An epic fantasy tale filled with twists and turns and an intriguing cast. Perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson and Michael Sullivan.

I am telling you, this book is a MUST READ! Pick it up right this instant and thank me later. Having read all of Wexler's books, Ashes of the Sun marks the pinnacle of the authors craft as this is by far his best book yet (high praise when his past work has been excellent as well).

As a reader, I am a master of fantasy. It's what I read and love more than any other genre and for my YouTube channel I tend to read about 120 books a year. I'm already more than halfway past that goal as of this book's July publication. I'm not exaggerating when I say this is among the best books I've read in the last 2-3yrs. Ashes of the Sun seriously impressed me and I'm shattered I have to wait a year for a sequel. 

This book follows two siblings who are ideologically opposed after having been torn apart in childhood. Maya belongs to the Twilight Order, the guardians of humanity, sworn to the Chosen who disappeared after wielding destructive power in the war to exterminate the Ghouls 400yrs ago. The Order are the highest authority in the land and they make sure to keep it that way by maintaining their stranglehold on humanity by way of an endless quest to seek out and destroy the technology and magic of the ghouls. 

On the other side we have Gyre, Maya's older brother whose eye and whose family was destroyed by the Order Centarch who abducted Maya as a child. Gyre has been searching his whole life for something powerful enough to cast off the yoke that the Order keeps of humanity, and to get his personal revenge doing it. 

This world is really interesting as it and its economy rely on a lot of Ghoul-derived technology called Dhak or arcana that people scavenge, ignorant or contemptuous of the Order interdictions against it. The world is also run rampant with a Plague, magical in nature, as well as the humans called Dhakim who wield the Ghoul fleshmagic that seems to have created it in the first place. The Dhakim are humans who are hunted down relentlessly for using Ghoul magic to craft Plague-beasts, nightmarish creatures who ingest other animals (humans preferably) to repurpose and twist the corpses in order to grow. Think horrifying versions of Sanderson's Mistwraiths. These beasts are horrors of exposed meat and mix matched limbs who are driven by a ravenous hunger to endlessly consume. When large enough the creature splits itself into smaller versions that continue the cycle to create an endless sea of monstrous broken flesh. 

And if that weren't bad enough, it seems like the two sides of that ancient war might not be as dead and buried as everyone thought, for forces are stirring that may plunge the world back into conflict, unleashing a level of horror that will see unfathomable atrocities committed unless someone can stop them in this pulse-pounding tale that will see new legends rise—the legends of Silvereye and Burningblade. 

Check out a deeper review on my YouTube channel Books Rebound where I talk about all things fantasy!

"How much trouble would I be in if I lit him on fire just a little?"

So I received the ARC of this from Netgalley and I made myself start it since it just came out 😅 and great cashews!! 
 
I bought it immediately half way into chapter 2. 

There are VERY few books I enjoyed from start to finish and this is definitely a new favorite of mine. 

The story starts after a war with two children, Gyre and Maya, showing how Maya was taken from you family by a Centarch when she was 5 and Gyre refused to let him take her even tho he was only 8 he dared to take on the warrior of the Twilight Order. Losing his eye in the attempt as a "lesson" this set the brother and sister on two very different life courses. One fighting with the order. Who believes they are the best hope for the people and keeping the dhak away from the wrong hands. The other a rebel fighter. Trying to find the tomb in which will destroy all of the Twilight Order and their outdated ways of the "Chosen ones". 

I simply adored the characters mostly Kit Doomseeker. If you read it you will understand. 

And if you didn't get a little wiff of it does have a  starwars vibe. Which I'm living for! 

And that cover!!! Was Definitely the main reason I click on it.

I'd rate this at somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars. Though it certainly has potential and I'm more than a little interested in seeing what happens next I'm not sure the world building or even characters were really here for me to get super into the story.

I like the concept a lot. The world of Ashes of the Sun is one built on the bones of an ancient war. 400 years ago the Chosen and the Ghouls fought it out for world supremacy and the Chosen lost and the Ghouls vanished. They left behind amazing and mysterious technology only the Chosen and their heirs can use and the remnants of dhaka, a strange, organic Ghoul magic. 

Now society is kept under control by The Twilight Order and their Centarchs (wielders of Chosen power that allows them to use Chosen tech). The Order works to maintain peace, but their numbers have dwindled over the years and things are pretty chaotic. Lots of people live in abject poverty underground and a very small merchant, nobility class basically hoards everything and keeps the masses enslaved to their factories and mines.

So into that world are thrust siblings Maya and Gyre. When Maya is five years old she's taken by the Centarchs who correctly identify her chronic illnesses as a sign that she's a wielder of Chosen power. Gyre attempts to stop them and his horribly mutilated as a result. Years pass and Maya becomes a powerful Centarch apprentice and Gyre is a respected member of a group of bandits who are kinda sorta also freedom fighters with no real goals.

That's unfortunately where things kind of fall apart for me. Despite an interesting idea for a setting and some fascinating pre-story historical tidbits we never really learn much about the Chosen or the Ghouls or the war or what really happened versus what everyone believes. The people who are anti-Twilight Order don't really have a better idea for how the world should work they just sort of abstractly believe the order is evil. The Order isn't evil or good really, its just a bunch of mildly ineffective scholars who send people out on missions to fight monsters and argue among themselves. Its not even very clear how, with so few of them, they even manage to stay in power. 

I think we're meant to feel that Gyre and Maya are truly pitted against each other in a Civil War level rivalry but Gyre's total lack of motivation beyond "they took my sister" make his blood thirsty desire to basically end the world seem kind of insane and Maya, who seems to be a really good person, kind of sort of figures out that not everyone in the Order is a good person but honestly most of them seem to be and they seem like they're trying to help people so I just didn't really get what was at stake. There just wasn't any true dramatic tension.

What Django Wexler seems way more interested in is the sex lives of his characters. Because I sure learned a heck of a lot about Maya's crush on her companion Baq and Gyre's firey flirting with the more than mildly sociopathic Kit. 

I have some hope that Wexler will get more in depth on the actual story in the second book, which I would like to read but alas, this promising concept loses almost all of its punch to star crossed love affairs and half hearted sibling rivalry. I would, at least, like to know what happens next.

The theme to my life recently, it seems, is being late. This released last week, gah!

I actually picked up the audio already for this, I had 20% left to go on release day and I needed to get through it quickly and I didn’t have time to physically read. The audio is pretty good, although, the first rating on audible was a 1 star. I do think this narrator could be marmite-like. She is a very expressive narrator that uses a lot of accents and tonal changes to create the characters voices. She also has a very storyteller quality to her narrations which may or may not work for you. Personally, I enjoyed it.

 

Anyway, this is a story about two siblings and their polar opposite roles in society. When Maya was very young she was taken away from her family by the Twighlight Order. She was constantly sick, and it was getting worse as the years progressed. The Twilight Order said they could help, but, unfortunately that also meant she couldn’t go back and visit her familt until she was done with training. ..which takes over a decade to finish. As the years went by they faded from her memory, and the Order became more like a family to her than the one she left behind. She had a mentor who I really liked and want to see more of in the next book.

Her brother, Gyre, tried to defend his sister when she was being taken. Maya was crying and screaming and didn’t want to go, so he stabbed the order member in the leg. He lost an eye for it, and he’s been bitter ever since. Bitter that his family was torn apart. Bitter about his parents subsequent deaths and depression. Bitter that there’s an organization thats above the rest, and dictates what magical items can and cant be used. As the years marched on he became a rebel leader, and a thorn in the Order’s side that they would like to eliminate.

Maya’s perspective paints the Order in a complex light, making them not the evil enemy that reading only Gyre’s POV would lead you to believe. I love when each side of a war is equally represented and neither side inherently wrong. The Order serves as a protection from dark magic, and from plaguespawn.

This is a really neat world, I love old school epic fantasies with tons of magic. I love the gross horrors of the Plaguespawn, which are monsters of a frankenstein nature…put together pieces of animals and humans to make a functional, albeit terrifying creature.

I enjoyed both Maya and Gyre, they were both relatable in their own ways, and had compelling arcs. I was waiting and waiting for them to finally meet up and it doesn’t happen until like 60% through the book. I was hoping their meeting would have held bigger consequences for their arcs, but it didn’t, yet. That could be coming in later installments.

The prose was excellent, as to be expected of Django. The pacing threw me off a bit at the end. It seemed like the story was wrapping up and setting up for the sequel and… lol it just kept going for a while. All things considered that’s not a huge problem, and I did enjoy what came later.

I recommend this to people who enjoy dual povs, sibling povs, lots of magic, old school epic fantasy, and two sides of a ‘war’. (Not a war yet, just rebellion from the lower class).

Ratings

* plot: 12/15

* characters: 12.5/15

* world building: 13.5/15

* writing: 13.5/15

* pacing: 11/15

* originality: 11/15

* personal enjoyment: 8/10

Final Score: 81.5/100 or 4/5 stars on goodreads!

I have read Mr. Wexler’s books and enjoyed them, but Ashes of the Sun was a step too far out of my usual reading. 
Swords wielding heroes, some arcanists, mages and or alchemists, fine. But I draw the line  at strange ,misshapen beasts, ghouls, elves, dark or of luminence,, no. My first impression was that this book was more YA than adult. The teen characters, Maya and Gyre , along with the grotesques of a weirdly shattered world would fit in well as a super hero weird science Netflix feature. Pit a few real actors , fitted out with showy prostheses and  Have them swirl , jump and skewer baddies and beasts on a blue GCI screen-An appealing hit.
Mr. Wexler’s imagined world is awesomely well done, his characters fully drawn, and the action does not let up. But I simply could not get past the almost over the cartoonish ( I do not use that word in a perjoratiive way) pictures flitting through my head while reading. 
Maybe I have simply gotten too old for this genre. Yep, sadly true.
Final words: good stuff for fans of the genre.

Gyre hasn't seen his beloved sister since their parents sold her to the mysterious Twilight Order. Now, twelve years after her disappearance, Gyre's sole focus is revenge, and he's willing to risk anything and anyone to claim enough power to destroy the Order.
Chasing rumors of a fabled city protecting a powerful artifact, Gyre comes face-to-face with his lost sister. But she isn't who she once was. Trained to be a warrior, Maya wields magic for the Twilight Order's cause. Standing on opposite sides of a looming civil war, the two siblings will learn that not even the ties of blood will keep them from splitting the world in two.

3 stars

I received an uncorrected advance copy of Ashes of the Sun in exchange for an honest review. I'd like to thank Django Wexler and Orbit Books for the opportunity.

This is a dystopian book with a twist on the chosen one(s) idea. 

The two povs we get are not the love interest this dynamic following a brother and sister one taken by the order to be a soldier and one creates a rebellion soldier reputation based on a legend. So when the brother and sister meet you know they are fighting each other and that leads to confusing turmoil for both of them yet figure in the end they’ll be working together.

The side characters were a trip! 

I preferred the brother's story however he was the character that lacked more development (burn, burn, burn things down). Maya was the more rounded character (badass that could be vulnerable) but I preferred the rebellion more than being inside the order/republic.  

The end was not mind-blowing but did offer some elements/plot I hadn’t predicted.

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.