The Waking Fire (The Draconis Memoria)

Despite the overuse of "insistent" and "besmirching" every few paragraphs, this was an enjoyable read. The world and story reeled me in—the strongest elements being the action scenes and battle descriptions. Most of the characters felt simple and predictable. It's full of spies, pirates, drakes, and prophecies coming to fruition. Worth your time.

Talented Mr. Ryan has cast another wonderful story filed with dragons, battles and very interesting characters. The world is detailed and filled with wonder. The details and writing make this story a joy to read. If you are put off from the last story, please leave that one behind and try this book. A very refreshing take on magic and dragons.

Something for everyone - a mashup of maritime, western, fantasy, and steampunk fiction. Cool, novel magic system.

On the other hand, although the writing has some pithy bright spots, overall it is rough - lots of cliches, mixed metaphors, incorrect words. The story is not terribly engaging and the characters are fairly shallow.

If a bit of background had been provided concerning the worldscape of this planet, this review would have garnered all five stars. It was too confusing through the first quarter of the book without some enlightenment. That being said, the story is tight, the action is ongoing and characters are well developed. Highly recommended.

Another really good book by Anthony Ryan. Not as good as blood song - the split views made it hard to invest in the characters to the same extent as the first half of blood song at least through the first third. But it ended up being a great read with well formed characters and a great world. Looking forward to seeing what's next.

Blood Song was great. The following two books were merely good. Unfortunately for me, I felt that Waking Fire follows that declining trajectory: this one was not even good all the way. I had a hard time finishing it and there were several chapters where I skimmed through the pages trying to get through to the remaining few threads in the story that I cared about. By the time the book was over, I was glad that it was done.

If the review reader has not read the previous series, then this may be a reasonable book to pick up. But fans of BS will be sorely disappointed.

Having read and greatly enjoyed Mr. Ryan's Ravens Shadow Trilogy, I was excited to see he had a new book out. So I immediately bought it and read it in a couple of days. It is a great Tale of adventure that I highly recommend to everyone. Keep them coming Sir!

Thoroughly underwhelming. Blood Song was so good, but this is more in line with the sequels than Blood Song in terms of quality. I usually burn through books pretty fast, but this one took forever because I just wasn’t into it.

One annoying aspect of it was the magic system where certain people are gifted so that if they drink different colored dragons’ blood, they have different powers. Every paragraph seemed to start with, “he drank part of his green”, “she injected a little red and black, and all she had left of green”. Then what would follow was more out of a dragon ball z cartoon where they are jumping through the air and blasting each other. I don’t know, I just didn’t care much for the style of writing this go around. His descriptions of the guns and engines was also very forced. They are completely made up, why are you telling me the make, model, and features of each when it isn’t going to be referenced at all later on. It just made the reading tedious to get through. I appreciate trying to build the world, but it just comes across as very elementary. The ending was getting pretty interesting for a few reasons, but then it just sort of fizzled out with a healthy dose of deux ex machina.

This new series holds more promise than any I read in a long time. The combination of brutal realism and a highly developed fantastic theme works extremely well

Character building is top notch and the action grips and won't let go

Having absolutely loved Bloodsong and liked the two sequals, I was excited to see a new series by Ryan. I have to admit that at first, I was s little disappointed, as it took me a bit to understand the world he had created and the characters were introduced very very rapidly, often with similar names. However, by about a third of the way in, I started to thoroughly enjoy The Waking Fire, and by the end I was eagerly awaiting the next installment. All in all, an enjoyable read that leaves you wanting more.

Does not disappoint.
I expected great things from Ryan after Raven's Shadow, and after reading this first book in his next series, he proves himself a super serious dude whose career I will follow! Can't wait for the next!

What can I saw about "The Waking Fire"....rushed. This book shares the same flaws all of Ryan's books have shared since his debut novel in that it has a solid base, plot, and characters. But I feel as if he is forcing every minor thing in order to make his idea for how the story should progress and page after page its more of the same rushed plot, forced plot development that oftentimes leaves the reader just confused or frustrated with whats going on and how a good idea and set-up is being completely ruined. All in all, if your debating reading this book out of loyalty to the author and hoping he bounces back after his last few disasters I would recommend you save your money, if your new to Anthony Ryan and was debating reading this book I would suggest reading blood song and none of his other books and save yourself a large amount of money and frustration.

Some of the things that occur with dragons seem overly cruel. Tapping a dragon involves bleeding a dragon till death, the blood is then used to hunt more dragons. Seems like a really gross cycle. Writing is great, story is great, but it seems a lot of characters lack human qualities causing the reader to be unable to relate. Some characters are cruel, some characters are less cruel, figure it out your self who is good and who is bad, but the main fantasy element to me makes all female characters a bit darker to me. I am not an animal rights activist, and I encourage you to read the book, just know what you are getting into. And remember to cut off their wings so they can't escape!

At the dawn of the Corporate Age, the Mandinorian nobility replaced their properties and privileges for shares in the Iron Trading Syndicate. Their pursuit of profit reigns supreme and the most sought after commodity comes from the "Interior" of the untamed continent of Arradsia. Indigenous to the Interior are several species of drakes, (dragons) whose blood can be distilled into a miraculous mixture called "product". However the blood of drakes is dangerous to all but the small percentage of humans, called Blood-blessed, who can safely consume it. Product is extremely valuable because once used by a Blood-blessed, it temporarily provides enhancements comparable to superpowers.

Overhunting and exploitation of the drakes has seen a drop in the amount of product available and a shortage in product would mean a sharp reduction in profit. Lodima Bondersil, a prominent member of the Iron Trading Syndicate, believes there may be a solution. An artifact has recently been recovered that can be linked to the ill-fated Wittler Expedition. Over thirty years ago, Wittler and his team had been searching a particularly dangerous section of the Interior for the nesting place of the elusive White Drake. Legend has it, that the White Drake is the most powerful of all its brethren. The explorers, along with Ethelynne Drystone, one of Lodima's prized pupils disappeared without a trace, but not before sending a communication to Lodima of a vital discovery.

Setting her secret plans into motion, Lodima plans to succeed where Wittler failed. She hopes that even the remains of a White will boost the projected decline in the economy. But complications arise as the aggressive Corvantine Empire's desire for conquest blossoms and war between the two hegemonic regimes becomes imminent.

The Waking Fire is the first book in author Anthony Ryan's second series; The Draconis Memoria. And by the way; it's awesome. A complete departure from the world he created in his previous Raven's Shadow series, The Waking Fire is set in a complex and beautifully detailed steampunk-esque era. Ryan is a skilled world-builder and his expertise is demonstrated throughout this nearly six hundred page book. I was immediately impressed with the particulars of this world's settings and the fact that his descriptions are as rich in texture as they are to the senses of sight and sound. Ryan effortlessly transports his readers from a hideout concealed in a decaying church in the slums, to life aboard an Ironship war vessel, and easily transitions to the deserts, mountains, and jungles of the danger-fraught Interior.

The Waking Fire is a detailed account, written in the perspective of three characters, each important players in the unfolding events. Efficient and ruthless, Lizanne Lethridge, is this world's version of Agent 007. Being Blood-blessed allows Lizanne the opportunity to perform fantastic feats that are utterly kickass and believable. Clay Torcreek is an orphan and a thief who uses the fact that he is an unregistered Blood-blessed to his every advantage. Clay is one step away from leaving the slums forever when the consequences of his life of crime catch up with him. Motivated by guilt and the promise of freedom, he is coerced into joining his uncle's expedition into the Interior. I really like that Lizanne and Clay start off somewhat unlikeable, but gradually grew in my affections. The third main POV, 2nd Lt. Corrick Hilemore, is an honorable naval officer who is compassionate as well as brave. Although he is involved in some amazing battles at sea, his thread doesn't shine as bright as Lizanne's or Clay's, and his story arc stagnates during the last portion of the book. I am assuming that he is intended for bigger and better things in book two.

This gorgeous new world, fraught with peril at every turn, delivers a breathtaking ride through battles, across oceans, and deep into the heart of the jungle. Its characters are well-written and three-dimensional; dealing with topics such as political intrigue, greed, and impending war. I absolutely love this book and have high hopes for the series. Anthony Ryan weaves an intricate tale that is part Raiders of the Lost Ark, part James Bond, and part Master and Commander, but with dragons.

In the lands ruled by the Ironship Syndicate, there are certain individuals known as the Blood-blessed. These persons have the ability to ingest the blood of the mighty drakes. By doing so, they are granted inhuman abilities which are useful to the corporate ruled world they live in. Because of these abilities, a drake’s blood is a prized and valuable product and all four drakes - red, blue, black, and green - are hunted and raised in captivity for their blood.
But the drake numbers are dwindling in the wilds and the captive drakes’ blood is weak. Rumors have circulated for many years that another drake - a white drake - may in fact exist, with a greater power than all the others. If the rumors are true, it just might help the Syndicate win the coming war with the Corvantine Empire, but first someone must find it.
A world bursting with dynamic characters, unique atmosphere, and an intriguing plot line, “The Waking Fire” is a must read. I love a good dragon story, since I was a young child, dragons have fascinated me. Unfortunately, I have had little luck finding adult dragon stories that I truly liked.
This novel is one adult dragon story that I can truly say has captured my attention. The writing is well constructed, suited perfectly for the adult readers. I was thrown into this unique world early on, the intrigue and mystery spiking in the very first chapter. The characters have well developed personalities that help them to come alive for the reader.
The plot line is one of great roller coaster of mystery, action, and adventure. From the technology to the animals, especially the drakes. I liked that this novel had three main characters, two primary and one secondary, especially since they all came from different walks of life. At times I found this tiresome since each chapter switched to a new character and each chapter tried, and mostly succeeded, in ending on a cliffhanger.
The one and only thing that I really had a problem with was the use of green product, or green drake’s blood. The blood of a drake is supposed to burn anyone who is not blood-blessed. However, green product can, apparently, be used as a healing agent on any injured human, blood-blessed or not. This seems to be somewhat confusing.
I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves an amazing dragon adventure. This is an amazing dragon fantasy novel and I cannot wait for the next book to come out.
My copy of this novel is an advanced readers copy that I won on Goodreads Firstreads. I have permission from the publishers to use the cover artwork.
stephanietiner.weebly.com

Anthony Ryan returns to page-turning form with this excellent opening to the Draconis Memoria trilogy. His debut, Blood Song, was a (self-published!) triumph of fast-paced, sword-swinging action. While the two follow-ups proved solid, they ultimately struggled with pacing as the world, and narrative scope, expanded. The growth of Ryan as an author is on clear display here, as an expanded scope and narrative focus (with three pov characters) is coupled with a story that burns through a rich plot and exposition with ease.

I will start by saying this will not be everyone's cup of tea - it is not a page-turner in the same sense as Blood Song, Michael J. Sullivan's early Riyria novels, or Scott Lynch's Lies of Locke Lamora. This is a complex novel full of technical details that still manages to compel 'just one more chapter' from its reader. In this sense, it is like Patrick Rothfuss' Name of the Wind or an on-form Neal Stephenson or Brandon Sanderson.

Our three characters are all compelling and complex, although a knock against the book is that one of the three is present (and this becomes evident when they disappear in the final third) not because they fit tightly within the narrative (they manage to be thoroughly enjoyable to read nonetheless), but rather because having them be somewhere and have a backstory is important to the second book. The supporting cast are an entertaining motley crew and while there are certainly a few tropes sprinkled throughout, nothing is over predictable. I also enjoyed that the dialogue at no point felt grating or forced, a sign that, unlike many of its equally thick contemporary novels, there is less bloat here.

The world building is wonderful, and this is coming from someone who is not particularly a fan of Victorian-era fantasy. This eschews the worst of the steampunk genre (where it verges on the silly) and manages to have some fun (and play only a little with the timeline) with the roughly 1830s-1870s era of naval warfare. The naval battles are expertly done (a whiff of David Weber is present) and here's hoping for (and expecting) more in future books.

I will not say much about the plot, except to say that the setup teases at some originality, while the frantic final third spins that in a much more predictable direction. That being said, I am hopeful that future books reclaim the originality and this does not just become a tale of a big bad evil returned to do bad stuff.

TLDR: a dense, but quick read in a fun world filled with good characters and a plot that largely avoids being generic; not for those who dislike Victorian/steampunk or really want Ryan to just write Blood Song 2

I swear, I will read anything Anthony Ryan puts out. I really loved this book. Part steam punk, mixed in with Tomb Raider and Jurassic Park (but with dragons), I found Waking Fire utterly enthralling. Anthony Ryan is such a talented world builder due the intricacies of his descriptions. I respect and author who can create a world filled with fictional technology and science like Ryan did in this book. It speaks to his intelligence and imagination. This is not a fast paced book. The plot and characters develop slowly and with a purpose. The last 1/4 of this book had me hooked. I liked all three POVs, yet Clay was definitely my favorite. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys high the high fantasy of Brandon Sanderson. Brent Weeks, or George RR Martin

This volume begins an epic fantasy series. We follow three main viewpoint characters - Lisanne Lethbridge, Claydon Torcreek, and Corrick Hilemore.

Lisanne is a spy for the the Ironship Syndicate. She is a blood-blessed who is able to use the blood harvested from drakes to enhance her speed and healing, shoot fire, have visions, and stop objects in motion. She is set on a mission by her director to locate a mythical white drake. She spies on the scholar who has been searching for it for a lifetime and befriends his young daughter.

Claydon is an unregistered blood-blessed who is a thief in the poorest part of Carvenport. He is drafted by Lisanne's boss Lodima Bondersil to go with an expedition headed by his uncle to find this mythical white drake.

Corrick begins as a Second Lieutenant on the IPV Viable Opportunity but soon finds himself in command when war breaks out between the Protecorate and the Corvantine Empire. An even bigger problem occurs when the various colors of drakes all seem to be becoming more aggressive and determined to wipe the humans off the continent and perhaps the whole world.

This fantasy has a richly built world. I loved the idea of the drakes of red, green, blue and black who are hunted and harvested for their blood. I also thought the hunt which spanned a good part of the continent where the drakes lived was fascinating. The characters were complex and engaging. The action was truly epic.

I am eager to read the next book in this series because I have a number of unanswered questions.

The book grabs you as soon as you start reading. The action was well paced and I finished it the same day. Not because it was a short book, I check for the review and it's 591 pages. I read quickly, and I talked my wife into cancelling our plans to go take a drive so I could spend the day reading. Totally worth it!

Now can June 27 hurry up and get here all ready!

His other series that starts with Blood Song is also a fantastic read. I was immediately inscribed into those as well, and read through those within a few days. I had checked the first two out of the library, but finished the second one in the evening when the library was closed. I was too impatient to wait until the next day to start the final book, so I went ahead and bought it. Totally worth it.

Ryan is a wonderful, engaging writer. Thankfully unlike another author he reminds me of he finishes his books in a timely manor so we are not left hanging.

This was one of the most entertaining and exciting books I've read all year. There's a lot going on here, a lot of different styles and genres mashed together, but they all work. Epic fantasy? Got ya covered there with bad-ass dragons and blood-fueled magic. Historical fantasy? Yup, got ya covered there too, with a steampunk-driven sort of Victorian society. Spy thriller? A bit surprising, perhaps, but you've got spies and lies, as well as gadgets and guns. Pulp adventure? Consider yourself indulged, complete with lost continents, ruined civilizations, ancient treasures, and even jungle savages. Naval thriller? That too, falling somewhere between pirate skirmishes and WWII warfare, fueled by magic and threatened by dragon fire. Period drama? Yes, there's even a bit of that to be found here, complete with family squabbles, class warfare, and even a bit of social commentary.

I think what impressed me most about this book is that all 3 converging story lines were equally intriguing, and all 3 POV characters equally engaging. You've got a thief, a spy, and a solider, each telling their own story, and at no point was I anxious for any one of them to wrap things up so we could get back to the other story lines. The world building was impressive as well, both in terms of the magical and the mundane. You really get a sense of the various factions at play, the source of their human conflicts, and their motives for engaging in the pursuit of dragon blood and fabled treasure.

The characters were solid, with some significant growth for many of them, and there were a few genuine surprises in their betrayals and shifting allegiances. The pacing was absolutely perfect, almost breakneck in fact, and the action sequences are utterly brilliant. I have to admit, my eyes tend to glaze over at prolonged descriptions of epic battles, but here I was invested in every shot, whether it be dragon fire, blood magic, or bullets and bombs.

The Waking Fire may very well have been carefully calculated to hit as many pockets of geekdom as possible - really, all that it's missing is a vampire or two - but it never feels that way. Ryan weaves all the various elements into a cohesive whole that is entertaining from start-to-finish, and which has me anxious for the next book of The Draconis Memoria.

I really enjoyed this book. REALLY enjoyed it. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that I haven’t been this excited about a new series since I read the first Storm Front by Jim Butcher.

In The Waking Fire we have a new and interesting world, a world where certain people gain abilities if they drink drake blood. There are Black, blue, green and red drakes, and each type of blood imbues the drinker with different types of abilities.

If this reminds you of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series, there are some definite parallels here, but this does not detract from Sanderson’s series, or from The Waking Fire itself.

A really interesting subtext of this book is the political structure of the nations. One nation is a corporate nation, which is exactly what it sounds like. The “nation” is run by a board, and the social structure is broken into management levels, with all the profit motive you’d expect to be associated with it.

The second nation is a more traditional imperial nation, which is only interesting in its contrast to the corporation, but the secondary subtext is the fact that the corporation has a twofold problem with it’s main revenue source. The “product” as it’s referred to in the book is the drake blood, and the problem is that wild drakes have been over-harvested, while domesticated and farmed drakes yield blood that isn’t nearly as potent in granting abilities as wild drake blood.

Depending on how this is carried out in the future books, we may have an interesting commentary on capitalism and the potential consequences of overconsumption of resources.

It’s against this backdrop that the characters are introduced, and after some nicely done development, the bulk of the book is concerned with what is essentially a quest to find the fabled white drake. Mixed into this quest are political tensions between the two nations, as well as a number of interesting surprises that have me wishing I hadn’t found this series until five or six books in, so I wouldn’t have to wait so long to find out what happens next!

Well, that was a lot better!! Like many other posters, I absolutely loved Bloodsong but became more disenchanted with that trilogy with each successive book. It was almost as though another writer had written them (or somehow the editor got to Mr. Ryan and made him do what he did, though why, I've no idea).

But the Waking Fire IS fun. I'm still not a big fan of the relentless switching of POVs, but this book had only 3 and they were all main characters slowly making their way towards each other. I'm also not a fan of dragon stories (or vampire, ghoul, werewolf, the various modern monsters), but I was caught up enough in the story and its characters to not really care. As others have said, the book has everything - spies, dragons, magic, mysterious archeological artifacts, hints of mysterious history, colonialism and its evils, class warfare, steam engines, one can go on and on. The main characters are distinct, and fairly likeable, especially the rapscallion Clay.

And finally, what I really appreciate, especially in genre literature, Mr. Ryan can WRITE. Even if I haven't always liked how he's handled his material, his writing style is excellent, and kept me going through the other books. This is more rare in fantasy and sci-fi than one might think.

I'm looking forward to the next installment - and am keeping my fingers crossed that I won't suffer the same lunchbag letdown following Bloodsong.

Excellent stand-alone novel that also serves as the first in a planned series ... Well plotted and nicely paced ... Sure to please fans of good writing, superior story-telling ... Combines elements of alternate history, science fiction and fantasy, adventure and exploration into a page-turner that moves along without neglecting exposition ... Page count may seem long, but required to complete the various plot lines without leaving loose ends dangling ... Highly recommended! *****

The East India Trading Company with a bit of steampunk and an overlay of blood magic is the blend that comes to mind for this one. I like the world and the world building is solid so far.

I will be buying the next in the series.

I never did receive a review copy of Anthony Ryan's celebrated Blood Song, so I've never read the Raven's Shadow trilogy. Hence, when a galley of The Waking Fire showed up in my mailbox, I knew it was high time for me to give this author a shot! Although I haven't read the books, I'm aware that Queen of Fire, the last volume in Ryan's first series, did not meet with widespread approval from fans. Which is why my expectations were not as high as they might have been.

This is probably why this novel blew me away at first. So much so that The Waking Fire appeared to be the fantasy book of 2016. Unfortunately, the overall quality deteriorated as the story progressed and what seemed to be an incredibly compelling and imaginative read turned into a chaotic and predictable black-and-white mess. In a nutshell, this title is Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn meets Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance meets Indiana Jones meets James Bond. It could have been absolutely brilliant, and for a time it was. Sadly, Ryan wasn't able to sustain this flair throughout. In the end, we are left with a very uneven and somewhat disappointing work of fiction.

Here's the blurb:

Throughout the vast lands controlled by the Ironship Syndicate, nothing is more prized than the blood of drakes. Harvested from the veins of captive or hunted Reds, Green, Blues and Blacks, it can be distilled into elixirs that give fearsome powers to the rare men and women who have the ability harness them—known as the blood-blessed.

But not many know the truth: that the lines of drakes are weakening. If they fail, war with the neighboring Corvantine Empire will follow swiftly. The Syndicate's last hope resides in whispers of the existence of another breed of drake, far more powerful than the rest, and the few who have been chosen by fate to seek it.

Claydon Torcreek is a petty thief and an unregistered blood-blessed, who finds himself pressed into service by the protectorate and sent to wild, uncharted territories in search of a creature he believes is little more than legend. Lizanne Lethridge is a formidable spy and assassin, facing gravest danger on an espionage mission deep into the heart of enemy territory. And Corrick Hilemore is the second lieutenant of an ironship, whose pursuit of ruthless brigands leads him to a far greater threat at the edge of the world.

As lives and empires clash and intertwine, as the unknown and the known collide, all three must fight to turn the tide of a coming war, or drown in its wake.

The worldbuilding is by far the most interesting aspect of this novel. Though using dragon's blood to gain powers is nothing new, it's by no means a fantasy trope. By and large, I feel that the author did a great job in that regard by giving this plot point an original spin. Given the blurb, we knew that the blood of dragons would be at the heart of the tale. The historical backdrop is not your typical medieval European setting. There is a certain level of industrialization, what with the presence of firearms and steam-powered engines. This is a welcome change and gives The Waking Fire a definite unique flavor early on. Two great powers face off across the globe. The Ironship Syndicate, a corporate conglomeration of nations whose mastery of dragon's blood have made them the most powerful political entity in the world, squares off against the Corvantine Empire, an old-school aristocracy which is rapidly losing ground in this conflict.

The blood-blessed were a cool concept and they represent what is hands down the best and most exciting magical system since the one introduced in Sanderson's Mistborn series. Problem is, the politicking can be terribly gauche and plot holes turn this book into a bucket that doesn't always hold much water. The more the story progresses, the more it becomes obvious that the foundations on which the plot must rest are often shaky. By the time we reach the halfway point, various storylines stop making sense and a lot of things seem contrived. The manner in which the three main plotlines are connected and later brought together leaves a lot to be desired and ultimately kills the finale. I don't believe I've ever seen a book start on such a high note, only to peter out for two hundred pages or so, and finally go down the crapper altogether.

The tale is told from the perspective of three extremely disparate protagonists. Claydon Torcreek is a street criminal from the slums who is also secretly blood-blessed. Things go wrong one night and he is press-ganged into service by the powers that be. He is forced to accompany his uncle's crew as they set out to explore remote areas of the continent of Arradsia in search of the fabled white drake. There follows an Indiana Jones-esque expedition across jungle, desert, and mountains. Lizanne Lethridge, a trained spy and assassin, is sent on a mission to gather intelligence on anything that might lead to the discovery of the whereabouts of the White. Though she was the most interesting character to begin with, Lizanne was way too over-the-top and soon became some sort of caricature. Indeed, she's a mix of James Bond, Ronda Rousey, Drizzt Do'Urden, and Arnold Schwarzenegger in movies such as Commando (in which he manages to gun down dozens of bad guys shooting at him with automatic weapons while carrying only a 3-shell shotgun without reloading). I mean, this woman could probably survive a nuclear strike just by holding her breath. Intelligent and crafty, not only is she badass with a capital B and survives armies and dragons without getting so much as a papercut, but she's also the one who keeps unraveling all the mysteries that are at the heart of the plot. Her storyline is closely linked to Claydon's and the relationship engendered by this connection is as improbable as it is unbelievable. As a street thug, I found it hard to fathom that he could show such empathy toward her and vice versa. The last point of view is that of Corrick Hilemore, an officer newly assigned to what could be the fastest ironship in the fleet. For the better part of the book, it appears that his POV serves no other purpose than to witness rousing naval battles. And though these are fun and exciting, until the very end one keeps wondering exactly why roughly a third of The Waking Fire is dedicated to him. Still, even if Hilemore is likely the least engaging protagonist of the three, his storyline is doubtless the most gripping. Like Brandon Sanderson, it appears that Anthony Ryan has problems with shades of gray. Though he handles mature themes better than Sanderson, both authors' characters are decidedly black-and-white. And this, for me at least, was a major disappointment. Having said that, considering Sanderson's immense popularity, I reckon that a multitude of readers might not have a problem with this aspect.

The pace is rather crooked throughout. Following an amazing and inventive beginning, the rhythm starts to slow down in the middle portion of the book. This is no problem at first, as the tale continues to capture your imagination and keeps you turning those pages. But as Lizanne and Clay's plotlines intertwine more and more, and as war with the Corvantine Empire seems inevitable, the pace goes to hell and The Waking Fire gradually becomes a slow-moving and predictable mess. Especially Lizanne's storylines, which makes less and less sense with each new chapter. The lead-up to the endgame is a crazy succession of unbelievable scenes in which our protagonists come out on top, no matter how high the odds are stacked up against them. I am well aware that this is a work of fantasy, but this is just so impossibly absurd that it stretched the bounds of credulity to their breaking point. At least as far as I'm concerned. . .

As a result, the endgame and what led up to it was so far-fetched and ridiculous that it robbed the ending of whatever impact Anthony Ryan envisioned for it. Thankfully, there is resolution of sorts. Yet it is obvious that The Waking Fire was meant to be an introduction to a much bigger tale. I just wish it had lived up to the great potential it showed early on.

The Waking Fire could have been a stunning novel. But subpar and black-and-white characterization, over-the-top battle scenes, poor execution, plot holes, and an uneven pace prevented this one from achieving greatness. Too bad, as all the ingredients were there.

Disappointing. . .

First half good tight action and writing. Second half long boring text descriptions and speeches about history and stuff, all of which could have been better done in action. First half five stars, second half one star. Stop talking, Mr. Ryan!