The Memory of Fire
The Waking Land Book II
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
Magic. Romance. Revolution. The sequel to the bold and gorgeous The Waking Land.
'Bates is an author well worth watching' Robin Hobb
Jahan Korakides is the hero who saved the life of the crown prince in battle, helped win the revolution in Eren and earned the heart of Elanna, the legendary Wildegarde reborn.
But Jahan Korakides is also broken; haunted by memories of the woman who experimented on him and his brothers as children.
So when the empire threatens war in retribution for Elanna's illegal sorcery, Jahan leaves Eren to negotiate with the emperor on Queen Sophy's behalf. But the world he left has changed - riots rock the city of Ida, his brother is missing and the crown prince refuses to speak to him.
Jahan's only hope of success seems to lie with the rebels in Ida. Yet, if he joins them, he will merely spur on the war he's desperate to avoid, and risk revealing himself as a sorcerer.
And then the witch hunters arrive at court, bringing Elanna in chains.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gripping in its own right, this second volume of the trilogy that began with The Waking Land races along with a new main character, Jahan Korakides, lover of previous protagonist Elanna Valtai. In the first volume, Elanna was slowly forced to become aware of her magical power over the land. In contrast, Jahan is familiar with his abilities but has been taught to distrust them by the sorceress Madiya, who has manipulated him and his brothers. Returning to the court of Emperor Alakaseus Saranon, Jahan must take decisive actions despite his constant, nagging sense of inadequacy. He needs to avoid brutal witchfinders, try to avert a war between Elanna's country and his homeland, and survive magical attacks and deadly palace intrigue. His vivid first-person, present-tense narrative shows him strained to the limits of superhuman endurance but also discovering unexpected magical resources in the world around him and moral resources in himself, learning that he would rather use his developing powers to heal than kill. This is a remarkably mature, balanced addition to the story that avoids the most common flaws of middle books and will leave readers hungry for the conclusion.
