Filled with colorful characters, politics, and a dark, gritty fantasy world, Favors within Ashes accompanies readers with carefully crafted worldbuilding and beautiful illustrations drawn by the author.

The book opens with a strong prologue, and afterwards dives into the bleak world that welcomes you with with giant birds, people eating stones to survive, and old temples filled with danger.
We follow various POV's in this story. My favorite has been Marco's. I love stories of trying to get out of a violent and dirty life. The story is best experienced by yourself. This is not an easy read, not only does the book feature detailed descriptions of the world, there is also quite a bit of violence of all kinds, though it is not overwhelming.

This is a very strong debut that does not read like an author's first work to me. Writing a 700 page debut is not an easy task. The writing was easy to understand, character development was great, and it's clear the author put love into it.

To the author:
I am looking forward to the sequel. I do hope you can manage to tighten the sequel a bit more, while I loved the first book, it was long, and at times started to drag, before picking up the pace again. Nonetheless, I am glad to have found your work, and wish you success with this series. And thank you for the illustrations, I always love art in books!

A pretty darn enjoyable book, thanks John & Netgalley

Favors Within Ashes is a captivating novella that blends elements of fantasy, magic, and personal growth. The story centers around a protagonist burdened by past mistakes who embarks on a journey of redemption. The world-building is immersive, with intricate lore and a rich, mystical atmosphere that draws readers in. The character development is compelling, as the protagonist's internal struggles resonate with universal themes of guilt, forgiveness, and transformation. The pacing is steady, and while the plot is somewhat predictable, it is executed with emotional depth. Overall, Favors Within Ashes is a thought-provoking and engaging read.