Review: Of Ash and Salt by Daniel G.M. McGee

Of Ash and Salt by Daniel G.M. McGee is an epic fantasy novel and the first book in The Emorean Prophecy and from the beginning I could tell it was going to be a good one.

It follows the stories of Eila and Aiden, two characters separated in physicality but linked by fate. As the novel unfolds, it is clear that McGee has an excellent handle on tension and suspense. Each chapter brings new questions about where it all might go, but still manages to slowly feed tidbits of information to keep you interested. The most interesting thing about Of Ash and Salt is that the two perspectives of Eila and Aiden seem to come from different novels. 

Eila’s story is almost dystopian as she navigates her life as an orphan in the walled off Evergeens and gets caught up in the politics and power-plays of rebellions and cults. While Aiden’s story takes a more traditional route in the form of an epic quest with setbacks and triumphs along the way. You might expect the two frameworks to clash and feel disjointed, but they really don’t. In fact, they compliment each other in ways that elevate this novel and make it feel fresh and interesting. 

The writing is superb and the characters have distinct voices that really shine through and there is enough wit and humour to keep the book from becoming bogged down in the reality of the situation the characters find themselves in. 

The last quarter of the novel does slow down quite a bit as the characters all move into position for the beginning of the next one, making the pacing feel a little sluggish. I also would have liked to have seen Sadral Kirn, the principal antagonist for this book, be a little more fleshed out. 

Of Ash and Salt is a great beginning to a series and really sets the stages for something that could be great. 

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Book Details

Author: Daniel G.M. MgGeeLength: 352 pagesSeries: The Emorean Prophecy Book 1Genre: Dark FantasyOf Ash and Salt releases on the 5th of February. Details available from the authors website.