BLURB
Prince Adrian has a secret.
He has been meeting with Myrra, the princess of Dakhra. They love each other, but their fathers are mortal enemies, and Dakhra is not a part of the Domain.
The rulers of the Domain nations have been granted hundreds of years by the blessings of the Seraph, and their borders are kept safe by the Church’s elite griffin riders. But the enemies of the Domain are gathering.
A foreign threat may be the chance Adrian and Myrra need to bring their nations closer… if they can convince their fathers to work together.
Will new enemies be enough for rivals to overcome old grievances, or will they bring them closer to war?
A Prelude to Ashes is a prequel novella that takes place one hundred years before the events of A Touch of Light, the first book in the Ashes of Avarin series
AUTHOR: Thiago Abdalla
PUBLISHED ON: 31 May 2022
GENRE: Epic Fantasy
RATING: 4
BOOK 0.5 OF THE ASHES OF AVARIN SERIES
E-ARC provided by the author Thiago Abdalla
CONVINCING YOU TO READ THIS IN 6 WORDS:
Detailed Characterization, Religious & Political Intrigue, Betrayals, Plot-twists, Interesting world-building
SUMMARY:
A Prelude to Ashes by Thiago Abdalla takes place 100 years before A Touch of Light. And we witness how Prince Adrian and Princess Myrra slowly succumb to what their heart wants. The two of them try their best to do what is correct for their kingdom and have one goal, try to put people over death. Try to protect the people from the other clans and if that means plan a little in secret or make sure the other kingdom has a prior warning of a secret ambush then be it.
But when a series of unfortunate events take place against the Domain by Dakhra, Prince Adrian has no choice but to believe that Princess Myrra is all set against him and his kingdom. The clans on the united front attack and are there to collect the ruin-stone. But why? And who is the face behind the attacks?
“…I love you, Adrian. And I don’t need to follow Her to know we want the same thing. We’ll find a way to be together, and to end the enmity our fathers cling to.”
REVIEW:
I was lucky enough to receive an early access to A prelude of Ashes, thanks to the author, Thaigo Abdalla. A prelude to Ashes as mentioned above is set 100 years before A Touch of Light. And before, we even begin a debate about what to read first? Both are fine. There are many people who preferred A prelude to Ashes before A Touch of Light and me, being part of the minority loved the fact that I read A Prelude to Ashes after A Touch of Light.
I really enjoyed the dive back to the Land of Avarin. I had enjoyed A Touch of Light earlier this year and this chance to meet the characters again was just perfect. A prelude to Ashes gave a much clear depth to the characters and gave some clarity about Seraph and the relation between Prince Adrian and Princess Myrra. And one of my favorite moments was witnessing the relations. Not just Adrian and Myrra. But between both of them and their family. Witnessing Adrian still trying to win his father’s affections as he did in A Touch of light shows just how much Adrian struggled to get his fathers approval. We also get a chance to witness the relation between the two Princes- Adrian and Jovu which we were robbed of in A Touch of Light. A Prelude to Ashes lets us witness the family of Princess Myrra and how each decision she took was in the light of what she thought was the best for the kingdom, even if it meant taking decisions that would affect her relation with her family. And throughout the novella we witness the perfect balance of letting us know the history and allowing us to join the dots to the events of A Touch of Light. And I loved every moment there.
Everything from the writing to the plot line was just perfect and it was a smooth ride altogether. Abdalla really knows how to mix religion with politics making it a perfect recipe for disaster. And somehow I didn’t realise it before how much we can squeeze in 100 pages if we do it correctly.
A Prelude to Ashes by Thaigo Abdalla is a short story that will make show you confusion, thirst to prove oneself, the questions like if he/she is the one and of course curiosity.
“I’d do nothing differently, Myrra.”
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You can read the review for A Touch of Light here.
