Rules of Ascension

This was a pleasant surprise! I had to buy it because my library didn’t have it, so I was hoping for the best. I bothered to buy it because Mercedes from MercysBookishMusings recommended it. The cover would not have sold me.

I loved the slow unfolding of the story here. The political intrigue is complex enough for me to feel like it’s more than just the Bad Guys vs the Good Guys. The beginning is really strong and had me invested. It does NOT start with a history lesson. I appreciated that so much. Details about the world and the history are introduced as needed, and it rarely felt awkward.

The trajectory for Tavis is one of the strongest parts for me. I love it when there’s so much room for character growth over a series. However, one of the weaknesses of the book is that there are a number of supporting characters that kind of blur into a blob of “good soldier” or “honorable man.” I hope that Coe improves on this as the story moves forward, but in any case I’m drawn in enough by the plot intricacies and mysteries to keep going. It’s really been difficult for me to find fantasy books with the type of plotting that gets close to GoT, so this was really fun to read.

The bigger problem with the story, and the reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5, is the women characters and the role of women here. Coe unfortunately decided to largely replicate gender roles of medieval times instead of toss that part of the medieval inspired setting aside. He’s created some women I care about all the same, but almost all of them are attractive, and it’s always noted one way or another. But at least, so far, there hasn’t been any sexual violence in the name of “realism.” The bar is low.

Looking forward to picking up the next in the series shortly!

I first picked up Rules of Ascension on the bargain table of an "already out of business" sale at a former Borders or something while in middle school. At that point, I was looking for a Fantasy series to graduate from Redwall, Artemis Fowl, and Harry Potter. This series was such a huge step up. We had politics, racism, murder, realistic action, and a plot more complex than "hero saves the day."

This series really set the table for me to transition into grittier, adult themed fantasy. I absolutely loved it. There is such a clear tie in my head between this series and ASOIAF. Game of Thrones didn't shock me or blow my mind, because I had already waded in these waters.

Coming back to it now, I was excited to see how my younger impressions hold up over time. On my reread, I found myself tearing through the book in a way I haven't for quite a while. But, as with everything, no experience is the same twice. While certainly more complex and darker than anything in my YA catalog, the Rules of Ascension belongs solidly in the tier just below my current favorites.

All of that said, I still love this book and look forward to rereading the four that follow it. I'm sure this series will continue to spark joy and survive on my shelves for a long time.