Here be dragons. Or, as bestselling author Ryan calls them in this first novel of his new fantasy series, drakes. Dragons, or drakes, are a staple of fantasy but Ryan’s take on them has some refreshing and fascinating touches. Black, Blue, Green and Red drakes are bred and farmed so that they can be, literally, tapped for “product”; the various coloured bloods imbue humans lucky enough to be “Blood-Blessed” with particular extraordinary powers. Even those not so “blessed” can glean some benefits from imbibing the blood.
As you might imagine “product” has become the basis of a thriving economy in a world that has used its powers to arrive at a level of technology akin to our 19th century: sprawling cities, red product powered paddlesteamers. Into this vividly described and pleasingly cohesive world Ryan drops three characters, a female spy, a young street fighter and a new naval officer. We follow them, through interlinked and interleaved chapters, into a gripping plot that revolves around the discovery of a mythical and hugely powerful White drake. The Waking Fire will appeal to those who love Robin Hobb and Scott Lynch alike; it has a winning sense of adventure and wonderful world-building. ~ Simon Spanton
Anthony Ryan - author of fantasy sensation Blood Song - returns with The Waking Fire, a thrilling new epic fantasy of exploration and adventure, spies and assassins, explosive magic and the furious battle to forge an empire. For decades the lands of the Ironship Syndicate have been defended by the Blood-blessed - men and women able to channel the powers contained in the potent blood of wild drakes. Elite spies and assassins, their loyalty has established the Syndicate's position as the greatest power in the known world. Yet now a crisis looms. The drake bloodlines are weakening, and war with the Corvantine Empire seems inevitable. The Syndicate's only hope of survival lies with the myth of a legendary drake, whose powerful blood might just turn the tide of the war - if it even exists. The task of hunting down this fabled creature falls to Claydon Torcreek, a petty thief and unregistered Blood-blessed. He's handled many valuable things in his time (most of them illegal) but nothing as priceless as his nation's future.
'A major new talent Buzzfreed A master storyteller' -- Mark Lawrence
'Anthony Ryan is David Gemmell's natural successor and epic fantasy's best British talent Fantasy Book Critic Memorable characters and great action' -- Django Wexler
Author
About Anthony Ryan
Anthony Ryan lives in London and is a writer of fantasy, science fiction and non-fiction. He previously worked in a variety of roles for the UK government, but now writes full-time.
