Ashes of the Sun by Django Wexler

Obligatory Star Wars reference – the author was inspired to write this book by his love of Star Wars. He says it in the book. Every review, even a one-word-review will mention this, so I feel obliged to. Job done.

Format: E-Book
Obtained from: Publisher
Print length: 592 pages
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN: 9780316519540

You will read many great novels this year. Some will be literary masterpieces and will stay with you long after you read them. Some will be just plain old fun. Ashes of the Sun definitely falls into the latter category. In fact, you may not find a book that is more fun. Think of movies like (yes, again) Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark. In a way, this is a homage to movies of that ilk, but with its own unique stamp. However, it has depth too. The story tells of siblings, separated at an early age. The sister, Maya, is taken by the Twilight Order and grows into one of their finest young members. The brother, Gyre, has never forgiven the Order and becomes a rebel, seeking to overthrow their reign of terror. This type of story is certainly not new, but the setting seems fresh, and how we imagine Gyre and Maya finally meeting does not go as expected. Not the first time, not the second. The Order seems to be some evil entity at first, especially when seen through Gyre’s eyes, but Maya shows that we need to reassess our opinions constantly. I think the most noteworthy aspect of the book is the constant barrage of hidden agendas, leaving us bamboozled, but always wanting to find out more. The action scenes are terrific, the dialogue is often laugh out loud funny, and the plot, well, I think mentioned that already. The real draw for me though is the characters. You feel for Maya and Gyre throughout, sympathizing with their plight and hoping they get their happy ending. This was my first Django Wexler experience, and definitely not last. Roll on book two.

Verdict:

You may not read a more fun book this year. If you do, let me know.