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A review by nclcaitlin
The Legion of Flame by Anthony Ryan
3.5
The legendary white drake – believed to be nothing more than a myth – has awoken from its long slumber, with no discernible aim but to burn the world of men to ashes.
Unless Clay can uncover an ancient secret that lies buried beneath the southern ice alongside Hilemore.
Lizanne Lethridge uses her diplomatic status to venture into enemy territory on a quest for a device to save them all.
”The product has stopped flowing and your syndicate is a bloated corpse that hasn’t yet acknowledged its own death. My advice to you is to immediately dissolve all company holdings and form a military alliance with any and all willing to join. Forget profit, forget loss. They no longer have meaning. The White is not done, and it will be coming. Survival is the only currency now.”
Again, I have to ask why Hilemore even has a pov? He adds nothing, especially now he is joined for the most part with Clay.
Lizanne remains my favourite plotting, badass operative. Parts of her story reminded me of Razor’s Edge by Rob J Hayes (think prisons, mines, dens, and criminals).
Diplomacy, it seemed, could be just as aggravatingly complex as espionage.
I was skeptical starting book two and Anthony Ryan tends to start strong and then his narration changes into something not as gripping.
That is not the case with this book 2.
Admittedly, there is a lot more brazen and obvious Marxist themes, yet it fits well within the world he builds. This ability to deconstruct real life complexities in a fantastical setting reminds me of Abercrombie’s writing in The Age of Madness trilogy.
Ryan is also able to construct characters that are complex, selfish, and ambitious, not miraculously changing to fit a plot point or to solve a happy ending. This realistic endeavouring is what I love to see in fantasy.
“Did we ever really share more than a purpose?" he enquired, turning to her with a sad smile. "Was I ever more than a useful convenience?"
Unless Clay can uncover an ancient secret that lies buried beneath the southern ice alongside Hilemore.
Lizanne Lethridge uses her diplomatic status to venture into enemy territory on a quest for a device to save them all.
”The product has stopped flowing and your syndicate is a bloated corpse that hasn’t yet acknowledged its own death. My advice to you is to immediately dissolve all company holdings and form a military alliance with any and all willing to join. Forget profit, forget loss. They no longer have meaning. The White is not done, and it will be coming. Survival is the only currency now.”
Again, I have to ask why Hilemore even has a pov? He adds nothing, especially now he is joined for the most part with Clay.
Lizanne remains my favourite plotting, badass operative. Parts of her story reminded me of Razor’s Edge by Rob J Hayes (think prisons, mines, dens, and criminals).
Diplomacy, it seemed, could be just as aggravatingly complex as espionage.
I was skeptical starting book two and Anthony Ryan tends to start strong and then his narration changes into something not as gripping.
That is not the case with this book 2.
Admittedly, there is a lot more brazen and obvious Marxist themes, yet it fits well within the world he builds. This ability to deconstruct real life complexities in a fantastical setting reminds me of Abercrombie’s writing in The Age of Madness trilogy.
Ryan is also able to construct characters that are complex, selfish, and ambitious, not miraculously changing to fit a plot point or to solve a happy ending. This realistic endeavouring is what I love to see in fantasy.
“Did we ever really share more than a purpose?" he enquired, turning to her with a sad smile. "Was I ever more than a useful convenience?"