Ashes of the Sun by Django Wexler was my favorite fantasy novel published in 2020. Set in a world that is living in the aftermath of a magical apocalypse centuries-prior to the start of the series, the series takes its name from the names of the two protagonists, Burningblade and Silvereye, or sister and brother Maya and Gyre respectively. They’ve spent some years apart and find themselves on opposing sides of a conflict between to Elder Races, the “chosen” and the “ghouls.” Blood of the Chosen picks up right on the heels of Ashes of the Sun. What I appreciate a great deal is that Mr. Wexler included a “series recap” in this book, something every series book should include. OK, enough of the set up, my review follows the marketing copy.
In the second book of Django Wexler’s epic fantasy trilogy about two siblings divided by magic and revolution, Gyre must travel across the Splinter Kingdoms to rally the rebels to his side, while his sister Maya uncovers the secrets of a powerful artifact that could change everything.
Gyre finally sees a way to overthrow the all-powerful Twilight Order. But he’ll have to gain the alliance of both the ghouls and the human rebels to the south in order to even stand have a chance. And uniting them won’t be so simple.
His sister Maya is still a soldier of the Order. But after clashing with her brother, she isn’t so certain where her loyalties lie. Chasing the origins of a mysterious artifact to a long-lost library, she just might find the answers she’s looking for.
The early chapters of the novel see our protagonists dealing with the epic fall-out of the first novel in the series. This more measured pace is a nice way to bring readers back into the world of the novels and gives the characters some space to catch their collective breath. As Maya and Gyre decompress after the events in the first novel, they actually try to evolve their thinking and ideas. They learned from what happened and attempt to view their approach to their cause in different ways. There’s still that sibling bond between the two, a sense of loyalty that underlies – and sometimes undercuts – their motivations on opposite sides of a conflict. Slowing the pace and not focusing on action at the outset allows Django to flex his mighty world-building muscles. Some of the hints to which he alluded in the first volume, Ashes of the Sun, come more into the light here in the second volume of the series. One of those elements I thoroughly enjoyed was the further exploration into the melding of science and magic. There’s a little more exploration of the ancient societies that make for the backdrop of the current action of the novel especially that long-in-the past conflict between the Chose and the Ghouls.
Maya is coming to feel more marginalized on her side of the conflict while Gyre begins build support around himself including a ghoul who painfully shapeshifts into a more human guise. This being a fantasy novel, there’s of course some prophecy thrown into the mix.
Don’t think this novel is all contemplation and conversation, there’s more than enough action and physical conflict to balance out the early portion of the novel. Sometimes combat scenes and action scenes feel something the author felt a necessity to include, checking off a box, rather than an integral enjoyable portion of the novel. In everything I’ve read from Django Wexler, especially Blood of the Chosen, the action and combat scenes are essential, and extremely fun to experience. I didn’t feel like I was just reading the words on the page, I felt like I was a proverbial fly on the wall in the action. This is especially true of the final conflict of the novel, so much of the narrative was slow burn build that the explosive ending was extremely compelling. The slow burn of the novel’s beginning made the build-up and the action of the finale that more enjoyable. That ending also sows seeds in some verdant land for a potent continuation in the third novel.
As thick as this novel was, just over 400 pages, I read through it rather briskly. Wexler is a damned fine storyteller and his love of the fantastic comes through the page as a catchy thing. I’m excited to see what the third volume brings and just like the first novel in the series, Blood of the Chosen will likely be a contender for my favorite fantasy novel of the year.
Recommended
© 2021 Rob H. Bedford
Published by Orbit Books | October 2021
https://djangowexler.com/
Review copy courtesy of the publisher
