Matthew WardFantasy · Fiction
Legacy of Ash
Synopsis
Legacy of Ash is Matthew Ward's ambitious epic fantasy debut and the opening volume of the Legacy Trilogy, published in 2019. Set in the beleaguered Tressian Republic, it follows a large ensemble of soldiers, nobles, assassins, and gods as internal treachery leaves the nation exposed to the encroaching Hadari Empire. At its heart is the enmity between Viktor Akadra, the Republic's celebrated warrior harbouring a forbidden power, and Josiri Trelan, heir to a crushed rebellion.
Ward weaves dozens of viewpoint characters through court politics, battlefield campaigns, and a mythology of divine intervention, building a dense, interlocking narrative of loyalty and legacy. The book is frequently described as grimdark-adjacent epic fantasy, praised for its scope and character work while demanding patience for its length and cast.
A doorstopper opener that establishes the world, factions, and feuds carried through Legacy of Steel and Legacy of Light, it appeals to readers of large-scale political fantasy.
How it reads
Prose complexity 10/10
Content warnings (2)
ViolenceGraphic Violence
Genres
Characters
Viktor AkadraProtagonist
The Tressian Republic's unmatched warrior-champion, who conceals a heretical power that would see him condemned to the pyre.
Josiri TrelanProtagonist
Son of the executed rebel known as the Phoenix and a political prisoner; Viktor's sworn enemy who dreams of finishing his mother's uprising.
Calenne TrelanSupporting
Josiri's younger sister, who longs to escape the shame attached to the Trelan name.
Melanna SaranalSupporting
Ambitious daughter of the Hadari imperial line, driven to prove herself in a realm that resists a woman warrior.
