Legacy of Ash

By: Matthew Ward

Narrated by: Suzannah Hampton

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. A shadow has fallen over the Tressian Republic. Ruling families -- once protectors of justice and democracy -- now plot against one another with sharp words and sharper knives. Blinded by ambition, they remain heedless of the threat posed by the invading armies of the Hadari Empire. Yet as Tressia falls, heroes rise. Viktor Akadra is the Republic's champion. A warrior without equal, he hides a secret that would see him burned as a heretic. Josiri Trelan is Viktor's sworn enemy. A political prisoner, he dreams of reigniting his mother's failed rebellion. And yet Calenne Trelan, Josiri's sister, seeks only to break free of their tarnished legacy; to escape the expectation and prejudice that haunts the family name. As war spreads across the Republic, these three must set aside their differences in order to save their home. Yet decades of bad blood are not easily set aside. And victory -- if it comes at all -- will demand a darker price than any of them could have imagined.

Critic reviews

"Ward has created a novel with such intention and craftsmanship that it brings back that feeling of excitement fantasy readers felt when discovering masters like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis."—Shelf Awareness

"Packed with big battles, shadowy intrigue and a large cast of characters, Legacy of Ash is an absorbing debut."—James Islington

"A hugely entertaining debut."—John Gwynne

"As intricate as a precision-engineered watch; as surprising as a precision-engineered watch with a concealed face-stabbing mechanism."—Gareth Hanrahan

"Expertly interspersing vivid action sequences with quiet, introspective stretches, Ward guides readers and characters alike through this winding, well-crafted saga. The result is an impressive series opener."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Epic fantasy as it should be: big, bold and very addictive."—Starburst

"An incredibly impressive piece of fantasy fiction."—The Fantasy Inn

"This is the first epic fantasy book I've enjoying getting immersed in for ages . . . a great romp in a brilliantly realized setting . . . I have lost sleep, forgotten food and made this the thing what I pick up every moment I can get."—SFFWorld

"A perfect blend of Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom."—FanFi Addict

Got good but no mark.

It started off slow as most new series I started tend to but during the middle and the latter parts of the story it got a better but I can’t get behind the end. Nor the buildup to a kind of lack luster story.

I couldn’t wait for it to end

The story jumped around and was hard to follow. The reader made it harder because she didn’t make any indication that she was changing storylines. There were too many characters and too may story lines. Most of the characters were poorly developed. Some I never figured out who they were at why they were included in the story at all.

The narrator changed volume when she changed voices which made it really hard to listen to. She also dropped her volume at the end of sentences so I would lose the meaning.

I love long complicated stories with lots of chapters, but this was just a mess. Not sure how the editor or the producer let this book and audio book get released. Very disappointing.

Volume issues in production

I’ve only started this story because I’m having such a problem with the recording. The narrator speaks very softly when narrating the background text, and the volume shoots up for the dialogue. This results in uncomfortable peaks that are making it impossible for me to listen to this at anything but the lowest possible settings and therefore only when the house is very quiet.

Very Similar to ASOIAF, More Magic

Legacy of Ash is absolutely brilliant, and there are undeniable comparisons to be made with ASOIAF, both in the characters, themselves, and the overarching story.

Yet somehow, it ends up being somewhat different than Game of Thrones. It's a bit heavier handed on the magic (which I personally enjoyed), and the story remains hard to put down, despite being one of the heftier reads.

With interesting twists and turns, brilliant characters, and a well-created world, Legacy of Ash is one of the more memorable fantasy epics in recent memory.

I'm not sure what I listened too

I have this on hardback and I am going to read the hardback. I don't have the time to lounge around and read all day anymore, especially big books like this, stormlight, or WOT. So audible has been huge for me.

the Narrator has a plenty fine voice, but like many have states before -she just makes it so hard to follow.

i was constantly lost. I rewinded so many times.
it's taken me over a month to slog through this as well. for an example

Legacy of Ash 28hr. 45 days to complete

The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance, Oath Bringer, & Rythm of War - completed in 30 days. average length 40 hours per book.

I really hope #2 doesn't have the same narrator.
everyone just sounds like a Posh teenager