Kings of Ash
core novel 2018 Ash and Sand
Record
| First published | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.37 (2,733 ratings, collected 2026-08-29) |
| Page count | 665 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9781795514002 |
| Internal chronology | 2 |
Synopsis
Kings of Ash continues the Ash and Sand trilogy, following Ruka in the years after the events of Kings of Paradise as he works to build a new settlement for his people. His eidetic memory means every moment of his past, including its most painful events, remains as vivid to him as the day it happened, a burden that shapes how he sees himself and those around him. Ruka's mind holds two distinct facets: the calculating strategist capable of great foresight, and Bukayag, a far more brutal and instinct-driven presence that surfaces under pressure, creating a persistent internal tension. Told partly through flashbacks that fill in earlier chapters of his life alongside the unfolding present, the novel follows Ruka as he contends with the consequences of choices made in the first book while facing new political and personal challenges tied to the settlement he is trying to establish.
Where it sits
- Universe: Ash and Sand
- Series: Ash and Sand core; position 2 of 3 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Richard Nell
Notes
- From the series record (Ash and Sand): Self-published grimdark epic fantasy trilogy blending Southeast Asian and Nordic-inspired settings (the island nation of Sri Kon/Pyu and the frozen wasteland of Ascom).
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series Ash and Sand: position 2 of 3: previous Kings of Paradise (2017) · next Kings of Heaven (2020)
Sources
- Series reader-rating page
- Grimdark Magazine review
- https://www.richardnell.com/book/ash-sand-book-2/
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