It’s been a long road for readers of Edward W. Robertson’s post-apocalyptic world. If you’ve followed the journey of Breanne and the survivors since the first pulses of the Breakers world, you know the stakes aren't just high; they're existential. We’re talking about After the Ash, the elusive third installment in the Ashen series. People are searching for it. They're asking on Reddit, scouring Amazon, and bugging the author on social media.
Wait.
The silence is often louder than the actual news in the indie publishing world.
When Through the Ash and Into the Ash dropped, they hit a specific nerve for fans of gritty, realistic survival fiction. Robertson has a knack for making you feel the grit in your teeth and the cold in your bones. But where is the third book? Honestly, the timeline of this series has been a bit of a rollercoaster, mostly because it exists within the massive, interconnected "Breakers" universe. If you're confused about where one series ends and the other begins, you're definitely not alone.
The Timeline of After the Ash and the Breakers Multiverse
To understand what’s happening with the Ashen series book 3, you have to look at the broader map. Robertson isn't just writing one linear story. He’s building a web. The Ashen series is technically a spin-off or a companion to his primary Breakers series.
Think of it like this.
While the main Breakers books focus on the global collapse and the massive, overarching conflict with the "Enemies," the Ashen books are tighter. They're more intimate. They follow Breanne, a character who appeared in the original series, providing a perspective that feels more grounded in the immediate, terrifying reality of a world that just stopped working.
The release of After the Ash has been a point of contention for years. Robertson himself has acknowledged that his writing pace varies. He’s a prolific guy—having written over 30 novels—but he often jumps between genres, from sci-fi to epic fantasy like the Cycle of Galand. This means that while fans are dying to know what happens next to Breanne, the author might be deep in the weeds of a completely different magic system three universes away.
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Why the delay feels so long
It's been a massive gap. Fans who devoured the first two books in 2015 and 2016 were expecting a quick trilogy wrap-up. That didn't happen. Instead, the narrative threads were somewhat absorbed back into the main Breakers line. This is a common "trap" for indie authors who create sprawling universes. Sometimes, a spin-off series gets so close to the main plot that it just... merges.
What Actually Happens in the Ashen Series?
If it's been a while, let's refresh. You might have forgotten the specifics because, let's be real, we've all read fifty other "end of the world" books since then.
In Through the Ash, we meet Breanne. She’s not a superhero. She’s a girl trying to get home to her family in the middle of a dual-threat apocalypse: a plague that wipes out most of the population and an alien invasion that finishes the job. It’s bleak.
Into the Ash raised the stakes. It moved the setting to the mountains, dealing with the brutal reality of winter and the even more brutal reality of other humans. This is where Robertson shines. He doesn't rely on "zombies" or tired tropes. He relies on the fact that when the power goes out and the food runs out, people become the most dangerous variables in the equation.
The anticipation for the Ashen series book 3 stems from the cliffhangers. We need to know if Breanne’s hardening into a survivor cost her too much of her humanity.
- The first book was about the shock.
- The second was about the adaptation.
- The third—if we ever get it in its intended standalone form—is supposed to be about the resolution.
But here is the kicker: Some readers argue that the story has continued, just not under the "Ashen" title. Because Breanne is a character in the wider Breakers world, her arc continues in books like Knights and The Rebels. If you're waiting for a book specifically titled "After the Ash" before you keep reading, you might be missing the actual story as it unfolds in the main series.
Navigating the Reading Order
This is where it gets messy. Truly. If you go to Robertson's website or his Amazon author page, the "Ashen" series is often listed separately. But if you want the full experience, you shouldn't treat them as isolated islands.
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Basically, if you finished Into the Ash and you're staring at a blank space where book 3 should be, your best bet is to pivot to the main Breakers series.
Most hardcore fans suggest this order:
- Breakers (Book 1)
- Through the Ash (Ashen Book 1)
- Into the Ash (Ashen Book 2)
- Melt Down (Breakers Book 2)
By the time you get to the later Breakers novels, the characters from Ashen are integrated. It’s a bit like the Marvel Cinematic Universe before that became a tired cliché. You have individual "origin" stories that eventually bleed into a larger "Avengers" style team-up.
The Reality of Indie Publishing and Series Completion
We need to talk about the "Series Fatigue" that hits authors. Writing post-apocalyptic fiction is draining. You’re constantly living in a headspace of death, scarcity, and betrayal. Robertson has been open about the fact that he writes what moves him at the moment.
For a while, that was The Cycle of Arawn and Galand. Those books took off in a huge way, especially with the help of Tim Gerard Reynolds' narration on Audible. When an author finds a "hit" that pays the bills and keeps the lights on, smaller side projects like the Ashen series book 3 often get pushed to the back burner. It’s not that he doesn't care; it's just the business of being a self-published creator.
Is After the Ash cancelled? Not officially.
Is it coming out this year? Unlikely.
The most recent updates from Robertson's mailing lists and blog posts suggest his focus remains on his fantasy epics. The Breakers world is currently "on ice" in terms of new entries, though he has never ruled out returning to it. The reality is that the longer the gap, the harder it is for an author to find the "voice" of those characters again.
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What to Read While You Wait
If you’re craving that specific Robertson vibe—fast-paced, witty dialogue, and high stakes—you aren't out of luck.
First, if you haven't touched the Cycle of Galand, do it. It’s fantasy, but the banter between the two leads, Dante and Blays, is some of the best in the genre. It carries that same DNA of "competent people trying to survive impossible situations" that made the Ashen books so good.
Second, check out other indie masters of the genre.
- DJ Molles: The Remaining series is the gold standard for tactical, gritty survival.
- Nicholas Sansbury Smith: His Hell Divers series has that same "hopeless but fighting" atmosphere.
Actionable Steps for Ashen Series Fans
Don't just sit there refreshing an Amazon page that hasn't updated in years. If you want to stay in the loop or find closure for Breanne's story, here is exactly what you should do:
1. Join the Mailing List
Edward W. Robertson is most active via his direct newsletter. This is where he announces "secret" projects or updates on his writing schedule. If After the Ash ever gets a release date, that's where you'll hear it first.
2. Pivot to the Main Series
If you only read the two Ashen books, you’ve only seen about 20% of that world. Pick up the Breakers omnibus. You’ll find that many of the questions you had at the end of Into the Ash are actually answered in the later volumes of the main series, even if the book title on the cover is different.
3. Check the "Breakers" Facebook Group
There is a dedicated community of readers who have mapped out every character crossover. They can tell you exactly which chapter of which book Breanne reappears in. It’s the best way to get your "Book 3" fix without the book actually existing yet.
4. Reach Out (Politely)
Authors are people. A short, kind note on Twitter or via his website saying "Hey, I loved the Ashen books, really hoping to see Breanne again one day" can actually move the needle. When authors see a resurgence in interest for an old property, it moves up the priority list.
The Ashen series book 3 remains one of those "lost" gems of the mid-2010s indie boom. While the physical book After the Ash might be a ghost for now, the story itself is alive in the larger tapestry of the Breakers universe. Go find it there.