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From the Ashes
A noble knight. A haughty sorceress. A dark prophecy that binds them together...
For David and Andrew, Knights of the Phoenix Order, it was a simple mission… escort a young woman to the safety of the Order’s fortified citadel, but in the midst of a simmering war, a chance discovery sends young David down a path he could never have imagined…
Arread, their beautiful and haughty charge, bears the mark of a powerful sorceress, one whose mystic abilities make her the ultimate weapon in the coming war. David prefers to place his trust in cold steel rather than the fickle powers of the arcane but he soon finds himself drawn to the mysterious and tempestuous woman…
When dark forces led by the cruel and sinister General Sicarus kidnap Arread, the young knight is torn between his oath to the Order and the yearning in his heart. As battle rages across the land, David and Arread discover they are both swept up in an ancient prophecy, from which there may be no escape.
And soon they may be forced to sacrifice everything they hold dear, to stem the growing tide of darkness...
High fantasy and Arthurian legend mix in this epic new series. Read 'From the Ashes' today, and discover an age of honour, valour and magick.
For David and Andrew, Knights of the Phoenix Order, it was a simple mission… escort a young woman to the safety of the Order’s fortified citadel, but in the midst of a simmering war, a chance discovery sends young David down a path he could never have imagined…
Arread, their beautiful and haughty charge, bears the mark of a powerful sorceress, one whose mystic abilities make her the ultimate weapon in the coming war. David prefers to place his trust in cold steel rather than the fickle powers of the arcane but he soon finds himself drawn to the mysterious and tempestuous woman…
When dark forces led by the cruel and sinister General Sicarus kidnap Arread, the young knight is torn between his oath to the Order and the yearning in his heart. As battle rages across the land, David and Arread discover they are both swept up in an ancient prophecy, from which there may be no escape.
And soon they may be forced to sacrifice everything they hold dear, to stem the growing tide of darkness...
High fantasy and Arthurian legend mix in this epic new series. Read 'From the Ashes' today, and discover an age of honour, valour and magick.
598 pages, Paperback
Published September 16, 2019
2 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
S.L. Briden
1 book1 followerBorn and raised in Sussex on the south coast of England, S.L Briden is a freelance writer and business owner with deep interests in the Dark Ages history of the UK. Inspired by the age-old myths and legends of King Arthur, she loves creating historic fantasy tales full of adventure and edge-of-your-seat suspense.
For fun, S.L Briden loves travelling and can often be found up and down the UK, delving into the legends of the places she visits. She loves the forest trails of her country and the dramatic coastlines of Cornwall.
When she was widowed in her 30s, S.L Briden focused on writing ‘Shadows of a Phoenix’–an epic, historic fantasy series that she drafted with her late husband. She hopes to inspire other young widows not to give up on their dreams, whatever they may be.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 15, 2020
2.5/5
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a hard book for me to rate. While I enjoyed some of the narrative, overall I did not like the world or some of the characters' actions. From the Ashes reminded me of The Name of the Wind in the way that's told. The opening starts with a young girl, Elowen, in danger and is rescued by a knight named David for no reason other than the goodness in his heart. These two end up sitting together for the night and David begins to tell his backstory. There's nothing wrong with this sort of narrative, but I don't get why David is telling Elowen his story. Why does Elowen even matter? The whole story arc only revolves around David and the characters of his past story so why is this random girl here? Maybe there will be answers in the next book, but I do not care enough to find out.
So David's story is one we've all heard before. A valiant knight and how he gets there. A girl with crazy powers and a sassy mouth. I loved Arread, but at times it felt like her character was only there to forward David's storyline when she is the chosen one. Arread is the sorceress foretold to align the balance between Light and Dark yet she's not even the main character?? Plus there was the whole awful sexism and misogyny of this world. Like why?? I get that this is told in Arthurian times, but come on. We can do better than that crap. Plus this whole story had a very "male gaze" vibe and I am not here for it.
I liked the training parts of David's past, but god they took up a ridiculous amount of time in the scope of the story. We really did not need every little detail of how he became to be such a great knight. The growing friendship between Andrew and David was well done, but half the time I hated both of them for different reasons.
I feel like I could've really liked this story, but the world and characters are just not for me. Add onto the fact that this was like 200-300 pages too long and it makes for a chore to read.
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was such a hard book for me to rate. While I enjoyed some of the narrative, overall I did not like the world or some of the characters' actions. From the Ashes reminded me of The Name of the Wind in the way that's told. The opening starts with a young girl, Elowen, in danger and is rescued by a knight named David for no reason other than the goodness in his heart. These two end up sitting together for the night and David begins to tell his backstory. There's nothing wrong with this sort of narrative, but I don't get why David is telling Elowen his story. Why does Elowen even matter? The whole story arc only revolves around David and the characters of his past story so why is this random girl here? Maybe there will be answers in the next book, but I do not care enough to find out.
So David's story is one we've all heard before. A valiant knight and how he gets there. A girl with crazy powers and a sassy mouth. I loved Arread, but at times it felt like her character was only there to forward David's storyline when she is the chosen one. Arread is the sorceress foretold to align the balance between Light and Dark yet she's not even the main character?? Plus there was the whole awful sexism and misogyny of this world. Like why?? I get that this is told in Arthurian times, but come on. We can do better than that crap. Plus this whole story had a very "male gaze" vibe and I am not here for it.
I liked the training parts of David's past, but god they took up a ridiculous amount of time in the scope of the story. We really did not need every little detail of how he became to be such a great knight. The growing friendship between Andrew and David was well done, but half the time I hated both of them for different reasons.
I feel like I could've really liked this story, but the world and characters are just not for me. Add onto the fact that this was like 200-300 pages too long and it makes for a chore to read.
December 9, 2020
This was a really good fantasy! I thoroughly enjoyed it, though at the beginning its size was a bit daunting. I did find it slow at times, and I believe this book could have easily contained a 100 pages less. I can totally recommend it, though!
June 15, 2022
4.5☆
My soul is now...shattered.
I loved it :))
My soul is now...shattered.
I loved it :))
October 24, 2019
S.L. Briden is an amazing talent! Her debut novel is packed full with imagination that is refreshing, witty and boundless. From the Ashes embraces a lot of action, great narrative, depth and a bit of forbidden romance. What’s not to like?
Set up as a frame-story, this Arthurian Fantasy novel mainly follows David’s s journey as a Phoenix Knight, charged with protecting Arread, while flipping briefly at the ends of chapters back to the present in Elowen’s point-of-view, as David of the present-time is telling Elowen his story. I imagine this is beginning as a type of prequel story that is going to catch up to the present, wherein we’ll eventually follow Elowen’s journey. There seems to be something more fate bound in David and Elowen’s meeting, though it’s not revealed in this book.
I loved David and Andrew’s camaraderie. There is a lot of humor to enjoy that complements the more serious moments with graphic battles (not too graphic though) and a dark world full of consequences.
Arread is a little spitfire of a sorceress. She is the savior for Light and prophesized to destroy Darkness, alongside her courageous knights, David and Andrew. It’s against law for David to love and put anyone above his Duty, which created great conflict as he began to develop feelings for Arread. Their romance is a slow-burn and tastefully executed.
Sicarus, the antagonist after Arread, is a well-fleshed out baddy that gave me chills. He is infatuated with Arread and out to turn her into one of the Dark, using her great power against Light and destroying them once and for all. There were some great twists that came with these clashes with him (not going to spoil them).
I could go on and on. There’s so many colorful characters this trio interacts with. It’s truly a great read. I recommend it unreseveredly.
Disclaimer: It is written in British English, not American English, but the book is extremely well-written and edited.
Set up as a frame-story, this Arthurian Fantasy novel mainly follows David’s s journey as a Phoenix Knight, charged with protecting Arread, while flipping briefly at the ends of chapters back to the present in Elowen’s point-of-view, as David of the present-time is telling Elowen his story. I imagine this is beginning as a type of prequel story that is going to catch up to the present, wherein we’ll eventually follow Elowen’s journey. There seems to be something more fate bound in David and Elowen’s meeting, though it’s not revealed in this book.
I loved David and Andrew’s camaraderie. There is a lot of humor to enjoy that complements the more serious moments with graphic battles (not too graphic though) and a dark world full of consequences.
Arread is a little spitfire of a sorceress. She is the savior for Light and prophesized to destroy Darkness, alongside her courageous knights, David and Andrew. It’s against law for David to love and put anyone above his Duty, which created great conflict as he began to develop feelings for Arread. Their romance is a slow-burn and tastefully executed.
Sicarus, the antagonist after Arread, is a well-fleshed out baddy that gave me chills. He is infatuated with Arread and out to turn her into one of the Dark, using her great power against Light and destroying them once and for all. There were some great twists that came with these clashes with him (not going to spoil them).
I could go on and on. There’s so many colorful characters this trio interacts with. It’s truly a great read. I recommend it unreseveredly.
Disclaimer: It is written in British English, not American English, but the book is extremely well-written and edited.
November 10, 2019
This book is set in Arthurian Britain. Two members of the elite Order Of The Phoenix are assigned to protect the woman prophesied to be The Power Of The Light, the being that will overcome The Dark Lord.
It's the first in a series and I will definitely be going back for seconds when the next book is released. The story was interesting and I felt invested in the characters. I never felt confused about who was who. The author laid them all out very well.
If I have one criticism it is the inconsistencies in the dialogues. The author swung between a quite formal, old fashioned style of speech to suddenly hitting us with very contemporary phrases which were a little jarring. And misuse of words which made for sentences which weren't quite right.
But this is a cracking good story at the end of the day and I hope the rest of the series continues the momentum.
#FromTheAshes #Netgalley
It's the first in a series and I will definitely be going back for seconds when the next book is released. The story was interesting and I felt invested in the characters. I never felt confused about who was who. The author laid them all out very well.
If I have one criticism it is the inconsistencies in the dialogues. The author swung between a quite formal, old fashioned style of speech to suddenly hitting us with very contemporary phrases which were a little jarring. And misuse of words which made for sentences which weren't quite right.
But this is a cracking good story at the end of the day and I hope the rest of the series continues the momentum.
#FromTheAshes #Netgalley
October 22, 2019
As someone who loves all things medieval and Arthurian, this book was perfect for me. I was quickly able to engage in the battles and loved the characters. The book was so real for me, none of this, happily ever after dribble that gets regurgitated a lot. Would highly recommend this.
July 18, 2020
A Wonderfully Intricate, Memorable, Engaging Sword & Sorcery Tale That’s Sure To Please!
Overview: For David and Andrew—two of the best knights that the Phoenix Order has to offer—it was a simple mission... Escort Arread—a powerful young sorceress whose mystic abilities could make her the ultimate weapon in the coming war—to safety at the Order’s fortified citadel. But in the midst of oncoming war and a budding romance, David and Arread are swept up in an ancient prophecy from which there may be no escape.
Chivalry is alive and well in this rousing tale about Arthurian Britain as an orphaned boy finds himself suddenly indoctrinated into a special order of knights. As David and his rival, Andrew, rise to the top of the ranks, and the kingdom falls into darker days, it is left to the powerful and prestigious Order of the Phoenix to protect the people and uphold the laws set forth by the King and his Knights of the Round Table.
S.L. Briden’s “From The Ashes” presents an epic sword and sorcery tale that creates vivid imagery about the days of yore while depicting a fractured kingdom tenuously ruled by King Arthur. The author’s primary characters are as fascinating as they are relatable, compelling, and well thought out. Briden’s expansion on the Camelot saga is exceptional, involving a feudal kingdom that has yet to become one and characters that are ruled by various religions, rival lords, and ideals.
In “From The Ashes”, Briden achieves the perfect balance of good and evil, dedication to duty, and rivalry and romance. David and Andrew exemplify the trials associated with rising through the ranks as they pit each other against themselves as well as their enemies. At first, the fledglings false bravado and competitive natures may fail to impress, but readers will revel in their silly antics and naivety as they eventually come into their own. As the rivalry between her two would-be knights strengthens and maturity takes hold, the bonds of friendship between David and Andrew strengthen, but jealousy issues still prevail. The frustration between the three characters comes to a head as the trio is ordered to become a singular fighting team, and while romantics will enjoy the sexual tension that develops between the beautiful sorceress, Arread, and David, action/adventure fans will revel in David’s rivalry with Andrew, as well as the ardor with which, together, they defeat their foes.
While battles rage and threats become more frequent, the tension created by forbidden love becomes a key component in this novel for David’s angst over his love for Arread may either be a threat to their mission or the cause of their success. In “From the Ashes”, Briden strikes the perfect balance between romance and action/adventure to deliver a high-spirited story well worth the read. Complete with wizards and warriors, sorceresses and seers, and knights and villains, Briden writes a wonderfully intricate, memorable, and engaging tale that’s sure to please. Oh... And, have I mentioned the dragons?
“From The Ashes” does contain graphic violence and adult language, but no more than the average teenage read. This book is also written in British English and contains British Grammar. I highly recommend this thoroughly engaging and action-packed novel for anyone, ages 13 and up, who loves sword and sorcery, medieval action/adventures, Arthurian folklore, and forbidden romance.
Overview: For David and Andrew—two of the best knights that the Phoenix Order has to offer—it was a simple mission... Escort Arread—a powerful young sorceress whose mystic abilities could make her the ultimate weapon in the coming war—to safety at the Order’s fortified citadel. But in the midst of oncoming war and a budding romance, David and Arread are swept up in an ancient prophecy from which there may be no escape.
Chivalry is alive and well in this rousing tale about Arthurian Britain as an orphaned boy finds himself suddenly indoctrinated into a special order of knights. As David and his rival, Andrew, rise to the top of the ranks, and the kingdom falls into darker days, it is left to the powerful and prestigious Order of the Phoenix to protect the people and uphold the laws set forth by the King and his Knights of the Round Table.
S.L. Briden’s “From The Ashes” presents an epic sword and sorcery tale that creates vivid imagery about the days of yore while depicting a fractured kingdom tenuously ruled by King Arthur. The author’s primary characters are as fascinating as they are relatable, compelling, and well thought out. Briden’s expansion on the Camelot saga is exceptional, involving a feudal kingdom that has yet to become one and characters that are ruled by various religions, rival lords, and ideals.
In “From The Ashes”, Briden achieves the perfect balance of good and evil, dedication to duty, and rivalry and romance. David and Andrew exemplify the trials associated with rising through the ranks as they pit each other against themselves as well as their enemies. At first, the fledglings false bravado and competitive natures may fail to impress, but readers will revel in their silly antics and naivety as they eventually come into their own. As the rivalry between her two would-be knights strengthens and maturity takes hold, the bonds of friendship between David and Andrew strengthen, but jealousy issues still prevail. The frustration between the three characters comes to a head as the trio is ordered to become a singular fighting team, and while romantics will enjoy the sexual tension that develops between the beautiful sorceress, Arread, and David, action/adventure fans will revel in David’s rivalry with Andrew, as well as the ardor with which, together, they defeat their foes.
While battles rage and threats become more frequent, the tension created by forbidden love becomes a key component in this novel for David’s angst over his love for Arread may either be a threat to their mission or the cause of their success. In “From the Ashes”, Briden strikes the perfect balance between romance and action/adventure to deliver a high-spirited story well worth the read. Complete with wizards and warriors, sorceresses and seers, and knights and villains, Briden writes a wonderfully intricate, memorable, and engaging tale that’s sure to please. Oh... And, have I mentioned the dragons?
“From The Ashes” does contain graphic violence and adult language, but no more than the average teenage read. This book is also written in British English and contains British Grammar. I highly recommend this thoroughly engaging and action-packed novel for anyone, ages 13 and up, who loves sword and sorcery, medieval action/adventures, Arthurian folklore, and forbidden romance.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews