Temberlain's Ashes

Another great entry in the Age of Axion series, it did what a good scifi genre that I wanted. D.M. Wozniak has a unique writing style and it works so well as a continuation. I really had a good time reading this and can't wait for whatever comes next.

"Random scenes come into focus before disappearing again. An argument with Chireseal. Lake polishing her lit device with her glossy black suit. Chimeline and I making love near the pool’s edge in the cave. My master moves past them all, like flipping the pages of a book. Finally, we settle into the claustrophobic space within the cargo ship. The poison cloud is just outside of the front window."

I really enjoyed this continuation of Dem's story. Enough time had passed since reading the first book that I was a little lost at first, but managed to piece the backstory together. I recommend reading this book immediately after the first if possible though, the story is complicated enough that I probably lost something not having done so. In this book we learn some galactic history with interesting flashbacks to Temberlain aboard a spaceship, and more about how the void or axion magic works. The characters are all very likeable and well developed, especially the understanding and friendship between Dem, Blythe, and Colu. If the relationship between Chimeline and Dem seems weak, it's probably because neither of them know how to do any better, though they try. It ends up being Dem's dead ex-wife, who he holds in pretty low regard, who solves the ultimate puzzle. The story comes to a neatly packaged conclusion, if a bit implausible.

"Forgiveness isn't the hardest part. It's the emptiness that's left behind."

In this conclusion to The Indivisible and the Void, we learn 'zactly what the evil Mander meant when he warned Dem and team "they're coming" at the end of his life. They... are some evil dudes. You wouldn't want to mess with them. But Dem and his gang aren't you... or me... so mess with evil dudes they shall. I mean, they have to save the world, after all. But now that the true horror of voidance has been revealed, how's Dem supposed to defeat the baddies without his trusted superpower? And who is that guy who claims to be an effulgent - Chireseal? Is he one of the good ones, or someone to watch out for? And just how powerful is Chemeline, anyway?

Wozniak kept all of the elements I enjoyed about The Indivisible and the Void alive and kicking in this book - I was thoroughly impressed with the writing style, character development, and world building. With respect to the character development, my gripe with The Indivisible was the lady characters felt lackluster and plopped into the book simply to be supporting characters to the guys. Not so in Temberlain's Ashes! Chemeline was revealed to not only be a physical powerhouse, but also a mentally savvy and emotionally mature woman who wound up being a crucial component to the story as a whole. I dug it.

The ending to this duology was also exceptionally well done. It wrapped everything up in a way that made perfect sense, but it also wasn't to cutesy-perfect either. I believe it'd be tough to wrap up a ~1,000 page story to elegantly, but Wozniak executed it flawlessly.

I'm giving this four stars instead of five because I'd read The Indivisible and the Void in January of 2019, and while I enjoyed it thoroughly, I had a hard time remembering all (okay, most) of the details of the story. As such, I was on the struggle bus to immerse myself back into the world of the Age of Axion. Additionally, there are quite a few terms that Wozniak coins that I was scratching my head about before they were printed enough time for me to re-remember what exactly they meant. I believe these issues would be solved with a prologue giving a reminder of where The Indivisible and the Void left off as well as a dictionary of terms unique to this series.

Thanks bunches to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A strong conclusion to this duology. Wozniak writes well and this has lots of action, good (and bad) characters, and an engaging plot. Recommended.

Thanks very much for the free review copy for review!!

I enjoyed the book. It's a good conclusion to Wozniak's first part of the series. I enjoyed the characters and the plot development.

3.9 Stars - Thank you Net Galley for providing me with an arc of Temberlain's Ashes. What a ride and a what a strange pair of books. I don't know why more folks aren't talking about these. Full of symbolism and heavy themes of love, loss, and triumph over evil. The cover art is stunning and the world building is perfect for Sanderson fans, in my opinion. I do wish the content was a bit darker, but thats just my personal preference.

Combining science fiction and magic, Wozniak finishes the tale begun in “The Indivisible and the Void” which is book one in “The Age of Axion” duology. His characters are believable and complex, finely crafted like the work of a master artist. They grow throughout the story due to their experiences, interactions, and losses. The story is unpredictable with a complex plot that keeps you guessing.

Wozniak earns five stars for this one. I did not see the end coming, though it made perfect sense. The plot was complex enough to hold my interest, thankfully left some things to the imagination, and ended well. I highly recommend this story. My thanks to D.M. Wozniak via NetGalley.

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A medieval type world where technological equipment has unintentionally dropped from a space ship crash of an "advanced" group of peoples with a system that allows them to harvest souls from living bodies to drive all their technology. This has allowed them to become overlords thinking they ae superior to everyone. They had gone out & conquered whole planets for recourses & peoples' very essence and lives for their own means. The basic premise is going through the throws of what this actually means in morality & how far people would go if allowed. A new worse form of slavery. How many are willing to fight this & what ethics surround this & then what to do. An invasion from the originals to get back parts that had dropped & harvest people on this planet also ends up coming into formation. All the sudden the big wheels on the planet become disposable cogs if that is desired. Well written the second in a series & I didn't read the first so missed a bit I think.