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"The Legends of the Nameless World cycle" includes the stories of key characters of the "Dragon Heart" saga. "Ash" is the first of the prequels to the "Dragon Heart" series. It can be read as a stand-alone book.
Even before Myristal went out, before the battle of the Heavens and the Earth broke out, before the Black General was imprisoned on the Mountain of Skulls, a wizard had wandered the endless expanses of the Nameless World in search of his past and his future. This is the legend of Ash, the Master of a Thousand Words, the Bloody General. What’s true and what is fiction is up to you to decide. But this is how his story was told to young children, so that they wouldn’t be afraid and have nightmares, back when the legends of the old world were still remembered.
Even before Myristal went out, before the battle of the Heavens and the Earth broke out, before the Black General was imprisoned on the Mountain of Skulls, a wizard had wandered the endless expanses of the Nameless World in search of his past and his future. This is the legend of Ash, the Master of a Thousand Words, the Bloody General. What’s true and what is fiction is up to you to decide. But this is how his story was told to young children, so that they wouldn’t be afraid and have nightmares, back when the legends of the old world were still remembered.
- GenresFantasy
483 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2021
136 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 13, 2021
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Ash is the first book in prequel to the Dragonheart Saga by the same author. I have not read that series so can't comment on how it ties in but it can be read without any prior knowledge of this world. The story is told in the present with jumps back to the past for context. I will say that normally this works for me in storytelling. For some reason, and it could be that I hated past Ash, this didn't work for me in this instance.
Ash is a half fae, half human creature raised by a witch of sorts. As a youth, he was an emotionless person never understanding feelings. He is a part of some truly heinous acts and even though he didn't really participate, he facilitated them so it was a struggle to read those parts as they were brutal. Present Ash is more likeable and reminds you a little of a court jester always trying to make the crew he is with laugh and more interested in food and fun than the job at hand. He is a bit in hiding as there is currently a huge bounty on his head and so he is pretending to just be a low class mage. His team is always surprised when they live through each new crisis that comes along. They are on a quest to get a magical flower that will have the power to save the King's daughter and set the crew up with a great reputation and the reward.
I've read stories before where the current hero was in a dark place before and came to the light later in life. Sometimes you have already built a relationship with them in other books and other times you get more time before you learn their dark past. Somehow the delivery of Ash's past didn't make him sympathetic at all to me and so I didn't really enjoy any of his early years. The years after he was saved and learned to have emotions were better and I did enjoy his time with his adventure party. But, his past really colored the entire story for me.
I think this book would work well for people who like the set up of a dungeons and dragons type story. I believe it also could have done with some editing to cut out some events and streamline it a little better.
Narration:
Kirby Heyborne has a huge catalog of work behind him. I've listened to him before in a few different novels. His voice fit the story well and captured the voice of all the characters. It was very well narrated.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Ash is the first book in prequel to the Dragonheart Saga by the same author. I have not read that series so can't comment on how it ties in but it can be read without any prior knowledge of this world. The story is told in the present with jumps back to the past for context. I will say that normally this works for me in storytelling. For some reason, and it could be that I hated past Ash, this didn't work for me in this instance.
Ash is a half fae, half human creature raised by a witch of sorts. As a youth, he was an emotionless person never understanding feelings. He is a part of some truly heinous acts and even though he didn't really participate, he facilitated them so it was a struggle to read those parts as they were brutal. Present Ash is more likeable and reminds you a little of a court jester always trying to make the crew he is with laugh and more interested in food and fun than the job at hand. He is a bit in hiding as there is currently a huge bounty on his head and so he is pretending to just be a low class mage. His team is always surprised when they live through each new crisis that comes along. They are on a quest to get a magical flower that will have the power to save the King's daughter and set the crew up with a great reputation and the reward.
I've read stories before where the current hero was in a dark place before and came to the light later in life. Sometimes you have already built a relationship with them in other books and other times you get more time before you learn their dark past. Somehow the delivery of Ash's past didn't make him sympathetic at all to me and so I didn't really enjoy any of his early years. The years after he was saved and learned to have emotions were better and I did enjoy his time with his adventure party. But, his past really colored the entire story for me.
I think this book would work well for people who like the set up of a dungeons and dragons type story. I believe it also could have done with some editing to cut out some events and streamline it a little better.
Narration:
Kirby Heyborne has a huge catalog of work behind him. I've listened to him before in a few different novels. His voice fit the story well and captured the voice of all the characters. It was very well narrated.
Listen to a clip: HERE
July 11, 2021
who wrote this garbage?? all the backstory infodumps about myth and lore in the actual series were way more interesting that this crap. i would like to say keeping this under 150 pages would have helped... but it really wouldn't. to the very end i didn't give a crap about any of the characters and the plot. he should have just written a book about the black general or traves.
April 6, 2021
In this book they have adopted a sort of whimsical, fairytale style of storytelling which renders it utterly unreadable.
September 16, 2023
Ash by Kirill Klevanski is an interesting story, but it is interesting in a way that things are different. The nameless world is very, very young in this story. Gods had been part of the world maybe ten thousand years ago. But things are different, and there's even some mechanical messenger boards. How people use energy is different, the descriptions of the world and what would have been foreshadowing of future events are a little off (and perhaps even more earthlike). There's more descriptive words that seem similar to ours, such as a character being described as having nordic features. The lord of nightmares may be a fairy, what exactly is Ana Brie at the winter court? There's some weird things going on, and I'm not sure if they'll be picked up in future stories. The story is also incomplete, and I'm not sure whether there's going to be a sequel.
April 19, 2021
I am a huge fan of the Dragon Heart series, and i can honestly say I like this story less. If you are a fan of the Dragon Heart series, I would still give this book a read, though it is a different system/source than the cultivation in Dragon Heart. Much more about Magic and much less about cultivation.
That being said, this is still a good story and worth the read.. except... there are a lot of translation errors. That might bother some people. There are some grammatical errors, some spelling errors, some misspelled words and some strange sentences with extra words added. Could have used another editor or proof-reader before being published. If you can get past this, this a good story. But be warned there are a lot of errors
That being said, this is still a good story and worth the read.. except... there are a lot of translation errors. That might bother some people. There are some grammatical errors, some spelling errors, some misspelled words and some strange sentences with extra words added. Could have used another editor or proof-reader before being published. If you can get past this, this a good story. But be warned there are a lot of errors
July 22, 2021
Alert
“This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
I am not going to share my reasoning, thoughts on the book, or any opinions that would influence your decision to read it. I am simply saying that I liked it. I would like you to read it and make your own decision. After all, you are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
I will happily discuss the book with you on Goodreads if you are so inclined. As always, I am open to debates and arguments, but also vain enough to seek acknowledgement, so feel free to roast me or applaud my efforts. Either is acceptable, because if you are paying attention to me then you are at least considering the book. And THAT my friends is exactly why you see my comments here.
Cheers
“This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
I am not going to share my reasoning, thoughts on the book, or any opinions that would influence your decision to read it. I am simply saying that I liked it. I would like you to read it and make your own decision. After all, you are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
I will happily discuss the book with you on Goodreads if you are so inclined. As always, I am open to debates and arguments, but also vain enough to seek acknowledgement, so feel free to roast me or applaud my efforts. Either is acceptable, because if you are paying attention to me then you are at least considering the book. And THAT my friends is exactly why you see my comments here.
Cheers
Read
February 11, 2023That which we see is never forever
The book's main story was light-hearted and funny, his behaviour reminded me of the captain from the Seven Deadly Sins - a pervert, booze-loving, saving anyone from his family; indifferent to many other things, especially violence. So, yes, I loved to listen to the story...
However...
I hated the jumps back to the historical events AND other people's POV, people who do not benefit to the story whatsoever...
It is not that bad of a story as a standalone; however, from what I learned he/ Ash does not really appear in the main story or doesn't really change any other story part.. well he started off the following events but that's about it...hmmm
Why did he get a side story?!
The book's main story was light-hearted and funny, his behaviour reminded me of the captain from the Seven Deadly Sins - a pervert, booze-loving, saving anyone from his family; indifferent to many other things, especially violence. So, yes, I loved to listen to the story...
However...
I hated the jumps back to the historical events AND other people's POV, people who do not benefit to the story whatsoever...
It is not that bad of a story as a standalone; however, from what I learned he/ Ash does not really appear in the main story or doesn't really change any other story part.. well he started off the following events but that's about it...hmmm
Why did he get a side story?!
April 15, 2021
RPG style party adventure
Dragonheart is already one of my favorite series. This is a prequel for a character that has been mentioned from the distant past in that universe. Imagine a powerful mage with a bard’s personality and a history of legendary accomplishments joining a party of adventurers on a quest and they have no idea who he is. It was a lot of fun and I hope there are more books like it.
Dragonheart is already one of my favorite series. This is a prequel for a character that has been mentioned from the distant past in that universe. Imagine a powerful mage with a bard’s personality and a history of legendary accomplishments joining a party of adventurers on a quest and they have no idea who he is. It was a lot of fun and I hope there are more books like it.
April 5, 2021
Good but not great
Enjoyed the story but it was not on par with the author’s Dragon’s Heart books. The story jumped back and forth between the present and the past so much it was hard to follow. This was compounded by the fact that the editing/translation was poor in spots. It’s definitely worth a read but I’m hoping that subsequent books will be a bit more cohesive.
Enjoyed the story but it was not on par with the author’s Dragon’s Heart books. The story jumped back and forth between the present and the past so much it was hard to follow. This was compounded by the fact that the editing/translation was poor in spots. It’s definitely worth a read but I’m hoping that subsequent books will be a bit more cohesive.
September 7, 2021
Excellent, as expected. World building for a great story
First off, I’m a huge Dragon Heart fan, so by default I was going to read this. I dragged my feet a bit as I wanted to understand when and where this intersects with Dragon Heart. Now I know and so happy to see how everything is tying together.
First off, I’m a huge Dragon Heart fan, so by default I was going to read this. I dragged my feet a bit as I wanted to understand when and where this intersects with Dragon Heart. Now I know and so happy to see how everything is tying together.
March 25, 2025
A new favorite author, Legend of Ash of the Nameless World
Ash. The Legends of the Nameless World is one of the best books I've read in while, and I read a lot. I found Matabar on RR. It hooked me immediately but its not yet published so I went looking for more books by Kirill Klevanski. I am so happy I did. This book is in the style of fairy tale alnost but also progression/game lit with Sword & Sorcery and even a couple of dragons. Without stats, which makes me happy. It's so original its hard to categorize as only one type of epic fantasy. The MC is an original. His history tragic but his heart fierce and pure though it has no right to be. Being born without emotion and of no family or tribe, he finally begins to grow and live life, free from the manipulation of others who have used him. Naive and alone he searches for adventure and most importantly, friends. I laughed and I cried and I stressed over his fate. Most of all I can't wait to read more. You come to know his story thru a series of memories. Only revealing a bit at a time what makes him so compelling, enchanting and so different from almost any character I've read about. From monster to hero its not until he begins to be able to feel his humanity that his story actually begins. It was hard to put this book down. Its after 1 am but I didn't want to wait til tomorrow to recommend this book. A quirky, lovable MC, great secondary characters, full of humor and terror, many tales are told in the pages, and I hope to never run out of new stories from this author. Be warned there are some very dark parts but they relate to events occurring during war and are described in sometimes graphic detail. But its an accurate description of what kinds of violence occurs during war. It was not disturbing to me but might be for young readers. Ash is a story of a charming, over powered mage, growing, learning and coming of age in a harsh world.
Ash. The Legends of the Nameless World is one of the best books I've read in while, and I read a lot. I found Matabar on RR. It hooked me immediately but its not yet published so I went looking for more books by Kirill Klevanski. I am so happy I did. This book is in the style of fairy tale alnost but also progression/game lit with Sword & Sorcery and even a couple of dragons. Without stats, which makes me happy. It's so original its hard to categorize as only one type of epic fantasy. The MC is an original. His history tragic but his heart fierce and pure though it has no right to be. Being born without emotion and of no family or tribe, he finally begins to grow and live life, free from the manipulation of others who have used him. Naive and alone he searches for adventure and most importantly, friends. I laughed and I cried and I stressed over his fate. Most of all I can't wait to read more. You come to know his story thru a series of memories. Only revealing a bit at a time what makes him so compelling, enchanting and so different from almost any character I've read about. From monster to hero its not until he begins to be able to feel his humanity that his story actually begins. It was hard to put this book down. Its after 1 am but I didn't want to wait til tomorrow to recommend this book. A quirky, lovable MC, great secondary characters, full of humor and terror, many tales are told in the pages, and I hope to never run out of new stories from this author. Be warned there are some very dark parts but they relate to events occurring during war and are described in sometimes graphic detail. But its an accurate description of what kinds of violence occurs during war. It was not disturbing to me but might be for young readers. Ash is a story of a charming, over powered mage, growing, learning and coming of age in a harsh world.
December 4, 2021
Dry good prequel
I really enjoyed the book. A little concerned by the change in the backstory as related to the god of war’s name being different from the dragon heart series. Also not sure why this backstory has the potter’s love being killed instead of turned into a statue as indicated in the dragon heart series
Overall an interesting look into Ash!
I really enjoyed the book. A little concerned by the change in the backstory as related to the god of war’s name being different from the dragon heart series. Also not sure why this backstory has the potter’s love being killed instead of turned into a statue as indicated in the dragon heart series
Overall an interesting look into Ash!
January 21, 2022
Meh
Was ok, but I had a hard time getting all the way through it. Didn't really like the MC all that much, and the story was darker and sadder than the dragonheart series. The writing style is getting old as well. Everything is written to be extreme all the time, and the same phrases are used to describe everything.
Was ok, but I had a hard time getting all the way through it. Didn't really like the MC all that much, and the story was darker and sadder than the dragonheart series. The writing style is getting old as well. Everything is written to be extreme all the time, and the same phrases are used to describe everything.
April 10, 2021
Amazing book
First of the series from Dragon Heart, hopefully there will be a continuation to the stories of Ash until the moment when he meets with Hadjar, I loved this book it's characters and the amazing narrative that the author has, thank you so much.
First of the series from Dragon Heart, hopefully there will be a continuation to the stories of Ash until the moment when he meets with Hadjar, I loved this book it's characters and the amazing narrative that the author has, thank you so much.
April 10, 2021
I love the Dragon Heart series , and hoped this new side stories would help to expand the lore of the world.
Sadly, this is just an average book , really far from the quality of other books by the same author.
Sadly, this is just an average book , really far from the quality of other books by the same author.
April 13, 2021
Excellent story, needs more copy editing
This story is excellent and a fun read, but this version has glitches in words and translation oddities (like glew instead of glowed and date instead of fate)
If you can handle that, I highly recommend this story.
This story is excellent and a fun read, but this version has glitches in words and translation oddities (like glew instead of glowed and date instead of fate)
If you can handle that, I highly recommend this story.
August 10, 2021
Not sure
I disliked the first part because it was nasty and bloody. But I kept on with it and the story developed and not just killing but an interesting story. It was worth carrying on with book.
I disliked the first part because it was nasty and bloody. But I kept on with it and the story developed and not just killing but an interesting story. It was worth carrying on with book.
April 3, 2021
great book
I really enjoyed the book and I liked reading ash’s story and i was actually wanting to read more i can’t wait to see how ash crosses into your other books
I really enjoyed the book and I liked reading ash’s story and i was actually wanting to read more i can’t wait to see how ash crosses into your other books
April 17, 2021
Another great story by Kirill
A great tale of adventure. This adds some background to the Dragonheart stories. And it was all around a fun read.
A great tale of adventure. This adds some background to the Dragonheart stories. And it was all around a fun read.
September 17, 2021
great spin off!
Wow, I loved Ash. This story was awesome. I’m just another reader but I highly recommend this book. Read it!
Wow, I loved Ash. This story was awesome. I’m just another reader but I highly recommend this book. Read it!
December 12, 2021
It was good. You don't need to read this book before the main Dragon Heart Series
August 4, 2024
Despite some annoyances with the narrator's delivery, I found the story engaging and will continue to follow the series.
September 2, 2025
Itwas interesting, I was in the middle of the dragon Heart series when I started this. It made me miss Hadjar.
June 24, 2021
Fun character, a lot of Aang from Avatar vibes
First off: this is a really fun story to read with a goofy, but dark main character. It reminds me a lot of Aang, who is both a goofy kid, but also super powerful. It's a fun read and I'm excited to see the rest of it
That said, it could definitely use another pass of editing, unlike the other Dragon Heart series books, there are some typos or missing words, probably from translation. I'm sure they'll get those cleaned up though in later revisions. It doesn't affect the story or flow at all
First off: this is a really fun story to read with a goofy, but dark main character. It reminds me a lot of Aang, who is both a goofy kid, but also super powerful. It's a fun read and I'm excited to see the rest of it
That said, it could definitely use another pass of editing, unlike the other Dragon Heart series books, there are some typos or missing words, probably from translation. I'm sure they'll get those cleaned up though in later revisions. It doesn't affect the story or flow at all
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews