Where Ashes Reign, by Faith Consiglio, is an unpredictable thought-provoking cultural fantasy that explores religion, hatred, and the ability to overcome both.
Blurb: War-torn and drought-ridden, the three kingdoms of the river valley have another threat to face—dark spirits, feeding off hatred, possess men and beasts to slaughter and devour.
Emory, the only heir to her kingdom's throne, is one of the last who believes in the eternal realm, but her faith is fading until an unexpected guest arrives, claiming to be from there. Blaming the kingdoms' plight on a curse, he needs Emory to help defeat the one who cast it. Eager to escape the palace, she ventures into a rival kingdom, where her identity could mean death and one misstep could spark war. The fate of the kingdoms now depends on her, and as an unexpected love blossoms, she faces the most dangerous threat of all. Has Emory just walked into a trap that could cost her life? Can she defeat the cursecaster on her own, or will the land be ravaged by war and dark spirits forever?
Per usual, I start with the cons. Without spoilers, the ending was not what I had anticipated. It was realistic and solid, and I do not begrudge it, but I wanted to see more of the characters. I didn't want it to end. I wished there was a second book or a novella follow-up to see what the future held for the characters, but perhaps by leaving it up to us readers with all the hints given, we can create our own vision--kind of cool to be honest.
Something I enjoyed was the use of multiple POVs. I could not wait for them to come together and try to guess how they'd connect. The plot itself was not predictable. Like Emory stumbling through a foreign land with no solid plan, the plot hinged on rash and quickly made decisions by characters. As the ultimate predictor of books and movies, I was pleasantly surprised.
As a reader who enjoys learning about other cultures through novels rather than textbooks, this book straddles the plight of issues in the Middle East, yet it is fantasy so not too close to home. That disconnect from reality truly helps readers see the impact of clashing cultures, religions, and histories in a new light and how deep hatred can run.
For those who like unpredictability and cultural fantasy--don't forget the dragons--Where Ashes Reign is a must-read.