The long-standing peace in the continent of Midstad is disrupted by a cult called The Black Light after a number of assassinations. The goal is to cause enough chaos to distract the good people of Midstad from their secret mission. Sadly for The Black Light, and its leaders Iver and Otti, their enemies are not so easily fooled. Suspicions arise when the old name of Kemryr is uttered, and the King of Hestferd, Bryntyr, decides to investigate further. Einar, Bryntyr's son, goes with his father to the dwarves to find answers, beginning a trying journey for the heir of Hestferd's throne full of warm, new friendships, shocking losses, and tricky mysteries. Both our heroes and villains gain helpul allies as the story progresses, Einar gaining Queen Elouera and her daughter Karina, and the leaders of The Black Light adding a trained assassin named Sigurd to their ranks. As moves are made by both sides, the conflict between The Black Light and the good people of Midstad comes to a head in the first major battle in over two hundred years. Einar and his allies fight to bring back the age of peace, Otti and her allies fight to bring about a new age of shadow. Whichever side is successful will decide the fate of every living race in Midstad.
Ascension was a novel that captured my attention from the very beginning. It had a strong introduction and the events of the first few chapters, which are the drive of the story, were riveting to read. The cast of characters that are introduced were well developed and for the most part, intriguing to follow. The world-building in this story is magnificent and at times I found myself with beautiful images in my head of what it all might look like, also, I loved the map that was provided at beginning. I love when fantasy novels include things like this because it helps the reader feel more familiar with world in which the story takes place.
The writing in Ascension was wonderful and well paced. There wasn't a point where I felt bored or that nothing was happening, which is something you never want your reader to think. I do think that in some instances, character's thoughts or feelings could have been showed through actions instead of having to read their their thoughts and feelings but that didn't stop me from enjoying the story. The fighting scenes were masterfully written and genuinely intriguing, I found myself invested in them and eager to know the outcome of each fight or battle.
Something that I must mention is that this is a novel written in first person POV and personally, I am not a big fan of it in general. A lot of stories don't handle it well, but that was not the case with Ascension, with the opposite in fact, the more I read, the more I enjoyed it and for that I am happy.
By the end of the novel, I was truly invested in the plot and the characters and wanted to keep on reading. Sadly that could no be the case because I had reached the end but I'm glad to know that this is only book one. I will definitely be keeping an eye on the Age of Shadow Saga so I can know what happens and how everything will be resolved, and if you like the fantasy genre, this is one novel that I would recommend picking up. It was a great and fun novel to read and I can't wait to read more.
Ascension (Book 1 of Age of Shadow Saga) by Marc R. Micciola is an epic fantasy book that would appeal most to a diverse audience made up of a mix of mature young adults and adults who enjoy fantasy stories that feature numerous mystical races and who do not mind explicit language and graphic violence. Long ago, all the different races in Midstad worked together to imprison a dangerous enemy known as Kemryr, but two hundred years later most regard Kemryr as a myth or legend. This belief is questioned when the peace is violently disrupted by a cult, known as Black Light, and one of their assassins shouted the name 'Kemryr' during the attack. Now it is up to the King of Hestferd and his son Einar to determine the truth and save Midstad.
Ascension by Marc R. Micciola is a well-written fantasy with an eye-catching cover image. The description and cover caught my attention right from the start, but it was the characters that kept me pushing forward, page after page, to learn the fate of Midstad and Einar. The book reminded me of the Lord of the Rings series with the author’s beautiful world-building and the different races, yet while there were some similarities, this book is original. I liked that the story was not just a fantasy adventure, but also a mystery as I longed to discover the truth about Kemryr, alongside the King of Hestferd and his son Einar. I loved this story and I hope to get the chance to read the second of the series in the future!
