In Ashes Lie continues the story of the Onyx Court, a faerie city situated just below London, and the Court's dealings with London's mortals. Lune, who became queen of the Onyx Court in Midnight Never Come, reigns still. Her mortal consort, Michael Deven, is long dead. Lune has chosen another man to act as her official consort and liaison with the mortal world, but the role is political only.

In Ashes Lie follows Lune and her allies through the end of Charles I's troubled reign, Oliver Cromwell's rise to power, and the eventual restoration of the monarchy. Running alongside this mortal politicking, dangerous plots are afoot in the faerie court. As you might guess by the novel's title, the climactic events take place during the Great Fire of 1666, which threatens to destroy both London and the Onyx Court. Midnight Never Come, In Ashes Lie gets off to a slowish start. Marie Brennan takes her time moving all of her pieces into place. When all hell does break loose, though, it's as exciting as anyone could wish, and made all the more effective by the careful, deliberate buildup of events.

This is, first and foremost, a story about power: its uses and misuses. It becomes clear early in the novel that Lune has been changed by her years on the throne, by the tough decisions that a ruler must make. The events of In Ashes Lie test her further, and there are a few questions always on Lune's mind and the reader's: When should justice be tempered by mercy? Should the fae meddle in mortal affairs, and if so, how? Can Lune avoid becoming as ruthless as her predecessor, Invidiana?

Readers looking for romance will not find it here. If In Ashes Lie is a love story, it's a love story between Lune and her kingdom, and between her mortal friends and the city of London. It's a beautiful and touching story, too. It's just not what you may be expecting if you seek another Lune/Deven plotline.

I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention Brennan's prose, just as restrained and elegant as before. And the only real peeve I had in Midnight Never Come has been remedied here: there's a map of London in the front of the book, along with a Dramatis Personae for those moments when you can't remember who is lord of what.

Recommended, with the caveat that you'll probably want to read Midnight Never Come first. In Ashes Lie stands on its own plotwise, but there are many references to people and events past. The characters' history weighs heavily on them, and you'll get more out of the story if you are familiar with that history.4 s Margaret1,040 382

In this sequel to Midnight Never Come, Brennan moves forward from the end of the Elizabethan era to the middle of the seventeenth century. As the book begins, the Great Fire of London is just starting, and humans and fae a are battling its flames. But it isn't just the fire that threatens: Brennan flashes back to earlier in the century, when King Charles I fought with politics and soldiers against the Roundheads, and Queen Lune of the fae Onyx Court struggles for her throne as well.

_In Ashes Lie_ has all the excellent historical detail and folklore of _Midnight Never Come_, and similarly good portraits of its historical characters and its fictional ones. I missed some of the emotional immediacy provided by the romance in _Midnight Never Come_, but the romance isn't just forgotten here; Lune still remembers and grieves for her human lover, who isn't simply forgotten as the immortal court lives past him. The flashback structure is well handled, and the plot is especially dexterously woven into the threads of history. I think I d _In Ashes Lie_ even more than _Midnight Never Come_, and I definitely look forward to the next book, which Brennan calls "an Enlightenment faerie alchemical fantasy".2009-read 2012-read authors-ab ...more2 s Holly Stone637 1 follower

in this second book Miss Brennan takes on not only the English Monarchy in Charles and his successor Charles II but also the Great Fire of London. Pitting Mortal and Fae against a Dragon. Lune is still Queen... Her Prince of the Stone Lord Anthony Ware succumbs to the Plague so she also must name a new Prince finding him in Dr. Jack Ellin....New members of Lune's Court appear and some older ones return. I d this book can't wait to read the next....books-i-own fantasy hardcover2 s scarlettraces2,742 18

history with a very thin veneer of novel, and i prefer *not* to have faeries with my history, thanks.yay-for-libraries2 s Allie Riley476 194

I would prefer it if the action were a little more linear, but otherwise I have no criticisms of this fine instalment of the Onyx Court series. By virtue of crosschecking with information on line, I learnt a great deal of history of which I would otherwise have been ignorant. Lune's development as a character was particularly pleasing. Looking forward to the next in the series, which I am just about to start, and highly recommended. Do read the first novel beforehand, though.1 Emma Sadler142 1 follower

If anything, I think I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series. Some events in history covered are the execution of Charles I, Cromwell’s protectorate, the restoration of the monarchy and Charles II as well as the great fire of London. I loved how the author weaves the world of fae and the Onyx Court around the events. How a war with Scottish fae led to the great fire and how the dragon was eventually defeated.1 Eric820 7

Looking forward to continuing reading the series. This author's fine, thought-provoking and fun work does not disappoint...fantasy historical-novels1 Shannon 1,216 2,347

It is 1636, the reign of Charles I and a time of upheaval in the English Parliament. With pressure from the Puritans, pressure against Charles Stuart's spendthrift ways and his requests for more money to fund his war in Scotland, the Commons is being manipulated by a few to put Charles on trial.

Sir Antony Ware, an alderman with a seat in the Commons, toes a fine line between Royalists and Puritans, trying to keep his seat long enough to do some good. For it's not just the mortals of London who are affected, but the fae of the Onyx Hall beneath the city feel the pain and upheaval of the world above.

Antony is the Faerie Queen's consort, the "Prince of the Stone", a mortal co-ruler of the Onyx Court. The Queen, Lune, once loved a mortal man, Michael Deven, and understands as no one else does the ties between the Onyx Hall and London City. The fae of the Hall's close relations with the mortal world brings censure and scorn from other faerie kingdoms, in particular the Scottish Gyre-Carling, Nicneven, who schemes to bring them down in retaliation for the death of Mary, Queen of Scots.

In 1666, the Great London Fire is started by an errant spark from a baker's oven and goes on to completely destroy the old city as well as more beyond its walls. In the Onyx Hall, the Winter Hag breathes the cold wind of death through the palace at the behest of Nicneven. As a great Fire Dragon is born of the ever-increasing flames, so the threat from all sides increases and Lune is put in the untenable position of having to consider the sacrifice of her home, or her throne.

Anyone who knows their British history knows that Charles I was tried and executed by his own parliament, something that had no precedent and has never happened since. It was a corrupted parliament with no authority, but it served its purpose and a brief Commonwealth and military rule led by Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector, followed. (Despite what the book's blurb says, the political upheaval etc. didn't occur in 1666.)

The Fire of 1666, the year after the Black Plague devastated the population of London, is another big event in the country's history. As historical fiction, In Ashes Lie is a detailed, vigourous read. I haven't studied this century since first year uni and frankly, I'd forgotten all the details, so it was refreshing to revisit it all in a fictional context.

In contrast, the fantasy side of the novel is sadly lacking. The old city of London, with the Tower and London Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral and the Exchange, Cheapside and Gracechurch Street (recognisable by any Pride and Prejudice fan), is a place of mystery, darkness, squalor and myth. Less squalor these days I'm sure, but the whole of England is inseparable from its folklore. There's an atmosphere of promise, a hint of something Other, something fae, hidden unless you know where to look for it.

The trouble is, I never got a chance to see beyond a surface picture. Few of the faeries were fleshed out - Lune, yes, but the sprite Irrith, the knight Cerendel, the giant Prigurd, the brownies Gertrude and Rosamunde and a bare few others were lightly touched upon, their personalities hinted at. I might have been able to appreciate this mysteriousness but the atmosphere was missing. The novel revolves entirely on plot and a forward momentum through the decades, from 1636 to 1666, and selfishly hoards its characters' more intimate natures, feelings and motivations.

The structure worked well most of the time, alternating between short visits to the fire in 1666, where time moves more slowly as they battle the flames, the Dragon, the Hag and Nicneven, and the lead-up to the fire, jumping over near decades in the interim. There're always some elements of the future that you know of, and others that haven't yet been revealed, which maintains some suspense and tension. Yet the anticipation is not always there, and as bogged down in worldly politics as it can get, it didn't always hold my interest. I also sometimes became disorientated, struggling to remember whether something happened in the now or in the future.

In a way, I was disappointed that Brennan didn't interweave the fae with the mortals more closely - history happened regardless of the fae, rather than truly influenced or affected by it, leaving you wondering what the point is. On the one hand, I that it wasn't contrived in that way, but on the other I kept thinking it would be made more exciting if it were. Needless to say, I fluctuated in my response a great many times while reading this.
2009 fantasy historical-fiction1 Gav218 Read

As above, so below. There is a struggle above. King and Parliament vie for power. Below, there is rebellion in the faerie realm and the Onyx Court. And in a humble bakery in London’s Pudding Lane, a spark will ignite and force all, Roundhead and Cavalier, human and fae, to set aside their differences to save their homes from annihilation.

Brennan’s mastery of mixing history with her faerie world was tested in Midnight Never Come. But as important as the history was Brennan was free their to build a love story around the events without the being tied too strongly to fixed dates and events.

This time history is front and centre though she’s left plenty of room for development the story is constrained by the timing and movement of historical events.

In order to split things up and also to show more sustained development Brennan switches from the slow burning events which lead up to the beheading of King Charles and the restoration of Parliament and the Monarchy to the supernatural fight that takes place during the Great Fire of London.

Because of the limitations of the narrative I did find it a slow going. This isn’t to say that it isn’t enjoyable but due to the timescale it had sometimes lacks a sense of urgency to drags you from one event to the next.

Brennan does do an amazing job of weaving parallels between the real world events with the affects on the fae and vice versa.

We meet some new characters and see the return of others. Lune is immortal but Deven is mortal and can not live forever. Instead Lune has chosen a new Prince of Stone, a mortal to help rule at her side. Anthony’s role is more than ceremonial. He’s Lune’s connection with the mortal world and it’s a connection that works both ways. He needs the fae in the real world as well.

Some great touches are explored Queen Lune and the long shadow of the Queen she replaced in Midnight Never Come and those events lingering influence over Lunes decisions.

Mythago Wood this is closer to my idea of fantasy and what I want from a fantasy story. I want a story that has clever ideas, emotional and characters that can be connected with and getting away from the quest stereotypes, though they of course have their own place in fantasy.

Overall, the tone is different from Midnight Never Come but Brennen takes that foundation and expands on it focusing in on historical events but also fleshing out on earlier characters and new challenges. It does require you to be paying a bit of attention, especially during the leaps in time but they are all flagged if you take a little bit of time.

I’m excited to see the next one is called A Star Shall Fall. How teasing is that!

PS: I was lucky enough to meet Marie when she was doing on the ground research for A Star Shall Fall and her schedule for her London trip was exhausting. I’m always a bit worried when meeting and author that I won’t the book after meeting them.

Thankfully I did end up liking In Ashes Lie, as Marie has a wonderful sense of humour and is a fascinating person to listen to and she showed that what is presented in each novel is just the surface of the attention to detail she has put in to it.1 Louisa Crichton26

While I loved the 1st book this one I admit I struggled with. It just didn't capture me in the same way. Also didn't the jumping around, while it's done in many books this one I actually found myself having to look at the dates and almost refresh my memory of bits.1 Clare G.29 29

This book was the bane of my existence. I do not mean that it was bad (I rated it four stars, after all), I just mean that, for nigh on a year, this book sat on my shelf with less than the first hundred pages read. I don’t know what it was. Maybe it was the terrible cover. Maybe it was my post-Christmas reading slump (which I’m hoping to dodge this year). Whatever it was, this book sat on my shelf, judging me for my cowardice for eleven long months. Then, after the all-consuming disappointment that was The Subtle Knife, I decided to retreat back into a world I knew.

And I loved it.

I think I must be one of the few people out there who prefer these books to Marie Brennan’s Lady Trent books. Don’t get me wrong, I adored Isabella, and I owe A Natural History of Dragons a huge debt for getting me back into reading, but I always felt that those books fell short of what they could be. In a way, I do feel the same way here. I dearly wished that we could spend more time with strange creatures such as the mara, the goblins, the Cailleach Bheur and the talking tree. It’s actually a similar problem to what I had with City of Stairs – I just wasn’t allowed enough time with the weird creatures.

What really sells this series for me is the characters. I would hate to be in Lune’s position. I took one look at the catty backstabbing and constantly shifting friendship groups of high school and promptly ran away. One day in the Onyx Court and I think I’d lose my mind. The political machinations and difficulties are very well done, and the layering of mortal and human politics was fascinating to watch. The characters go through a lot in this, both Lune and Antony, her new human consort. Lune has to deal with betrayal on all sides and has to fight for London, both below and above, to keep them whole. Antony, on the other hand, is torn between the two worlds, one of which he must keep secret from Kate, his wife (who I loved, by the way). Antony may be my favourite character in this book, partly because, through him, I was able to see England’s struggles. First under a hapless king, then through civil war, then under Oliver Cromwell’s fist, then in plague. It was stressful, I’ll tell you that. One of the things I loved most about Lune was her struggle between keeping control of a cutthroat court and trying not to become Invidiana. Even dead, the old faerie queen continues to cast a shadow, one felt most acutely by Lune, and it was fascinating, if sometimes painful, to watch Lune grapple with handling her predecessor’s legacy.

The final thing I love about this series is the way fae are portrayed. When I was a child, I received two versions of faeries. One was from Disney movies: tiny, shiny wings, little wands and ridiculously adorable and bungling. The other I’m not even sure where I got it from. Maybe it was from one of those multi-coloured fairy books. Maybe I made them up. (Come to think of it, it might have been after reading The Luck Uglies). Whatever instigated it, I entered teenagehood believing that fairies were strange creatures – long-living, eldritch and a little twisted. When I began reading Sarah J Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses, I was hoping for something along these lines.

As anyone who’s come within poking distance of this series will know, that is not what I got. In Maas’ books, fairies are essentially super-hot, immortal humans with flawless skin and a culture-wide obsession with sex. These fairies are nothing that. The majority of them see humans as paltry things, to be avoided and at best be used for entertainment (whatever that may entail) and then abandoned. But that’s not the whole story. The other side is the fact that, once given, a fairy’s love endures forever, long after the death of their beloved. A constant source of confusion to the fae is Lune’s love for the late Michael Deven, a human being. I loved the way Michael and his mortality had rubbed off on Lune. The subject of immortality (which is a concept that scares me to my marrow) is barely even mentioned in Maas’ books (another reason for disappointment) but in Brennan’s, with the plague raging through England, it is impossible to ignore, and it was interesting to watch the differing faerie reactions to such a grand scale of death.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed this book – court intrigue, just enough historical stress, characters that I love and a version of fairies that I can get behind. Now please let me see more of the weird creatures, Brennan.

Clare G.
Autor del comentario:
=================================