Here’s a link to Fantasy Faction, a great location for all things fantasy literature featuring many community members who have been heroes to the cause for years: https://fantasy-faction.com/
Here’s a link to my Purge of Ashes review: https://fantasy-faction.com/2026/purge-of-ashes-by-joel-minty
And here’s key snippets from Stuart Cripps Schnoor’s review. Which best qualifies Purge of Ashes?
Ooh, I like this one:
From page one, this story grabs you and holds you in its grip, drawing you into knife-edged politics, relentless conflict, and deeply human relationships. Joel Minty’s exceptional debut immerses you in an expansive new world. But it’s more than that. It’s the beginning of what could become an epic tale wrestling with humanity’s capacity to create, destroy, and survive.
Stuart Cripps Schnoor, Fantasy Faction
Oh, but there’s also this one:
This is a book that rewards close attention. Its intricate worldbuilding asks you to hold details in mind until their connections become clear. It takes some investment, but for me, that gradual unfolding is part of the pleasure. Joel’s prose flows elegantly, then shifts into a blunt, hard-hitting rhythm when the narrative demands it.
STUART CRIPPS SCHNOOR, FANTASY FACTION
Okay, fine. One more:
For me, a book becomes something special when it strikes a certain chord, gets under your skin and crawls awhile. That’s exactly what Purge of Ashes did. It embedded itself and stayed with me long after I put it down. I could imagine the world and feel the characters’ vulnerabilities. The atmosphere Joel creates is electric, threaded with the sense that safety is always fragile and conflict never far away. That sustained tension kept me hooked.
STUART CRIPPS SCHNOOR, FANTASY FACTION
Imbalance 