Blog Tour Review: Storm of Ash by Michelle Kenney

The brand new novel from Michelle Kenney, author of the Book of Fire and City of Dust!

As Talia treks back through the treacherous North Mountains, she knows only three things:
 
Pantheon has stolen nearly everyone she loves;
Her blood is the only control over the Voynich’s oldest secret;
And Cassius won’t stop hunting Arafel until every last outsider is destroyed.

Will Talia finally face her legacy and defeat Cassius before it is too late?

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Characters

As a reader, I’ve spent a long time with these characters. From the first book, you take them into your heart so that even between books you’re wondering how they’re fairing.

Of course, being a final instalment there’s to be expected some character evolution and some conclusions to the story that’s unfolded before us.

Talia is the one. She’s been a solid and fully formed character from the very start. You will see the return of characters and bid farewell others. Not before each has their time to shine of course.

Plot

It doesn’t initially feel like the conclusion or the end of a trilogy; the action remains full throttle from the first page to the final line. It doesn’t stop two thirds of the way in order to wrap up the strands neatly. It allows for a story that is gripping, characters that you know will continue on beyond the pages of the book.

All in all, it’s a fitting ending and a perfect way to wrap up this amazing trilogy.

Writing

The only thing that made this a hard read was that it was a world I was not ready to say goodbye to. There are very few writers who could incorporate language from a classical era in such a smooth way, that you will find yourself not requiring the glossary that’s attached. It’s the incorporation of these words that enables such a rich world to be built and for the reader to fall into.

Final Thoughts

I’m still not ready to say goodbye. These books have been a comfort and I’ll be reading them many times again over the years.