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paudiescanlon's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it. Gripped from the start, immense world building, characters I was invested in from the start and boy does it reach a crescendo in the final few chapters.
theladysiona's review against another edition
5.0
2023 review: really glad I gave this series a second chance. I really loved the characters and setting a lot this time around (apparently I wasn’t too invested in Gyre the first time I tried reading this lol, but this time his chapters were more interesting to me). I really love the magic system. The star wars influence is clear, but tbh done so well that I think it surpasses Star Wars. Although I would be interested to see Wexler write a SW book after reading this. He could kill some Jedi/Sith/lightsaber fight scenes. Maya is still my favorite character because I really like the idea of the haken and the twilight order is a cool concept. Also liked her romance subplot.
2020 review: I’m dnf-ing this one because I just got bored and didn’t feel like reading it anymore. The characters were fine, the world building was really interesting, and the plot was okay. Not a bad book by any means, it just lost my attention. I think a lot of people will really like this, it just wasn’t the right combination for me I guess.
2020 review: I’m dnf-ing this one because I just got bored and didn’t feel like reading it anymore. The characters were fine, the world building was really interesting, and the plot was okay. Not a bad book by any means, it just lost my attention. I think a lot of people will really like this, it just wasn’t the right combination for me I guess.
bloodstarvedbeast's review against another edition
3.0
This is a strange book to read after reading Wexler's the Shadow Campaigns. There are a lot of narrative elements that seem to overlap, and even character points.
The book centers on two siblings torn apart: Gyre and Maya, whom each of their POVs we follow with some perspectives from other characters on occasion. They are torn apart when a soldier of the Order - the main magical faction found in this universe - takes Maya as she is able to harness deiat, the "Force" stand-in for this very Star Wars-like world. Gyre protests, and he is permanently disfigured in the process. Cut to the modern day and Maya is an acolyte near completing her training and Gyre is a rebel out to destroy the Order that tore apart his family as easily as they tore apart his face.
While all that doesn't seem to be very Shadow Campaigns-like I assure you a lot of similarities are left out. Much like Marcus and Winter, Gyre and Maya are separated as children due to circumstances related to a nebulous faction (the Order has heroic individuals, but they as a system enact or are complicit of various abuses, Gyre and Maya's family not simply the only ones). Fire is involved. The younger sister is a lesbian, and her main love interest is a nerdy book-ish type. The older brother has a female love interest who is revealed to be morally dubious if affably so. And she "dies" at the end of this book, just like in the Thousand Names. The "death" occurs in relation to a big narrative changing magic whose discovery will change the course of the series. Now this isn't necessarily bad that there are similarities, and frankly there's enough differences to make the characters distinct, but there are there and are present. I find it interesting, is all.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. My favorite parts are when Maya and Beq infiltrate the Resistance's Hideout. I wish this was a longer sequence, and there was more of the interaction between them and what were Gyre's allies. Specifically cause they were incognito, and it presents an interesting perspective on how the average person approaches arcana. But alas. I felt the "reunion" between Gyre and Maya, latter in the book to be a bit underwhelming however. They recognize each other immediately especially when Gyre up to the time had not really thought about his sister or saving her, and visa versa. I think it would've been more interesting if over a series of encounters throughout the books does it eventually occur to them who the other is. But maybe Wexler realized the similarities between this book and the Shadow Campaigns, and wanted to avoid yet another parallel. I also felt that the characters were aged too young imho. While Beq and Maya's romance did feel very teenage-like, Gyre felt more like someone in his twenties, and his story would've been more befitting someone who is older. Maya too, and Tanax even, feel like they end their apprenticeships too soon at around 17. I mean, if they're promoting kids to positions of power no wonder there's so much abuse of power in the order.
It's a decent romp of a book. If you like fantasy-scifi, if you like Star Wars, and the like you would like this book. 3.5/5
The book centers on two siblings torn apart: Gyre and Maya, whom each of their POVs we follow with some perspectives from other characters on occasion. They are torn apart when a soldier of the Order - the main magical faction found in this universe - takes Maya as she is able to harness deiat, the "Force" stand-in for this very Star Wars-like world. Gyre protests, and he is permanently disfigured in the process. Cut to the modern day and Maya is an acolyte near completing her training and Gyre is a rebel out to destroy the Order that tore apart his family as easily as they tore apart his face.
While all that doesn't seem to be very Shadow Campaigns-like I assure you a lot of similarities are left out. Much like Marcus and Winter, Gyre and Maya are separated as children due to circumstances related to a nebulous faction (the Order has heroic individuals, but they as a system enact or are complicit of various abuses, Gyre and Maya's family not simply the only ones). Fire is involved. The younger sister is a lesbian, and her main love interest is a nerdy book-ish type. The older brother has a female love interest who is revealed to be morally dubious if affably so. And she "dies" at the end of this book, just like in the Thousand Names. The "death" occurs in relation to a big narrative changing magic whose discovery will change the course of the series. Now this isn't necessarily bad that there are similarities, and frankly there's enough differences to make the characters distinct, but there are there and are present. I find it interesting, is all.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. My favorite parts are when Maya and Beq infiltrate the Resistance's Hideout. I wish this was a longer sequence, and there was more of the interaction between them and what were Gyre's allies. Specifically cause they were incognito, and it presents an interesting perspective on how the average person approaches arcana. But alas. I felt the "reunion" between Gyre and Maya, latter in the book to be a bit underwhelming however. They recognize each other immediately especially when Gyre up to the time had not really thought about his sister or saving her, and visa versa. I think it would've been more interesting if over a series of encounters throughout the books does it eventually occur to them who the other is. But maybe Wexler realized the similarities between this book and the Shadow Campaigns, and wanted to avoid yet another parallel. I also felt that the characters were aged too young imho. While Beq and Maya's romance did feel very teenage-like, Gyre felt more like someone in his twenties, and his story would've been more befitting someone who is older. Maya too, and Tanax even, feel like they end their apprenticeships too soon at around 17. I mean, if they're promoting kids to positions of power no wonder there's so much abuse of power in the order.
It's a decent romp of a book. If you like fantasy-scifi, if you like Star Wars, and the like you would like this book. 3.5/5
josh4167's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
kodafaith's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
A great fantasy with a fun and new concept. The characters are great and I'm so excited to continue this series after the way the book ended!
gerbilreads's review against another edition
4.0
A bloody good romp, a strong and well- realised fantasy world with lots of ancient mysteries and moral conundrums. Plus, cool as heck magic swords.
nich811's review against another edition
4.0
Ashes of the Sun is a 527 page high-fantasy novel with incredible world building by Django Wexler.
The novel follows parallel timelines between two siblings separated in their younger years destined to lead opposing lives.
Recommend if you're looking for a new, interesting world to explore, a cool system of magic mixed with tech, and unique characters.
The novel follows parallel timelines between two siblings separated in their younger years destined to lead opposing lives.
Recommend if you're looking for a new, interesting world to explore, a cool system of magic mixed with tech, and unique characters.
flourished1's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
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
rosemarie_cawkwell's review against another edition
4.0
Fab plot and characters, strong world building, can't wait for the second book.