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Ash and Fire #1
Ash and Fire 1
I was the Ashlord—a primordial, an apex predator amongst beasts, commanding legions. I fell, despite my power, although not due to the strength of my enemies, but the betrayal of my own kind. A voice whispered to me as I lay dying on the cold ground, promising rebirth and revenge.
Accepting his offer, I fell into a timeless sleep.
I awaken to the cold and crushing dark of a forgotten grave and discover that I have changed. No longer a primordial force of nature, I now inhabit the body of a once immortal cultivator. The very same one that tried to claim my core as I lay dying. He is part of me now, a fragment, sharing space with the Ashlord, and the tricky spirit that pulled us all together.
What am I now? And will I be able to resist the siren song of revenge and redemption?
Accepting his offer, I fell into a timeless sleep.
I awaken to the cold and crushing dark of a forgotten grave and discover that I have changed. No longer a primordial force of nature, I now inhabit the body of a once immortal cultivator. The very same one that tried to claim my core as I lay dying. He is part of me now, a fragment, sharing space with the Ashlord, and the tricky spirit that pulled us all together.
What am I now? And will I be able to resist the siren song of revenge and redemption?
- GenresFantasy
547 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 3, 2022
First off I'd like too say Cassius lange did really good with this book and I think it's really good.
I also think this is one of his best books, and I think he will think so too.
I read the audio version, So I'm going too be talking about the narrator and such,
I think Eric Michael Summerer did a very good job with this book, The voices were all different and I usually fell into his voice. His voice isn't annoying or anything like that, and I know that he's a top tier narrator. For anyone thinking about audio problems, There's nothing like that in this book. No audio difficulties at all.
When it comes too character's I don't have any problem with any of them and I think that they all have a in depth personality and they all have there own perspective on things. I don't particularly dislike any character in this series except for one... But that will be at the end of this review.
When it comes to character abilities, Cassius lange did a really good job picking out there skill set, He didn't just think about the Mc like most authors do.
Character progression was good but I think it could've been better, From start to finish I can't say that the Mc changed on a in-depth level. Side characters also, I don't think there was much character progression and I think that'll change in the near future. You could tell that the Mc gained alot of depth in the end.
Romance, If I'm completely honest I hated the romance in this book, I feel like it didn't progress at all and I also think it was very dramatic, We'll get into that at the end.
Mcs abilities,
I really loved the mcs abilities and whatnot, I think/know that they are unique, For those who want to know. He has 3 dantions with 3 different elements, with abilities going through elements, He has unique skills, one let's him take beasts power, He has his Ashlord powers.
So like i said I think the mcs abilities and skills are really good and they're not your typical abilities.
I really liked the Mc, He was relatable and he wasn't Ahole. I think he could've had more depth as the Mc but other than that I didn't dislike anything about him, except one thing.
Plot wise, I think it could've been better. I couldn't really find a plot or a reason for what the Mc does. He's really just drifting, There was really not a goal from what I could see. The ending made the plot abit better and I think it'll be better in the second book.
The thing is the foreshadowing is actually good, I felt a great deal of suspense of what was going to happen. I was on my toes for alot of the book and I think Cassius should get an award for good wordplay.
I have the same stance on the storyline, but if plot was a 3 story line would be a 4.
World building/detail is actually good. The world has a great amount of detail in it and I was actually surprised. I loved how the world was built and the detail that went into that.
Fighting wise this book gets a 5, I loved all the fighting in this book (especially the end fight) The fighting had detail and I could imagine the fight, it wasn't bizarre in a crazy anime way. Seeing the abilities in the fight and how they were imagined and used was also a treat.
So I can confidently say that this book is action packed.
When it comes to cultivation, it's severely lacking, don't expect any awesome breakthroughs who backbreaking meditation, There's a "person" who does all that for him.
I do love the culture, I'm pretty sure this book falls under western style cultivation and besides the lack of any cultivation I think that everything else is there, You can tell by reading this book that Cassius has done alot of cultivation books.
This book is also really long and it took me 2 days too finish it.
I do think I've covered alot of stuff, enough stuff to where you can tell if you want too get this book.
I ash and fire is aimed at alot of audiences and anyone who is in the progression fantasy/litrpg sub genre need too try this book out.
We do also know Cassius does harems, All harems fans this is not a harem with no explicit content (there is some stuff but not bad) for all non-harems fans your in luck. This book isn't a harem. I also think that Cassius knows how too write a cliffhanger.
I do think Cassius did a very good job with this book and shoutout to him, he deserves it. Also shoutout to Eric Michael Summerer, he did very good with this book. And i can't wait for book 2.
(Also for clarification, I'm a reviewer. I got a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review)
Personal complaints,
I said there was some stuff I didn't like that would be explained at the end of the book.
The main girl in this book, She absolutely irked me to the bone, She has too be top 5 In most annoying side characters, There are so many scenes where I just rolled my eyes and wanted to stop listening. She is beyond a hypocrite. First off, we all know the Mc has secrets, In my opinion a man should be able to have secrets from loved ones. A man needs his secrets, This doesn't sit right with her. She constantly asks and asks about how the mc can do this or that or what he is or something like that, I'll admit it's alright she's curious. The thing is after the Mc tells her she goes into this "I can't take it, it's too much. I need some time." Kinda fit, it s all over this book, Just a whole bunch of overdramctic conversations about nothing. It was such a chore getting through them. Another thing that makes me mad is the Mc constantly has too asure her and he can't use his full strength around her because "she scared" now I get it, she has trauma from the war and what he turns into is scary. But can't she be understanding at all? Can't she just take a answer at face value instead of being an annoying pest? And what said about the romance early on in the review. It's true, at the start of the book it's just "I'm sorry i can't betray my husband who's been dead for 10 years" and the romance really doesn't progress until later in the book when they finally kiss and she's cursed or something like that, I honestly wish she dies next book without any warning. Another thing I don't like about her is, she want to know all his secrets everything, she can't handle any of it and goes into mental breakdowns in stuff. The thing that makes me mad is later in the story she has a "secret" or something like that and the Mc asks about it. Of course she doesn't tell him and he doesn't want to push the subject because he's scared of pushing her away. How does that make sense? You want too know everything about the Mc but when he asks a question you don't tell him?. I also want to add how fragile there relationship is, if he calls her beautiful she might back away, he calls her pretty she might back away, anything he does she might back away. But for the entire book there sleeping together and holding hands, it's kinda like those relationships you had in 1st grade. And the Mc constantly just brushes it off and doesn't do anything, no the way she's acting isn't sanctioned, she's acting like a baby who asks questions and if afraid of the answer.
I also think this is one of his best books, and I think he will think so too.
I read the audio version, So I'm going too be talking about the narrator and such,
I think Eric Michael Summerer did a very good job with this book, The voices were all different and I usually fell into his voice. His voice isn't annoying or anything like that, and I know that he's a top tier narrator. For anyone thinking about audio problems, There's nothing like that in this book. No audio difficulties at all.
When it comes too character's I don't have any problem with any of them and I think that they all have a in depth personality and they all have there own perspective on things. I don't particularly dislike any character in this series except for one... But that will be at the end of this review.
When it comes to character abilities, Cassius lange did a really good job picking out there skill set, He didn't just think about the Mc like most authors do.
Character progression was good but I think it could've been better, From start to finish I can't say that the Mc changed on a in-depth level. Side characters also, I don't think there was much character progression and I think that'll change in the near future. You could tell that the Mc gained alot of depth in the end.
Romance, If I'm completely honest I hated the romance in this book, I feel like it didn't progress at all and I also think it was very dramatic, We'll get into that at the end.
Mcs abilities,
I really loved the mcs abilities and whatnot, I think/know that they are unique, For those who want to know. He has 3 dantions with 3 different elements, with abilities going through elements, He has unique skills, one let's him take beasts power, He has his Ashlord powers.
So like i said I think the mcs abilities and skills are really good and they're not your typical abilities.
I really liked the Mc, He was relatable and he wasn't Ahole. I think he could've had more depth as the Mc but other than that I didn't dislike anything about him, except one thing.
Plot wise, I think it could've been better. I couldn't really find a plot or a reason for what the Mc does. He's really just drifting, There was really not a goal from what I could see. The ending made the plot abit better and I think it'll be better in the second book.
The thing is the foreshadowing is actually good, I felt a great deal of suspense of what was going to happen. I was on my toes for alot of the book and I think Cassius should get an award for good wordplay.
I have the same stance on the storyline, but if plot was a 3 story line would be a 4.
World building/detail is actually good. The world has a great amount of detail in it and I was actually surprised. I loved how the world was built and the detail that went into that.
Fighting wise this book gets a 5, I loved all the fighting in this book (especially the end fight) The fighting had detail and I could imagine the fight, it wasn't bizarre in a crazy anime way. Seeing the abilities in the fight and how they were imagined and used was also a treat.
So I can confidently say that this book is action packed.
When it comes to cultivation, it's severely lacking, don't expect any awesome breakthroughs who backbreaking meditation, There's a "person" who does all that for him.
I do love the culture, I'm pretty sure this book falls under western style cultivation and besides the lack of any cultivation I think that everything else is there, You can tell by reading this book that Cassius has done alot of cultivation books.
This book is also really long and it took me 2 days too finish it.
I do think I've covered alot of stuff, enough stuff to where you can tell if you want too get this book.
I ash and fire is aimed at alot of audiences and anyone who is in the progression fantasy/litrpg sub genre need too try this book out.
We do also know Cassius does harems, All harems fans this is not a harem with no explicit content (there is some stuff but not bad) for all non-harems fans your in luck. This book isn't a harem. I also think that Cassius knows how too write a cliffhanger.
I do think Cassius did a very good job with this book and shoutout to him, he deserves it. Also shoutout to Eric Michael Summerer, he did very good with this book. And i can't wait for book 2.
(Also for clarification, I'm a reviewer. I got a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review)
Personal complaints,
I said there was some stuff I didn't like that would be explained at the end of the book.
The main girl in this book, She absolutely irked me to the bone, She has too be top 5 In most annoying side characters, There are so many scenes where I just rolled my eyes and wanted to stop listening. She is beyond a hypocrite. First off, we all know the Mc has secrets, In my opinion a man should be able to have secrets from loved ones. A man needs his secrets, This doesn't sit right with her. She constantly asks and asks about how the mc can do this or that or what he is or something like that, I'll admit it's alright she's curious. The thing is after the Mc tells her she goes into this "I can't take it, it's too much. I need some time." Kinda fit, it s all over this book, Just a whole bunch of overdramctic conversations about nothing. It was such a chore getting through them. Another thing that makes me mad is the Mc constantly has too asure her and he can't use his full strength around her because "she scared" now I get it, she has trauma from the war and what he turns into is scary. But can't she be understanding at all? Can't she just take a answer at face value instead of being an annoying pest? And what said about the romance early on in the review. It's true, at the start of the book it's just "I'm sorry i can't betray my husband who's been dead for 10 years" and the romance really doesn't progress until later in the book when they finally kiss and she's cursed or something like that, I honestly wish she dies next book without any warning. Another thing I don't like about her is, she want to know all his secrets everything, she can't handle any of it and goes into mental breakdowns in stuff. The thing that makes me mad is later in the story she has a "secret" or something like that and the Mc asks about it. Of course she doesn't tell him and he doesn't want to push the subject because he's scared of pushing her away. How does that make sense? You want too know everything about the Mc but when he asks a question you don't tell him?. I also want to add how fragile there relationship is, if he calls her beautiful she might back away, he calls her pretty she might back away, anything he does she might back away. But for the entire book there sleeping together and holding hands, it's kinda like those relationships you had in 1st grade. And the Mc constantly just brushes it off and doesn't do anything, no the way she's acting isn't sanctioned, she's acting like a baby who asks questions and if afraid of the answer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2022
Left me with a burning desire for more!
So I was a bit skeptical of the premise here, powerful beast reincarnated as a human? How well is this going to come out? As it turns out, pretty well! Our MC battles his old beasties urges while also dealing with the full gamut of human emotion as well for the first time. This of course leads to some nice tension!
The supporting cast are pretty good as well, even if they’re a bit tropey. I especially enjoyed Xenrai for comic relief, though he did bug me at first. The action sequences are well choreographed, and the power ups were gratifyingly good. The ongoing questions about how the MC ended up in his situation make for some nice plot hooks, and the new encounters that further muddy the waters for exactly what is going on are great too.
If you’re a cultivation fan, I can definitely recommend this book. Reminds me a bit of the Ten Realms series fire to some of the organizations and general feel. Also a bit Cradleesque due to the MC and his ability to absorb power from beasts. My only quibble is in a couple of minor errors that got missed on edit. However I already spoke to the author and he noted them for fixing in a future editing update.
So I was a bit skeptical of the premise here, powerful beast reincarnated as a human? How well is this going to come out? As it turns out, pretty well! Our MC battles his old beasties urges while also dealing with the full gamut of human emotion as well for the first time. This of course leads to some nice tension!
The supporting cast are pretty good as well, even if they’re a bit tropey. I especially enjoyed Xenrai for comic relief, though he did bug me at first. The action sequences are well choreographed, and the power ups were gratifyingly good. The ongoing questions about how the MC ended up in his situation make for some nice plot hooks, and the new encounters that further muddy the waters for exactly what is going on are great too.
If you’re a cultivation fan, I can definitely recommend this book. Reminds me a bit of the Ten Realms series fire to some of the organizations and general feel. Also a bit Cradleesque due to the MC and his ability to absorb power from beasts. My only quibble is in a couple of minor errors that got missed on edit. However I already spoke to the author and he noted them for fixing in a future editing update.
September 18, 2022
very good!
Better than I thought it was going to be. The ash lord a demonic beast is betrayed by his generals and then reborn into a human body. The same body that helped destroy him. As a demonic beast he lived for death and destruction. As a human he has to deal with pesky feelings of loneliness, companionship, loyalty, honor and dare I say love? Watching him grow as a person and cultivator was epic. And I can’t wait for book 2
Better than I thought it was going to be. The ash lord a demonic beast is betrayed by his generals and then reborn into a human body. The same body that helped destroy him. As a demonic beast he lived for death and destruction. As a human he has to deal with pesky feelings of loneliness, companionship, loyalty, honor and dare I say love? Watching him grow as a person and cultivator was epic. And I can’t wait for book 2
December 30, 2024
Good, but not for everyone.
This book was very well written, I just don't think I was the perfect target. I think it's worth the read, but it was hard for me to get into.
Recommended
This book was very well written, I just don't think I was the perfect target. I think it's worth the read, but it was hard for me to get into.
Recommended
June 30, 2022
Really great !
One of the best martial arts stories I have ever read. I will definitely buy next book in series when it comes out.
One of the best martial arts stories I have ever read. I will definitely buy next book in series when it comes out.
July 11, 2022
Very good read
I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book to anyone who like LitRPG and progression type of books with lots of action.
I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book to anyone who like LitRPG and progression type of books with lots of action.
May 14, 2025
DNF at 5%
I am afraid that the book wasn't for me. I was no fan of a beast being reincarnated into a human..
I am afraid that the book wasn't for me. I was no fan of a beast being reincarnated into a human..
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews