The Waking Fire v City of Cake

Book: The Waking Fire
Author: Anthony Ryan
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2016

I’m currently reading Anthony Ryan’s latest book, The Pariah, and really liking it. As I haven’t finished it yet though, here is my thoughts on the first book of one of his previous series.

Magic based on ingesting the blood of dragons. Do I need to say much more than that? Dragons are awesome whether they are intelligent companions or terrifying enemies for hunting down and slaying. In this series they take the latter to its extreme, hunting or breeding dragons and harvesting their blood, so ‘blood blessed’ can ingest it and make use of the powers it endows them with. 

There are three PoV characters who each have their own seemingly separate plots, with the overarching macro plot point being that tye supply of drakes, and by extension their blood, is starting to run dry. When it does the balance of power will shift and who knows what that will lead to.

Vibe wise, this books feels like Indiana Jones meets Mistborn. 

Beer: City of Cake
Brewery: Hammerton Brewery
Style: Chocolate Fudge Cake Stout
Strength: 5.5%

Another delicious milk stout. I seem to have inadvertently picked up a lot of them recently, but that’s fine by me as they have mostly been great. No exception here.

One thing that frustrates me about beer descriptions is when they say it tastes of something and then tastes nothing like it. They are often perfectly nice beers as well.

This is one of those rarities that genuinely tastes a bit like what it says on the can, and smells like it too.