Tales From Ashen Falls by Paul Lavender
Genre – Dark Fantasy
Ages 16+
Published 9/12/2016
About the Book – Tales From Ashen Falls, Short but Sweet
“Monsters are on the rise and gods walk the streets of Ashen Falls in four stories that serve as a prelude to The Eighth God.
Melress and The Fading Man
A young half-elven boy is kidnapped by a children’s nursery rhyme.
The Dove’s Head Inn
Someone wants to get their hands on The Dove’s loot, but they have to get past two bouncers to do it.
Melress Investigates
Something is killing residents of Ashen Falls, and a young Melress is found standing next to a body. Can the battle mage find the real culprit?
The Scarecrow
It’s a foggy night in Ashen Falls, and soon monsters walk the streets led by a man with one thing on his mind – revenge!” – Publisher’s Blurb
The Review – Four Fine Tales, Enhancing the World of The Eighth God
Mister Lavender has impressed us with this quartet of stories, each taking place in the world that he has painstakingly built. So here, we won’t talk too much about his work here. It is good, it does its job, but it is that job that we wished to discuss. What makes this book such a fantastic read is not the stories themselves, but the world that they continue to create.
The Eighth God is a beautiful book, you can find our review here, but it was a story with a single purpose. We love those, don’t get us wrong, but something like Tales From Ashen Falls actually allows you to get to know and understand the world that the author has created. There are so many details that are lost, facets of a world that, perhaps, cannot find their way into a novel, that can find their way into a collection such as this.
Is Tales from Ashen Falls perfect? Well, you could do a lot worse. The writing is spot on. The stories are certainly each a fun read. Whether you have read The Eighth God, or you are considering it, this book is certainly worth a read. It gives a glimpse of Mister Lavender’s style and a taste of his world.
The Rating – B+
We had to give it a couple of dings due to the brevity of the work, but it was nevertheless a fun read. Do you love dark fantasies? Do you love short stories? If so, then Tales from Ashen Falls is for you. Mister Lavender’s unique style still shines. The dialog is pithy and fun. The stories themselves are self-contained, but provide a look into a fantastic world. We look forward to seeing more from Mister Lavender in the future.
Do you want to read Tales from Ashen Falls? You can find it here. As well, The Eighth God can be found here.