A Harvest of Ash and Blood

by D.J. Molles

Overview

From New York Times bestselling author D.J. Molles comes a brand-new action-packed fantasy adventure that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

What is the price of magic? Not the magic of tricks and illusions, but the kind that heats cities, powers armies, and transforms continents. Magic that forges empires. The Brannic Empire owes its existence to this magic, and for those in power, no price is too great. Even when that price is their own children. For it is the ashes of those with magical abilities that the Church of Alchemy harvests to fuel this machine of empire. So the furnaces burn, and the empire grows. And they call it progress.

Trying to escape a lifetime of regrets—and outrun his own demons—veteran soldier Lochled Thatcher embarks on the Fourth Crusade to Leftland, a country rich in magic. Desperate to save her brothers, Rony joins Lochled’s squad only to discover that war is very different from all the songs and fancy speeches. As politics and power clash, Kayna, a Seeker, and Ord, a priest of the Church of Alchemy, find their foundations of loyalty and faith shaken and crumbling. In this theater of chaos, magic, and treachery, soldier and priest alike will find their humanity in as much danger as their lives. Will they lose themselves to cruelty and deception? Or can one good action reverse the course of generations of evil?

A bold, brutal look at war and belief, A Harvest of Ash and Blood is a sweeping epic fantasy perfect for fans of The Witcher and Joe Abercrombie.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798212027274
Publisher:	Blackstone Publishing
Publication date:	08/08/2023
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

D.J. Molles is the New York Times bestselling author of the Remaining series and the bestselling Lee Harden series. When he’s not writing, he’s taking steps to make his North Carolina property self-sustainable, and training to be at least half as hard to kill as Lee Harden. He also enjoys playing his guitar and drums, drawing and creating things, loving on his dogs, and spending time with his wife and three children.

Editorial Reviews

06/26/2023

Molles (the Remaining series) takes readers into the heart of a genocidal empire in an impassioned if flawed epic fantasy. The Brannic Empire, led by the Church of Alchemy, slaughters children suspected to have magic and uses their ashes as a power source, though what exactly they’re using it to do is only hazily established. Sgt. Lochled Thatcher, whose own daughter was taken away by the Church, is assigned to lead a mission into the conquered Leftland to gather ashes from the Tickers, the land’s magic-wielding native inhabitants, whom the Church deems “low-minded beings.” As Lochled and crew, including new recruit Rony Hirdman, loot and murder their way across the Leftland, infighting breaks out among the soldiers and realization slowly dawns that the Tickers may not be what the Church has made them out to be. Molles renders this bone-crunching war with gore galore and a strong sense of camaraderie among the soldiers. Though the unlearning of years of bigotry and indoctrination happens unbelievably quickly, it’s still a powerful message. Military fantasy readers will find plenty to enjoy. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

A no-holds-barred dive into a gritty fantasy world from a true master of multiple genres. Molles has crafted one of his deepest and most brutal tales yet.”

New York Times bestselling author of the Hell Dive Nicholas Sansbury Smith

A Harvest of Ash and Blood is a chilling, unnerving, absolutely wild blend of fantasy, action, magic, and mayhem. D.J. Molles goes for the throat with this one!”

New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry

07/01/2023

Lochled, a disillusioned soldier, heads off for yet another crusade, even though he is filled with self-loathing for the things he once fought for and the things he failed to fight for. Rony resorts to desperate measures to save her brothers by joining his squad, and for her, heroics haven't yet lost their luster. Ord is a priest who wrestles with heretical doubts, and Kayna is a mysterious Seeker with hidden motivations. In order to fuel a nation that is built upon the ashes of their dead children, these characters embark on a gripping and perilous quest to slaughter an enemy whom they hate but don't understand. This blistering and bloodthirsty war story is effortlessly readable. The characters are a crew of unlikely and morally ambiguous heroes, who confront past traumas and war with their own inner demons. Their crusade exposes the dangers of weaponized religious fervor, and the intensely chaotic battle sequences burst with raw and savage energy. VERDICT This new novel from Molles (The Valley) is perfect for fans of grimdark fantasy, where the pages are packed with visceral mayhem and mutinous conspiracy.—Andrea Dyba

Library Journal

Thai Chinese writer Pim Wangtechawat’s bold, melancholic, and ultimately beautiful first novel, The Moon Represents My Heart, explores the good and the bad of family legacies…This heartfelt story of loss, disenfranchisement, and rebuilding showcases Wangtechawat’s skill and sensitivity.”

Shelf Awareness (starred review)