Realm of Ash (The Books of Ambha, #2)

by Tasha Suri

The fate of an empire rests in the hands of a young woman with magical blood and nothing left to lose, and an outcast prince determined to save his family at any cost, in this "dark, melodious, and memorable" new fantasy (Library Journal, starred review) from the author of Empire of Sand.
The Ambhan Empire is crumbling. A terrible war of succession hovers on the horizon. The only hope for peace lies in the mysterious realm of ash, where mortals can find what they seek in the echoes of their ancestors' dreams. But to walk there requires a steep price.
Arwa is determined to make the journey. Widowed by a brutal massacre, she's pledged service to the royal family and will see that pledge through to the end. She never expected to be joined by Zahir, the disgraced, illegitimate prince who has turned to forbidden magic in a desperate bid to save those he loves.
Together, they'll walk the bloody path of their shared past. And it will call into question everything they've ever believed...including whether the Empire is worth saving at all.
"Those with a penchant for lyrical prose, intricate world building, beautifully imagined characters, [and] compelling immersive folklore...need look no further." -- Booklist (starred review)

The Books of AmbhaEmpire of SandRealm of Ash

• ISBN13: 9780316449755
• Publish Date: 12 November 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Orbit
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 496
• Language: English

Reviews

[Kate (Blogging with Dragons)]

RTC

[Beth C.]

Arwa has survived a massacre with the aid of those she refuses to acknowledge. Her husband is dead, killed in the same massacre by a nightmare that shouldn’t exist. She refuses to go home, and instead goes to a widow’s home—where she is noticed by more than the other widows. The one that helped her survive the massacre has followed her there, and a princess of the realm is interested in her blood. What will Arwa have to do—or even to become—in order to help mend the land that the empire built upon the blood of her people?

I was taken aback by the fact that this book starts off completely separate from Empire of Sand (book #1 in the Books of Ambha series). (Follow the link below for the remainder of the review.)

http://vampirebookclub.net/review-realm-of-ash-by-tasha-suri-books-of-ambha-2/