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simoneliedtke's review against another edition
4.0
Following the events of the first instalment of “The Waking Land” series, the sequel, titled “Memory of Fire” follows the subsequent consequences and remaining tremors from the war in Eren, our protagonist – Jahan Korakides – leaves Eren, and the woman he loves, to negotiate with an emperor threatening war in retribution for Elanna’s “illegal” sorcery.
“Memory of Fire” follows Jahan, who sees himself as a failed sorcerer, who is haunted by memories – and mental callings – of a sorceress who experimented on him and his siblings as children to “create the perfect sorcerer”.
Despite having saved both Eren, and Prince Leontius in a battle prior to the war in the first novel, Jahan faces several changes in the city he once called home – Revolution is the illegal talk of the day, while a mistrusting monarch threatens to seek and kill sorcerers.
While changing the reader’s perspective through those of a different protagonist in the second, and following, novels in a series is a gamble in itself – some authors simply cannot pull it off, I find that learning about Jahan’s character background and experiences that helped shaped him altered my already existing perception that Jahan is not... well, the best or most reliable of persons.
With magic outlawed and punishable by death in Paladis, Jahan continues to keep his powers a secret – even from those he cares most about – as he is forced to return to the court where he is without favour or protection.
Political games are rife in his return, and Jahan must relearn how to navigate these while confronting his past and the painful memories of what happened to his family.
While he does get reunited with his siblings (or does he, really?), Jahan is faced with the immense task of heading a revolution in his old country, while trying to keep sane in the midst of ominous mental messages from his old mentor.
“Memory of Fire” is darker in tone compared to its predecessor, and shows us that the series is maturing into something that could potentially, become far greater than the magic of the land.
While some reviews did not approve of the change of point-of-view in the second novel, I must admit – I liked it.
The world building, which I believe needed the different perspective, continues to be that which to be inspired by, while reminding the reader that as long as the memory of something is there, it can never truly be gone. (If you have read it, do you remember that candle and fire reference throughout the novel?).
Seeing the main character use the phrase that titles their own story is a lovely little easter egg too!
The third (and potentially final) instalment in the series, The Soul of Power, scheduled for publication in 2019 – and will be told out of [Queen] Sophy’s perspective.
After all, going on how the novel ended, can we really say that we know all there is about our Queen?
Based on the gamble Callie Bates took in changing the main protagonist, and the continued stable world building, I’d give “Memory of Fire” 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Book Synopsis:
The land has awoken, and news of magic's rebirth has travelled across the sea. Jahan, a daring noble who has been concealing his powers, is finally ready to stop hiding. Now he returns to the imperial capital, where the use of magic carries a death sentence. There, he must face his dark past, learn to embrace his gifts, and prevent an all-out war across the kingdoms.
“Memory of Fire” follows Jahan, who sees himself as a failed sorcerer, who is haunted by memories – and mental callings – of a sorceress who experimented on him and his siblings as children to “create the perfect sorcerer”.
Despite having saved both Eren, and Prince Leontius in a battle prior to the war in the first novel, Jahan faces several changes in the city he once called home – Revolution is the illegal talk of the day, while a mistrusting monarch threatens to seek and kill sorcerers.
While changing the reader’s perspective through those of a different protagonist in the second, and following, novels in a series is a gamble in itself – some authors simply cannot pull it off, I find that learning about Jahan’s character background and experiences that helped shaped him altered my already existing perception that Jahan is not... well, the best or most reliable of persons.
With magic outlawed and punishable by death in Paladis, Jahan continues to keep his powers a secret – even from those he cares most about – as he is forced to return to the court where he is without favour or protection.
Political games are rife in his return, and Jahan must relearn how to navigate these while confronting his past and the painful memories of what happened to his family.
While he does get reunited with his siblings (or does he, really?), Jahan is faced with the immense task of heading a revolution in his old country, while trying to keep sane in the midst of ominous mental messages from his old mentor.
“Memory of Fire” is darker in tone compared to its predecessor, and shows us that the series is maturing into something that could potentially, become far greater than the magic of the land.
While some reviews did not approve of the change of point-of-view in the second novel, I must admit – I liked it.
The world building, which I believe needed the different perspective, continues to be that which to be inspired by, while reminding the reader that as long as the memory of something is there, it can never truly be gone. (If you have read it, do you remember that candle and fire reference throughout the novel?).
Seeing the main character use the phrase that titles their own story is a lovely little easter egg too!
The third (and potentially final) instalment in the series, The Soul of Power, scheduled for publication in 2019 – and will be told out of [Queen] Sophy’s perspective.
After all, going on how the novel ended, can we really say that we know all there is about our Queen?
Based on the gamble Callie Bates took in changing the main protagonist, and the continued stable world building, I’d give “Memory of Fire” 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Book Synopsis:
The land has awoken, and news of magic's rebirth has travelled across the sea. Jahan, a daring noble who has been concealing his powers, is finally ready to stop hiding. Now he returns to the imperial capital, where the use of magic carries a death sentence. There, he must face his dark past, learn to embrace his gifts, and prevent an all-out war across the kingdoms.
strangecandy's review against another edition
5.0
Jahan Korakides, the sorcerer who is in love with Elanna, has to return to his homeland of Ida where sorcery is illegal to find his two younger brothers. Who, like him, were brought up to be the greatest sorcerers by an evil woman who wanted revenge against the witch hunters who she says stole her power. One brother has gone missing from his military school and the other cannot be found. While searching for his brothers, Jahan gets swept up in the court intrigue with the kings new wife, the prince who no longer will speak to him and a friend of the queen's who appears to be part of a rebellion growing in Ida to bring sorcery back.
Ellana is mostly absent for the first half of the book which really gives the story time to develop around Jahan's character which I really enjoyed. New characters are introduced which will obviously help carry on the story into the next book. While the first book was focused on Elanna and her power which gave the story a more organic feel this one was primarily located in the cities so it felt a little different but no less wonderful.
Overall a thoroughly enjoyable book. I highly recommend the series.
Ellana is mostly absent for the first half of the book which really gives the story time to develop around Jahan's character which I really enjoyed. New characters are introduced which will obviously help carry on the story into the next book. While the first book was focused on Elanna and her power which gave the story a more organic feel this one was primarily located in the cities so it felt a little different but no less wonderful.
Overall a thoroughly enjoyable book. I highly recommend the series.
story_sanctuary's review against another edition
4.0
After loving The Waking Land, the first book in this series, I knew I had to read Memory of Fire. It was awesome to get to see what happened after the first story concluded. Elanna remains my favorite character even though Jahan narrates this book. I like Jahan, but I felt more connected to Elanna.
I thought it was interesting that the author touched on opiate addiction, especially considering the fact that it’s such a big issue right now in our country. Jahan remembers being addicted and some of the physical agony of withdrawal (which he experiences at different points in the story) but also the shame of having been an addict. It’s a minor point—this isn’t a tale about addiction or recovery. I just thought it was interesting that it plays a role in the book.
I also found it cool that even though this story is told from the perspective of a young man, it contains a LOT of strong women. Obviously there’s Elanna, the Caveadear who uses powerful magic connected to her land. But there’s also Jahan’s aunt, who sheltered him as a child and never shies away from protecting him, even if it might cost her life. The empress, who seeks to use her position to turn the political tide toward accepting sorcery. Queen Sophy who works tirelessly to unite her people and fend off enemies.
I’m pretty sure I noted this in my review of The Waking Land, but I think this is really more adult fantasy than young adult fantasy. Jahan deals with political issues in his role as ambassador, and while he spends some time sorting out trauma from his childhood, ultimately, the story focuses on him finding his place as an adult in a changing kingdom. I guess you could argue that he revises his childhood relationships (with his aunt, with a childhood friend, etc.) into adult ones, which falls under the YA umbrella. Fantasy seems to be the most flexible in terms of where YA crosses into adult fiction.
At any rate, Memory of Fire struck me with its strong story world and interesting political dynamics. Fans of Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope or The Great Library series by Rachel Caine should add this one to their reading lists.
I thought it was interesting that the author touched on opiate addiction, especially considering the fact that it’s such a big issue right now in our country. Jahan remembers being addicted and some of the physical agony of withdrawal (which he experiences at different points in the story) but also the shame of having been an addict. It’s a minor point—this isn’t a tale about addiction or recovery. I just thought it was interesting that it plays a role in the book.
I also found it cool that even though this story is told from the perspective of a young man, it contains a LOT of strong women. Obviously there’s Elanna, the Caveadear who uses powerful magic connected to her land. But there’s also Jahan’s aunt, who sheltered him as a child and never shies away from protecting him, even if it might cost her life. The empress, who seeks to use her position to turn the political tide toward accepting sorcery. Queen Sophy who works tirelessly to unite her people and fend off enemies.
I’m pretty sure I noted this in my review of The Waking Land, but I think this is really more adult fantasy than young adult fantasy. Jahan deals with political issues in his role as ambassador, and while he spends some time sorting out trauma from his childhood, ultimately, the story focuses on him finding his place as an adult in a changing kingdom. I guess you could argue that he revises his childhood relationships (with his aunt, with a childhood friend, etc.) into adult ones, which falls under the YA umbrella. Fantasy seems to be the most flexible in terms of where YA crosses into adult fiction.
At any rate, Memory of Fire struck me with its strong story world and interesting political dynamics. Fans of Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope or The Great Library series by Rachel Caine should add this one to their reading lists.
fkeenan's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
disabledbookdragon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
dr_tree's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this one less well than the first but I don't think that's the fault of the author or the storytelling. This one was just a bit darker, more focused on intrigue and politics, which I found less appealing. But, I did appreciate learning more about Jahan'a backstory and watching the growth of his character throughout the book.
visubooks's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this sequel! I loved the fact that this book is in Jahan’s point of view and this book focuses more on him and his past. We learn so much about him in this book as well as how his life was before he met Elanna. I love how the stakes are just as high in this book and we get to meet so many new amazing characters. We finally get to meet Jahan’s brothers and all the people from his old life. We are left on a great cliffhanger and I can’t wait to know how this series ends! Definitely recommend! Great read!
liesljrowe's review against another edition
3.0
Jahan was one of my favourite characters in "The Waking Land" so I was very excited when I heard he was getting his own book. For the most part, this absolutely delivered. We get to learn more about Jahan's tragic backstory as well as seeing how the events of the first book have impacted on Ida. I am more than here for any political revolution story and I loved the constant sense of not really knowing who to trust. Some great new characters too: I had a particular soft spot for Jahan's university friends and Lees.
That being said, this was a difficult read. A lot of the novel deals with Jahan struggling with the after-effects of the abuse he received as a child, particularly the gaslighting and emotional abuse. Worth being aware going in as those sections were very painful to read in their honesty.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
That being said, this was a difficult read. A lot of the novel deals with Jahan struggling with the after-effects of the abuse he received as a child, particularly the gaslighting and emotional abuse. Worth being aware going in as those sections were very painful to read in their honesty.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
faerietears's review against another edition
5.0
Jahan's book???? YEEESSSS!!!
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Full Review on The Blog
www.carolineandrus.com
Loved the first book, LOVED this second book.
I love Jahan, he's so interesting and broken.
I couldn't put this book down. I devoured it in days.
And now I can't wait for the third book.
In fact, I think I need to re-read both of these SOON!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Full Review on The Blog
www.carolineandrus.com
Loved the first book, LOVED this second book.
I love Jahan, he's so interesting and broken.
I couldn't put this book down. I devoured it in days.
And now I can't wait for the third book.
In fact, I think I need to re-read both of these SOON!