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A Sword of Bronze and Ashes
Readers of Shauna Lawless and Thilde Kold Holdt will love this Celtic-inflected adventure by critically acclaimed, grimdark epic fantasy novelist, Anna Smith Spark.
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes combines the fierce beauty of Celtic myth with grimdark battle violence. It's a lyrical, folk horror high fantasy.
Kanda has a good life until shadows from her past return threatening everything she loves. And Kanda, like any parent, has things in her past she does not want her children to know. Red war is pursued by an ancient evil, Kanda must call upon all her strength to protect her family. But how can she keep her children safe, if they want to stand as warriors beside her when the light fades and darkness rises?
FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes combines the fierce beauty of Celtic myth with grimdark battle violence. It's a lyrical, folk horror high fantasy.
Kanda has a good life until shadows from her past return threatening everything she loves. And Kanda, like any parent, has things in her past she does not want her children to know. Red war is pursued by an ancient evil, Kanda must call upon all her strength to protect her family. But how can she keep her children safe, if they want to stand as warriors beside her when the light fades and darkness rises?
FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress
336 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 2023
About the author
Anna Smith Spark
23 books836 followers'Game of Literary Thrones ... the next generation hit fantasy fiction' The Sunday Times
Anna Smith Spark lives in London, UK. She loves grimdark and epic fantasy and historical military fiction. Anna has a BA in Classics, an MA in history and a PhD in English Literature. She has previously been published in the Fortean Times and the poetry website www.greatworks.org.uk. Previous jobs include petty bureaucrat, English teacher and fetish model.
Anna's favourite authors and key influences are R. Scott Bakker, Steve Erikson, M. John Harrison, Ursula Le Guin, Mary Stewart and Mary Renault. She spent several years as an obsessive D&D player. She can often be spotted at sff conventions wearing very unusual shoes.
Anna Smith Spark lives in London, UK. She loves grimdark and epic fantasy and historical military fiction. Anna has a BA in Classics, an MA in history and a PhD in English Literature. She has previously been published in the Fortean Times and the poetry website www.greatworks.org.uk. Previous jobs include petty bureaucrat, English teacher and fetish model.
Anna's favourite authors and key influences are R. Scott Bakker, Steve Erikson, M. John Harrison, Ursula Le Guin, Mary Stewart and Mary Renault. She spent several years as an obsessive D&D player. She can often be spotted at sff conventions wearing very unusual shoes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
August 10, 2024
My complete review is published at Before We Go Blog.
“Her husband and children saw at last what she had tried all these long years to keep away.”
The queen of grimdark returns with A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, a lyrical dark fantasy that blends folk horror with the oral traditions of Welsh mythology. Anna Smith Spark’s latest novel is a timeless epic dedicated to the universal trials of motherhood and the power of familial bonds.
Now a mother with a loving husband (Dellet) and three daughters (Calian, Morna, and Sal), Kanda was once the bravest and strongest warrior of the legendary Six Swords of Roven. Kanda’s family knows nothing of her bloody past spent defending the realm against an unspeakable evil. But as the novel opens, her peaceful agrarian life is threatened by the return of this ancient wickedness.
Anna Smith Spark’s writing is so poetic that I felt compelled to read several passages aloud, allowing the full impact and beauty of her words to resonate around me:
“I have found peace here for a little while. I have borne three children, and hoped for them. They will suffer and die—but now they live. And at times it has been so very good.”
Shifting fluidly between first- and third-person narration, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes perfectly evokes the style of early folk tales recorded from oral tradition. The novel’s structure is particularly reminiscent of The Mabinogion, the earliest recorded prose stories from Wales, compiled in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
Beyond its technical similarities, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes also beautifully captures the feminist spirit of The Mabinogion, with a powerful female protagonist who balances epic battles with real-life family struggles. Kanda reminds me especially of Rhiannon, the Welsh goddess of strength, endurance, and sovereignty who also inspired Fleetwood Mac’s song of the same name, written by Stevie Nicks. Among the characters of Welsh mythology, Rhiannon is noted for maintaining her dignity and autonomy even under the greatest of external pressures.
As in The Mabinogion, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is permeated with natural mysticism. From the pastoral beauty of its opening chapter through its terrifying scenes of violence, Anna Smith Spark captures both the serenity and brutality of the natural world.
No fantasy author characterizes motherhood as thoughtfully as Anna Smith Spark. Like her previous book, A Woman of the Sword, Anna Smith Spark’s latest novel is fundamentally a book about the struggles and comforts of being a mother:
“We argue, I shout at the children, the roof leaks, my favorite plate gets broken. I sit up awake five nights running with a screaming puking baby cursing you that you can’t feed it—yes, that would be you, Calian. All this you gave me, Dellet. I was lost and alone and grieving. Here with you, I found my peace.”
Kanda’s struggle between her violent past and present domestic life also recalls Cold West, the Weird Western grimdark masterpiece by Clayton W. Snyder, which features a father haunted by a violent past that he can’t seem to escape, despite all the love he has for his family.
Anna Smith Spark brings Kanda’s struggles crushingly to life:
“I don’t trust myself to help my own children. I am death and killing. If I try to help them, I will kill them too.”
Ultimately, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is about appreciating the simple virtues of a peaceful family life in what is often a very dark world:
“Hug them tight, hold them tight bury your face in their hair, kiss them so they can’t see your face and your tears. Squeeze them tight so they can’t feel you shake. Breathe them in.”
Anna Smith Spark weaves layers of complexity into her characterization and worldbuilding, enhancing the immersive experience for the reader and providing opportunities to discover more details upon subsequent reads. Although sometimes disorienting with its blurred line between life and death, everything becomes clear by the end of the novel, culminating with a mic drop King of Thorns-style ending that left me with mouth agape, shouting to my family about what a brilliant novel I had just read.
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is a triumph in every respect. As always, Anna Smith Spark writes with lyrical beauty and frank brutality. Her latest novel is a technical tour de force, giving a faithful representation of early dark mystical fantasy passed down through oral tradition, most notably The Mabinogion. But more importantly, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is an emotional masterpiece, crushing me as only Anna Smith Spark can.
“Her husband and children saw at last what she had tried all these long years to keep away.”
The queen of grimdark returns with A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, a lyrical dark fantasy that blends folk horror with the oral traditions of Welsh mythology. Anna Smith Spark’s latest novel is a timeless epic dedicated to the universal trials of motherhood and the power of familial bonds.
Now a mother with a loving husband (Dellet) and three daughters (Calian, Morna, and Sal), Kanda was once the bravest and strongest warrior of the legendary Six Swords of Roven. Kanda’s family knows nothing of her bloody past spent defending the realm against an unspeakable evil. But as the novel opens, her peaceful agrarian life is threatened by the return of this ancient wickedness.
Anna Smith Spark’s writing is so poetic that I felt compelled to read several passages aloud, allowing the full impact and beauty of her words to resonate around me:
“I have found peace here for a little while. I have borne three children, and hoped for them. They will suffer and die—but now they live. And at times it has been so very good.”
Shifting fluidly between first- and third-person narration, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes perfectly evokes the style of early folk tales recorded from oral tradition. The novel’s structure is particularly reminiscent of The Mabinogion, the earliest recorded prose stories from Wales, compiled in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
Beyond its technical similarities, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes also beautifully captures the feminist spirit of The Mabinogion, with a powerful female protagonist who balances epic battles with real-life family struggles. Kanda reminds me especially of Rhiannon, the Welsh goddess of strength, endurance, and sovereignty who also inspired Fleetwood Mac’s song of the same name, written by Stevie Nicks. Among the characters of Welsh mythology, Rhiannon is noted for maintaining her dignity and autonomy even under the greatest of external pressures.
As in The Mabinogion, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is permeated with natural mysticism. From the pastoral beauty of its opening chapter through its terrifying scenes of violence, Anna Smith Spark captures both the serenity and brutality of the natural world.
No fantasy author characterizes motherhood as thoughtfully as Anna Smith Spark. Like her previous book, A Woman of the Sword, Anna Smith Spark’s latest novel is fundamentally a book about the struggles and comforts of being a mother:
“We argue, I shout at the children, the roof leaks, my favorite plate gets broken. I sit up awake five nights running with a screaming puking baby cursing you that you can’t feed it—yes, that would be you, Calian. All this you gave me, Dellet. I was lost and alone and grieving. Here with you, I found my peace.”
Kanda’s struggle between her violent past and present domestic life also recalls Cold West, the Weird Western grimdark masterpiece by Clayton W. Snyder, which features a father haunted by a violent past that he can’t seem to escape, despite all the love he has for his family.
Anna Smith Spark brings Kanda’s struggles crushingly to life:
“I don’t trust myself to help my own children. I am death and killing. If I try to help them, I will kill them too.”
Ultimately, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is about appreciating the simple virtues of a peaceful family life in what is often a very dark world:
“Hug them tight, hold them tight bury your face in their hair, kiss them so they can’t see your face and your tears. Squeeze them tight so they can’t feel you shake. Breathe them in.”
Anna Smith Spark weaves layers of complexity into her characterization and worldbuilding, enhancing the immersive experience for the reader and providing opportunities to discover more details upon subsequent reads. Although sometimes disorienting with its blurred line between life and death, everything becomes clear by the end of the novel, culminating with a mic drop King of Thorns-style ending that left me with mouth agape, shouting to my family about what a brilliant novel I had just read.
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is a triumph in every respect. As always, Anna Smith Spark writes with lyrical beauty and frank brutality. Her latest novel is a technical tour de force, giving a faithful representation of early dark mystical fantasy passed down through oral tradition, most notably The Mabinogion. But more importantly, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is an emotional masterpiece, crushing me as only Anna Smith Spark can.
October 27, 2023
What did I just read?
I picked up this book since it was marketed as a lyrical, folk horror high fantasy. That alone sounds unique enough for me to want to read it. Also, the cover is gorgeous!!
Let me start by saying I enjoyed many aspects of this novel. I loved the unique take on the chosen one trope since we follow Kanda, a legendary warrior who used to be one of the fiercest warriors in the world. However, now Kanda is retired and old, and her body is in bad shape compared to her young days. I found it refreshing and unique to follow a mother who used to be fierce but now struggles with her self-image. Secondly, this book reads like nothing I’ve ever read, so if you want something unique, then this book is for you.
However, certain aspects of the book might not resonate with all readers. While poetic and reflective, the stream-of-consciousness writing style can be challenging to follow, especially when coupled with a narrative that shifts between two distinct timelines—one in the past and one in the present. I didn’t even realise that this book had two plotlines until I was 25% into this book, leading to a very confusing reading experience. This duality can lead to confusion as the reader attempts to navigate the intricate interplay of these parallel storylines.
Overall, while innovative, I didn’t really enjoy this book. It was just too strange and confusing. If I am to judge this book on enjoyment, I will give it 2.5 stars, albeit I can appreciate that Spark is incredibly creative and innovative. Read this book if you want something new to the fantasy genre.
2.5 / 5 stars
I picked up this book since it was marketed as a lyrical, folk horror high fantasy. That alone sounds unique enough for me to want to read it. Also, the cover is gorgeous!!
Let me start by saying I enjoyed many aspects of this novel. I loved the unique take on the chosen one trope since we follow Kanda, a legendary warrior who used to be one of the fiercest warriors in the world. However, now Kanda is retired and old, and her body is in bad shape compared to her young days. I found it refreshing and unique to follow a mother who used to be fierce but now struggles with her self-image. Secondly, this book reads like nothing I’ve ever read, so if you want something unique, then this book is for you.
However, certain aspects of the book might not resonate with all readers. While poetic and reflective, the stream-of-consciousness writing style can be challenging to follow, especially when coupled with a narrative that shifts between two distinct timelines—one in the past and one in the present. I didn’t even realise that this book had two plotlines until I was 25% into this book, leading to a very confusing reading experience. This duality can lead to confusion as the reader attempts to navigate the intricate interplay of these parallel storylines.
Overall, while innovative, I didn’t really enjoy this book. It was just too strange and confusing. If I am to judge this book on enjoyment, I will give it 2.5 stars, albeit I can appreciate that Spark is incredibly creative and innovative. Read this book if you want something new to the fantasy genre.
2.5 / 5 stars
June 29, 2023
Anna Smith Spark is an author whose prose is much talked about and admired. And while I agree that yes her prose is arguably unmatched, I think what sometimes gets lost in all of this is how incredibly brilliant she is at crafting such compelling stories that have the ability to completely shake the reader with their emotional impact. Another area where Spark excels in my opinion is her exquisite writing of characters. You will fall in love with these people and also have your heart brutally crushed by them. Hey, they don't call her Queen of Grimdark for nothing!
Spark sets the mood right from the jump in A SWORD OF BRONZE AND ASHES and we are introduced to Kanda and her family in an ominous opening scene where they are seemingly being stalked by someone(s) or someTHING(s). Who or what it is that is hunting them remains hidden in the woods around their home but you can tell they are getting very close. Kanda flees with her family rather than be sitting ducks and says that they must travel to a nearby mountain to retrieve a magical weapon that is the only thing that can slay those in pursuit. Her family has no clue that Kanda was once the most powerful member of The Six, warriors and protectors of Roven who have been fighting this same evil for what seems like forever. She has kept it a secret from her children and husband for many years but it seems her old life has found her again and nothing short of facing it head on will return them to their once peaceful life.
And that is the awesome premise that begins this wonderful fantasy tale that is heavily based in ancient folklore and brimming with horrific elements throughout. A SWORD OF BRONZE AND ASHES is really a satisfying read that has so many refreshing aspects to it. The big one for me being the main character Kanda and how she is portrayed. So many times we see "heroes" in fantasy who are chiseled physical perfection, always seem to make the right decisions, fearless in their approach, and unwaveringly embracing of their destiny. Here though, Anna Smith Spark has woven from her mind one of the greatest heroes of all. And it's because Kanda has very few of these tropey hero traits that we typically see. She herself readily admits that she's quite a bit grayer now than in her previous glory days, maybe slightly flabbier as well, she's more focused on being a mother (and potentially a grandmother), and she has long since traded in her magical and majestic sword for a life consisting of living contentedly on a small farm with her husband and children. At the same time, that blazing fire still resides in Kanda and when need be we see it emerge as she fights to protect something even more special and dear to her than simply the walls of a kingdom.
I really liked how the chapters in this book alternated between the present and Kanda's past history as one of The Six. I thought it really gave an essential backstory to the things leading up to the events as they were in the hauntingly creepy opening scene. As the story plays out it becomes more and more clear what the relationship between the hunter and hunted truly are. Just masterful in its execution and this is another reason why Anna Smith Spark is one of the best at what she does. There's a disturbing underlying mystery that we just know is going to blow our minds when it is finally revealed. But along the way Spark is going to make us sweat as she strengthens our connection to the main characters through deeply personal dialogue so that we gradually begin to fear greatly for them and pray frantically that they make it out unscathed.
A SWORD OF BRONZE AND ASHES is both a heart wrenching and mesmerizing story that carried me through so many conflicting emotions throughout. There were times when I felt like I just couldn't continue reading it because I loved these characters so much and damn do they get put through a ton of heavy stuff. But much like Robin Hobb's books they are just way too good not to continue on and find out how it all shakes out. Ultimately this is a book that will challenge many preconceptions with regard to what a hero should look and behave like, and that is a very good thing. I'm delighted to say that Anna Smith Spark has done it yet again with this cracking read and I hope there are many more stories to come in this multi-layered and captivating world.
Spark sets the mood right from the jump in A SWORD OF BRONZE AND ASHES and we are introduced to Kanda and her family in an ominous opening scene where they are seemingly being stalked by someone(s) or someTHING(s). Who or what it is that is hunting them remains hidden in the woods around their home but you can tell they are getting very close. Kanda flees with her family rather than be sitting ducks and says that they must travel to a nearby mountain to retrieve a magical weapon that is the only thing that can slay those in pursuit. Her family has no clue that Kanda was once the most powerful member of The Six, warriors and protectors of Roven who have been fighting this same evil for what seems like forever. She has kept it a secret from her children and husband for many years but it seems her old life has found her again and nothing short of facing it head on will return them to their once peaceful life.
And that is the awesome premise that begins this wonderful fantasy tale that is heavily based in ancient folklore and brimming with horrific elements throughout. A SWORD OF BRONZE AND ASHES is really a satisfying read that has so many refreshing aspects to it. The big one for me being the main character Kanda and how she is portrayed. So many times we see "heroes" in fantasy who are chiseled physical perfection, always seem to make the right decisions, fearless in their approach, and unwaveringly embracing of their destiny. Here though, Anna Smith Spark has woven from her mind one of the greatest heroes of all. And it's because Kanda has very few of these tropey hero traits that we typically see. She herself readily admits that she's quite a bit grayer now than in her previous glory days, maybe slightly flabbier as well, she's more focused on being a mother (and potentially a grandmother), and she has long since traded in her magical and majestic sword for a life consisting of living contentedly on a small farm with her husband and children. At the same time, that blazing fire still resides in Kanda and when need be we see it emerge as she fights to protect something even more special and dear to her than simply the walls of a kingdom.
I really liked how the chapters in this book alternated between the present and Kanda's past history as one of The Six. I thought it really gave an essential backstory to the things leading up to the events as they were in the hauntingly creepy opening scene. As the story plays out it becomes more and more clear what the relationship between the hunter and hunted truly are. Just masterful in its execution and this is another reason why Anna Smith Spark is one of the best at what she does. There's a disturbing underlying mystery that we just know is going to blow our minds when it is finally revealed. But along the way Spark is going to make us sweat as she strengthens our connection to the main characters through deeply personal dialogue so that we gradually begin to fear greatly for them and pray frantically that they make it out unscathed.
A SWORD OF BRONZE AND ASHES is both a heart wrenching and mesmerizing story that carried me through so many conflicting emotions throughout. There were times when I felt like I just couldn't continue reading it because I loved these characters so much and damn do they get put through a ton of heavy stuff. But much like Robin Hobb's books they are just way too good not to continue on and find out how it all shakes out. Ultimately this is a book that will challenge many preconceptions with regard to what a hero should look and behave like, and that is a very good thing. I'm delighted to say that Anna Smith Spark has done it yet again with this cracking read and I hope there are many more stories to come in this multi-layered and captivating world.
July 20, 2023
Can we talk seriously about books for a moment?
I love books. They take me on the grandest of adventures. They make me laugh and cry and wonder how it’s possible for other people to live and endure in the most dangerous of places.
I am sure it is the same for you.
But how often does a book truly take your hand and pull you down the rabbit hole?
How often do you land into new concept, a new world even, to somewhere that you previously could never have envisaged?
Seldom is my answer.
That is not to say that other books cannot be amazing and brilliant, because they are – but I’m not simply talking about brilliance, I’m talking about imagination.
When I read The Lord of the Rings for the first time, it was Tolkien’s imagination that blew me away. Yes, it is inspired by various Celtic mythologies, but even so, the story of what he wrote is completely his own – and to weave all those threads together is a feat that still inspires readers, eighty years after first publication.
It is rare to find a work that gives such a tangible sense of newness these days.
Tropes are rehashed and reformed. Again – not complaining, I enjoy many of these tropes myself. All I mean to say is that finding something completely different and daring is a rare gem.
So, if anything I have said has struck a chord, this is the book you need to read.
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, the next novel by Anna Smith Spark, is an epic masterpiece. Tolkienesque in its worldbuilding and literary in its voice, it is completely fresh. Don’t expect mining dwarves or long-haired elves to take centre stage. No. This is a story of a woman, the greatest warrior of all time, who once lived in the most glorious of mythical realms. It is the story of a woman who became lost when evil arrived in her world. It is the story of the mightiest warrior of The Six… and it is the story of a woman who decided to become a mother.
Kanda is this woman. Living a simple life with her husband and daughters, she finds joy in the simple task of milking her cows and taking care of her family.
But then the evil that destroyed her past world finds her and threatens to destroy her new family.
Who are these evil beings? Why do they seek Kanda out?
I cannot spoil the story any further. All I can tell you is that a tale of wonder unfolds. You will see Kanda in her past life, the greatest of The Six of Roven, glorious and victorious. You will see her in her new life, with grey hairs and stretch marks. And you will understand why she fears this evil so much and what she will do to save her daughters from it.
The flashbacks to the great hall of Roven are simply glorious. Beautiful. Like falling into a childhood story book, only one filled with both radiance and horror. Indeed, there is a folkloric horror element to the entire story.
If you are not a literary reader, I would just encourage you to give it a few chapters to get used to the voice. Anna Smith Spark uses a stream-of-consciousness style that can both meander and be abrupt. It is the right voice for Kandra, a woman who has repressed a whole history in order to survive, and it is this voice that allows for her past life and new life to come together in her mind. What is the evil? What do they want from her? Kanda knows, but the story takes time to unfold, for Kanda to endure the weight of her own memories and to tell them to her family.
I do mention the stylisation of voice simply to state that for those unused to different prose styles, it might take a few pages to get into the flow.
Do not let this make you set the book down.
Remember. I’ve told you.
This book will take you down the rabbit hole.
But to reach the other side, first you must dare to fall.
For more reviews go to www.shaunalawless.com
I love books. They take me on the grandest of adventures. They make me laugh and cry and wonder how it’s possible for other people to live and endure in the most dangerous of places.
I am sure it is the same for you.
But how often does a book truly take your hand and pull you down the rabbit hole?
How often do you land into new concept, a new world even, to somewhere that you previously could never have envisaged?
Seldom is my answer.
That is not to say that other books cannot be amazing and brilliant, because they are – but I’m not simply talking about brilliance, I’m talking about imagination.
When I read The Lord of the Rings for the first time, it was Tolkien’s imagination that blew me away. Yes, it is inspired by various Celtic mythologies, but even so, the story of what he wrote is completely his own – and to weave all those threads together is a feat that still inspires readers, eighty years after first publication.
It is rare to find a work that gives such a tangible sense of newness these days.
Tropes are rehashed and reformed. Again – not complaining, I enjoy many of these tropes myself. All I mean to say is that finding something completely different and daring is a rare gem.
So, if anything I have said has struck a chord, this is the book you need to read.
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, the next novel by Anna Smith Spark, is an epic masterpiece. Tolkienesque in its worldbuilding and literary in its voice, it is completely fresh. Don’t expect mining dwarves or long-haired elves to take centre stage. No. This is a story of a woman, the greatest warrior of all time, who once lived in the most glorious of mythical realms. It is the story of a woman who became lost when evil arrived in her world. It is the story of the mightiest warrior of The Six… and it is the story of a woman who decided to become a mother.
Kanda is this woman. Living a simple life with her husband and daughters, she finds joy in the simple task of milking her cows and taking care of her family.
But then the evil that destroyed her past world finds her and threatens to destroy her new family.
Who are these evil beings? Why do they seek Kanda out?
I cannot spoil the story any further. All I can tell you is that a tale of wonder unfolds. You will see Kanda in her past life, the greatest of The Six of Roven, glorious and victorious. You will see her in her new life, with grey hairs and stretch marks. And you will understand why she fears this evil so much and what she will do to save her daughters from it.
The flashbacks to the great hall of Roven are simply glorious. Beautiful. Like falling into a childhood story book, only one filled with both radiance and horror. Indeed, there is a folkloric horror element to the entire story.
If you are not a literary reader, I would just encourage you to give it a few chapters to get used to the voice. Anna Smith Spark uses a stream-of-consciousness style that can both meander and be abrupt. It is the right voice for Kandra, a woman who has repressed a whole history in order to survive, and it is this voice that allows for her past life and new life to come together in her mind. What is the evil? What do they want from her? Kanda knows, but the story takes time to unfold, for Kanda to endure the weight of her own memories and to tell them to her family.
I do mention the stylisation of voice simply to state that for those unused to different prose styles, it might take a few pages to get into the flow.
Do not let this make you set the book down.
Remember. I’ve told you.
This book will take you down the rabbit hole.
But to reach the other side, first you must dare to fall.
For more reviews go to www.shaunalawless.com
January 23, 2024
Another wonderful book from Anna that captures the dynamics of a family perfectly. There is tension, there is heartache and there is epic, mythical beauty all told in Spark's intoxicating prose. A veteran mother cloaked in her past fighting alongside her daughters. It was fantastic.
September 5, 2023
Just magnificent - this feels both a nod to the mythical tradition of fantasy and something new with a mix of horror and humanity plus sublime storytelling that makes it a beautiful read. Well worth your time
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
September 20, 2023
I received an ARC on NetGalley!!
Thank you Anna Smith Spark and @FlameTreePress
Nobody can deliver grimdark like Anna Smith Spark can. Her poetic prose and her skillfulness at presenting the darkness inside, brings so much depth to her story telling. I absolutely adore everything she writes.
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes brings to life a Celtic myth in Anna Smith Spark style. Dark, twisted and full of nail biting moments as Kanda tries to save her family from her past. Kanda's past is brought forward in pieces, and each moment is hair-raising.
Thank you Anna Smith Spark and @FlameTreePress
Nobody can deliver grimdark like Anna Smith Spark can. Her poetic prose and her skillfulness at presenting the darkness inside, brings so much depth to her story telling. I absolutely adore everything she writes.
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes brings to life a Celtic myth in Anna Smith Spark style. Dark, twisted and full of nail biting moments as Kanda tries to save her family from her past. Kanda's past is brought forward in pieces, and each moment is hair-raising.
September 26, 2023
2,5 but rounding up to 3 because the writing is so beautiful.
I really wanted this to be a 5 star read. I loved her Empires of Dust series so the expectations were high on this one. Sadly I couldn't get into it.
I really wanted this to be a 5 star read. I loved her Empires of Dust series so the expectations were high on this one. Sadly I couldn't get into it.
Read
August 13, 2024Told by one of the richest and most original voices in fantasy, Anna Smith Spark gives us a deeply emotional mix of fantasy, magic, and contention in the style of the romantic fairytale, but with a grit and a realism that digs below the skin. Her portrayal of the dichotomies in family dynamics - where promises made to our children cannot be kept, and the often conflicting flood of emotion where anger and frustration and the small, everyday brutalities of life conflict with the depth of a parent's love for their children. I have seldom seen family interactions portrayed with such flaying honesty.
Using allegory, story, incredible depth of imagination, and the indomitable heights and depths of our human spirit, this story profiles the psychology of what it means to be human. How lies cover shortfalls, and shortfalls come to roost, and where hope dies and becomes resurrected by determination every moment at all walks of life.
This is a pretty tale often exposing the ugly - and all of the spectrum of human qualities that make an individual unique. Certainly not a fluff read, but a deep exploration of the damage we do to ourselves and the price of might making right and the grim price of killing the specters that haunt every facet of the world, hunger, suffering, greed, loss of hope and the nagging voice of futility - Anna Spark Smith does not flinch from the punch.
Using allegory, story, incredible depth of imagination, and the indomitable heights and depths of our human spirit, this story profiles the psychology of what it means to be human. How lies cover shortfalls, and shortfalls come to roost, and where hope dies and becomes resurrected by determination every moment at all walks of life.
This is a pretty tale often exposing the ugly - and all of the spectrum of human qualities that make an individual unique. Certainly not a fluff read, but a deep exploration of the damage we do to ourselves and the price of might making right and the grim price of killing the specters that haunt every facet of the world, hunger, suffering, greed, loss of hope and the nagging voice of futility - Anna Spark Smith does not flinch from the punch.
September 14, 2023
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is a stand-alone novel that crosses genres from grimdark fantasy, folklore, Celtic mythology, horror and literary fiction. It tells a story about a mother called Kanda and her family. The book has two story lines, Kanda's past and her present, and we follow how Kanda's forgotten and hidden past as a mighty warrior caughts up with her present family life when a dead body is found in a nearby river. Kanda and her family have to flee from the danger and leave their home to find safety.
Spark's prose is purple ie. it's lyrical, poetic, repetitive, has a lot of adjectives, allegories, and very long and short sentences. It's Spark's trademark that can either make you love her books or dislike them, but for me, it's a style that makes me absolutely love her books. In this book, the world, the setting and the beautiful descriptions of nature pulled me into the story every time I opened the book. It was vivid and easy to imagine. The dialogue was also something I really appreciated, because it was realistic with all the repetitiveness that we do in real life.
The story itself felt old, but in the fantasy genre it's fresh and different. The story doesn't embellish motherhood, aging or family life, and it doesn't shy away from all the deprecated feelings and actions that one can have in the mundane life. The story was unrefined and I appreciated this so much because quite few authors are willing to say things as straightforward as Spark does! The characters were deeply flawed and realistic which makes Spark so good in the grimdark genre. There were some really good plot twists that I didn't see coming, because they were so well tied up to the flaws of the characters.
I loved this book. I was in constant awe of Spark's prose, which made me immerse myself in the story and understand the characters despite their flaws. The ending made me cry, because I saw it as an allegory for keeping going in life and building something new and beautiful even if you have lost loved ones and had to change in the process. Five stars.
Spark's prose is purple ie. it's lyrical, poetic, repetitive, has a lot of adjectives, allegories, and very long and short sentences. It's Spark's trademark that can either make you love her books or dislike them, but for me, it's a style that makes me absolutely love her books. In this book, the world, the setting and the beautiful descriptions of nature pulled me into the story every time I opened the book. It was vivid and easy to imagine. The dialogue was also something I really appreciated, because it was realistic with all the repetitiveness that we do in real life.
The story itself felt old, but in the fantasy genre it's fresh and different. The story doesn't embellish motherhood, aging or family life, and it doesn't shy away from all the deprecated feelings and actions that one can have in the mundane life. The story was unrefined and I appreciated this so much because quite few authors are willing to say things as straightforward as Spark does! The characters were deeply flawed and realistic which makes Spark so good in the grimdark genre. There were some really good plot twists that I didn't see coming, because they were so well tied up to the flaws of the characters.
I loved this book. I was in constant awe of Spark's prose, which made me immerse myself in the story and understand the characters despite their flaws. The ending made me cry, because I saw it as an allegory for keeping going in life and building something new and beautiful even if you have lost loved ones and had to change in the process. Five stars.
September 7, 2023
*copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*
Anna Smith Spark is, in certain circles, a legend. The "Queen of Grimdark" brought us the dark, metal, unspeakably violent and yet beautifully written Empires of Dust series. It was raw and human and bloody and wonderful, and I think I spoke about each book in the series in increasingly glowing terms.
And now, a new novel, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes. Something different, a folk horror fairytale. Still with the same poetry, the same multi-layered prose coursing the wine-dark sea of liquid prose. Still with the same sense of humanity, both at our best and, oh my, at our worst. But also with a focus somewhere different. This is a book about family, about one woman and her journey into the future to deal with the consequences of the past, and her daughters, and how they have to grapple with a legacy which could define them if they let it. And it's wrapped up in a story, a journey that reads like a dream spiked with flashes of nightmare, our cast moving between spaces, between the grounded world around them, the soaring towers of years past, and the bare copper knives of the not-quite yet, all at once. The prose is liquid, tumbling rocky thoughts over in your mind, the story prying them loose, to see what lies beneath. And that's without getting into what it does to the cast.
Kanda is, for want of a better word, our protagonist. A woman who, three children later, quietly whiles away her time on a farm, looking after animals, baling hay, and generally living a quiet life. What Kanda did before she looked after animals and children is another matter. Unfortunately for her, or at least for her quiet life, her past is about to catch up to her in a big way. Because the world Kanda inhabits is as much myth and story as it is known to us. While she pulls in corn and feeds livestock, she speaks with the dead who line the doorways of buildings, keeping them safe from harm. And wards against things roaming in the night, skipping between realities like we would use a revolving door.
Because the darkest dreams of humanity are out here, and very real, in this world where myth and story are another context entwined within reality. Kanda's world is a saga, a song, because it can't be anything else. Kanda is brutally prosaic, a woman who is sometimes drunk, also sometimes hungover, often tired, with an intimate understanding of violence. But in the past, she has been a dream of something more, something which soared, even while the dream in which it lived began to collapse under its own weight. As to what and who else Kanda is, that you'll have to see for yourself. But she is solid in her roles, all of them. A fierce and weighty presence whose sheer determination makes the page and the story and the words wrap around her. The dream she was and the person she is may not be the same, but Kanda is utterly real, to us, as well as to everyone on the page. It's fantastic incidentally, to see her portrayal in the now of the book, a tired woman with three children and a husband, forced back into metaphorical harness by her desire to protect them and keep them safe; and they're there with her and she with them, and the family dynamic has all the bickering and affection and poison and joy of, well, a family. It's something we often sacrifice for tales of battle-maidens in shiny armour, and seeing this, a family story, makes my heart sing a little.
Because this is a family story. Kanda's daughters are varying degrees of young; and it's wonderful that they're all so different. In the way they talk, in the way they react, in what they believe. But in their strengths, in the mistakes they make and the ways they try to fix them, in the passions they feel and the responsibilities they feel they can bear, they're able to find a way to bind themselves together.
And the story. Well, you know I don't spoil those. But it's a very concrete as well as a metaphorical journey. Diving into the past to see how Kanda got where she is now, to build a context for why things are happening. And walking with her through the now, inch by inch as she pulls her family toward, if not safety, a conclusion, a sense of catharsis. It's a story that comes with tension so thick you can less cut it with a knife than actively chew on it - as well as your nails - waiting ot see how thing splay out. And it has the sumptuous, glittering romance of a chivalric folktale, and the mud and blood and disaster of one too. This is a story that pulls no punches, and in fact probably has a stiletto secreted in one hand and a broadsword nonchalantly twirling from the other. It's a story you'll be up at 4AM trying to finish.
So is it good? Hell yes. Should you read it? Hell yes. This is another winner for Anna Smith Spark, and a story you owe it to yourself to read as soon as possible.
Anna Smith Spark is, in certain circles, a legend. The "Queen of Grimdark" brought us the dark, metal, unspeakably violent and yet beautifully written Empires of Dust series. It was raw and human and bloody and wonderful, and I think I spoke about each book in the series in increasingly glowing terms.
And now, a new novel, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes. Something different, a folk horror fairytale. Still with the same poetry, the same multi-layered prose coursing the wine-dark sea of liquid prose. Still with the same sense of humanity, both at our best and, oh my, at our worst. But also with a focus somewhere different. This is a book about family, about one woman and her journey into the future to deal with the consequences of the past, and her daughters, and how they have to grapple with a legacy which could define them if they let it. And it's wrapped up in a story, a journey that reads like a dream spiked with flashes of nightmare, our cast moving between spaces, between the grounded world around them, the soaring towers of years past, and the bare copper knives of the not-quite yet, all at once. The prose is liquid, tumbling rocky thoughts over in your mind, the story prying them loose, to see what lies beneath. And that's without getting into what it does to the cast.
Kanda is, for want of a better word, our protagonist. A woman who, three children later, quietly whiles away her time on a farm, looking after animals, baling hay, and generally living a quiet life. What Kanda did before she looked after animals and children is another matter. Unfortunately for her, or at least for her quiet life, her past is about to catch up to her in a big way. Because the world Kanda inhabits is as much myth and story as it is known to us. While she pulls in corn and feeds livestock, she speaks with the dead who line the doorways of buildings, keeping them safe from harm. And wards against things roaming in the night, skipping between realities like we would use a revolving door.
Because the darkest dreams of humanity are out here, and very real, in this world where myth and story are another context entwined within reality. Kanda's world is a saga, a song, because it can't be anything else. Kanda is brutally prosaic, a woman who is sometimes drunk, also sometimes hungover, often tired, with an intimate understanding of violence. But in the past, she has been a dream of something more, something which soared, even while the dream in which it lived began to collapse under its own weight. As to what and who else Kanda is, that you'll have to see for yourself. But she is solid in her roles, all of them. A fierce and weighty presence whose sheer determination makes the page and the story and the words wrap around her. The dream she was and the person she is may not be the same, but Kanda is utterly real, to us, as well as to everyone on the page. It's fantastic incidentally, to see her portrayal in the now of the book, a tired woman with three children and a husband, forced back into metaphorical harness by her desire to protect them and keep them safe; and they're there with her and she with them, and the family dynamic has all the bickering and affection and poison and joy of, well, a family. It's something we often sacrifice for tales of battle-maidens in shiny armour, and seeing this, a family story, makes my heart sing a little.
Because this is a family story. Kanda's daughters are varying degrees of young; and it's wonderful that they're all so different. In the way they talk, in the way they react, in what they believe. But in their strengths, in the mistakes they make and the ways they try to fix them, in the passions they feel and the responsibilities they feel they can bear, they're able to find a way to bind themselves together.
And the story. Well, you know I don't spoil those. But it's a very concrete as well as a metaphorical journey. Diving into the past to see how Kanda got where she is now, to build a context for why things are happening. And walking with her through the now, inch by inch as she pulls her family toward, if not safety, a conclusion, a sense of catharsis. It's a story that comes with tension so thick you can less cut it with a knife than actively chew on it - as well as your nails - waiting ot see how thing splay out. And it has the sumptuous, glittering romance of a chivalric folktale, and the mud and blood and disaster of one too. This is a story that pulls no punches, and in fact probably has a stiletto secreted in one hand and a broadsword nonchalantly twirling from the other. It's a story you'll be up at 4AM trying to finish.
So is it good? Hell yes. Should you read it? Hell yes. This is another winner for Anna Smith Spark, and a story you owe it to yourself to read as soon as possible.
Shelved as 'dnf'
March 9, 2024In this grimdark fantasy novel inspired by Celtic mythology Kanda must save her husband and children from a rising evil that kills everyone in its wake. But her family doesn't know that Kanda recognises this evil all too well from her past - a very different past in which she was an important warrior...
DNF @20%
Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me because of the writing style. Anna Smith Spark has a very lyrical, descriptive, complex writing style which sadly didn't seem to work for me. I often had difficulty figuring out what was said and had to keep rereading the same sentences. This made it hard to concentrate on the content itself, and it didn't seem to get better by the 20% mark.
However, this is a very personal matter and doesn't say anything about the quality of the book itself. It was immediately very clear how skilled a storyteller Anna Smith Spark is. I was very intrigued by the premise: the combination of epic fantasy, Celtic mythology, grimdark and folk horror sounded very unique and engaging. And up until the point I stopped reading, I definitely got a glimpse of all of those aspects. The world-building and character development seemed really interesting, nuanced and well-paced so far.
If you love dark fantasy novels with strong female leads and enjoy complex, poetic writing, I definitely think this book might be something for you.
My rating: no rating, because I didn't finish the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the eARC!
DNF @20%
Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me because of the writing style. Anna Smith Spark has a very lyrical, descriptive, complex writing style which sadly didn't seem to work for me. I often had difficulty figuring out what was said and had to keep rereading the same sentences. This made it hard to concentrate on the content itself, and it didn't seem to get better by the 20% mark.
However, this is a very personal matter and doesn't say anything about the quality of the book itself. It was immediately very clear how skilled a storyteller Anna Smith Spark is. I was very intrigued by the premise: the combination of epic fantasy, Celtic mythology, grimdark and folk horror sounded very unique and engaging. And up until the point I stopped reading, I definitely got a glimpse of all of those aspects. The world-building and character development seemed really interesting, nuanced and well-paced so far.
If you love dark fantasy novels with strong female leads and enjoy complex, poetic writing, I definitely think this book might be something for you.
My rating: no rating, because I didn't finish the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the eARC!
August 13, 2023
3,5⭐️
Received an arc from NetGalley, thanks!
"I, monster, killer, Ikandera Thygethyn, who has destroyed lives beyond number, I am pregnant with a child, I am creating life, that cannot be right."
Anna Smith Spark takes a different turn on a "chosen one" trope. It's not about a journey of becoming one, it is about consequences. Typical fantasy book tries to paint how life changes when you go from zero to top, sings about poignant adventures, honor and bravery, doing the right thing. A Sword of Bronze and Ashes isn't interested in that. Instead, it tries to paint a very different idea: what if a hero makes a mistake. What happens to once-known-as hero. How hard the past can bit your ass.
Kanda is a mother and a wife to a farmer. She rises three daughters and bread dough every morning. She also slaughtered her past life and buried it deep into the ground, but dead don't stay dead very long in her world. When people she used to know burn her village and make her family go for the run, she must embrace what she has hidden all those years ago, but what is perhaps harder: look into her family's eyes, as they discover who she really is.
Can I just say, I adore this concept. It's a great premise with interesting takes: a woman warrior, way into her fourties, with everything that comes with age, taking care of kids and saving the world. I wish the world building was stronger in this one, as it wasn't as developed as I had hoped. Anna Smith Spark has ideas and shows them, as without them there won't be a story, but it could've been more. I want to know what Kanda's world is capable of, how it looks, how it works. I'm starving, as the bits I receiber where good, but not enough to satisfy.
I wondered how much writing such story is possible without first writing the "becoming a hero" part. Lately there's a lot of books named "cozy fantasy", and lots of people say they're lacking something. And what they're lacking is high stakes which are crucial to show in order to let characters feel this cosiness. Kanda's story is definitely about consequences, but how much can you show the weight of them without showing their origins. Anna Smith Spark pretty much manages to do that – I still think it could use a bit more world building, but besides that, I think it was pretty satisfying.
If you look for a very much adventurous book, I don't think this is a perfect choice. But if you look for a story of high emotions, with family's bounds in foreground, it is an interesting book to read. Some pages were dull and could use some polish, but you know what? I can't think of any other book where the main female character is a warrior, but also is an old woman, and a mother, and not an object of desire of every man in circle of thousand miles. Kanda has stretch marks, gray hair and normal body reactions, she is a warrior, but most importantly: she is a human. And I'll drink to that.
Received an arc from NetGalley, thanks!
"I, monster, killer, Ikandera Thygethyn, who has destroyed lives beyond number, I am pregnant with a child, I am creating life, that cannot be right."
Anna Smith Spark takes a different turn on a "chosen one" trope. It's not about a journey of becoming one, it is about consequences. Typical fantasy book tries to paint how life changes when you go from zero to top, sings about poignant adventures, honor and bravery, doing the right thing. A Sword of Bronze and Ashes isn't interested in that. Instead, it tries to paint a very different idea: what if a hero makes a mistake. What happens to once-known-as hero. How hard the past can bit your ass.
Kanda is a mother and a wife to a farmer. She rises three daughters and bread dough every morning. She also slaughtered her past life and buried it deep into the ground, but dead don't stay dead very long in her world. When people she used to know burn her village and make her family go for the run, she must embrace what she has hidden all those years ago, but what is perhaps harder: look into her family's eyes, as they discover who she really is.
Can I just say, I adore this concept. It's a great premise with interesting takes: a woman warrior, way into her fourties, with everything that comes with age, taking care of kids and saving the world. I wish the world building was stronger in this one, as it wasn't as developed as I had hoped. Anna Smith Spark has ideas and shows them, as without them there won't be a story, but it could've been more. I want to know what Kanda's world is capable of, how it looks, how it works. I'm starving, as the bits I receiber where good, but not enough to satisfy.
I wondered how much writing such story is possible without first writing the "becoming a hero" part. Lately there's a lot of books named "cozy fantasy", and lots of people say they're lacking something. And what they're lacking is high stakes which are crucial to show in order to let characters feel this cosiness. Kanda's story is definitely about consequences, but how much can you show the weight of them without showing their origins. Anna Smith Spark pretty much manages to do that – I still think it could use a bit more world building, but besides that, I think it was pretty satisfying.
If you look for a very much adventurous book, I don't think this is a perfect choice. But if you look for a story of high emotions, with family's bounds in foreground, it is an interesting book to read. Some pages were dull and could use some polish, but you know what? I can't think of any other book where the main female character is a warrior, but also is an old woman, and a mother, and not an object of desire of every man in circle of thousand miles. Kanda has stretch marks, gray hair and normal body reactions, she is a warrior, but most importantly: she is a human. And I'll drink to that.
July 8, 2023
Dust flies up in a cloud on the horizon. Hooves hammer the earth below. A gleaming sword dazzles whilst her battle cry deafens; Anna Smith Spark rides again to a glorious, heart-wrenching, blood-soaked triumph.
With the Sword of Bronze and Ashes, Anna Smith Spark wields a shining sword of beauty and destruction. Her books aren’t there just to be read; they have to be consumed with all of your soul.
With A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, Smith Spark shows she can do it all, with a masterful new novel brimming with originality, light, darkness and emotion. Of course, we already knew she could do all that. And write stunning battles. And wow us with beautiful prose.
We now also know how well Anna can unsettle the reader with really creepy horror elements and showcase a contemporary work that almost feels of historical significance.
Let me explain: if you read Beowulf (Old English saga) Völuspá (from the Norse Poetic Edda) or about the Tuatha Dé Danann in Lebor Gabála Érenn (Irish myths and sagas) there is a very real magic to consuming these words and these stories. Stories that have been passed down through centuries around camp fires, about great people, deeds and events. They tell stories of kings, swords, magic and conquest.
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes feels like it would be at home amongst these magical, larger than life, campfire stories that leave the listener in awe, their imagination soaring. Anna Smith Spark tells her story with a combination of such extraordinarily beautiful prose and mythical storytelling that it feels like a modern poetic saga, evoking everything that we love about these works with her evocative and immersive mastery of the written word.
This is not just another fantasy book; I’ve said before that Anna’s books can’t just be read, they have to be experienced with all of your soul. This has never been more true than here, a book that leaves your eyes and mind wide open throughout the whole telling.
In the excellent A Woman of the Sword published earlier this year, Smith Spark takes us onto the front lines with a common foot soldier, Lidae. In A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, we have an equally strong and resilient woman as our protagonist, but here our main character Kanda is anything but ordinary. Although she begins the tale as a seemingly simple farmer’s wife, we soon learn, as do her family, that she was once a warrior of mythical glory and skill, the finest of six legendary warriors tasked with defending all that is good. Our expectations are subverted on a number of occasions throughout as new revelations are unwrapped and information revealed.
What drives the story though are the folk horror elements Smith Spark has woven into the story, with Kanda and her family trying to survive against 3 dark and spine chilling characters that are superbly described and written all the way through the book. I really enjoyed learning about them as well as the information we are given about the 6 of Roven; these legendary warriors of the past.
Anna gives us just enough of these 3 sinister characters to keep them creepy for a long time – over explaining a monster always diminishes its fear factor afterall. Something I was particularly creeped out by was the hodden – a sort of imposing reanimated body with a horse’s skull and a gobbling neigh, awkwardly staggering forward, bells on its waist, smelling of rot and mould.
You can take a lot of themes and metaphors away if you want to and this has always been a strength of the author’s work, in that you can breeze through her stories if you wish and still enjoy them, or you can take them more slowly, or re-read them, and find lots more to enjoy and to think about. For example, one question this book raises is how much to reveal to your children. Is it always good to keep things from them? How much helps and how much hinders? Is protecting them keeping them oblivious to evil, or making them wise to it? There is no easy answer of course but the nature of thinking about the questions is often as interesting as actually deciding upon an answer.
Strong women shine throughout, with Kanda herself and her daughters all being compelling characters you care for and admire, which is a prerequisite for being able to feel genuine emotion for a character’s pain or tragedy. If you didn’t know the author’s Queen of Grimdark moniker, then you won’t be surprised by it after reading this, nor would you be surprised if you’ve read any of her other work that happy endings aren’t realistic. There is always something bittersweet you can take away, though.
Smith Spark shows her skill in being able to write powerfully when not writing directly about he main characters too, and when we encounter the mines where young children had worked to extract the ore for weapons, she is able to pull at our heartstrings. Without even having to go into detail, she is able to create a melancholy, desperately sad atmosphere just as easily as she is able to conjure up those exciting, visceral battle scenes she is also so adept at.
Out of any book I’ve read, this one had me sharing the characters’ fears, anxieties, trauma and anguish more than any other and it’s especially powerful if you’re a parent (and I imagine even more so if you’re a mother). Kanda may have fought all kinds of evil and defeated a dragon in the past, but we see that being a mother brings challenges that don’t even compare. We see how she fights the struggle of motherhood, where a sword is not always the most useful weapon. How a simple life in which everyone you love is healthy can be more comforting than any adventure.
With A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, you are gifted an experience. The unique prose, the way your heartstrings are pulled, your eyes and mind are opened wide, awestruck, to make you think. About grief, pride, parenthood, regret, letting go, legacy, happiness, sadness, light, dark, life and death.
Anna Smith Spark is at the top of her game, and it’s a privilege to be along for the ride.
With the Sword of Bronze and Ashes, Anna Smith Spark wields a shining sword of beauty and destruction. Her books aren’t there just to be read; they have to be consumed with all of your soul.
With A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, Smith Spark shows she can do it all, with a masterful new novel brimming with originality, light, darkness and emotion. Of course, we already knew she could do all that. And write stunning battles. And wow us with beautiful prose.
We now also know how well Anna can unsettle the reader with really creepy horror elements and showcase a contemporary work that almost feels of historical significance.
Let me explain: if you read Beowulf (Old English saga) Völuspá (from the Norse Poetic Edda) or about the Tuatha Dé Danann in Lebor Gabála Érenn (Irish myths and sagas) there is a very real magic to consuming these words and these stories. Stories that have been passed down through centuries around camp fires, about great people, deeds and events. They tell stories of kings, swords, magic and conquest.
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes feels like it would be at home amongst these magical, larger than life, campfire stories that leave the listener in awe, their imagination soaring. Anna Smith Spark tells her story with a combination of such extraordinarily beautiful prose and mythical storytelling that it feels like a modern poetic saga, evoking everything that we love about these works with her evocative and immersive mastery of the written word.
This is not just another fantasy book; I’ve said before that Anna’s books can’t just be read, they have to be experienced with all of your soul. This has never been more true than here, a book that leaves your eyes and mind wide open throughout the whole telling.
In the excellent A Woman of the Sword published earlier this year, Smith Spark takes us onto the front lines with a common foot soldier, Lidae. In A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, we have an equally strong and resilient woman as our protagonist, but here our main character Kanda is anything but ordinary. Although she begins the tale as a seemingly simple farmer’s wife, we soon learn, as do her family, that she was once a warrior of mythical glory and skill, the finest of six legendary warriors tasked with defending all that is good. Our expectations are subverted on a number of occasions throughout as new revelations are unwrapped and information revealed.
What drives the story though are the folk horror elements Smith Spark has woven into the story, with Kanda and her family trying to survive against 3 dark and spine chilling characters that are superbly described and written all the way through the book. I really enjoyed learning about them as well as the information we are given about the 6 of Roven; these legendary warriors of the past.
Anna gives us just enough of these 3 sinister characters to keep them creepy for a long time – over explaining a monster always diminishes its fear factor afterall. Something I was particularly creeped out by was the hodden – a sort of imposing reanimated body with a horse’s skull and a gobbling neigh, awkwardly staggering forward, bells on its waist, smelling of rot and mould.
You can take a lot of themes and metaphors away if you want to and this has always been a strength of the author’s work, in that you can breeze through her stories if you wish and still enjoy them, or you can take them more slowly, or re-read them, and find lots more to enjoy and to think about. For example, one question this book raises is how much to reveal to your children. Is it always good to keep things from them? How much helps and how much hinders? Is protecting them keeping them oblivious to evil, or making them wise to it? There is no easy answer of course but the nature of thinking about the questions is often as interesting as actually deciding upon an answer.
Strong women shine throughout, with Kanda herself and her daughters all being compelling characters you care for and admire, which is a prerequisite for being able to feel genuine emotion for a character’s pain or tragedy. If you didn’t know the author’s Queen of Grimdark moniker, then you won’t be surprised by it after reading this, nor would you be surprised if you’ve read any of her other work that happy endings aren’t realistic. There is always something bittersweet you can take away, though.
Smith Spark shows her skill in being able to write powerfully when not writing directly about he main characters too, and when we encounter the mines where young children had worked to extract the ore for weapons, she is able to pull at our heartstrings. Without even having to go into detail, she is able to create a melancholy, desperately sad atmosphere just as easily as she is able to conjure up those exciting, visceral battle scenes she is also so adept at.
Out of any book I’ve read, this one had me sharing the characters’ fears, anxieties, trauma and anguish more than any other and it’s especially powerful if you’re a parent (and I imagine even more so if you’re a mother). Kanda may have fought all kinds of evil and defeated a dragon in the past, but we see that being a mother brings challenges that don’t even compare. We see how she fights the struggle of motherhood, where a sword is not always the most useful weapon. How a simple life in which everyone you love is healthy can be more comforting than any adventure.
With A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, you are gifted an experience. The unique prose, the way your heartstrings are pulled, your eyes and mind are opened wide, awestruck, to make you think. About grief, pride, parenthood, regret, letting go, legacy, happiness, sadness, light, dark, life and death.
Anna Smith Spark is at the top of her game, and it’s a privilege to be along for the ride.
September 12, 2023
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes by Anna Smith Spark is a story that contains both beautiful and captivating language, more so, than any other fantasy writer in recent memory.
The story is both very dark in scope and gruesome in detail and not for the faint of heart. The themes throughout the story are of, motherhood, family, and love, in realising what you have and what you want to keep hold of. Regret and shame for past acts that come back to haunt you. Womanhood, grief, and hope, for both what you have lost and what you might gain in the future by realising your own inner mental strength. Above all, the strength in womanhood and family.
The story of Kanda who embraces one of the most realistic depictions of womanhood in the fantasy genre. Kanda is a mother and wife to a farmer trying to raise three daughters in a respectable but quiet life. When Kanda’s violent past catches up with her, one that she has tried to bury deep from her family but herself as well. When the violence she left behind burns her village, she decides to make her family go on the run. Embracing the violence, she has hidden from herself all those years ago. Kanda now realises that the hardest part is not the violence, no, that comes far too easy, what is perhaps harder to face are the questions from her family, as they begin to discover just who she really is. Whilst at the same time keeping her family safe.
There is a mix of both horror, folklore, and a mythical quality to the world as the world-building lore is gradually revealed through twin storylines. In these dual storylines we discover past Kanda and present Kanda, two wholly different views of the same person, just like flipping a coin. There is a lot of tension and highly evocative and emotive moments throughout the story. It was a slow read for me but because of the beautiful and lush prose, I became invested in dual storylines. This book is so different from the recent run of fantasy stories, Anna Smith Spark is such an amazing writer this book is thought provoking and my favourite book of the year.
My thanks to both NetGalley and Flame Tree press for a e-arc and an honest opinion.
The story is both very dark in scope and gruesome in detail and not for the faint of heart. The themes throughout the story are of, motherhood, family, and love, in realising what you have and what you want to keep hold of. Regret and shame for past acts that come back to haunt you. Womanhood, grief, and hope, for both what you have lost and what you might gain in the future by realising your own inner mental strength. Above all, the strength in womanhood and family.
The story of Kanda who embraces one of the most realistic depictions of womanhood in the fantasy genre. Kanda is a mother and wife to a farmer trying to raise three daughters in a respectable but quiet life. When Kanda’s violent past catches up with her, one that she has tried to bury deep from her family but herself as well. When the violence she left behind burns her village, she decides to make her family go on the run. Embracing the violence, she has hidden from herself all those years ago. Kanda now realises that the hardest part is not the violence, no, that comes far too easy, what is perhaps harder to face are the questions from her family, as they begin to discover just who she really is. Whilst at the same time keeping her family safe.
There is a mix of both horror, folklore, and a mythical quality to the world as the world-building lore is gradually revealed through twin storylines. In these dual storylines we discover past Kanda and present Kanda, two wholly different views of the same person, just like flipping a coin. There is a lot of tension and highly evocative and emotive moments throughout the story. It was a slow read for me but because of the beautiful and lush prose, I became invested in dual storylines. This book is so different from the recent run of fantasy stories, Anna Smith Spark is such an amazing writer this book is thought provoking and my favourite book of the year.
My thanks to both NetGalley and Flame Tree press for a e-arc and an honest opinion.
October 29, 2023
Review originally on
JamReads
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is the latest novel by the Queen of Grimdark, Anna Smith Spark, a blend of folk horror (partly inspired by Celtic myths) with epic fantasy, published by Flame Tree Press. A story that is also an ode to the power of motherhood and the bonds that tie families told in the characteristic lyrical prose that is usual in Smith Spark's writing.
A mother with a wonderful husband and three kids (Calian, Morna and Sal), Kanda was once the most powerful warrior of the Six Swords of Roven; a past that she has kept hidden from her family. However, an ancient evil is threatening to interrupt her peaceful agrarian life, the monotony is broken and she will have to embrace that past she wanted to abandon in order to protect those she loves, even if that means putting in risk her family.
Told using both, first and third person POVs, it evokes the oral aspects that folk stories tend to have, especially when Kanda remembers her past; a past that progressively passes from being heroic to a dark moment of her life. Moments when Kanda got taken by the bloodlust and made her show her the worst aspects.
Alternating past and present, Smith Spark weaves a multilayered story, showing the different nuances a woman, and most importantly, a mother can experience, always with her family as the center of her life.
If there's an element you can expect to see in any Smith Spark's book, is how the prose is used in a masterful way, with a style that could be called an analogue to the Greek epic poems; there's a special cadence in her words (despite I can understand this not being a book liked by everybody).
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is a highly emotional story, using the epicness of grimdark to tell the story of a woman, a mother. Another excellent book by the Queen of Grimdark.
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is the latest novel by the Queen of Grimdark, Anna Smith Spark, a blend of folk horror (partly inspired by Celtic myths) with epic fantasy, published by Flame Tree Press. A story that is also an ode to the power of motherhood and the bonds that tie families told in the characteristic lyrical prose that is usual in Smith Spark's writing.
A mother with a wonderful husband and three kids (Calian, Morna and Sal), Kanda was once the most powerful warrior of the Six Swords of Roven; a past that she has kept hidden from her family. However, an ancient evil is threatening to interrupt her peaceful agrarian life, the monotony is broken and she will have to embrace that past she wanted to abandon in order to protect those she loves, even if that means putting in risk her family.
Told using both, first and third person POVs, it evokes the oral aspects that folk stories tend to have, especially when Kanda remembers her past; a past that progressively passes from being heroic to a dark moment of her life. Moments when Kanda got taken by the bloodlust and made her show her the worst aspects.
Alternating past and present, Smith Spark weaves a multilayered story, showing the different nuances a woman, and most importantly, a mother can experience, always with her family as the center of her life.
If there's an element you can expect to see in any Smith Spark's book, is how the prose is used in a masterful way, with a style that could be called an analogue to the Greek epic poems; there's a special cadence in her words (despite I can understand this not being a book liked by everybody).
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is a highly emotional story, using the epicness of grimdark to tell the story of a woman, a mother. Another excellent book by the Queen of Grimdark.
August 22, 2023
This was my first novel by Anna Smith Spark, who has been coined the Queen of Grimdark. From my relatively small exposure to Grimdark, I've loved what I've read. So how does Anna Smith Spark stack up?
The prose of this book was absolutely spectacular. Spark's writing feels like it's been carved into stone in some bygone legend. It's mythical. It's elegant. It's brutal. Everything she does with the prose fits flawlessly into the setting of this novel.
The characters include Kanda, her husband (Dellet), and their three daughters (Calian, Morna, & Sal), amongst other ancillary characters. I think her best character work sprouts from Kanda and her relationship with her family. It's gripping, frustrating, and authentic. Outside of this, I didn't care much for Dellet. He seemed to be more of an emotional support character for their daughters, but I thought his reaction to the events of the story to be melodramatic. He isn't wrong in his feelings, but perhaps the frustration stems from his lack of action on the narrative threads that plagued him. As for Kanda's daughters? I think they were written with a bit too much physical ability. It just didn't seem believable given the antagonists that they would be as viable as they were, even considering their lineage.
The narrative itself definitely feels like a mythological chronicle, which is perfect for the goal of this novel. I'm not particularly in love with this style of story telling, but it executes the mythical feel well enough.
I find myself mixed on the world building. On one hand, it's well thought out, unique, and always had me clamoring for more details about the history of this world. On the other hand, I didn't really see the massive Celtic influence that the book was marketed to be. Also, the world building for the current timeline I found to be lacking. Almost all of it was done in Kanda's flashbacks, which was phenomenal, but I wanted more in the present.
All in all, I think Anna Smith Spark is a spectacular writer and I would love to pick up another one of her novels. I may take a dip into her catalog in the future. As for this specific novel? It had some fantastic aspects, but others weren't in my wheelhouse and that unfortunately dragged it down a fair bit.
I want to thank Netgalley again for this ARC. It's always a pleasure to get my hands on an early copy.
The prose of this book was absolutely spectacular. Spark's writing feels like it's been carved into stone in some bygone legend. It's mythical. It's elegant. It's brutal. Everything she does with the prose fits flawlessly into the setting of this novel.
The characters include Kanda, her husband (Dellet), and their three daughters (Calian, Morna, & Sal), amongst other ancillary characters. I think her best character work sprouts from Kanda and her relationship with her family. It's gripping, frustrating, and authentic. Outside of this, I didn't care much for Dellet. He seemed to be more of an emotional support character for their daughters, but I thought his reaction to the events of the story to be melodramatic. He isn't wrong in his feelings, but perhaps the frustration stems from his lack of action on the narrative threads that plagued him. As for Kanda's daughters? I think they were written with a bit too much physical ability. It just didn't seem believable given the antagonists that they would be as viable as they were, even considering their lineage.
The narrative itself definitely feels like a mythological chronicle, which is perfect for the goal of this novel. I'm not particularly in love with this style of story telling, but it executes the mythical feel well enough.
I find myself mixed on the world building. On one hand, it's well thought out, unique, and always had me clamoring for more details about the history of this world. On the other hand, I didn't really see the massive Celtic influence that the book was marketed to be. Also, the world building for the current timeline I found to be lacking. Almost all of it was done in Kanda's flashbacks, which was phenomenal, but I wanted more in the present.
All in all, I think Anna Smith Spark is a spectacular writer and I would love to pick up another one of her novels. I may take a dip into her catalog in the future. As for this specific novel? It had some fantastic aspects, but others weren't in my wheelhouse and that unfortunately dragged it down a fair bit.
I want to thank Netgalley again for this ARC. It's always a pleasure to get my hands on an early copy.
September 16, 2023
With thanks to the publisher, Flame Tree Press, for providing an ARC of this book through NetGalley.
This is Anna Smith Spark's fifth novel to date, and as with the previous four, it is an absolutely stunning masterclass in writing fantastic fiction.
Infused with a lot of Celtic imagery and themes, and possibly owing something of its DNA to the works of Susan Cooper, Alan Garner, and Lloyd Alexander, this is a tale that explores the responsibilities of motherhood and the consequences of broken promises and oaths. And for those who are familiar with Anna's previous books, yes it's still got a dark heart to it, even if it is, on the surface, less grim than her earlier works.
The narrative follows Kanda, a woman whose past catches up with her just as she's forged a good life for herself and her family. When that past threatens to destroy her family and her life, Kanda is left with no choice but to take up her sword once more, and fight to hold on to the things she holds precious.
There are a lot of layers to this novel, with Kanda's past gradually being uncovered as she tries to lead her family to safety, as well as a thread throughout the story exploring the bond between daughter and mother, and how that bond can be affected by the child growing up and seeking her independence.
As with all of Anna's writing, this book is full of some of the most lyrically beautiful prose you'll ever lay your eyes on, and there are a few places in this one where the writing reminded me of Michael Moorcock or M. John Harrison at their most psychedelic. Where the Empires of Dust trilogy and A Woman of the Sword tend to be more grounded in the reality of the story, this new novel leans a lot more towards the mythically surreal, switching vertiginously between the real and the unreal on several occasions. And what a gloriously fantastic unreal it is too, with terrifying horse-skulled monsters and deliciously twisted demigods chasing our protagonists around the countryside.
There are a few authors I will go out of my way to recommends to anyone and everyone, and Anna is definitely one of those authors. After all, they don't call her the Queen of Grimdark for nothing.
This is Anna Smith Spark's fifth novel to date, and as with the previous four, it is an absolutely stunning masterclass in writing fantastic fiction.
Infused with a lot of Celtic imagery and themes, and possibly owing something of its DNA to the works of Susan Cooper, Alan Garner, and Lloyd Alexander, this is a tale that explores the responsibilities of motherhood and the consequences of broken promises and oaths. And for those who are familiar with Anna's previous books, yes it's still got a dark heart to it, even if it is, on the surface, less grim than her earlier works.
The narrative follows Kanda, a woman whose past catches up with her just as she's forged a good life for herself and her family. When that past threatens to destroy her family and her life, Kanda is left with no choice but to take up her sword once more, and fight to hold on to the things she holds precious.
There are a lot of layers to this novel, with Kanda's past gradually being uncovered as she tries to lead her family to safety, as well as a thread throughout the story exploring the bond between daughter and mother, and how that bond can be affected by the child growing up and seeking her independence.
As with all of Anna's writing, this book is full of some of the most lyrically beautiful prose you'll ever lay your eyes on, and there are a few places in this one where the writing reminded me of Michael Moorcock or M. John Harrison at their most psychedelic. Where the Empires of Dust trilogy and A Woman of the Sword tend to be more grounded in the reality of the story, this new novel leans a lot more towards the mythically surreal, switching vertiginously between the real and the unreal on several occasions. And what a gloriously fantastic unreal it is too, with terrifying horse-skulled monsters and deliciously twisted demigods chasing our protagonists around the countryside.
There are a few authors I will go out of my way to recommends to anyone and everyone, and Anna is definitely one of those authors. After all, they don't call her the Queen of Grimdark for nothing.
May 10, 2024
A sort of companion piece to A Woman of the Sword, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is a highly stylised epic centered on a single family - on the matriarch of that family in particular, Kanda, and her middle daughter Calian, and Kanda's desperate and failing struggle to keep herself free of the battles, both glorious and inglorious, that make up her past. For Kanda was once one of the Six Heroes of the Hall of Roven, and after that she was part of the dark army that destroyed Roven - and now she is the wife of a farmer, Dellet, and the mother of three daughters, and she is sure that this is all that she desires.
But her lives cast long shadows...
Anna Smith Spark's prose is what gives this book an edge that cuts deep. Fights and celebrations alike are written in a high declamatory style similar to the epics that have been carried down way back to the likes of Homer and other oral storytellers -
Calian let out the grief cry and the sky cracked.
She said the words that must be said.
In less time than it takes for a child to run to its mother's arms, the bodies were twenty deep.
- you can hear this tale being told, not around a campfire perhaps, but in the shadows at the edge of the warmth. And yet at the same time there are quiet confessional chapters, memories and fears escaping from Kanda's thoughts, and there's the tension of her relationship with husband Dellet, forever changed by what is happening, a man who cannot accept the changes. And moments of high glory, of silks and feasts and great acrobatic feats.
Flame Tree Press may have labelled this a "folk horror fantasy", but I think it's horror in the same way that Beowulf and Grendel are horror - A Sword of Bronze and Ashes occupies the same ground as a story cycle. And how good is it? Bonebreakingly good.
But her lives cast long shadows...
Anna Smith Spark's prose is what gives this book an edge that cuts deep. Fights and celebrations alike are written in a high declamatory style similar to the epics that have been carried down way back to the likes of Homer and other oral storytellers -
Calian let out the grief cry and the sky cracked.
She said the words that must be said.
In less time than it takes for a child to run to its mother's arms, the bodies were twenty deep.
- you can hear this tale being told, not around a campfire perhaps, but in the shadows at the edge of the warmth. And yet at the same time there are quiet confessional chapters, memories and fears escaping from Kanda's thoughts, and there's the tension of her relationship with husband Dellet, forever changed by what is happening, a man who cannot accept the changes. And moments of high glory, of silks and feasts and great acrobatic feats.
Flame Tree Press may have labelled this a "folk horror fantasy", but I think it's horror in the same way that Beowulf and Grendel are horror - A Sword of Bronze and Ashes occupies the same ground as a story cycle. And how good is it? Bonebreakingly good.
October 12, 2023
Excellent fantasy story, great world building and storytelling
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
July 15, 2023
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, authored by Anna Smith Spark, is a peculiar yet captivating piece of literature, crafted with eloquent and artistic language, making it quite challenging to provide a definitive rating.
Personally, I found great pleasure in Kanda’s narrative, both as Kanda herself—a devoted mother of three daughters—and as Ikandera Thygethen, a former warrior and member of the esteemed Six Swords of Roven. The remarkable quality of the lyrical prose shines brightly throughout A Sword of Bronze and Ashes. The storyline itself is peculiar, replete with enigmatic and somber moments that skillfully evoke deep emotions within the reader.
The depiction of Kanda’s family dynamics was exquisitely rendered. Anna Smith Spark skillfully captured the realism in her relationships with her husband, Dellet, and her daughters, Sal, Calian, and Morna. The author beautifully portrayed how, despite occasional arguments and outbursts of anger, the profound love and trust between husband and wife ultimately triumph. Another remarkable aspect that caught my attention was Spark’s authentic portrayal of the complex bond between Kanda and her daughter, Calian. Their interactions as mother and daughter involved intense arguments and moments of cruelty, yet they found solace and support in each other during challenging times, drawing strength from their connection to persevere.
I was particularly enthralled by Spark’s adept depiction of the changes a woman’s body undergoes during childbirth and the gradual process of aging, and how Kanda fearlessly and unapologetically embraced her physical form. Furthermore, witnessing her contentment in leading a simple life as a farmer’s wife, despite her past as a formidable warrior, was truly heartwarming.
Spark’s skillful narrative technique of alternating between the present and Kanda’s past added a compelling layer to the story, infusing it with suspense and intrigue. The seamless transitions between timelines provided a deeper understanding of the characters and their motivations, enriching the overall reading experience.
While A Sword of Bronze and Ashes possessed many commendable aspects, there were moments when I found the pacing to be excessively slow, despite numerous events occurring on the surface. Although the story delved into intriguing elements like Hall Roven, The Lord and Lady Roven, and the Six Swords, I couldn’t shake the feeling that their contributions to the overall plot were not sufficiently impactful. Additionally, I encountered instances where the dialogues seemed repetitive, hindering the progression of the narrative. The magic system, too, remained elusive to my understanding, leaving me with unanswered questions about its mechanics and rules.
In summary, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes offers a poignant exploration of a mother’s unwavering dedication to safeguarding her children. Despite occasional moments of tedium, I wholeheartedly recommend this novel to readers seeking a departure from conventional grimdark narratives. Its distinctive qualities and captivating portrayal of maternal love make it a worthwhile and refreshing read.
My sincere thanks to Netgalley, Flame Tree Press and Anna Smith Spark for providing me this advance reader copy of A Sword of Bronze and Ashes.
Personally, I found great pleasure in Kanda’s narrative, both as Kanda herself—a devoted mother of three daughters—and as Ikandera Thygethen, a former warrior and member of the esteemed Six Swords of Roven. The remarkable quality of the lyrical prose shines brightly throughout A Sword of Bronze and Ashes. The storyline itself is peculiar, replete with enigmatic and somber moments that skillfully evoke deep emotions within the reader.
The depiction of Kanda’s family dynamics was exquisitely rendered. Anna Smith Spark skillfully captured the realism in her relationships with her husband, Dellet, and her daughters, Sal, Calian, and Morna. The author beautifully portrayed how, despite occasional arguments and outbursts of anger, the profound love and trust between husband and wife ultimately triumph. Another remarkable aspect that caught my attention was Spark’s authentic portrayal of the complex bond between Kanda and her daughter, Calian. Their interactions as mother and daughter involved intense arguments and moments of cruelty, yet they found solace and support in each other during challenging times, drawing strength from their connection to persevere.
I was particularly enthralled by Spark’s adept depiction of the changes a woman’s body undergoes during childbirth and the gradual process of aging, and how Kanda fearlessly and unapologetically embraced her physical form. Furthermore, witnessing her contentment in leading a simple life as a farmer’s wife, despite her past as a formidable warrior, was truly heartwarming.
Spark’s skillful narrative technique of alternating between the present and Kanda’s past added a compelling layer to the story, infusing it with suspense and intrigue. The seamless transitions between timelines provided a deeper understanding of the characters and their motivations, enriching the overall reading experience.
While A Sword of Bronze and Ashes possessed many commendable aspects, there were moments when I found the pacing to be excessively slow, despite numerous events occurring on the surface. Although the story delved into intriguing elements like Hall Roven, The Lord and Lady Roven, and the Six Swords, I couldn’t shake the feeling that their contributions to the overall plot were not sufficiently impactful. Additionally, I encountered instances where the dialogues seemed repetitive, hindering the progression of the narrative. The magic system, too, remained elusive to my understanding, leaving me with unanswered questions about its mechanics and rules.
In summary, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes offers a poignant exploration of a mother’s unwavering dedication to safeguarding her children. Despite occasional moments of tedium, I wholeheartedly recommend this novel to readers seeking a departure from conventional grimdark narratives. Its distinctive qualities and captivating portrayal of maternal love make it a worthwhile and refreshing read.
My sincere thanks to Netgalley, Flame Tree Press and Anna Smith Spark for providing me this advance reader copy of A Sword of Bronze and Ashes.
August 18, 2023
Oh where do I start? It's one-line description of
a Celtic-inflected lyrical adventure by grimdark fantasy queen
is about the most accurate summation of the essence of this book. How have I not heard of Anna Smith Spark until now?
The story follows Kanda, a loving wife and mother who seems to enjoy a lovely idyllic life until a touch of horror breaks us out of the reverie and Kanda has to gather her family and run. We quickly discover via scenes from the past that Kanda is a former warrior, one of the esteemed Six Swords of Roven, quickly forming ties between a past that must be catching up to Kanda for reasons yet unknown.
This is an epic high fantasy with some truly real and thought-provoking themes on girlhood, womanhood, family and power. All delivered through lyrical prose that honestly turned my head around multiple times but it was absolutely worth it. Additionally, the lyrical, poetic prose does mean that the overall worldbuilding felt wishy washy which isn't my favourite, considering all the extra time I put in to comprehend the style of prose that I'm not used to, but that is *the* dark fairy tale style and I really respect it.
I am immediately buying my own physical copy of this special book with its gorgeous cover the moment it is out! I'd love to annotate it as I go through the prose again, and get more out of it.
Thank you NetGalley, Flame Tree Press and the author for this advance review copy, I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The story follows Kanda, a loving wife and mother who seems to enjoy a lovely idyllic life until a touch of horror breaks us out of the reverie and Kanda has to gather her family and run. We quickly discover via scenes from the past that Kanda is a former warrior, one of the esteemed Six Swords of Roven, quickly forming ties between a past that must be catching up to Kanda for reasons yet unknown.
This is an epic high fantasy with some truly real and thought-provoking themes on girlhood, womanhood, family and power. All delivered through lyrical prose that honestly turned my head around multiple times but it was absolutely worth it. Additionally, the lyrical, poetic prose does mean that the overall worldbuilding felt wishy washy which isn't my favourite, considering all the extra time I put in to comprehend the style of prose that I'm not used to, but that is *the* dark fairy tale style and I really respect it.
I am immediately buying my own physical copy of this special book with its gorgeous cover the moment it is out! I'd love to annotate it as I go through the prose again, and get more out of it.
Thank you NetGalley, Flame Tree Press and the author for this advance review copy, I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 11, 2023
Growing up in Wales, one of my teachers used to tell us stories, old Welsh folk tales. I just devoured these and this tale reminds me of them in that lyrical, not quite of this world folk tale way- but even darker.... Anna Smith Spark being the Queen of Grimdark.
Kanda is a mother of three girls living with husband, Dellet, on their small farmland. She enjoys milking her cows, her family and living in peaceful times.
What we don't know is that she was one of The Six, legendary soldiers that could defeat whole armies, and that she was the best of all, even slaying dragons.
The tale alternates chapters on what is and what did happen, currently she's trying to keep her family safe from the unexpected danger of her returning past life. People are slain, land is blighted and Kanda needs her sword.
The chapters alternate between first and third person which will help audio listeners distinguish the time lines. The language so lyrical that you'd be forgiven for thinking you were reading an original folk tale. It almost feels like a stream of consciousness at times. It brings Kanda to life.
Thanks to Flame Tree Press and Netgalley for an e-arc, all opinions are my own.
Kanda is a mother of three girls living with husband, Dellet, on their small farmland. She enjoys milking her cows, her family and living in peaceful times.
What we don't know is that she was one of The Six, legendary soldiers that could defeat whole armies, and that she was the best of all, even slaying dragons.
The tale alternates chapters on what is and what did happen, currently she's trying to keep her family safe from the unexpected danger of her returning past life. People are slain, land is blighted and Kanda needs her sword.
The chapters alternate between first and third person which will help audio listeners distinguish the time lines. The language so lyrical that you'd be forgiven for thinking you were reading an original folk tale. It almost feels like a stream of consciousness at times. It brings Kanda to life.
Thanks to Flame Tree Press and Netgalley for an e-arc, all opinions are my own.
September 18, 2023
I am really sorry, but I couldn’t get into the narrative style. I really liked the characters and the themes, but I kept struggling to follow the story, so I am not going to be able to finish this work. At the same time, I can not score it too low because the writing is beautiful. It is a very lyrical book, and I am certain there is a readership for it. I am just not one of them, unfortunately.
September 20, 2023
Amazing story full of charm and eerie atmosphere, reminiscent of old fairy tales.
Full review to come
Thank you so much Netgalley and the publisher for my eARC copy.
Full review to come
Thank you so much Netgalley and the publisher for my eARC copy.
July 8, 2023
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is the latest novel from the pen of Anna Smith Spark. Its cover, courtesy of Flame Tree Press defines the book perfectly. It is ‘lyrical, poetic folk horror’.
Labelled the Queen of Grimdark for good reason, this story is dark fantasy at its best. It is bloody and filled with graphic violence. Battles galore. The author shows her amazing understanding of swordplay throughout. But this is more than just another tale of gory battles. At its heart, this is a story about family.
The story opens in a bucolic idyll. The description captures the beauty of farmland with flower-filled meadows and lowing cows. The prose is beautiful, evocative and genuinely poetic. It makes you want to read it out loud. Obviously, this utopian land is going to be subject to darkness and evil. Here, too, language does so much to counterpoint the beauty. The characters that will form the basis of evil are chilling, foul things. Their actions revolt us. Even the touch of anything they’ve despoiled creates lingering, festering disease.
The horror, in some respects, comes from the protagonist’s daughters seeing all this. It’s the impact on these young girls that amplifies the horror. It resonates with you, if you have children of your own. What would you do to protect your family from these experiences?
There are so many ancient tales that do the same thing. Anna Smith Spark mines folklore to present us with a story that gives a tip of the hat to such tales. At the same time, presenting us with a modern take where women have the strength, the resilience and stamina to stand against this evil. Best of all, Kanda, our protagonist, brandishes her sword outside the traditional female tropes. She is a mother first and last. Yes, she has been a warrior but that doesn’t define her. Her maternal drive does.
It's this element that modernises the kind of stories we might expect from medieval literature. There’s more than a touch of Frigg about Kanda. Odin’s wife in Norse tales is also the goddess of motherhood yet a warrior too. There was horror in a lot of Nordic tales, such as the Draugr, animated corpses that are similar to the creatures in this story. My love of Norse and Celtic folk tales was well served by this book.
Let me finish by giving you a taste of the prose. It’s unique quality makes this book stand out. ‘A fine morning, damp and fresh and clean with the sky new-made pale, after long days of bitter heat. The wound of the sun’s rising fast-faded, the stars fled even in the farthest west. Wind stirs the aspen leaves and they sing and shiver; the cobwebs soread like hair, rain-wet and jewel-bedecked.’
Gorgeous.
Thanks to @NetGalley and @FlameTreesPress for the ARC of this novel.
Labelled the Queen of Grimdark for good reason, this story is dark fantasy at its best. It is bloody and filled with graphic violence. Battles galore. The author shows her amazing understanding of swordplay throughout. But this is more than just another tale of gory battles. At its heart, this is a story about family.
The story opens in a bucolic idyll. The description captures the beauty of farmland with flower-filled meadows and lowing cows. The prose is beautiful, evocative and genuinely poetic. It makes you want to read it out loud. Obviously, this utopian land is going to be subject to darkness and evil. Here, too, language does so much to counterpoint the beauty. The characters that will form the basis of evil are chilling, foul things. Their actions revolt us. Even the touch of anything they’ve despoiled creates lingering, festering disease.
The horror, in some respects, comes from the protagonist’s daughters seeing all this. It’s the impact on these young girls that amplifies the horror. It resonates with you, if you have children of your own. What would you do to protect your family from these experiences?
There are so many ancient tales that do the same thing. Anna Smith Spark mines folklore to present us with a story that gives a tip of the hat to such tales. At the same time, presenting us with a modern take where women have the strength, the resilience and stamina to stand against this evil. Best of all, Kanda, our protagonist, brandishes her sword outside the traditional female tropes. She is a mother first and last. Yes, she has been a warrior but that doesn’t define her. Her maternal drive does.
It's this element that modernises the kind of stories we might expect from medieval literature. There’s more than a touch of Frigg about Kanda. Odin’s wife in Norse tales is also the goddess of motherhood yet a warrior too. There was horror in a lot of Nordic tales, such as the Draugr, animated corpses that are similar to the creatures in this story. My love of Norse and Celtic folk tales was well served by this book.
Let me finish by giving you a taste of the prose. It’s unique quality makes this book stand out. ‘A fine morning, damp and fresh and clean with the sky new-made pale, after long days of bitter heat. The wound of the sun’s rising fast-faded, the stars fled even in the farthest west. Wind stirs the aspen leaves and they sing and shiver; the cobwebs soread like hair, rain-wet and jewel-bedecked.’
Gorgeous.
Thanks to @NetGalley and @FlameTreesPress for the ARC of this novel.
July 30, 2023
I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Title: A Sword of Bronze and Ashes
Author: Anna Smith Spark
Country of Origin : UK
Genre: Celtic Grimdark Heroic Fantasy
Favorite Quote: What did it mean: When the Horn has been blown and the blade has fallen?
- Nothing Good.
Favorite Character: None. The sword was cool though.
Rating : 2.5/5 Stars
TL;DR Available at the bottom.
I must say I was quite excited to read this book, but as I read it, I was more and more disappointed with it. A lyrical, poetic, folk horror fantasy by the Queen of Grimdark?
Sounds too good to be true, and so it was.
It started off real well, like my review for this but it progressively got worse and worse until I couldn't care of anything but just finishing the book and not have a shameful DNF on my list. (DNF still count as TBR and I really dont need more TBR on me)
The wording is exquisite, vivid, and genuinely poetic. The worldbuilding is quite original and interesting but it has one terrible, horrible problem, it feels quite rushed. Many things happen and in the end, nothing happens at all!
The book starts with a quite calm and happy life on a farm and you know what that means? It's going to be taken away from us. Which is understandable, this is a grimdark book after all.
And this is where all the trouble begins, not only in the book but as a reader. Too many characters are thrown at you quickly. Kanda, the MC, her three daughters Cal, Sal and Morna, and her husband Dellet, who could have not even been in the book and nothing would have changed. No wait, I lied. The book would have improved heavily if Dellet was OFF the book or just dead, he was the punching bag of everyone and if you ask me, he had no real reason to even be there and I'll tell you why and this is quite important.
*SPOILERS AHEAD I SIMPLY CANNOT AVOID IT*
Kanda is a Mary Sue, and everyone knows I have a soft spot for Mary Sues but this goes beyond levels to what I consider acceptable even if I stretch it by a lot. She's a mother, a farmer, a wife, a warrior. A warrior? Yes, she's a warrior but not any warrior. She's one of the six! Who are the six? (More on that later) Just the 6 bestest warriors ever and she was the strongest of them all! Why is she so strong? Because well, she is. Not much explanation is given. She is just very, very powerful. She can solo dragons, armies, sieges, whatever you want to have thrown at her she can easily defeat. But she's scared of a few monster men because the plot so requires. She also has a past, a terrible past that she hides from everyone, especially her mistreated husband Del-her-heart.
Now we're following 5 different members of Kanda's family, the bad guys, the six, Lord Roven. Battles, wars, enemies but the pacing goes quite slow and suddenly tries to cram as many worldbuilding and events in a single chapter that just ends up wasting the huge potential the worldbuilding and backstory the world could have had.
Dialogues like most of the scenes were repetitive. Kanda rests with her family then she has to fight the past she tried to leave behind. This happens over and over again through all the book with so many different characters, things going through a crawl and then way too fast that it forgets to answer the most basic of questions.
Why should I care about this character at all?
This is what extreme exposition does to a book too many worldbuilding with little depth or backstory and time with them that at times I really didn't even care about the name of who was talking because in the end Kanda will Deus Ex Machina her way out of it just to go over it again.
I suppose the author wanted to give a feminist POV and how some men treat women poorly and she tried to switch roles but instead of switching just made men useless and have no sense at all (and some would argue but that's just how they are, har-har). How Dellet was treated couldn't make me but cringe and wonder why the guy was stuck there and didn't just leave if he was just so useless. Some might praise how Kanda is described as a mother wanting to have a normal life after being the bestest warrior/magician ever. Because Kanda has magic powers, why she has them or how can she use them we dont know for sure because the magic system isn't explained at all and just seems as her power level to be a convenience for the plot and Deus Ex Machina-solutions.
Yeah, sure, us women get old, our bodies sag, we're not perfect but we should at least strive to improve on them. And sure, families arent perfect and the interactions between them show but I dont think we should go "oh look a dysfunctional family just like in real life" but instead take it as the real (and only) horror in this book. Thinking that any of this is acceptable at all. Again, in my opinion, none of them had any reason to stick together other than "well we were born as a family", family forgives mistakes but shouldn't just mess each other up and expect to be forgiven because family. This will make sense if you ever read the ending.
Also depicting her period and her body sagging doesn't really have an impact on the story and things that should have had more of an impact and care are either forgotten, wasted or seemed to be poorly planned or not at all.
In fact, the tone of the book drastically changes so much that I can't help but wonder if it was written by someone else at some point. This happens around 40% of the book but brutally shows on chapter 24. Things are happening in the present, many characters talk at the same time with little to no indication to the reader of what's happening, I know it adds to the chaos but at least make it a bit understandable and not annoying. But the different character that are talking are also thinking and remembering things in the past with different characters talking, thinking, remembering and doing things and it's just so, so much happening that confuses and makes you think that maybe you missed something important. But you didn't.
This would have worked so much more if it was just made into a shorter story or chopped into many other books that explained thoroughly what's going on and give a much better conclusion to events or just any conclusion or a bit more of impact. Battles are especially the culprit here. They have this big preparation and it's going to be very dangerous but also end up way too fast because Kanda is so, so very powerful...
TL;DR So much potential wasted. Such gorgeous prose describing events so poorly. So many interesting characters but no real reason to care about any of them. To put it simply, this was the most beautiful disappointment Ive ever read.
If Anna Smith Sparks ever reads this. You have talent. Use it. Spread out the events and characters a bit more, go for more depth. Makes us care about them! You have a wonderful world and the most beautiful prose I've ever read. Dont let it go to waste!
Title: A Sword of Bronze and Ashes
Author: Anna Smith Spark
Country of Origin : UK
Genre: Celtic Grimdark Heroic Fantasy
Favorite Quote: What did it mean: When the Horn has been blown and the blade has fallen?
- Nothing Good.
Favorite Character: None. The sword was cool though.
Rating : 2.5/5 Stars
TL;DR Available at the bottom.
I must say I was quite excited to read this book, but as I read it, I was more and more disappointed with it. A lyrical, poetic, folk horror fantasy by the Queen of Grimdark?
Sounds too good to be true, and so it was.
It started off real well, like my review for this but it progressively got worse and worse until I couldn't care of anything but just finishing the book and not have a shameful DNF on my list. (DNF still count as TBR and I really dont need more TBR on me)
The wording is exquisite, vivid, and genuinely poetic. The worldbuilding is quite original and interesting but it has one terrible, horrible problem, it feels quite rushed. Many things happen and in the end, nothing happens at all!
The book starts with a quite calm and happy life on a farm and you know what that means? It's going to be taken away from us. Which is understandable, this is a grimdark book after all.
And this is where all the trouble begins, not only in the book but as a reader. Too many characters are thrown at you quickly. Kanda, the MC, her three daughters Cal, Sal and Morna, and her husband Dellet, who could have not even been in the book and nothing would have changed. No wait, I lied. The book would have improved heavily if Dellet was OFF the book or just dead, he was the punching bag of everyone and if you ask me, he had no real reason to even be there and I'll tell you why and this is quite important.
*SPOILERS AHEAD I SIMPLY CANNOT AVOID IT*
Kanda is a Mary Sue, and everyone knows I have a soft spot for Mary Sues but this goes beyond levels to what I consider acceptable even if I stretch it by a lot. She's a mother, a farmer, a wife, a warrior. A warrior? Yes, she's a warrior but not any warrior. She's one of the six! Who are the six? (More on that later) Just the 6 bestest warriors ever and she was the strongest of them all! Why is she so strong? Because well, she is. Not much explanation is given. She is just very, very powerful. She can solo dragons, armies, sieges, whatever you want to have thrown at her she can easily defeat. But she's scared of a few monster men because the plot so requires. She also has a past, a terrible past that she hides from everyone, especially her mistreated husband Del-her-heart.
Now we're following 5 different members of Kanda's family, the bad guys, the six, Lord Roven. Battles, wars, enemies but the pacing goes quite slow and suddenly tries to cram as many worldbuilding and events in a single chapter that just ends up wasting the huge potential the worldbuilding and backstory the world could have had.
Dialogues like most of the scenes were repetitive. Kanda rests with her family then she has to fight the past she tried to leave behind. This happens over and over again through all the book with so many different characters, things going through a crawl and then way too fast that it forgets to answer the most basic of questions.
Why should I care about this character at all?
This is what extreme exposition does to a book too many worldbuilding with little depth or backstory and time with them that at times I really didn't even care about the name of who was talking because in the end Kanda will Deus Ex Machina her way out of it just to go over it again.
I suppose the author wanted to give a feminist POV and how some men treat women poorly and she tried to switch roles but instead of switching just made men useless and have no sense at all (and some would argue but that's just how they are, har-har). How Dellet was treated couldn't make me but cringe and wonder why the guy was stuck there and didn't just leave if he was just so useless. Some might praise how Kanda is described as a mother wanting to have a normal life after being the bestest warrior/magician ever. Because Kanda has magic powers, why she has them or how can she use them we dont know for sure because the magic system isn't explained at all and just seems as her power level to be a convenience for the plot and Deus Ex Machina-solutions.
Yeah, sure, us women get old, our bodies sag, we're not perfect but we should at least strive to improve on them. And sure, families arent perfect and the interactions between them show but I dont think we should go "oh look a dysfunctional family just like in real life" but instead take it as the real (and only) horror in this book. Thinking that any of this is acceptable at all. Again, in my opinion, none of them had any reason to stick together other than "well we were born as a family", family forgives mistakes but shouldn't just mess each other up and expect to be forgiven because family. This will make sense if you ever read the ending.
Also depicting her period and her body sagging doesn't really have an impact on the story and things that should have had more of an impact and care are either forgotten, wasted or seemed to be poorly planned or not at all.
In fact, the tone of the book drastically changes so much that I can't help but wonder if it was written by someone else at some point. This happens around 40% of the book but brutally shows on chapter 24. Things are happening in the present, many characters talk at the same time with little to no indication to the reader of what's happening, I know it adds to the chaos but at least make it a bit understandable and not annoying. But the different character that are talking are also thinking and remembering things in the past with different characters talking, thinking, remembering and doing things and it's just so, so much happening that confuses and makes you think that maybe you missed something important. But you didn't.
This would have worked so much more if it was just made into a shorter story or chopped into many other books that explained thoroughly what's going on and give a much better conclusion to events or just any conclusion or a bit more of impact. Battles are especially the culprit here. They have this big preparation and it's going to be very dangerous but also end up way too fast because Kanda is so, so very powerful...
TL;DR So much potential wasted. Such gorgeous prose describing events so poorly. So many interesting characters but no real reason to care about any of them. To put it simply, this was the most beautiful disappointment Ive ever read.
If Anna Smith Sparks ever reads this. You have talent. Use it. Spread out the events and characters a bit more, go for more depth. Makes us care about them! You have a wonderful world and the most beautiful prose I've ever read. Dont let it go to waste!
August 30, 2023
4/5 Stars
TL;DR - A dark, gruesome fever dream that’s equal parts folktale and ghost story. A fearless, visceral depiction of motherhood and womanhood, an exploration of of grief, shame, and regret - and conversely, of hope, love, and perseverance. Masterfully told through haunting prose that feels at its core like a time-worn folk story, this book is an intricately-woven tapestry that will stay with me for a long time to come.
Big thanks to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!
***Trigger warning for death of a child.***
‘A Sword of Bronze and Ashes’ by Anna Smith Spark is a grimdark, folk horror high fantasy book that follows a woman named Kanda, wife and mother of three, who only wants to live a peaceful, simple life. However, a body washes up on the banks of the river by her home, and she knows that her shadowed past has finally caught up with her. Told in two timelines, one of Kanda’s current troubles, and the other about her life before she settled down and started a family, we watch as she struggles to keep her family together, fight the evil that plagues them, and see through her eyes as her daughters take their fates into their own hands as their mother did before them.
Another book that I have so few notes on because I was just so caught up in the story. I’ve never read a grimdark fantasy before, so I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, but I found that I definitely enjoyed it.
First and foremost, I need to talk about the prose. Oh my GOODNESS is it so hauntingly beautiful! The blurb calls it ‘lyrical’ and I couldn’t agree more. The descriptions are vivid in so much detail that the world feels alive, from the setting to the characters to the abject horror of the darker elements. And then there’s Kanda’s internal world, which is perhaps even more lush and visceral - she has such a unique way of viewing the world, and all of it explored through luscious, heartbreaking prose. I can’t possibly convey the highs and lows, the light and dark, all the different shades of the writing - it’s something you have to experience for yourself to understand.
Kanda is an amazingly complex and nuanced character. She’s strong and brave and fearless, but she’s also impulsive and quick to anger and deeply scarred from her past. And yet, she does everything for her children, fights and kills and moves heaven and earth to do what needs to be done. Sure, in terms of her fantasy powers, she’s a bit overpowered, but it’s never a convenient fix-all - she always struggles with many things outside of her control, even when she can use her skills to overcome challenges. Most importantly, I am 110% here for a middle-aged mother saving the world so her children can be safe, thank you very much.
On that note, this book beautifully and thoughtfully presents a realistic picture of motherhood and womanhood. Kanda is unapologetically herself, embracing her stretch marks and sagging breasts and middle-aged body, and she STILL kicks ass and takes names and refuses to think of herself as lesser just because she’s getting older and has had three kids. This is the future feminists want! It also explores the complex dynamics between mother and child, between daughters and their mothers, and between married couples. Nothing is sugar-coated, all of it is raw and emotional and completely true to the messy reality of being human. I also think it does a great job of handling grief and how it changes us, and how different people process it in different ways.
The world itself is fascinating. I’m usually one for hard magic systems and heavily fleshed-out worldbuilding, but the magical, folktale storytelling allowed me to ease up on that and really sink into the world. Not a whole lot is super clear about any of the fantasy elements, but because this reads so authentically like a folktale passed down orally for hundreds of years, I’m okay with the finer details being left fuzzy for the sake of atmosphere. It’s supposed to be inspired by Celtic mythology, and while I’m not super well-versed, I definitely could see similarities to the Irish fairytale books my grandmother read to me as a child. The world itself is convincingly Celtic, and some of the naming is, as well, but where I think the comparison comes in is the sheer strange and outlandish magic and mysticism I’ve come to associate with Celtic folklore. I can’t exactly put my finger on why, but all of the weird things going on in this book just feel plausibly like an old story your nan would tell you on a rainy afternoon, and you’d just nod along and think to yourself yeah, that makes sense. It’s a very specific vibe that I really enjoyed.
I would definitely consider this a character-driven story, almost verging into “no plot, just vibes” territory, but there is a discernible plot in there. The book overall is much more about Kanda and her past experiences and current internal struggles, but there’s also the journey she and her family are forced to undertake, as well as confrontations and battles and all manner of things not going the way anyone planned. The inclusion of the second timeline, Kanda’s past, does slow down the pace, but it also presents a lot of background and more worldbuilding, as well as a few mysteries you only see the fruits of towards the end of the book. It’s atmospheric to the max, though, rest-assured.
Overall, this is a really solid book. I gave it a lower rating only because I just don’t think I’m a grimdark girlie. It’s purely a personal thing for me, not a fault of the book itself. I enjoy my fair share of dark and/or tragic stories, but this one cumulatively was a bit much for me. Brief research told me that ASOIAF/Game of Thrones is considered grimdark, and I’m not a huge fan of that series for the same reasons - it’s just too dark for me personally. But, if that’s your jam, I think you’ll like this.
And, me being nit-picky, there’s also a lot of repetitive language throughout. Partially, I can see that some of it was a stylistic choice/writing device because most of it pertains to Kanda’s past and traumatic events therein, so I can excuse those instances. However, there’s a few things that are just repeated on the regular, such as the sun/sunrise being described as “the wound of the sun”, every other plant mentioned when describing the setting is “gorse”, and one of the spooky creatures always lets out a “gobbling neigh”. Not super big overall, but they’re repeated enough that it started to bug me.
Final Thoughts:
I was definitely impressed by the author’s writing chops, and I loved Kanda as a main character and the depictions of her struggles. There’s a lot to like about this book, for sure. However, the story and some of its themes were just too heavy for me, enough so that I won’t be buying a physical copy for myself.
TL;DR - A dark, gruesome fever dream that’s equal parts folktale and ghost story. A fearless, visceral depiction of motherhood and womanhood, an exploration of of grief, shame, and regret - and conversely, of hope, love, and perseverance. Masterfully told through haunting prose that feels at its core like a time-worn folk story, this book is an intricately-woven tapestry that will stay with me for a long time to come.
Big thanks to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!
***Trigger warning for death of a child.***
‘A Sword of Bronze and Ashes’ by Anna Smith Spark is a grimdark, folk horror high fantasy book that follows a woman named Kanda, wife and mother of three, who only wants to live a peaceful, simple life. However, a body washes up on the banks of the river by her home, and she knows that her shadowed past has finally caught up with her. Told in two timelines, one of Kanda’s current troubles, and the other about her life before she settled down and started a family, we watch as she struggles to keep her family together, fight the evil that plagues them, and see through her eyes as her daughters take their fates into their own hands as their mother did before them.
Another book that I have so few notes on because I was just so caught up in the story. I’ve never read a grimdark fantasy before, so I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, but I found that I definitely enjoyed it.
First and foremost, I need to talk about the prose. Oh my GOODNESS is it so hauntingly beautiful! The blurb calls it ‘lyrical’ and I couldn’t agree more. The descriptions are vivid in so much detail that the world feels alive, from the setting to the characters to the abject horror of the darker elements. And then there’s Kanda’s internal world, which is perhaps even more lush and visceral - she has such a unique way of viewing the world, and all of it explored through luscious, heartbreaking prose. I can’t possibly convey the highs and lows, the light and dark, all the different shades of the writing - it’s something you have to experience for yourself to understand.
Kanda is an amazingly complex and nuanced character. She’s strong and brave and fearless, but she’s also impulsive and quick to anger and deeply scarred from her past. And yet, she does everything for her children, fights and kills and moves heaven and earth to do what needs to be done. Sure, in terms of her fantasy powers, she’s a bit overpowered, but it’s never a convenient fix-all - she always struggles with many things outside of her control, even when she can use her skills to overcome challenges. Most importantly, I am 110% here for a middle-aged mother saving the world so her children can be safe, thank you very much.
On that note, this book beautifully and thoughtfully presents a realistic picture of motherhood and womanhood. Kanda is unapologetically herself, embracing her stretch marks and sagging breasts and middle-aged body, and she STILL kicks ass and takes names and refuses to think of herself as lesser just because she’s getting older and has had three kids. This is the future feminists want! It also explores the complex dynamics between mother and child, between daughters and their mothers, and between married couples. Nothing is sugar-coated, all of it is raw and emotional and completely true to the messy reality of being human. I also think it does a great job of handling grief and how it changes us, and how different people process it in different ways.
The world itself is fascinating. I’m usually one for hard magic systems and heavily fleshed-out worldbuilding, but the magical, folktale storytelling allowed me to ease up on that and really sink into the world. Not a whole lot is super clear about any of the fantasy elements, but because this reads so authentically like a folktale passed down orally for hundreds of years, I’m okay with the finer details being left fuzzy for the sake of atmosphere. It’s supposed to be inspired by Celtic mythology, and while I’m not super well-versed, I definitely could see similarities to the Irish fairytale books my grandmother read to me as a child. The world itself is convincingly Celtic, and some of the naming is, as well, but where I think the comparison comes in is the sheer strange and outlandish magic and mysticism I’ve come to associate with Celtic folklore. I can’t exactly put my finger on why, but all of the weird things going on in this book just feel plausibly like an old story your nan would tell you on a rainy afternoon, and you’d just nod along and think to yourself yeah, that makes sense. It’s a very specific vibe that I really enjoyed.
I would definitely consider this a character-driven story, almost verging into “no plot, just vibes” territory, but there is a discernible plot in there. The book overall is much more about Kanda and her past experiences and current internal struggles, but there’s also the journey she and her family are forced to undertake, as well as confrontations and battles and all manner of things not going the way anyone planned. The inclusion of the second timeline, Kanda’s past, does slow down the pace, but it also presents a lot of background and more worldbuilding, as well as a few mysteries you only see the fruits of towards the end of the book. It’s atmospheric to the max, though, rest-assured.
Overall, this is a really solid book. I gave it a lower rating only because I just don’t think I’m a grimdark girlie. It’s purely a personal thing for me, not a fault of the book itself. I enjoy my fair share of dark and/or tragic stories, but this one cumulatively was a bit much for me. Brief research told me that ASOIAF/Game of Thrones is considered grimdark, and I’m not a huge fan of that series for the same reasons - it’s just too dark for me personally. But, if that’s your jam, I think you’ll like this.
And, me being nit-picky, there’s also a lot of repetitive language throughout. Partially, I can see that some of it was a stylistic choice/writing device because most of it pertains to Kanda’s past and traumatic events therein, so I can excuse those instances. However, there’s a few things that are just repeated on the regular, such as the sun/sunrise being described as “the wound of the sun”, every other plant mentioned when describing the setting is “gorse”, and one of the spooky creatures always lets out a “gobbling neigh”. Not super big overall, but they’re repeated enough that it started to bug me.
Final Thoughts:
I was definitely impressed by the author’s writing chops, and I loved Kanda as a main character and the depictions of her struggles. There’s a lot to like about this book, for sure. However, the story and some of its themes were just too heavy for me, enough so that I won’t be buying a physical copy for myself.
September 9, 2023
I sat down in the heatwave to read this and I barely moved all day. It made the hairs on my arms stand up by the end of chapter three, It broke my heart — it stomped on it.
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is like reading the Mabinogion or similar old stories, (without the lists). A deeply immersive folklore feel through the eyes of Kanda, a grounded, natural, earthy mother of three who likes nothing better than to walk barefoot in the wet morning grass of the meadow. That is, until a haunting legacy of her past returns to threaten everything she knows and loves. In the style of the Mabinogion the magic is accepted and unexplained. There are no systems to be outlined- you just have to believe, as those great oral tales of the past expected you to.
Suspend your belief and immerse yourself, let the wonders of the folklore and its magic and surrealist nature of the Hall Roven and the Six, take you on a journey that reflects tales of old from the first word to the last.
A sword of Bronze and Ashes is beautiful and harsh, and horrific and wonderful and awful and heartrending. From the symbology of the three ravens on page one, this is an experience.
A style note.
Anna Smith Spark's style is unique, and often drifts through tense and format, thoughts unquoted are sometimes as thought spoken around and responded to. Do not expect neat dialogue and linear plots in this book. It is both third person and as immersive and internal as first. Sometimes if feels like first person, or almost omniscient. Yet somehow it works, and beautifully. Repetition is part of the poetic nature of the prose and style the book is a modern successor to.
I loved it.
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is like reading the Mabinogion or similar old stories, (without the lists). A deeply immersive folklore feel through the eyes of Kanda, a grounded, natural, earthy mother of three who likes nothing better than to walk barefoot in the wet morning grass of the meadow. That is, until a haunting legacy of her past returns to threaten everything she knows and loves. In the style of the Mabinogion the magic is accepted and unexplained. There are no systems to be outlined- you just have to believe, as those great oral tales of the past expected you to.
Suspend your belief and immerse yourself, let the wonders of the folklore and its magic and surrealist nature of the Hall Roven and the Six, take you on a journey that reflects tales of old from the first word to the last.
A sword of Bronze and Ashes is beautiful and harsh, and horrific and wonderful and awful and heartrending. From the symbology of the three ravens on page one, this is an experience.
A style note.
Anna Smith Spark's style is unique, and often drifts through tense and format, thoughts unquoted are sometimes as thought spoken around and responded to. Do not expect neat dialogue and linear plots in this book. It is both third person and as immersive and internal as first. Sometimes if feels like first person, or almost omniscient. Yet somehow it works, and beautifully. Repetition is part of the poetic nature of the prose and style the book is a modern successor to.
I loved it.
June 16, 2024
More accurate rating: 6-6.5/10.
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, a single POV story, told in third person, opens up as its main character, a middle-aged mother of three daughters named Kanda, comes across a corpse floating down the river running by her cattle pastures. From that point follow a series of harrowing, supernaturally-tainted events, told in a present timeline, as Kanda is forced to flee her home, with her family, to protect it... and is forced to reckon with her progressively revealed past – told, in parallel, in a past timeline – as Ikandera Thygethyn, the greatest warrior there ever was.
Okay, so this one was strange and, unfortunately for me, strange in a way I largely found unsatisfying.
On a positive note, I definitely think this book's prose stood out: its author used very lyrical, evocative prose to convincing effect and, more impressively, a somewhat 'stream of consciousness'-infused narrative style that, on its own, for once, largely worked for me. The story's pacing was also pretty even overall, which I liked.
I really enjoyed just how gynocentric this story was, given the kind of story it was. A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is pretty dark, gritty fantasy with significant supernatural, folklore or mythology-derived horror elements – and yes I'm aware the author is known for writing grimdark fantasy, specifically, though I'm not entirely sure this novel counts as grimdark for me, but of course your mileage will vary with this. But so, given the story's nature, I found the fact its main character was a middle-aged mother of three very pleasantly refreshing. Additionally, the author didn't shy away from showing the less savoury parts of womanhood, of aging womanhood (chin hairs, bodily pains, heavy periods and all) and how this affected her main character with regards to self-image and self-worth – to some extent at least.
Kanda's character work was pretty good overall, though it largely failed when it came to establishing some of her character motivations, specifically, which then impacted the plot's resolution in a way I found frustrating. The book's broader character work also largely fell by the wayside when it came to the story's secondary and tertiary characters. For the most part, those felt more like sketches, archetypes, plot conveniences or rather conveniences drawn for the sake of Kanda's character growth, more than fully fleshed characters in their own right. The amount of plot armour some of the characters received was also very inconsistent and felt, as a result, very convenient in a way I also found frustrating.
As to the book's world-building, and theming... ach, both left me wanting. I didn't get much out of this one with regards to the latter, beyond a couple of threads of exploration on moral redemption and (chiefly) motherly love. Then with regards to the former, well, this book just didn't deliver much that I could really engage with. I believe this book is, partly at least, sold on the fact its world-building is influenced by Celtic folklore and/or mythology. And I could, yes, kind of see it in very subtle ways. But I'm also a mythology nerd and have a very specific interest in, and fondness for Celtic stuff... so I'm not sure this would be at all apparent to more casual mythology enthusiasts, and thus worth promoting.
More than anything though, this novel had a significant problem in terms of tonal, narrative dissonance. It felt, to me, like A Sword of Bronze and Ashes was trying to marry two fairly different, and easily dissonant, narrative tones: one of epic mythicality, and one of more immediate, intimate, psychological and familial tragedy... in a way that just didn't work very well. The book's prose was very lyrical, but also fairly dreamlike, in no small part due, I'd wager, to its 'stream-of-consciousness' inflections. You eventually learn that Kanda is, not only much older than a mortal has any right to be, but a kind of... demigod, is how I understood it. But the narrative doesn't devote enough time to fleshing out the actual nature of her origins, setting- or era-wise. Strange, godlike and demon-like beings are mentioned, but you never really get to understand what their nature truly is. There are also several points in the narrative where you're not entirely sure if what Kanda is experiencing, is actually real. There is a lot of shape-shifting as well, of fluidity between states of life and states of death... which, yes, makes sense in a mythological setting, and which, yes, points to Celtic influences if, like me, you know what to look for. But the problem is I felt like the book ultimately 'wanted' me to focus on the immediate experiences, and emotions, of a middle-aged mother trying to save her family... and none of it meshed together all that well.
Strange, non-intuitive combinations, like salt and caramel, can sometimes lead to wonderful results (salted caramel anythingis the shit). But this novel was made up of a strange combination that didn't, ultimately, taste all that good to me. Its not that it tasted bad, either, exactly. It had, rather... an interesting taste, but I probably wouldn't order that specific flavour combination again, if ya catch mah drift. Which means I don't regret picking this one up, since it was memorable in its own way, but for me, it was only worth reading once.
A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, a single POV story, told in third person, opens up as its main character, a middle-aged mother of three daughters named Kanda, comes across a corpse floating down the river running by her cattle pastures. From that point follow a series of harrowing, supernaturally-tainted events, told in a present timeline, as Kanda is forced to flee her home, with her family, to protect it... and is forced to reckon with her progressively revealed past – told, in parallel, in a past timeline – as Ikandera Thygethyn, the greatest warrior there ever was.
Okay, so this one was strange and, unfortunately for me, strange in a way I largely found unsatisfying.
On a positive note, I definitely think this book's prose stood out: its author used very lyrical, evocative prose to convincing effect and, more impressively, a somewhat 'stream of consciousness'-infused narrative style that, on its own, for once, largely worked for me. The story's pacing was also pretty even overall, which I liked.
I really enjoyed just how gynocentric this story was, given the kind of story it was. A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is pretty dark, gritty fantasy with significant supernatural, folklore or mythology-derived horror elements – and yes I'm aware the author is known for writing grimdark fantasy, specifically, though I'm not entirely sure this novel counts as grimdark for me, but of course your mileage will vary with this. But so, given the story's nature, I found the fact its main character was a middle-aged mother of three very pleasantly refreshing. Additionally, the author didn't shy away from showing the less savoury parts of womanhood, of aging womanhood (chin hairs, bodily pains, heavy periods and all) and how this affected her main character with regards to self-image and self-worth – to some extent at least.
Kanda's character work was pretty good overall, though it largely failed when it came to establishing some of her character motivations, specifically, which then impacted the plot's resolution in a way I found frustrating. The book's broader character work also largely fell by the wayside when it came to the story's secondary and tertiary characters. For the most part, those felt more like sketches, archetypes, plot conveniences or rather conveniences drawn for the sake of Kanda's character growth, more than fully fleshed characters in their own right. The amount of plot armour some of the characters received was also very inconsistent and felt, as a result, very convenient in a way I also found frustrating.
As to the book's world-building, and theming... ach, both left me wanting. I didn't get much out of this one with regards to the latter, beyond a couple of threads of exploration on moral redemption and (chiefly) motherly love. Then with regards to the former, well, this book just didn't deliver much that I could really engage with. I believe this book is, partly at least, sold on the fact its world-building is influenced by Celtic folklore and/or mythology. And I could, yes, kind of see it in very subtle ways. But I'm also a mythology nerd and have a very specific interest in, and fondness for Celtic stuff... so I'm not sure this would be at all apparent to more casual mythology enthusiasts, and thus worth promoting.
More than anything though, this novel had a significant problem in terms of tonal, narrative dissonance. It felt, to me, like A Sword of Bronze and Ashes was trying to marry two fairly different, and easily dissonant, narrative tones: one of epic mythicality, and one of more immediate, intimate, psychological and familial tragedy... in a way that just didn't work very well. The book's prose was very lyrical, but also fairly dreamlike, in no small part due, I'd wager, to its 'stream-of-consciousness' inflections. You eventually learn that Kanda is, not only much older than a mortal has any right to be, but a kind of... demigod, is how I understood it. But the narrative doesn't devote enough time to fleshing out the actual nature of her origins, setting- or era-wise. Strange, godlike and demon-like beings are mentioned, but you never really get to understand what their nature truly is. There are also several points in the narrative where you're not entirely sure if what Kanda is experiencing, is actually real. There is a lot of shape-shifting as well, of fluidity between states of life and states of death... which, yes, makes sense in a mythological setting, and which, yes, points to Celtic influences if, like me, you know what to look for. But the problem is I felt like the book ultimately 'wanted' me to focus on the immediate experiences, and emotions, of a middle-aged mother trying to save her family... and none of it meshed together all that well.
Strange, non-intuitive combinations, like salt and caramel, can sometimes lead to wonderful results (salted caramel anythingis the shit). But this novel was made up of a strange combination that didn't, ultimately, taste all that good to me. Its not that it tasted bad, either, exactly. It had, rather... an interesting taste, but I probably wouldn't order that specific flavour combination again, if ya catch mah drift. Which means I don't regret picking this one up, since it was memorable in its own way, but for me, it was only worth reading once.
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