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Book of Never #8
Throne of Leaves
The Burnished King has escaped his tomb.
In the demi-god's wake, a stone-plague creeps across the lands and Never must stop the ancient decay before it swallows everyone he cares for.
Despite his determination, there is no cure and no guarantee that even his Amouni blood will be enough. Never's search for the means to fight back leads him to the Amber Isle once more, where the island continues to hold its secrets close.
But it is there that Never encounters the beautiful and mysterious Rikeva, a Quisoan Weaver on her own quest, and realises that together, there might be a way to stop the plague after all...
In the demi-god's wake, a stone-plague creeps across the lands and Never must stop the ancient decay before it swallows everyone he cares for.
Despite his determination, there is no cure and no guarantee that even his Amouni blood will be enough. Never's search for the means to fight back leads him to the Amber Isle once more, where the island continues to hold its secrets close.
But it is there that Never encounters the beautiful and mysterious Rikeva, a Quisoan Weaver on her own quest, and realises that together, there might be a way to stop the plague after all...
- GenresFantasy
278 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 18, 2021
9 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Capes
75 books576 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. Aside from reading and writing, Ashley loves volleyball and Studio Ghibli – and Magnum PI, easily one of the greatest television shows ever made.
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. Aside from reading and writing, Ashley loves volleyball and Studio Ghibli – and Magnum PI, easily one of the greatest television shows ever made.
See poetry and fiction at http://ashleycapes.com/
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 13, 2022
On the Amber Isle, Never encountered Rikeva, a Quisoan Weaver and together they planned how they would stop the Stone Plague, let loose by the Burnished King, in his bid to control the land. Never’s Amouni blood would go a long way toward helping and combined with Rikeva’s knowledge and their ability to visit Never’s friends within the kingdom, where cures were being worked on and potions were being delivered to the sick, they hoped to achieve success.
Never’s Amouni heritage saw him able to heal himself, so drawing blood to set his crimson fire free led him to defeat assailants, and also to ease a path for them to travel. The Guide would help him, the swift travel to the destinations, and his gift of flight meant he was revered by many, terrified by others. Would Rikeva and Never defeat the Burnished King, the wicked and evil Oleksan before it was too late for the kingdom?
Throne of Leaves is the 8th in the Book of Never series by Aussie author Ashley Capes and the first since 2019. I was thrilled to delve back into Never’s life, travel his journey and watch him try to defeat the enemy once again. Never is a tough, resilient, kindhearted but determined character and I’m thoroughly enjoying this series, looking forward to #9 in the not too distant future, I hope. Highly recommended.
With thanks to the author for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Never’s Amouni heritage saw him able to heal himself, so drawing blood to set his crimson fire free led him to defeat assailants, and also to ease a path for them to travel. The Guide would help him, the swift travel to the destinations, and his gift of flight meant he was revered by many, terrified by others. Would Rikeva and Never defeat the Burnished King, the wicked and evil Oleksan before it was too late for the kingdom?
Throne of Leaves is the 8th in the Book of Never series by Aussie author Ashley Capes and the first since 2019. I was thrilled to delve back into Never’s life, travel his journey and watch him try to defeat the enemy once again. Never is a tough, resilient, kindhearted but determined character and I’m thoroughly enjoying this series, looking forward to #9 in the not too distant future, I hope. Highly recommended.
With thanks to the author for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
May 17, 2022
Nice work
Very good indeed. Really fast pase. The only thing I didn't like was the ending. It was like Ashley Capes missed a Chapter.
Very good indeed. Really fast pase. The only thing I didn't like was the ending. It was like Ashley Capes missed a Chapter.
Read
February 23, 2024Out now!
Throne of Leaves
Throne of Leaves - Read Chapter 1-6 Now
Okay, finally some preview chapters - it's 1-6 over at my website, so check it out if you're keen to get a look before release later this year :)
Throne of Leaves - Chapter 1-6
Throne of Leaves
Throne of Leaves - Read Chapter 1-6 Now
Okay, finally some preview chapters - it's 1-6 over at my website, so check it out if you're keen to get a look before release later this year :)
Throne of Leaves - Chapter 1-6
March 7, 2022
THE SERIES:
Be Careful what you wish for! All he wanted was some answers, the ones he got came wrapped in danger and intrigue, and Machiavellian plots of pure evil.
I have eagerly followed this series about, “The Story of Never.” It has been clever, exciting, heartwarming, perceptive, inspiring, and completely addictive. Each book in this series can be read independently as each covers a different crisis. All these crises are connected because each is a piece in a larger puzzle. I encourage he reader to enjoy the whole story and read this series from the very beginning; “The Amber Isle”.
Your family has a cursed heritage, so when your older brother starts calling you “Never”, well, ‘simple’, ‘straightforward’ or ‘easy’ is just never going to be part of your life experience. That’s the bad news. The good news is that you will have the mystery of your heritage to solve, and you must learn to control your extraordinary ability. An ability that is feared because it is nearly always fatal; for the other guy. You will live a life on the run from those who don’t know you but hate you anyway and would like nothing better than to end your life. Unfortunately, in this battle of wits for survival you will always be one step behind. It is an adventuresome and exciting life, but then struggling daily to stay alive was never billed as boring. Surprisingly, along this harrowing path of self-discovery you acquire some close companions; but then those you have managed to keep alive do tend to appreciate it. And even though your efforts have saved a lot of people, even nations, and even though you are known by some as the “Hero” there are still plenty of powerful people, (and entities), that hate you. Fortunately you have and increasing number of dedicated allies helping you. If you can stay alive long enough, good may yet win over evil.
THRONE OF LEAVES:
In this most recent volume; “Throne of Leaves”, Never faces off against one of the greatest and most destructive evils to have existed in his world. Never carries a lot of guilt with this one as he feels largely responsible for this evil getting loosed again on his world. Never’s adversary can taunt him at any moment through a person, animal, or object, and can even pull him out of his reality. What does Never have? Not much, he’s still working on his plan. The final battle is intense and would be lost were it not for the nick-of-time intervention of a most unexpected and unlikely ally.
I recommend this series to everyone.
Be Careful what you wish for! All he wanted was some answers, the ones he got came wrapped in danger and intrigue, and Machiavellian plots of pure evil.
I have eagerly followed this series about, “The Story of Never.” It has been clever, exciting, heartwarming, perceptive, inspiring, and completely addictive. Each book in this series can be read independently as each covers a different crisis. All these crises are connected because each is a piece in a larger puzzle. I encourage he reader to enjoy the whole story and read this series from the very beginning; “The Amber Isle”.
Your family has a cursed heritage, so when your older brother starts calling you “Never”, well, ‘simple’, ‘straightforward’ or ‘easy’ is just never going to be part of your life experience. That’s the bad news. The good news is that you will have the mystery of your heritage to solve, and you must learn to control your extraordinary ability. An ability that is feared because it is nearly always fatal; for the other guy. You will live a life on the run from those who don’t know you but hate you anyway and would like nothing better than to end your life. Unfortunately, in this battle of wits for survival you will always be one step behind. It is an adventuresome and exciting life, but then struggling daily to stay alive was never billed as boring. Surprisingly, along this harrowing path of self-discovery you acquire some close companions; but then those you have managed to keep alive do tend to appreciate it. And even though your efforts have saved a lot of people, even nations, and even though you are known by some as the “Hero” there are still plenty of powerful people, (and entities), that hate you. Fortunately you have and increasing number of dedicated allies helping you. If you can stay alive long enough, good may yet win over evil.
THRONE OF LEAVES:
In this most recent volume; “Throne of Leaves”, Never faces off against one of the greatest and most destructive evils to have existed in his world. Never carries a lot of guilt with this one as he feels largely responsible for this evil getting loosed again on his world. Never’s adversary can taunt him at any moment through a person, animal, or object, and can even pull him out of his reality. What does Never have? Not much, he’s still working on his plan. The final battle is intense and would be lost were it not for the nick-of-time intervention of a most unexpected and unlikely ally.
I recommend this series to everyone.
January 25, 2022
3 1/2 stars
I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
As I remarked in one of my previous posts for this series, the main character’s name, Never, seems to be closely linked to his destiny, that of never finding peace - both in his search for answers about the past and the uncanny abilities bestowed by his heritage, and in his life: the previous book ended with the threat posed by a god-like creature, the Burnished King, laying waste to the land in his quest for domination, and Throne of Leaves starts by showing the readers how the Stone Plague is devastating both people and the territories it encroaches on.
In his afterword, author Ashley Capes remarks about the oddity of such a narrative choice: while the previous installment in the series was completed in 2019, before the very real Covid pandemic hit, he describes here the made-up plague at the center of this story and considers the strangeness of the parallel between worrisome reality and equally disquieting fiction. Sometimes reality and fantasy have a strange way of coexisting…
Back to Never’s adventures, there is something of a change in the way he’s perceived now: while before his weird powers and his appearance were met with awe and suspicion in equal measure, his recent actions have gained him the well-deserved qualification of “hero”, and if the awe is still present, he’s often welcomed and his help both sought after and appreciated. It’s interesting to observe how he’s not totally comfortable with that, but at the same time he’s more inclined to open himself to friendships and to accept the fact that he’s not bound to be a loner, that he can find people to share his path - and its dangers - with.
This is particularly true in Throne of Leaves because Never’s ally Rikeva - a sort of warrior priestess gifted with abilities of her own - seems to be more than just a passing companion and possesses all the qualities to become a permanent comrade, or even something more. While I’m always wary of emotional entanglements in the stories I read, I quite enjoyed the very slow burn of what might turn into a romantic liaison, and this might also prove to be a positive turn for a loner like Never. Moreover, Rikeva is a great character: strong, determined, courageous, but also compassionate and gifted with a delightful sense of humor which might very well compensate for Never’s deep seriousness.
Story-wise, Throne of Leaves continues in the series’ tradition of leading Never through a quest where he needs to unlock mysteries and face various dangers: once again I’m reminded of strategy computer games (even though I’m no gamer at all) where the players must complete increasingly difficult levels before reaching the goal. Here Never does so by also revisiting previous locations where other adventures took place and - more important - reconnecting with old acquaintances and friends he met along the way. This proved to be one of my favorite sections of the book because I enjoyed the appearance of some familiar faces, and also because it was nice to see Never appreciate the reunion:
[…] halfway through the meal he’d found himself wishing time would pass slower.
A moment of peace and joy that, together with the reminders of past adventures, made me think Never’s journey might be nearing a closing circle - but of course it was a totally wrong impression because the very last sentence of the book hints at an even greater danger looming over the horizon. Something that will certainly be explored in the continuation of this series…
Originally posted at SPACE and SORCERY BLOG
I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
As I remarked in one of my previous posts for this series, the main character’s name, Never, seems to be closely linked to his destiny, that of never finding peace - both in his search for answers about the past and the uncanny abilities bestowed by his heritage, and in his life: the previous book ended with the threat posed by a god-like creature, the Burnished King, laying waste to the land in his quest for domination, and Throne of Leaves starts by showing the readers how the Stone Plague is devastating both people and the territories it encroaches on.
In his afterword, author Ashley Capes remarks about the oddity of such a narrative choice: while the previous installment in the series was completed in 2019, before the very real Covid pandemic hit, he describes here the made-up plague at the center of this story and considers the strangeness of the parallel between worrisome reality and equally disquieting fiction. Sometimes reality and fantasy have a strange way of coexisting…
Back to Never’s adventures, there is something of a change in the way he’s perceived now: while before his weird powers and his appearance were met with awe and suspicion in equal measure, his recent actions have gained him the well-deserved qualification of “hero”, and if the awe is still present, he’s often welcomed and his help both sought after and appreciated. It’s interesting to observe how he’s not totally comfortable with that, but at the same time he’s more inclined to open himself to friendships and to accept the fact that he’s not bound to be a loner, that he can find people to share his path - and its dangers - with.
This is particularly true in Throne of Leaves because Never’s ally Rikeva - a sort of warrior priestess gifted with abilities of her own - seems to be more than just a passing companion and possesses all the qualities to become a permanent comrade, or even something more. While I’m always wary of emotional entanglements in the stories I read, I quite enjoyed the very slow burn of what might turn into a romantic liaison, and this might also prove to be a positive turn for a loner like Never. Moreover, Rikeva is a great character: strong, determined, courageous, but also compassionate and gifted with a delightful sense of humor which might very well compensate for Never’s deep seriousness.
Story-wise, Throne of Leaves continues in the series’ tradition of leading Never through a quest where he needs to unlock mysteries and face various dangers: once again I’m reminded of strategy computer games (even though I’m no gamer at all) where the players must complete increasingly difficult levels before reaching the goal. Here Never does so by also revisiting previous locations where other adventures took place and - more important - reconnecting with old acquaintances and friends he met along the way. This proved to be one of my favorite sections of the book because I enjoyed the appearance of some familiar faces, and also because it was nice to see Never appreciate the reunion:
[…] halfway through the meal he’d found himself wishing time would pass slower.
A moment of peace and joy that, together with the reminders of past adventures, made me think Never’s journey might be nearing a closing circle - but of course it was a totally wrong impression because the very last sentence of the book hints at an even greater danger looming over the horizon. Something that will certainly be explored in the continuation of this series…
Originally posted at SPACE and SORCERY BLOG
June 14, 2024
I couldn’t believe how long it had been since I was in Never’s world, and I was happy to be back. These books aren’t written in one of my favorite genres, but I keep coming back because of the way they are written and how Never is portrayed as a calm and almost regal figure. This latest has him knee deep in the plague and he has a new ally…maybe new love interest. I hope so because poor Never has been through the wringer and needs love. This is a great addition to the series, and I’m a little angry at how it ended. LOL! Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
July 13, 2022
I love this series. It just seems - and this is the ONLY drawback - is that Never never gets worries. He's glib, no matter what.
September 17, 2024
Well written, but after the first half the story depends too much on supernatural power and connections to the dead for me. I'm not sure if I'm going to read the coming sequel.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews