Hi Cara,
The review on my blog today is Django Wexler new Burningblade & Silvereye series. The first book is called Ashes in the Sun and it is out 21st July 2020.
Long ago, a magical war destroyed an empire, and a new one was built in its ashes.
But still the old grudges simmer, and two siblings will fight on opposite sides to save their world, in the start of Django Wexler’s new epic fantasy trilogy
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.
Synopsis from Goodreads.com
Ashes of the Sun is a fantasy, Sci-fi, Western hybrid.
I say western/ wild west as the towns and what Gyre is doing reminds me of that. As there are areas that are more lawless and what law is around might not be on the IP and up. Sci-fi due to the technology, and it a pure fantasy world with magical powers and none humans.
The book is split into Gyre and Maya Points of view. I liked this as they both see the world and the place the Order of Twilight in it differently.
Having both views make it hard to decide who is on the right side. Also by having both points of view, and they are both on a very different journey it like reading two separate stories that interweave, it keeps the pace of the book up.
As it is a new world it took me a little while to get into the story. As there is a lot of world-building and set up. But once Maya is on her own task without her master is when I really got into the story.
One of my favourite aspects of Ashes in the Sun is the cast of characters. They are unique, funny, smart, brave, loyal and even cute. I also liked that there where LGBTQ+ representation. One of my favourite characters is Scout Varo. The tales he tells about the demise of his fellow scots I found really funny, I hope we see more of him in the next book. I did find it hard to connect to Maya and Gyre, they are both good characters that have strengths and weakness but I by the end I wasn’t bothered who succeed or not.
The world that Django Wexler created is complex and amazing. I am interested in visiting it again and see what else is found out about the Chosen and the ghouls.
My rating for Ashes in the Sun is 3.8 out of 5.
Thank you to Netgalley and Head of Zeus for supplying me an E-ARC copy of Ashes of the sun for a fair and honest review.
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Thanks for reading,
