**In the White Drake's war, the price of freedom is paid in blood and fire . . .**
For hundreds of years, the Ironship Trading Syndicate was fueled 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 have been spread to disparate corners of the world, but they are united in their desire to defeat the White Drake and the Spoiled who follow it.
Humanity itself is at stake, but with the aid of ancient knowledge, revolutionary technology and unexpected allies, all hope is not lost. Saving the world *will* require sacrifice, as Clay, Lizanne and Hilemore will see all they know either consumed by flames or reborn from the ashes.
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### Review
**Praise for *The Empire of Ashes
***“Ryan skillfully navigates multiple narrators to unveil a world steeped in magic and on the brink of destruction. Both the characters and the setting are irresistible right through to the end.”—*Publishers Weekly****
***"The series is action packed, full of intrigue, and just plain fun. Ryan deftly writes something for fans of dragons, steampunk, or gutsy characters (or all three). Readers of epic adventure fantasies like *Game of Thrones* should check this series out."—*Booklist
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*Praise for The Draconis Memoria series
**“*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 Infernal*
“A marvellous piece of imagination with plenty of twists, a refreshingly different setting and excellent world-building. A great read.”—Mark Lawrence, international bestselling author of *Grey Sister***
**“I am barely able to contain my excitement for the next installment in the series, and continue to be impressed by Ryan’s growth as an author with each of his novels . . . Dragons, great characters and a fast-paced but intricate story.”—The Quill to Live
“Always impeccable, Anthony Ryan’s world-building skills do not fail to amaze. In the Draconis Memoria series, he completely immerses his readers in a steampunk-esque world where the struggle for survival is palpable.”—The Qwillery
### About the Author
**Anthony Ryan** is the *New York Times* bestselling author of the Raven's Shadow novels, including *Blood Song*, *Tower Lord* and *Queen of Fire*, and the Draconis Memoria novels, including *The Waking Fire* and *The Legion of Flame. * ( )

Pros: lots of action, some new revelations

Cons: very short epilogue

Clay is returning from the South with a new mission to help defeat the white dragon: find a sunken treasure in the Krystaline Lake, deep in dragon country. Lizanne has the tinkerer, but unlocking the Mad Artisan’s secrets isn’t easy, nor is finding safe haven for the growing number of refugees she encounters. Sirus, General of the White dragon’s army of Spoiled, marches his troops across the world, pillaging and ‘recruiting’ as they go under the watchful eye of the insane Catheline Dewsmine. But he’s got a plan to betray his masters once the time is right…

If you like your books with lots of action and military campaigns (on land, sea, and sky) then this is the series for you. The action quickly ramps up and the majority of this book is one battle after another. It’s impressive how the characters persevere despite the losses each side takes. It’s also impressive how the author keeps each fight scene fresh, bringing in new tactics and weapons as well as varying the locations and situations.

You finally discover who the Mad Artisan is, and see some newly invented war machines. You also learn a little bit more about Kris, though I’d have enjoyed learning more about her people and how they tinkered with the dragons.

Normally I like short denouements to books, but while the epilogue does touch on what everyone’s doing after the book ends, I would have liked more details of how they pick up the pieces. The ending is highly satisfying, but it’s hard leaving characters I’ve come to love.

This is an excellent series with a highly unique magic system and some excellent worldbuilding and characters. I highly recommend it. ( )