Reviews

Ash and Silver by Carol Berg

honeycomb_system's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

rat_queen's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

krayfish1's review

3.0

There was a lot that was good about it, but I don't particularly like the story trope where the person loses all of their memories.

bookbirb's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

kessy's review against another edition

3.0

It took me 2 months to finish this book because of the elaborate and heavy writing style. I really had to drag myself through this one. However, I enjoyed the plot well enough to finish it; curiosity got the better of me this time!
I liked the first book of this duology best. The memory loss trope isn't my favourite and I wish she carried this series on without it. A second book with some more Lucian/Bastian detective action, and character development, would have left me more satisfied. I'm upset this story had to end this way.

melissa_isreading's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ohbthr's review

4.0

Good, but weird ending?

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Greenshank is part of a secret order of knights who are swarm to impassively serve justice and righteous intentions. Everyone in the order has given up their past and had their memories locked away in magical artifacts so that they can serve without influence from their past. There's something dangerous hiding in Greenshank's past, though, and remembering may be just as deadly as not. 

For readers looking for 💕: an epic fantasy world with intrigue, lost memories, betrayal, strong allies, mysterious spirit folk, a lost city, an extremely determined protagonist, and deep-felt terror of being trapped in your own body. Honestly, the whole feel of this book reminded me of many of my favorite fantasy anime and manga. 

My thoughts 💭: I've enjoyed other Carol Berg books quite a bit more than this one. It's a fun read. I loved the dynamic of visiting a city lost in a magical realm and trying to save its people. I loved the double life the protagonist was living, with one life lost to memory. This book just spent too much time trying to re-establish everything that had happened in book 1 because the character's memories were stolen from him... A bit frustrating... This would have worked better as the first book instead of the second in the series (technically it's the 4th in the series and just second in it's duology, which is what I meant). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, and Blood

Fear of being trapped in your own body, memory loss

absurtiddy's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

eloiseinparis's review against another edition

3.0

A hard story to get through. The plot was a bit convoluted and the writing style was not one I like. But I am open to reading more from this author.