Synopsis
A new novel from internationally bestselling author Raymond E. Feist.
The world of Garn once boasted five great kingdoms, until the King of Ithrace was defeated and every member of his family executed by Lodavico, the ruthless King of Sandura, a man with ambitions to rule the world.
Ithrace's ruling family were the legendary Firemanes and represented a great danger to the other kings. Now four great kingdoms remain, on the brink of war. But rumour has it that the newborn son of the last king of Ithrace survived, carried off during battle and sequestered by the Quelli Nacosti, a secret society whose members are trained to infiltrate and spy upon the rich and powerful throughout Garn. Terrified that this may be true and that the child will grow to maturity with bloody revenge in his heart, the four kings have placed a huge bounty on the child's head.
In the small village of Oncon, Declan is apprenticed to a master blacksmith, learning the secrets of producing the mythical king's steel. Oncon is situated in the Covenant, a neutral region lying between two warring kingdoms. Since the Covenant was declared, the region has existed in peace, until violence explodes as slavers descend upon the village to capture young men to press as soldiers for Sandura.
Declan must escape, to take his priceless knowledge to Baron Daylon Dumarch, ruler of Marquensas, perhaps the only man who can defeat Lodavico of Sandura, who has now allied himself with the fanatical Church of the One, which is marching across the continent, imposing its extreme form of religion upon the population and burning unbelievers as they go.
Meanwhile, on the island of Coaltachin, the secret domain of the Quelli Nacosti, three friends are being schooled in the deadly arts of espionage and assassination: Donte, son of one of the most powerful masters of the order; Hava, a serious girl with fighting abilities that can set any opponent on their back; and Hatu, a strange, conflicted lad in whom fury and calm war constantly, whose hair is a bright and fiery shade of red....
Release date: May 8, 2018
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Print pages: 512
Reader says this book is...: epic storytelling (1) great world-building (1) rich setting(s) (1)
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Political intrigue is the primary driving force in this book, not a sole antagonist. Although, it does appear that there will be antagonists aplenty once the series hits its stride. Lodavico, Sandura’s king, is the instigator of the Betrayal in the prologue but lurks in the b...
Political intrigue is the primary driving force in this book, not a sole antagonist. Although, it does appear that there will be antagonists aplenty once the series hits its stride. Lodavico, Sandura’s king, is the instigator of the Betrayal in the prologue but lurks in the background for the rest of the book. The Azhante and Sisters of the Deep also seem to be future foes. The majority of those aggressively interacted with are bandits and unknown soldiers, so the true extent of these aggressors’ reach is yet to be seen.
I liked Declan and his story. He is hard-working and not afraid to get his hands dirty when needed. Hatu, on the other hand, frustrated me, primarily through the first three-quarters of the book. If he wasn’t brooding angrily about something, he was ruminating about his sexual desire for his childhood friend Hava. It got annoying rather quickly. Thankfully, his awakening took care of the first part, and circumstances took care of the second part.
Hatu grew up in Coaltachin, where he trained in the country’s powerful industries of espionage and organized crime. Through most of the book, it seems his true identity was an open secret among the community leaders. So, it bewildered me when some people appeared shocked by the revelation of his parentage. The council also made a choice that baffled me. When given options, they chose the one with the most potential to backfire and create a powerful enemy if it failed.
Overall, King of Ashes works well as an introduction to the world of Garn and the people there. As a solitary book, it doesn’t stand up so well. I hope it fares better as the prologue to Queen of Storms.
Edit: Queen of Storms absolutely makes reading this book worthwhile.
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