The Waking Fire

June 6, 2016
Ryan’s steampunk-driven and magic-laden Draconis Memoria series opener features Pirates of the Caribbean–esque swashbuckling adventure against a fantasy backdrop that resembles India at the end of the British Raj. Only one in a thousand per generation is born Blood-blessed, able to consume the blood, or “product,” of the four distinct types of Arradsian dragons—blue, red, green, and black—without burning. Those who quaff the product receive near-superhuman powers. Representatives of the Ironship Trading Syndicate face off against the Corvantine Empire’s agents, each vying for access to the dwindling supply of dragons on the Araddsian continent. As the conflict between the two nations grows, a group of intrepid explorers heads out in search of a mythical white drake. Ryan handily juggles draconic fantasy, espionage, and steampunk naval fiction with realism and effortless skill. Agent: Paul Lucas, Janklow & Nesbit.

Starred review from July 1, 2016
Ryan, author of the best-selling Raven's Shadow trilogy, is back with the first novel in a new trilogy that delivers on action, adventure, espionageand dragons. Nothing is of more importance to the Ironship Syndicate than the blood of drakes. When distilled into elixirs, the blood of the various drakes (Reds, Greens, Blues, and Blacks) can give formidable powers to the few, known as the blood-blessed, who have the ability to harness them. But the line of drakes is dwindling, and if they become extinct, war with the neighboring Corvantine Empire is certain. Myths abound of a breed of drake more powerful than all others, and it is on these myths that the Syndicate has placed its last hope. The story follows the missions of a Syndicate spy, a petty thief and unregistered blood-blessed, and an Ironship lieutenant as they work to bring the myth to life; without it, the Syndicate will fall. Fans of Indiana Jones and Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series will not be able to get enoughand this book will leave readers eagerly awaiting the sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)