Ashes of Aldyr by Russell Archey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Russel Archey’s newest novel, “Ashes of Aldyr” is a collection of short stories, all with a dark fantasy vibe, all taking place in the same location, featuring different characters.

The Land of Alda has been torn apart by “The Rupture” and now every town within its boundaries is suffering. The aldyr trees, once magical and powerful, have all but become extinct and no elf, dwarf or human is immune to its destruction. Each one of Archey’s stories features a character (or two) who are dealing with the darkness in their own way- whether it’s fighting it, coping with it or creating it and in this manner, the reader gets to experience the “Rupture” and the cold-hearted, malevolent beings behind its Creation.

“Ashes” has a “A Game of Thrones” or “The Lord of the Rings” vibe, with its mythical creatures and its magical sects. However, the fact that this novel was a collection of stories took away some of its potential sway and power. I did not get a chance to bond with one character over another, and therefore I was not invested in the outcome. The Rupture itself and its Creators were intriguing enough for me to keep reading, as I wanted to know more of those details, but I could not connect to any of the characters.

Archey begins the book with a plethora of fancy, thick and pretty language, and it feels like the beginnings of a poetry novel where nothing of substance is said, but the words are big and long and flowy. Archey gets over this manner of writing rather quickly, thank goodness, and I was able to become more engaged in the novel.

“Ashes” is the first book in “The Obscured Throne Trilogy” and I’m intrigued as to what the other two novels will look like. The ending of “Ashes” gave some hints as to a potential character who could take over a storyline, but to me, the novel was completely wrapped up in one shot, and any further novels would be superfluous (although I’d love to be proven wrong!).

“Ashes of Aldyr” is a dark, fantasy novel full of magi, elves and humans with magical powers that takes place in a land that has seen an epic level of destruction. There are some stories in this novel I enjoyed more than others, and it was these that I wanted more of. I could not relate to any of the characters as I did not get a long enough time with them to bond, but they were all likable on the surface. The environment of Alda is unique and creative, and the writing flows well. Archey’s “Ashes” checks all the boxes of a fantasy novel, and die-hard fans of the genre will definitely enjoy this dark trilogy.