Age of Ash (The Kithamar Trilogy #1) (Hardcover)
Staff Reviews
Kithamar is an enormous city, surrounded with walls high enough to drive back invaders, but low enough to still be able to see and therefore long for the outside world. The city is split into districts so unique and so large that they often have their own class system. Alys lives in the poorest district of Kithamar and gets by stealing from the wealthy who pass though her district. In a con gone wrong, Alys loses someone very important to her, and it may have been her fault.
In a whirlwind of grief, anger, denial, and vengeance, Alys sets off to find out who is responsible for her brother's death. We follow Alys though the busy streets of the city, through districts she has never seen, even to the palace where the royalty of Kithimar live. She will need to use her cunning and street wisdom to survive, but even that might not be enough to survive this dangerous city. What she finds shakes the very foundation of her life, and threatens to topple a city that has stood for thousands of years.
This is the first book in a new fantasy trilogy by Daniel Abraham, who is one half of the duo, James S. A. Corey - the authors of the Expanse series. I can't wait to see what the next book in the Kithamar trilogy brings because Age of Ash blew me away.
“An atmospheric and fascinating tapestry, woven with skill and patience.” – Joe Abercrombie, New York Times bestselling author of A Little Hatred
Kithamar is a center of trade and wealth, an ancient city with a long, bloody history where countless thousands live and their stories unfold.
This is Alys's.
When her brother is murdered, a petty thief from the slums of Longhill sets out to discover who killed him and why. But the more she discovers about him, the more she learns about herself, and the truths she finds are more dangerous than knives.
Swept up in an intrigue as deep as the roots of Kithamar, where the secrets of the lowest born can sometimes topple thrones, the story Alys chooses will have the power to change everything.
"An outstanding series debut, which instantly hooks readers with Paul mysteries . . . Readers will eagerly anticipate the sequel." – Publishers Weekly (starred review)
For more from Daniel Abraham, check out:
The Dagger and the Coin
The Dragon's Path
The King's Blood
The Tyrant's Law
The Widow's House
The Spider's War
“[An] outstanding series debut, which instantly hooks readers with dual mysteries . . . Readers will eagerly anticipate the sequel.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Abraham is so good at evoking place and tying it inextricably to the people who occupy it . . . An almost perfect book in and of itself. I highly recommend it."—Fantasy & Science Fiction
“This new work bears the hallmark of a great Abraham work.”—Kirkus
“Age of Ash’s Kithamar is a spectacular creation, a city brought to life by dense, intricate worldbuilding and subtle magic. Fans of Scott Lynch or Robert Jackson Bennett will enjoy this one.”—Django Wexler, author of Ashes of the Sun
“Abraham builds this world with all the confident craftsmanship you’d expect from an author with his pedigree . . . . Kithamar is in the hands of a pro.”—SFX
"Everything I look for in a fantasy."—George R.R. Martin on The Dragon's Path
"Abraham builds on The Dragon's Path to create and sustain a rich, satisfyingly complex epic fantasy."—Publishers Weekly on The King's Blood
"Prepare to be shocked, startled, and entertained."—Locus on The Dragon's Path
"It's as if Clint Eastwood went to Narnia...A pleasure for Abraham's legion of fans."—Kirkus on The Dragon's Path
"This smart, absorbing, fascinating military fantasy, exciting and genuinely suspenseful, will keep readers on their toes."—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on The Tyrant's Law