An Inheritance of Ash and Blood

Heirs of War #1

by Jamie Edmundson

Sorcery is dying out

No one misses it.

Feared and despised in equal measure, Sanc is only tolerated because he’s the son of the powerful Duke of Morbaine.

But Sanc is more important than he knows. When his life is threatened, he is forced to confront his true inheritance.

For a new god has arrived in Dalriya. Unstoppable, Ezenachi brings only conquest and slavery.

Sorcery is dying out, and now Dalriya needs a sorcerer more than ever.

Genres: Fantasy

438 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 6, 2022

About the author

Jamie has always loved a good story, whether real or imagined. He grew up in the south of England before moving to the north, where he worked as a history teacher. He still lives there with his wonderful family, but now spends his time writing, mainly about people hitting each other with swords.
You can connect with him at his website, jamieedmundson.com

Join his newsletter and download the short story collection, Mercs & Magi, for free: https://subscribe.jamieedmundson.com

Reviews

[Mel Lenore]

2 star

Sadly this one was not for me. It is a companion series, and I feel like the world did really suffer because of this. I always felt like I was missing something, like the world was there but I knew nothing about it. I also wanted a lot more character and plot development. We had a really cool prologue, but didn't circle back to that until 80% into the story.

For my full review check out my video! https://youtu.be/Hkv-WGjEtt8

[Alan Behan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing epic fantasy from a fantastic author Jamie Edmundson who's series of books I've come to love over that last couple of years. An Inheritance of Ash and Blood is the first book in a new series, Heirs of War and is set in the same the world Dalriya 20 years after The Weapon Takers Saga. Jamie Edmundson creates wonderfully well written characters that are absolutely fascinating and brilliant. His worldbuilding and setting is excellent and his brilliant plots of political machines, murder, magic and is action packed with bloody war and mayhem. Dalriya is like a ticking time bomb, with countries fighting and political maneuvering to see who becomes the new King or Emperor. They're unaware of a new threat, for a new powful god has arrived in Dalriya bringing unstoppable magic, Ezenachi brings only conquest, slavery and destruction to those who get in his way. Sorcery has been dying out, and now Dalriya needs a sorcerer more than ever. When Duke of Morbaine youngest son Sanc discovers his magical abilities, he may be the only one left powerful enough to face their new foe and save their world. A very enjoyable read from start to finish, if you haven't checked out Jamie Edmundson's series yet, I very highly recommend that you do. Now for book two A Crucible of Fire and Steel....😁💙🗡💥

[Sandra]

I read this for my batch of SPFBO9 books under judge Covers with Cassidy. Check out my reading vlog here: https://youtu.be/y7jzJ7HAIg4

I struggled connecting with the world and the characters because it seems to be a seuqel series to another series? This might not be the reason, but still how I felt!

[Laure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sanc is very aware of the fact that people hate and fear him because of his red eyes, a sign of sorcery. The only thing that keeps him safe is that his father is a very powerful man. Unfortunately, he won't show any signs of having any power until he is confronted by some men that are trying to kill him, and he defends himself with the power inside of him.
Wonderful well written characters that are absolutely fascinating and unique. Murder, mayhem, magic, bloody war, and surprising, unexpected twists in the plot made it difficult to put this book down. I loved it, and highly recommend this book.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Beba Andric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shoo! What an prologue! Had me immediately in it's thrall, desperate to know what will happen! One of the things I love about Epic fantasy is the sweeping attention to detail, not being able to predict what will happen next. Allegiances are constantly changing, loyalties are constantly questioned and battles are full of angst, blood and gore, the outcome never certain, the depth and scope of the characters is fully explored, as ones imagination takes hold of the magnitude of the storytelling, a feat the author does superbly!

The plot is a complex one, traversing many kingdom's and their various leaders. Some inherently good, others, well, they can't ALL be decent can they? The play for power, the sheer magnitude of it, has alliances teetering, using any means to gain control, whilst others try to by any diplomatic negotiations, rather than succumb to war. The brutality of war is truly epic, so horrific , one can smell the sweat and blood. The senseless need for war, for power overrides all scruples and morals. But the threat is not only from the neighbouring power hungry individuals, no, the real threat is far greater than anyone could imagine. An otherworldly threat, who would subverse and put them all under his thrall.

There are a few standout characters, Sanc, Rimmon, Rab, Peyre and Liesel. Sanc is shunned by all, all due to his red eyes. No matter that as the son of the Duke, he should be afforded respect, but when his own father barely acknowledges him, it's an easy task for others to follow suit. Not so by his siblings, although his brothers are supportive, it's his sister who loves him unconditionally. Jesper is his only true friend, as is Rab, Rab's a dog btw. When an event causes alarm and confusion for Sanc, Jesper brings Rimmon to help. I loved the comradery and friendship the three have, really moving. As Sanc's powers grow, the burden to save them all is placed squarely on his young shoulders. Where he has to go, who he has to try recruit, promises to be exciting.

There are too many events deserving of mention, so I'll have to make do with saying that the characters get under ones skin and had me agog as they grew throughout the book. Of all the characters, Duke Bastien needs a special mention, who despite all his flaws, is wise. He doesn't relish war and tries any other option available to him. I was a bit conflicted about him, I admired his sense of honour but his treatment of Sanc was anything but honourable. Not so with Salvinus, who relishes bloodshed and torture, as well as setting his eyes on Liesel. He and Inge are a force few can evade, although, my verdict is still out on Inge. I want to dislike her as much as Salvinus but there are snippets that leave me unsure of her motives. There's a lot more than meets the eye here, I'm looking forward to see in which direction.

I truly embraced this book wholeheartedly, engaged with each and every character, found myself in a world full of strife and horror and find myself impatient for more!

[C.L. Jarvis]

The prologue to An Inheritance of Ash and Blood introduces a creepy, malevolent evil stalking remote islands, then shifts to a country estate where a young noble is ostracised for being different (magical?). I waited for these two plot threads to collide… and waited… and waited. The first half of this book is medieval-style court jockeying across several realms and magical training sessions, and even after our protagonist learns of the evil magical threat it takes a while longer for him (and the readers) to experience it firsthand. I felt the stakes were rather low in the first 66%, and even the sadistic prince and his femme fatale witchy advisor (familiar fantasy archetypes) weren’t that threatening or sinister. There were some great sassy, grizzled warrior side characters I wished we got more of (Gosse and Herin). I was a bit disappointed by this read, but the book itself is well written with a straightforward plot.

If you like old school sword & sorcery, and are willing to invest in a story that takes several books to resolve, you may want to give this a shot.

I received an advance copy of this book, and am leaving a review voluntarily.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sanc is the youngest son of the Duke of Morbaine, who blames him for the death at his birth of his beloved wife, so he shuns him. His other brothers are good at arms and fighting and trained to be leaders. However Sanc is taught by his mentor Jesper the forester, who trains him in hunting and whose hut and dogs are Sanc's only solace. One fine day Sanc realises he has magical powers, in a land where sorcery is looked down upon and feared. Jasper brings in a friend Rimmon the sorcerer, to further train Sanc, but they keep his powers secret. Until a new god appears on the scene, threatening the lives of all in Dalriya, he is Ezenachi and he could turn people to do his bidding. So Sanc and his powers might suddenly be the only things to stop this new threat. I love the characters of Sanc and Liesel and Jesper and the Atrabians who changed Liesel's mind set completely through their kind ways. I love that Peyre and Esterel back their young brother, even though their father shunned him and I look forward to the next book in this epic fantasy series hoping to see Sanc come into his own power and respect and Peyre acquiring somehow the woman he fell in love with.

[Tiny Elf Arcanist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dalriya is a place reminiscent of Westeros. With all the political intrigue but not as grim.

We follow Sanc's family; he's the son of a duke and nephew to the king of Guivergne. It is primarily a coming-of-age story. With war as the book's central theme, the characters are forced to hastily grow and resort to previously inconceivable measures to keep their loved ones safe.

The book includes a helpful Dramatis Personae at the beginning, but I suggest you take advantage of the maps available on the author's page to keep track of the complex world he has created.

I had no idea of the scope of this tale, but I'm certain Edmundson has more surprises in the saga that I would gladly dive into.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

too many different

Plot lines I had no desire to follow, skipped chapters to get to the main character. Not interested in any further books since it seems this is the way book 2 will be as well. Maybe there will be cliff notes if I remember to look and see what happened to the main character. Tho, at this point I really don’t care.

[The Book Dragon's Hoard by A.V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic epic medieval fantasy story with high stakes and multiple epic battles. The story follows three young nobles: Sanc, the outcast youngest child of the Duke of Morbaine; Peyre, his older brother, and Liesel, princess from the neighboring empire. And between the three of them, this author brings in a collection of vibes that really gave me some wonderful throwbacks to some of my favorite fantasy series.

Liesel's situation is reminiscent of Sansa among the Lannisters from A Song of Ice and Fire (George R.R. Martin), only in this case it's the poor girl's family. So, imagine if Circei were nice and you really liked her but everything else around her was the same level of psychotic horror.

Sanc gave me strong Assassin's Apprentice (by Robin Hobb) vibes as he's a social outcast and is trained in secret, in this case because he has magic in a world where it's so rare that sorcery has been relegated to stories. No one understands him and his "oddities" make him a target for the prejudices of those around him. His only protection is the fact his father is a duke and the heir to the kingdom's throne.

Peyre is fun character who certainly lightened the mood from what the other characters bring to the story. For some reason, he proved a throwback to Lies of Locke Lamora (Scott Lynch) for me, even though he is not a thief and neither does he have a rags-to-riches story. I guess the main reason I made that link and felt the connection is because of his character. He might be serious, but Peyre goes against the grain, doing what is right in fun and inventive ways that show how he thinks outside of the box. He's loyal and decisive, and very much a "take-action" kind of person and I appreciated his perspective which balanced out the more depressing aspects of the story.

Apart from the characters, the plot also came with a few surprises and I'm fully invested to find out what happens next, now that Sanc is on a quest to save the realm, Liesel is trying to survive the court intrigue, and Peyre has had his first taste of victory.

[Janessa Paun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 3.5 stars rounded up. There were a lot of characters in this book who sometimes came together and their storylines overlapped and then sometimes all had their own separate storylines and were different places with different characters. And that was one of the main things that kept this book from being a five star read: too many characters with their own storylines even if they did have overlap or are meant to all come together. So, despite the fact that I a little while into the book I wasn’t super confused about who was who and what they had going on, there were still moments of slight confusion throughout the reading of this novel. My other criticism of this book is the fact that at times this book could drag a little bit and be a bit slow. What I did really like in this book was the multitude of different types of relationships that were explored, developed, or continuing to blossom such as the friendships, romantic relationships, the bond between people and their pets, the sibling bonds, the bonds with parents, and the bonds with mentors. I also enjoyed the variety in the personalities of all of the characters that were introduced and how different all of their interactions with the other characters were. I also really enjoyed the magic system and the powers that were revealed. All these characters and the situations that they have to figure out together and apart make this book an entertaining read.

[Luiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, good plot, but slow. 3.5-stars.

And by slow, I mean, SLOW. I paused at 40% mark, due to the constant shifts in barely touching plotlines from different POVs, and it wasn't until over a year later that I got the courage to continue reading. By that time, I forgot most of what had happened, but I wasn't in the mood of going back and reading it all over again. It isn't until 60% through the book that we finally get over the slog of court intrigue and it feels like the plot has begun. And even then, it's mostly military maneuvering, while real events take a minority of the time.

The world-building is immersive and consistent, and I seldom felt pulled out of the book by real world allegories and commentary; which is a rarity in modern fantasy. The three POV characters are all OK, but not great, and I didn't feel drawn to any of them. The closest I got to sympathizing was with Sanc's isolation from his family, but because he was on for so little, the feeling was gone when the POV next returned to him. There was a mix of raw brutality with the more pleasant aspects of the middle ages that I really enjoyed. Many books like set themselves either in the first (grimdark) or the second (epic), while this one mixes both in good proportion.

I hope the next book is faster, because the author made some promises that picked my curiosity.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first overall opinion of this book and the author:a new to me author that can bring Epic fantasy to the masses without the details overwhelming the story. This may be the best story/series for first time Epic fantasy readers. There is intrigue, war/battle, politics, family drama and of course magic. All the epic nuances with a large enough cast to keep the Epic feel but not so large you need to take notes to keep up with what is happening. 

The characters are well developed and feel real to the time and circumstances. Each has a role and are so well written that you do care who they are and what they do. The decisions made feel true and understandable as they move into their new roles moving from adolescence into adulthood. 

The world development is immersive and from the first chapter the reader is fully immersed into it with intrigue.  A Political system worthy of an Epic fantasy title and where that leadership is going to lead. There is war and conflict abound and what will it take to bring forth successful leadership? And will the failing play a role or just mark those marked with the ability to early death? 

I devoured this first book in a couple of days and I am wanting to binge the rest. 4.5 but rounded up for enjoyment🌟

[Amyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this fantasy adventure. We follow this story mostly through the eyes of our heroes, two nephews of the king, who teach us a lot about the politics and alliances in this medieval world. However, the pace was a little slow due to this.

Sanc is hated/feared by the people because of his red eyes and sorcery. Though I felt sorry for him, I couldn't really connect with him, I felt kept at a distance, which may or may not be the intention. I preferred Peyre, his older brother. I felt like he grew a bit through his journey and I am hoping that he finds his love in the next book. We also get some chapters from Liesel, the only redeemable member of a horrible family, hoping to be the next ruling one, which gives us some insight into the 'other side'.

We are learning about the world in this first book, and so it felt like it had less action, which will hopefully pick up in the next book. I will be continuing the series to see if Esterel will be the great king everyone thinks he'll be, I'm starting to have my doubts…

[Leigh]

Ok let me preface this by saying it’s not the kind of book I typically read. And by that I mean, it’s light on romance, strong female characters and their perspectives, and humor. It does have a lot of politics, war and war techniques, magic, and very well-developed male characters.

Sanc is the youngest child of a Duke and the nephew of a king. The way his father treats him (and to a lesser extent, the middle brother Peyre) is abysmal. He will NOT be winning any Father of the Year awards. When Sanc develops his magic, he needs to figure out if he’s okay being used as a pawn in wars of men.

Most of this book, which covers 3ish years, was slow. It feels like it’s a prequel in that it’s really setting up what comes next, introducing characters, setting all the politics into motion. The last section of the book picked up the pace and upped the ante, and I wish some of that action had taken place in the first 3/4 of the book. I think book two will be much faster paced, based on how this book ended.

Overall, a well written war magic book, but pacing was slow to me

[GG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Magic is ebbing away, or is it? How does the world react to what it sees as a fearsome difference? How does your own family/friends?

Themes include: coming of age, politics, friendships, love, war, balancing what you want versus the world’s expections, and more

Following three main characters (and chapters are helpfully titled following each one), Author Edmundson shows his touch for character and world building. He also shows the ability to take what seems like different plots and headings and weave them back together. There’s a second book out, and I’m going to have to pick that one up to make sure all the strings get tucked back in properly – yes, you need the next book in the series to make sure of this fact.

It’s a large, complex world filled with some fine, upright characters and some not so. There are twisty, turny politics and power plays, battles, posturings, and.. of course… a dog!

(One can never forget a lovely, faithful dog).

[Echizero Rincewind · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great world plenty of kingdoms, politics and treachery.
Carefully, J. Edmundson unfolds a huge map of Duchies, Kingdoms and Empires with an amazing background story (probably further explained in previous books).
This project is wide as GoT and has the sense of doom of LotR and you probably can see hints of both.
It has a lot of work to do, but the writer has managed so far to paint it in a relatively short book.
The characters are varied and well explained aswell as the political relationships.

The pieces are displayed on the board. It's time to split the lines of the adventure, which certainly will be a challenge, But he seems to have a clear mind focused in his goal.
Obviously this is only the begining with great promises but it worth a try.

[Seth Hobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am sure there are a lot more installments to explore in this series and others by the author, but this one has a promising start. Magic seems to be dying out, but might just get a revival. Don't call it a comeback! Lol. Lots of interesting characters and crazy chaos abounds at times, as political intrigue is available in large doses. I love this in fantasy books, and as others have said, it has a large and epic feel of something like GoT, without all of the dark and adult material in places. Overall, a decent read and this author has a lot to look forward to. I recommend to anyone who is trying to find a good epic fantasy or young adult coming of age series.

[Trisha Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible epic fantasy starter! From the first chapter, this book hooked me. I loved the unpredictable plot, shifting loyalties, and brutal battles. The author's storytelling is superb, creating a complex world with many kingdoms vying for power and an even greater otherworldly threat.
The characters are truly what make the book special. I particularly connected with Sanc, an outcast with a powerful burden, and the complicated Duke Bastien, who is both honorable and flawed. I was fully engaged with every character and event.
Plus, who doesn't love dogs in their fantasy???
Edmundson knows what he is doing!

[Sherry Hoernig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read!!!

When I started reading, I wasn't sure that I was going to enjoy the book. (Keep in mind that it wasn't the book, but me not being sure the book would appeal to my personal preferences.) However, I continued to read, and I am so glad I did. The story was very well written, with plenty of action, drama, well developed characters, and even a hint of romance here and there. I definitely recommend it to those who desire a well written storyline, with well built characters, and plenty of on the edge of your seat action.

[TC · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have been a better read if the author had split this book in two and focused the "first" book on Sanc as a youth having magic and how that affected the dynamics within his immediate family and extended family, while weaving some other plot lines from the world at large into the story. That would have allowed the pacing to slow down and focus on the overall worldbuilding. As it was, there were too many plot lines, characters and ongoing action to focus on as the author constantly kept jumping around from thread to thread without any real development within the majority of plotlines. The first half of the book when Sanc was a kid, was the best part.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Inheritance of Ash and Blood: A Coming of Age Epic Fantasy (Heirs of War Book 1), my second read from author Jamie Edmundson. An enjoyable, well-written fantasy tale. I look forward to reading more from this author. I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. Aaron Smith’s narration adds to the book’s enjoyment. I look forward to reading A Crucible of Fire and Steel (Heirs of War Book 2), the next book in the series. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

[LaShunda · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best multi-perspective stories I have read in a long while. An adventurous and epic undertaking. There is some random language that honestly does nothing but distract from the story, but other than that it's well written and interesting.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Stuart Macmartin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A middle book, and epic fantasy, two things which make for slow reading for me. But many characters are interesting as is much of the story. So I’ll read the continuation book after I read some other books.