Legacy of Ash: Book One of the Legacy Trilogy

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No!” Akadra dived forward. His hands reached for hers, his sudden alarm lending weight to his promises. We all know how it goes; if it’s an epic fantasy debut, the particular book will immediately be advertised as A Song of Ice and Fire or Game of Thrones meets (insert another author/series/book here,) and Legacy of Ash isn’t excluded from that tradition. As much as I often find this kind of advertisement misleading most of the time, Legacy of Ash may have just done justice to this often-misleading claim. Legacy of Ash is an epic fantasy debut with many characters and names to remember, imbued with the hint of huge scope found in A Song of Ice and Fire and action sequences that bear a resemblance to Bernard Cornwell’s. Ravens scattered before Josiri’s straining horse. He glanced down at the girl in his charge. His sister she may have been, but Calenne was a stranger. She sat in silence, not a tear on her cheeks. He didn’t know how she held herself together so. It was all he could do not to fall apart. 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. Matthew Ward is a writer, cat-servant and owner of more musical instruments than he can actually play (and considerably more than he can play well). He’s afflicted with an obsession for old places – castles, historic cities and the London Underground chief amongst them – and should probably cultivate more interests to help expand out his author biography.

So there you have it, Legacy of Ash was a book that was simply right up my street. It felt like an old school fantasy, with characters that appeared real, and world building that revels in the fantastical. If this appeals to you, then what are you waiting for? Go grab a copy. A slap to her horse’s haunch sent it whinnying into the oncoming wayfarers. They scattered, fighting for control over startled steeds. To give a brief outline of the book is something of a challenge, as the narrative slowly builds up to become quite complex, but here I go anyway. The Tressian Republic strive to conquer their neighbouring lands; in the south a Phoenix has arisen to lead the people of the Southshires towards a battle for freedom. However, when the Phoenix is slain, hope dies with her, and all that’s left is a legacy of failure. We then move forward to fifteen years later, and the Prince of Hadari plots to set his army upon the lands of the Tressian Republic to further his rule and secure his seat on the Emperor’s throne. His eye is set upon the land of the Southshires, to the town of Eskavord. Josiri, and Calenne, the children of the infamous Phoenix, imprisoned within the walls of Branghall castle, must find a way to continue their mother’s quest for freedom and liberate the people of Eskavord, not only against the oncoming Hadari, but also breaking free from the Republic. With Josiri riddled with self doubt, and his sister Calenne desperate to rid herself of her mother’s memory, the task is not easy. Can Viktor, a soldier of the Republic, amend for his past deeds and offer salvation to the doomed Southshires? Can old wounds be buried and new alliances formed? This, folks, is our tale. 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. Viktor Akadra.” Katya made no attempt to hide her bitterness. “Did your father not tell you? I do not recognise the Council’s authority.”

Hooves sounded on cobbles. The leading wayfarers spurred forward, swords drawn to avenge their master’s humiliation. The simarka, given no leave to advance, simply watched unfolding events with feline curiosity. Katya took up position at the bridge’s narrow crest, her sword point-down at her feet in challenge. She’d no illusions about holding the wayfarers. It would cost them little effort to ride straight over her, had they the stomach for it. But the tightness of the approach offered a slim chance.

The church spire passed away to his left. Desperate townsfolk crowded its lychpath, seeking sanctuary behind stone walls. People filled the streets beyond. Some wore council blue, most the sea-grey of Eskavord’s guard, and too many the garb of ordinary folk caught in between.So, which characters did I like the best? How long have you got?! There are a lot to mention, so I’ll do my best to keep it short(ish). Josiri, was a character that often wallowed in self pity and bitterness, which made him infuriating to begin with, but as he became stronger, and was able to overcome his narrow mindedness, I began to adore him. His sister, Calenne, in her desperation to step out from behind her mother’s shadow any way she could, did come across as selfish, but you understand her reasons behind it, and I grew to really root for her. Now, Viktor Akadra was one I immediately LOVED. I mean Viktor had heart, he genuinely cared for others, and his only goal was to make amends for his past; but Viktor had a shadow… and I’ll leave it to you find out exactly what that shadow could do!

The Hadari will treat you better than the Council.” He still had so much to learn, and she no more time in which to teach him. “When enemies are your only recourse, choose the one with the least to gain. Promise me.” One by one, Josiri’s remaining allies joined Viktor’s outnumbered army and met the Hadari in unequal battle at Davenwood. Despite early successes, the tide turned against the Tressians. Fearing for Calenne’s safety, Josiri shook off his despondency and seized control of the wolf’s-heads, bringing them into the fray against the Hadari. At the same time, a desperate Viktor drew upon the full power of his shadow – and quiescent magic buried in the Southshires – to blind swathes of the Hadari. The Tressians triumphed, but at huge cost. Many lay dead, and Calenne was missing in the aftermath, having last been seen leading a charge to save her routed countryfolk.Other honourable mentions were; Anastacia, who held so much magical power, she was just plain awesome. Then there was Melanna, the prince of Hadari’s daughter, who wanted nothing more than to become a warrior to fight beside her father, even though tradition dictated women could not partake in warfare. Oh and my favourite duo were Kurkas and Revekeh; these two made the most unlikeliest friendship, but somehow they were both perfect for each other, and their banter together was the absolute best!! Lastly, I’ll mention Ebigail, one of the main villains of the story, and she was the most villainiest of villains indeed! Jeez, she was ruthless; the way she could manipulate situations to ensure her dominance and power, was both maddening but also well played! It’s a cliche, but I loved to hate her.

The topics here are about your writing, how you write, muses, movie adaptations, writing blogs and books. Lots of books! Much can change in time,]] said Anastacia. [[Truth becomes hope, and hope becomes legend. What was wild becomes settled, and fear lives on as prejudice. People remember where history forgets.]]’ He’d every reason to be so. Even without the armour, without the entourage of weary wayfarers – without her wounds – Akadra would have been more than her match. He stood a full head taller than she – half a head taller than any man she’d known.I think it’s noteworthy to mention that we do switch POV between characters a lot, often in the same chapter, but these switches were separated by paragraphs so it never became confusing. However, if you’re inclined to be put off by this, I urge you not to, because I felt there was a fundamental purpose to this style. Each character is interconnected one way or another with each other’s narratives, for good or ill they impact each other’s lives, and therefore Ward deliberately positions each point of view to give the reader the best insight. There are many schemes, lies, misconceptions, and drama, OH THE DRAMA! I was utterly enthralled by it all. It felt like a show I was watching unfold, and I couldn’t help but feel caught in it. That’s when you know you’re reading a good book, right? When you suspend reality, and can’t help but feel a part of the story… it’s the best! But anyway, to further my point: this is a big novel, and Ward uses that expanse to flesh out the characters in fairly short scenes, and skilfully build upon their narratives. I would say that the first half of the book is a character driven story, one that explores the tenuous bonds between family, friends, and delves into the nature of legacies, and of forgiveness.