Rating: 
Summary: Ash Goes to Carthage
Review: And won't be writing any blurbs for the Carthage Travel Bureau. Gentle continues to write with that mix of realism, humor, and adventure that made the first volume of this series an excellent mix of alternate history and medieval war epic with a strong, in all senses, lead character. I do not think that the "today"/"academic discussions" sections were integrated as well into the book as in the first volume as they lend less of a aura of mystery and instead almost are a second story going on and overall, with some of the mysteries revealed by the goings-on during this second book, more pedestrian. But, the series continues to be a very worthwhile read, for any number of segments of the sf & fantasy universe of readers.
Rating: 
Summary: Swords, and now some sorcery
Review: Carthage Ascendent is the second Book of Ash, although this isn't a series but a tremendous novel published in four parts. It's the only one that takes place away from Ash's stomping grounds of western Europe, where the other three books are set. Here, our heroine, the leader of a mercenary company, is captured and taken prisoner, then returned to her birthplace of Carthage. She didn't know this was her birthplace, and this is not the Carthage you think it is. Oh, and she's got this twin who is the general of the Visigoth army. And if you think that isn't weird enough, there's no sun in Carthage. And now it's getting very cold.Yes, things are defintely getting beyond a straight historical fiction, but it doesn't read like just fantasy either. The story of Ash is supposedly a manuscript translation, but the editor wants to yank the project because the manuscripts are disappearing from their supposed libraries. Meanwhile the translator has joined an archaelogical expedition and is finding evidence supporting the events in Ash's life. This second book has a very different sense than the first one, since we meet her as a competent leader, and now she's reduced to a defeated slave. But with two more books to go, there are plenty more plot developments, and they are very surprising. The "voice" in Ash's head is not what she thought it was in Book 1, and dealing with it takes up a good deal of her worries (that is, when she isn't plotting her escape). Her husband shows up in Carthage, too, and she gets to watch the politics of the amirs here after handling European nobility in book 1. Have I mentioned that there is a lot going on here? Keep at it and enjoy. Check out the reviews of Book 1: A Secret History if you haven't already.
Rating:
Summary: Swords, and now some sorcery
Review: Carthage Ascendent is the second Book of Ash, although this isn't a series but a tremendous novel published in four parts. It's the only one that takes place away from Ash's stomping grounds of western Europe, where the other three books are set. Here, our heroine, the leader of a mercenary company, is captured and taken prisoner, then returned to her birthplace of Carthage. She didn't know this was her birthplace, and this is not the Carthage you think it is. Oh, and she's got this twin who is the general of the Visigoth army. And if you think that isn't weird enough, there's no sun in Carthage. And now it's getting very cold. Yes, things are defintely getting beyond a straight historical fiction, but it doesn't read like just fantasy either. The story of Ash is supposedly a manuscript translation, but the editor wants to yank the project because the manuscripts are disappearing from their supposed libraries. Meanwhile the translator has joined an archaelogical expedition and is finding evidence supporting the events in Ash's life. This second book has a very different sense than the first one, since we meet her as a competent leader, and now she's reduced to a defeated slave. But with two more books to go, there are plenty more plot developments, and they are very surprising. The "voice" in Ash's head is not what she thought it was in Book 1, and dealing with it takes up a good deal of her worries (that is, when she isn't plotting her escape). Her husband shows up in Carthage, too, and she gets to watch the politics of the amirs here after handling European nobility in book 1. Have I mentioned that there is a lot going on here? Keep at it and enjoy. Check out the reviews of Book 1: A Secret History if you haven't already.
Rating:
Summary: Elements Of Realism Begin To Unravel
Review: Had I been allowed to award half stars, I would have given this second installment of Mary Gentile's medieval reconstruction 3.5 stars. The second book continues its detailed and military reinvention of history directly from where the first book left off, and, in my opinion, should not have been separated from the first, the storyline too joined and directly linked in terms of time and plot for the division into two books to be seen as anything but an arbitrary decision likely based upon some misplaced notion of merchandising. Books one and two should have been published as a single text, as together they possess an obvious and coherent structure. The strengths of the first book continue here: a detailed and realistic portrayal of warfare in the late middle ages, and a strong characterization of the mercenary band fighting under the Lion Azure standard of the story's protagonist, Ash. The latter's character evolves further, and there are some poignant as well as harrowing moments of self-realization on the part of our tale's heroine. The evolution of her relationship with several of the narrative's secondary characters--Floria, Fernando del Guiz, and Godfrey--as well as the emerging roles of John de Vere and Ash's lieutenants are deftly done, and over all the writing seems more solid than some of the prose found in the first book. However, I found elements of this multifaceted tale beginning to become less relevant or incongruous to the tale at large. As another reviewer has noted, the ongoing and in part separate story of the discovery of the Ash manuscripts upon which the main narrative is based, being told by a modern day historian in the form of emails to his publisher, has begun to be less integrated into the larger tale, with a smaller presence than found in the first book. While I do believe its lessening presence is probably a necessary development in order to contain its inherent interruption of the flow of the narrative, its continued presence no longer seemed as relevant to the rest of the story, providing little that informed or questioned the underlying themes of history or perception contained in the first book, becoming more a separate and increasingly contrived element that intruded upon the rest of the text. Further, the introduction--or I should say development--of the voices and stone golem into a "machina rei militaris," a "tactical computer" through which other "wild machines" speak with inhuman and demonic direction, introduced an modern day or science fictional element that seemed to me incongruous with the medieval realism with which the bulk of the tale is written. Combined with other elements--Carthage, relicts of ancient Rome, pyramids in Tunisia--these temporally contradictory introductions, though to a degree present and accepted in the first book, begin to become more and more contrived and preposterous within the medieval realism of the story's main setting--almost a kitchen sink approach--regardless of any earlier meditations present in the first book upon the existence of parallel or alternate histories, or the questionable basis upon which we reconstruct the past. While some fans of science fiction may find this willy-nilly approach to plot elements intriguing, I found it discordant and unsubstantiated within the structure and realism of the main story, unfounded introductions that remained only tangentially and artificially integrated. I will continue to read this tale for the medieval realism and strength of it main story, while trying to ignore its newer and less plausible elements. It seems unfortunate that the author found herself compelled to introduce these elements. The medieval reconstruction of history and the qualities she had invested in her characters and their initial conflicts were certainly rich enough on their own around which to build a compelling story. The author now seems to be throwing in additional and unnecessary motifs that add little credibility and in part undermine and distract from the main thrust of her story. Nor is this an instance of where "too much is not enough."
Rating:
Summary: Elements Of Realism Begin To Unravel
Review: Had I been allowed to award half stars, I would have given this second installment of Mary Gentile's medieval reconstruction 3.5 stars. The second book continues its detailed and military reinvention of history directly from where the first book left off, and, in my opinion, should not have been separated from the first, the storyline too joined and directly linked in terms of time and plot for the division into two books to be seen as anything but an arbitrary decision likely based upon some misplaced notion of merchandising. Books one and two should have been published as a single text, as together they possess an obvious and coherent structure. The strengths of the first book continue here: a detailed and realistic portrayal of warfare in the late middle ages, and a strong characterization of the mercenary band fighting under the Lion Azure standard of the story's protagonist, Ash. The latter's character evolves further, and there are some poignant as well as harrowing moments of self-realization on the part of our tale's heroine. The evolution of her relationship with several of the narrative's secondary characters--Floria, Fernando del Guiz, and Godfrey--as well as the emerging roles of John de Vere and Ash's lieutenants are deftly done, and over all the writing seems more solid than some of the prose found in the first book. However, I found elements of this multifaceted tale beginning to become less relevant or incongruous to the tale at large. As another reviewer has noted, the ongoing and in part separate story of the discovery of the Ash manuscripts upon which the main narrative is based, being told by a modern day historian in the form of emails to his publisher, has begun to be less integrated into the larger tale, with a smaller presence than found in the first book. While I do believe its lessening presence is probably a necessary development in order to contain its inherent interruption of the flow of the narrative, its continued presence no longer seemed as relevant to the rest of the story, providing little that informed or questioned the underlying themes of history or perception contained in the first book, becoming more a separate and increasingly contrived element that intruded upon the rest of the text. Further, the introduction--or I should say development--of the voices and stone golem into a "machina rei militaris," a "tactical computer" through which other "wild machines" speak with inhuman and demonic direction, introduced an modern day or science fictional element that seemed to me incongruous with the medieval realism with which the bulk of the tale is written. Combined with other elements--Carthage, relicts of ancient Rome, pyramids in Tunisia--these temporally contradictory introductions, though to a degree present and accepted in the first book, begin to become more and more contrived and preposterous within the medieval realism of the story's main setting--almost a kitchen sink approach--regardless of any earlier meditations present in the first book upon the existence of parallel or alternate histories, or the questionable basis upon which we reconstruct the past. While some fans of science fiction may find this willy-nilly approach to plot elements intriguing, I found it discordant and unsubstantiated within the structure and realism of the main story, unfounded introductions that remained only tangentially and artificially integrated. I will continue to read this tale for the medieval realism and strength of it main story, while trying to ignore its newer and less plausible elements. It seems unfortunate that the author found herself compelled to introduce these elements. The medieval reconstruction of history and the qualities she had invested in her characters and their initial conflicts were certainly rich enough on their own around which to build a compelling story. The author now seems to be throwing in additional and unnecessary motifs that add little credibility and in part undermine and distract from the main thrust of her story. Nor is this an instance of where "too much is not enough."
Rating: 
Summary: A detailed look at 15th century life, but slow at times
Review: I like the series because it seems to be an accurate, gritty view of life in 15th century Europe. The author brings out little details that usually aren't found in period novels, like her men always cussing and "scratching under their codpeices". Now there's something I wouldn't have thought about... And when Ash is commanding her men in battle, shouting orders, getting her men in position, I can almost smell the smoke from Angelotti's guns and hear the screams of the horses. These are the best parts of the book. The author definately knows how to present a battle scene from the perspective of a company captain. Unfortunately, there is too little action in the first two books, and especially this book. Ash's long periods of self-examination really grow boring and add nothing to the story, except a feeling of "hey, no kidding Ash; you just figured that out?". This book is about 200 pages too long. And slow. And Ashes attraction to del Guiz makes her seems EXTREMELY shallow. But despite all that, I'm still drawn to the story because, first, I keep waiting for a battle and second, I love the feeling of being dropped into the period. The author's research into battle tactics and the period itself really make the story come alive. I would recommend the book to people who like historical novels or who might enjoy the medieval mercenary setting. The series is worth a look. Glenn Bontrager
Rating:
Summary: Puffy middle of a good book/series
Review: The first volume offered great combat scenes, a gritty depiction of medieval life, and a pair of weird plotlines. This second book bogs down. The ending is fun, but way too many words are spent to too little effect. Still, it beats most multi-volume fantasies.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting and scary second installment in a fine new series
Review: The second volume of the US edition of Mary Gentle's brilliant novel _Ash_ (published as one HUGE book in the UK) takes the young woman mercenary Ash to Carthage. There she learns more about her mysterious "twin", and about the strange darkness that covers Carthage. And the reader learns more about the curious nature of the alternate history Gentle has created. The book is also full of bloody action and bawdy humour, as with pretty much everything Gentle (what an inappropriate name in some ways!) has written. The entire novel is excellent work, highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Part 2 of a brilliant fantasy novel
Review: This is part 2 of "Ash: A Secret History" - an excellent fantasy novel by UK author Mary Gentle. The novel describes the life of Ash, a Joan of Arc-like mercenary leader. Ash is a young teenager, living in mercenary army camps at the end of the 15th century. She starts hearing voices in her head, giving her tactical advice on battlefield situations. When she becomes a successful battlefield commander, she forms her own mercenary army and gets involved in the protection of Burgundy against an invasion. This novel gives a very gritty, realistic view of life in the 15th century. Right from the start the reader is confronted with the mud, blood, sweat and pain of the life of a soldier. Gentle is not afraid to hurt or kill her characters. Even though the story is brutal and often horrifying, it is always a compelling read. "Ash: A Secret History" is presented as the translation of a manuscript, complete with footnotes explaining some of the archaic terms. The correspondence between Pierce Ratcliff, the fictional scholar who is translating the work, and his editor Anna Longman, is inserted between the chapters of Ash's life. This correspondence adds an entirely new dimension to the story, explaining some of the anachronistic expressions and some of the differences between Ash's version of history and our own. Another reviewer called this novel a combination of fantasy and scholarly mistery. Mary Gentle, an accomplished scholar herself, acquired an MA in War Studies as part of the writing process of this novel. "Ash: A Secret History" was advertised in the UK as "the largest single-volume fantasy novel ever", which is quite possibly true at 1100 pages. In the US, however, the novel was split into 4 separate volumes: "A Secret History", "Carthage Ascendant", "The Wild Machines" and "Lost Burgundy".
Rating:
Summary: Part 2 of a brilliant fantasy novel
Review: This is part 2 of "Ash: A Secret History" - an excellent fantasy novel by UK author Mary Gentle. The novel describes the life of Ash, a Joan of Arc-like mercenary leader. Ash is a young teenager, living in mercenary army camps at the end of the 15th century. She starts hearing voices in her head, giving her tactical advice on battlefield situations. When she becomes a successful battlefield commander, she forms her own mercenary army and gets involved in the protection of Burgundy against an invasion. This novel gives a very gritty, realistic view of life in the 15th century. Right from the start the reader is confronted with the mud, blood, sweat and pain of the life of a soldier. Gentle is not afraid to hurt or kill her characters. Even though the story is brutal and often horrifying, it is always a compelling read. "Ash: A Secret History" is presented as the translation of a manuscript, complete with footnotes explaining some of the archaic terms. The correspondence between Pierce Ratcliff, the fictional scholar who is translating the work, and his editor Anna Longman, is inserted between the chapters of Ash's life. This correspondence adds an entirely new dimension to the story, explaining some of the anachronistic expressions and some of the differences between Ash's version of history and our own. Another reviewer called this novel a combination of fantasy and scholarly mistery. Mary Gentle, an accomplished scholar herself, acquired an MA in War Studies as part of the writing process of this novel. "Ash: A Secret History" was advertised in the UK as "the largest single-volume fantasy novel ever", which is quite possibly true at 1100 pages. In the US, however, the novel was split into 4 separate volumes: "A Secret History", "Carthage Ascendant", "The Wild Machines" and "Lost Burgundy".
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