#hl moore

When I finished Heart of Dust I immediately bought Soul of Ash and here I am after finishing the sequel NEEDING the next book. I don’t want to spoil things for people who haven’t read either book so I’ll just do a vague list of things I enjoyed and hopefully that will pique your interest!

·      NATHANIEL POV CHAPTERS: I really, really love Nathaniel. Some major – and painful – truths about him came out in Heart of Dust and all the characters are still continuing to work through these revelations. I enjoyed getting his perspective and learning more about his past, his struggles, and his hopes.

·      The fallout and recovery from massive, life-changing events in book 1. What do you do when your world has been upended? When you face betrayal from the people you trusted? Soul of Ash digs in deep with these themes and H. L. Moore does an excellent job of conveying the complexity of the characters’ situations and emotions!

·      Speaking of emotions: Some other big themes in the book are guilt and atonement and forgiveness. Nothing quite gets me in my feels like reading characters struggling through these trying issues. I can sometimes be too much of a softie and want forgiveness and reconciliation to happen too soon but that’s not realistic; I really appreciated the pacing of this, with the characters slowly working through the hurt of the past and finding ways to connect again.

·      Heart of Dust had a conflict focusing on the oppressed miners versus the corrupt and abusive leader of the city. In Soul of Ash the conflict shifts and the ones who saved the mines are now under fire and facing pressures from all sides. There’s a major theme in both books about class inequality and I’m interested to see how this continues to play out in the next book!

·      Without spoiling the plot I’ll just say it has new characters, new dilemmas, more stabbings and mining crises! Nathaniel and Doran don’t have a dull moment in the book and neither did I!

*I received a free ebook copy of Heart of Dust in exchange for an honest review*

Doran Ó Seanáin was born and raised a coal miner in the city of Iole and has lived a life of hardship and loss. Since the murder of late wife, Doran has tried to continue her work of championing the rights of the miners but continues to face extreme oppression from the city’s leader, Lord Archon. When a failed rebellion and a life-threatening injury lands Doran on the doorstep of apotheker Nathaniel Morgenstern, a mysterious but kindly man, Doran feels some of his despair start to lift. However, as the tensions in the city continue to rise and the situation of the miners becomes even more desperate, Doran is faced with impossible choices. 

I really enjoyed Heart of Dust! I’m a huge fan of underdog stories and characters with tragic pasts so this book had me hooked from the start. Some things I loved:

The meeting and build of the relationship between Doran and Nathaniel (so much hurt/comfort!!)

I really like Doran but I have to say Nathaniel is the type of character that totally appeals to me: mysterious, lots of scars, looks like he’s been through hell but is surprisingly gentle. Plus he’s an apotheker (healer) and I wish I could say more about this but [spoilers]. His assistant, Gerald, is also wonderful, such a smol grumpy boy.

The worldbuilding: The city has such a unique setting along with lore about its creation

The diversity: Iole has a blend of various cultures and religions. Many of the characters in the book are POC

A proper villain (seriously, I hate him)

THE STORY: No spoilers but there were so many parts of this story where I was in pain but also loving it. The plot was fast paced and kept me reading late into the night!

Once I realized what Death’s Embrace, the name of the series, referred to… ugh my heart *cries* 

Heart of Dust kept me engaged and interested the entire time and as soon as I finished (at two in the morning) I immediately got book 2, Soul of Ash, so I could find out what happens next! I would recommend this if you’re looking for a LGBTQ+ fantasy novel with diversity, intense characters, slow burn, hurt/comfort, and resistance themes. Recommended for fans of C.S. Pacat, Zaya Feli, and Ginn Hale.

For whichever one of you it was that recommended H.L. Moore's Heart of Dust.

Because I fucking loved it, it was an amazing book. And I am FURIOUS that it's listed as first in a series when the 2nd book isn't due out til next year. I was really looking forward to diving into that 2nd book right away but NOOOOOO. I have to wait!

Just like I have to wait for the next Murderbot diary. And the next Wayfarers book. And the next Gentlemen Bastards (if it ever happens.)

I'll just be over here, sulking.

(And reading through VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy because I'm obsessed with Annihilation)

By the way I've read through all the Rec's people sent me. Please send more?