BOOK REVIEW: Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward

By Yuli Atta

Hello, hello. It's been a while since I wrote a book review on here. April was a hectic month and I barely read anything. However, we've started off May with a bang. I've already shared my review on GOODREADS but I decided to do it here as well.

Before I start, I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the eARC which I got approved for after I bought the book since it came out earlier in the UK.

Actual rating 4.5*

TL;DR

The first half of the book is a bit slow because it's setting things up for the second half which is faster-paced and more action-packed. The characters are well-written and develop a lot throughout the story and I absolutely loved it!

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It took me about a week to read this book and it was so worth it.

It's been a while since I read a new epic fantasy that I liked. I'm a fan of this kind of epic story that's long and complex and feels like the old fantasy of the 90s and early 2000s.

The first half of the book sets up the second half, so it's slower in pace and doesn't have much action. While usually, I wouldn't enjoy reading 400 pages of nothing I actually didn't mind the slow pace in Legacy of Ash at all. In fact, I came to slowly know and appreciate the characters for what they were and I enjoyed reading each of their POVs (because there are a lot) immensely. It's been a long time since I've read a book where the characters start out having some kind of prejudice about something and then develop and grow out of it. I loved following each and every one of their journeys. Most of all, I loved the multiple enemies-to-comrades-to-friends arcs, they were for sure my absolute favourite.

We start off with the siblings Josiri and Calenne Trelan who are pretty much prisoners in their own home. Josiri is bitter about the past and Calenne is basically trying to run away from their mother's legacy. In the beginning, I liked Josiri but wasn't especially interested in him, he was a bit boring to me, and I disliked Calenne a lot. She was spoiled and just awful, trying to use a person who cared about her for her own selfish reasons.

However, they both grew on me. I think that Calenne has an amazing character arc and she developed a lot. I really enjoyed reading about her and her journey and I didn't expect to like her at all because of her attitude in the beginning but after meeting with Viktor, she became a completely different character who I came to love. I also loved how open-minded she was given how secluded she was growing up.

Josiri was another matter. I started off liking him but after he met Viktor, his attitude changed in a way I didn't enjoy. His journey into growth took a bit longer but he eventually grew on me again and I really liked him. Watching somebody grow out of a mindset that has been instilled in them all their life and come to be the person he is now while still being flawed was fascinating. I loved reading his POVs because they were certainly very interesting (as was pretty much everything in this book) and the only thing that I wish there was more of was his relationship with Calenne. I feel like his brotherly relationship with a different character (not named to avoid spoilers) was closer than the one he had with Calenne but you could tell he loves her dearly despite the lack of interaction between them after the first 200 pages (even though there is a reason for that after page 450 XD).

Anastacia was an interesting character for sure and I wonder if there will be more of her in the next book. I certainly want to know what happens with her arc.

Viktor is one of my favourite characters in this book. I love him so, so much. The first time we meet him, he isn't painted in a good light but the more you read about him, the more you realise that there's more to him, he is a layered character whom I love and respect. He is exactly the type of character I like to read about and I'm not sure if labeling him as morally grey is correct but he sure as hell is to me. I appreciate and love the way he has a goal and is driven to achieve it, how humane he is despite everything he goes through, and I absolutely adored his whole character arc and I can't wait to read more about him (I will, right?). I also loved his relationship with two specific characters and his friendships as well. He is just amazing. I can talk a lot more about this but I'm trying to make it spoiler-free.

Melanna was kind of boring to me but that comes from personal taste rather than a boring character arc. She comes from a country in which women aren't allowed to fight, they aren't considered heirs and all your usual stuff. Naturally, she's rebelling against it, she wants to fight and win in order to inherit her father's throne. A father who loves and supports her, and I'm so glad he did. I loved her relationship with her father and the more I read about her, the more she grew on me (like all the characters except for a specific lady). She also developed a lot in this but she still has a lot more growing to do. I'm very much intrigued by her character arc and would love to read more about her.

There were a few other shorter POVs like governer Yanda, Revekah Halvor, and Kurkas which brought in some more color to the story so to speak. I loved reading their POVs and seeing how they perceived the MCs I came to love so much. I also particularly enjoyed reading about Revekah and Kurkas, their development as people is one of my favorite and their friendship arc is almost as good as <spoiler> Viktor and Josiri's </spoiler>.

Then there was Apara's POV that I found very intriguing because I didn't realise at first who was behind the event that made everything happen in this book but it became obvious soon after.

Watching the characters try to understand what was happening and who was behind it all was very very interesting. I was absorbed in the story the whole time and I loved being with these characters. Their struggles and their growth was something welcome because it's been a long time since I've read a book with so much character-development packed into it. I absolutely loved it.

The villain was just sick and crazy, the way they would stop before nothing in order to achieve their goal was scary and annoying. There was literally nothing they wouldn't do and that's what I love in a well-written villain.

I absolutely loved the story because there were two main plot-lines and the powers the characters were up against were way, way beyond them. There are some really high stakes here and that's what I enjoyed the most about this book. I loved the slow pacing because it gave me time to grow attached to the characters and the story and to look forward to their next move. I just absolutely loved it and I don't know what else to say.

I also liked the world-building and the magic as well. I'm so glad there is magic in this book because I feel like if there hadn't been any, I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did. I wonder if there will be more of it in the next one because I'd love to see it even more developed.

I also loved the different cultures and religions in the book. I loved how the explanations were weaved within the story in a way that if you would get who Ashana is by simply following the events in the book and what the characters are talking about and the same goes about the Raven and Lumestra.

I'm sure I can talk a lot more about Legacy of Ash but I think I've mentioned mostly everything I wanted to talk about. I absolutely loved this book and I will wait for Legacy of Steel.