Review for Ashes of Twilight (Ashes Trilogy #1) by Kassy Tayler
Ashes of Twilight (Ashes Trilogy #1) by Kassy Tayler
Published November 13th 2012 by St. Martin’s Griffin
Wren MacAvoy works as a coal miner for a domed city that was constructed in the mid-nineteenth century to protect the royal blood line of England when astronomers spotted a comet on a collision course with Earth. Humanity would be saved by the most groundbreaking technology of the time. But after nearly 200 years of life beneath the dome, society has become complacent and the coal is running out. Plus there are those who wonder, is there life outside the dome or is the world still consumed by fire? When one of Wren’s friends escapes the confines of the dome, he is burned alive and put on display as a warning to those seeking to disrupt the dome’s way of life. But Alex’s final words are haunting. “The sky is blue.” What happens next is a whirlwind of adventure, romance, conspiracy and the struggle to stay alive in a world where nothing is as it seems. Wren unwittingly becomes a catalyst for a revolution that destroys the dome and the only way to survive might be to embrace what the entire society has feared their entire existence.
The premise sounded exciting with a dystopian world that has a social caste system in place. Growing up, the children are taught that the world outside the dome is an inferno. The clues found along the way suggest something completely different. Wren, the main character is strong and defiant. She is what they call a Shiner, they live in the tunnels below the city. It is dark, claustrophobic and not an environment for a young girl to be brought up in. But none the less this is the world they live in. She is an outsider, but has one good friend. Alex. After his death, she sets out to see just what might be outside the dome walls. She has some qualities that make her likable but some that don’t make her easy to connect with. There is a little bit of romance. The relationship between Pace and Wren develops very quickly, and I do mean quickly, but it did have it’s sweet moments. Pace had a great personality and tried to find the good in everything, and I did like him. And look forward to more of him in the future. The world that was created was fascinating. Living in a dome, with social classes and never being allowed to know what it looks like outside the dome itself would be scary and certainly not something I would endure. It was an intriguing world, and I did want to learn more. One thing I want when I read a dystopian is action that has me on the edge of my seat, not wanting to put the book down. I found myself waiting for this, and while it wasn’t as action packed as I thought it would be I still did enjoy it. Overall this was an enjoyable read, and I will certainly pick up the sequel, Shadow of Glass. Ashes of Twilight is a dystopian, post-apocalyptic journey of survival. I would say give this a try. And look for Shadow of Glass out later this year.
Happy Reading…
This copy was provided by St. Martin’s Griffin for an honest review.
Glad that you enjoyed this one more than I did >.< I found it very slow moving and I was expecting something much more exciting based on the synopsis. The premise was great though and I'm thinking the sequel will be more for me.
Hm. Doesn’t sound like my usual read, but it does look interesting. Glad you enjoyed it
Great review, Jenea! I’m actually interested in this one. It kind of reminds me of Breathe (forgot the author), but that one annoyed me. So I’d like to see if this author can pull it off, because I love the whole idea of the doom and stuff.
This one reminds me a bit of City of Ember, which I remember liking so I’ll have to check this one out eventually.