Ashes of Man by Christopher Ruocchio
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't think I'll ever get over how much I got annoyed by the first book in this series. All the name-swiping and nods to other big SF properties simply drove me OUT of the enjoyment of what, in the end, IS a proper good SF in its own right.

Fast forward to book 5, a good 3 books in where I've been grooving to the tale and characters, and I can hardly believe how much I love it NOW versus THEN.

Yes, I love it now. The pain, the reluctant heroism, the sheer scope of DUTY, memory, and loss, just makes this tale shine. I may have even teared up a little.

And the wonderful collection of baddies, of alien or mechanoid races or even proto-gods, also makes this SF shine in a different way. The action sequences are top-notch, but that's like icing to the delicious cake that carries the epic space-opera scope. Oh, the sorrow...

So yeah, I recommend. Wholeheartedly--with that other caveat.

This book's synesthesia is the sense of a deep void filled with awe and tiny pieces of cake.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my own SF, I'm going to be open to requests. Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.

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