What do you think?
Rate this book
The Empress of Blood is afraid.
After one of her councilors is murdered, Mara Bartunek, newly appointed ruler of Sangora and Talohira, finds herself unsure of whom she can trust. Hoping she and those she once considered friends can step out of the ashes of betrayal in the war-ravaged world around them, she calls for a peace summit between her own nation and neighboring Thanatanos. Meanwhile, Aleksander joins an unlikely ally in the investigation against the ruthless assassin working to disrupt the peace Mara so desperately hopes to forge.
However, something far more sinister is rising from the ruins of Nitra, the site of one of Mara's darkest days. The past never quite dies, but it does teach one simple truth:
No empire lasts forever.
After one of her councilors is murdered, Mara Bartunek, newly appointed ruler of Sangora and Talohira, finds herself unsure of whom she can trust. Hoping she and those she once considered friends can step out of the ashes of betrayal in the war-ravaged world around them, she calls for a peace summit between her own nation and neighboring Thanatanos. Meanwhile, Aleksander joins an unlikely ally in the investigation against the ruthless assassin working to disrupt the peace Mara so desperately hopes to forge.
However, something far more sinister is rising from the ruins of Nitra, the site of one of Mara's darkest days. The past never quite dies, but it does teach one simple truth:
No empire lasts forever.
692 pages, Hardcover
Published August 1, 2021
6 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 3, 2022
An excellent sequel to the excellent first book, Embers! Mays' characters were well developed before but in Ashes, they're each pushed to their limits and forced to find new depths, each one standing out on the page as distinct from each other with distinct backgrounds, personalities, and goals. If you thought you knew these characters before, buckle up and get ready to watch them change and grow and challenge each other in news ways. Hanna was a personal favorite and I loved the journey her character takes in this installment.
Mays' also shows he isn't afraid to touch on tricky topics, offering commentary on racism, homophobia, corruption, and what not to do in a pandemic, all without pulling focus from the main plot. His woman characters were a refreshing change of pace from the sort of female characters often found in fantasy, each one fleshed out and written as actual people rather than plot devices to serve the male characters' arcs.
Despite not being like any fantasy books I've read before, Mays does fantasy exceptionally well. He's created a vast, detailed world full of a variety of cultures and inhabitants, including several invented languages. It's fascinating to watch the large cast of characters interact with the world Mays has placed them in and I found myself cheering they fought for freedom and their futures.
If you like indie books, read this. If you like fantasy books, read this. If you like books in general, R E A D T H I S!!!
Mays' also shows he isn't afraid to touch on tricky topics, offering commentary on racism, homophobia, corruption, and what not to do in a pandemic, all without pulling focus from the main plot. His woman characters were a refreshing change of pace from the sort of female characters often found in fantasy, each one fleshed out and written as actual people rather than plot devices to serve the male characters' arcs.
Despite not being like any fantasy books I've read before, Mays does fantasy exceptionally well. He's created a vast, detailed world full of a variety of cultures and inhabitants, including several invented languages. It's fascinating to watch the large cast of characters interact with the world Mays has placed them in and I found myself cheering they fought for freedom and their futures.
If you like indie books, read this. If you like fantasy books, read this. If you like books in general, R E A D T H I S!!!
August 25, 2023
Brock Mays really has a way with capturing and reigning in his readers. I love how you can feel the character's turmoil and anguish as if it is your own.
His world building is superb. In this second instalment of his trilogy we are thrown into Sangora, Talohira, and major cities within as battle with the faceless hoards tears the landscape apart.
No city or small town will be safe as our band of slaves turned to heros is tasked with the impossible. Stop it before the whole world is destroyed by the unsatiable hunger of the faceless.
The familiar main characters from Embers; Aleksander, Mara, Hannah, Shanthah (my four favorites) and the others have returned along with some new faces that jump right into the action.
Ashes starts off with an epic assasination attempt that begins right where we were left off at in Embers. The entire book has a great pace and plenty of action packed scenes with lots of battles and blood. The characters have some flashback moments that give us some awaited answers and raise even more questions. I am very excited to read the third book, Spring Always Comes, that concludes this wild trilogy.
His world building is superb. In this second instalment of his trilogy we are thrown into Sangora, Talohira, and major cities within as battle with the faceless hoards tears the landscape apart.
No city or small town will be safe as our band of slaves turned to heros is tasked with the impossible. Stop it before the whole world is destroyed by the unsatiable hunger of the faceless.
The familiar main characters from Embers; Aleksander, Mara, Hannah, Shanthah (my four favorites) and the others have returned along with some new faces that jump right into the action.
Ashes starts off with an epic assasination attempt that begins right where we were left off at in Embers. The entire book has a great pace and plenty of action packed scenes with lots of battles and blood. The characters have some flashback moments that give us some awaited answers and raise even more questions. I am very excited to read the third book, Spring Always Comes, that concludes this wild trilogy.
July 21, 2022
Ashes is the sequel to Embers, and I absolutely loved it. Even while the character development in the Embers was great, it continues throughout Ashes with some great twists.
The world building is excellent and original, and there are even the politics and wars between the different groups are interesting, with there being more than just the "good" and "bad" guys, having several different nations and even factions within those keep things interesting.
While some of the themes are familiar (in a good way) they always feel original.
I really had fun reading Ashes and definitely recommend it! Can't wait for the third book to come out.
The world building is excellent and original, and there are even the politics and wars between the different groups are interesting, with there being more than just the "good" and "bad" guys, having several different nations and even factions within those keep things interesting.
While some of the themes are familiar (in a good way) they always feel original.
I really had fun reading Ashes and definitely recommend it! Can't wait for the third book to come out.
April 2, 2022
Mays's world-building ability allows the reader to be shown a vivid depiction of every integral part of the literary landscape. While reading, I had zero issues with immersing myself as well as picturing the world he has created.
Mara is a well-rounded, strong main character who is, for lack of better words, KICK ASS.
As I hate giving away any spoilers in my reviews, this sequel to Embers by far surpassed my expectations, and I'm excited to see what else is in store for this author. This series fits nicely on the shelf with my LOTR and other fantasy novels.
Mara is a well-rounded, strong main character who is, for lack of better words, KICK ASS.
As I hate giving away any spoilers in my reviews, this sequel to Embers by far surpassed my expectations, and I'm excited to see what else is in store for this author. This series fits nicely on the shelf with my LOTR and other fantasy novels.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews