DARK STAR BURNING, ASH FALLS WHITE (Song of the Last Kingdom), by Amélie Wen Zhao, Delacorte Press, Jan. 2, 2024, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
Author Amélie Wen Zhao returns to a world inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China in Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White.
The Demon Gods have risen. Skies’ End has fallen to the colonizers. And Lan and Zen have chosen sides.
But they will not fight together.
Though Lan inherited the power of the Silver Dragon, she understands the path she must take. She believes the Demon Gods to be the cause of war, conflict, and turmoil, and that the future of the Last Kingdom depends on their being eliminated forever. Worse, she knows that if the Elantians manage to bind one of the legendary beings, their army will be unstoppable. To save her kingdom and her people, Lan will need to find the only mythical weapon capable of destroying the Demon Gods: the Godslayer.
Zen is sure that the only way to free the Last Kingdom is to use the power of the Demon Gods. When he bound the Black Tortoise, he paid the ultimate price: to inherit its strength, he will forfeit his body, his mind, and his soul. Yet one Demon God is not enough against the might of the colonizers. In the ruins of the northern Mansorian lands slumbers a magical army of demonic practitioners capable of facing off against the Elantians—but Zen must find the Seal to awaken them to fight by his side.
At the center of both Lan’s and Zen’s journeys is one city: Shaklahira, a former stronghold of the Imperial Court that vanished without a trace when the Elantians invaded. Its location is a mystery, and both are sure that it holds the answers they need, but the past it hides might be more dangerous than anything they’ve faced yet.
The battle for the Last Kingdom rages on. But to win the war, Lan will have to decide: Can she face the boy she loves again? And when she does, can she kill him to free her people? —Synopsis provided by Delacorte Press
Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White is the sequel to Song of Silver, Flame Like Night completing Amélie Wen Zhao’s Song of the Last Kingdom duology.
Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White is very much in keeping with its predecessor in that it’s full of rich world-building and character development. Zhao’s prose is comfortable and confident, allowing you to slip back into her intricately conceived world.
The story unfolds from the dual perspectives of Lan and Zen. These alternating chapters give a more expansive view of the story and provide readers with an up-close view of the characters’ — especially Zen — struggles.
It does take a while for Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White to get going — there’s a lot of catching up from before and setting up for later, but if you stick with it, you’ll be rewarded. It’s a strong fantasy that is full of complexities.
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