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A review by the_pale_woman
Ashes of Man by Christopher Ruocchio
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This was a great read. If you're a fan of sci-fi, you should be reading this series. While not yet complete, I forsee completing Hadrian's story in the next two years if the author keeps up the pace. I haven't read most of the shorter works, but I plan to read those soon. It would be nice if those works were more easily accessible.
I think the author and fans put too much emphasis on the fact that this book was originally combined with the previous book before the publisher made the call to split it up. Why does that matter? What's done is done. I don't think these books suffered much from the split. If anything, it probably made certain plot points more impactful.
One criticism I had with this particular installment was the actions and dialog of a few select side characters. It felt a little disjointed from the way these characters behaved in the past books. I was also questioning these characters' intelligence more than once. Where are their plans and contingencies?
When I first started this series, I was sure that our narrator was unreliable. I felt like he was trying too hard to justify his actions. I'll admit that I tend to read too much into plots and subtext. However, the way Hadian explains his tales makes me question what he isn't telling us. My husband thinks I'm reading what isn't there, but in Ashes of Man, I felt that even more strongly. My big piece of damning evidence here is when Valka says she wants to have kids. I did not see the character development that would have me believe that is what she would want to do after these events. I think this is just an example of where Hardian will be justifying future actions. He's going to clone her or make a child with her DNA. I think if he didn't put that line in there, it would feel like his future actions were wrong. Which under my assumption they are. Another moment that feels very similar is when Valka and Hadrian plan to run away. I don't think this really happened. I think Hadrian just looks back and wishes he would have left with her. Maybe she asked to leave, but he refused. And now, writing his story is too ashamed to include the detail. Overall, this story doesn't feel like a man just wanting to get the truth out there. It feels like a man who wants to justify what others view as mistakes.
I think the author and fans put too much emphasis on the fact that this book was originally combined with the previous book before the publisher made the call to split it up. Why does that matter? What's done is done. I don't think these books suffered much from the split. If anything, it probably made certain plot points more impactful.
One criticism I had with this particular installment was the actions and dialog of a few select side characters. It felt a little disjointed from the way these characters behaved in the past books. I was also questioning these characters' intelligence more than once. Where are their plans and contingencies?
When I first started this series, I was sure that our narrator was unreliable. I felt like he was trying too hard to justify his actions. I'll admit that I tend to read too much into plots and subtext. However, the way Hadian explains his tales makes me question what he isn't telling us. My husband thinks I'm reading what isn't there, but in Ashes of Man, I felt that even more strongly.