Meh.. I wasn't feeling this one. 

I love complex fantasy worlds, but this one just wasn't as intriguing as I initially believed it was going to be. The world itself was wide and open for discovery, but I just wasn't a fan of the characters. So I ended up trudging through roughly 30% of the way before finally deciding to put it aside. 

I may try picking it up again in the distant future, but for now, it's a DNF.

The world building in this book was my favorite part! The divided city, messy politics, and people fighting for power made for an intriguing and driven story.
I really loved the characters in this story. Maya was my favorite because she always undoubtedly believed she was doing the right thing and I loved that about her! All of the characters were well developed.

This is my first of Django Wexler’s books, though I’ve been aware of him for years. It’s not going to be the last, and not just because this is first in a trilogy. This book was a great way to end my 2020 year in reading.

This book is set in a world a few hundred years after the end of a war between elder races, who wiped each other out. Human society was built by the Chosen, who arranged things so civilization would continue after they were gone (albeit with a lower standard of living). But the world is still infested with plaguespawn, an ever present danger left over from the plague the ghouls unleashed to kill the Chosen at the end of the war.

The two protagonists are a pair of siblings, Gyre and Maya, who haven’t seen each other since Gyre was 8 and Maya 5. Maya was taken away from her home by the Twilight Order, which was set up by the Chosen to protect civilization. The Order maintains the magic that humans can still use, hunts down the dangerous ghoul artifacts that remain, and protects humanity from the plaguespawn. Maya was born with the ability to use Chosen magic, and so she was taken to be trained as Centarch of the Order. This was against her wishes (though, as she points out herself, she was 5; her wishes should only count for so much). Gyre, the big brother protector, was desperate to keep her from being taken.

In the twelve years since, Maya has nearly reached the end of her training. Though she knows the Order isn’t perfect - it’s divided among rival factions, and has its share of corruption and zealotry - she also knows that they do a great deal of good in the world. The protection they provide is absolutely needed, and it’s thanks to the Order that humanity has flourished as well as it has since the end of the war.

Gyre sees things differently. As far as he’s concerned, the Twilight Order is a bunch of hypocrites and tyrants. The only power they approve of is that which they control. Any powers that originated with the ghouls (even something as innocuous as the pesticides Gyre and Maya’s father kept carefully hidden in a shed back home) is anathema and punishable by death. Except of course for the ghoul magic that’s simply too useful to ignore; that’s ok, but only when Order-approved. The Order holds humanity back, keeping them shackled to the desires of a race long dead and gone and answerable to none.

I happen to think they’re both right.

And that is a recipe for a hell of a good story.

It’s not a spoiler (because it’s freaking obvious, and actually says so right out in the blurb) that Maya and Gyre cross paths over the course of this book. They disagree on pretty much everything, but they still love each other and neither wants to hurt the other. I’m extraordinarily interested in seeing where this goes in the rest of the trilogy. The book itself reads like a mix of many of /r/Fantasy’s favorites. Fans of Brandon Sanderson, Joe Abercrombie, and Scott Lynch will all find things in this that appeal.

Ashes of the Sun was a great read for me. I love big, high fantasy novels that delve deep into their own lore. Something that was really great about this book is the first chapter was so well written and so enticing that it hooked me, which is hard to do for such a long novel. The story was well crafted and I look forward to reading the next book in the series when it comes out.

Set in a world where a magical war a generation ago or so destroyed an empire, only to have another grow in its place that is stuck in place with little to no progress. Gyre saw his little sister be taken by the magical order that has been in place since the war. He made it is life’s work to try and take down that order. But Maya, his sister, is now a member of that order and both will have to reconcile how they view the world when their loved one is on the other side of battle. Maya also struggles with how she sees the order she is a part of and what the leadership does with their power. I really enjoyed the magic systems and the intrigue in this book. The characters are pretty solid as well. If you enjoy stories with the little guy fighting against tradition and trying to figure out a better future, this is for you.

I love many of Django Wexler's other books, but I  just couldn't get into this one. I liked the summary a lot, and the world was extremely complex. However, I felt like I didn't have enough background knowledge going into every scene. I had no idea what some of the animals were or what they looked like, and I wasn't really clear what the different sides were or what they stood for. I really wanted to enjoy this one, but I was constantly confused.

an adult fantasy that centers around two siblings on opposite sides  between two ancient races.  i love the worldbuilding and characters, i enjoyed their interactions with each other.  cant wait for the next book the series.

i really enjoyed reading this book, it had what i was looking for in a scifi novel, the characters were great and I enjoyed the storyline.

This was my first book by Django Wexler but it certainly won't be my last. After reading Ashes of the Sun, I'll be diving into their backlist!

The first thing that attracted me to this book was the premise of rival siblings. Maya and Gyre are separated as children and when readers meet them years later, they are essentially on opposing sides of a war. Maya is in the Twilight Order, while Gyre's main objective is to destroy the Order. The tension this caused kept the plot tautly paced and yanked me through the book.

Another thing I noticed that I loved was Wexler's writing. The prose was excellent--well-written yet accessible, and I just fell into the story from page one. For this reason, I absolutely think readers who may primarily read YA fantasy and are interested in trying adult fantasy would love this book.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ashes of the Sun walks the line between sci-fi & fantasy, with long-lost artifacts powering magical technology. The haken is the chosen weapon of the centarchs…basically a sword with a blade made of elemental magic, which is so radical!

The two POV characters in Ashes of the Sun are siblings; Maya and her brother, Gyre. When Maya was five and Gyre was eight, Maya was taken from their family farm by a mysterious centarch of the Twilight Order. Promising to cure Maya of the various illnesses she’s struggled with, the centarch doesn’t get far before Gyre, bereft, attacks the man. The centarch reacts violently, leaving Gyre not only without a sister, but with a vicious scar as well.

The action picks up twelve years later, with Maya now a centarch-in-training, and Gyre part of a rebellion who look upon the centarchs almost as oppressors. Now, this isn’t necessarily a good v. evil kindaof setup. But if it helps to think of the Twilight Order as the Jedi, well, ok. It is a big organization with a rich history, and while they ultimately stand for peace & justice, there are inevitably some corrupt & twisted members of the Order. But all the cool worldbuilding & epic action scenes in the world don’t much matter without a great cast of characters, and Ashes of the Sun introduces us to some truly memorable characters.

Ashes of the Sun is literally everything I’d look for in a fantasy book. It’s fun, super heartfelt, and beautifully diverse. It’s original, wildly vivid, and honestly so thrilling.

I used my review copy to interview Django for the Fantasy Inn podcast, which has received several hundred listens and is continuing to find a larger audience.

I did not expect any different, but wow I really enjoyed this book.

The first couple chapters were a little rough while I was trying to figure out where the story was happening, and what was going on, then once I started to get a handle on it I was on for the ride.

Django Wexler does a great job of balancing plenty of action with a supporting background of intrigue. I stayed up all night to finish the book, hoping I would get some answers to questions about some of the bigger world plot going on. The characters are not perfect, but they are relatable enough that I enjoyed reading about all of them. Sometimes having two major POVs means you end up dreading switching back to the other from your favorite, but I found both of them interesting and engaging.

Overall this was well worth the read, and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel to see where the story goes next.

I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would have. I think it was a mix between not being in the mood for it and the pacing. I've been trying to put off this review because I still don't really know how I feel about it.

There were interesting creatures, magic systems and I really enjoyed the world building. I don't think I connected to the characters as much as I would normally like to and a few parts left me questioning... Again, I think that was more due to me being a mood reader than the book itself?

I think I as a bit thrown off from the beginning as well, as we were introduced to two siblings playing when the young girl is taken by the Twilight Order and then time jumps 12 years. The story obviously opens up throughout the book, but I was already thrown and had a hard time following and keeping interest due to this and the pacing through the first 1/3 of the book.

The writing was wonderful though, very descriptive and emiersive. This was my first introduction to Wexler's work. 

I generally love stories like this and am planning to pick this up again at a later time for a re-read. I will update my review accordingly once I do since I feel that I may have a better grasp on the story and my thoughts about it. Until then, don't take my word on this incoherent review and check it out for yourself!

As the author puts it, this was a book that heavily reminds me of star wars. It was a delightful read and the most admirable parts of it are the environment and general mystery created after massive events that took place long before the story. The characters felt very weak at times, and I didn't enjoy the bizarre romantic affairs that sprouted up like weeds. Overall, I would say this was a fun read and I'd like to see where it goes from here.

Another great story from Django Wexler. I have yet to be disappointed by this author. I highly recommend this book. Thanks Netgalley

Like any addict, I have my rituals. One of those is that I divide my SFF authors into three categories.

There are those authors whose work I like and admire, or who have been vouched for by someone whose judgment I respect and I’ve decided to give them a try. Currently on my list are the likes of Kearney, Sykes, Scalzi, Liu, Jemisin. To be read, at leisure. 

Then there are those whose new books are added to my to-read list (Jemisin, Tad Williams, Hobb), even if I don’t always get around to reading them immediately. 

And lastly there are those authors whose every new publication I must read as soon as available (if not sooner).  I scheme to obtain the book early by ordering through amazon.jp (12 hours ahead of EST), purchasing ARC copies from ebay, or travelling considerable distances to find a bookstore that has it in stock and is oblivious of embargoes. I end up finishing their books within 72 hours of publication or sooner.

In this list I put Martin (duh), Lynch (yes, even now), Abercrombie, Butcher, Gaiman, Mantel, Zachary Mason, and Django Wexler.  Wexler? Why not Sanderson or Rothfuss or any of a half dozen big names in the SFF world?  Consistency in quality is a big reason, as is the ability to vary style.  Speed of publication also matters (see above, re addiction). The ability to surprise.  

Stephen Donaldson has spoken about his discovery that his fans weren’t really fans of Stephen Donaldson (despite the excellent work he has done in various genres) but fans of Thomas Covenant. For me to become a fan of an author and not just their best-known work means I trust every word they write is worth reading. And I’ve read everything Wexler has written so far. 

All this navel-gazing brings to me Ashes of the Sun, Wexler’s second book this year, and the start of a new series that came out at the end of July. I obtained an ARC through NetGalley for the promise of an honest review. 

It should be no surprise that I think it’s really, really good.  It rivals the Shadow Throne as a first novel.  And while it lacks the electric figure of Janus bet Vhalnich, the choice of a brother-sister protagonist (Gyre and Maya) works extremely well.  The world-building is very well done and the accomplishments and set-backs feel earned.  The magic system is cool and interestingly mixed in with ancient lost technology.  It's inspired by Star Wars and there are homages in the novel.  

There's something of a caper novel about it, and mysteries are gradually revealed with the promise of more. As in his earlier Shadow Campaigns series, Wexler doesn't shy away from demonstrating the human cost of grand ambitions and noble sentiments in maimed bodies and casualties. 

If there is a part of the novel that is somewhat disappointing, it is the ending which feels somewhat unconvincing.  But all in all another excellent novel with the promise of much more to come.

Easily going on my favorites of all time shelf. There wasn't a moment I didn't like, I never once glanced or skimmed a section because I was getting bored or that the story was too long. There is so much amazing world building in this that the second the next books are released I will instantly pre-order my copy. The plot is engaging and gripping, the characters warrant the time invested creating them. There's twists, there's a ton of suspense, there's just really everything you want from a book of this genre, or any for that matter. I think fans of Star Wars will enjoy this as well as fans of epic fantasies. I have not read any other Wexler novels yet so I'll need to add his work to my TBR pile. Thanks, had a ton of fun with this one. Probably best book of the year for me.

Long ago, a magical war destroyed an empire, and a new one was built in its ashes.

Ashes of the Sun alternates between the perspectives of two siblings, Gyre and Maya, who are separated at a young age when the Empire seizes Maya. Fast forward twelve years to the present. Gyre holds a grudge against the Empire and lives to destroy the Twilight Order that enforces its rule. Maya trains to become a centarch of the Order. When Gyre chases rumors of a fabled city in search of an artifact powerful enough to bring down the Empire, the siblings’ paths cross.

Through Gyre, Maya, and their respective companions, Wexler explores the complexities of family and duty, justice and freedom. Gyre and Maya’s beliefs in their respective causes are tested through the characters they encounter and the situations they face, resulting in compelling character arcs as they rise and fall and climb back up. On Maya’s end, a f/f relationship develops gradually from friendship to something more.

I enjoyed many elements of the worldbuilding. The world has unique hair colors (blue, green—colors I’d only before seen in anime hair!), the use of hakens and deiat (think lightsabers, but with magic), and goblin technology. The people have found unique ways to adapt to post-fantasy apocalyptic life. And the magic and technology result in epic fight scenes. As this is a Star Wars inspired novel, Star Wars fans may enjoy seeing its influences on the world that Wexler has created.

Ashes of the Sun is an enjoyable read that drew me deeper into its thrall as the story progressed. Once I hit the 50% mark, I couldn’t put this book down. I look forward to seeing what Wexler brings us in the next installment of the Burningblade & Silvereye trilogy.

I haven't read Django Wexler before now, and I can see myself picking up his other work. This was a wonderful fantasy adventure with hints of D&D - Video Game like sequences. Complex, diverse characters, perfect for a young adult audience.

This was an interesting take on sibling rivalry. At first you start out with a brother and sister who enjoy each others company. Then someone comes along and takes the sister away. All while injuring the brother but also giving him the motivation he needs to destroy those who took away his sister. And by the way these people are so powerful the brother has little to no chance of avenging himself or his family. Fast forward a number of years now the brother finds himself on the opposite side of his sister in a fight for a discovery that could upset the balance of power in their world. 

If you did not grow up with a sibling this book may seem strange to you. The beginning is very long winded. and drags on and on. The middle is better and the end feels like a race to the words, the end. At least until the next book in this new series. The fighting between the siblings is what is supposed to carry the book. The problem is when one multi legged character gets involved the story loses itself for a few chapters. Overall this was good. i can relate to the sibling issues but the rest was just decent.