Twelve years ago, Maya was five and her brother Gyre eight, innocent children about to have their lives torn to shreds when Maya is taken by a centarch to train her to be one as well. At the same time, Gyre is seriously wounded by the centarch, and vows to bring down the Twilight Order that has taken his sister, and one eye, from him. Twelve years later, Maya is a step away from becoming a centarch in the Order and Gyre is known as Halfmask, a rebel seeking a lost ghoul city called the Tomb where he hopes he can find something to bring down the Order. On opposite sides, the siblings unexpectedly meet again, equally unexpectedly after the same item of mysterious abilities that can break the world.

This is one of those books where I'd rather not have read reviews prior to reading it. There are several that draw similarities to Star Wars, which I could absolutely see. The only problem is that, while not a fan of or very familiar with the series, I couldn't quite shake the Star Wars feel. It was odd and a bit uncomfortable to be reading along only to have some image from the movies or a TV series pop into my head and become unshakable for several pages. That said, though, I do adore books with siblings who happen to fall on opposite sides, so I really couldn't resist and it was kind of fun to read a not-Star Wars book that had so many elements I love: great characters, strong world building, and a relentless story.

The Characters: Two Siblings on Opposite Sides

Ashes of the Sun follows siblings Gyre and Maya who haven't seen each other since they were young children. They clearly loved each other as siblings do, but twelve years made a huge difference. Still, there was still some love between them that then impacted following events. I loved that they could still see each other as family, but also see they were on opposite side and view their side as the right one. My favorite part was that the chapters flipped between their points of view, so it was interesting and informative to get some of the same events from their differing perspectives.

Gyre is a man whose present has been shaped by his history. Early on, he learned to hate the Twilight Order for what it did to him and his family. His thirst for revenge eggs him on, making him take chances and make assumptions. I did admire his loyalty to his cause, but it also made him out to be someone who uses other people and doesn't have much of a heart even though he did care to some degree. At other times, though, he seemed like a rather deep individual with conflicting morals pulling at him, lending him depth and the ability to make me like him.

Similarly, Maya seemed to be driven by a single cause: to learn the truth about her mentor Jaedia. But she felt more fiery, more likely to stumble into a situation and use all of her resources to make it right. I liked her devotion to the Order and her cause and that it felt like she trembled a bit on whether to give herself over completely to what the Order deemed right. Really, though, I think the characters around her really made her Maya. I adored her team, though my favorite, the scout Varo, wasn't seen as much as I would have liked. Still, I loved Tanax and how he seemed to be so snooty and superior, but really had his foundation severely shaken. Beq, Maya's love interest, was awesome. I loved how, as an arcanist, she was really into the arcana they came across and was easily fascinated by things others would prefer to pass by. Mostly, though, I loved her glasses. I have no idea what they really did, but they seemed to do amazing things for her vision.

Then there are the centarchs and the ghouls. They are on opposing sides, the ghouls being the more ancient ones. They were deeply mysterious, but utterly fascinating. I hope to learn more about them in later books. The centarchs were really well-thought out, but I wonder if that's because of the Star Wars influence. I did like that the various centarchs Maya and her team came into contact with were quite a varied group, and it was interesting to see how they came across was infallible and superior, but also really human.

The Setting: A Fascinating, Highly Detailed Single World

Comprised of the Republic and the Splinter Kingdoms, Ashes of the Sun differs from Star Wars in that there's a single world instead of who knows how many planets. Still, I could see the influence. I adored that this world had a history that wasn't just referenced, but felt like it was living and breathing. It clearly played a role in the entire novel and I felt like there was as much of a history to it as our world actually has.

I really enjoyed the mix of science fiction and fantasy elements. While most of it felt more influenced by fantasy, there were still science fiction elements like skyships and the arcana that required magic, but also felt high tech. The magic, called deiat, was fascinating. It manifests differently in each centarch, so their weapons, kind of like the lightsabers, manifested differently. It was fascinating to read about how they used both blades and magic in battles, as well as the ramifications of using too much power.

I had a hard time telling whether the world was more fantasy-inspired in general or more Star Wars-inspired. The characters traveled widely across the world, the centarchs through gates and Gyre and his pal Kit on foot. There was everything from tunnels to cities to small villages to the middle of nowhere. It felt like things I'd see in a typical fantasy novel, but I also kept getting images from Star Wars traveling through my mind. Still, I feel like there's more to learn about this world, and I'm a little hazy on the political setup. But I have high hopes for the next book!

The Plot: A Sticky, Complex Web

This is the story of two siblings on opposite sides, of shades of gray against shades of gray. I'm not sure if it was reading other reviews prior to reading Ashes of the Sun or if it was really there, but it was Star Wars with it's own unique spin, with a single world and different powers, but still one side against another with similar elements. I just missed the traveling through space part.

At the same time, I think of Star Wars as a family saga and Ashes of the Sun as a story of siblings. I loved the story of Gyre with his relentless pursuit of something than can bring down the Twilight Order, but also with a soft, loving spot for his lost sister. I adored the story of Maya seeking to earn her place in the Order and discover the truth. They seem different, yet are inexplicably intertwined as the shades of gray begin to emerge. It's about a brother and sister who have been torn apart and taken to opposite sides, but who still care about each other. It's just their morals and beliefs that get in the way.

This was also a very fascinating treasure hunt as both sides were looking for something called the Core Analytica even though only the ghouls, long extinguished, have any clue what to do with it. Alone, this hunt seemed a little ridiculous considering the length and detail of this book as it felt centered around a question of what if one side wants this thing for one purpose while the other side wants the same thing for another. But, tangled with siblings who come together and leave each other in a fascinating dance, it comes together as a cohesive and intriguing story that leaves me wanting to read more. Overall, a treasure hunt couched in politics from two different sides and the siblings caught up in the web. At the same time, it felt like a really long setup for the greater story, as well as introduce Burningblade and Silvereye (the name of the series) in a long winded kind of way.

Overall: Stunning

Ashes of the Sun is long. It's dense. There's fantastic world building. There are people who feel real with real emotions and values. There's a tangled web that this book just barely scratches the surface of. There's a lot to it. But it moved at an organic pace, never really slowing, never really galloping, but always moving towards something in a natural way. I do think I would have enjoyed this book more had I not read prior reviews, but, when I could knock it out of my head, I was always left stunned by this book and can't wait to read more of the series.

Thank you to Angela Man at Orbit for a free e-copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
Link to post: https://thelilycafe.com/book-review-ashes-of-the-sun-by-django-wexler/

This fantasy novel was engaging, albeit a touch confusing at times, and this was due to the many players, and powers that be (also powers of various characters). This did not stop me from enjoying the world this story was based in, it was very interesting and the descriptions of some of the things in this world had me drawing comparisons to real life people, places, animals etc.
The characters were enjoyable for the most part and their motivations/decisions were relatable in most cases. There were few annoying things, but those were mostly pet peeves of mine, and not necessarily a fault of the story.
The action scenes were fast paced and immersive, and they were a highlight for me.
This is definitely a novel for the hardcore fantasy lover, as the world is very in depth and detailed, and this drives the story.

In Ashes of the Sun, Django Wexler has put forth the first in a great epic fantasy trilogy. His characters stand as individuals, motivated and driven by individual pursuits, and their vernacular and habits help differentiate between the different actors. Wexler avoids exposition, allowing the reader to discover the world naturally through plot and character development. Although a dystopian novel, he avoids the classic tropes of this genre, only vaguely hinting at the apocalyptic events that have lead to his worldbuilding. Wexler writes action well; a necessity in a novel involving sword- and gun-fights, and has created an interesting magic system that allows for creativity by the characters within certain boundaries (so far). Inspired by Star Wars (visible within the weapons, powers and systems surrounding one of the protagonists), Ashes of the Sun easily creates it own space to stand out. I eagerly await the next entry into this series and hope that even when the trilogy ends, Wexler considers staying within this world to tell more stories.

I have never read anything by this author before so I really didn't know what to expect. However, I did make the assumption that it would just be an "okay" fantasy novel because I tend to compare them to classic fantasy novels/series. It is definitely not fair but there you go. Needless to say, I was dead wrong.

The story revolves around Maya and Gyre who are two siblings growing up on a farm. Life would be fine aside from the fact that Maya suffers from a recurring illness that no one seems to be able to cure. Her older brother, Gyre, is very caring and protective of her. One day, a Centarch of the Twilight Order (don't worry, there is a glossary to straighten things out) arrives offering to cure Maya but there is a catch. She must leave her family and go away with him. Gyre is understandably upset and unsuccessfully attempts to stop the Centarch from taking Maya but at the cost of losing an eye and gaining a scar across half of his face. Fast forward a few years later, Gyre has vowed revenge on the order and Maya is in training to become a Centarch herself. In the course of their separate lives, Maya and Gyre finally meet again and realize that they are now on opposite sides.

This book literally blew me away. It is fantasy but it also has elements of science fiction as well with regards to the type of weapons, magic, and unbelievable creatures. I loved how the chapters alternated between Maya and Gyre and I have to admit that I absolutely loved Maya's character who is a member of the LGBTQ community. I am not a member myself but I do support the community and the way he developed her character with her crushes and feelings was so sweet and touching.
The World he created is so very complex and developed which I love in a fantasy novel and the glossary helped me navigate through the book. The writing is fast paced and there is a bit of gore but not overly so. I really did enjoy reading this and am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I was given a free copy of Ashes in the Sun by Django Wexler, the author, Orbit, and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book by Django Wexler that I have read. I think I would characterize this story as a dystopian fantasy story, which I do not usually read.

In the beginning of the story, I was drawn in by the world-building. The author does a bang-up job in establishing the setting through interesting and compelling world-building. While I was reading the prologue, I thought it set the table nicely for the rest of the story and looking forward to seeing what happens to the two main characters who are a brother and sister.

As I continued to read the story, I became more enamored with the side characters and less so with the brother and sister. Within the first few chapters, I realized this story is most likely targeted for a YA market and I am not a part of this market. The story lost some steam for me when several of the members in the brother’s criminal gang were killed due to something the brother did not do.

Another issue for me was the character of the sister. I could not identify, sympathize, or empathize with her or her actions. I think part of my problem was that I found her character arc to be simple when I was anticipated it would be more complex (not complicated) because of the obstacles she had to face. I do not want to provide any instances of this in the story because I do not want to give any spoilers.

Overall, I really enjoyed the world-building. The plot of the story was not complex and fairly straight-forward. My major concern is that I could not identify, sympathize, or empathize with either the brother or sister.

Readers who enjoy YA dystopian fantasy may like Ashes of the Sun.

This book really hooked me from the very beginning. We are thrown into a unique almost sci-fi/apocalyptic fantasy world. This book felt like a very new and fresh entry into the fantasy genre the whole way through. One thing that Wexler did so well, in my opinion, was making you feel that you knew what was going to happen next and then completely surprise you.
I really loved every single one of the characters crafted within this story. I felt like I really understood all of their motivations and why they were acting the way that they were. By the end, it was very apparent how emotionally invested in the characters that I had become.
This world that Django created was SO FUN. It was a great backdrop to this story and was developed very well. The lore is rich and there is so much that can be expanded upon in the sequels.
The LGBTQ+ representation in this book was a welcome surprise. Within this world, we see many people with different sexualities just living their lives. It is just people living their lives and being attracted to whoever they are attracted to and I think that we need more of that within all types of stories. I love seeing queer characters just living their lives and loving who they love.
Overall I really enjoyed this read and I would recommend it to anyone who reads Adult SFF. I also believe that this would be a great book for those that read a lot of Young Adult Fantasy and would like to get more into the adult genre. It is very approachable!

Gyre and his younger sister Maya lead a peaceful life with their parents on a vulpi farm until one day when Maya is five years old, a Centarch from The Twilight Order, Va’aht Thousandcuts, comes to take her away. The Order says this is necessary to save her from her illness, but Gyre refuses to let her go and Thousandcuts punishes him by taking his eye and leaving a permanent scar. Ever since, Gyre has been dead set on dismantling the Order and the Republic that they use their magic to uphold. Chasing rumors of a powerful artifact to use against the Order, he is finally reunited with his long lost sister. But Maya has spent her whole life training to protect what Gyre wants to destroy.

Ashes of the Sun is a fast-paced and action-packed epic fantasy, though the pacing and setting provide an urban fantasy feel. So much took place in this novel that it almost felt to me like two separate books, split by some events that took place about halfway through. If there’s one thing this novel won’t provide, it’s boredom. At times I wished it would slow down just a bit so I could catch my breath.

In Ashes of the Sun, the POV of each chapter bounces back and forth between Gyre and Maya. For me, both POVs were on a similar level in terms of interest and entertainment, so I rarely found myself rushing through one to get back to the other, which is a common struggle for me in a novel with a split narrative. Despite the focus on personal motivations, this was much more a plot-driven than a character-driven story. What stood out to me in this novel was not the development of characters, but rather of realistic relationships between them, platonic and otherwise. (There’s a good deal of LGBTQ+ representation including a sapphic main couple and a gay side character.)

Wexler mentions in the acknowledgements that though this is not a Star Wars story, it does take inspiration from Star Wars novels such as those by Timothy Zahn and Chuck Wendig. This influence is easy to see not only in the frequent fight sequences, but also in a good deal of the worldbuilding. The Twilight Order that protects the Republic is akin to the Jedi Order and the Centarchs who use haken and wield deiat are akin to Jedi who use lightsabers and wield the force. There are also prophecies, armor wearing supersoldiers, and long-defeated powerful magic users that may just be threatening to rise again. Despite these obviously similarities, the worldbuilding was one of my favorite parts of this novel.

Unlike the majority of Star Wars, Ashes of the Sun does an incredible job at exploring themes of good and evil while maintaining the moral ambiguity of real life. No one side of this story is objectively right, and as a reader I couldn’t even decide which side I was subjectively rooting for. Another small worldbuilding aspect I loved was the creative use of alchemy and artifacts of arcana for solutions to difficult predicaments and to keep the regular, non-magic-wielding humans from being overly underpowered. I wish more fantasy novels made use of these types of magic.

If you’re interested in a fast-paced epic fantasy filled with magical duels, thrilling heists, underground cities, and a complex world, give Ashes of the Sun a try. And you don’t even have to wait since it was published today (June 21st).

Many thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 8.5/10

Django Wexler really shows off his writing chops with Ashes of the Sun. The characters are deep, the world building is really intriguing, and the storyline is full of tension and fun literary tropes which kept me reading put me in a place where I did not want to put the book down.

The story follows two main characters, and guess what… THEY ARE BROTHER AND SISTER SEPARATED WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG. Love this trope, which is most often seen in YA-type novels. (Ashes of the Sun does not quite read as YA to me and is not labeled as such, but I would not argue with you if you told me it was.) What makes this narrative even more intriguing is the fact that each sibling is on the other side of a political rivalry: Maya works for The Twilight Order, and Gyre is part of the rebellion. The rebellion exists to destroy The Twilight Order for their oppressive tactics. When circumstances place Gyre and Maya face-to-face each has a choice to make: fealty to the cause or loyalty to family. With everything the two experience in this book, they become really emotionally deep characters.

The supporting characters are great, too. There is a slow-burn F/F romance, and a not as slow M/F relationship for which I hesitate to use the word “romance”. There are ghouls, and humans that are loyal to both Gyre and Maya. Some are instigators and some are stabilizing characters. It is a diverse character set, which makes for a fun book.

This type of story line keeps my interest because of its depth; really, there are three separate narratives to follow. Gyre and Maya each have their own separate arc, and there is the overall story of the ongoing war between the two sides. Often these three storylines collide and the result is epic. This is where the tension comes from, and tension creates intrigue. As a reader, I just always wanted to keep reading because there was always a feeling of what is going to happen next?

There is so much history in this book that also contributes to this feeling, as well, and the world building really speaks to that point. The ongoing war is comprised of humans and ghouls (with some humans on the ghouls’ side, as well), but there is also a group called The Chosen that used to be part of this war. The Chosen were wiped out a long time ago, but passed their magical artifacts on to humans along with a set of instructions about how to govern. I love the history, and how relevant it is to the current storyline. Again, this setup makes the book even deeper.

The magic in the book is really cool, also. Members of The Twilight Order are able to conjure magic (which they call deiat) through magical artifacts that are basically hilts of swords. It comes in a different form for each person (Maya’s takes the form of fire, for instance), and I almost get the picture of a Star Wars light saber. One big difference is that the magic does not stay in sword form, as the user can extend it and bend it into pretty much any shape they want and even shoot it it out. It makes for really awesome battles, especially against the ghouls who have a lot of crazy technology they use to fight.

All in, Ashes of the Sun is a really good read. The storyline is full of tension and intrigue, the world building is really neat, it has fun and diverse character set, and the magic is cool. I definitely recommend this book for fans of fantasy.

I requested this book on a whim, mostly because I’ve been wanting to read more fantasy and this sounded super promising.

That said, I have to admit that I really struggled to make it through the first few chapters. It’s an issue I have with some epic or high fantasy novels, where I feel like worldbuilding is this tricky fine line between too much and too little exposition. Unfortunately, I felt like I wasn’t being given enough context to understand or really care about the characters.

I’m definitely in the minority on this, as I’ve seen many rave reviews and I can understand why: Wexler has great writing style and skill. While I ultimately DNF’d this, I think many readers who love epic fantasy will enjoy this too.

Ashes of the Sun is the start of a new fantasy series by Django Wexler. It checked all the boxes of what I like to see in a first foray into a new fantasy world, fantastic world building, crisp, witty dialogue, more blood, gore, and terrifying monsters than you can shake a severed limb at, a well balanced and thought out magic system, and dynamic characters who all have plenty of room to grow as the series continues. This was the first novel by Wexler that I have read, and I will definitely keep an eye out for his previous novels, as well as continuing this series.

The story follows Gyre and Maya, siblings separated as children who go on to grow up and find themselves on opposite sides of the societal conflict that paints the backdrop of this fantastic world. Maya is taken by the Twilight Order to be become a Centarch, an elite magic wielding soldier. Gyre never forgives the Order for her forced conscription and becomes a freedom fighter/terrorist, defending the oppressed peoples of The Republic. Maya's investigation of an inside-job smuggling ring of ancient magic/technology brings her to the brink of Gyre's underground organization and shenanigans ensue.

Wexler's world has a deep history, ancient races, societal conflict, and a dramatic geography, shaped by the ancient war that the world never really recovered from. He lives by the writing rule "show, don't tell", and reveals just enough of what's going on to explain the current situation, but leaving you curious for more. There are no boring info-dumps or learned characters mansplaining the history of their world to ignorant characters. The depth and history of this world are given to you at a pace that mirrors the pace of our main characters' learning about their enemies as they prepare for the conflicts they are moving towards.

Other reviews have compared this book heavily to Star Wars, which to some degree is fair. Wexler has written Star Wars novels, and even explicitly mentions Star Wars as an influence in the Acknowledgements. However, the main theme of Star Wars, the constant battle between good and evil, darkness and light, is absent from Ashes of the Sun. The Twilight Order is neither the Jedi nor the Empire. There are good people and bad people among the governing. Some Centarchs fulfill their roles as guardians of the people, while some are corrupted tyrants, unchecked and ruthless. Similarly, the "Tunnelborn" and others fighting the Twilight Republic are not Princess Leia's rebels. There are principled freedom fighters, but even Gyre his self's motivation is one of revenge rather than some principled stance against tyranny. And there are far less savory characters than Gyre fighting the Order as well. I love these moral grey areas in characters and movements rather than being given the Good Guys over here, and the Bad Guys over there.

The deep and complex world that Wexler has written is just the backdrop for what is essentially an action novel. The battles in this book are plentiful, and filled with magic swords, explosions, dismemberments, monsters, fireballs, harrowing escapes, and grisly deaths. The mix of magic, technology, and cold steel make every battle unique and memorable.

While the story is told through the lens of Gyre and Maya, another standout part of this book were the side characters, brought to life by Wexler's smooth dialogue writing. Everyone in this novel has their own unique voice and personality ranging from Kit's reckless abandon to Varo's cynicism, to Beq's naivety and innocence. Every character jumps off the page really brings this book to life.

Ashes of the Sun had everything for me. My only complaint is that it's the first book of a new series, and I'll just have to wait until they're written before I can read more.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ashes of the Sun is the first book in the Burningblade & Silvereye series. Four hundred years before the start of the story, the Chosen (one of two superior races could wield magic, though the similarities end there, as the Chosen ruled over humans as a result of their legendary magic) went to war with the ghouls (the second of the two superior races, known for living underground in complex tunnel systems). Because of this war, the ghouls set off a plague, and during the dwindling of their numbers the Chosen created the infamous, well-known Dawn Republic to fill their place—a state with the sole purpose of ruling over the humans after the Chosen all died. From the Dawn Republic came the prominent Twilight Order (also crafted by the god-like Chosen) who defend humans from the vicious spawn of the plague that wiped out the Chosen, and are tasked with many more responsibilities. At the centre of it all are the centarchs—humans capable to harnessing the magical Chosen abilities through a specific type of weapon, and sought out after by the Twilight Order due to their powers. In case you were confused by this first paragraph, do not worry a single bit. There's a glossary, and the world-building is fantastic.

There is so much more than that, and so many other important things. This book is rich with world-building, and the writing is easy enough to make it all flow continuously and simply, allowing the vast scope and different aspects of this world to be gripped fairly easily. Told from the dual perspectives of Gyre and Maya, siblings ripped away from each other at a young age and who now stand on opposing forces with one of them training to become a centarch and the other plotting to take the Twilight Order down, <i> Ashes of the Sun </i> is evidence of a finely crafted and well-built story, handled with care and love and passion. I was fully invested in this world, in every conflict, in all the characters and their troubles. Gyre and Maya were both such great characters, and such great narrators, but that does not mean that the secondary characters are cast off or boring—Bequaria, Varo, Tanax, Kit, Lynnia, Yora are nothing of the sort.

This first book is action-packed, full to the brim with alchemy and magic and battle sequences that are elegantly and eloquently described, making everything easy to read and an exciting pleasure to follow. It is quality fiction, and such an amazing entry to this series. All the explosive gun fights and sword-on-sword action, the character moments and backstories were so very very very satisfying. It's fun, it's creative, it's witty, and I got a subtle hint of some Star Wars inspiration laced through (an instinct that proved to be right after it was revealed that the story was born out of a conversation about Star Wars). All of the relationships are entertaining (Maya and her intelligent female love interest are really nice to be around), I enjoyed every character that we got to meet, every city that we got to journey into, every crumb of the world that we were fed. I am definitely picking up the sequel when it comes out in 2021. I highly recommend for anyone interested, I'm sure it won't disappoint.

Long story short: I liked this book. I really really liked this book.

While there are two POVs, I really only cared about Maya's. I thought she had more of a plot than Gyro, but still, neither of them really seemed to have an end goal. I'm not sure at all where the series is headed, and that's unfortunate seeing as I'm a third of the way through it now. I did like the relationship between Maya and another character. Spoiler alert, it's gay! I definitely think, more than anything, the plot needed to be clearer. I'm still not sure what's going to happen, and not in a good way. Then, there are the two sides. I thought it was going to pose good moral questions for the reader as we decide who to root for, but both of them are just bland and boring. One becomes the bad guy, but I just don't care about the two sides. Neither seem to be good or bad, just blah. The writing is good and most of the characters are interesting, but I don't know if I'd want to continue the series.

(This was more of a 2.75-star read, but I rounded up to 3 stars)

Before you start reading this book, definitely check out the glossary in the back. Unless you'd like to decipher the language Wexler uses yourself. Because I jumped right into the story, I found myself very lost at the beginning of the book. It wasn't until I made the connection that the terms being used were similar to those in Star Wars. The Centarchs could be compared to Jedi, and Maya (and the other Agathia) could be seen as Padawans.

Ashes of the Sun did not feel very story-driven. Really, this felt like a series of events that just kind of happened. Nothing tied the story together. The characters were going on mission after mission, and for what? There didn't seem to be an end goal, for Maya at least. Gyre's goal was to overturn the entire Order. Hopefully, in the future books in the series, more sense is made of the events that happened.

The one thing that was tying me to this book was the characters. Because we are following two separate paths throughout the book, we meet many side characters. I enjoyed how the characters were written and I was interested to see how they would tie into the main story. I wish I was able to feel a bit more of a connection to these characters, though. We did see many side characters die throughout the story, and I didn't even think about their deaths after they happened. Perhaps it was because the characters also had little care for the deaths of their friends.

I also appreciated the LGBT representation within the story. It was great to see this in the main character and in other background characters. However, I do not believe I appreciated the relationship between Maya and Beq. I wish we got to see their relationship develop further, as Maya's attraction to Beq was simply on a physical level. Hopefully, that is something we will see further in the series.

Ashes of the Sun had great world-building and a fantastic magic system. If you're a reader who can appreciate lore, this may be the book for you. However, if you are looking for a fantasy with characters that tug on your heartstrings, you may want to skip out on this one.

One of the reasons Brandon Sanderson took off, I suspect, is that he manages to bring an urban fantasy feel to more high fantasy or epic fantasy settings. In Ashes of the Sun, Django Wexler accomplishes a similar feat. This is a book set in a world incredibly different from our own, a land reminiscent of the epic fantasy books that for a time dominated this genre, yet the pacing and style are much closer to urban fantasy. I find that very appealing, and even though it took me a few more days to read than normal, I was captivated by this book from beginning to end.

I received this book for free from NetGalley and Orbit in exchange for a review.

Maya and Gyre are brother and sister, torn asunder by the Twilight Order, a powerful group of magic-wielders who uphold the Dawn Republic. Taken from her family at age 5, Maya has is now 17 and on track to graduating from a magical apprenticeship to become a centarch, a magical guardian of the Order who can shape the force of creation to her own martial ends. Gyre, figuratively and literally scarred by the abduction of sister when he as only 8, now makes a living as a bit of a rebel in the city of Deepfire. His ardent passion: the destruction of the Order and the Republic, but to do that, he’s going to need some seriously powerful tools. Fate, of course, conspires to throw these siblings together at the most inopportune time while they are on opposite sides—and to be honest, if you think you know what’s going to happen, you’re probably wrong! But no spoilers.

I mentioned Sanderson at the top for a reason: fans of Sanderson will recognize a lot of his worldbuilding style here, although to be honest, I prefer Wexler’s looser formulation of magic, etc.—Sanderson’s quite strict approach always left me a little cold. Nevertheless, the whole worldbuilding of this book is impressively deep and creative in scope. Some of the names—Twilight Order, Dawn Republic—in Ashes of the Sun feel a little clichéd, but this book’s world and story are anything but. We’re in fallen civilization mode; the Republic and surrounding kingdoms cling to the technological and magical remnants of two, much older and much more powerful non-human civilizations that fought a massive war sometime in the past and basically wiped each other out. Maya believes the Order is a force for good, albeit sometimes maybe too forceful—Wexler sketches out internecine politics within the Order that make for an excellent subplot with just the right amount of intrigue. Gyre, on the other hand, his mind poisoned against the Order ever since that fateful day on his parents’ farm, sees it as a restraint on the rest of humanity, holding them back from achieving something … well, he’s not sure what, but something great! In this way, the two siblings embody a kind of order/chaos duality, which is reinforced by the alternating chapter structure of the narrative. This doesn’t always work great in a book, yet Wexler stays committed to this structure for pretty much the entire book, and it really works here. I found myself so obsessed with one character’s story, only to be yanked away from them to the other character at the worst time, so of course I had to keep reading!

The character development here is top shelf. Maya isn’t exactly a Chosen One, which I love, but she does have something special about her—something Wexler teases us with yet stubbornly leaves for a future book to explore further. Well done! In addition to the growth that Maya and Gyre experience, several of the supporting cast also grow. In particular, Tanax begins the story as a very stereotypical antagonist, and I was concerned that’s all he would remain. Yet his growth is some of the most impressive, most realistic of the entire book. The only character who truly remains static and somewhat melodramatic is Naumoriel, in my opinion, with his grating “boy” and “girl” every time he tries to sound condescending. Ok, boomer.

And then we have the romance. As you may know, I’m aromantic, and romance in books tends to do little for me. At best I just ignore it. Yet Maya and Beq??? SO ADORABLE. That’s all I‘m going to say about that, really, except for two addenda: this is an f/f relationship (to be clear); also, this book very explicitly mentions masturbation and we need more of that kind of honesty. Ashes of the Sun has a kind of relentlessly queer undercurrent to it, and unlike some books where that’s the case, none of the bad guys ever stoop to homophobia as a way of insulting or belittling the protagonists. At one point, we learn that Maya’s mentor taught her that people might be attracted to men, women, both, or neither—hello shoutout to asexuality (even if the phrasing does perpetuate a gender binary)! All in all, I love the way Wexler handles the romance and sexuality in this book.

If I haven’t given you enough reasons yet to read Ashes of the Sun, I don’t know what else to say. This is one of the most original fantasy books I’ve read in ages. I love how it ends; I want to read a sequel, which apparently isn’t far off; I even fell for the romance. How’s that for a trifecta?

The concept of this book was fantastic, and the first 10% held up to that. But the story was slogged down by details and description and overall moved much too slowly...

This story follows two siblings separated, and made to fight on different sides of a war. I was first drawn into the book because the two main POVs had one male and one female and I thought that would be a nice change to many other classic fantasy books. I really enjoyed the main characters, although i felt like too many side characters were introduced in the beginning leaving me confused.

The world was a spectacular place too. A great mix of sci-fi and fantasy with some cool twists.

I also enjoyed that the author took us for a journey with the magic system and didn't stop to hold the reader's hand. I feel that many people might not like that, but I enjoy having to try and figure things out as I'm going. The magic was enjoyable to read about, and much like the world was complex and unique.

I currently am fighting off a cold and could not stand to focus long enough on the large bodies of what felt like pointless description, so I will be DNFing this book, but I think it is something I would be will to check out again in the future. I think the author could have improved the story by getting to the plot quicker and shortening the book by about 100 pages.

Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for providing an ARC of this book.

My thanks to Orbit, Django Wexler and Netgalley.
It's funny, "in an odd way funny." Two or three years ago I would never have read a book like this. My idea of fantasy was very fantasized! I still believe that Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is the best thing ever. Sanderson also rock's, although he will never finish the books I want him to. Not in my lifetime. However, somewhere between waiting for Sanderson, and Martin, I discovered Jay Kristoff and his Nevernight trilogy. Mark Lawrence and his Red Sister trilogy.
If not for them and a few others, I never would have given this book a chance.
I will admit that immediately I was drawn into this story. From there, I expected a whole bunch of lame. Until the last 30%. You know, strong start, boring middle and action packed ending. It is a trilogy after all!
I was wrong.
Gyre is almost the anti-hero. So set on a path that he's willing to sacrifice "friends." He has 2 books to make that up to me! Until then? I don't care how great he is. He's a loser.
Maya? She's everything any woman or anyone really would aspire to be. I love her completely!
Together? I look forward to both taking down the system. Maybe?
If you want an in depth review, look elsewhere. I don't do that. I review only on feelings. This book and it's characters gave me the feels!
I have no problem recommending this book! Be warned though. Once you read it, then you'll be scrabbling for the next two!

First Impression: The prologue gave me the strong start to a story that I have not encountered in years. Then you find an alternating POV that slowing reveals an incredible world while developing that background of the two main characters. Many of the more recent stories that I have read relay heavily on “info dumps” to jump start the world building and context for the main plot; that is not something I appreciate much. Of course, many other readers have exactly the opposite opinion, which I am sure is why such continues to be popular. If you are somebody who does not enjoy the ambiguity of a slowly revealed world, you can jump to the back and read through the glossary (where IMHO info dumps belong) and then come back to enjoy this remarkable world as it unfolds.

Final Impression: This is an exemplar of the writer’s craft. The author gives us a vivid dystopian world with just a touch of Lovecraftian horror with a built in conflict between the creative powers of elemental magic and life itself … highlighting the corruptive potential of both. Each character encounter revealed just a little bit more of this fascinating world, giving just enough detail to provide the context needed to support the character’s story. Bottomline … I believe the world building here is second to none. Now add the people. Nobody is the villain in their own story. As the author develops the conflict between siblings who suffered a painful separation as children, I find myself empathizing with both of them, which makes the conflict here all the more tragic. By the end, I could see how each of them had developed and grown until the end of their redemptive arc could be seen on the horizon (sequels)? What sets this story apart from many though, is the detail and individuality put into the supporting cast … with whom I could identify as well. All of the characters were flawed. All of the characters had some redeemable value. That all combines to make this story all the more real to me and I absolutely loved it.

The author notes in his acknowledgements that this book was subject to extensive writes and editing, with large portions of it eventually being tossed out … and all of the hard work paid off. This is one of the few books in recent memory that now sits on my favorites shelf while I anxiously await the sequel.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#AshesOfTheSun #NetGalley

Thankful for that glossary! Lots of names and terms to keep up with - but it didn’t bother me at all. I loved the sibling storyline - especially brother/sister. Lots of action and drama kept me entertained throughout!

Ashes of the Sun is the first in a new epic fantasy trilogy by author Django Wexler. Wexler is a bit of a prolific writer this decade in the genre but I've only read before his YA fantasy series, The Wells of Sorcery (Ship of Smoke and Steel, City of Stone and Silence). I've really really liked the Wells of Sorcery so far, with its dark YA fantasy taking some very surprising turns, featuring very solid romantic subplots, and dealing with some very strong themes. So I was interested to check out Wexler's newest work when I saw it pop up on NetGalley.



The result is a very enjoyable, if long (when he says "epic", he means it) epic fantasy novel, which begins a new trilogy but also manages to tell a satisfying self contained story at the same time. Like Wells of Sorcery, there are clearly Star Wars influences here: this world features an organization of energy wielding crusaders called "Centarchs" who are supposedly independent arbiters of justice in a world mainly governed by a "Republic", which will call to mind some clear Star Wars concepts. But Wexler takes these directions in different directions, with one of our protagonists being on the opposite side of the Centarchs resulting in a plot that is very much its own. Add in some really interesting characters and very solid dialogue, and it all adds up to a very enjoyable trilogy starter.





----------------------------------------------------Plot Summary-----------------------------------------------------

As a little girl, Maya was frequently sick, but she had a loving family and an older brother in Gyre who cared for her. But when a Centarch of the Twilight Order comes to take her away from that family, Gyre refuses to let Maya go, and the Centarch uses his searing power of deiat to destroy one of his eyes and cause him massive pain.



Years later, Maya has attained the rank of Agathios in the Order, and is perhaps on the verge of becoming a full Centarch herself. Two things separate her from the rest of the Order - her mentor is a bit of a maverick and belongs to a less stringent political faction - and the strange object, the "Thing", implanted in her chest as a child to control her illness, and which she has been told to keep secret. Yet when politics forces Maya away from her mentor for the first time, she begins to see that the rest of the order doesn't have the same ideals of justice as she does...



Meanwhile, Gyre has left his family a long time ago, and found himself in the outsider city of Deepfire. There he has become a prominent leader of the city's rebels against the Deepfire's cruel corrupt ruler, under the name "Halfmask". But what Gyre really seeks is some power that can enable him not just to fight a small rebellion, but to possibly overturn the Twilight Order's control over power itself, and to ensure acts like the ones that took his sister and scarred him never happen again. And when a reckless young woman promises to take him to a legendary place that might contain that such power, he leaps at the chance, no matter how reckless.



Gyre and Maya haven't seen each other since that fateful day years ago, but fate will conspire to bring them together once again....only this time, they will be on opposite sides, and the fate of the world may hang in the balance......

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As I mentioned above, Ashes of the Sun very clearly has Star Wars influences, as made explicitly clear by the book's own acknowledgements. We have a Republic which relies upon an independent group of energy wielding warriors to help promote order (the Twilight Order) - an Order that relies upon taking children with gifts from their families, willing or not. Like the Jedi, the Order was once meant for fighting against an ancient enemy and forbids certain practices associated with them. You can easily see some of the critiques about the Star Wars political system that results being shown here, with the Order being more explicitly controlling and dictatorial (and corrupt) than the Jedi, and the Republic only really being good for those in wealth, and not those who are downtrodden - especially those outside its borders who get all of the downsides and none of the benefits.



This is made even clearer by a major difference from Star Wars - the Order didn't come about on its own, but is the remnant of a seemingly extinct race known as the Chosen, who died off in their final fight against the Ghouls, another elder and seemingly extinct race, whose objects of power the Order tries to heavily control. In other words, the Order isn't some independently formed powerful group for the purpose of justice - it's a group that was created by people who are long gone, still acting despite their original purpose being gone....and still impacting the lives of many.



This setup creates the world of Gyre and Maya, both really interesting characters, and the story bounces back and forth between the two of them every chapter (and occasionally within the same chapter). Maya barely remembers her childhood, and doesn't remember what happened when she was taken, and was raised by the Order. Fortunately for her, she was raised by a member of the order's "Pragmatic" faction, which believes in helping people first and foremost and otherwise trying to stay out of peoples' lives - as opposed to the "Dogmatic" faction which believes their foremost priority is wiping out all traces of Ghoul technology/artifacts and that anyone who stands in the way of same must be pushed aside. So she's kind and compassionate, with a sense of justice that often makes her a bit reckless and gets here into trouble because she absolutely always wants to do the right thing.



But again that upbringing has essentially sheltered her from the realities of the world - of its poverty and cruelty and even in how other members of the Order act and how that affects how the world looks at them. And even in ordinary things like romance and sexual want - a thing that becomes clear as Maya becomes attracted to another girl of the Order, an arcanist named Beq, who gets assigned to her mission. Maya is extremely clever at times but her lack of experience and naivete in both the world and in personal matters makes her a very enjoyable heroine to read - especially with Wexler's excellent dialogue/thoughts-writing.



By contrast, Gyre is extremely experienced - in both the cruelties of the world and of matters near and personal (at one point in the book Gyre is having sex in a cave while at the same time far away Maya is awkwardly trying to figure out how to kiss, for instance). Like his sister, Gyre is very quick witted and has a sense for justice. Unlike his sister, he doesn't see that justice as coming from a central authority, as all of these he's seen in this world, be it the Republic, a Corrupt Aristocrat, or the Twilight Order, and he wants especially to take down the Order and give people freedom from what he sees as dictatorial rule. Gyre has found himself a role in a group of rebels in the city, with people who care about him, and with a role there helping people. And like his sister, Gyre genuinely cares about those people....except it's just not enough for him. Gyre needs to destroy the entire world order, not just a city, no matter what it costs him.



In a nice twist, Gyre is no fool about this ambition - he knows it's insanely dangerous and likely to lead to bad outcomes if he can even find a way to put it into action, and it hurts him that it will. He also knows that if he does wind up seeing Maya ever again, she will likely be fully "indoctrinated" in the Order's ethos, and not the little sister he remembers. This doesn't stop him and his commitment - he knows it has to be done, and so he'll try to minimize the harm he causes, but he will absolutely not give up. It is a nice twist on the classic two siblings on opposite sides dynamics - Gyre is aiming to find and work for the most likely bad guys in this trilogy, but he is fully aware of what he's doing and what he may find, and so the reunion isn't some traumatic experience like you'd expect for him.



These two characters and the minor characters are really well done, and help to build a plot that keeps you on edge, with the characters' quick thinking resulting in turns that made me smile on more than one occasion. Wexler's dialogue and character moments are as spot on here as they are in his Wells of Sorcery trilogy, making the book read really quickly for one that is still pretty damn long. And in a nice surprise, while the book does tease several plot threads that it doesn't resolve, the main arc of the story IS resolved by this novel, so one could actually be satisfied stopping here, and will be satisfied even if they don't.



So yeah, this is a really solid and enjoyable epic fantasy novel, and I look forward to its continuation for sure. It never really reaches into true brilliance, so I wouldn't declare it a must read, but it's a very good read if you're looking for something new in Epic Fantasy.

I received an ARC of Ashes of the Sun from Orbit in exchange for an honest review.

When I read Django Wexler’s Shadow Campaigns series, I knew he was an author to watch: his writing was crisp, his storytelling was kinetic, and he put female and queer characters front and center without fanfare. So I was eager to pick up the first entry in Burningblade & Silvereye, his next series for adults. Ashes of the Sun doesn’t quite come together in the end, but it still delivers a wildly enjoyable ride which crackles with the endearing characters and sharp, energetic writing I expect from Wexler.

Wexler openly acknowledges the influence of Star Wars on Ashes of the Sun, and the inspiration is obvious—four hundred years after a war which left the world in ruins, centarchs (Jedi), who wield deiat (the Force) and weapons called haken (lightsabers), maintain peace throughout the Republic. A centarch shows up one day at the farm where eight-year-old Gyre and five-year-old Maya live with their parents, and Gyre’s younger sister is forcibly recruited into the Twilight Order; Gyre attacks the centarch who takes her, an action which costs him an eye. The story proper picks up twelve years later, with Maya training to be a centarch under her master, Jaedia, and Gyre determined to bring down the Order at any cost.

The worldbuilding similarities to Star Wars can be somewhat distracting at times, but the story is different enough that it didn’t detract from my enjoyment (spoiler: there are no sibling kisses to be found in this book). I also found the influence of Star Wars to be helpful in establishing the type of story Wexler wants to tell—it’s fun and relatively lighthearted, a rollicking adventure largely uninterested in interrogating its deeper themes. I tend to crave a bit more substance in my fiction, something meaningful I can chew on after I am finished with the text, but I don’t think it’s fair to criticize Ashes of the Sun for not doing something it doesn’t set out to do. Wexler’s focus is on crafting an engaging, propulsive story first and foremost, and he succeeds admirably.

There are some problems with tone, however. Ashes of the Sun is marketed as adult fiction, but it reads much more like YA; the pacing is brisk, almost relentless, and the dialogue loose and sprightly in such a way that it sometimes strays into cutesy territory and renders the fictional world flippant and weightless. These aren’t criticisms in and of themselves, but I frequently felt the literary equivalent of whiplash when the more “adult” aspects came to the fore: although nothing gratuitous by any means, there is a good deal of violence and profanity (Wexler is so committed to portraying healthy, consensual sex that it’s hardly worth bringing up here—this is what younger readers should be exposed to). I likely would have had a smoother reading experience if Ashes of the Sun had been marketed as YA, or if Wexler had given his characters more time to exist in quiet moments so I could appreciate the density and texture of their world.

I also found the depth and complexity of the characters to be strangely unbalanced; this is the first book of a series, yes, so they will (hopefully) continue to develop, but I was still frustrated by how the secondary cast had more dimension than Gyre and Maya themselves. I’m not sure I could tell you anything meaningful about the main characters except “Gyre believes the Twilight Order is bad” and “Maya believes the Twilight Order is good.” It’s not enough. Chapters in Ashes of the Sun alternate between Gyre and Maya, and neither perspective left me bored: every time I made the switch, Wexler was able to immediately draw me back into the other story. But I was always drawn back in because I wanted to see more of the delightful supporting cast, not because I wanted to see more of Gyre and Maya. It’s a minor grievance here, but it will need to change if successive entries in the series are to be successful.

Despite these complaints, I ultimately had a great deal of fun with Ashes of the Sun. Wexler’s prose hits a sweet spot for me—less dense and more readable than Martin or Erikson, but more syntactically complex than Sanderson—and I continue to adore how prominently he places female and queer characters (homosexuality, bisexuality, and asexuality are openly accepted in the fictional world; perhaps we’ll see a trans character at some point?). I flew through the book with a smile on my face, eager to see more of the mythology and (some of) the characters, and I will be snatching up the sequel when it becomes available. You won’t find much thematic richness here, but if you’re looking for a good time, look no further than Ashes of the Sun.