Synopsis
In a world like ours, Mystics once ruled the night. Well, so long as they were men.
On Ash’s day of naming, she chose the Mystic path nonetheless. The same illusions that garner gasps of awe from the lamp-lit crowds earn her scorn from the basilica.
There is only one way forward: a perilous quest – earn the Queen’s Seal, a badge of honour, and immunity. She’ll simply have to avoid being hanged, burned or drowned first.
Review
I was lucky enough to receive The Unflinching Ash from the fabulous Angela Armstrong. Even though I consider Angela one of my bookish friends, I will always give honest reviews and do my best not to be biased.
With that in mind, I enjoyed The Unflinching Ash. It is a great stand-alone Young Adult fantasy that isn’t too long or hard to sink your teeth into. I really enjoyed the social commentary that runs through the story.
Angela has managed to include a conversation about women’s rights and the influence religions have had on governments throughout history. The fact that females cannot be a Mystic are often hunted, burned, hung, drowned or generally killed by the basilica, that it is something only males can do. How these kinds of rules/laws affect society as a whole. It’s all tastefully and cleverly done. While it is a key theme of the book, it does not take it over or come across as ‘preachy’ (not quite the right word, but I can’t think of a better one).
One of the things I really enjoyed in the book was the ‘stage’ magic that the characters use. The slights-of-hand and illusions which you can see magicians use all over the world. They all draw on classic acts which most of us have seen before. This made it easy to imagine what was being described and what was happening. I also haven’t read all that many books where this is something throughout.
I liked the characters, their relationships, and the diversity of Morlough and the world.
I would love to know more about Ren, the male main character, his background, and how he ended up in Morlough. I want to know his story. I would also like to know what happens next for Ash and Morlough.
It’s a great story. I cannot wait to read more from Angela.
Thanks so much for sending me this book!
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