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Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite
Wouter van Wyk’s Legacy of Ash is the first book in the Brotherhood Chronicles. Adrian Ward is a brilliant but deeply wounded foster kid, and the discovery of a water-damaged grimoire in the church basement costs him everything. But it also awakens the genius in him. Years later at MIT, he builds a self-evolving artificial intelligence called A.V.A. by fusing ancient Goetic sigils with code. While working at a dusty Boston bookshop under the mysterious Ambrose Hale, he deciphers Cathar manuscripts that conceal a map to the Brotherhood of the Serpent's lost archives. He is suddenly drawn into a millennia-old war that involves the Vatican's ruthless Congregatio Veritatis. The terrifying Inquisitor, Father Veyra, wants the map burned. Meanwhile, billionaire Rosicrucian Julian Valerius wants to buy it. A mysterious guardian and Hale's daughter Abigail, who wields a dagger, shield Adrian. But what happens when they come for his found family?
Wouter van Wyk crafts a techno-thriller with an occult conspiracy only the likes of Dan Brown can pull off, infusing the writing with hints of Gnostic philosophy, making it original. I loved the characters. Adrian is a sophisticated lead who deals with social anxiety and trauma. Ambrose is theatrical and warm, while Abigail is fierce. Veyra's chilling nature rounds out a memorable cast. The boldest creation is A.V.A. herself. Legacy of Ash is an intriguing tale with immersive worldbuilding that features sigils as programming languages, a hidden “Blind Floor,” and a secret history linking Alexandria and the Templars. The story also delivers cinematic action, including rooftop escapes in the sleet and brutal close-quarters blade work. This hugely imaginative, highly plausible tale kept me turning the pages.
