Legacy of Ash: 1 (Legacy Trilogy)

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There has been enough suffering today.” His tone matched his expression perfectly. Calm. Confident. Unyielding. He gestured, and the simarka sat, one to either side. Motionless. Watchful. “Let’s not add to the tally.” He nodded. Concern remained, but he knew better than to question. He’d grown into a dependable young man. Obedient. Loyal. Katya wished his father could have seen him thus. The two were so much alike. Josiri would make a fine duke, if he lived to see his seventeenth year.

She sheathed her sword and marched for the front door. Timbers shuddered under her gauntleted fist. “Elda? Elda! It’s me.” When news of this reached Tressia, Josiri determined to free his people. Viktor and his allies on the Council immediately threw their support behind him, despatching an army to confront and destroy Malatriant … if such a thing could be done. Pain stemmed Katya’s denial. A glance revealed rainwater running red across her left hand. She also felt a wound high on her shoulder. The last wayfarer’s parting gift, lost in the desperation of the moment.

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Who will save the Tressia Republic? Will the Hadari Empire finally rid the world of the darkness? Will Malachi succeed as leader? Will an unlikely hero return to save his home? Well I know what happens but I'm trying to get you all hyped to read this series 😂 Legacy of Ash is a vast story, full of interwoven characters and events. It is, therefore, something of a challenge to give a manageable story recap! Malachi has always been one of my favourite characters just bc of his sense of normalcy around all of these special people. In this book I could truly see and feel his struggles and I could understand him. Akadra’s sword scraped free of its scabbard. Blades clashed with a banshee screech. Lips parted in a snarl of surprise, he gave ground through the hissing rain. Legacy of Ash is an unmissable fantasy debut - an epic tale of intrigue and revolution, soldiers and assassins, ancient magic and the eternal clash of empires.

The tremor beneath his tone revealed the truth. His horse was already weary. What stamina remained would not long serve two riders, let alone three. A knight’s promise is not what it was, and the Council nothing if not persuasive.” Katya closed her eyes, lost in the shuddering ground and brash clarions of recent memory. And the screams, most of all. “One charge, and we were lost.” Matthew Ward also further develops many characters from major characters in the previous novel, to the side characters. For example, Malachi's daughter Sidara, and the Crowmarkets assassin Apara both shine so much and have character arcs that really shows the brilliance of Matthew Ward's storytelling. I feel Sidara for sure will shine even further in the third book, especially due to her power with the light. We also have side characters such as Seveka who blew me away with how strong of a character she was! During the first major battle Seveka steals the show as she must lead the front against the Hadari Empire. I loved her relationship with Rosa as they bring out the best in each other. Rosa is the definition of a lioness and is definitely deserved of being the Champion of Tressia. She never gives up even when the odds are against her. She forced herself upright. There was no pain. No weariness. Just calm. Was this how Kevor had felt at the end? Before the creak of the deadman’s drop had set her husband swinging? Trembling fingers closed around a dagger’s hilt. Malatriant, once the Tyrant Queen of the old Tressian kingdom and dead for centuries, had been manipulating the folk of the Southshires across the course of years, urging them to revolt and thus empower her return. The south’s new wave of oppression had given her precisely that. An entire town was now under her control, and her abhorrent rule was spreading. Those who fell to Malatriant’s influence became part of her, an army of puppets unable to break free of her control.The rough beginnings with the names aside, my investment for the majority of the characters were definitely there. Legacy of Ash has no shortage of well-written flawed characters. The characters and relationship developments between the cast felt believable. Also, I would like to add that Ward writes great female characters. Have I mentioned that Ward has written one of the most despicable—in a good way for the story—evil queen to ever exist on a fantasy book? Seriously, watch out for Ebigal Kiradin. She’s utterly abhorrent, selfish, and manipulative; she pretty much made Cersei Lannister virtuous in comparison. And I love it. Ebigal made the politics in the book so much more engaging and intense, and she has the role of becoming a huge driving factor in the second half of the book. I loved how we could see perspectives of any side of the conflict. With that we could see motives that drove some characters that did, we can say, evil things. Those motives were mostly justified and with that it;s hard to say who's the villain of the story (apart of the crowmarket - those people are evil bastards). In truth, those deaths – and many others – had been commissioned by Ebigail Kiradin herself as part of her attempt to seize control of the Republic. To secure her position, Ebigail then had the Crowmarket kidnap the loved ones of influential Tressians, ensuring that nothing would oppose her coup. A fine book with complex characters. Sometimes challenging, but deep and well-written enough to reward the hale bing moments. Wonderful characters and interesting and original take on magic and mythology. I loved it. The stakes were much higher, there was more magical and godly interference and I absolutely loved that! Gods meddling in mortal affairs is one of my favourite things to read about.

The battle cry fed Josiri’s resolve. The widening of the nearest wayfarer’s eyes gave him more. They were as afraid of him as he of them. Maybe more, for was his mother not the Phoenix of prophecy? The cool thing about this book and series is that you are dealing with conflict among human combatants, but throw in the amazing twist that gods are also meddling in these affairs and it really puts the fantastic in this fantasy series. That's really where this book shines and gives an added dimension and depth that book one hinted at so tantalizingly. You just know that a titanic struggle is taking place and Ward reveals what is going on behind the scenes beautifully but never outright tells you how it will play out. That I'm sure is where the final book in this series will take us and if LEGACY OF STEEL is any indication of what we have in store for the finale, then the next year is going to be painful to have to sit and wait through for that concluding resolution. A theme I always enjoy in high fantasy stories is the role the gods of the world have to play in the bigger picture. This is why the gods having a more prominent (you could say, a major) role in the developments and scheming (!) of the plot was something I really loved. It was so refreshing to see them not just as gods, but as characters of their own with some of them even having their own kind of character development arc. I think one thing Ward does really well is create a nice balance between high intensity action-heavy moments and those that are more about developing the plot, characters, political tensions, and world-building. Much like the first book, there are a lot of high action events and they do go on for quite a large amount of time sometimes, but they also are written in such a way that there is constant intrigue and scene changes to keep things interesting and worthwhile to read.Viktor Akadra is the Republic's champion. A warrior without equal, he hides a secret that would see him burned as a heretic. In Legacy of Steel no one is safe. Not everyone of our beloved characters came out of this alive. And as in a story is a lot of epic battles, many great last stands and sometimes casual deaths - there's a lot to be afraid of. Honestly, I was sad even for deaths of people that were barely on screen.

Kai’s chief representative in the days leading to invasion was his daughter, Melanna Saranal. She dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps and becoming the first Empress, but Hadari tradition forbade women the right to bear swords, and thus the right to rule. CIA Statement on "Legacy of Ashes" ". Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). 2007-08-06. Archived from the original on 2008-01-09 . Retrieved 2021-03-16. Katya heaved Calenne up to sit in front of her brother. She looked like a doll beside him, every day of the decade that separated them on full display. Game of Thrones meets The Last Kingdom in Matthew Ward's Legacy of Ash - an unmissable epic fantasy debut of vicious intrigue, ancient magic and the eternal clash of empires. I also have to mention Kurkas who even though a side character, is so memorable due to his dialogue with others, especially with Anastacia. I loved how they cussed each other and it was most memorable whenever Kurkas called Anastacia "plant pot" 😂.

Akadra’s hand, so lately extended in conciliation, wrenched the sluggish blade from her grasp. He let his own fall alongside. Tugged off balance, Katya fell to her hands and knees. Defenceless. Helpless. Josiri trotted close, his face studiously calm. Katya knew better. He’d not taken a life before today. I also really liked Viktor. He is the Republic’s champion, and is very well respected but he hides a secret that would see him hanged if anyone knew about it. Seeing from his own point of view was really excellent as well, because you can see how much he grew over the course of the book. Anastasia, Malachi, Rosa, and Melanna were also fantastic characters. Josiri's development from book one to the end of book 2 is so, so big, I love it. It's probably one of the best character arcs and he and Anastacia are just amazing.