Home Culture Books The Obsessive Bookseller Reviews: “The Legion of Flame” by Anthony Ryan

The Obsessive Bookseller Reviews: “The Legion of Flame” by Anthony Ryan

June 22, 2017

Title: The Legion of Flame Author: Anthony Ryan Series: The Draconis Memoria #2 Genre: Fantasy Release Date: June 27, 2017 Rating: 5/5 stars! The Overview: -Goodreads

If you start only one new fantasy series this year, make it “Draconis Memoria” by Anthony Ryan! I thought “The Waking Fire” was one of the best books I’d ever read, but “Legion of Flame” was even better!

“Legion of Flame” was the ultimate armchair adventure! Each chapter was so good, I had a difficult time finding decent stopping points (and as such, stayed up way too late on too many occasions to finish it). Ryan ended each of his chapters with an aggravatingly brilliant hook that just begged you to keep reading (so I did). There was always an abundance of action, adventure, exploration, steampunk, and of course dragons. Every element came together brilliantly for, I’ll say it again, one of the best books I’ve ever read.

In both of these books, Ryan takes you on an exploration of this world and allows you to discover its breathtaking histories/mysteries alongside some very memorable characters. This depth of discovery, combined with a very Indiana Jones adventure feel, is truly the magic of these novels and one of my favorite elements. There’s such a sense of wonder with his world-building, stuff that will truly dazzle you. I can’t even begin to guess what he has in store next!

Both books incorporate multiple POVs, and they were all equally exciting to read about. Each character was perfectly placed to give us a grand picture of what’s transpiring, and I triple-dog-dare you to pick a favorite — they’re all deserving of the title. If forced, I’d say Lizanne struck a chord with me the most because her personality has a lot of duality, making her very interesting to read about.

Let’s talk about dragons for a minute. The dragons are incredibly well-conceived in this series. So far, their role has been much stronger than I’d dared hope — it truly is a dragon book. I love the varieties, their importance to the human populations, their significance in the story, and — most predominantly — how well they’re being represented. Ryan manages to keep all the things that I think comprise great dragons while simultaneously amping them up with his own twists. They’re brilliant! And if this wasn’t already one of my favorite books for story, characters, and world-building alone, it would be for the dragons.

So because of the amazing characters, seamless blend of fantasy and steampunk, exciting adventures, page-turning plot, and killer use of dragons, “Legion of Flame” is perfection. I plan to recommend it as often as I can!

I’d like to think Berkley Publishing Group, Anthony Ryan, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of “The Legion of Flame”!

Want more reviews? Check out my website at NikiHawkes.com!

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