The Waking Fire

The Draconis Memoria

By: Anthony Ryan

Narrated by: Steven Brand

Length: 22 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

The New York Times best-selling Raven's Shadow Trilogy was a perfect listen for "fans of broadscale epic fantasy along the lines of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series and George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire novels". Now Anthony Ryan begins a new saga, The Draconis Memoria....

Throughout the vast lands controlled by the Ironship Trading Syndicate, nothing is more prized than the blood of drakes. Harvested from captive or hunted Reds, Greens, Blues, and Blacks, it can be distilled into elixirs that bestow fearsome powers on the rare men and women 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 lands 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 cruiser 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.

©2016 Anthony Ryan (P)2016 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A marvelous piece of imagination with plenty of twists, a refreshingly different setting, and excellent world-building. A great read." (Mark Lawrence, international best-selling author of The Wheel of Osheim)

"The Waking Fire is part Indiana Jones, part Pirates of the Caribbean, and part Mistborn. It's got wonderful, memorable characters and great action...I loved it."(Django Wexler, author of The Guns of Empire)

"A fascinating world run mostly by corporations, where much of the power comes from dragon blood, provides a compelling backdrop for this sprawling epic fantasy.... Breakneck pacing and sheer wonder keep the story compelling." (Locus)

There are Narrators and there are reciters

Any additional comments?

Anthony Ryan is a brilliant and imaginative writer. His world-building is exquisite and his characters are unforgettable.

I plan on reading this book, SOMEDAY, as I can do a much better job of interpreting Ryan's words in my own head rather than listening the boring, monotone, word-slurring Steven BLAND.

I found myself rewinding constantly as I attempted to decipher names that Brand had mumbled. I still don't know what the names of the main characters. Not kidding.

I listen to audiobooks to stay awake on my hour-long commute every morning and afternoon. Steven Brand's voice was putting my life at risk.

Steampunk vocabulary is brilliant when read with zeal, word soup if it is simply recited.

I will be returning this audiobook and purchasing it for Kindle. Anthony Ryan deserves a second chance. Steven Brand will never get another from me.

To say I am disappointed is an understatement. I loved the Raven's Shadow series. This is an absolute shame.

Loved it!

Can't wait for book 2. I really enjoyed the face that it was not the usual sword and sorcery story. It has a new and fresh "magic" system and it's kind of a steam punk feel as well

Great Book!

Never a dull moment and is just as good as the Raven Shadow series. I would recommend this book to others

wonderful

great story, well read, good dialogue. i thoroughly enjoyed this book. I can't wait for the next one.

Good story, boring monotone Narration.

The story is well and good. the only problem is the narrator his performance is boring. His performance truly hurt this book. he is not suited for fiction, perhaps reciting the dictionary would be better for his skills. Or perhaps it maybe best used in the confines of a sleep clinic for people with insomnia.

Excellent as usual, one of my favorite authors!

His depth of characters and story lead into a world of adventure and discovery. Can't wait for the sequel.

Narrator monotone

I can tell this is a good book. Yet the narrator was aweful monotone in this one, made it very hard to hold on and keep listening

Ryan bounces back with the Waking Fire

Would you listen to The Waking Fire again? Why?

I thoroughly enjoyed this title and I'll be back for another listen once third volume is released.

What did you like best about this story?

This offering was a huge step back in the right direction for the Author. Hoping that the rest of the trilogy continues that trajectory.

Have you listened to any of Steven Brand’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I listened to the narrator's performances in the Blood Song trilogy, and loved that as well. He is not as great at differentiating voices as some, but he really does breathe life into the characters. I very much like the performance.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

It may just be that it is fresh in my mind, but the final sentence was quite a surprise and a revelation.

A decent book, but I disliked most MCs

This book had problems. The sexual content was not anything I was interested in, and should have been left out. The main characters were either boring simply unlikable. Lizanne particularly. Hilemore I did enjoy, yet his chapters had less interesting content typically. I picked up the next book, and it just got worse, so I wouldn't recommend it.
Another frustration (minor) was that the only character of faith in this book was treated as a crazy.
The world building was pretty good, I'll give you that.
Anyway, that's all.

Bad voice actor

The story was on the stronger side, but the voice actor really took me out of it. Accent and diction was good, but one monotone voice the whole time with the same voice for all characters and no excitement even during battle scenes made it feel boring.