A War in Crimson Embers

By: Alex Marshall

Narrated by: Angèle Masters

The final book in the Crimson Empire trilogy, a game-changing fantasy epic featuring an unforgettable warrior.

Former warrior queen and now pariah, Cold Zosia wakes in the ashes of a burning city. Her vengeance has brought her to this -- her heroic reputation in tatters, her allies scattered far and wide, and her world on the cusp of ruin.

General Ji-Hyeon has vanished into the legendary First Dark, leaving her lover Sullen alone to carry out the grim commands of a dead goddess. The barbarian Maroto is held captive by a demonic army hell-bent on the extermination of the Crimson Empire, and only his protégéé Purna believes he can be saved.

Zosia must rally her comrades and old enemies one last time, for what will prove the greatest battle of her many legends. . .if anyone lives to tell it.

Critic reviews

"A fitting conclusion to an original and exciting fantasy trilogy."—Booklist on A War in Crimson Embers

"Thrilling action set pieces."—Kirkus on A War in Crimson Embers

"This is a fitting follow-up to the first Crimson Empire book; full of bloody battles and strong females ... The writing and setting are rich ... Purna is a strong character who adds an interesting dynamic to the twisted and surprising story."
—RT Book Reviews on A Blade of Black Steel

"This is my favorite kind of fantasy -- alternatively irreverent and brutal, with a cast of wonderfully scarred and nasty people. Any fans of Steven Erikson, Mark Lawrence, or Joe Abercrombie will love A Crown for Cold Silver; I've just finished it, and I'm already eager for more."—Django Wexler on A Crown for Cold Silver

"Alex Marshall builds a sprawling world that grows larger and deeper with every page. Instantly believable. Zosia and her Five Villains are as fun as they are twisted."—David Dalglish on A Crown for Cold Silver

"An epic fantasy that will surprise you. When was the last time you read one of those? Marshall deftly sets up and subverts expectations at every turn. If you think you know what's coming, think again."—Kameron Hurley on A Crown for Cold Silver

"Brimming with imagination and invention... Fabulous!"—John Gwynne on A Crown for Cold Silver

"Exceptional writing, middle-aged warrior heroine, and organically infused gender nonconformity make this fantasy epic a first-rate trailblazer... splendid storytelling, wry humor, and unresolved intrigue."—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on A Crown for Cold Silver

"This brawny revenge fantasy feels like a Tarantino movie: a hugely entertaining mix of adventure and comedy, punctuated by moments of darkness, with clever dialogue and explosive set-pieces... A pure joy to read."—Booklist (Starred Review) on A Crown for Cold Silver

"A Crown for Cold Silver drags epic fantasy through the mud - but it does so with wit, wonder and wisdom."
—NPR Books on A Crown for Cold Silver

"This lusty debut will have you gasping in one breath and laughing in the next ... Marshall is playing a long, glorious game."
—Washington Post on A Crown for Cold Silver

"Enough fiendish political maneuvering to make George R. R. Martin jealous."
—Shelf Awareness on A Crown for Cold Silver

"An epic tale of invasion, civil war, and divine incursion."
—Kirkus on A Crown for Cold Silver

"A rollicking, obscene, subversive, and zany epic fantasy ride."
—B&N Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog

Fantastic end to a wonderful trilogy

An excellent story with wonderful characters you never want to leave. This series is underrated and, for me, was stands along side some of the best fantasy fiction out there.

Great series!

I really enjoyed this book, Wrapped up
The series perfectly and am keeping these on rotation to read again

SOOOOO, is there more?

I fell in love with these characters. I know there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, but I'd love for the old gang to have to get back together again to continue the story!

Series Fades As It Goes

The Crimson Empire series starts off gangbusters with A Blade Of Black Steel, and by the end of that book I felt I was off to a great series. The story continues well into the second book, but began to fade about halfway into it. Unfortunately, The Crimson Empire, the third book, continues to loose steam with nothing much happening through a majority of the book. The weird high school romantic angle of two of the main characters becomes ridiculous. Fortunately, the writing recovers enough to bring in the final battle and a decent end to the series.

Overall, this series seems to be somewhat of missed opportunity to capitalize on a interesting world and promising beginning. The narration by Angèle Masters is the saving grace of this story. She was excellent throughout and makes this audiobook series worth a listen.

Great narration, good characters, mediocre craft

As the title says, the narrator is excellent, and some of the characters are phenomenal, turning tired tropes on their respective heads, and breathing life into an otherwise predictable world. That's the downfall though; the rest of the story, and the craft by which it is assembled, isn't poor--but it isn't that good either. Overall worth it for a fun time with a new take on some interesting characters.


(Minor Spoilers ahead)


You know what's not exciting or interesting? When characters do really dangerous stuff over and over and almost die, over and over...but then don't. Oh sure, some tertiary characters bite it, but how many times can you hear a character say something like: "And john knew he was dead, then, and it was a good/bad/silly way to go out", but then they miraculously survive before you want to pluck your eyes/ears out? Also, when someone has been stabbed/shot/broken, they don't get up, run across a battlefield and fight 40 more people while humming about how wonderful the song will be.

Marshall could have taken some GRRM lessons here, the thrill wears off after a few chapters. Then there's the pipe smoking, which was interesting at first but gets a little tired. And of course that everyone seems to be bisexual or bi-curious, which I guess is possible (and I might even prefer a world where its the norm) but seems somehow to make it harder to believe in some of the characters. Then again, maybe that's part of the world construction. All that said, I still think the book is worth it for the characters, some of whom are just so wonderful I'm still hanging out with them in my mind.