Legacy of Ash (Legacy Trilogy, #1)

by Matthew Ward

[Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This is available now.

I’ve seen recommendations for Legacy of Ash everywhere and I am delighted to report that this book lives up to the hype. It’s a vast, complicated fantasy, the kind that sucks you in and keeps you interested. It has been compared to Game of Thrones (let’s be honest; hasn’t pretty much every new fantasy book been by now?) and I am not a huge fan of the comparison, simply because Legacy of Ash is way better.

The world is complex and fully realized. The history and politics, in particular, are realistically complicated. This falls under the epic fantasy umbrella, and I can’t think of a more apt description for the book than “epic.” There were plots and subplots, everything woven together into an amazing narrative.

There is a ton to this book, but author Matthew Ward avoids the “info dump” that I loathe so much, instead letting the knowledge come to the reader organically. It made the experience that much more enjoyable. I got a new “wow” moment every couple of pages.

While all of the characters were layered and fantastic, my favorite was Viktor. He was kind and caring, with quite the secret. I’m not going to say any more for fear of giving something away. Suffice it to say, he was a joy to read.

I love it when a fantasy book takes all rules and throws them out the window. The fantasy genre is really only constrained by the ability of the author to use their imagination, and this book was fantastically unique. The way magic worked in this world was brilliant! Actually, the entire book is brilliant. I really should just write “whoa” and leave it at that. So….whoa!

Read this one.