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To Ashes We Run
Dieon used to lead his people. Now he must protect them from himself… and from the Twisted One who possessed him.
Echofall needs an izdihar, the bridge between realms, but every girl they take becomes a witch. In desperation they reclaim their original izdihar. The one who broke them. Adisa.
Abandoned by Echofall and stripped of the power she once had, the Queen of Witches rises. She lives to see Adisa burn. But Adisa’s soul is transferred into Dieon, and he has control of their shared body.
Dieon is desperate to free his clan from their curse. Adisa only wants to escape his pursuer. Their coexistence is becoming increasingly unstable. If they don’t find a way to separate their merging minds, neither of them will survive long enough to face—or outrun—the witch’s flames.
The contract has been signed.
Echofall claims you.
Echofall needs an izdihar, the bridge between realms, but every girl they take becomes a witch. In desperation they reclaim their original izdihar. The one who broke them. Adisa.
Abandoned by Echofall and stripped of the power she once had, the Queen of Witches rises. She lives to see Adisa burn. But Adisa’s soul is transferred into Dieon, and he has control of their shared body.
Dieon is desperate to free his clan from their curse. Adisa only wants to escape his pursuer. Their coexistence is becoming increasingly unstable. If they don’t find a way to separate their merging minds, neither of them will survive long enough to face—or outrun—the witch’s flames.
The contract has been signed.
Echofall claims you.
- GenresFantasy
Paperback
Published March 16, 2019
2 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Just B. Jordan
3 books61 followersJust B. Jordan was born to live a thousand lives, but she’s only mortal, so she took to telling herself stories. One day she decided to give those worlds flesh and bone through paper and ink.
Her first novel was originally published by Marcher Lord Press (now Enclave Publishing), and she has had several short stories published in magazines including Havok, Spark, and Splickety. For a behind the scenes look at her books, or information on where to find her short stories, visit JustBJordan.com
Her first novel was originally published by Marcher Lord Press (now Enclave Publishing), and she has had several short stories published in magazines including Havok, Spark, and Splickety. For a behind the scenes look at her books, or information on where to find her short stories, visit JustBJordan.com
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 17, 2019
Reasons why you should read it:
1. YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION
If a scene doesn't hold my attention, I jump ahead. With some books, I'll even skip whole chapters because I find that I'm able to still follow the plot without having read them. Not so with To Ashes We Run. Just B. Jordan throws you into an alluring and immersive world. You have to read each chapter in its entirety to be able to understand what is happening. There were even some things that I didn't understand until I was halfway through the book and then it came together. I loved that. I love a book where I have to fit the pieces together. It keeps me interested and keeps me turning the pages.
2. FAST PACED
I know. You may be surprised to see this written on an epic fantasy that is over 500 pages long but IT WAS. It was so well done. The trick: Just B. Jordan wrote the important parts of the story; sometimes skipping weeks and/or even months ahead in the timeline to get to the crucial parts of the story. To me, it never felt disjointed but kept the pace fast.
3. ANGELS/DEMONS
I'm not sure if that is an accurate comparison to this race called the Twisted Ones but they reminded me of angels/demons and they were SO COOL! I loved seeing their realm (that exists alongside the fantasy world you follow) and seeing their stories interact or intersect with the characters.
4. The villain was a WITCH QUEEN.
Yep, a freaking Witch Queen. EPIC!!!! And, she wasn't just a raging lunatic. Her hatred and motivation for what she was doing was legitimate and reasonable...for a villain, that is.
5. The HERO was...well, heroic.
The main character, Dieon, reminded me of Ned Stark (Game of Thrones). Honorable, trustworthy, virtuous, courageous, noble, steadfast, righteous, determined, responsible. Dieon did not want power nor did he want to be put in a place of authority but many turned to him for leadership and guidance; even people that were older than him. It has been a long time since I have found such a noble character that didn't turn dull but that I actually liked.
6. MAGIC
The magic in this book was unusual. It was soul magic - transference of consciousnesses. It was intriguing to have two different characters coexist in one body. Of course, complications arose. Not only was Adisa (a Twisted One) transferred into Dieon's body but they were also sharing energy; which was drying out since both characters had separate missions they wanted to achieve.
7. WORLD-BUILDING
I loved the world and all the lore that was involved. It felt familiar like a nod to all the great fantasy writers but it also felt like the author had put her own spin on things.
In short, To Ashes We Run was a complex, fast-paced, Tolkien-style epic fantasy that every speculative fiction reader should have on their shelves. I'm a fan and Just B. Jordan's books have now become an auto-buy for me.
Note:
> This is book two in the Echofall Rising series but can be read as a standalone.
> I'll admit that the first couple of Witch Queen chapters felt disjointed from the rest of the book but once I realized what was happening, it wasn't a problem to follow along.
> I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
1. YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION
If a scene doesn't hold my attention, I jump ahead. With some books, I'll even skip whole chapters because I find that I'm able to still follow the plot without having read them. Not so with To Ashes We Run. Just B. Jordan throws you into an alluring and immersive world. You have to read each chapter in its entirety to be able to understand what is happening. There were even some things that I didn't understand until I was halfway through the book and then it came together. I loved that. I love a book where I have to fit the pieces together. It keeps me interested and keeps me turning the pages.
2. FAST PACED
I know. You may be surprised to see this written on an epic fantasy that is over 500 pages long but IT WAS. It was so well done. The trick: Just B. Jordan wrote the important parts of the story; sometimes skipping weeks and/or even months ahead in the timeline to get to the crucial parts of the story. To me, it never felt disjointed but kept the pace fast.
3. ANGELS/DEMONS
I'm not sure if that is an accurate comparison to this race called the Twisted Ones but they reminded me of angels/demons and they were SO COOL! I loved seeing their realm (that exists alongside the fantasy world you follow) and seeing their stories interact or intersect with the characters.
4. The villain was a WITCH QUEEN.
Yep, a freaking Witch Queen. EPIC!!!! And, she wasn't just a raging lunatic. Her hatred and motivation for what she was doing was legitimate and reasonable...for a villain, that is.
5. The HERO was...well, heroic.
The main character, Dieon, reminded me of Ned Stark (Game of Thrones). Honorable, trustworthy, virtuous, courageous, noble, steadfast, righteous, determined, responsible. Dieon did not want power nor did he want to be put in a place of authority but many turned to him for leadership and guidance; even people that were older than him. It has been a long time since I have found such a noble character that didn't turn dull but that I actually liked.
6. MAGIC
The magic in this book was unusual. It was soul magic - transference of consciousnesses. It was intriguing to have two different characters coexist in one body. Of course, complications arose. Not only was Adisa (a Twisted One) transferred into Dieon's body but they were also sharing energy; which was drying out since both characters had separate missions they wanted to achieve.
7. WORLD-BUILDING
I loved the world and all the lore that was involved. It felt familiar like a nod to all the great fantasy writers but it also felt like the author had put her own spin on things.
In short, To Ashes We Run was a complex, fast-paced, Tolkien-style epic fantasy that every speculative fiction reader should have on their shelves. I'm a fan and Just B. Jordan's books have now become an auto-buy for me.
Note:
> This is book two in the Echofall Rising series but can be read as a standalone.
> I'll admit that the first couple of Witch Queen chapters felt disjointed from the rest of the book but once I realized what was happening, it wasn't a problem to follow along.
> I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2019
Okay...WOW. I have A LOT to say about this book, so I'll try to reduce it as much as possible.
First: Not my usual genre
I have a very mixed opinion on this book. Why? Well... I can't say it's poorly written, or vulgar, or boring, and yet: I just didn't really *love* it. I feel that my lack of love for this book has nothing–and I mean nothing whatsoever–with the book itself, but rather, the genre. I would definitely label this as an epic fantasy, and I'm now realizing that epic fantasies aren't really my cup of tea.
Second: Complexity
It's absolutely obvious that a lot of time and thought went into this book. To Ashes We Run has sooo many little details that relate to each other, it's insane! I mean this in the most flattering way possible. The detail that went into the history of this world, the unique names that were were created–all of this adds to the complexity of the plot. Granted, this may make it harder to keep up with everything, but I won't view this as a con, but instead, a pro.
Third: Overall thoughts
Would I pick up the next short story book? Not likely, but it's only because I realized I don't really like this genre.
Would I recommend this book?
Yes, but only to readers who are willing to commit, and pay attention.
To Ashes We Run impressed me in a different way than I expected, but I would still rate it highly!
PS: I was given a free ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
First: Not my usual genre
I have a very mixed opinion on this book. Why? Well... I can't say it's poorly written, or vulgar, or boring, and yet: I just didn't really *love* it. I feel that my lack of love for this book has nothing–and I mean nothing whatsoever–with the book itself, but rather, the genre. I would definitely label this as an epic fantasy, and I'm now realizing that epic fantasies aren't really my cup of tea.
Second: Complexity
It's absolutely obvious that a lot of time and thought went into this book. To Ashes We Run has sooo many little details that relate to each other, it's insane! I mean this in the most flattering way possible. The detail that went into the history of this world, the unique names that were were created–all of this adds to the complexity of the plot. Granted, this may make it harder to keep up with everything, but I won't view this as a con, but instead, a pro.
Third: Overall thoughts
Would I pick up the next short story book? Not likely, but it's only because I realized I don't really like this genre.
Would I recommend this book?
Yes, but only to readers who are willing to commit, and pay attention.
To Ashes We Run impressed me in a different way than I expected, but I would still rate it highly!
PS: I was given a free ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
April 4, 2019
I am floored. I seriously think Just B. Jordan is the next Brandon Sanderson. I have not been sucked into an epic fantasy like this in a long time. The characters were so life like. I found myself pulled into their journey in life, their struggles. Never once was I bored. The pacing was great and the world building spectacular. I can only pray Ms Jordan writes a third Echofall Rising novel before too long. Do yourself a favor and read this book. You will not be disappointed. Echofall will claim you.
NOTE 1: while this is technically the second book in the series, it is a prequel of sorts. I do recommend reading it before book 1, as certain things will make more sense that way.
NOTE 2: I received an advanced readers copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
NOTE 1: while this is technically the second book in the series, it is a prequel of sorts. I do recommend reading it before book 1, as certain things will make more sense that way.
NOTE 2: I received an advanced readers copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2019
I'm not much of a reader unless it's nonfiction, but this was a great book. Everything from the beginning came together in the end to make a strong story. One of the main characters, Dieon, was a favorite of mine. Even days later I still find myself thinking of him. An original read for sure!
March 18, 2019
To Ashes We Run just got a 5 star review from Readers' Favorite! Here's what they had to say.
Link to the review on their website: https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...
Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite:
"To Ashes We Run is a work of powerful epic fantasy created by author Just B. Jordan, and is the second novel of the Echofall Rising series. In this return to Echofall, we focus on Dieon and Adisa, who were once separate entities each with their own problems. When Adisa’s soul is transferred into a shared coexistence inside Dieon’s body, however, complications arise. Not only is the coexistence and shared energy draining them both dry, but they each have missions to achieve to ensure their safety; that of their people, and to escape from the clutches of the Queen of Witches and her anger towards Adisa, and Echofall as a whole.
This was a complex novel that took me a little while to get into, but the effort is well worth it for fans of solid, immersive world building and complex, far-reaching fantasy novels. Echofall builds with a fascinating magical system that involves a lot of travel between realms, and transference of consciousnesses, soul magic and psychological drama. All of this is well contained in a relatively small cast of central characters who go about their missions in a style reminiscent of Tolkien, where the good work of a few can outweigh the dangers of the many. I enjoyed the witch queen especially as an antagonist, a powerful scorned figure with legitimate contempt and good logic behind the villain’s motivations. Overall, I found To Ashes We Run to be an excellent read that is worthy of a place on any fantasy fan’s shelves."
Link to the review on their website: https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...
Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite:
"To Ashes We Run is a work of powerful epic fantasy created by author Just B. Jordan, and is the second novel of the Echofall Rising series. In this return to Echofall, we focus on Dieon and Adisa, who were once separate entities each with their own problems. When Adisa’s soul is transferred into a shared coexistence inside Dieon’s body, however, complications arise. Not only is the coexistence and shared energy draining them both dry, but they each have missions to achieve to ensure their safety; that of their people, and to escape from the clutches of the Queen of Witches and her anger towards Adisa, and Echofall as a whole.
This was a complex novel that took me a little while to get into, but the effort is well worth it for fans of solid, immersive world building and complex, far-reaching fantasy novels. Echofall builds with a fascinating magical system that involves a lot of travel between realms, and transference of consciousnesses, soul magic and psychological drama. All of this is well contained in a relatively small cast of central characters who go about their missions in a style reminiscent of Tolkien, where the good work of a few can outweigh the dangers of the many. I enjoyed the witch queen especially as an antagonist, a powerful scorned figure with legitimate contempt and good logic behind the villain’s motivations. Overall, I found To Ashes We Run to be an excellent read that is worthy of a place on any fantasy fan’s shelves."
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews