Reviewed by Keith Mbuya for Readers' Favorite

At twenty years old, Elysia Dayne is an unflinching wyrm slayer. Together with her team, they move around the desert frontiers of Mesos, her homeland, slaying the monsters for pay and opening up trade routes. Fresh from a daunting but successful mission, Elysia is taken to the border town of Meritor to unwind. There she meets Tamarim, a sorceress from the Outlands, a lawless territory under the control of Dread Lord Arrakis, a tyrant wielding magical power. Arrakis has stolen the artefacts of Eden, ancient items sacred to Tamarim’s people. With them, he is about to get unlimited access to magic. However, he only needs one missing stone to achieve this feat. Tamarim wants Elysia to help her reclaim the stolen artefacts from Arrakis and prevent a looming disaster. Can the pair stop the plans of the powerful Arrakis? Find out in Wil Chan’s Ashes of Eden: Elysia Dayne Dragon Slayer (Book One).

If you are looking for a fantasy epic blended with adventure, action, thrills, and more, Wil Chan’s Ashes of Eden is the right pick for you. Featuring a fascinating, dynamic cast, Chan weaves an intriguing plot. The edge-of-the-seat suspense and plot twists hooked me. Paying great attention to detail, Chan brings the scenes to life on the pages with colorful, evocative depictions. It felt like I was right next to the cast in the scorched frontiers of Mesos, standing in the face of danger with only blades, grit, and wits. Chan accompanies the storyline with a touch of dramatic flair, highlighting its humor. The sharp, lively, and well-nuanced conversations gave insight into the cast’s conflicts. The depictions of the cast’s emotions and the juxtaposition of their complex traits gave the story a solid grip on reality, making it easy to connect with them. There are tyrant overlords, sorcerers, beast hunters, mercenaries, magic, betrayal, survival, blood, money, power, and more in this read.