, Hatu, has grown up. He's been raised in an island country that raises its children to be spies and assassins. We alternate chapters mainly between Hatu and Declan, an orphaned blacksmith beginning to make his way through the world. A found myself thoroughly bored for the first third of the book. Given that I'm a massive Feist fan that's read every one of his books, I stuck with it and things do pick up nicely once you are through the setup. You can definitely tell that Feist comes from a roleplaying background as some of the adventures feel like quests from a night of roleplaying. One thing I didn't really care for is how much time Feist spent with his young characters trying to figure out their sexual feelings towards the opposite sex. Yes, it is something everything has went through. However, that doesn't mean I want to read about it in exhaustive detail. The entire book is mainly setup for the next book, ending with a killer finale that really had me wishing book 2 was available now!
July 10, 2018
"King of Ashes" was the last book in my pile of winnings from the Goodreads drawings. I regret that it took me this long to finish it, but I was busy. So now I would like to post my review.
Years ago in Japan, the ninjas were a force to be reckoned with. They were not only skilled assassins, who knew how to use all available weapons, but they were also masters of espionage. Both boys and girls were taught the various arts from childhood. They learned not only how to blend in to the population by performing the various trades of the day, but some even set up families in different towns under assumed names. When called upon for a mission, they would risk death to succeed, much like the kamikaze pilots of a later war. Their loyalty was often due merely to who paid them. The reason for this explanation will shortly become apparent.
"Book One: King of Ashes" is set in some mystical world of five kingdoms. The story begins where King Lodavico has just won a bloody battle due to the treasonous acts of certain kings and nobles. Assisting him are the evil followers of the Church of the One God, which suspiciously sounds like the Christian Church following the Apostasy, where 'heretics' are burned at the stake. As the last of the prisoner executions are taking place, one of the treasonous nobles finds a baby in his tent. He hides the man child and then makes arraignments to send it far away. As he negotiates the payment, he stipulates that the child is not to be abused or harmed, and to be returned at a certain date. What happens is that the baby is to be raised by the 'Hidden Warriors' in the 'Kingdom of the Night.'
These 'Hidden Warriors' are much like the ninjas of Japan, yet operate with the criminal efficiency of the Mafia. Thievery accounts for much of their income as does payment for assassinations and espionage. The child, by the name of Hatu, advances through the various stages of the school. He comes to realize that he is different through his treatment. Unlike other children, who may be crippled or killed, he is never put in true harms way. As he progresses, he becomes friends with two others: a boy named Donte and the girl Hava. Donte's grandfather is one of the masters who rule their organization, while Hava is just one badass girl who can take it as well as dish it out. Though the children often bath together as they grew, Hatu one day got a rise out of seeing Hava naked and realized amidst his embarrassment how much he was growing to care for her. No pun intended.
Other characters are important and I will mention only a few. Each character is in a different setting but as the story progresses you can see that their paths are destined to meet. And that should be very interesting.
Daylon is the treasonous noble who found the baby. The reason for his treachery becomes apparent toward the end of the book. He is a generous and fair ruler who has made his lands prosperous. Balven is Daylon's bastard brother and his most loyal follower. Rodrigo is another noble, who is more interested in bedding wenches than doing the stuff that nobles do, yet he appears to be one of Daylon's confederates. Declan is one of the youngest master blacksmiths ever, who has learned the secret art of forging King's Steel. A sword made of such material easily cuts through armor and other sword blades. Gwen is the innkeeper's daughter who falls for Declan. She is devastated by tragedy but I have a feeling she is going to come out of this stronger than ever. Jusan is Declan's apprentice, and I think he is there for a reason. The Copper Hills is probably the place where the final showdown will one day be.
This story reads much like 'The Game of Thrones' without the vulgar sex. As I got close to the end of this book, and saw how few pages were left, I kept thinking in the back of my mind how much I hate cliffhangers. But I will give you credit, Raymond Feist, you tied up just enough loose ends perfectly.
Damn! Now I am going to have to look for books Two and Three also!
Years ago in Japan, the ninjas were a force to be reckoned with. They were not only skilled assassins, who knew how to use all available weapons, but they were also masters of espionage. Both boys and girls were taught the various arts from childhood. They learned not only how to blend in to the population by performing the various trades of the day, but some even set up families in different towns under assumed names. When called upon for a mission, they would risk death to succeed, much like the kamikaze pilots of a later war. Their loyalty was often due merely to who paid them. The reason for this explanation will shortly become apparent.
"Book One: King of Ashes" is set in some mystical world of five kingdoms. The story begins where King Lodavico has just won a bloody battle due to the treasonous acts of certain kings and nobles. Assisting him are the evil followers of the Church of the One God, which suspiciously sounds like the Christian Church following the Apostasy, where 'heretics' are burned at the stake. As the last of the prisoner executions are taking place, one of the treasonous nobles finds a baby in his tent. He hides the man child and then makes arraignments to send it far away. As he negotiates the payment, he stipulates that the child is not to be abused or harmed, and to be returned at a certain date. What happens is that the baby is to be raised by the 'Hidden Warriors' in the 'Kingdom of the Night.'
These 'Hidden Warriors' are much like the ninjas of Japan, yet operate with the criminal efficiency of the Mafia. Thievery accounts for much of their income as does payment for assassinations and espionage. The child, by the name of Hatu, advances through the various stages of the school. He comes to realize that he is different through his treatment. Unlike other children, who may be crippled or killed, he is never put in true harms way. As he progresses, he becomes friends with two others: a boy named Donte and the girl Hava. Donte's grandfather is one of the masters who rule their organization, while Hava is just one badass girl who can take it as well as dish it out. Though the children often bath together as they grew, Hatu one day got a rise out of seeing Hava naked and realized amidst his embarrassment how much he was growing to care for her. No pun intended.
Other characters are important and I will mention only a few. Each character is in a different setting but as the story progresses you can see that their paths are destined to meet. And that should be very interesting.
Daylon is the treasonous noble who found the baby. The reason for his treachery becomes apparent toward the end of the book. He is a generous and fair ruler who has made his lands prosperous. Balven is Daylon's bastard brother and his most loyal follower. Rodrigo is another noble, who is more interested in bedding wenches than doing the stuff that nobles do, yet he appears to be one of Daylon's confederates. Declan is one of the youngest master blacksmiths ever, who has learned the secret art of forging King's Steel. A sword made of such material easily cuts through armor and other sword blades. Gwen is the innkeeper's daughter who falls for Declan. She is devastated by tragedy but I have a feeling she is going to come out of this stronger than ever. Jusan is Declan's apprentice, and I think he is there for a reason. The Copper Hills is probably the place where the final showdown will one day be.
This story reads much like 'The Game of Thrones' without the vulgar sex. As I got close to the end of this book, and saw how few pages were left, I kept thinking in the back of my mind how much I hate cliffhangers. But I will give you credit, Raymond Feist, you tied up just enough loose ends perfectly.
Damn! Now I am going to have to look for books Two and Three also!
December 13, 2019
3,5 stars
A good, interesting start to a new series!
It was also very fun to see how how much Feist's writing has developed from Magician to this one, because after +30 works and +30-some years there's gotta be some improvement done. And it definitely has, though he still got lots of his old style left.
The book built slowly and it took time for stuff to kick off. Sometimes it felt it drags a little. Lots felt like set up for the coming books. We only got to see little of the world but shit is brewing and I'm excited to see what the future has to bring for this series.
I found that the way and how much the characters though about sex a bit awkward. Sure it's something teenagers and young adults do but not all the time or everyone. And when everyone does do it all the time it seems a bit obsessive to me.
If you want to check out Feist, but find the Riftwar Saga world bit overwhelming to dive into, because there are a lot of series to that universe, you can start with this book. It's set in a completely new world and if you like what you find here, you can move on to Magician. I will at some point continue my Midkemian journey, don't know when but sometime when I can read with a good conscience and not procrastinating my master thesis.
A good, interesting start to a new series!
It was also very fun to see how how much Feist's writing has developed from Magician to this one, because after +30 works and +30-some years there's gotta be some improvement done. And it definitely has, though he still got lots of his old style left.
The book built slowly and it took time for stuff to kick off. Sometimes it felt it drags a little. Lots felt like set up for the coming books. We only got to see little of the world but shit is brewing and I'm excited to see what the future has to bring for this series.
I found that the way and how much the characters though about sex a bit awkward. Sure it's something teenagers and young adults do but not all the time or everyone. And when everyone does do it all the time it seems a bit obsessive to me.
If you want to check out Feist, but find the Riftwar Saga world bit overwhelming to dive into, because there are a lot of series to that universe, you can start with this book. It's set in a completely new world and if you like what you find here, you can move on to Magician. I will at some point continue my Midkemian journey, don't know when but sometime when I can read with a good conscience and not procrastinating my master thesis.
August 30, 2020
Reread this and bumped it up to 4 *
It is interesting that the release date for this was a few weeks before in Australia vs the USA. I have always been a massive Feist fan, and grew up reading about Pug. It was probably one of my first ever fantasy reads which I became obsessed with. This has all the hallmarks of a Feist fantasy from that time period. We have assassins, political intrigue, young heroes growing into their own and a little romance. Feist has also added a touch of the more recent grimdark fantasy elements to compliment his old school style. Its nowhere near people like Abercrombie or Lawrence, but its definitely a little darker than all his previous work. The plotting is solid, a king has been overthrown, his family supposedly all disposed, however Hatu may just hold the key to this lineage. So se follow this young boy and his friends through a sort of assassin pickpocket school ala Locke Lamora however the characterisation depth is a little light.
We also follow another main character Declan who becomes a Smith. He managed to forge something with an old "skill" and his story develops from here on out.
You'd assume these 2 story arcs being played out side by side, that somewhere along the line the characters will meet and the storys become 1. The story is fun, very easy to read and Feist at the top of his game.
It is interesting that the release date for this was a few weeks before in Australia vs the USA. I have always been a massive Feist fan, and grew up reading about Pug. It was probably one of my first ever fantasy reads which I became obsessed with. This has all the hallmarks of a Feist fantasy from that time period. We have assassins, political intrigue, young heroes growing into their own and a little romance. Feist has also added a touch of the more recent grimdark fantasy elements to compliment his old school style. Its nowhere near people like Abercrombie or Lawrence, but its definitely a little darker than all his previous work. The plotting is solid, a king has been overthrown, his family supposedly all disposed, however Hatu may just hold the key to this lineage. So se follow this young boy and his friends through a sort of assassin pickpocket school ala Locke Lamora however the characterisation depth is a little light.
We also follow another main character Declan who becomes a Smith. He managed to forge something with an old "skill" and his story develops from here on out.
You'd assume these 2 story arcs being played out side by side, that somewhere along the line the characters will meet and the storys become 1. The story is fun, very easy to read and Feist at the top of his game.
June 13, 2018
What upset me the most about this book was the potential I saw in it. I normally go for better writing but can overlook that if the concept is interesting enough, and there were some genuinely intriguing plot points that hooked me into it and kept me reading in the beginning. The whole thing, however, felt rushed and poorly executed. There was an enormous amount of repetition with respect to the narration that it felt like Feist was trying to shove 1 or 2 character traits down my throat rather than develop actual human beings. So many of the characters in here, including the main two themselves, felt not-quite-human and I never entirely invested myself in their storylines. A lot of what annoys me about series' I found present in King of Ashes, namely the tendency to draw everything out to make room for subsequent volumes; this book is nowhere close to standing alone in its own right and I felt almost no feeling of resolution at the ending. Overall, I felt like I was reading above-average fan fiction.
July 20, 2020
Okay so I totally loved this book. It's the first book by Raymond E. Feist I've ever read and I'm aware that he has written literally thousands of fantasy books and that I probably should've read at least one already. But hey, better late than never. I'm fully invested in this story and world, and I really want to continue with the series immediately but since book two was just released it most likely means that book three is years away, so I'll most likely hold off for a while.
One thing that bothered me was that there were quite a few typos all throughout the book. Like literally on the first page there was a typo. I expected better from a big publisher like Harper Voyager, especially as my copy was the fifth printing(!).
Oh and I found all the talk of sex a bit off putting. It constantly came up in pretty much every one of Hatu's chapters. I get that he's a confused and horny teenager but come on chill out dude.
Still easily a five star read tho!
One thing that bothered me was that there were quite a few typos all throughout the book. Like literally on the first page there was a typo. I expected better from a big publisher like Harper Voyager, especially as my copy was the fifth printing(!).
Oh and I found all the talk of sex a bit off putting. It constantly came up in pretty much every one of Hatu's chapters. I get that he's a confused and horny teenager but come on chill out dude.
Still easily a five star read tho!
March 9, 2025
3-stars.
I think it's probably a sign of how much my reading tastes have changed over the years, but this didn't have the same fascination for me as when I read Magician, Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon... and indeed all his other books connected with those two worlds.
Perhaps I've read too many books in the fantasy genre and they're all starting to feel the same? I had similar feelings with this book as I had when I read Blood Song by Anthony Ryan.
I shall go straight on to book 2 and see if my opinion changes.
I think it's probably a sign of how much my reading tastes have changed over the years, but this didn't have the same fascination for me as when I read Magician, Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon... and indeed all his other books connected with those two worlds.
Perhaps I've read too many books in the fantasy genre and they're all starting to feel the same? I had similar feelings with this book as I had when I read Blood Song by Anthony Ryan.
I shall go straight on to book 2 and see if my opinion changes.
Want to read
November 23, 2018Haven’t read anything by this author but heard great things about it. I’m very excited to read this.
And my copy came with a book marker. I’m really happy about that.
And my copy came with a book marker. I’m really happy about that.
March 12, 2024
First read this when the ARC was released back in 2018 but now that the entire series is out I wanted to read the whole tale so...this is a reread.
Original review is below and after reading the book and review, nothing has changed in my thoughts. Loved this book and cannot wait to read the next one in the series.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Original Review:
I received an ARC of this book and here is my honest review.
After 30 books in the Riftwar world which include 10 separate series Raymond Feist is back with a brand new series in a brand new world and it is amazing!
The prologue is about 50 pages and sets the stage...
Five kingdoms rule the twin continents until a great betrayal leads to the extermination of one of the kingdoms (Ithrace) by the other four.
The book follow the early lives of our two main heroes.
1. The rightful heir to Ithrace: he is raised ignorant of his birthright.
2. An immensely talented swordsmith.
Will these two young heroes have fates that intertwine? (answer: of course)
So how did I like it?
I loved it.
I didn't want to put it down and when I had to put it down I was thinking about the book and looking forward to when I could pick it up again.
It it similar to Brandon Sanderson's book The Way of Kings in that most of the book is setting up the rest of the series and dealing with character development but I found King of Ashes to be a much more satisfying book then The Way of Kings.
It had great characters that I enjoyed watching their growth unfold.
Really good dialogue.
It had tension and intrigue and I felt the plot unfolding at just the right pace.
Note: I have read all 30 books in the Riftwar series and I don't think Feist has been this good since The Serpent War Saga (which was my favorite of the Riftwar series).
This goes right on to my Favorites shelf.
If you've ever liked Feist's writing then this is some of the best.
Highly recommended.
Original review is below and after reading the book and review, nothing has changed in my thoughts. Loved this book and cannot wait to read the next one in the series.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Original Review:
I received an ARC of this book and here is my honest review.
After 30 books in the Riftwar world which include 10 separate series Raymond Feist is back with a brand new series in a brand new world and it is amazing!
The prologue is about 50 pages and sets the stage...
Five kingdoms rule the twin continents until a great betrayal leads to the extermination of one of the kingdoms (Ithrace) by the other four.
The book follow the early lives of our two main heroes.
1. The rightful heir to Ithrace: he is raised ignorant of his birthright.
2. An immensely talented swordsmith.
Will these two young heroes have fates that intertwine? (answer: of course)
So how did I like it?
I loved it.
I didn't want to put it down and when I had to put it down I was thinking about the book and looking forward to when I could pick it up again.
It it similar to Brandon Sanderson's book The Way of Kings in that most of the book is setting up the rest of the series and dealing with character development but I found King of Ashes to be a much more satisfying book then The Way of Kings.
It had great characters that I enjoyed watching their growth unfold.
Really good dialogue.
It had tension and intrigue and I felt the plot unfolding at just the right pace.
Note: I have read all 30 books in the Riftwar series and I don't think Feist has been this good since The Serpent War Saga (which was my favorite of the Riftwar series).
This goes right on to my Favorites shelf.
If you've ever liked Feist's writing then this is some of the best.
Highly recommended.
April 3, 2018
A new Feist, not only a new Feist but a new series, this has been a book i have waited for with some anticipation. I’ve been a fan of this writers work since my early reading days, Magician was a revelation, how fantasy could be written, to be epic and sweeping, and yet immediate and crammed with great characters and prose. Raymond Feist created a unique voice and style and a world that has wowed fantasy readers for over 30 years.
click link for full review
https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
click link for full review
https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
April 28, 2021
This is my first read from the critically acclaimed Raymond E. Feist so I was very excited to read this.
It starts off towards the end of a war where one kingdom was taken over by the other four kingdoms and their line is perished or so everyone thought. A baby survives who is the heir of the fallen kingdom, Ithrace and the baby is sent away by a baron to a secret place where the baby is to be trained and taken care of.
Then it's 17 years later and the baby has grown up to be a spy for a hidden island of Coaltachin. We learn the story of Hatu, the baby who survived and how he doesn't know anything about his identity and is looking for answers whilst completing his training. Simultaneously, we get the story of Declan, the smith who was an orphan and was raised by a legendary smith. We learn of their present stories and their abilities to do more than what seems at first. Hatu finishes his training and goes for his first mission and Declan loses his only home to the raiders from sandura. Hatu learns somethings that were only known to be myths and Declan leaves his only home to survive and he ends up at Marquensas, Barony of Daylon who sent Hatu to train at Coaltachin. There are also some chapters from other characters' POVs, one of the Baron Daylon and the other Hava, friend of Hatu who is also a spy. Hatu has another friend Donte who gets lost at sea on one of the missions.
Hatu also learns that he is the last Firemane survivor from Daylon but doesn't know how to feel. He and Hava pose at husband and wife and end up as inn keepers at Beran's Hill, the same town where Declan lives.
The world building was impeccable and very detailed. I loved the writing of the author as it never bored me and I kept on reading wanting to know what would happen next. Even though the book is 549 pages, I never once thought that it's a long book and would I be able to finish it? I was savouring and quickly reading at the same time.
There are some things that I would have liked more such as the war at the beginning. I wish we had more details about those and not just towards the end of it. I also wished that Declan and Hatu crossed their paths earlier as opposed to right at the end of this book but obviously we'll get to see that in the next book. I didn't have any favourite characters yet I enjoyed reading about them all. That ending though and I cannot wait to read the second book in the series.
5 stars
It starts off towards the end of a war where one kingdom was taken over by the other four kingdoms and their line is perished or so everyone thought. A baby survives who is the heir of the fallen kingdom, Ithrace and the baby is sent away by a baron to a secret place where the baby is to be trained and taken care of.
Then it's 17 years later and the baby has grown up to be a spy for a hidden island of Coaltachin. We learn the story of Hatu, the baby who survived and how he doesn't know anything about his identity and is looking for answers whilst completing his training. Simultaneously, we get the story of Declan, the smith who was an orphan and was raised by a legendary smith. We learn of their present stories and their abilities to do more than what seems at first. Hatu finishes his training and goes for his first mission and Declan loses his only home to the raiders from sandura. Hatu learns somethings that were only known to be myths and Declan leaves his only home to survive and he ends up at Marquensas, Barony of Daylon who sent Hatu to train at Coaltachin. There are also some chapters from other characters' POVs, one of the Baron Daylon and the other Hava, friend of Hatu who is also a spy. Hatu has another friend Donte who gets lost at sea on one of the missions.
Hatu also learns that he is the last Firemane survivor from Daylon but doesn't know how to feel. He and Hava pose at husband and wife and end up as inn keepers at Beran's Hill, the same town where Declan lives.
The world building was impeccable and very detailed. I loved the writing of the author as it never bored me and I kept on reading wanting to know what would happen next. Even though the book is 549 pages, I never once thought that it's a long book and would I be able to finish it? I was savouring and quickly reading at the same time.
There are some things that I would have liked more such as the war at the beginning. I wish we had more details about those and not just towards the end of it. I also wished that Declan and Hatu crossed their paths earlier as opposed to right at the end of this book but obviously we'll get to see that in the next book. I didn't have any favourite characters yet I enjoyed reading about them all. That ending though and I cannot wait to read the second book in the series.
5 stars
July 29, 2018
This was the first Feist book I've read, and I'm impressed! I'm definitely going to have to read his other stuff now after this book. I loved his world-building, and the characters were so well done. The only thing I didn't like about it was the fact that some things were repeated a few times. The one that sticks out the most was the phrase "first among equals" when Master Zusara was mentioned. There were a couple more like this throughout, but it wasn't enough for me to rate the book any lower. It just seemed like he found a phrase he liked for a character and stuck with it, a little too much sometimes.
There were a few plot twists I wasn't expecting, which is always a bonus. A few I could see coming a mile away, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment at all. It ended on the perfect cliffhanger (one that I was hoping for), and I can't wait for the next book!
There were a few plot twists I wasn't expecting, which is always a bonus. A few I could see coming a mile away, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment at all. It ended on the perfect cliffhanger (one that I was hoping for), and I can't wait for the next book!
April 22, 2019
3.5 Stars
Rounding this up to 4 because, well, it’s Raymond E. Feist.
King of Ashes is the first book in a brand new trilogy from Raymond E. Feist, set in a new world unconnected to his dozens of Midkemia-related novels. As someone who grew up reading everything he wrote, and he wrote a LOT (Goodreads informs me Feist is my most read author), I was very excited to read something brand new from him. While I enjoyed the story, I was a little disappointed overall.
For centuries the Covenant has existed between the five great kingdoms of Garn, ensuring peace between the nations. That peace is shattered when Ithrace, one of the five kingdoms, is betrayed and the ruling line killed down to the last child. Or so the killers think. A boy survives, and is hidden by one of the free lords, raised unaware of his identity as part of a long simmering plan.
The story primarily follows two main storylines. There is Declan, an orphan taken in by a smith and taught his trade, and Hatu, another orphan raised by a secretive nation of spies, assassins, and thieves. The book follows them as they both reach adulthood and start to find their way. As the book progresses, their own paths begin to figure more prominently in a broader story arc that involves the surviving four kingdoms.
So how did Feist do, starting over with a fresh world after decades spent in Midkemia? The answer for me is a bit mixed I’m afraid. First of all, the book itself is clearly a setup for future installments. Almost all of the book was laying groundwork for events to come. The unfortunate side effect is that the pacing suffered, and at the end it didn’t feel like as much had happened in the book as I would have liked. There was also a tendency to describe everyday, mundane activities in greater detail than was probably necessary, another thing that didn’t help pacing.
My other main issue was the redundancy. The sheer number of times information was repeated quickly got old. This seemed to happen mainly when Feist is attempting to provide greater insight into a character’s thought process. It felt very forced at times, almost as if I was being beaten over the head with that particular point to make sure I didn’t miss it. As an aside, it seemed like most of the character development came via these passages where Feist shows us the characters thoughts, as opposed to helping flesh out their characters by their actions.
My issues with the pacing and repetition almost make me want to go back and read some old Feist, because I don’t recall ever having these problems with his writing before.
There were some definite positives. Feist has put together an interesting plot and thrown in some nice touches on the worldbuilding side as well. It has an old school fantasy feel which I also enjoyed. I know my review sounds pretty negative, but I genuinely did enjoy the book. I think part of my issue is that I love Feist and his Midkemia books so my expectations were extremely high, and King of Ashes didn’t quite meet them. I’ll still definitely read the next book once it comes out, because it is Feist after all.
Rounding this up to 4 because, well, it’s Raymond E. Feist.
King of Ashes is the first book in a brand new trilogy from Raymond E. Feist, set in a new world unconnected to his dozens of Midkemia-related novels. As someone who grew up reading everything he wrote, and he wrote a LOT (Goodreads informs me Feist is my most read author), I was very excited to read something brand new from him. While I enjoyed the story, I was a little disappointed overall.
For centuries the Covenant has existed between the five great kingdoms of Garn, ensuring peace between the nations. That peace is shattered when Ithrace, one of the five kingdoms, is betrayed and the ruling line killed down to the last child. Or so the killers think. A boy survives, and is hidden by one of the free lords, raised unaware of his identity as part of a long simmering plan.
The story primarily follows two main storylines. There is Declan, an orphan taken in by a smith and taught his trade, and Hatu, another orphan raised by a secretive nation of spies, assassins, and thieves. The book follows them as they both reach adulthood and start to find their way. As the book progresses, their own paths begin to figure more prominently in a broader story arc that involves the surviving four kingdoms.
So how did Feist do, starting over with a fresh world after decades spent in Midkemia? The answer for me is a bit mixed I’m afraid. First of all, the book itself is clearly a setup for future installments. Almost all of the book was laying groundwork for events to come. The unfortunate side effect is that the pacing suffered, and at the end it didn’t feel like as much had happened in the book as I would have liked. There was also a tendency to describe everyday, mundane activities in greater detail than was probably necessary, another thing that didn’t help pacing.
My other main issue was the redundancy. The sheer number of times information was repeated quickly got old. This seemed to happen mainly when Feist is attempting to provide greater insight into a character’s thought process. It felt very forced at times, almost as if I was being beaten over the head with that particular point to make sure I didn’t miss it. As an aside, it seemed like most of the character development came via these passages where Feist shows us the characters thoughts, as opposed to helping flesh out their characters by their actions.
My issues with the pacing and repetition almost make me want to go back and read some old Feist, because I don’t recall ever having these problems with his writing before.
There were some definite positives. Feist has put together an interesting plot and thrown in some nice touches on the worldbuilding side as well. It has an old school fantasy feel which I also enjoyed. I know my review sounds pretty negative, but I genuinely did enjoy the book. I think part of my issue is that I love Feist and his Midkemia books so my expectations were extremely high, and King of Ashes didn’t quite meet them. I’ll still definitely read the next book once it comes out, because it is Feist after all.
December 13, 2018
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/05/07/...
I must preface this review with a confession: I had never read Raymond E. Feist before picking up King of Ashes, so I was going in with a completely blank slate and no pre-conceived notions of the author or the novel. What followed was a satisfying read, if a bit mundane and old hat at times. It seems to me that over the years, the genre has moved on from a lot of the ideas featured in this story. Nevertheless, I think it’s perfect for anyone seeking a fun traditional epic fantasy, and despite all the well-worn tropes, I enjoyed myself.
The book opens on a bloody scene as Baron Daylon Dumarch, a Free Lord, watches the execution of every single family member of the royal family of Ithrace. The monarch of what was once one of the five great kingdoms of North and South Tembria had just been betrayed by the other four kings in a brutal and decisive battle, signaling an end to the ancient covenant that had protected the peace and balance for centuries. Now King Lodavico of Sandura, the man at the head of the takeover, is determined to completely destroy the line of King Steveren of Ithrace, putting everyone with Firemane blood to the sword.
But in the chaos, a child was overlooked—a baby boy who was spirited away to safety in the confusion of battle. Daylon, who was close friends with Steveren, returns to his pavilion to rest after the executions, feeling sick for the part he played in the betrayal, even though he was forced to do it for the sake of his people. Waking up, he finds that someone had left a male infant in his quarters, and after seeing the boy’s fiery red hair, understands right away this must be the last surviving Firemane child and heir to the now ruined kingdom of Ithrace. Keeping the baby’s existence to himself, Daylon decides to entrust his care to the agents of the “Invisible Nation”, a secretive organization that trains highly skilled assassins and spies on their island of Coaltachin.
All this happens in the prologue, which is then followed by the beginning of the tale in earnest, picking up approximately sixteen years later. The Firemane baby has grown to become a hot-headed young man named Hatu, whose foreign physical traits have made him something of an outcast growing up in the south among other students at the school on Coaltachin. About half the story is told from his perspective, unfolding like a coming-of-age narrative about growing up, mastering his studies, and discovering the physical and emotional changes that come with adolescence. More and more, Hatu is also starting to notice his good friend Hava, who is the best fighter in her class, even though any romance between students is forbidden. Then there’s Declan, the other major perspective in this novel, who is the apprentice of a very talented blacksmith once in Baron Daylon Dumarch’s service. Readers get to meet Declan just as he has achieved master status, and circumstances have forced him to strike out on his own much sooner than he expected.
While there is a smattering of other POVs peppered throughout the novel, King of Ashes is mainly told through the eyes of these two young men—Hatu and Declan. For the most part, they are very archetypal characters, i.e. the lost heir and the bastard apprentice, and no doubt avid fantasy readers will have seen their like many times before. And yet, Feist prevents them from feeling too stale by keeping his story moving at an energetic pace. It’s rather common for first volumes of new epic fantasy series to become bogged down by the minutiae, taking forever to get started, but I was happy to see that this is not the case here.
In fact, I found that Feist could be downright frank in his writing style, cutting straight to the matter while leaving no room for subtlety. Everything is spelled out for the reader when it comes to his characters’ thoughts and motivations, and there is little finesse or attempt to show instead rather than tell. To be fair, this isn’t always bad; the writing is reminiscent of what I would call a classic or old-school style, in that it is very straightforward and easy to read. However, at times it made his characters feel flat and difficult to connect with, a prime example being Hatu when he was just becoming aware of his attraction to Hava. Their ensuing romance, if you could even call it that, felt awkward and forced, for you had the author laying out Hatu’s feelings with all the emotion of a dry clinical report. There’s a strong sense of “what you see is what you get” when it comes to the characters, placing them behind a layer of detachment which made it hard to feel invested in them.
Still, I enjoyed reading this book and discovering the world’s secrets. Characters like Daylon Dumarch are especially intriguing, since he is playing a long game. Now that the many threads of the story have converged in his barony, it’s anyone’s guess what will happen next. King of Ashes manages to set the stage marvelously for more to come, and I’m curious to see where Raymond E. Feist will take things in the sequel.
I must preface this review with a confession: I had never read Raymond E. Feist before picking up King of Ashes, so I was going in with a completely blank slate and no pre-conceived notions of the author or the novel. What followed was a satisfying read, if a bit mundane and old hat at times. It seems to me that over the years, the genre has moved on from a lot of the ideas featured in this story. Nevertheless, I think it’s perfect for anyone seeking a fun traditional epic fantasy, and despite all the well-worn tropes, I enjoyed myself.
The book opens on a bloody scene as Baron Daylon Dumarch, a Free Lord, watches the execution of every single family member of the royal family of Ithrace. The monarch of what was once one of the five great kingdoms of North and South Tembria had just been betrayed by the other four kings in a brutal and decisive battle, signaling an end to the ancient covenant that had protected the peace and balance for centuries. Now King Lodavico of Sandura, the man at the head of the takeover, is determined to completely destroy the line of King Steveren of Ithrace, putting everyone with Firemane blood to the sword.
But in the chaos, a child was overlooked—a baby boy who was spirited away to safety in the confusion of battle. Daylon, who was close friends with Steveren, returns to his pavilion to rest after the executions, feeling sick for the part he played in the betrayal, even though he was forced to do it for the sake of his people. Waking up, he finds that someone had left a male infant in his quarters, and after seeing the boy’s fiery red hair, understands right away this must be the last surviving Firemane child and heir to the now ruined kingdom of Ithrace. Keeping the baby’s existence to himself, Daylon decides to entrust his care to the agents of the “Invisible Nation”, a secretive organization that trains highly skilled assassins and spies on their island of Coaltachin.
All this happens in the prologue, which is then followed by the beginning of the tale in earnest, picking up approximately sixteen years later. The Firemane baby has grown to become a hot-headed young man named Hatu, whose foreign physical traits have made him something of an outcast growing up in the south among other students at the school on Coaltachin. About half the story is told from his perspective, unfolding like a coming-of-age narrative about growing up, mastering his studies, and discovering the physical and emotional changes that come with adolescence. More and more, Hatu is also starting to notice his good friend Hava, who is the best fighter in her class, even though any romance between students is forbidden. Then there’s Declan, the other major perspective in this novel, who is the apprentice of a very talented blacksmith once in Baron Daylon Dumarch’s service. Readers get to meet Declan just as he has achieved master status, and circumstances have forced him to strike out on his own much sooner than he expected.
While there is a smattering of other POVs peppered throughout the novel, King of Ashes is mainly told through the eyes of these two young men—Hatu and Declan. For the most part, they are very archetypal characters, i.e. the lost heir and the bastard apprentice, and no doubt avid fantasy readers will have seen their like many times before. And yet, Feist prevents them from feeling too stale by keeping his story moving at an energetic pace. It’s rather common for first volumes of new epic fantasy series to become bogged down by the minutiae, taking forever to get started, but I was happy to see that this is not the case here.
In fact, I found that Feist could be downright frank in his writing style, cutting straight to the matter while leaving no room for subtlety. Everything is spelled out for the reader when it comes to his characters’ thoughts and motivations, and there is little finesse or attempt to show instead rather than tell. To be fair, this isn’t always bad; the writing is reminiscent of what I would call a classic or old-school style, in that it is very straightforward and easy to read. However, at times it made his characters feel flat and difficult to connect with, a prime example being Hatu when he was just becoming aware of his attraction to Hava. Their ensuing romance, if you could even call it that, felt awkward and forced, for you had the author laying out Hatu’s feelings with all the emotion of a dry clinical report. There’s a strong sense of “what you see is what you get” when it comes to the characters, placing them behind a layer of detachment which made it hard to feel invested in them.
Still, I enjoyed reading this book and discovering the world’s secrets. Characters like Daylon Dumarch are especially intriguing, since he is playing a long game. Now that the many threads of the story have converged in his barony, it’s anyone’s guess what will happen next. King of Ashes manages to set the stage marvelously for more to come, and I’m curious to see where Raymond E. Feist will take things in the sequel.
June 29, 2019
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Tasha Leigh
Previously Garn consisted of five kingdoms, each as strong and noble as the next. Until the day Lodavico, King of Sandura, betrayed the great kingdom of Ithrace and murdered its king Steveren and all the flame haired Firemanes, heirs to Ithrace’s throne. Satisfied with his conquest, Lodavico and the three other remaining realms engage in a semi-peaceful treaty, leaving the fallen kingdom in disrepair, its people losing all but a tiny spark of hope. There was a rumour of a baby who was smuggled out, the last remaining Firemane, heir to all its power should he come of age and reclaim his rightful place.
Declan is a gifted apprentice, learning his craft from the legendary Edvalt, weaponsmith to the fallen Firemane regents and possessor of the recipe for the famed king’s steel. Growing up in a small village and seeing Edvalt as a father, his existence is quiet. Until the day Oncon is invaded by soldiers from Sandura and his life changes forever.
Hatushaly lives with a secret society alongside his friends Donte, son of a master assassin, and Hava, a gifted apprentice and formidable fighter. Together they have learnt the art of the assassins, existing in anonymity, hoping to be chosen as the newest sicari. While his friends thrive in their positions, Hatu has never felt like he truly belongs. Always standing out in a crowd with his fair skin and fire-red hair.
King of Ashes is Raymond E Feist’s, author of the Riftwar Cycle, newest entry into his extensive catalogue of bestselling novels. Following the completion and release of Magician’s End in 2013, Feist headed on hiatus after being plagued with health and personal setbacks. 2018 marked his re-entry into the publishing world, coming back with a bang in April.
Any fan of Feist’s previous works would recognise his signature style of storytelling, creating rich visuals and immaculately planned out worlds—King of Ashes is no different. Coming in at 545 pages, the world of Garn is filled with lush imagery, from bloody battlefields to rundown inns and stinky docks, the reader is immersed from the very first page. When travelling through the kingdom of Ithrace, the changing scenery is both beautiful and logical. One can feel the bustle of the markets and the serenity of the open road.
The narration of King of Ashes takes the form of two perspectives—that of Hatu undergoing his education as a future sicari and through the eyes of Declan as he strives for greatness in his chosen profession of weapon smithing. Initially one may feel as though the changing points of view have no purpose as the young men involved have never been associated. By the end of the story however, it is obvious that each man has his part to play in the restoration of their once great land.
As is a standard within any good fantasy, the primary characters were extremely well written. Declan, full of determination, is ever coolheaded, logical and practical in every task he undertakes. Although his background is relatively unexplained, Feist’s mastery of the written word leads the consumer to remain interested regardless of whether the weaponsmith is forging king’s steel or traveling through the countryside. Hatu, assassins apprentice, is as fiery of hair as he is in temperament. Ever adventurous regardless of his setting, he is forever met with hardship unknowing as to why. Ignorant to his position within the world, the flame haired heir is stubborn but loyal to those to whom he is closest.
Secondary personalities are also treated with the care of a seasoned author. Every person has their place, although it is not always obvious until pivotal points within the story as to their importance. Hava and Donte remain prominently featured throughout until the untimely demise of one at the hands of external forces. Declan’s love interest is even given a story arc of her own leading to a heart wrenching crescendo in the novels closing pages.
While I would have preferred the story to be faster paced, by the conclusion of this first instalment in the Firemane series, the slow burn allowed so many facets to be explored without skimping on the details. While not full of plot twists and murdery moments, the action within carried the story to a finale which was both fitting and confirmed the readers suspicions. Towards the end, our main characters meet, albeit briefly, and then head their separate ways, a point that may lead to frustration in some and elation in others. A word of warning though – the epilogue turns everything on its head and leads to a revelation the reviewer could never have envisioned.
Overall, King of Ashes is an excellent addition to Raymond E Feist’s repertoire of hard-hitting fantasy novels. Full of lush imagery, immaculately outlined characters and a narrative which will satisfy even the fussiest reader, the cessation of Feist’s hiatus from the written word could not have come at a better time.
Previously Garn consisted of five kingdoms, each as strong and noble as the next. Until the day Lodavico, King of Sandura, betrayed the great kingdom of Ithrace and murdered its king Steveren and all the flame haired Firemanes, heirs to Ithrace’s throne. Satisfied with his conquest, Lodavico and the three other remaining realms engage in a semi-peaceful treaty, leaving the fallen kingdom in disrepair, its people losing all but a tiny spark of hope. There was a rumour of a baby who was smuggled out, the last remaining Firemane, heir to all its power should he come of age and reclaim his rightful place.
Declan is a gifted apprentice, learning his craft from the legendary Edvalt, weaponsmith to the fallen Firemane regents and possessor of the recipe for the famed king’s steel. Growing up in a small village and seeing Edvalt as a father, his existence is quiet. Until the day Oncon is invaded by soldiers from Sandura and his life changes forever.
Hatushaly lives with a secret society alongside his friends Donte, son of a master assassin, and Hava, a gifted apprentice and formidable fighter. Together they have learnt the art of the assassins, existing in anonymity, hoping to be chosen as the newest sicari. While his friends thrive in their positions, Hatu has never felt like he truly belongs. Always standing out in a crowd with his fair skin and fire-red hair.
King of Ashes is Raymond E Feist’s, author of the Riftwar Cycle, newest entry into his extensive catalogue of bestselling novels. Following the completion and release of Magician’s End in 2013, Feist headed on hiatus after being plagued with health and personal setbacks. 2018 marked his re-entry into the publishing world, coming back with a bang in April.
Any fan of Feist’s previous works would recognise his signature style of storytelling, creating rich visuals and immaculately planned out worlds—King of Ashes is no different. Coming in at 545 pages, the world of Garn is filled with lush imagery, from bloody battlefields to rundown inns and stinky docks, the reader is immersed from the very first page. When travelling through the kingdom of Ithrace, the changing scenery is both beautiful and logical. One can feel the bustle of the markets and the serenity of the open road.
The narration of King of Ashes takes the form of two perspectives—that of Hatu undergoing his education as a future sicari and through the eyes of Declan as he strives for greatness in his chosen profession of weapon smithing. Initially one may feel as though the changing points of view have no purpose as the young men involved have never been associated. By the end of the story however, it is obvious that each man has his part to play in the restoration of their once great land.
As is a standard within any good fantasy, the primary characters were extremely well written. Declan, full of determination, is ever coolheaded, logical and practical in every task he undertakes. Although his background is relatively unexplained, Feist’s mastery of the written word leads the consumer to remain interested regardless of whether the weaponsmith is forging king’s steel or traveling through the countryside. Hatu, assassins apprentice, is as fiery of hair as he is in temperament. Ever adventurous regardless of his setting, he is forever met with hardship unknowing as to why. Ignorant to his position within the world, the flame haired heir is stubborn but loyal to those to whom he is closest.
Secondary personalities are also treated with the care of a seasoned author. Every person has their place, although it is not always obvious until pivotal points within the story as to their importance. Hava and Donte remain prominently featured throughout until the untimely demise of one at the hands of external forces. Declan’s love interest is even given a story arc of her own leading to a heart wrenching crescendo in the novels closing pages.
While I would have preferred the story to be faster paced, by the conclusion of this first instalment in the Firemane series, the slow burn allowed so many facets to be explored without skimping on the details. While not full of plot twists and murdery moments, the action within carried the story to a finale which was both fitting and confirmed the readers suspicions. Towards the end, our main characters meet, albeit briefly, and then head their separate ways, a point that may lead to frustration in some and elation in others. A word of warning though – the epilogue turns everything on its head and leads to a revelation the reviewer could never have envisioned.
Overall, King of Ashes is an excellent addition to Raymond E Feist’s repertoire of hard-hitting fantasy novels. Full of lush imagery, immaculately outlined characters and a narrative which will satisfy even the fussiest reader, the cessation of Feist’s hiatus from the written word could not have come at a better time.
March 20, 2019
Since when did the genre known as Fantasy come to mean "political intrigue in a fake medieval Britain, plus some running away from bad guys"?
This is a book about a magic person, in which practically no magic is used or experienced whatsoever. But the thrilling plot! And the depth of the characters with all their relatable struggles! And the layered, unraveling mysteries bound to suck in any reader! ...No. The book merely sucks.
Granted, novels focused on politics bore me. Yes, unfortunately, even if the setting is the "fantastical" Middle Ages -- or, wait, exactly like our Middle Ages only in a place not called Earth that happens to have Earth-identical people, flora and fauna, and technological history. I expected little of this story from the first sentence. The opening, set on a quiet battlefield post-war (conveniently avoiding any of the actual fun of the battle itself), only exists to explain to the reader that there was a coup d'état. And then it warns that, in this new season of unrest, others may attempt violence upon the throne!...blah blah blah. No thanks.
But hey, I've been surprised by political themes before. "The Stormlight Archive" by Brandon Sanderson is powerfully moving and intriguing, and much of it focuses on loyalties and leadership. Its story grabs me because the characters wrestle with tangible choices that directly impact the world around them. I want Kaladin to accept that vengeance won't change anything! (Although I get his seeming need for it.) Good people in that world experience terrible hardship, and it matters -- I would be as helpless as they if disaster came and there was already such want of resources and infrastructure. Even the lack of reliable historical information leads to gripping drama as people race to discern the truth before their world collapses around them. That story captures me, and I care! And I did from my first read. This "Firemane" story couldn't keep me reading. There is violence, and it doesn't speak of any real truth. At best, it tells us certain characters are cruel and so they must be the antagonists. There is turmoil, and it doesn't lead anywhere. So who cares how it turns out? (Not me!)
I must confess, after the prologue I only skimmed the rest of the book. I'm glad I didn't waste more time on it. But I figured that even skimming it, I would come upon a couple of adventurous episodes to check out or maybe some fire mage action or something good. No. Too much to hope for. (I don't even know if there was really a climax near the end!) The one thing that gave me pause was a blacksmith telling his apprentice the whereabouts of a certain sand used to make the sharpest swords in the world. Okay, I thought, maybe something decent here.... But it's not really all that special. The treasured secret is that the sand is just in kind of a faraway place. The master blacksmith said he made five of those swords in his career. Five! Maybe not a lot for a whole kingdom, but if every smithy could make five or ten, it doesn't sound very unique.
My version of the book was a pre-publication proof copy, so maybe some details will change. But even the chapter titles were a study in dullness! "Dangerous Discovery," "A Short Journey and a Strange Event," "Hints of Truth and Dark Designs." They really whip up your eagerness to read on, huh?
The book is humorless and pointless, I'm afraid. And just not worth it.
This is a book about a magic person, in which practically no magic is used or experienced whatsoever. But the thrilling plot! And the depth of the characters with all their relatable struggles! And the layered, unraveling mysteries bound to suck in any reader! ...No. The book merely sucks.
Granted, novels focused on politics bore me. Yes, unfortunately, even if the setting is the "fantastical" Middle Ages -- or, wait, exactly like our Middle Ages only in a place not called Earth that happens to have Earth-identical people, flora and fauna, and technological history. I expected little of this story from the first sentence. The opening, set on a quiet battlefield post-war (conveniently avoiding any of the actual fun of the battle itself), only exists to explain to the reader that there was a coup d'état. And then it warns that, in this new season of unrest, others may attempt violence upon the throne!...blah blah blah. No thanks.
But hey, I've been surprised by political themes before. "The Stormlight Archive" by Brandon Sanderson is powerfully moving and intriguing, and much of it focuses on loyalties and leadership. Its story grabs me because the characters wrestle with tangible choices that directly impact the world around them. I want Kaladin to accept that vengeance won't change anything! (Although I get his seeming need for it.) Good people in that world experience terrible hardship, and it matters -- I would be as helpless as they if disaster came and there was already such want of resources and infrastructure. Even the lack of reliable historical information leads to gripping drama as people race to discern the truth before their world collapses around them. That story captures me, and I care! And I did from my first read. This "Firemane" story couldn't keep me reading. There is violence, and it doesn't speak of any real truth. At best, it tells us certain characters are cruel and so they must be the antagonists. There is turmoil, and it doesn't lead anywhere. So who cares how it turns out? (Not me!)
I must confess, after the prologue I only skimmed the rest of the book. I'm glad I didn't waste more time on it. But I figured that even skimming it, I would come upon a couple of adventurous episodes to check out or maybe some fire mage action or something good. No. Too much to hope for. (I don't even know if there was really a climax near the end!) The one thing that gave me pause was a blacksmith telling his apprentice the whereabouts of a certain sand used to make the sharpest swords in the world. Okay, I thought, maybe something decent here.... But it's not really all that special. The treasured secret is that the sand is just in kind of a faraway place. The master blacksmith said he made five of those swords in his career. Five! Maybe not a lot for a whole kingdom, but if every smithy could make five or ten, it doesn't sound very unique.
My version of the book was a pre-publication proof copy, so maybe some details will change. But even the chapter titles were a study in dullness! "Dangerous Discovery," "A Short Journey and a Strange Event," "Hints of Truth and Dark Designs." They really whip up your eagerness to read on, huh?
The book is humorless and pointless, I'm afraid. And just not worth it.
December 31, 2024
4.5 stars
This was a good read for me and really took my back into Feist’s writing quickly – I’ve not read any Riftwar for a number of years now, but it didn’t take me long to feel comfortable here and I ended up really enjoying the book.
There are some good characters and I enjoyed growing with them, getting to know them as they travelled the world completing various objectives they had been given. This gave me a chance to explore the world while learning about the characters as well.
These objectives are essentially missions that some of the characters have to undertake and as they are learning their craft, it’s a good opportunity to take the reader along for the ride and drip-feed some worldbuilding without it feeling obvious or deliberate.
I felt it was something of a building book, there wasn’t a lot of high-level conflict and I got the impression that the main conflict was going to be more over the course of the whole trilogy rather than cramming it into one book to give the series an explosive start.
There was still plenty of action in here, there was plenty of excitement and intrigue, but it wasn’t too much and it built nicely rather than just throwing you in properly at the deep end. Saying all this, the book does start with a battle, but it’s more of an extended prologue, giving us the background we need before we get into the main bulk of the book some eighteen or so years later.
This was a good read for me and really took my back into Feist’s writing quickly – I’ve not read any Riftwar for a number of years now, but it didn’t take me long to feel comfortable here and I ended up really enjoying the book.
There are some good characters and I enjoyed growing with them, getting to know them as they travelled the world completing various objectives they had been given. This gave me a chance to explore the world while learning about the characters as well.
These objectives are essentially missions that some of the characters have to undertake and as they are learning their craft, it’s a good opportunity to take the reader along for the ride and drip-feed some worldbuilding without it feeling obvious or deliberate.
I felt it was something of a building book, there wasn’t a lot of high-level conflict and I got the impression that the main conflict was going to be more over the course of the whole trilogy rather than cramming it into one book to give the series an explosive start.
There was still plenty of action in here, there was plenty of excitement and intrigue, but it wasn’t too much and it built nicely rather than just throwing you in properly at the deep end. Saying all this, the book does start with a battle, but it’s more of an extended prologue, giving us the background we need before we get into the main bulk of the book some eighteen or so years later.
November 1, 2018
Loved it
Feist never disappoints. Decent coming of age novel setting up an epic tale of brotherhood magic and betrayal. Can't wait.
Feist never disappoints. Decent coming of age novel setting up an epic tale of brotherhood magic and betrayal. Can't wait.
June 12, 2021
Absolutely brilliant
October 10, 2020
4 Stars!
Excellent 1st novel in The Firemane Saga. I’m looking forward to learning much more about the world, the magic system, and the characters in the next book. The characters development was excellent in King of Ashes and I’m hoping that continues.
Excellent 1st novel in The Firemane Saga. I’m looking forward to learning much more about the world, the magic system, and the characters in the next book. The characters development was excellent in King of Ashes and I’m hoping that continues.
February 13, 2018
Fans of Feist will be thrilled to discover a whole new world which Feist will explore in this new series. They may also find it refreshing that Feist has apparently refreshed his repertoire of fantastical settings and creatures/magics. Fans of Feist will not be disappointed, and will have easily found a new favorite epic fantasy to look forward to the coming years.
However, for those of us who are not proclaimed Feist fans (although have found him enjoyable enough in the past), I'm afraid we might brace ourselves for some slight disappointment. Personally I found this book extremely generic and predictable, and a bit bland to be honest. I feel like I've read a hundred books exactly like this, and there was nothing about it that made me want to continue reading the series. If this had been written by a young/debut author, I maybe wouldn't have expected much more. "Ok, so you've worked your way through the standard tropes and cliches - now where can you go from here?" But as this is written by someone with decades of writing experience, it just seems trite and effortless.
Effortless can be alright too, though, and for I would easily recommend this to the right reader who was looking for something uncomplicated and effortless to read as easy entertainment.
However, for those of us who are not proclaimed Feist fans (although have found him enjoyable enough in the past), I'm afraid we might brace ourselves for some slight disappointment. Personally I found this book extremely generic and predictable, and a bit bland to be honest. I feel like I've read a hundred books exactly like this, and there was nothing about it that made me want to continue reading the series. If this had been written by a young/debut author, I maybe wouldn't have expected much more. "Ok, so you've worked your way through the standard tropes and cliches - now where can you go from here?" But as this is written by someone with decades of writing experience, it just seems trite and effortless.
Effortless can be alright too, though, and for I would easily recommend this to the right reader who was looking for something uncomplicated and effortless to read as easy entertainment.
July 18, 2020
Few authors have had the effect that Raymond Feist has had on the fantasy genre. He is as synonymous with grand fantasy novels as Stephen King is with horror. As of right now, Feist has written 30+ books, most notably the Riftwar Cycle. A collection of fantasy stories that revolve around the world of Midkemia and Kelewan. However, Feist's newest series, The Firemane Saga, has the potential to be as widespread and loved as the Riftwar Cycle.
“The queen had a late child, yes . . . ,” said Daylon. He let out a long sigh. “Most likely it died during the taking of the villa. They threw babies from the cliffs to the rocks when the household was slaughtered. Perhaps he was one.”
The first book of the series, King of Ashes, details the fall of the Ithrace kingdom through great treachery. For more than a century, the five nations worked in partnership with each other to build a world of great prosperity. This is especially true of the Ithrace kingdom. They are known for the beauty of the land and a love of the arts and wealth that far exceeds the other four kingdoms. It indeed was a magnificent kingdom of milk and honey. The King of Ashes begins with a prologue after the great betrayal, and Ithrace is burning to the ground. The King of Ithrace, Steveren Langene, and his entire family are brought onto a stage and unceremoniously had their throats cut. The aim was to destroy every Firemane member and eradicate the family line.
But they missed one... and this is how a great fantasy story begins.
"So he had betrayed a man he loved like a brother to spare his people future ravages. As the priests of the One God would say, Daylon had made his pact with the Dark One; he had sold his soul."
The last Firemane child, a baby, is spirited away from the burning city under cover of darkness to the land of the island nation of Coaltachin. Coaltachin, a secret people specialing in spying, thieving, and information gathering, is taking custody of the child until the child turns 17. From there, the Baron Daylon Dumarch will take back the child and explain to him his lineage if all goes to plan.
King of Ashes officially begins 16 years after the betrayal of Ithrace with the perspective of 16-year-old Hatu. There are a variety of viewpoints given in the story. This adds a certain roundness to the narrative and the ability to take in new perspectives. However, the majority of the viewpoints are from Hatu, Declan, and Hava. At this point, Hatu and Hava are dear friends and students at Coaltachin. At the same time, Declan is a journeyman smith finishing off his first masterpiece to claim Master smith in another town. Hatu, as a character, is young, impulsive, and angry. Although he has, through necessity, figuring out ways to calm the ever-present anger that boils inside of him, it still is there. Declan is in a lot of ways, the opposite of Hatu. Where Hatu is impulsive, Declan is steadfast. Where Hatu burns hot, Declan cools down to ice. It is ironic in the case of Declan when his life is on the line, and he must battle, he boils his mind down to a single point of action. He is ruthless, cold, and efficient. Both of the characters' lives slowly spin and swirl towards each other.
"He was content to rise or fall on his own ability, but when he failed due to lack of information, Hatu flew into a rage—often at himself for not acquiring the knowledge, or at others for not providing it. Unreliable information was what he hated most."
The world-building of King of Ashes is thoughtful, expansive, and detailed. A well thought out world is Feist's wheelhouse. Although his stories tend to be character-based, Feist gives a perfect amount of detail to his worlds so that the reader can get a clear picture in their head. Any missing information can be filled in by imagination. The characters are highly detailed, and the dialog does not ever have a forced or static feel to it—the bane of many fantasy books. Feist's characters tend to speak like humans and have human reactions. Honestly, Raymond Feist is a master at this kind of fantasy. You would think that a lost child destined to save the world, might be a little tropey. In any other hands, it probably would be. But this is Feist, and he could write a phone book and have it be engaging.
"Declan said, “One last thing, my lord.” “Yes?” said Daylon, turning to Declan. “My master said that I needed to see you to honor his pledge.” “Who was your master?” “Edvalt Tasman.” Daylon looked at his half brother, who raised an eyebrow and gave him a short nod. Daylon was silent for a moment, then said, “He was as gifted a smith as I’ve ever known. I made him promise he’d send me his best apprentice. So, that would be you?” “He judged me fit to be named master,” said Declan. “I was an orphan and he was like a father to me, and so because of that, I honor his pledge to you, my lord.” Daylon was again silent, then he said, “You tell me this more from duty than from any desire to seek service.” “Truth to tell, my lord, I promised him I would do this, but my ambition is to set up my own forge and be my own man.”
Pacing-wise, this book is a slower burn. It balances giving enough information to the reader while keeping the pace moving. This isn't easy in the first book of a series. Feist does this generally very well. But at points, in the story, the pacing lags a bit, especially in the beginning. I want to get to know these characters; I want more from them. But Feist teases the readers with glimpses. One of the most interesting and I would think pivotal figures later on in the series is Baron Daylon Dumarch and his brother. The interactions these two have coupled with the political climate, and the Baron's everpresent guilt made me want to skip to his sections. His pain is almost palpable. “I seek only not to despise the man I see in the mirror,” said the Baron of Marquensas." He betrayed his best friend and will spend what is left of his life atoning for it.
One of the other aspects of the book I particularly enjoyed is the magical system. Many fantasy books use magic as a sort of Deus ex Machinea. It can do anything, save anyone. King of Ashes is much more subtle. There is magic in this world, but its extent and how it works is not fully fleshed out at this point. I like that. It teases the reader and allows the narrative to the rest of the great dialog and characters rather than flashy magic.
King of Ashes is a bright start to a new series. It is epic in scope, detailed in character, exciting, heart wrenching, and entertaining. It is all the best parts of the fantasy genre written by a master. Much need not be explained when you say the name, Feist. Readers know that they are in the presence of something great, and King of Ashes is no different.
“The queen had a late child, yes . . . ,” said Daylon. He let out a long sigh. “Most likely it died during the taking of the villa. They threw babies from the cliffs to the rocks when the household was slaughtered. Perhaps he was one.”
The first book of the series, King of Ashes, details the fall of the Ithrace kingdom through great treachery. For more than a century, the five nations worked in partnership with each other to build a world of great prosperity. This is especially true of the Ithrace kingdom. They are known for the beauty of the land and a love of the arts and wealth that far exceeds the other four kingdoms. It indeed was a magnificent kingdom of milk and honey. The King of Ashes begins with a prologue after the great betrayal, and Ithrace is burning to the ground. The King of Ithrace, Steveren Langene, and his entire family are brought onto a stage and unceremoniously had their throats cut. The aim was to destroy every Firemane member and eradicate the family line.
But they missed one... and this is how a great fantasy story begins.
"So he had betrayed a man he loved like a brother to spare his people future ravages. As the priests of the One God would say, Daylon had made his pact with the Dark One; he had sold his soul."
The last Firemane child, a baby, is spirited away from the burning city under cover of darkness to the land of the island nation of Coaltachin. Coaltachin, a secret people specialing in spying, thieving, and information gathering, is taking custody of the child until the child turns 17. From there, the Baron Daylon Dumarch will take back the child and explain to him his lineage if all goes to plan.
King of Ashes officially begins 16 years after the betrayal of Ithrace with the perspective of 16-year-old Hatu. There are a variety of viewpoints given in the story. This adds a certain roundness to the narrative and the ability to take in new perspectives. However, the majority of the viewpoints are from Hatu, Declan, and Hava. At this point, Hatu and Hava are dear friends and students at Coaltachin. At the same time, Declan is a journeyman smith finishing off his first masterpiece to claim Master smith in another town. Hatu, as a character, is young, impulsive, and angry. Although he has, through necessity, figuring out ways to calm the ever-present anger that boils inside of him, it still is there. Declan is in a lot of ways, the opposite of Hatu. Where Hatu is impulsive, Declan is steadfast. Where Hatu burns hot, Declan cools down to ice. It is ironic in the case of Declan when his life is on the line, and he must battle, he boils his mind down to a single point of action. He is ruthless, cold, and efficient. Both of the characters' lives slowly spin and swirl towards each other.
"He was content to rise or fall on his own ability, but when he failed due to lack of information, Hatu flew into a rage—often at himself for not acquiring the knowledge, or at others for not providing it. Unreliable information was what he hated most."
The world-building of King of Ashes is thoughtful, expansive, and detailed. A well thought out world is Feist's wheelhouse. Although his stories tend to be character-based, Feist gives a perfect amount of detail to his worlds so that the reader can get a clear picture in their head. Any missing information can be filled in by imagination. The characters are highly detailed, and the dialog does not ever have a forced or static feel to it—the bane of many fantasy books. Feist's characters tend to speak like humans and have human reactions. Honestly, Raymond Feist is a master at this kind of fantasy. You would think that a lost child destined to save the world, might be a little tropey. In any other hands, it probably would be. But this is Feist, and he could write a phone book and have it be engaging.
"Declan said, “One last thing, my lord.” “Yes?” said Daylon, turning to Declan. “My master said that I needed to see you to honor his pledge.” “Who was your master?” “Edvalt Tasman.” Daylon looked at his half brother, who raised an eyebrow and gave him a short nod. Daylon was silent for a moment, then said, “He was as gifted a smith as I’ve ever known. I made him promise he’d send me his best apprentice. So, that would be you?” “He judged me fit to be named master,” said Declan. “I was an orphan and he was like a father to me, and so because of that, I honor his pledge to you, my lord.” Daylon was again silent, then he said, “You tell me this more from duty than from any desire to seek service.” “Truth to tell, my lord, I promised him I would do this, but my ambition is to set up my own forge and be my own man.”
Pacing-wise, this book is a slower burn. It balances giving enough information to the reader while keeping the pace moving. This isn't easy in the first book of a series. Feist does this generally very well. But at points, in the story, the pacing lags a bit, especially in the beginning. I want to get to know these characters; I want more from them. But Feist teases the readers with glimpses. One of the most interesting and I would think pivotal figures later on in the series is Baron Daylon Dumarch and his brother. The interactions these two have coupled with the political climate, and the Baron's everpresent guilt made me want to skip to his sections. His pain is almost palpable. “I seek only not to despise the man I see in the mirror,” said the Baron of Marquensas." He betrayed his best friend and will spend what is left of his life atoning for it.
One of the other aspects of the book I particularly enjoyed is the magical system. Many fantasy books use magic as a sort of Deus ex Machinea. It can do anything, save anyone. King of Ashes is much more subtle. There is magic in this world, but its extent and how it works is not fully fleshed out at this point. I like that. It teases the reader and allows the narrative to the rest of the great dialog and characters rather than flashy magic.
King of Ashes is a bright start to a new series. It is epic in scope, detailed in character, exciting, heart wrenching, and entertaining. It is all the best parts of the fantasy genre written by a master. Much need not be explained when you say the name, Feist. Readers know that they are in the presence of something great, and King of Ashes is no different.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,114 reviews