A Harvest of Ash and Blood

By: D.J. Molles

Narrated by: Theo Solomon

Length: 17 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

From New York Times bestselling author D.J. Molles comes a brand-new action-packed fantasy adventure that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

What is the price of magic? Not the magic of tricks and illusions, but the kind that heats cities, powers armies, and transforms continents. Magic that forges empires. The Brannic Empire owes its existence to this magic, and for those in power, no price is too great. Even when that price is their own children. For it is the ashes of those with magical abilities that the Church of Alchemy harvests to fuel this machine of empire. So the furnaces burn, and the empire grows. And they call it progress.

Trying to escape a lifetime of regrets—and outrun his own demons—veteran soldier Lochled Thatcher embarks on the Fourth Crusade to Leftland, a country rich in magic. Desperate to save her brothers, Rony joins Lochled’s squad only to discover that war is very different from all the songs and fancy speeches. As politics and power clash, Kayna, a Seeker, and Ord, a priest of the Church of Alchemy, find their foundations of loyalty and faith shaken and crumbling. In this theater of chaos, magic, and treachery, soldier and priest alike will find their humanity in as much danger as their lives. Will they lose themselves to cruelty and deception? Or can one good action reverse the course of generations of evil?

A bold, brutal look at war and belief, A Harvest of Ash and Blood is a sweeping epic fantasy perfect for fans of The Witcher and Joe Abercrombie.

©2023 D. J. Molles (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

Another potentially great series

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed everything DJ Molle has written and this book is no different. I will say that this was a tough listen only because DJ captured the worst that man has to offer in terms of war and violence.
The character development was strong and didn’t feel daunting.
The story is engaging and the world was built without being overly complicated.
For me this book never let me settle into a sense of ease, I was constantly on edge hoping the main character would make the right decisions. If you don’t mind listening/reading about the reality of war and good men doing bad things for the sake of god and country while battling their conscience then definitely give this book a chance. I thought Theo Solomon did a great job narrating, he gave each character their own voice and personality. I gave the story a 4 star but I do think the long term story has 5 star potential for me. I’m looking forward to see where DJ takes the characters and this story in the coming books.

Worth the listen

Solid narration with sound character development and an excellent storyline. Was hoping to find out after listening, nearly straight through, that it was just the first in a new series

WONDERFUL

Close your eyes and let DJ Molles take you to another world, with the awesome voice of Theo Solomon. There is an entirely new band of brothers, a crusade in a time of shields and stone throwers. Molles brings the characters to life! The aging Sargent, the young girl in her first battles, Liquor, Ponderous, Crier, the priest and the seeker. Very few books make me laugh out loud, gasp and tear up, this is one of them! I cannot wait for the next book!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Very emotional

Loved it! Very graphic and emotional. Way different than his other series. Hopefully another to come!

Great listen

this isn't really my type of genre but I'm a huge DJ Molles fan so it was a no brainier for me to support his work and give it a try. He has taken magical fantasy and built a dark and gritty war torn world around it. I loved every moment of this book, especially the darker moments when you would question the main characters reasoning.

Can’t wait for more!!!!!!!!

With most fantasy books with takes awhile to get a understanding of what’s going on. This was no different and it built and built and at the end it was an awesome book. Good work!

Fascinating world, great characters

Molles smoothly introduces the reader into his world of war, oppression, alchemy, corrupt religious orthodoxy, and strangely enough, empathy. The action begins quickly and the setting/context is almost immediately engaging and intriguing. Molles is a master at developing a cast of protagonists (ish?) through a combination of direct action sequences, internal monologue, and sharp dialogue. While the story is extremely bloody and shows the darkness latent within humans, the narrative never loses sight of what is clearly good or clearly bad. Molles has always been an excellent story crafter and this looks to be the first book of a broader series. The narration of Theo Solomon is excellent and seems very well matched for the story.

Beautiful genre switch from DJ

Although it’s not my style or Genre, this story was so gripping and beautifully worded that it had me hooked.

OUTSTANDING

I was skeptical at first, and I’m a huge DJ Molle fan. I wasn’t sure how this story would go or how it would capture my attention. Well let me tell you I was wrong being skeptical, it was great start to finish, now the hardest thing is waiting for the next one to come out.

Well Executed Scifi/Fantasy!

This book is brutal in the best of ways. From bone-jarring action, to character development/transformation in an unforgiving arcane society, this book delivers. Molles has yet again crafted an entirely new and fascinating world, with a deft use of “magic”.