I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Title: First, Become Ashes
Author: K.M. Szpara
Release Date: 4.6.21
Publisher: Tordotcom
Publisher's Summary
The Fellowship raised Lark to kill monsters.
His partner betrayed them to the Feds.
But Lark knows his magic is real, and he'll do anything to complete his quest.
K. M. Szpara follows Docile, one of the most anticipated science fiction novels of 2020, with First, Become Ashes, a fantastic standalone adventure that blends pain and pleasure and will make readers question what is real, and what is magical.
Lark spent the first twenty-four years, nine months, and three days of his life training for a righteous quest: to rid the world of monsters. Alongside his partner Kane, he wore the cage and endured the scourge in order to develop his innate magic. He never thought that when Kane left, he'd next see him in the company of FBI agents and a SWAT team. He never dreamed that the leader of the Fellowship of the Anointed would be brought up on charges of abuse and assault.
He never expected the government would tell him that the monsters aren't real--that there is no magic, and all the pain was for nothing.
Lark isn't ready to give up. He is determined to fulfill his quest, to defeat the monsters he was promised. Along the way he will grapple with the past, confront love, and discover his long-buried truth.
My Review
Don't let this beautiful and serene book cover fool you. Despite the numerous and extreme trigger warnings, I somehow assumed this would be a story that merely featured those topics as details of a more in depth story of a cult. No, this novel has S&M, rape, and self-harm (all in extreme detail) in the story forefront a majority of the time. I'm far from a prude and I definitely don't kink-shame, but reading this was like trying to find a storyline in a porn video. The marketing is way off here.
His partner betrayed them to the Feds.
But Lark knows his magic is real, and he'll do anything to complete his quest.
K. M. Szpara follows Docile, one of the most anticipated science fiction novels of 2020, with First, Become Ashes, a fantastic standalone adventure that blends pain and pleasure and will make readers question what is real, and what is magical.
Lark spent the first twenty-four years, nine months, and three days of his life training for a righteous quest: to rid the world of monsters. Alongside his partner Kane, he wore the cage and endured the scourge in order to develop his innate magic. He never thought that when Kane left, he'd next see him in the company of FBI agents and a SWAT team. He never dreamed that the leader of the Fellowship of the Anointed would be brought up on charges of abuse and assault.
He never expected the government would tell him that the monsters aren't real--that there is no magic, and all the pain was for nothing.
Lark isn't ready to give up. He is determined to fulfill his quest, to defeat the monsters he was promised. Along the way he will grapple with the past, confront love, and discover his long-buried truth.
My Review
Don't let this beautiful and serene book cover fool you. Despite the numerous and extreme trigger warnings, I somehow assumed this would be a story that merely featured those topics as details of a more in depth story of a cult. No, this novel has S&M, rape, and self-harm (all in extreme detail) in the story forefront a majority of the time. I'm far from a prude and I definitely don't kink-shame, but reading this was like trying to find a storyline in a porn video. The marketing is way off here.
DNF @ 50% (and from other reviews I've read--thank goodness I stopped when I did)
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