Review: From the Ashes by B. S. H. Garcia
Blurb:
The civil war ends now.
Igtheos and his rebels have fought tirelessly against a would-be dictator and his army for almost two years. The city they’ve holed up in has become a prison, soon to be a tomb if they cannot arrange a means of escape.
When the enemy leader offers an armistice that’s too good to be true, Igtheos reluctantly accepts, thinking it will buy him enough time to smuggle those loyal to him out of the city. But he quickly learns the cost of choosing hope over caution as he finds himself caught in his enemy’s sinister plan, fighting a final unexpected battle. Failure means death, or worse, the loss of his loved ones.
And he only has one night to determine everyone’s fate.
From the Ashes is a prequel novelette that takes place over two thousand years prior to the events in Of Thieves and Shadows—volume one in the epic fantasy series, The Heart of Quinaria.
Review:
This tiny little novellette packs so much into the minimal number of pages that it's quite mind boggling. For its size it feels like it should be just a mere chapter in a much larger novel and yet it manages to tell a whole entire fleshed out story in so few words.
‘Where the body began its slow dance with death, one falling leaf at a time, one sunset after the other, the spirit livened with every moment, with every realization that time was a gift far more precious than wealth.’
I was absolutely gripped by Garcia’s beautiful writing. The way she wove us a tale of rebellion, discrimination, love and power. Her writing was so wonderfully done that you could almost smell the smoke in the air, or feel the gritty sand slipping into your shoes while walking out to meet your enemy.
From the Ashes is just so perfect in every way that I just can't seem to wrap my head around it. The only other novella that has burrowed itself into my mind so completely was The Fall by Ryan Cahill. From the Ashes is just such a complete package of a beginning, middle, and end, where some novellas just often feel more like a cut scene slapped into a nice cover, like they're just a snippet of a fuller, broader story. But From the Ashes really has everything you need in a story all packed into this beautifully wrapped novellette.
“The best things in life demand no shortage of sacrifice.”
I adored the characters of Igtheos and Elize, their strength and determination in the face of defeat, of their devotion to each other and their daughter Zaria. I honestly can't stop thinking about them and it's been over a week since I read this. That is the mark of excellence, when you weave a story this compelling, with characters that just live on afterwards in the reader's minds.
“You leave such a lasting impression that I could go a thousand lifetimes without you and still feel as though we’d shared company only the day prior”
Another point about this that deserves praise is the imaginative way Garcia introduced creatures, plants, and words/terms unique to the cultures of this world she has created. She's done it all in such a way that you don't need a heavy hand in explaining what things are or what words mean. Garcia has deftly dropped just enough bread crumbs of context that you can figure it out easily on your own without bogging down the story with an explanation, and it gives this world so much more depth and life! This world feels fully formed in just seventy-two pages.It's astounding!
‘Elize whispered. “She is our miracle. I’ll die a thousand deaths so that others like her may yet have the chance to live.”’
I desperately needed more of this beautifully powerful tale of love and family, but it is also a completely wrapped up story, so I can't complain. It serves its purpose as an introduction to the world of Quinaria while also giving us some historical context for lost artifacts and the religious beliefs of the kingdom.
This miniscule novelette is the perfect intro to this series, and quite a gem of a read in itself. I will definitely be picking up the rest of Garcia's books! I'm so excited to continue on with this series!
