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Ashlords by Scott Reintgen

Young adult

Ashlords

by Scott Reintgen

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Quick take

The violent dystopia of The Hunger Games with fiery, phoenix-horse races leading to a revolution. Hold on tight.

Good to know

  • Illustrated icon, Fast_Read

    Fast read

  • Illustrated icon, Multiple_Viewpoints

    Multiple viewpoints

  • Illustrated icon, Action_packed

    Action-packed

  • Illustrated icon, First_in_Series

    First in series

Synopsis

Every year since the Ashlords were gifted phoenix horses by their gods, they've raced them. First into battle, then on great hunts, and finally for the pure sport of seeing who rode the fastest. Centuries of blood and fire carved their competition into a more modern spectacle: The Races.

Over the course of a multi-day event, elite riders from clashing cultures vie to be crowned champion. But the modern version of the sport requires more than good riding. Competitors must be skilled at creating and controlling phoenix horses made of ash and alchemy, which are summoned back to life each sunrise with uniquely crafted powers to cover impossible distances and challenges before bursting into flames at sunset. But good alchemy only matters if a rider knows how to defend their phoenix horse at night. Murder is outlawed, but breaking bones and poisoning ashes? That's all legal and encouraged.

In this year's Races, eleven riders will compete, but three of them have more to lose than the rest—a champion's daughter, a scholarship entrant, and a revolutionary's son. Who will attain their own dream of glory? Or will they all flame out in defeat?

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Check out a preview of Ashlords.

Ashlords

1

The Alchemist
Imelda

Farian wakes me at some ungodly hour.

He comes in like he lives here, drags me out of bed, and gets me into a pair of boots. My corner candle’s out, so I can’t even see which cloak he throws around my shoulders or which hat he slaps on my head. Farian would say that’s for the best. According to him, fashion and I were never properly introduced. He’s always threatening to throw away my favorite dresses. It is a point of contention between us.

We stumble through the dark. Someone’s asleep on the couch. An uncle, but I couldn’t say which one. They all snore the same. Empty bottles spin away from my clumsy steps. Farian keeps a steady hand on my back until we’re in the candlelight of the kitchen. He sets a cup of coffee in my hands, lets me take a few sips, and then pushes me out the door.

It should be black at this hour, but the sky’s cloud-clear, and the stars recognize a stage when it’s there. Dueling nebulas slash over the dark, rolling mesas. I hear Doctor Vass explain, “Each light is a sun. To each sun, planets. To each planet, moons. How endless it all is. . . .”

Farian looks back. “You awake yet?”

“No talking until I can see what color your clothes are.”

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Why I love it

Dystopian YA had its heyday while I was in high school, and you can bet I devoured every one I could get my hands on. So as I dove into Scott Reintgen’s Ashlords, I felt an acute sense of nostalgia that took me right back to the days I spent poring over The Hunger Games and Divergent. Simultaneously familiar (in the best way possible) and inventive, I haven’t had this much fun reading a book in a long time.

In The Races, it’s not enough to be a great rider. Contestants must also have mastery in combat and alchemy if they hope to survive, let alone win, the brutal days-long event with their phoenix horses. When The Races bring together a champion’s daughter from the upper crust, a revolutionary with something to prove, and a scholarship entrant planning to uproot the system entirely, the simmering tension of an oppressive society erupts.

Whether you’ve been reading dystopian YA for years or this is the first you’ve picked up, Ashlords has something for everyone. With its fight-the-system attitude and fearsome characters facing impossible odds, plus a little alchemy and a Wild West-inspired setting, Ashlords is an insanely exciting, binge-worthy read I couldn’t put down.

Member ratings (566)

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Young adult
View all
The Wild Huntress
Ruthless Vows
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
Dragonfruit
The Thirteenth Child
The Reappearance of Rachel Price
Gwen & Art Are Not in Love
Check & Mate
Divine Rivals
Foul Lady Fortune
Anna K Away
I Must Betray You
A Wilderness of Stars
Warrior Girl Unearthed
Bloodmarked
Instructions for Dancing
The Boy in the Red Dress
Color Me In
Not So Pure and Simple
Throw Like a Girl
Frankly in Love
Wayward Son
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them
Anna K
Patron Saints of Nothing
The Kingdom of Back
Yes No Maybe So
Permanent Record
Full Disclosure
Oasis
Where the World Ends
I Have No Secrets
When the Stars Lead to You
All the Bright Places
Saving Zoë
Symptoms of a Heartbreak
All of Us with Wings
The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World
Past Perfect Life
There's Something About Sweetie
Again, But Better
Sky Without Stars
How (Not) to Ask a Boy to Prom
Night Music
Shout
The Deceivers
Top Ten
A Million Junes
And We're Off
Salt to the Sea