Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

A Light from the Ashes

Rate this book
In the future wasteland of Virginia, Sam, the son of revolutionaries, wants nothing more than to leave the violence of his past behind him, but the impending Third Revolution and the two women he loves may not let him. It is the Year of 42, and Sam travels back home after spending seven years in a work camp to find his childhood sweetheart, Gemma, married to another man and helping to lead another rebellion against the corrupt government. Society has devolved into a pre-industrial agrarian world devoid of electricity and personal freedom. With the echoes of war still ringing in their ears and hearts, the citizens try to live in relative peace and not incur the wrath of the ruling Triumvirate and their army of Corsairs. But another revolution is on the horizon and this time, the women are leading the charge.With his newly adopted family, Sophie and young Ethan, Sam encounters old enemies and adapts to his new life while trying to maintain the tentative peace which has prevailed in the land. Sam must navigate the fine lines between peace and rebellion, love and hate, in a world unforgiving of past and present offenses. Vowing to protect another lost generation of children, Sophie and Sam approach the looming threat of war in different ways as they attempt to find what little humanity is left in an inhumane world, and within themselves. A strong ensemble of diverse characters paves the way to a new future free of the past.

432 pages, Paperback

Published September 30, 2019

1 person is currently reading
20 people want to read

About the author

Rachel Anne Cox

1 book6 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
7 (50%)
4 stars
3 (21%)
3 stars
2 (14%)
2 stars
1 (7%)
1 star
1 (7%)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Profile Image for Andreea Pădurean.
68 reviews8 followers
October 14, 2019
To read the novel of Rachel Anne Cox felt like being home, surrounded by friends and beautiful, familiar places. Not every book has the power to be so welcoming, especially when within its covers there is a world of chaos and limitations. The author skilfully created veridical characters that you may expect to see on the street someday, but she embellished them with comprehensive hearts that are able too carry all the love that people have lost in empty words these days.

Living, fearing, loving and suffering together with the protagonists, the reader is given the chance to extend the dypstopian view upon a possible future life due to the ideological mechanism that constitutes the base of A LIGHT FROM THE ASHES. Even if it is hard to accept that such a picture may be real one day, the author offers a possible solution through the belief that Heaven can survive in the middle of the Hell. It is a hellish world, where Bridget has been conceived and born, but Sophie’s love assimilates her to a little angel. However, when one soul is not enough, there is the family and true friends who maintain the light and love of Heaven in a Hell full of ashes.

Once again, we are remembered that beauty and good reside within ourselves, as well as ugliness and evil. We have the power to decide whether the world reflects the light or the ashes hidden in our hearts.
Profile Image for BreeAnn (She Just Loves Books).
1,453 reviews120 followers
October 25, 2019
What I Loved: The writing for this book, just pulled you into the story, allowing you to visualize this world and the people. I loved the descriptions of the characters and the places. I was completely immersed in this story.

How I Felt: I cannot tell you enough how sucked into this story I was. There are some books that you read where you kind of look up a the clock, go grab a snack, check Instagram, or whatever. With this book, however, I was just like what is going to happen next and had to keep turning the page. The character's lives are filled with love, fear, sadness, and so much more and Rachel Anne Cox puts it all on the page in a way that just completed this story perfectly.

To Read or Not To Read: If you love a good dystopian or post-apocalyptic story, this is just the book for you!

What's This Book About Anyway?
Sam has been in a work camp for the past 7 years and after finally being released, heads back home to find Gemma, his life-long love. He finds her, but she is already married to someone, and she's trying to lead a new rebellion.

In the year 42, the world is in a post-apocalyptic state without many of the comforts we know today. The people are controlled by a shady government that controls their freedom. There are those who will stand for it no longer; they are the women, ready to stand up and rebel. Sam tries to adapt to his new life outside the workers camp, precariously balancing his loves and his want for peace and rebellion.

All of my reviews can be found at https://shejustlovesbooks.com/
Profile Image for Madison.
11 reviews1 follower
September 13, 2019
I am not the type of person to EVER leave reviews, but this book makes you want to write a review about it. This book IS SO GOOD. One thing for sure about this book is that it makes you think. It makes you think about the world around you, what could happen in the future, how things were in the past, and how humans want nothing more than to live and not just survive. And though it is a dystopian novel, it’s not your typical one. The love triangle is the same way. He doesn’t go back and forth between the two trying to decide which one he likes better. By the way, trying not to put spoilers in here is SO hard because I just want gush about this book. JUST. READ. THIS. BOOK. The writing is beautiful, the feel of it is beautiful, and the character development is flawless. I can’t wait to see where this brand-new book goes and I’m so thankful and happy I got the opportunity to read it.
Profile Image for Abantika(hiltonjenkin).
479 reviews42 followers
September 19, 2019
A Light From The Ashes by Rachel Anne Cox is a post war dystopian novel that will pump you up with all the feelings of self righteousness.

The undercurrent of the setting is the birth of another rebellion and the world built by the author is dynamic. It very vivid and a lot grows on you. The story is exciting, thrilling and dark. The character building is gradual and the writing is effortless.

Though it is a pretty lengthy book, it is all consuming and you cannot help but be engrossed in it throughout.
Profile Image for Andrea Webster.
1 review
October 30, 2019
Having the author as an instructor, I loved knowing there was a book coming out from her. It was an amazing read. It kept my attention and made it difficult to put down!! Loved the way the story moved forward.
619 reviews
April 20, 2020
Was about 1/3 longer than it should have been. The dialogue was stilted and often ridiculous. I stuck with it until the end thinking it was going to get better. Nope, totally not worth the time.
Profile Image for Jen .
105 reviews1 follower
December 5, 2019
A Light From the Ashes is a dystopian novel that takes place in a not-too-distant future. The plot and setting are all speculative, but it truly feels like something that can and will happen! What grabs you from the beginning is the author's use of language, imagery, and descriptive phrases. The characters are very engaging and relatable. You root for them, smile with them, worry about them, and cry with them. Oh, and there are also some characters that you LOATHE. That's the compelling thing about this novel. While being dystopian it doesn't read like a typical dystopian novel. It is character-driven and doesn't rely upon stereotypical dystopian plot devices. Good authors make you enjoy reading. Great authors make you feel. That is definitely what happens with A Light From the Ashes. You cannot help but feel all the emotions while you are reading. It's hard to put the book down because you want to know what will happen next. Do yourself a favor and buy this book!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews