This was such a good folk horror fantasy novel, I was hooked from the first page. The cover had everything that I was looking for and enjoyed from other books like it. Anna Smith Spark has a great writing style with a great Celtic feel to it. The characters had a great feel to them and I’m glad I got to read this.

3,5⭐️

"I, monster, killer, Ikandera Thygethyn, who has destroyed lives beyond number, I am pregnant with a child, I am creating life, that cannot be right."

Anna Smith Spark takes a different turn on a "chosen one" trope. It's not about a journey of becoming one, it is about consequences. Typical fantasy book tries to paint how life changes when you go from zero to top, sings about poignant adventures, honor and bravery, doing the right thing. "A Sword of Bronze and Ashes" isn't interested in that. Instead, it tries to paint a very different idea: what if a hero makes a mistake. What happens to once-known-as hero. How hard the past can bit your ass.

Kanda is a mother and a wife to a farmer. She rises three daughters and bread dough every morning. She also slaughtered her past life and buried it deep into the ground, but dead don't stay dead very long in her world. When people she used to know burn her village and make her family go for the run, she must embrace what she has hidden all those years ago, but what is perhaps harder: look into her family's eyes, as they discover who she really is.

Can I just say, I adore this concept. It's a great premise with interesting takes: a woman warrior, way into her fourties, with everything that comes with age, taking care of kids and saving the world. I wish the world building was stronger in this one, as it wasn't as developed as I had hoped. Anna Smith Spark has ideas and shows them, as without them there won't be a story, but it could've been more. I want to know what Kanda's world is capable of, how it looks, how it works. I'm starving, as the bits I receiber where good, but not enough to satisfy.

I wondered how much writing such story is possible without first writing the "becoming a hero" part. Lately there's a lot of books named "cozy fantasy", and lots of people say they're lacking something. And what they're lacking is high stakes which are crucial to show in order to let characters feel this cosiness. Kanda's story is definitely about consequences, but how much can you show the weight of them without showing their origins. Anna Smith Spark pretty much manages to do that – I still think it could use a bit more world building, but besides that, I think it was pretty satisfying.

If you look for a very much adventurous book, I don't think this is a perfect choice. But if you look for a story of high emotions, with family's bounds in foreground, it is an interesting book to read. Some pages were dull and could use some polish, but you know what? I can't think of any other book where the main female character is a warrior, but also is an old woman, and a mother, and not an object of desire of every man in circle of thousand miles. Kanda has stretch marks, gray hair and normal body reactions, she is a warrior, but most importantly: she is a human. And I'll drink to that.

Nobody writes fantasy like Anna Smith Spark. Nobody writes mothers and their families in fantasy like Anna Smith Spark. And nobody so consistently reaches into your chest with those themes and crushes your heart while the world around you burns and is soaked in blood like Anna Smith Spark. I knew within the first three chapters of A Sword of Bronze and Ashes that I was going to enjoy this book, and the author has once again–with her unique poetic literary fantasy–delivered an absolute experience.

Cover for A Sword of Bronze and Ashes by Anna Smith SparkIn A Sword of Bronze of Ashes Kanda’s beautiful life of loving husband, three children, lush farmland, cows who give milk that is almost all cream, is upended when a body floats down the river. Her husband and children look to her and she flees with them, a confrontation with three horrors revealing a secret she has held from them for a lifetime.

What follows is a high fantasy fever dream ride through emotional heartbreak (with the shards of your heart often then ground into the mud after), sweeping and picturesque and grotesque battles, and the breaking down and growth of Kanda as a woman and a mother.

A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is not grimdark book like we are accustomed to from the author, but Smith Spark’s first foray (that I’m aware of) into epic fantasy horror retains all the hallmarks of her beautiful storytelling ability. This book is a high fantasy that mixes Norse-style mythology storytelling when recounting stories of the Demi-god like Six in one storyline with beautiful personal action in the other as Kanda and her family flee their past and she reveals what she once was–and as a family they deal with the fallout. While I’m not much of a horror reader, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes also layers on a thick swathe of horror to make sure the darkness and fear that Smith Spark excels at delivering will keep her fans and new readers thoroughly hooked.

Smith Spark’s focus on the relationship between mother and child (mother and sons in A Woman of the Sword; and mother and daughters in A Sword of Bronze and Ashes) is really heart rending. She hits those key notes of love and rebellion and wanting impress and outdo our parents (who couldn’t possibly understand what we’re going through) so, so well. We’ve all been that child. Some of us have felt the wildly juxtaposed feelings of love and frustration as a parent, and thought some horrible thoughts about children at times. Smith Spark writes those thoughts and those feelings in a such a visceral way.

One of the things I always feel when I read a Smith Spark book is that there are so many layers of understanding and literary metaphor there for every reader. As a childless 38 year old male with relatively few struggles to face in life, I am going to take away something very different to a mother of three juggling her own person and needs with those of her children while trying to maintain her love for her husband. This is, in part the beauty of Smith Spark’s works–that you can probably revisit them over the years and have a wildly different experience.

A Sword of Bronze and Ashes by Anna Smith Spark is another gorgeous work. Peter McLean described it as “Heavy Metal Mythology” and I don’t think I could come up with a better description for where it sits within the fantasy world. I highly recommend you pick this book up.

I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. Unfortunately, the writing style was not for me. I definitely think other people will enjoy and love the book.

I loved A Sword of Bronze and Ashes!
This was actually the first book I've read by Anna Smith Spark and it definitely won't be my last!

It had some amazing characters and I really loved Kanda!
I surprisingly also enjoyed that the book jumped between the past and the present.
I'm not always a fan of this in books but I thought it was done really well in this one!

This book is described as a "lyrical, poetic, folk horror fantasy' and I think it fits the book perfectly!
I especially loved the horror elements as there were definitely some amazing scenes.

I definitely highly recommend this book!
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Sword of Bronze and Ashes by Anna Smith Spark is a lyrical fantasy not for the faint hearted. I found it a bit too floral in its prose for my tastes, but the story at its heart is one of a mother determined to protect her family. I'd recommend this to all fantasy lovers who like a little darkness in their stories.

I tried over and over again to get myself into this book but I could not get passed the first page. The prose is wonderful but it’s just not for me at the moment.

The premise of this starts so promising but I just could not get into this. It was very slow and kind of weird. I thought it would be a creepy little myth fantasy and it was. It had a lot of potential but I just could not get into or like any of the characters. Our heroine is a mother and keeps referring to one of them as her least loved but most like her. The end got better and more interesting as we learn who our heroine is, who is hunting her and her family, and her backstory overall, I think the story would have worked out better if our heroine was less sketchy. I am sad I wanted to like this and I just didn't.

I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Title: A Sword of Bronze and Ashes

Author: Anna Smith Spark

Country of Origin : UK

Genre: Celtic Grimdark Heroic Fantasy

Favorite Quote: What did it mean: When the Horn has been blown and the blade has fallen?
- Nothing Good.

Favorite Character: None. The sword was cool though.

Rating : 2.5/5 Stars

TL;DR Available at the bottom.

I must say I was quite excited to read this book, but as I read it, I was more and more disappointed with it. A lyrical, poetic, folk horror fantasy by the Queen of Grimdark?

Sounds too good to be true, and so it was.

It started off real well, like my review for this but it progressively got worse and worse until I couldn't care of anything but just finishing the book and not have a shameful DNF on my list. (DNF still count as TBR and I really dont need more TBR on me)

The wording is exquisite, vivid, and genuinely poetic. The worldbuilding is quite original and interesting but it has one terrible, horrible problem, it feels quite rushed. Many things happen and in the end, nothing happens at all!

The book starts with a quite calm and happy life on a farm and you know what that means? It's going to be taken away from us. Which is understandable, this is a grimdark book after all.

And this is where all the trouble begins, not only in the book but as a reader. Too many characters are thrown at you quickly. Kanda, the MC, her three daughters Cal, Sal and Morna, and her husband Dellet, who could have not even been in the book and nothing would have changed. No wait, I lied. The book would have improved heavily if Dellet was OFF the book or just dead, he was the punching bag of everyone and if you ask me, he had no real reason to even be there and I'll tell you why and this is quite important.

*SPOILERS AHEAD I SIMPLY CANNOT AVOID IT*

Kanda is a Mary Sue, and everyone knows I have a soft spot for Mary Sues but this goes beyond levels to what I consider acceptable even if I stretch it by a lot. She's a mother, a farmer, a wife, a warrior. A warrior? Yes, she's a warrior but not any warrior. She's one of the six! Who are the six? (More on that later) Just the 6 bestest warriors ever and she was the strongest of them all! Why is she so strong? Because well, she is. Not much explanation is given. She is just very, very powerful. She can solo dragons, armies, sieges, whatever you want to have thrown at her she can easily defeat. But she's scared of a few monster men because the plot so requires. She also has a past, a terrible past that she hides from everyone, especially her mistreated husband Del-her-heart.

Now we're following 5 different members of Kanda's family, the bad guys, the six, Lord Roven. Battles, wars, enemies but the pacing goes quite slow and suddenly tries to cram as many worldbuilding and events in a single chapter that just ends up wasting the huge potential the worldbuilding and backstory the world could have had.

Dialogues like most of the scenes were repetitive. Kanda rests with her family then she has to fight the past she tried to leave behind. This happens over and over again through all the book with so many different characters, things going through a crawl and then way too fast that it forgets to answer the most basic of questions.

Why should I care about this character at all?

This is what extreme exposition does to a book too many worldbuilding with little depth or backstory and time with them that at times I really didn't even care about the name of who was talking because in the end Kanda will Deus Ex Machina her way out of it just to go over it again.

I suppose the author wanted to give a feminist POV and how some men treat women poorly and she tried to switch roles but instead of switching just made men useless and have no sense at all (and some would argue but that's just how they are, har-har). How Dellet was treated couldn't make me but cringe and wonder why the guy was stuck there and didn't just leave if he was just so useless. Some might praise how Kanda is described as a mother wanting to have a normal life after being the bestest warrior/magician ever. Because Kanda has magic powers, why she has them or how can she use them we dont know for sure because the magic system isn't explained at all and just seems as her power level to be a convenience for the plot and Deus Ex Machina-solutions.

Yeah, sure, us women get old, our bodies sag, we're not perfect but we should at least strive to improve on them. And sure, families arent perfect and the interactions between them show but I dont think we should go "oh look a dysfunctional family just like in real life" but instead take it as the real (and only) horror in this book. Thinking that any of this is acceptable at all. Again, in my opinion, none of them had any reason to stick together other than "well we were born as a family", family forgives mistakes but shouldn't just mess each other up and expect to be forgiven because family. This will make sense if you ever read the ending.

Also depicting her period and her body sagging doesn't really have an impact on the story and things that should have had more of an impact and care are either forgotten, wasted or seemed to be poorly planned or not at all.

In fact, the tone of the book drastically changes so much that I can't help but wonder if it was written by someone else at some point. This happens around 40% of the book but brutally shows on chapter 24. Things are happening in the present, many characters talk at the same time with little to no indication to the reader of what's happening, I know it adds to the chaos but at least make it a bit understandable and not annoying. But the different character that are talking are also thinking and remembering things in the past with different characters talking, thinking, remembering and doing things and it's just so, so much happening that confuses and makes you think that maybe you missed something important. But you didn't.

This would have worked so much more if it was just made into a shorter story or chopped into many other books that explained thoroughly what's going on and give a much better conclusion to events or just any conclusion or a bit more of impact. Battles are especially the culprit here. They have this big preparation and it's going to be very dangerous but also end up way too fast because Kanda is so, so very powerful...


**HUGE SPOILER AHEAD**






The ending seems to be a cliffhanger by the way





**SPOILER END**

TL;DR So much potential wasted. Such gorgeous prose describing events so poorly. So many interesting characters but no real reason to care about any of them. To put it simply, this was the most beautiful disappointment Ive ever read.

If Anna Smith Sparks ever reads this. You have talent. Use it. Spread out the events and characters a bit more, go for more depth. Makes us care about them! You have a wonderful world and the most beautiful prose I've ever read. Dont let it go to waste!

A Sword of Bronze and Ashes weaves together Celtic mythology and dark fantasy. Kanda, a mother, wife, and gifted homesteader, faces a harrowing ordeal when a marauding group from her past razes her village and destroys her home. Fleeing with her family, Kanda is compelled to reveal her most guarded secret: she was once part of an elite group of magical warriors tasked with pushing back the overwhelming darkness threatening their land. While she hoped to leave violence behind, it has now caught up with her, and she must once again take up arms—yet this time, her daughters are determined to fight by her side.

I liked how the narrative shifted between Kanda's past and present; it provided a rich backstory while keeping me engaged. Smith's poetic prose may divide readers but it's atmospheric and somehow fits folkloric and folk horror aspects of the story. Amidst the war's violence, the story delves into emotional depths, exploring themes of motherhood and legacy. In doing so, it showcases Spark's prowess as a storyteller, providing a gripping and thought-provoking story.

This lady is not called the Queen of Grimdark for nothing. If you want very dark fantasy, blood soaked pages and graphic violence then this is the book for you. Pages and pages of battles, wonderful storytelling and great characters and at the heart of the story family, I devoured this book and finally turned the last page at 2am. Yes this book is that good and highly recommended with a well deserved five stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the Arc in return for an honest review.

Amazing stuff from Spark I'm never read any of her books so I thought this would be a good entry, it is fantasy but it has a lot of horror elements to it. It did start off a little slow so I would say it was kind of a slow burn and then things picked up it's also very descriptive in some places if that's what you like I found it a little repetitive at times but it overall was a solid book I would say horror / fantasy

Anna Smith Spark deserve way more exposition then she gets and she prove yet again with her new novel. Pure fantasy in a beautiful prose. Must read for every fantasy fans!

This is Anna Smith Spark's fifth novel to date, and as with the previous four, it is an absolutely stunning masterclass in writing fantastic fiction.

Infused with a lot of Celtic imagery and themes, and possibly owing something of its DNA to the works of Susan Cooper, Alan Garner, and Lloyd Alexander, this is a tale that explores the responsibilities of motherhood and the consequences of broken promises and oaths. And for those who are familiar with Anna's previous books, yes it's still got a dark heart to it, even if it is, on the surface, less grim than her earlier works.

The narrative follows Kanda, a woman whose past catches up with her just as she's forged a good life for herself and her family. When that past threatens to destroy her family and her life, Kanda is left with no choice but to take up her sword once more, and fight to hold on to the things she holds precious.

There are a lot of layers to this novel, with Kanda's past gradually being uncovered as she tries to lead her family to safety, as well as a thread throughout the story exploring the bond between daughter and mother, and how that bond can be affected by the child growing up and seeking her independence.

As with all of Anna's writing, this book is full of some of the most lyrically beautiful prose you'll ever lay your eyes on, and there are a few places in this one where the writing reminded me of Michael Moorcock or M. John Harrison at their most psychedelic. Where the Empires of Dust trilogy and A Woman of the Sword tend to be more grounded in the reality of the story, this new novel leans a lot more towards the mythically surreal, switching vertiginously between the real and the unreal on several occasions. And what a gloriously fantastic unreal it is too, with terrifying horse-skulled monsters and deliciously twisted demigods chasing our protagonists around the countryside.

There are a few authors I will go out of my way to recommends to anyone and everyone, and Anna is definitely one of those authors. After all, they don't call her the Queen of Grimdark for nothing.

A Sword of Bronze and Ashes, authored by Anna Smith Spark, is a peculiar yet captivating piece of literature, crafted with eloquent and artistic language, making it quite challenging to provide a definitive rating.

Personally, I found great pleasure in Kanda’s narrative, both as Kanda herself—a devoted mother of three daughters—and as Ikandera Thygethen, a former warrior and member of the esteemed Six Swords of Roven. The remarkable quality of the lyrical prose shines brightly throughout A Sword of Bronze and Ashes. The storyline itself is peculiar, replete with enigmatic and somber moments that skillfully evoke deep emotions within the reader.

The depiction of Kanda’s family dynamics was exquisitely rendered. Anna Smith Spark skillfully captured the realism in her relationships with her husband, Dellet, and her daughters, Sal, Calian, and Morna. The author beautifully portrayed how, despite occasional arguments and outbursts of anger, the profound love and trust between husband and wife ultimately triumph. Another remarkable aspect that caught my attention was Spark’s authentic portrayal of the complex bond between Kanda and her daughter, Calian. Their interactions as mother and daughter involved intense arguments and moments of cruelty, yet they found solace and support in each other during challenging times, drawing strength from their connection to persevere.

I was particularly enthralled by Spark’s adept depiction of the changes a woman’s body undergoes during childbirth and the gradual process of aging, and how Kanda fearlessly and unapologetically embraced her physical form. Furthermore, witnessing her contentment in leading a simple life as a farmer’s wife, despite her past as a formidable warrior, was truly heartwarming.

Spark’s skillful narrative technique of alternating between the present and Kanda’s past added a compelling layer to the story, infusing it with suspense and intrigue. The seamless transitions between timelines provided a deeper understanding of the characters and their motivations, enriching the overall reading experience.

While A Sword of Bronze and Ashes possessed many commendable aspects, there were moments when I found the pacing to be excessively slow, despite numerous events occurring on the surface. Although the story delved into intriguing elements like Hall Roven, The Lord and Lady Roven, and the Six Swords, I couldn’t shake the feeling that their contributions to the overall plot were not sufficiently impactful. Additionally, I encountered instances where the dialogues seemed repetitive, hindering the progression of the narrative. The magic system, too, remained elusive to my understanding, leaving me with unanswered questions about its mechanics and rules.

In summary, A Sword of Bronze and Ashes offers a poignant exploration of a mother’s unwavering dedication to safeguarding her children. Despite occasional moments of tedium, I wholeheartedly recommend this novel to readers seeking a departure from conventional grimdark narratives. Its distinctive qualities and captivating portrayal of maternal love make it a worthwhile and refreshing read.

My sincere thanks to Netgalley, Flame Tree Press and Anna Smith Spark for providing me this advance reader copy of A Sword of Bronze and Ashes.

Smith Spark has well earned her reputation as a leading writer of Grimdark and dark fantasy. Her descriptions are never gratuitous but the dark elements balance against ominously peaceful beauty. She realy gets the genre in a way other writers who emerged at the same time (cough R F Kuang cough) do not. This was beautiful and horrific with real notes of horror. I enjoyed it immensely.

A Sword of Bronze and Ashes is the latest novel from the pen of Anna Smith Spark. Its cover, courtesy of Flame Tree Press defines the book perfectly. It is ‘lyrical, poetic folk horror’.
Labelled the Queen of Grimdark for good reason, this story is dark fantasy at its best. It is bloody and filled with graphic violence. Battles galore. The author shows her amazing understanding of swordplay throughout. But this is more than just another tale of gory battles. At its heart, this is a story about family.
The story opens in a bucolic idyll. The description captures the beauty of farmland with flower-filled meadows and lowing cows. The prose is beautiful, evocative and genuinely poetic. It makes you want to read it out loud. Obviously, this utopian land is going to be subject to darkness and evil. Here, too, language does so much to counterpoint the beauty. The characters that will form the basis of evil are chilling, foul things. Their actions revolt us. Even the touch of anything they’ve despoiled creates lingering, festering disease.
The horror, in some respects, comes from the protagonist’s daughters seeing all this. It’s the impact on these young girls that amplifies the horror. It resonates with you, if you have children of your own. What would you do to protect your family from these experiences?
There are so many ancient tales that do the same thing. Anna Smith Spark mines folklore to present us with a story that gives a tip of the hat to such tales. At the same time, presenting us with a modern take where women have the strength, the resilience and stamina to stand against this evil. Best of all, Kanda, our protagonist, brandishes her sword outside the traditional female tropes. She is a mother first and last. Yes, she has been a warrior but that doesn’t define her. Her maternal drive does.
It's this element that modernises the kind of stories we might expect from medieval literature. There’s more than a touch of Frigg about Kanda. Odin’s wife in Norse tales is also the goddess of motherhood yet a warrior too. There was horror in a lot of Nordic tales, such as the Draugr, animated corpses that are similar to the creatures in this story. My love of Norse and Celtic folk tales was well served by this book.
Let me finish by giving you a taste of the prose. It’s unique quality makes this book stand out. ‘A fine morning, damp and fresh and clean with the sky new-made pale, after long days of bitter heat. The wound of the sun’s rising fast-faded, the stars fled even in the farthest west. Wind stirs the aspen leaves and they sing and shiver; the cobwebs soread like hair, rain-wet and jewel-bedecked.’
Gorgeous.
Thanks to @NetGalley and @FlameTreesPress for the ARC of this novel.

It is not often I am surprised nowadays and this book whilst a good read was not surprising, I have read other books by this author and they either hit or miss with me and this falls somewhere in between, what I am surprised by is that what should be a fairly straightforward review of a book is becoming an essay competition between semi professional reviewers, seriously people there is no need for a review that is longer than the first chapter!

Anna Smith Spark is an author whose prose is much talked about and admired. And while I agree that yes her prose is arguably unmatched, I think what sometimes gets lost in all of this is how incredibly brilliant she is at crafting such compelling stories that have the ability to completely shake the reader with their emotional impact. Another area where Spark excels in my opinion is her exquisite writing of characters. You will fall in love with these people and also have your heart brutally crushed by them. Hey, they don't call her Queen of Grimdark for nothing!

Spark sets the mood right from the jump in A SWORD OF BRONZE AND ASHES and we are introduced to Kanda and her family in an ominous opening scene where they are seemingly being stalked by someone(s) or someTHING(s). Who or what it is that is hunting them remains hidden in the woods around their home but you can tell they are getting very close. Kanda flees with her family rather than be sitting ducks and says that they must travel to a nearby mountain to retrieve a magical weapon that is the only thing that can slay those in pursuit. Her family has no clue that Kanda was once the most powerful member of The Six, warriors and protectors of Roven who have been fighting this same evil for what seems like forever. She has kept it a secret from her children and husband for many years but it seems her old life has found her again and nothing short of facing it head on will return them to their once peaceful life.

And that is the awesome premise that begins this wonderful fantasy tale that is heavily based in ancient folklore and brimming with horrific elements throughout. A SWORD OF BRONZE AND ASHES is really a satisfying read that has so many refreshing aspects to it. The big one for me being the main character Kanda and how she is portrayed. So many times we see "heroes" in fantasy who are chiseled physical perfection, always seem to make the right decisions, fearless in their approach, and unwaveringly embracing of their destiny. Here though, Anna Smith Spark has woven from her mind one of the greatest heroes of all. And it's because Kanda has very few of these tropey hero traits that we typically see. She herself readily admits that she's quite a bit grayer now than in her previous glory days, maybe slightly flabbier as well, she's more focused on being a mother (and potentially a grandmother), and she has long since traded in her magical and majestic sword for a life consisting of living contentedly on a small farm with her husband and children. At the same time, that blazing fire still resides in Kanda and when need be we see it emerge as she fights to protect something even more special and dear to her than simply the walls of a kingdom.

I really liked how the chapters in this book alternated between the present and Kanda's past history as one of The Six. I thought it really gave an essential backstory to the things leading up to the events as they were in the hauntingly creepy opening scene. As the story plays out it becomes more and more clear what the relationship between the hunter and hunted truly are. Just masterful in its execution and this is another reason why Anna Smith Spark is one of the best at what she does. There's a disturbing underlying mystery that we just know is going to blow our minds when it is finally revealed. But along the way Spark is going to make us sweat as she strengthens our connection to the main characters through deeply personal dialogue so that we gradually begin to fear greatly for them and pray frantically that they make it out unscathed.

A SWORD OF BRONZE AND ASHES is both a heart wrenching and mesmerizing story that carried me through so many conflicting emotions throughout. There were times when I felt like I just couldn't continue reading it because I loved these characters so much and damn do they get put through a ton of heavy stuff. But much like Robin Hobb's books they are just way too good not to continue on and find out how it all shakes out. Ultimately this is a book that will challenge many preconceptions with regard to what a hero should look and behave like, and that is a very good thing. I'm delighted to say that Anna Smith Spark has done it yet again with this cracking read and I hope there are many more stories to come in this multi-layered and captivating world.