​The Waking Fire: Book One of Draconis Memoria

Audiobook review by Paul Fiander
Written by: Anthony Ryan
Narrated by: Steven Brand
Length: 22 hrs and 36 mins 
Series: Draconis Memoria, Book 1
Publisher: Hachette Audio UK
Opening a book with a letter can be a gentle way to introduce your reader to the world they will be inhabiting through the course of the narrative. This is true for Anthony Ryan’s latest novel in one way, it's a letter but as far as easing you in that's not quite true. For in a very short time we are welcomed into a world of potions and Drakes. These though are the grander points that are hard not to miss, it is the smaller ideas that seep through like syndicates, engines and firearms that show this is no run of the mill Dragon tale.

Ryan manages to marry a Steampunk setting in with a Western, an Espionage tale and a Naval story and this is only to begin with. This is a tricky idea to say the least, but in using three point of view characters he manages to pull it off. The central trio consist of Lizanne, Claydon and Hilemore. They are a mixed group with Clay (short for Claydon) being a thief from the dark streets, Hilemore a naval officer and Lizanne a spy. Each has their own arc though Clay and Lizanne are interwoven for large chunks of the narrative. All three feel fleshed out and you start being able to anticipate their moves later in the book. This in some way sacrifices the plot twists, however by establishing the players and developing their characters Ryan manages to draw you into their stories at a more emotional level. This is important for a larger series as if we end up following this trio in the later books then the groundwork has been laid. Lizanne was my favourite character and I think she has the biggest development arc of the three.
​The real treat however is the world in which the story takes place. It feels like a genuine mix of the centuries with everything from untamed wildlands to advanced engines with an intriguing political power structure overriding everything. Although not a book about politics you can not escape the ideas that run through the book from the dangers and advantages of a free market economy to that of a autocracy. This balance allows for the a central plot theme that plays out later in the book but it also underpins the the relationships we see evolve throughout the book. The issues of the class system are unmistakable within the passages of the book. Again though it is subtle so do not worry nothing is shoved down your throat and due to the characters usually within the scene you do get a semblance of balance on views that are expressed even if it is just a derisive look or snort.
​The Fantasy aspect of this book however can not be overlooked. The Dragons (or Drakes) that the book describes come in four colours, These are Green, Blue, Red and Black on the wane they are harvested for the blood which power the Blood Blessed a group of humans who can harness the power of the blood to achieve superhuman feats. In the case of Green this is healing among other things, for the Red it's all about fire, Black is sinister in the extreme and Blue is concerned with the mind. The introduction of this facet of the story allows for some wonderfully choreographed fights but personal and on a larger scale. Of course the action does not just rest on the Blood Blessed shoulders as we have Rifle, Canon and Growler to more than fulfill our action quota.

With all these themes flowing around it would be easy to think of this book as a slow burn however thanks to the three way narrative it’s not. The chapter structure follows one of the central players at a time and Ryan does a great job of pacing slower chapters with one character by putting them next to a more high tempo chapter with another. Thanks to this the 22 and a half hours of listening time felt like it was quite a bit shorter.

​​The narration by Steven Brand is certainly more narration than performance. He adds inflections to characters but does not try to add different accents. Due to his structure throughout the book I never found it jarring. It is worse when a narrator dips in and out of styles and this is certainly not the case here. As an example you can listen to an extract from the book by clicking on the image to the right.
This is my first dip into Anthony Ryan's writings and I am impressed with what I have heard. This book could easily be a stand alone novel (except for needing a ending), instead it is a world building introduction to a larger series and hopefully one that delivers to the high standard of this opening gambit.
You may find it useful to look at Anthony Ryans Blog as he has posted maps that relate to the story.