Book Review

Ashes of the Tyrant








For solid FR fans *minor spoilers*,

January 11, 2016

Evans has a great way of balancing the overreaching, epic plot of what is going on in the world with the characters' personal lives (such as their relationships). Havilar and Farideh are both young women, and they have the wants and desires of young women, but they are also involved in world struggles, and are the Chosen of Asmodeus, thus having real, serious issues to deal with. They can't constantly focus on who their "brightbird" is. Evans makes us care about all her characters.

The intrigue and detail in this story kept me on my seat. I am a fan of the Realms, and the gods, and this book did a good job of showing the struggles of deities, and how their followers are affected by it. There is a lot going on here, and it is definitely a book I would recommend to those who have at least a decent grasp on FR lore. I have been reading Realms novels for years, and I had to look up some things. This does not detract from the story, though, far from it. This book also gives good insight to dragonborn culture, so those who have been itching for that will find this book refreshing.

I am torn between wanting Farideh to be with Lorcan and wanting her to be with Dahl. Maybe she can have both? Of course, she would have to find away to stop them from killing each other. Lorcan can be a...jerk, but I can't help but love him. I loved him from the beginning. I didn't like Dahl at first, but he has grown on me. I am glad Havi and Brin are back together, though now Havi is...in trouble, shall we say. I am also curious to see what happens with Mehen and Kallan and/or Arjhani. I am glad to see that this book breaks away from traditional relationships. I hope to see more FR books with same-sex couples. I anxiously await the next book.

We find out more about what is (or might be, one never knows) going on with Asmodeus, and the Unther pantheon seems to be returning, which would make sense considering the gods who were thought dead (or were dead) have returned since the Sundering. There is -a lot- going on here, and the book answers some questions but raises more. It ties in with some other story arcs, like the Rage of Demons, that is going on in the Realms, and there is a brief moment where Sairche sees something that those who have read RAS' newest book Archmage may recognize.

If you are an FR fan, I highly recommend this book. It's a must to your collection