Title: King of Ashes
Author: Raymond E. Feist
First published April 5, 2018
499 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9780061468452 (ISBN10: 0061468452)
Rating: 4.18
Overview
In the first of the Firemane Saga series, King of Ashes, Raymond E. Feist takes readers on a thrilling journey through the tumultuous world of Garn.
The five kingdoms of North and South Tembria have long enjoyed peaceful coexistence until four kingdoms violate an ancient covenant and betray the fifth, Ithrace – also known as the Kingdom of Flames. As war rages, Ithrace is destroyed, and the Greater Realms of Tembria are plunged into chaos as they vie for supremacy.
Baron Daylon Dumarch, a Free Lord who owes allegiance to no king, discovers an abandoned infant hidden in his pavilion, and realizes that the child is the missing heir of the slain Steveren. Daylon decides to keep the baby’s existence a secret and sends him to be raised on the Island of Coaltachin, home of the so-called Kingdom of Night.
Meanwhile, a young orphan named Declan unlocks the secret to forging King’s Steel, the most coveted weapon in the land.
Years later, Declan and the rightful heir to the throne, now grown, are brought together by fate. Together, they must uncover the truth behind the War of Betrayal and the forces that threaten their world.
Brimming with adventure and intrigue, King of Ashes is a must-read for fans of epic fantasy.
About the Author
Raymond E. Feist was originally known as Raymond E.
Gonzales III, but he changed his last name to Feist after his mother remarried Felix E. Feist.
Feist received a B.A. in Communication Arts with Honors from the University of California at San Diego in 1977. While in college, he began developing ideas for a novel about a young boy who becomes a magician.
Two years later, Feist wrote the novel, which was published in 1982 by Doubleday. Nowadays, Feist resides in San Diego with his children.
His hobbies include collecting fine wine, DVDs, and books on a variety of topics, such as wine, biographies, history, and American Professional Football.
Editoral Review
King of Ashes by Raymond E. Feist is a high fantasy novel that was first published on April 5, 2018.
The novel is set in a fictional world inhabited by humans, dwarves, and other creatures. Raymond E.
Feist is a prolific author who has published dozens of novels and short stories in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his Riftwar Cycle series, which includes Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master.
King of Ashes opens with the destruction of the city of Ithrace, the capital of the Kingdom of Ashes. The city is burned to the ground by a group of unknown attackers, leaving behind only a few survivors.
Among them are two boys, Declan and Donte, who are taken in by a group of roving performers. As they grow up, Declan and Donte become skilled actors and performers, but they are haunted by memories of the destruction of Ithrace and the loss of their families.
Meanwhile, in another part of the world, another young man named Hatu is being trained as an assassin by a secret order known as the Conclave. Hatu is an orphan from a poor background, but he is blessed with extraordinary strength and agility.
As Hatu rises through the ranks of the Conclave, he begins to question the ethics of his training and the motives of his superiors. As the story unfolds, the lives of these three young men become intertwined in unexpected ways.
Declan and Donte find themselves caught up in a war between rival kingdoms, while Hatu is sent on a mission to assassinate the king of one of those kingdoms. Along the way, they confront their own fears and weaknesses and discover hidden strengths and talents.
One of the strengths of King of Ashes is its richly imagined setting. Feist creates a complex and detailed world with its own geography, history, and mythology.
The different cultures and ethnic groups are well-drawn, and the characters interactions with each other are grounded in the social and political realities of their world. Feists prose is also a highlight of the novel.
He has a gift for descriptive writing that brings the world of King of Ashes to vivid life. His action scenes are particularly well done, with a sense of kinetic energy and momentum that keeps the pace of the story moving.
However, the novel does have some weaknesses. One of these is the pacing.
The story takes a while to build momentum, and some readers may find the early chapters slow going. There are also some plot threads that feel underdeveloped or unresolved, leaving the reader with a sense of dissatisfaction.
Another weakness is the characterization. While the main characters are likable and relatable, they can also feel somewhat one-dimensional at times.
Their motivations and desires are not always fully explored, and some of their actions seem arbitrary or inexplicable. Overall, King of Ashes is a solid entry in the fantasy genre.
It will appeal to fans of epic fantasy novels like Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings. While it has some flaws, it is an engaging and well-crafted story that will keep readers entertained from start to finish.
I would recommend it to readers who enjoy fast-paced action, complex world-building, and high-stakes drama. I give it a score of 3.5 out of 5 stars.
