Title: Lands of Ash (Elemental Realms Book 1) | Author: H.L. Burke | Pages: 273 | Genre: Fantasy | Recommended Ages: Teens and Young Adult
About the Book
What remains when the world burns? After decades of Elemental Invasions, the once flourishing Kingdom of Forra has been reduced to ruins. A band of survivors pulls together in one last attempt to defend their homes and families as the Elementals make a push to wipe them out completely.
Stoic Militia Captain Karvir and his ardent brother, Ketyl, lead a skeleton force against the Fiery Horde. Everything -- their families, their home, their very world -- hangs on their success against impossible odds. Meanwhile across the wilderness, young Brode and his pregnant stepmother flee, hoping to find safety near the sea.
As the Elementals pour through the portals, a sacrificial act gives hope for peace, but is it sustainable? Can the human race fight back from the edge of extinction? And could the key to their survival lie in a child?
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My Review
I love reading H.L. Burke's fantasy novels. She creates interesting adventure stories with romance and witty dialogues. Her fantasy worlds and dynamic characters come to life and you feel connected to them. Her novels are relatively clean and I would feel comfortable having my teenage daughters read them. Lands of Ash (Elemental Realms Book 1), is her most dramatic work to date.
In this new series by H.L. Burke, she pushes her characters, the people we come to love, to breaking point. In Lands of Ash the people are fighting against an invading force that is more powerful than them. Much of their lives is dedicated to survival.
H.L. Burke has taken bigger risks with Lands of Ash. People are complex, and she explores their good sides and bad sides by placing her characters in extremely difficult and stressful situations.
This book is not for people who are looking for a feel-good story. You never know who is going to live and who is going to die, who is going to be honorable and who is going to be dishonorable, who is going to fall in love, and who is going to be spurned. It does have its feel-good moments, but there's plenty of the opposite.
I recommend Lands of Ash for teenagers and new adults. This book is not suited for sensitive readers.
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Quotes from Lands of Ash"Connections were dangerous, and there was a good chance that half their group would be dead in a matter of days."
"These are dark times... Any life is a gift."
"You can't stop living your life, brother, no matter what the world throws at you."
"Whatever the days are, evil or not, they made us who we are, and perhaps there's a reason for that."
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About the Author:
H.L. Burke
Born in a small town in north central Oregon, H. L. Burke spent most of her childhood around trees and farm animals and always accompanied by a book. Growing up with epic heroes from Middle Earth and Narnia keeping her company, she also became an incurable romantic.
An addictive personality, she jumped from one fandom to another, being at times completely obsessed with various books, movies, or television series (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Star Trek all took their turns), but she has grown to be what she considers a well-rounded connoisseur of geek culture.
Married to her high school crush who is now a US Marine, she has moved multiple times in her adult life but believes home is wherever her husband, two daughters, and pets are.
For information about H. L. Burke's latest novels, author news and events, or to contact the writer, go to the H.L. Burke author website.
You can read my interesting interview of Heidi here.
You can read my interesting interview of Heidi here.
Disclosure: I received a free digital copy of this book for my honest review.
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