The Empire of Ashes by Anthony Ryan – Review & Giveaway
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Description:
For hundreds of years, the Ironship Trading Syndicate was fuelled by drake blood–and protected by the Blood-blessed, those few who could drink it and wield fearsome powers. But now the very thing that sustained the corporate world threatens to destroy it.
A drake of unimaginable power has risen, and it commands an army of both beasts and men. Rogue Blood-blessed Claydon Torcreek, Syndicate agent Lizanne Lethridge, and Ironship captain Corrick Hilemore, spread to disparate corners of the world, must rely upon the new powers and knowledge they have gained at great price to halt its forces–or face the end of all they know.
Review:
The Empire of Ashes by Anthony Ryan is the 3rd and final book in his The Draconis Memoria trilogy. This series is an epic fantasy, with an amazing amount of details and world building that includes magic, war, destruction, blood blessed and dragons. Though the dragons are a major part of the storyline, it is the blood blessed humans who drink the blood harvested from dead dragons that give them the magic to perform many amazing powerful feats. The story revolves around a war, with the Dragons (Red, Blue, Green & Black) lead by the all mighty White Dragon, who are bent on killing all humans, with the help of “spoiled” (humans mentally converted by the White to do his bidding).
As the White Dragon and those enthralled build a powerful and dangerous army to take over the world, the story line continues with the POV of the three leading characters we met in the first book…Lizanne, Clay, Hilemore. There is also a Pov in the eyes of Sirus, who is spoiled, and working under the White enthrallment. This is a dark complex world created by Ryan, with the horrors of the battles, as fight they fight for survival in a war against the Dragons onslaught.
Lizanne and Clay, who continue to be the main characters, are both blood blessed, which enables them to use the effects of the powers from drinking the blood to use magic to fight against the enemy and find a way to defeat them before it’s too late.
I did feel early on, the complex details and the many characters throughout dragged the story a bit, especially since this was over 600 pages. The last third of the book was thrilling as we raced to the climax.
What follows is an exciting, dangerous, intense storyline filled with non-stop action. All of our heroes are on their own, with no contact; and as the tension grows, we fear for their lives, as well as losing hope that this is battle they cannot win. To tell too much more would be spoilers, as this is a difficult review to write, with so many details. I will say that I loved Lizanne, as she was some tough heroine, who refused to ever give up, and I loved Clay.
Anthony Ryan does a masterful job in bringing this intense and complex story to a satisfying conclusion. If you enjoy epic fantasies, in a sort of sci-fi dystopian world, with lots of action, then you should be reading this series.
Reviewed by Barb
Copy provided by Publisher
Anthony Ryan’s publisher is offering a hardcover copy of THE EMPIRE OF ASHES to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe
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