Fantasy

From Cold Ashes Risen

From Cold Ashes Risen

  • Downloads：9178
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-05-09 10:54:42
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Rob J. Hayes
  • ISBN：0957666861
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

The Corpse Queen Comes。

Eskara has lost everything。 The War Eternal has cost her everything she loves， and the Iron Legion has taken the rest。 Yet there is something that is still hers， something that kept her warm during her time in the Pit。 Anger and a lust for vengeance。 First on the list of those who must pay， the Emperor of Terrelan。

Her friends counsel peace， but her inner demons push for war， and Eska finds herself caught in the middle。 Will she find a way to reap her vengeance？ Or will the enemies of her past catch up to her first？

One thing is certain。 The world will soon know fear when the Corpse Queen ascends her throne。

Download

Reviews

Phillip Murrell ，

The Hand Wave TrilogyThat should have been the title。 Or perhaps， "The Gloss Over Trilogy。" "A Clinic in Telling Not Showing？" "Eska's Adventures in Tropeville？" Whatever it should have been titled， I call it terrible。 The first book was a fun prison break。 The next two were awful。 An evil， selfish character merely dictated what happened in life without the reader experiencing the emotions。 Essentially this book series was shorter than the epic author probably thought he had。 The books should ha The Hand Wave TrilogyThat should have been the title。 Or perhaps， "The Gloss Over Trilogy。" "A Clinic in Telling Not Showing？" "Eska's Adventures in Tropeville？" Whatever it should have been titled， I call it terrible。 The first book was a fun prison break。 The next two were awful。 An evil， selfish character merely dictated what happened in life without the reader experiencing the emotions。 Essentially this book series was shorter than the epic author probably thought he had。 The books should have been longer or there should have been ten total。 Instead， we got a treatment of an okay series condensed into bad storytelling。 I really can't praise anything from the last book because Eska is now pure evil and Josef no longer wrote in his journal。 Here is a list of problems I had:The books always talk about future events with characters。 Not only did this eliminate any suspense from dire situations， but many never happened。 Lesray never showed up。 Demon daughter was never evil。 Eska really wasn't a queen。 Her revenge at the Pit was a single tacked on chapter; almost as if the author forgot that revenge plot。Why did Eska love Silva。 She talks about true love， but it really just happened for reasons。Move over Jack Sparrow， Eska is the most selfish protagonist of all time。 She lets innocents get slaughtered for her plans yet condemns Loran for doing the exact same。 She raised a zombie and demon army to fight for her。 Why does Hardt follow her？ She only violates his morals and hurts him。 Isen died and Kento was abandoned。 Hardt follows her for， you guessed it， reasons。Eska understood CPR from a quick game of ghost charades。 It thankfully saved Hardt， but it was just plot armor for him。The writing is redundant。 Countless times we are reminded Eska isn't vain， is stubborn， won't give up， will be a big shot， etc。 How stupid does the author think his readers are for reminders every single chapter。The list goes on。 I wish I had my money back。 More importantly， I wish I had my time back。 Apparently two more of these books are coming。 I won't bother with them。 Eska is a villain， and a two-dimensional one at that。 The war hero could have been interesting。 The Pit prisoner truly was。 The Corpse Queen is just bad writing and tired tropes。 A shame zero stars isn't an option。 。。。more

Deryk Allan ，

An exceptionally good ending to a great trilogy， Rob。 J Hayes is a new author for me this year， and has put himself firmly in my favourites list， the style and scope of his books very much remind me of Brandon Sanderson's early work， absolutely love it， without a doubt a force to be reckoned with in epic fantasy。 An exceptionally good ending to a great trilogy， Rob。 J Hayes is a new author for me this year， and has put himself firmly in my favourites list， the style and scope of his books very much remind me of Brandon Sanderson's early work， absolutely love it， without a doubt a force to be reckoned with in epic fantasy。 。。。more

Cal ，

Set up for a follow on series - which I don't intend to read。 Set up for a follow on series - which I don't intend to read。 。。。more

Alan Warenski ，

This series was just up my alley。 The worldbuilding with the magic， monsters， cities in the sky， all built up to some super epic scenes。 I really enjoyed the development of Eskara throughout the series， and also really enjoyed her bond with Ssserakis （view spoiler）[ Got all emotional when they were separated。 This monster who's company she had come to rely on and be comforted by。 （hide spoiler）] Excited to see where the future books go。 There was definitely some intriguing foreshadowing。 This series was just up my alley。 The worldbuilding with the magic， monsters， cities in the sky， all built up to some super epic scenes。 I really enjoyed the development of Eskara throughout the series， and also really enjoyed her bond with Ssserakis （view spoiler）[ Got all emotional when they were separated。 This monster who's company she had come to rely on and be comforted by。 （hide spoiler）] Excited to see where the future books go。 There was definitely some intriguing foreshadowing。 。。。more

Lisa Maughan ，

After reading some books I’m left with thoughts and feelings to ponder over。 This series has done that。 The third book continues on with the ever so stubborn Eskara。 She’s hardheaded， tenacious and brutal yet as she is retelling her story she is honest about her feelings。 At times， I was thinking No！ No！ Don’t do it。 And other times Yes do it！ An Emotional haunting read。

Maria Monteiro ，

I don't think I've ever highlighted a book so much。 I'm not a quotes person， but this series sure made me one。What a journey。 I don't think I've ever highlighted a book so much。 I'm not a quotes person， but this series sure made me one。What a journey。 。。。more

Beau ，

For now， this concludes my love/hate relationship with Eskara。 At times proud， sometimes disgusted， and at other times just plain bewildered at her decisions， it has been a wild ride。 But that's why I love her and want to know more。 I started this series without even reading the blurb and I'm glad I did。 This story is chocked full of Sanderson-level imagination and Abercrombie-level grit。 Bravo， Mr。 Hayes， bravo！ Keep it up， the world needs more books that push you to the limit。 For now， this concludes my love/hate relationship with Eskara。 At times proud， sometimes disgusted， and at other times just plain bewildered at her decisions， it has been a wild ride。 But that's why I love her and want to know more。 I started this series without even reading the blurb and I'm glad I did。 This story is chocked full of Sanderson-level imagination and Abercrombie-level grit。 Bravo， Mr。 Hayes， bravo！ Keep it up， the world needs more books that push you to the limit。 。。。more

Ian ，

A book that matches the main character I'm not sure how exactly to feel or rate this book， but I feel the series is much like Eskara。 Flawed and passionate and raw。 It isn't perfectly laid out and there are flaws in plot and pacing in my opinion， but I think it fits the story even if it doesn't necessarily enhance it。 I think Eskara's narration especially in the first book hyped herself up a bit too much though and the later books didn't meet my expectations set by the first one， but they were s A book that matches the main character I'm not sure how exactly to feel or rate this book， but I feel the series is much like Eskara。 Flawed and passionate and raw。 It isn't perfectly laid out and there are flaws in plot and pacing in my opinion， but I think it fits the story even if it doesn't necessarily enhance it。 I think Eskara's narration especially in the first book hyped herself up a bit too much though and the later books didn't meet my expectations set by the first one， but they were still interesting and I understand why they were hard to write。 It's a very ambitious story especially with how much is revealed by the narrator， I dont think it accomplishes everything it set out to but it does enough。 。。。more

The Shayne-Train ，

What a phenomenal ending to one of the best fantasy series it's ever been my pleasure to read。 I want to say so much about this series， and its finishing novel， but I find I fear I won't do it justice。 Seriously， for real: if you like grimdark， read the fucking HELL out of this series。 What a phenomenal ending to one of the best fantasy series it's ever been my pleasure to read。 I want to say so much about this series， and its finishing novel， but I find I fear I won't do it justice。 Seriously， for real: if you like grimdark， read the fucking HELL out of this series。 。。。more

Karen ，

This series was excellent！ The world building was great。 Some unique ideas， not just the usual fantasy tropes。

Jen ，

I binge read all 3 of the books in this series in 1 week。 Totally engrossed and immersed all the way through。 Loved being inside the mind of the main character。 A suitably poignant ending。 As in life， not everything turns up roses and rainbows。 Definitely recommend this series。

Frank Dorrian ，

So I finally got round to finishing the War Eternal trilogy， after beginning it with an ARC Rob was kind enough to provide me with almost a year ago （that's absolutely flown since then， I have absolutely no idea where this year's gone）。 This trilogy's been an absolute ripride for me， I've enjoyed every instalment， every moment， and it's kept me up a few nights reading into the small hours。 This was a great finale to the series， and wrapped up many plot points and questions I had from books 1+2。T So I finally got round to finishing the War Eternal trilogy， after beginning it with an ARC Rob was kind enough to provide me with almost a year ago （that's absolutely flown since then， I have absolutely no idea where this year's gone）。 This trilogy's been an absolute ripride for me， I've enjoyed every instalment， every moment， and it's kept me up a few nights reading into the small hours。 This was a great finale to the series， and wrapped up many plot points and questions I had from books 1+2。The lore was expanded， compounded and clarified nicely in this book， which in and of itself its utterly fascinating， and there's some major， major nods to games in it that I believe Rob is a fan of， and these are spun in their own unique and imaginative way。The characters evolved convincingly too over the course of both the trilogy and this book。 Eska and Ssserakis's plotlines concluded very nicely for me， and kudos to Rob for making me get as attached to a horror as Eska herself did。 I was still left with a fair few questions after the ending， but mostly about points I'm pretty certain that Rob will be answering in future titles in this world。This was a series I really， truly enjoyed， and I'm sad it's over！ It's been the primary focus of my precious and scant reading time this year， so I'm gutted its done！I give it 4/5 yams - yamtastic！ 。。。more

Mkittysamom ，

I still love the storyI just have some problems with the story line itself。。 I feel like things were mistaken or rushed to make an ending。 I think it was great up until the last battle。。 and then it gets wonky。 Like the giant eye？ The new ppl brought back by iron legion。。 his death？ All of a sudden he’s so powerful and no one can eat him but。。 somehow he over taxes himself？？ Idk it just wasn’t believable。 I。 Get that there will be more books but there is something missing or doesn’t make sense i I still love the storyI just have some problems with the story line itself。。 I feel like things were mistaken or rushed to make an ending。 I think it was great up until the last battle。。 and then it gets wonky。 Like the giant eye？ The new ppl brought back by iron legion。。 his death？ All of a sudden he’s so powerful and no one can eat him but。。 somehow he over taxes himself？？ Idk it just wasn’t believable。 I。 Get that there will be more books but there is something missing or doesn’t make sense in light of the first two books。 And why is she telling us to not make her mistakes？ So yeah I hated the ending， I’m sorry it could be so much better。 This whole series has moved me emotionally andI loved every part of it except this。。 like not being able to find ssesslaki。。 when it obviously took her to the “nightmare realm”。。 that was a slap in the face to me and their bond。 。。。more

Filip ，

Originally published over at The Fantasy Hive。If I’ve learned something from Rob J。 Hayes over the three novels in his War Eternal series， it is this: that creature of shadow and nightmare wrapped around the core of who you are？ It was your best friend all along。From Cold Ashes Risen is the conclusion of Eskara Helsene’s story （for now）。 A better one， I couldn’t have hoped for—Eska proves herself one of the most satisfying villainous protagonists I’ve come across， thick-headed and uncompromisin Originally published over at The Fantasy Hive。If I’ve learned something from Rob J。 Hayes over the three novels in his War Eternal series， it is this: that creature of shadow and nightmare wrapped around the core of who you are？ It was your best friend all along。From Cold Ashes Risen is the conclusion of Eskara Helsene’s story （for now）。 A better one， I couldn’t have hoped for—Eska proves herself one of the most satisfying villainous protagonists I’ve come across， thick-headed and uncompromising， violent and resolute。 Her connection with Ssserakis continues to be centre-stage; the nightmare is Eskara’s ace in the hole， her trump card and her constant companion。 The extension of that bond throughout Cold Ashes will bring any emotionally engaged reader great satisfaction。The imagination Rob J。 Hayes shows does not fail to impress。 I’ve written elsewhere about the delightful way in which Source magic works; Hayes has continued to build on top of the solid foundation he set up in Along the Razor’s Edge， expanding and adding layer after layer of complexity。 The summoning of demons through Impomancy， for example， is a process both graphic and painful （and pretty disgusting， too）: every demonic entity passes through the Sourcerer’s body in some way—through cuts， through vomiting up a fast-growing monstrosity， even through a horrifying belch。 Gut-wrenching stuff！It doesn’t end at the magic， either。 The worldbuilding is an inspiration—there’s much that is familiar to it but twisted in thrilling ways; and even more that is fresh and exciting to dive into。 Anytime the book expanded on the Djinn and Rand， the god-like immortal entities of the world， I couldn’t look away。Let’s return to my earlier example: reading about how Impomancy works， I was itching to start working on a D&D Summoner or Demonologist class that makes use of this very unique and visual magic—I was immediately thinking about what the mechanics of that would look like in the game。 It’s not that Ashes Risen draws you just to read。 It inspires you to participate， to enter into a dialogue with its rich ideas。 It’s not the worldbuilding alone。 Some of the lines Rob has penned struck so deep， I wanted to do nothing so much as show them off to my friends， to the world at large。 Here’s one:The Iron Legion Shook his head。 “There is no reasoning with you。” It is the last recourse of those with no reason to accuse others of being beyond it。”Such words strike to the heart of things well beyond the fantastic， don’t they？There’s elegance to the prose， to the reflexive， rhetorical quality to it。 At the early onset of the second book， The Lessons Never Learned， that inward examination was almost wearying—but Hayes has evaded that trap this time， in part because of the sheer ground he covers but also because Eska’s supporting cast draws her out in more challenging ways than ever before。 Her allies were always an intriguing bunch， but her foes have never been more challenging， never more loathsome， never more personal。 Conflict is near constant past the opening first act， and the character work that comes with it， both for Eska and her friends （Hardt， Horrelain， Imiko， Biokid）， is riveting。The War Eternal has shaped up to be my favourite fantasy trilogy of the year—I can’t think of a more consistent close to a series I’ve read in 2020 than From Cold Ashes Risen。 Rob J。 Hayes has outdone himself with perhaps the darkest fantasy novel he’s written to date; in some ways， it’s the most hopeful， too， and the one that sees a character of his grow the most。My advice？ Treat yourself to this exemplary trilogy。 You shan’t regret it。 。。。more

Karthik Vijayan ，

"I have heard it said that I was at my most dangerous when I had something to die for。 But I've always been stronger when I have something to live for。"Grimdark fantasy， darker than Broken Empire trilogy。 Immersive writing style。 Many times the events became so twisted that I wished Rob had held back。Recommend to Broken empire trilogy fans。 "I have heard it said that I was at my most dangerous when I had something to die for。 But I've always been stronger when I have something to live for。"Grimdark fantasy， darker than Broken Empire trilogy。 Immersive writing style。 Many times the events became so twisted that I wished Rob had held back。Recommend to Broken empire trilogy fans。 。。。more

d。kelly ，

Very goodHaving never read the author before， I only got the first book in the series but quickly ordered the other two after reading it。The time taken for character development was not wasted and made for a fully immersive story。

Lila ，

4，5*Ok， this was brutal。I wrote in my review for The Lessons Never Learned that I hope to see Hayes ease up （view spoiler）[on my boy Josef （hide spoiler）] a little， but he just laughed right to my face。 After that bombshell ending from previous book， we continue right where we left off: With Eska still on Do'shan， her lover dead， her friends are hurt， stuck with a fickle Djinn， betrayed by Mezula and outmatched by her， once upon a time hero， Iron Legion， Loran Orran。 With this revelation of his 4，5*Ok， this was brutal。I wrote in my review for The Lessons Never Learned that I hope to see Hayes ease up （view spoiler）[on my boy Josef （hide spoiler）] a little， but he just laughed right to my face。 After that bombshell ending from previous book， we continue right where we left off: With Eska still on Do'shan， her lover dead， her friends are hurt， stuck with a fickle Djinn， betrayed by Mezula and outmatched by her， once upon a time hero， Iron Legion， Loran Orran。 With this revelation of his true goal， Eska realized her enemy is not only the emperor of Terrelan， but the greatest Sourcerer who ever lived。I already wrote it， but this book is brutal for our heroine。 She goes through torture， pain and more losses that a human can take in such a short amount of time while getting stronger power-wise。 I found that particularly interesting because it showed that getting power isn't enough to fix everything when she needed to deal with her grief properly。 This and her already established rashness led to some of the darkest scenes as Eska suffered in the hands of emperor。 On another note， he is such a simple focused villain he doesn't deserve all of her rage， pain and sacrifices for revenge to be pinned on him。 The scene depicted on the cover by excellent Felix Ortiz， hence， made for such a cathartic experience and it may be my favourite in the whole trilogy。Confronting the Iron Legion was a completely different thing。 I remembered this passage from Along the Razor's Edge:"There was a tale of his trip to Do'shan， his battle of wits with the Djinn incarcerated there。 Some people say no one ever gets the better end of a deal with a Djinn。 They are masters of words and loopholes， twisting people's desires upon themselves。 The tale was extravagant， I'll give it that， and it claimed the prince answered correctly one riddle for each year he had been alive。 In the end， the Djinn relented and gave him a boon。 Having since been to Do'shan， I believe very little of that story; only that prince Loran has indeed been there and matched wits with the trapped Djinn。" Ha！ Oh， we get you Eska。。。 He is so above everyone else when it comes to powers he run circles around them。 He also simply doesn't care about anyone。 And it's not that that really makes him scary: it's the fact he is so damn reasonable about the whole thing。 He has explanations， he argues and he's， most of the time， right。 He is simply not an opponent you have luxury to make stupid mistakes against and it's there， finally， we get to see a more cautious Eska。 Was it too late？ I must say， when around 50% mark she had a stupid fight with Hardt， I groaned。 But there， at the end， she is perfectly in-sync with Ssserakis （her deepened relationship with her terror was particularly great）， in peace with herself and her friends have her back。 It was glorious to see it after everything。Eska was never a character that's easy to like， but for some reason， I feel like different type of character couldn't come up to and cross that finish line。Trilogy is finished， but mr Hayes announced two more books set in the same world。 That's awesome， because the world is vast， rich and there are some characters/things that can possibly pop up in future books:（view spoiler）[Newly created Djinn/Rand pair？Shirileth wrecking havoc on the world？ Both worlds？Ssserakis？Eska's curse？ Demonships？ （yup， I want to see these things in a battle）（hide spoiler）]I really enjoyed this trilogy as a whole and that definitely tipped the scale toward higher rating。 Recommended。 。。。more

Janelle Garrett ，

This epic conclusion to The War Eternal series was almost exactly as I expected - which isn't a bad thing。 Eska's story has been full of twists， turns， and a character arc that is almost flawless。 Book one set the stage by introducing her as an arrogant， self-centered little prick， but book 2 expanded that arc to reveal the reasons WHY she was the way she was。 The first-person narration， told in the past tense， was unique and well done。 Book 3 brought Eska's story to the foregone conclusions tha This epic conclusion to The War Eternal series was almost exactly as I expected - which isn't a bad thing。 Eska's story has been full of twists， turns， and a character arc that is almost flawless。 Book one set the stage by introducing her as an arrogant， self-centered little prick， but book 2 expanded that arc to reveal the reasons WHY she was the way she was。 The first-person narration， told in the past tense， was unique and well done。 Book 3 brought Eska's story to the foregone conclusions that have been hinted at throughout the whole series。 While I wasn't totally sold on how things wrapped up， I wasn't disappointed。 The scope of the story， especially in a world as complicated as this one， is hard to contain in just three books， told from one perspective。 Not only do cities float， or come out of the ground， not only do gods fight and humans pay the price， not only do other realities exist and intersect with each other， but there's a character whose story needs to be told， and her voice heard。 And this is where Hayes really shines。 He weaves the complexities of world-building， prose， and plot without sacrificing his characters and their needs and voices。 It's a skill that takes honing， hard work， and diligence。 The War Eternal shines as a series that manages all the complexities of the fantasy genre and the masters the difficulty of immersing a reader entirely into a new existence。 It's why readers love fantasy， and Hayes nails it。 So， to this book in particular。 Eska has reached the point where she is focused solely on her mission: revenge at all costs。 There were moments where she was side-tracked， but this book brings her to the climax。 The ultimate showdown。 Everything Eska has worked for and sacrificed - the costs to her soul have been huge。 She has given everything for her mission， and it's not just impacted her personally but also impacted her friends。 One of the outstanding themes of this book is that our choices don't just affect us， they affect everyone around us。 It's a hard truth， especially for choices where the consequences end up hurting those we love。 Eska barrels through the warning signs that her choices are leading to destruction， so intent on her revenge that she damns those around her， too。 It's a revenge story that doesn't end like most。 It's not tied up in a neat bow。 Nothing， in fact， is ever neat and tidy with Eska。 She's a whirling tornado that leaves destruction in her wake。 And while I would have liked to have seen something a little less chaotic as far as a conclusion to a story goes， it also fits the theme of Eska's story。 One thing I will say - don't get started on this series if you like neat， tidy endings that threads all the pieces together。 But I'm not that type of reader。 I don't mind messy conclusions， because I feel like that's more like real life。 I mean， nothing in this world is foregone。 Nothing ever ends how we think it will。 Not every loose end in our own stories plays out and is tied off。 And therein lies the beauty in this story。 It shows the darkness， but the darkness also reveals the light。 People matter。 Choices have consequences。 Friendship is vital。 And choosing your battles wisely， and for the right reasons， can make the difference in your life， and the lives of your friends and family。 4/5 stars for this book， and 4/5 for the series as a whole。 The War Eternal is a fast-paced ride， so buckle up and enjoy the chaos。 。。。more

Gabriel d'Matos ，

Esse terceiro e ultimo livro da trilogia fez muita coisa certa， o problema é que com uma base ruim， tudo que vem depois esta comprometido。Gostei de como a trama ficou mais dinâmica e não foi perdido tempo desnecessariamente com coisas que já foram exploradas nos dois primeiros livros， sendo que as vezes isso ficou tão apressado que ficou cômico como as coisas simplesmente aconteceram， onde 1 ano se passou em 5 paginas。 Finalmente a vingança da personagem começou a fazer sentido， ela se tornou de Esse terceiro e ultimo livro da trilogia fez muita coisa certa， o problema é que com uma base ruim， tudo que vem depois esta comprometido。Gostei de como a trama ficou mais dinâmica e não foi perdido tempo desnecessariamente com coisas que já foram exploradas nos dois primeiros livros， sendo que as vezes isso ficou tão apressado que ficou cômico como as coisas simplesmente aconteceram， onde 1 ano se passou em 5 paginas。 Finalmente a vingança da personagem começou a fazer sentido， ela se tornou de certa forma ''justificada''， sendo que um dos meus maiores problemas dos livros anteriores é a maneira artificial que o autor quer que eu me importe com uma vingança sem sentido e estupida， sendo a protagonista o maior problema disso， afinal ela é bem irritante e as vezes desprezível。 Os personagens continuam sem carisma， sendo simplesmente ferramentas pra protagonista ser vista como uma pessoa incrível e horrível ao mesmo tempo， não funcionou pra mim e acabei essa trilogia sem me importar com ninguém。 E por fim aquilo que prejudicou e muito a leitura dessa trilogia é o fato da MC estar contanto a historia do futuro。 Achei enjoativo e completamente decepcionante， onde ela simplesmente contava tudo que de importante que iria acontecer bem antes de acontecer， tirando todo sentido de revelações e plot twist。 Você acaba lendo sempre sabendo oque iria acontecer， e enquanto lê， tu já espera e acaba não se importando com nada。 Eu provavelmente não vou retornar pro futuros livros desse universo e sim esperar algo diferente do autor， afinal ele sabe escrever um mundo interessante e Never Die ainda é um ótimo livro。 Espero que ele acerte de novo no futuro。 。。。more

Dark25787 ，

WowI could not out it down。 I love the magic system， the charaters。 The horror， I love him so much and his magic。 It is perfect。

Nick Borrelli ，

The War Eternal series by Rob J。 Hayes has been such a delight to read from beginning to heart-stopping end。 The fact that all three volumes of this trilogy were released within a month of each other only added to my enjoyment because there wasn't a lot of refresher needed as I progressed through each new book。 When I first delved into this series I had an hunch that it would be one of my very favorites， but I didn't understand just how much so until I got further entrenched in Rob's intoxicatin The War Eternal series by Rob J。 Hayes has been such a delight to read from beginning to heart-stopping end。 The fact that all three volumes of this trilogy were released within a month of each other only added to my enjoyment because there wasn't a lot of refresher needed as I progressed through each new book。 When I first delved into this series I had an hunch that it would be one of my very favorites， but I didn't understand just how much so until I got further entrenched in Rob's intoxicating new world。 I've said before that I don't understand how Rob Hayes doesn't seem to slip when it comes to putting out a brand new series， and I stand by that statement wholeheartedly after reading the final entry FROM COLD ASHES RISEN。The book picks up pretty much immediately following the events that concluded book 2， and there is a great deal of turmoil and uncertainty when we join Eska and her friends once again。 She has faced about as much pain and adversity as any main character I've ever encountered and yet she is still standing and determined to accomplish her goal of paying back those who have taken so much from her。 And make no mistake， they have taken a lot。 Fueled by a rage that can only come from someone who has experienced the worst of treatment and imprisonment， freedom has allowed Eska the opportunity to hatch her plan as she recruits a few supernatural beings to help her along the way。She is also still beleaguered by the mysterious entity that converses with her internally known as Serrakis。 Serrakis often plays upon the vulnerable parts of Eska and brings all of Eska's darkest thoughts to the forefront， never letting Eska forget her tragedies。 It's bad enough dealing with the pain that you've already experienced in your life without also having an internal voice reminding you every second。 And yet they also share a special bond that ties them together。 The full nature of that relationship gets fully revealed in this book by the way and the revelations are stunning。 In the end I was left exhausted and exhilarated by the finale。 As the blurb states so tantalizingly: The Corpse Queen Comes。I really wasn't prepared for that ending， wow！ So many outstanding plot lines that come together beautifully and so many darkly magical elements to rejoice at。 I just loved this entire series and this one most of all。 While FROM COLD ASHES RISEN started out fairly slow， the book had this feeling of a gradual build until all hell broke loose。 And when it did， I couldn't get enough and finished the last half of the book in less than 24 hours。 The world-building is just as you would expect from a Rob J。 Hayes book， simply brilliant and with lots of layers。 I don't exactly know how he thinks up these beautiful creations but I hope he doesn't stop doing it。 Floating cities， deep underground prisons， dark parallel "other" worlds where hideous monsters reside， I mean he just doesn't falter when it comes to building these amazing settings。 As someone who really enjoys great world-building， Rob is one of the best， if not the best in this area。I've also mentioned in my previous reviews for this series that the magic is so wonderfully handled and original。 If you are in need of a unique magic system， then this is the series for you。 No lazy standard forms of magic here， it is all terrifically complex and artfully constructed， often leaving the characters who wield it the worse for wear。 The boundaries are certainly stretched and this book especially shows how masterful Hayes is as a creator of off the charts twisted sorcery。Finally I'd like to mention the main character Eska， who matures about as much as any character can in the span of three books。 We first meet her as a young， confused， and angry teenager but we part knowing her to be a strong， determined， and unflinching heroine。 All the while her flaws are still there and quite visible yet rather than shrink from them， she embraces and uses them to become the person she was always meant to be。 No apologies， no regrets， Eska truly is the Corpse Queen in every aspect。 If you haven't read any Rob J。 Hayes before， this series is an excellent starting point。 It has all of the elements that make you want to turn each page feverishly to find out what happens next。 FROM COLD ASHES RISEN concludes The War Eternal series with a tremendous flourish。 I can't praise it enough for being one hell of a rousing adventure。 This is epic fantasy the way it should be written， with the type of appeal that will make any reader swoon with excitement。 I can't wait to see what Rob J。 Hayes has in store for us next。 I'm sure whatever it is will be well worth the wait。 。。。more

Davy ，

Book3 #FromColdAshesRisen by @RoboftheHayes "Was as welcoming as an old boot。" The fact that this trilogy #TheWarEternal was released all in the same year made it EVEN BETTER！ So much action & adrenaline fed drama！ Eska & her "Horror in full bloom！！ Book3 #FromColdAshesRisen by @RoboftheHayes "Was as welcoming as an old boot。" The fact that this trilogy #TheWarEternal was released all in the same year made it EVEN BETTER！ So much action & adrenaline fed drama！ Eska & her "Horror in full bloom！！ 。。。more

XR ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I for sure thought Eskara was going to die， and I've never been so happy to be wrong。 She's such a brutal and angry character， but when she loves。。。 she really loves。 Through all of the darkness there was love。 They called her the Corpse Queen， but if they knew her from the beginning。。。 if they were there much like her friends were， they would have known otherwise。This was amazing。 Dark。。。 but amazing。 I for sure thought Eskara was going to die， and I've never been so happy to be wrong。 She's such a brutal and angry character， but when she loves。。。 she really loves。 Through all of the darkness there was love。 They called her the Corpse Queen， but if they knew her from the beginning。。。 if they were there much like her friends were， they would have known otherwise。This was amazing。 Dark。。。 but amazing。 。。。more

Yuri ，

4。5 rounded up。 This was a great book and Hayes really delivered。I wasn't planning on reading the whole trilogy without reading other books in between， but I found myself unable to get into other books until I finished this trilogy。I kept wanting to read more about Eska， the world and pretty much all the other characters。 Hayes really impressed me with this book。 4。5 rounded up。 This was a great book and Hayes really delivered。I wasn't planning on reading the whole trilogy without reading other books in between， but I found myself unable to get into other books until I finished this trilogy。I kept wanting to read more about Eska， the world and pretty much all the other characters。 Hayes really impressed me with this book。 。。。more

claire preece ，

Eska Eternally ErraticWhat a super read - Thanks Rob！ Good plot line， different take on magic and its uses and well ready for films maybe？？ I nominate myself as Eska。

Chris ，

Review now live at Grimdark MagazineAll good trilogies come to an end。 It’s something that we are sad to see， yet we can’t turn away from that final entry in a series even if we wanted to。 From Cold Ashes Risen is no different。 We’ve come a long way in the saga of Eskara Helsene and while we can’t wait to see how it turns out， it’s a bit bittersweet that it will be over soon。 And in the case of our narrator， Eska， a little scary too。“I could feel the fear， and it was delicious。”In my review of T Review now live at Grimdark MagazineAll good trilogies come to an end。 It’s something that we are sad to see， yet we can’t turn away from that final entry in a series even if we wanted to。 From Cold Ashes Risen is no different。 We’ve come a long way in the saga of Eskara Helsene and while we can’t wait to see how it turns out， it’s a bit bittersweet that it will be over soon。 And in the case of our narrator， Eska， a little scary too。“I could feel the fear， and it was delicious。”In my review of The Lessons Never Learned by Rob J。 Hayes， I made a comparison to The Empire Strikes Back， in that as a middle-of-trilogy installment， it was a somewhat uncommon occurrence that it didn’t lag in the middle。 In many （if not all） ways， Empire was the best of the （original） Lucas trilogy， and I felt that Lessons could be that in The War Eternal。I was half right。 My original comparison holds， as Lessons did not feel bloated and boring as some middle books do in trilogies。 But I can’t honestly say it was the best of the three。 I think now that the final book， From Cold Ashes Risen might take that title。Probably because there were no Ewoks。Silly comparisons aside though， Hayes has created quite the satisfying trilogy from beginning to end。 Starting with Along the Razor’s Edge and continuing through The Lessons Never Learned and finally closing it up with From Cold Ashes Risen， Hayes tells a three part epic where each installment stands on its own equally and builds on the others。“Belmorose said: There are just two reasons for torturing a person。 The first is to acquire vital information that would otherwise be withheld。 The second is because you’re a sadistic fuck who likes to inflict pain。”Eskara Helsene is out of her Pit prison， and she’s survived her disastrous assault on the floating （in place） “dead” city of Do’shan though taken heavy losses。 Her surviving friends have grievous wounds and her one true love has died at her hand。 It’s all they can do to rest for a time and lick their wounds， while the rage builds within Eska。“How could she claim to love me as I loved her， and yet force me to be the instrument of her death？”It is time for Eska to reassess and determine how she is going to not only survive but get her vengeance on those that brought her to this pain。 Her friends counsel for peace， but she is having none of it。“I would wager most tragedies could be avoided by listening to the words of those who preach pacifism。 Unfortunately， they tend to preach it at a much lower volume than those who preach war。”Not only does Eska have revenge in mind， but her targets are quite powerful: The Emperor of Terralan himself， as well as the traitor which caused the downfall of her own nation， The Iron Legion himself， Loran Orran。 Broken and defeated as she is， Eska has the tools to bounce back and pursue her dark goals。 She has Sources， power promised by a Djinn in return for his freedom， and her darkest secret， the “demon” Ssserakis， the ancient horror linked to her body and mind。In this trilogy， Hayes has not only given us a lot of grimdark action， twists， and turns， but provided the readers with a study in character growth of a woman as she grows from being a scared young girl to a powerful sorcerer。 It’s great insight into one that would be a villain in many stories， as Eska is in her own from time to time， to be honest。 But her tale is told from her perspective， and while she clearly states that she is not making excuses for her actions or behavior， she is showing the reasons behind what she’s done。 This doesn’t make her heroic and might not make her villainous。 What it does make her， is human。 As such， this is a satisfying tale for this reader upon its conclusion。 I felt that I learned as much about Eska as she did about herself。“Heroes and villains are for stories。 In the world outside of songs and books， we are all just people。” 。。。more

Nicholas Dunn ，

This is just a really great bookI really enjoyed this series。 Eska is a wonderful character， I look forward to her telling of the rest of her story。

Jed Herne ，

From Cold Ashes Risen is the third book in the War Eternal fantasy series by Rob J。 Hayes。 As the concluding volume， it follows an angry sorcerer， named Eska。 After losing everything important to her， Eska discovers dark secrets about her world and sets out for revenge against those who have wronged her。 This is the first time I’ve finished an independently published fantasy series。 It won't be the last。 With this trilogy， Rob cemented his place as one of my favourite authors。 Not just of 2020， From Cold Ashes Risen is the third book in the War Eternal fantasy series by Rob J。 Hayes。 As the concluding volume， it follows an angry sorcerer， named Eska。 After losing everything important to her， Eska discovers dark secrets about her world and sets out for revenge against those who have wronged her。 This is the first time I’ve finished an independently published fantasy series。 It won't be the last。 With this trilogy， Rob cemented his place as one of my favourite authors。 Not just of 2020， but of all time。 While this third book doesn't reach the emotional heights of book two， it is an immensely satisfying， well-written conclusion。 Hayes nailed the character of Eska。 I've mentioned before how in book one and two， she felt a little forced at times。 Specifically， she often felt overly sweary。 I’m no prude， but this felt overdone and repetitive to the point where it broke my immersion in the story。 （Hayes has since gone back to book one and reduced the amount of swearing – which was ironically increased as part of a specific editing pass）。 However， in the latter half of book two， Eska clicked into place for me。 Here in book three， I felt like she was perfectly characterised。 Whether that's simply me spending a lot of time with her as a reader， or because the author matured into a full understanding of her， I'm not sure。 But either way， I'm happy it happened。Shifting gears a little， one reason why I enjoyed this series came from how it explored similar literary devices to another great fantasy book: The Name of the Wind。 Like Rothfuss’ masterpiece， The War Eternal is written in first person past tense， with Eska recounting her history （from presumably quite an old age）。 In previous books， this led to her foreshadowing many world shattering and important events。 In this book， those events finally happen。 When you spend two books promising that a payoff will be great， you can risk under delivering。 That wasn’t the case here。 Rob executed （pun intended） brilliant payoffs that were world-shaking， character-quaking， and so much fun to read。 Interesting secrets were revealed about the world that organically built upon clues dropped in earlier books in an satisfying way。 I know from having talked to Rob that many of these payoffs were not intentionally foreshadowed in earlier books， but simply involved him picking up threads that he had subconsciously placed into the earlier narrative。 As an author I particularly admire that。 As a reader， it resulted in the series feeling incredibly organic。 Hayes has always been good at action scenes。 But in this book he takes it to another level。 Characters summon gods。 Floating mountains tumble down from the sky。 Buried cities rise from beneath the earth。 All these moments felt awe-inspiring。 Plus， they were never just fancy action set pieces， but also moved characters forward and developed them in complex ways。 While I hugely enjoyed this book， here’s one last nit-pick about the main antagonist: the Iron Legion。 Despite the characters repeatedly failing to kill him， I felt that his ending was a too easy， and perhaps verged into the territory of a Deus ex Machina （for people who have read the book， you’ll know that’s a somewhat literal reference）。 Still， he was a well-developed character with sympathetic motives， and for the most part the resolution of his arc was quite satisfying。 There’s another character arc that was resolved extremely well: Josef’s。 In book one， I didn’t enjoy him as a character。 But in this book， he has possibly my favourite transformation。 While I was hesitant at some of the things Rob did with this character in book two （namely， bringing him back from the dead）， book three justifies – and celebrates – this decision。 This sounds weird to admit， but what I appreciate the most about this series was that it showed me how good indie fantasy can get。 I know that sounds weird， considering that I’m an indie fantasy author writing an indie fantasy series。 But I suppose even though I’m heavily involved in the indie community， my lack of exposure to self-pubbed series has left me with some stigma from the traditional publishing world （which states that if someone takes the self-published route， their books must be worse than something that has gone through one of the big five publishing houses）。 In some cases， I do think this is true。 There are instances of indie authors throwing books out there with amateurish covers， no editing， and sloppy writing。 However， what I’m most proud of with this series is how damn good it is。 It stands head to head with every other traditionally published series I've ever read。 Now， I know it’s a bit condescending to say that to an indie author （and I know that from being an indie author）。 But still， I feel that this series has been an important milestone in my own appreciation of what indie fantasy can do。 And in some ways， the fact that this book has gone through an indie publishing system may have contributed to the bravery of the author's choices。 I'm not sure they would have been acceptable in a traditionally published context。 In summary， the War Eternal trilogy has cemented Rob Hayes's position within my top 10 authors of all time。 The series has such an excellent balance of character， plot， and world building。 More than that， it possesses that rare quality of having a deep emotional impact on me as a reader。 When I was a kid， it was easy to get that from books。 Now that I’m older and have read more， it’s harder to find that – so it’s very special when it arrives。 I was pleased to see in the back of this book that Rob plans to write more in the War Eternal universe。 I’m eager to explore more stories here。 However， don't be mistaken: the war Eternal Trilogy is a complete story， with an immensely satisfying conclusion that makes me eager to read Hayes's other books， and recommend him to readers looking for an addictive read。 Characters: 4/5Plot: 4。5/5World: 5/5Overall: 4。5/5Total War Eternal Series Ratings:Characters: 4。5/5Plot: 4/5World: 5/5Overall: 4。5/5 。。。more

LJ Waguespack ，

Rob Hayes does it again， The War Eternal trilogy exceeded even my lofty expectations。 An epic tale of a journey made by a heroine， that refuses to admit defeat regardless of circumstances met， endured and conquered。 Challenges are plentiful， defeats and tragedies seemingly insurmountable are written， depicted and described in excruciating detail。 Hayes continues to produce inspiring， detailed works that highlight his talent， skills and gifts。 I am grateful to have discovered Rob J。 Hayes and rem Rob Hayes does it again， The War Eternal trilogy exceeded even my lofty expectations。 An epic tale of a journey made by a heroine， that refuses to admit defeat regardless of circumstances met， endured and conquered。 Challenges are plentiful， defeats and tragedies seemingly insurmountable are written， depicted and described in excruciating detail。 Hayes continues to produce inspiring， detailed works that highlight his talent， skills and gifts。 I am grateful to have discovered Rob J。 Hayes and remain a dedicated fan of his stellar writing skills。 Another series well done， Rob J。 Hayes， well done！ Thank you。 。。。more

Carl Phillips ，

Loads of people write anti-heros。 Most do it （very） badly， for the same reason most people can't seem to write decent antagonists。 Why？ Because they do it by immediately stripping reason out of the character， defaulting to a sociopath-style motivation because they lack the time， skill or inclination to make a 'bad' character more real。 What Rob J Hayes has done with the lead in this series is plausibly write a hugely damaged human being with lots of power and poor impulse control。 She is believa Loads of people write anti-heros。 Most do it （very） badly， for the same reason most people can't seem to write decent antagonists。 Why？ Because they do it by immediately stripping reason out of the character， defaulting to a sociopath-style motivation because they lack the time， skill or inclination to make a 'bad' character more real。 What Rob J Hayes has done with the lead in this series is plausibly write a hugely damaged human being with lots of power and poor impulse control。 She is believable because， while she is flawed， her thought processes are realistic。 She might be a massive fucking asshole， but its because of a realistic reaction to a awful life full of mistreatment and distrust。 The way Eskara is written elevates this series to my favourite list on the strength of that facet alone。 Happily the rest of the book is damn good as well。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=From Cold Ashes Risen

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=From Cold Ashes Risen&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,From Cold Ashes Risen&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0