Blog Tour Review - Ashes of the Sun by Django Wexler

Ashes of the Sun by Django Wexler 

Published 1st October 2020 by Head of Zeus

Star Rating - ****

I was gifted a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Long ago, a magical war destroyed an empire, and a new one was built in its ashes. But still the old grudges simmer, and two siblings will fight on opposite sides to save their world in the start of Django Wexler's new epic fantasy trilogy.
Gyre hasn't seen his beloved sister since their parents sold her to the mysterious Twilight Order. Now, twelve years after her disappearance, Gyre's sole focus is revenge, and he's willing to risk anything and anyone to claim enough power to destroy the Order.
Chasing rumors of a fabled city protecting a powerful artifact, Gyre comes face-to-face with his lost sister. But she isn't who she once was. Trained to be a warrior, Maya wields magic for the Twilight Order's cause. Standing on opposite sides of a looming civil war, the two siblings will learn that not even the ties of blood will keep them from splitting the world in two.

My Thoughts

I've always been intrigued by several of Django Wexler's work so when I was offered the opportunity to read and review this one I jumped at the chance. The synopsis really caught my eye and I'm pleased to say that it lived up to my expectations. 

The plot was really interesting. It moved at a steady pace and kept me engaged throughout. Even when the characters were travelling I was still invested in the story and was keen to keep reading. I also really enjoy duel perspective stories so this was a big plus for me too in terms of writing style. I loved the magic system too. I liked the two sides to it, the side that came from the Chosen and how that was different to what came from the Ghouls but also how it can also be interchangeable and used by the opposite side through the use of arcana. I found this really interesting. 

The characters were great too. There wasn't an obvious side to route for. Both perspectives had their flaws and their values and I thought this made for interesting reading. I liked the edginess and sarcasm that came from Gyre and Kit's side but I also liked the determination to do the right thing that came from Maya. I also appreciated Maya and Beq's relationship exploration. I thought this was an effortless part of the story and it didn't feel like it was imposed upon the story for diversities sake. 

Overall I really enjoyed this story. I was super intrigued by the ending and didn't really want the book to end so I can honestly say I will be keeping a close eye out for the sequel when it's released. 

Overall Rating 

Author Bio

Django Wexler is the author of the Shadow Campaigns novels. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh with degrees in creative writing and computer science, and worked for the university in artificial intelligence research. He is also the author of middle-grade fantasy novels, The Forbidden Library, The Mad Apprentice and The Palace of Glass.

Thank you to the publishers, Head of Zeus, for the opportunity to take part in the blog tour. Please check out the other bloggers on this tour to see what they are saying about this great book.