Waiting on Wednesday – Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I look at an intriguing new upcoming fantasy book that sounds like it has a lot of potential, Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward.

Legacy of Ash Cover

Here at The Unseen Library, I try to keep an eye out for upcoming books from authors I am unfamiliar with that look interesting and have a cool plot premise that I can really sink my teeth into. Legacy of Ash, which is coming out in November this year, fits all of these categories and more. Not only is it the first book in an exciting new fantasy series (I do like starting a series right at the beginning), The Legacy trilogy, but the plot synopsis that has already been released indicates that this could be an awesome read.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this action-packed epic fantasy debut, three heroes scarred by old hatreds must find a way to overcome their pasts if they are to have any chance of saving their crumbling Republic from complete destruction. Perfect for fans of George R. R. Martin, Brent Weeks, and Brandon Sanderson.

A shadow has fallen over the Tressian Republic.

While the armies of the Hadari Empire invade the borderlands, the Republic’s noble families plot against each other, divided by personal ambition.

But as Tressia falls, heroes rise.

Viktor Akadra is the Republic’s champion and conqueror of the rebellious south. A warrior without equal, he also hides a secret that would see him burned as a heretic.

Josiri Trelan would gladly see Viktor condemned to the flames – vengeance for a rebellion crushed and a mother slain. And while Josiri plots fresh insurrection, his sister, Calenne, is determined to escape their tarnished legacy and break the shackles of the past.

As dark days beckon, these three must overcome their differences to save the Republic. Yet decades of bad blood are not easily set aside. Victory – if it comes at all – will command a higher price than they could have imagined.

This is very interesting plot synopsis, and some of the exciting ideas and elements featured within it intrigue me and indicate that this is going to be an amazing read. I really like the idea of a group of nobles and rivals going to war inside a crumbling Empire as it is invaded from the outside. This sounds like it is going have some compelling political thriller elements to it, and I cannot wait to see how far the characters are willing to go to resolve their petty personal issues, especially if, to them, revenge is more important than the survival of the realm.

As I said above, Ward is not an author whose work I have previously read, although his upcoming book certainly sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun. From what I can tell, most of Ward’s previous writings are associated with his job as a principal architect for Games Workshop’s Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 properties, which is an awesome background for a writer to have. I am massive fan of the impressive fantasy and science fiction universes created within the various Games Workshop properties, and I have always found the short stories and novels associated with these games to be a lot of fun to read. As a result, I am keen to check out what Ward puts into his novel, and I am hoping for a really fantastic piece of fantasy fiction.

A quick look at Ward’s books in Goodreads reveals that he has previously authored a few full-length novels, including Shadow of the Raven and Light of the Radian, released in 2013 and 2016 respectively. It is especially interesting to note that both of these books, as well as a couple of short stories that were also on his page, all appear to be set in the same universe as Legacy of Ash, as they all mention the fantasy nation/city that the upcoming book is set in. I am not too sure what impact this will have on the new book, but I am keen to check out the universe that this story is set in.

Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward is an intriguing upcoming fantasy novel that I really want to get. It looks like Ward has some cool ideas and I look forward to exploring them in a few months. Legacy of Ash is apparently going to be a rather lengthy book, with nearly 800 pages listed for the Kindle and hardcover formats of the novel. With all the detail and world building that is likely to feature in a story of this length, this might be a good novel to check out on audiobook, although no real details of this format, such as narrator or length, have so far been revealed. I have high hopes that Legacy of Ash will prove to be as compelling as it sounds, and I am excited to check out the first book in this intriguing new series.

What do you think about Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward and what cool debuting series are you looking forward to? Let me know in the comments below.