I consume a lot of fantasy and consider myself a thoughtful, discerning reader, so it came as a bit of a surprise to me that I had previously failed to appreciate just how prevalent in the genre is the convenient disposable character. This is perhaps the first book I've read, among years of fantasy reading, where the protagonist does not consider her own successful escape and happy ending to be worth another person's life. Shocking concept!

As with most fantasy, there is a quest with overwhelming obstacles and it takes the main character significant cleverness to find ways out of impossible situations. Where this books takes a drastic turn is in holding to Actual Morals. Yes, things are dire, yes, they are life-and-death, and yes, it's a major miracle that suddenly there is a solution. Except that the solution requires disposing of one of the disposables and that's just not worth the price. So the protagonist chooses to shoulder the consequences and protect the lives of her enemies.

It is amazing what it does for a novel to have that kind of spine. The actions and the emotions are so much more vital because there are absolute boundaries to what is possible and, no, the truth and rules of engagement cannot stretch to accommodate whatever is convenient. The story is vivid, believable and flows. The world is crystal clear before my eyes. The characters, too, are believable and grounded, compete with their conflicting motivations and imperfect information and judgment. I also really love that Hitomi has a bone-deep rejection of prejudices and an instinctive respect for different cultures. It's a pleasure reading through her lens, not only because she is a wonderful character, excellently written, but because I actually respect her and all her motivations and decisions. I can say the same for several other major characters.

The plot is creative and suspenseful. Very creative. I could not even try to predict the outcomes of the many many dilemmas that could have each been the central tangle in many novels but, here, were one of many. I love that Hitomi is not a quitter or a whiner. Her reaction to being at the end of the line is: ok, let's see what can be done here - I'm not done until I'm done.

I very purposefully did not let myself re-read Sunbolt, so I could let this book stand on it's own in my mind and it absolutely did that - stand strongly on it's own. History from the first book is woven into this one organically and elegantly. Having said that, I'm going to run off to re-read Sunbolt right now because I doubt Intisar can finish Book 3 by tomorrow and I need more! It's too good a story and I want to live in it a bit longer.

(I received an early review copy from the author in return for an honest review. This has not in any way influenced my review. I've bought the book, too.)

I read this book in one night. I just couldn’t put it down. I absolutely LOVED it. And I still love it. I’ll probably read it again a few more times like I did with the first book Sunbolt. This really is one of my favorite fantasy series of all time.

I really love this series. It’s ingenious and creative. Intisar Khanani’s prose is beautiful. The world building is fantastic. And the characters are unique, complex, strong, and perfectly imperfect, especially our dear Hitomi. Memories of Ash is an excellent follow-up that I dare say can even stand on its own.

I finished the book in one night but I’ve been sitting on this review for days because I just couldn’t get my thoughts together for this post. After days of staring at the draft on my blog dashboard, I decided to just try to talk about the book in terms of the main things that I love in fantasy novels.

5 Things I Love About Memories of Ash

#1 – The characters are strong, especially the main character. I love Hitomi. She’s street smart, brave and strong but not indestructible. She isn’t perfect but has such a strong sense of honor and integrity. She’s someone you would root for from start to finish. The rest of the characters are also interesting, diverse and complex. I love it when there are so many interesting characters who play significant roles in the story. I think the characters in Memories are well-developed even if they seem minor or don’t figure in too many scenes. You get an idea of their motivations so you can somehow understand a bit why they do what they do. I also love Intisar Khanani’s take on familiar beings like lycans, vampires, shapeshifters, fey, among others. It’s different and refreshing.

#2 – The magic system is fascinating. Though it’s not really explained in the book, the magic system is unique and inexplicable, and yet makes sense somehow. The way Hitomi uses her talent is different from how others do it and that just makes her even more interesting and maybe even more powerful. I think we’ll know just how much in the next book!

#3 – The world building is amazing. The book takes us to different places and cultures. We go to valleys and forests, to dead lands and deserts, different cities, magic schools and more. The fantasy world in Memories of Ash or in the series itself is so vast and impressive, and how Intisar Khanani describes scenes really transports you to those places and you can’t help but become immersed in everything.

#4 – The story is ingenious. It’s creative, exciting and just keeps you reading. Seriously, it’s pretty awesome.

#5 – The writing is beautiful. This is one of the things I love about the author’s books. From her first novel Thorn, to The Bone Knife, Sunbolt and now Memories of Ash, her writing has only gotten stronger and better in my opinion. It’s clear, descriptive and flows easily. All of her books are such quick reads.

So you can see, I’m a massive fan. I ordered Sunbolt and Memories of Ash after I read them so that I have them forever on my tablet and I can go back to them anytime I feel like it.

If you’re a fan of fantasy and just of great stories about strong heroines doing their thing, then you might enjoy this book!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated nor was I required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.