What do you think?
Book of Never #4
The Peaks of Autumn
At Snow’s urging, Never climbs into the Folhan Mountains to search for the Altar of Stars, which he must reach by the new moon. Yet he cannot shake off his doubts; will the answers he seeks even reside with the altar? Or is Snow manipulating him once more?
Never soon finds that the mountains harbour their own threats, from avalanches and enemy troops to ancient creatures deep within abandoned mines and worse – pursuit from a vengeance-obsessed King.
- GenresFantasy
180 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 8, 2016
About the author
Ashley Capes
79 books585 followersAshley is a poet, novelist and ex-teacher living in Australia.
He taught English, Media and Music Production, played in a metal band, worked in an art gallery and slaved away at music retail. (For a few years, he was also a legal secretary).
Aside from reading and writing, Ashley loves volleyball, Studio Ghibli and Magnum PI.
See poetry and fiction at http://ashleycapes.com/
He taught English, Media and Music Production, played in a metal band, worked in an art gallery and slaved away at music retail. (For a few years, he was also a legal secretary).
Aside from reading and writing, Ashley loves volleyball, Studio Ghibli and Magnum PI.
See poetry and fiction at http://ashleycapes.com/
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 22, 2016
Travelling with Luis and Tsolde, Never set off in search of the Altar of Stars which he must reach by the new moon. The direction came from his brother Snow, but Never had issues of trust with his brother. Still, the journey would perhaps offer answers to the long and detailed quest he’d journeyed on for so long now.
Escaping the Vadiya army was vital – Never and his friends’ deaths were assured if they fell into their hands. The Folhan Mountains offered a sanctuary of sorts, but the journey through was fraught with danger – strange and ancient creatures taunted the trio; would they make it out of the long abandoned mines without injury - or worse?
Never was Amouni – but would that help him now? He needed answers – but would he find them?
The Peaks of Autumn by Aussie author Ashley Capes is the fourth in the Book of Never series, and just as gripping and intense as the first three! I can’t wait for the 5th and final in the series to see if Never finally finds peace. I have no hesitation in highly recommending the series, but it’s important to read from book one…
With thanks to the author for this copy to read in exchange for my honest review.
Escaping the Vadiya army was vital – Never and his friends’ deaths were assured if they fell into their hands. The Folhan Mountains offered a sanctuary of sorts, but the journey through was fraught with danger – strange and ancient creatures taunted the trio; would they make it out of the long abandoned mines without injury - or worse?
Never was Amouni – but would that help him now? He needed answers – but would he find them?
The Peaks of Autumn by Aussie author Ashley Capes is the fourth in the Book of Never series, and just as gripping and intense as the first three! I can’t wait for the 5th and final in the series to see if Never finally finds peace. I have no hesitation in highly recommending the series, but it’s important to read from book one…
With thanks to the author for this copy to read in exchange for my honest review.
December 29, 2016
Disclosure: I won a copy of this book in an online contest.
That being said, I would have bought it anyway because I am totally 100% invested in this series. That there is only one more book is both good (because I want to find out the truth about Never as much as he does) and horrible (because I don't want this series to end ever).
Once again, excellent storytelling and characters with real depth are what drives this series.
That being said, I would have bought it anyway because I am totally 100% invested in this series. That there is only one more book is both good (because I want to find out the truth about Never as much as he does) and horrible (because I don't want this series to end ever).
Once again, excellent storytelling and characters with real depth are what drives this series.
March 15, 2018
God. Another series I know I will be rereading soon. This is a fantastic ride! I’m so upset at having the books end! I feel like the stories should keep going forever. The journey seems endless and yet filled with adventure and importance. Ah! To the next!
August 12, 2024
That ending, the plot is really getting deeper, plots and twists and schemes and twists and plots, excellent continuation
May 22, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This series just ...has no substance really. Never's entire personality is a high-fantasy cliche and the secondary characters are all entirely two-dimensional. And the plot is just him walking from one place to the next and like maybe getting captured a few times along the way, but he always gets out of the situations WAY too easily. Like I am never sitting here biting my nails going 'oh no what's going to happen next!' because you already know because it's the same exact thing that's happened in the last however-many books.
Also . Like I said, everything is just way too easy and falls into place in a way that is completely unbelievable.
And the things that don't fall into place are just ENTIRELY not explained. I mean I'm still holding out hope that the last book is actually going to give me some answers, but so far their reaction to every weird puzzle just seems to be 'yeah, why not'. In all honesty I think the main reason I've been giving this series 3 and 2 stars [instead of 2 and 1] is because they're short so it's like, they're not that good but also at least they don't take long to read.
This series just ...has no substance really. Never's entire personality is a high-fantasy cliche and the secondary characters are all entirely two-dimensional. And the plot is just him walking from one place to the next and like maybe getting captured a few times along the way, but he always gets out of the situations WAY too easily. Like I am never sitting here biting my nails going 'oh no what's going to happen next!' because you already know because it's the same exact thing that's happened in the last however-many books.
Also . Like I said, everything is just way too easy and falls into place in a way that is completely unbelievable.
And the things that don't fall into place are just ENTIRELY not explained. I mean I'm still holding out hope that the last book is actually going to give me some answers, but so far their reaction to every weird puzzle just seems to be 'yeah, why not'. In all honesty I think the main reason I've been giving this series 3 and 2 stars [instead of 2 and 1] is because they're short so it's like, they're not that good but also at least they don't take long to read.
November 29, 2018
“What if you don’t find anything, Never? - What then”?
“I die searching”.
- - -
Creepy, old ruins + mysterious races + jaded lover + cool turtle + crazy brother with angel wings + believable, imperfect hero + magic swords + fantastic pacing + impending sense of doom!
I’m really torn about what’s going to happen with the siblings. I'm hoping for lesser carnage and I'm not going to get it.
“I die searching”.
- - -
Creepy, old ruins + mysterious races + jaded lover + cool turtle + crazy brother with angel wings + believable, imperfect hero + magic swords + fantastic pacing + impending sense of doom!
I’m really torn about what’s going to happen with the siblings. I'm hoping for lesser carnage and I'm not going to get it.
Read
September 2, 2016Peaks of Autumn Release Day
Greetings Never-fans! Today The Peaks of Autumn, the fourth adventure in Never's quest for his true name, is released :)
So far, Amazon and Kobo have picked up the ebook but B&N is a little behind. If you'd like to check it out, you can see it at the links below:
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Peaks-Autumn-F...
Kobo
https://store.kobobooks.com/ebook/the...
Or visit www.cityofmasks.com for more info in the coming hour!
Greetings Never-fans! Today The Peaks of Autumn, the fourth adventure in Never's quest for his true name, is released :)
So far, Amazon and Kobo have picked up the ebook but B&N is a little behind. If you'd like to check it out, you can see it at the links below:
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Peaks-Autumn-F...
Kobo
https://store.kobobooks.com/ebook/the...
Or visit www.cityofmasks.com for more info in the coming hour!
October 7, 2016
I received this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
Never’s adventurous quest in search of his lost heritage, and the answers to the many questions plaguing him about his nature and past, goes on. Together with faithful Luis, the former treasure hunter, and Tsolde, a young woman who joined the company in the previous installment of the series, he continues in his perilous journey across a world that seems to reserve the most incredible – and sometimes frightening – surprises just for him, as if the rest of humanity were blissfully unaware of the weirdness that lives just outside of their collective sight.
With this new segment in Never’s series I felt more clearly than before the videogame-like quality of this story: although I’m no gamer, I am aware of the structure of role-playing quests, so that each new encounter, each new danger that the group faces does indeed feel like a new level in a game, with the stakes being raised after every successful accomplishment, and new skills being called into play. This impression is strengthened by the narrative structure, by the box-within-a-box sequence of episodes where the solution to the riddle does not bring success, but rather a new – and more difficult – challenge to overcome.
As I said before, this can be both compelling and frustrating, because the intelligence Never so painfully gathers seems to lead him nowhere, except toward new tasks and new trials. The narrative structure does not help in defeating the aggravation either, because the serialized form of this novel subjects the reader to longish waits between installments, that always end in a more or less harrowing cliffhanger. After the end of this fourth chapter in The Book of Never, I reached the conclusion that the author does indeed enjoy torturing his readers… :-)
If, until now, the characters have not enjoyed a thorough characterization, since the story is more plot-driven than character-oriented, in The Peaks of Autumn I saw something change in Never, and in a major way: his companions become something more precious for him than simple travel mates, and Never feels the huge burden of responsibility for their fate. This looks like a mixed blessing, because until recently Never was used to fend for himself alone, and to hell with the consequences, but now he’s been entrusted with the lives of two people, two persons he cares about quite deeply, and this seems to somehow weaken him, making him more vulnerable. Yet, at the same time, this new-found awareness makes him more human and approachable, and at the same time gives a new, interesting layer to his personality.
Finally, I would like to spend a few words for the cover: I’ve been enthusiastic about every cover for this serialized novel, but this new one surpasses all the preceding ones, both in subject and in color choice: it’s very dramatic and eye-catching, and it complements very well the book’s contents. If it’s true that you should never judge a book by its cover, it’s also true that a good cover can be a powerful enticement….
The Peaks of Autumn will reach the shelves today, so I’m more than happy to celebrate its arrival, looking forward to knowing more about Never and his companions in the future installments of the story.
Originally posted at Space and Sorcery Blog
Never’s adventurous quest in search of his lost heritage, and the answers to the many questions plaguing him about his nature and past, goes on. Together with faithful Luis, the former treasure hunter, and Tsolde, a young woman who joined the company in the previous installment of the series, he continues in his perilous journey across a world that seems to reserve the most incredible – and sometimes frightening – surprises just for him, as if the rest of humanity were blissfully unaware of the weirdness that lives just outside of their collective sight.
With this new segment in Never’s series I felt more clearly than before the videogame-like quality of this story: although I’m no gamer, I am aware of the structure of role-playing quests, so that each new encounter, each new danger that the group faces does indeed feel like a new level in a game, with the stakes being raised after every successful accomplishment, and new skills being called into play. This impression is strengthened by the narrative structure, by the box-within-a-box sequence of episodes where the solution to the riddle does not bring success, but rather a new – and more difficult – challenge to overcome.
As I said before, this can be both compelling and frustrating, because the intelligence Never so painfully gathers seems to lead him nowhere, except toward new tasks and new trials. The narrative structure does not help in defeating the aggravation either, because the serialized form of this novel subjects the reader to longish waits between installments, that always end in a more or less harrowing cliffhanger. After the end of this fourth chapter in The Book of Never, I reached the conclusion that the author does indeed enjoy torturing his readers… :-)
If, until now, the characters have not enjoyed a thorough characterization, since the story is more plot-driven than character-oriented, in The Peaks of Autumn I saw something change in Never, and in a major way: his companions become something more precious for him than simple travel mates, and Never feels the huge burden of responsibility for their fate. This looks like a mixed blessing, because until recently Never was used to fend for himself alone, and to hell with the consequences, but now he’s been entrusted with the lives of two people, two persons he cares about quite deeply, and this seems to somehow weaken him, making him more vulnerable. Yet, at the same time, this new-found awareness makes him more human and approachable, and at the same time gives a new, interesting layer to his personality.
Finally, I would like to spend a few words for the cover: I’ve been enthusiastic about every cover for this serialized novel, but this new one surpasses all the preceding ones, both in subject and in color choice: it’s very dramatic and eye-catching, and it complements very well the book’s contents. If it’s true that you should never judge a book by its cover, it’s also true that a good cover can be a powerful enticement….
The Peaks of Autumn will reach the shelves today, so I’m more than happy to celebrate its arrival, looking forward to knowing more about Never and his companions in the future installments of the story.
Originally posted at Space and Sorcery Blog
December 16, 2018
Tsolde has joined Luis and Never as they make their way to the Folhan Range’s perilous iron pass. They had left the silver city with ease as quite a few distractions arose to keep the guards busy and Never wondered whether Snow had anything to do with these. Would the prince send people to hunt him down? Would he personally try to capture him and what about Elina and Olivor? How would they fare now that the King was dead? Tsolde was also being hunted now, Steelhawks had been sent to catch her and take her back to Floriak. So the three of them agreed to stick together for better or for worse as Never made his way towards the Altar of Stars. He needed to get there on the night of the new moon according to Snow, so that is where they were heading for through the mountains above Marlosa. The adventures continue and nothing comes easy for our trio of hardy travellers. They encounter many difficulties, are captured by the Vadiya and released; they slept in a ghost town and were aided by a man of stone called Darom who saved their lives not once but twice. However with every step they took it became obvious to Never that Snow was always a few steps ahead of them and watching their every move. Snow wanted Never to ascend, to become like a God and they fought one another as Never was not convinced that Snow was on the right path and Snow maimed Never. This was one of the best books in the series so far, I do believe that the books get more interesting as we read into the story and I am now looking forward to Book 5 which should bring us to the end of Never’s tale.
August 9, 2026
I know that the literal point of picking up an epic is that it goes on and on and on and... you get my point. Yet in this case (and I skimmed thus far simply because it was available for free through a promo), there was little reason to read further. No character growth as far as I could see, and a mere pantsing of plot as new monsters were revealed and conveniently destroyed; new quests undertaken and neatly completed, all through the mysterious power of some cursed blood.
And no, the mysteries of this blood counted for little. I wanted to see the characters bond and become a close-knit team; I wanted to see something real, human, and deeper than the next foe to be vanquished.
And as a worldbuilder/fiction editor, it annoys me to no end when there is no limit to the magical world being woven. Just because there's a new quest, there can't be a new breed of monster to go with it... where are the rules, the nitty-gritty things that make a real world? And Never's an idiot for not pretending to agree with Snow, finding this oh-so-elusive truth, and then choosing better. It's stupid to fight with a brother who is so much more powerful when he could've duped him so much more effectively. Disappointing.
I skipped chapters over chapters, just hoping that I'd find something worthwhile, or that things would start to make sense.
And no, the mysteries of this blood counted for little. I wanted to see the characters bond and become a close-knit team; I wanted to see something real, human, and deeper than the next foe to be vanquished.
And as a worldbuilder/fiction editor, it annoys me to no end when there is no limit to the magical world being woven. Just because there's a new quest, there can't be a new breed of monster to go with it... where are the rules, the nitty-gritty things that make a real world? And Never's an idiot for not pretending to agree with Snow, finding this oh-so-elusive truth, and then choosing better. It's stupid to fight with a brother who is so much more powerful when he could've duped him so much more effectively. Disappointing.
I skipped chapters over chapters, just hoping that I'd find something worthwhile, or that things would start to make sense.
September 21, 2021
Another fantastic, enjoyable and awesome installment in the brilliant The Book Of Never series, the more and more I read about our hilarious, witty and sarcastic protagonist Never, I just can't wait to see were his journey brings us to find the answers he been looking for, but I have a feeling someone very close to him holds all the answers, the worldbuilding is just so good, the plot and setting just keep you intrigued right from the start to finish, there are some brilliant, exciting and sometimes startling descriptions of the places Never and his friends travel through as they try to reach the Altar of Stars, after escaping his nemesises the Harastas, he still hasn't found a cure for the poison, but being the hero of the book, he soldiers on, there are more revelations, new characters and we learn more about his brother Snow, but as usual with Ashley Capes fantastic writing, it ends on a cliffhanger and with more questions, will Never find out his heritage, I'm just about to find out as I delve straight into book five, Joshua Macrea continues with his brilliant narration, if you love epic fantasy, I very highly recommend..😁
August 22, 2021
After Leaving the Silver City, Never, Luis and Tsolde are make their way to the Altar of Stars. Steelhawks are now hunting Tsolde. She had to escape from her town as her betrothed is a traitor, and he has sent the Steelhawks after her. They will deal with treacherous mountain passes and Autumn and winter storms. Never is now being hunted by Elina who is doing the new king's bidding. They managed to escape Elina only to get themselves caught by the Vayida soldiers and being put to work in the mines. After being released by an unexpected person, they make their way to the Altar of Stars. Having to go through many obstacles to get there. Never learns more about his past but still has questions. But what an ending!
And the intensity keeps on coming. The author does not want to give poor Never a break. What is good is that each story has different obstacles and the characters react differently to each, not do the same thing they may have in previous books, which is refreshing
And the intensity keeps on coming. The author does not want to give poor Never a break. What is good is that each story has different obstacles and the characters react differently to each, not do the same thing they may have in previous books, which is refreshing
February 22, 2018
ANNE KINSLOW.
Once again I am under the spell of this story of Never still looking for knowledge as to his Heritage and finding many obstacles in his way. This author has the gift of writing a novel that is exciting and lots of action and very descriptive that you actually feel that you are there with Never on his journey. I can’t wait to continue his story within the next book THE IMPERIAL TOWERS.
Once again I am under the spell of this story of Never still looking for knowledge as to his Heritage and finding many obstacles in his way. This author has the gift of writing a novel that is exciting and lots of action and very descriptive that you actually feel that you are there with Never on his journey. I can’t wait to continue his story within the next book THE IMPERIAL TOWERS.
April 22, 2023
I think this one was the best of the series so far! Aside from the still sudden endings, as this transitions into the next book, this story had a lot more of the strange creatures, artifacts and adventures that were in the first story, plus with a lot more buy-in for the characters by now. And we get to learn a lot more about Snow in this one! I love the creative people and societies Capes comes up with.
On to book 5!
On to book 5!
October 13, 2020
This adventure is a trip through the mountains. More fights, more escapes, more twists and turns, and of course there are the unbelievable creatures which appear to become part of the adventure. This is all driven by his brother Snow.
August 3, 2021
Things are coming to a head for our her Never and his newfound companions (dare I say it..friends), as the quest for information on his heritage reveals his brother in a new light and a devasting choice for Never to make. Book 5 should be explosive in this series!
April 18, 2018
Already moved on to book 5 (bought the boxed set), but am captivated by this series! The characters, the scenes, the plot twists...Highly recommended!
August 3, 2024
I think I’m going to stop here. Even though the cliffhanger on this one was amazing, the rest of the book was boring. There was too much happening with little to no explanation and too many characters who didn’t seem to do much of anything except exist to be mysterious. Lots of obstacles appear but they’re relatively the same (they got captured by an army, I think three different times in this one book?). Answers are slowly coming but rather too slow. A relic is discovered and reveals jumbled messages that seem to mean something to Never, but are jibberish to me. He just seems to know what’s going on and where it came from and doesn’t see fit to tell me. I wish I could continue because the overall plot is interesting, but it’s taking an uninteresting path to the end
May 5, 2017
The first one was free so maybe permafree, the others are NOT kindle unlimited. The prequel/0 starts with background to the following stories {see below for list to date} and the 5 'complete' set does NOT include the prequel though it can be gotten on amazon for free. I received the 5 set from the writer via LibraryThing, yes another of my here's a free book/set, we really would like you to review it, we aren't paying anything but hey free book/s and not even on KU. THIS ONE ALSO LISTED AS THE COMPLETE BOOK OF NEVER as ebook
Adventures, magic, rogues and rakes and relics, blood curses, and a map to a sunken city, and sarcasm. That is just the start to the following fantasy books. Follow if you can....
Never {prequel]: The Ember Isle
The Amber Isle 1 - A Forest of Eyes 2 - River God 3
Book of Never: Volumes 1-3
The Peaks of Autumn 4 - Imperial Towers 5
Book of Never: Volumes 4-5 (Book of Never, #4-5)
The Book of Never: Volumes 1-5
Also available individually of course.
I got the 5 book set, which says complete but you can get the 0/prequel free from amazon. Spliler free book tidbits for each book below.
#0 .. follow if you can
#1 .. White Wing, and the boy doesn't swim well
#2.. chased to port can he make travel further, find more treasures and artifacts, whose luck?
#3..rolling the dice, runes, secret chambers, The Master, underground rooms, kings and princes
#4.Iron Pass, King's Road, Prince Tendov, Black Ember, stone wraiths, World Stair, brotherly love?
#5..the past, the present, the Bleak man, brothers forever, sisterly love?
It almost reminded me a bit of Harry Potter, and not in the magic part, in the way that each book got longer and longer and longer, and not sure to what point, and why hint at a sequel at the end of a 5 set called complete {and which doesn't mention the prequel/0}?
Again, I got this as a 5 book set called 'complete' set, which does not include the prequel, but that is free or probably prema free on amazon. {4 is longer than before, and 5 will be even longer}
Adventures, magic, rogues and rakes and relics, blood curses, and a map to a sunken city, and sarcasm. That is just the start to the following fantasy books. Follow if you can....
Never {prequel]: The Ember Isle
The Amber Isle 1 - A Forest of Eyes 2 - River God 3
Book of Never: Volumes 1-3
The Peaks of Autumn 4 - Imperial Towers 5
Book of Never: Volumes 4-5 (Book of Never, #4-5)
The Book of Never: Volumes 1-5
Also available individually of course.
I got the 5 book set, which says complete but you can get the 0/prequel free from amazon. Spliler free book tidbits for each book below.
#0 .. follow if you can
#1 .. White Wing, and the boy doesn't swim well
#2.. chased to port can he make travel further, find more treasures and artifacts, whose luck?
#3..rolling the dice, runes, secret chambers, The Master, underground rooms, kings and princes
#4.Iron Pass, King's Road, Prince Tendov, Black Ember, stone wraiths, World Stair, brotherly love?
#5..the past, the present, the Bleak man, brothers forever, sisterly love?
It almost reminded me a bit of Harry Potter, and not in the magic part, in the way that each book got longer and longer and longer, and not sure to what point, and why hint at a sequel at the end of a 5 set called complete {and which doesn't mention the prequel/0}?
Again, I got this as a 5 book set called 'complete' set, which does not include the prequel, but that is free or probably prema free on amazon. {4 is longer than before, and 5 will be even longer}
September 17, 2016
As with all the books in the Never series, this book was full of adventure and fun! Never is fast approaching the answers he wants about his heritage amid the back drop of a war which he isn't much involved in. We meet someone from Never's past which was very intriguing, especially when we are introduced to her husband. We also find out more of Snow's own history and his motivations, and the motivations aren't what we would think. The end was a huge cliffhanger, and I was left thinking that I have no idea how Never is going to fix what went wrong. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one, which, I'm sorry to say, is the last one as I always look forward to reading the next installment to find out what Never is up to. That's enough things to intrigue you. Mr. Capes is an excellent storyteller and you need to go get this series today. His way with words paints such wonderful pictures even when you don't have much of an imagination. Well-worth the read if you like fantasy/adventure books, or even just want to read something excellent. Highly recommend!
Thanks to the author for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review. This exact review will be posted on both Amazon and Goodreads.
Thanks to the author for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review. This exact review will be posted on both Amazon and Goodreads.
June 4, 2020
I've been hooked on this series by Ashley Capes ever since reading the prequel introducing the main character 'Never'. Never is cursed, or maybe blessed, with ancient blood that makes him different in ways he doesn't comprehend. He's been searching for answers to his heritage while avoiding, barely, all manner of danger. He is hunted by foe and friend alike--for different reasons of course, but everyone wants a piece of him. Never, however is sure that whatever Gods there are enjoy teasing and toying with him making his extremely difficult search seemingly impossible. It doesn't help that Never always has other lives to consider and protect as well. In this installment Never is nearing finally getting some answers, but of course, must accomplish two or three narrow escapes and deal with his brother who has become strangely powerful and completely unhinged. This is a must read series.
September 2, 2016
I love this book. Already read it twice. Never and his friends travel through the mountains and have many exciting adventures. They get caught and have to work in the silver mines. They escape only to get into other trouble. Always interesting and exciting. And a great showdown at the Altar of Stars which makes getting book #5 a MUST!
May 1, 2017
The story continues.....always when Never hopes for luck it's not to be.
Elina's father is immensely interested in Never, as they've gotten to the city, but the interest soon turns to fear. The King dies and his son wants to kill Never. Luis, Tolde and Never keep running and looking for Never's heritage.
Read and enjoy.
Elina's father is immensely interested in Never, as they've gotten to the city, but the interest soon turns to fear. The King dies and his son wants to kill Never. Luis, Tolde and Never keep running and looking for Never's heritage.
Read and enjoy.
October 25, 2018
A thoroughly good and enjoyable read, the fourth installment of the Book of Never kept me enthralled for the whole time.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews