A young man leaves his small village with mysterious strangers on an epic journey.Life is simple in Ben’s village until an unexpected attack brings the arrival of exciting strangers. Before he understands what is happening, the strangers have recruited his sister to go with them on an adventure. Ben leaves with them to ensure her safety. Soon, they venture into a more dangerous world than he ever … world than he ever imagined. Mages, demons, thieves, and assassins are just a few of the perils they will face on an epic journey to a city shrouded in myth and legend.
As the six volume series unfolds, the stakes get higher, and much more than Ben’s life is at risk. Against the backdrop of warring political, economic, and military factions, Ben and his friends battle a threat to all of mankind. Ben’s knowledge and skill grows, but he must decide if he will live under the control of the unscrupulous leaders who rule the land, flee from them, or break them.
Packed full of action and adventure, Benjamin Ashwood is perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn, Michael J Sullivan’s Riyria, and David Estes Fatemarked.
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Seriously loving these books. Engaging characters, fantastic world-building showcased through a LotR style walking journey through multiple settings, action and adventure. Demons. Magic. Enchanted swords. A noble-bright hero working with an assassin rogue. Even a bit of romance. Definitely recommended.
What a great start to a series. A mix of all the things that make a great story. I’m enjoying it so much I have already read the second book and will soon start the third. Action, intrigue, mystery and discovery and it will keep you reading into the late night.
AC Cobble has managed to write a young adult fantasy novel which is an easy fun read yet full of adventure, magic and amazing characters, which can be enjoyed by readers of any age. Ben, a young brewer who lived in the village of Farview had never been out of his village so was pretty naïve, but was claimed a hero in his community for saving his step brother from a demon. A group of strangers arrive in Farview and one of these is a mage and his step sister gets chosen to travel to The City and Ben gets roped in to go as her guard. Now The City was where the Sanctuary was and where all the mages in Alcott dwelt and it was shrouded in mystery. So Ben found himself travelling with Lady Towaal, a mage, Saala, a blademaster, Rhys, a guard and an assassin, Amelie, Meredith and Meghan, his sister. The voyage to the city was long and tiring but for Ben everything was new and exciting, he had never seen a city or the sea let alone travel on a boat to arrive at their destination. He managed to get into trouble with the thieves guild and with a nobleman in Fabrizo and was saved once by Isaam and once by Rhys till they decided he needed to be trained to use a sword and started working on his training. However even though Ben was a quick learner of the sword and the art of fighting he was not prepared at all for all the political intrigue, and the strife for power he was to encounter in The City. The Sanctuary was supposed to keep a neutral stance in the looming war between the Alliance and the Coalition, however they were dangerous as they played a double faced game and as usual did only what suited them best even at the cost to those under their care. I love the way Ben always turns up at the right time and does what his heart tells him needs to be done, he is a true hero and a very lovable character to follow and I really look forward to reading the rest of the series about Benjamin Ashwood.
One of the best series I’ve read.
It’s been awhile since I’ve enjoyed a new fantasy book. I loved Benjamin Ashwood. Ben and the other characters in the book are so real. Each tidbit that I learned about those characters fascinated me. I was drawn in from the start by Ben’s adventure and can’t wait to read the next installment.
I hate to say it, but I never really got into this story. I was able to follow along with the story and I liked the characters a lot, I just wasn’t all that interested. Don’t get me wrong, the writing was done really well and I was very interested in the world as Benjamin travels and learns how to wield a sword. The things he got himself into along the way as he travels farther and farther away from farview made this book enjoyable. Unfortunately for me, I was mostly bored and not 100% invested in the story. There are definitely parts that are good, entertaining, and fun, jut not enough to me to really like this book.