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The Chronicles of Stratus #2
Firesky
Relentless. Unstoppable. Dragon.
Desire burns in Stratus’ soul, powerful like an inferno. With his memory returning, he finally knows who—and what—he is. His is a dragon, brought low by the hand of a dark magician known as the Worm King, separated from his true love, tortured for centuries and now trapped inside the body of a human.
But with the memories of his old life comes a return of his true magic, and with it, his true form is slowly returning.
And Stratus wants revenge. Bloody and relentless, he slaughters his way through hordes of the undead to reach his archenemy, fighting not only for his own justice but for the whole of humanity...
Desire burns in Stratus’ soul, powerful like an inferno. With his memory returning, he finally knows who—and what—he is. His is a dragon, brought low by the hand of a dark magician known as the Worm King, separated from his true love, tortured for centuries and now trapped inside the body of a human.
But with the memories of his old life comes a return of his true magic, and with it, his true form is slowly returning.
And Stratus wants revenge. Bloody and relentless, he slaughters his way through hordes of the undead to reach his archenemy, fighting not only for his own justice but for the whole of humanity...
536 pages, Paperback
First published May 11, 2021
27 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 25, 2020
Obwohl das Buch noch blutiger war als sein Vorgänger, hat es mir sehr gefallen. Wahrscheinlich liegt es am Schreibstil, der die meisten Tode eher nüchtern beschreibt. Es gab viele interessante Plottwists, coole Magie, sehr viel Einfallsreichtum und ein zufriedenstellendes Ende. Was ich bei dieser Reihe besonders hervortun möchte, ist die Art wie die Charaktere geschrieben sind. Egal wie mächtig, selbstbewusst oder bedrohlich eine Figur ist, es passieren trotzdem Unfälle und unglückliche Zufälle. Ob ein Windzauber einen Charakter zu weit schleudert und er in den Schlamm fliegt oder ob ein Plan einfach nur schiefgeht, niemand ist gegen peinliche oder ungeplante Missgeschicke gefeit. Auch die Art des Hauptcharakters, menschliche Redewendungen zu (miss-)verstehen sorgt für Auflockerung und ein paar sehr lustige Momente.
Interessant fand ich auch den Endkampf, bei dem man zeitweise wirklich Angst vor den letzten Seiten hatte. Es war sehr düster, aber letztendlich war ich zufrieden. Eins bleibt jedoch noch zu sagen: Menschen sind halt einfach sche***e....
Interessant fand ich auch den Endkampf, bei dem man zeitweise wirklich Angst vor den letzten Seiten hatte. Es war sehr düster, aber letztendlich war ich zufrieden. Eins bleibt jedoch noch zu sagen: Menschen sind halt einfach sche***e....
December 22, 2021
Brilliant draconic fantasy, grim and violent, but also laced with humour and heart. No one writes about dragons like Jager does, except Erickson, and I feel awed by the portrayal of these majestic terrifying beings. The story follows the traditional sword and sorcery format, but with a transmogrified ancient dragon as the protagonist and his unlikely partner. The pacing is breathless, and the action is fiery. Readers who love dragons, but with a more lethal and grittier take on the archetype are surely going to enjoy this.
The story deals with memory, and a quest to find someone precious. And, being a dragon in a human body allows Jager to explore the dichotomy of "man and the beast" in a realistic way. I like the no-nonsense characters, but the villains were pretty much flat without any complexity. What intrigued me more was the relationship of love/hate/indifference that Stratus has towards the humans. The interactions were delightful, especially with Fronsac the mage, and Tatyana. I enjoyed the friendship between a dragon and a human being.
Stratus as a character, and the dragon might have been too tropey, had Jagers not showed us the inner turmoil, and trauma, and the psychology of an immortal beast. Stratus is strong, knowledgeable, but he acts with his instinct and cold calculation. It isn't that he is invulnerable, as he goes through some really tough defeats even with a hardy fight. The backstory behind Stratus' captivity made the overall plot and action more exciting, and lending his character a certain depth, and we can understand the ferocious rage and desire for vengeance, and brutality.
I hope Jager writes more stories on Stratus and his unlikely adventures. This was one hell of an entertaining ride.
The story deals with memory, and a quest to find someone precious. And, being a dragon in a human body allows Jager to explore the dichotomy of "man and the beast" in a realistic way. I like the no-nonsense characters, but the villains were pretty much flat without any complexity. What intrigued me more was the relationship of love/hate/indifference that Stratus has towards the humans. The interactions were delightful, especially with Fronsac the mage, and Tatyana. I enjoyed the friendship between a dragon and a human being.
Stratus as a character, and the dragon might have been too tropey, had Jagers not showed us the inner turmoil, and trauma, and the psychology of an immortal beast. Stratus is strong, knowledgeable, but he acts with his instinct and cold calculation. It isn't that he is invulnerable, as he goes through some really tough defeats even with a hardy fight. The backstory behind Stratus' captivity made the overall plot and action more exciting, and lending his character a certain depth, and we can understand the ferocious rage and desire for vengeance, and brutality.
I hope Jager writes more stories on Stratus and his unlikely adventures. This was one hell of an entertaining ride.
November 5, 2021
I really enjoyed reading "Infernal" (book one of "The Chronicles of Stratus") so when the chance came to grab a copy of "Firesky" I knew I couldn't pass it up. I'm glad I didn't. This second book in the series has all the positives of the first, but somehow feels much more solid. It's a really great story that's fun to read. I can't wait for more from Mark de Jager.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
December 18, 2021
Firstly I would like to thank Rebellion Publishing and NetGalley for authorizing a digital review copy of this book for me.
“I was Stratus Firesky, the Dead Wind. The Destroyer”
Firesky begins right where Infernal, Book 1 in The Chronicles of Stratus series left off. Now Stratus knows exactly who and what he is and he’s angry. His memories of his awful maltreatment at the hands of his old enemy, Navar Louw, now known as The Worm Lord, have also returned. Now that the dragon has been let out of the bag he is dead set on vengeance:
For years he had sat in the centre of a vast web, ostensibly teaching the wizards who would take to the fields to fight the very army he was leading, all the while corrupting and subverting their will to his own. And even then he had pursued a greater prize: me.
In Firesky Stratus roams the land fighting his way through the hoards of wizards (“recognizable by the burnt spice odour of their magic”), undead and other monstrous creatures that are fighting on necromancer Navar Louw’s side in the war. He rescues his friend Crow the tinker, who he met in Infernal and the two travel together for a while. Their friendship is endearing and also works as a kind of light relief from the killing and necromancy. Stratus is nothing if not practical:
‘If you don’t eat, you will die, and I will have carried you for nothing.’ He shook his head, then laughed wetly. ‘You’re a strange one, son. Strangest by a country mile for sure.’
Due to Stratus using his blood to save Tatyana’s life they now have a shared sorcerous bond and he is able to use it to locate and attempt to rescue her from the hoard of necromancers and evil creatures surrounding The Worm Lord’s fortress.
Through flashbacks we learn of Stratus’s tragic captivity and torture at the hands of Navar Louw, and something of his relationship with his mate. These and the main part of the story are told from Stratus’s perspective, but we also occasionally get snippets from the ‘Private Annals of Tiberius Talgoth, Archmage’ which also help to fill in Stratus’s back story from the perspective of one of his enemies.
The sorcery and magic system within these two books were based on energy vibration, which I thought was an interesting approach, referred to by Stratus as being drawn from the Songlines:
“All magic, whether the formulaic approach that humans took or the sorcery that flowed through me had harmony at its heart. Vibration. Music. And like music, it has many forms. Some musicians sing, while others play instruments. Some of those use lutes, others harps, and each has its own range of pitches and resonances that it can achieve.”
The worldbuilding was good without being too noticeable. We are seeing the world through Stratus’s eyes and experiences and he has no time to stop and admire the scenery. He does suffer his way through stinking, sucking bogs, attacked endlessly by biting insects, however, and finds climbing through a pit of slimy, putrid dead bodies a disgusting yet necessary task.
Firesky is easily as compelling as Infernal. It is dark fantasy at its best and you need a strong stomach to enjoy it! If you enjoy dark fantasy with plenty of magic and battling wizards, paladins and necromancers, monsters and a dragon you will love this story!
“I was Stratus Firesky, the Dead Wind. The Destroyer”
Firesky begins right where Infernal, Book 1 in The Chronicles of Stratus series left off. Now Stratus knows exactly who and what he is and he’s angry. His memories of his awful maltreatment at the hands of his old enemy, Navar Louw, now known as The Worm Lord, have also returned. Now that the dragon has been let out of the bag he is dead set on vengeance:
For years he had sat in the centre of a vast web, ostensibly teaching the wizards who would take to the fields to fight the very army he was leading, all the while corrupting and subverting their will to his own. And even then he had pursued a greater prize: me.
In Firesky Stratus roams the land fighting his way through the hoards of wizards (“recognizable by the burnt spice odour of their magic”), undead and other monstrous creatures that are fighting on necromancer Navar Louw’s side in the war. He rescues his friend Crow the tinker, who he met in Infernal and the two travel together for a while. Their friendship is endearing and also works as a kind of light relief from the killing and necromancy. Stratus is nothing if not practical:
‘If you don’t eat, you will die, and I will have carried you for nothing.’ He shook his head, then laughed wetly. ‘You’re a strange one, son. Strangest by a country mile for sure.’
Due to Stratus using his blood to save Tatyana’s life they now have a shared sorcerous bond and he is able to use it to locate and attempt to rescue her from the hoard of necromancers and evil creatures surrounding The Worm Lord’s fortress.
Through flashbacks we learn of Stratus’s tragic captivity and torture at the hands of Navar Louw, and something of his relationship with his mate. These and the main part of the story are told from Stratus’s perspective, but we also occasionally get snippets from the ‘Private Annals of Tiberius Talgoth, Archmage’ which also help to fill in Stratus’s back story from the perspective of one of his enemies.
The sorcery and magic system within these two books were based on energy vibration, which I thought was an interesting approach, referred to by Stratus as being drawn from the Songlines:
“All magic, whether the formulaic approach that humans took or the sorcery that flowed through me had harmony at its heart. Vibration. Music. And like music, it has many forms. Some musicians sing, while others play instruments. Some of those use lutes, others harps, and each has its own range of pitches and resonances that it can achieve.”
The worldbuilding was good without being too noticeable. We are seeing the world through Stratus’s eyes and experiences and he has no time to stop and admire the scenery. He does suffer his way through stinking, sucking bogs, attacked endlessly by biting insects, however, and finds climbing through a pit of slimy, putrid dead bodies a disgusting yet necessary task.
Firesky is easily as compelling as Infernal. It is dark fantasy at its best and you need a strong stomach to enjoy it! If you enjoy dark fantasy with plenty of magic and battling wizards, paladins and necromancers, monsters and a dragon you will love this story!
December 13, 2021
Firesky (as a sequel)
13hr 56m (audiobook)
544 pages (ebook)
4.5 / 5 ✪
Chronicles of Stratus
994 pages (ebooks)
26hr 50m (audiobooks)
5 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
This was a troublesome review to write. The formatting alone was a nightmare. See, I loved the book, but there were some issues that made it different from my normal reviews, so I had to change up the style I usually employ. Let me explain.
The English release of Firesky, the second and (most likely) final installment of the Chronicles of Stratus, works to complete the journey that began in a desert surrounded by vultures, so many moons before. In Infernal we follow Stratus, who does not know who or what he is. Following the revelation of his true nature at the end of Infernal, Firesky begins with a reckoning.
The problem is that other than this revelation, there’s no reason to break at the end of Infernal. The overarching plot is not resolved. No storylines are resolved. The only thing that changes is that now Stratus knows who and what he really is—and while the former might be a surprise, the latter is something that he’d been suspecting for some time. Therefore, I’d suggest treating the Chronicles as two parts to one whole. Two books in a single installment, like how the Lord of the Rings is spilt into three, or how the Stormlight Archive books are usually split in two (in Europe, at least). If you read it like this, with just a break in the middle, it removes 90% of my complaints about the books. Still, if you decide to read them as two distinct works, Firesky has a helpful recap to remind you of what happened before, so you can just jump right in.
So, honestly, I can pretty much just end right now with a 5 ✪ recommendation that you go out and get the Chronicles—since they’re both out and can be read as one.
So, just go get it.
Go on.
…
Still here? Might as well do a recap of Firesky, including some very minor spoilers. If you want to avoid these, just skip to the TL;DR.
We begin with Stratus. The Dead Wind. The Destroyer.
The from waking moments of Infernal, we knew that Stratus wasn’t human. While we weren’t absolutely sure of what he was until the end of Book #1, the signs were all there for us to follow and likely by the end wasn’t a very startling revelation to anyone.
Regardless, in the interest of spoilers—since I’m treating the Chronicles as one volume separated into two parts—I’ll just skip the revelations and set the scene.
One enemy has fallen. But they were just a pawn of the bigger threat, one that Stratus has already faced before. It was this foe that led to him waking in a strange form with no memory, a battle he could only run and hide from rather than fight. But there is no running this time. And nowhere to hide.
Stratus wants revenge. And he will get it, one way or another.
Okay, so after that incredibly vague recap, we’re set to start Book #2. Firesky wraps up Stratus’ journey quite nicely, and rounds out the adventures of his allies as well. While there may be room on the end for one of these allies to take over the narrative, I think we’ve wrapped up Stratus’ journey.
TL;DR
Honestly, even if you follow the obvious signs and blurbs between Books 1-2 and discern Stratus’ secret, it’s still a great read. Think I had him pegged a quarter of the way through Infernal and the adventure was still amazing! In fact, my biggest issue with the first entry is how it ended—how it just left off following our somewhat startling revelation—and if you consider the Chronicles as a single volume it removes all of this. Actually… that’s the ONLY thing I have to complain about. Otherwise, Firesky was a 5 star read. Taken as a SINGLE entity with a break in-between, the Chronicles of Stratus is a 5 star book, one that I recommend to any lovers of fantasy around! Again, go get it!
Audio Note: I LOVED Obioma Ugoala’s performance as Stratus! Sometimes an narrator just reads a book—using their same tone of voice with the same inflection throughout. But sometimes a narrator seems to connect with the characters on a more personal level (the 1st person POV really seems to help with this one) which helps bring them to life all the more. Ugoala was able to manage both Stratus’ subtlety and obtuseness not to mention his inhuman humor in a way I found just so perfect! I would absolutely recommend this as an audiobook, one that I hope you’ll enjoy as much as I did!
13hr 56m (audiobook)
544 pages (ebook)
4.5 / 5 ✪
Chronicles of Stratus
994 pages (ebooks)
26hr 50m (audiobooks)
5 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
This was a troublesome review to write. The formatting alone was a nightmare. See, I loved the book, but there were some issues that made it different from my normal reviews, so I had to change up the style I usually employ. Let me explain.
The English release of Firesky, the second and (most likely) final installment of the Chronicles of Stratus, works to complete the journey that began in a desert surrounded by vultures, so many moons before. In Infernal we follow Stratus, who does not know who or what he is. Following the revelation of his true nature at the end of Infernal, Firesky begins with a reckoning.
The problem is that other than this revelation, there’s no reason to break at the end of Infernal. The overarching plot is not resolved. No storylines are resolved. The only thing that changes is that now Stratus knows who and what he really is—and while the former might be a surprise, the latter is something that he’d been suspecting for some time. Therefore, I’d suggest treating the Chronicles as two parts to one whole. Two books in a single installment, like how the Lord of the Rings is spilt into three, or how the Stormlight Archive books are usually split in two (in Europe, at least). If you read it like this, with just a break in the middle, it removes 90% of my complaints about the books. Still, if you decide to read them as two distinct works, Firesky has a helpful recap to remind you of what happened before, so you can just jump right in.
So, honestly, I can pretty much just end right now with a 5 ✪ recommendation that you go out and get the Chronicles—since they’re both out and can be read as one.
So, just go get it.
Go on.
…
Still here? Might as well do a recap of Firesky, including some very minor spoilers. If you want to avoid these, just skip to the TL;DR.
We begin with Stratus. The Dead Wind. The Destroyer.
The from waking moments of Infernal, we knew that Stratus wasn’t human. While we weren’t absolutely sure of what he was until the end of Book #1, the signs were all there for us to follow and likely by the end wasn’t a very startling revelation to anyone.
Regardless, in the interest of spoilers—since I’m treating the Chronicles as one volume separated into two parts—I’ll just skip the revelations and set the scene.
One enemy has fallen. But they were just a pawn of the bigger threat, one that Stratus has already faced before. It was this foe that led to him waking in a strange form with no memory, a battle he could only run and hide from rather than fight. But there is no running this time. And nowhere to hide.
Stratus wants revenge. And he will get it, one way or another.
Okay, so after that incredibly vague recap, we’re set to start Book #2. Firesky wraps up Stratus’ journey quite nicely, and rounds out the adventures of his allies as well. While there may be room on the end for one of these allies to take over the narrative, I think we’ve wrapped up Stratus’ journey.
TL;DR
Honestly, even if you follow the obvious signs and blurbs between Books 1-2 and discern Stratus’ secret, it’s still a great read. Think I had him pegged a quarter of the way through Infernal and the adventure was still amazing! In fact, my biggest issue with the first entry is how it ended—how it just left off following our somewhat startling revelation—and if you consider the Chronicles as a single volume it removes all of this. Actually… that’s the ONLY thing I have to complain about. Otherwise, Firesky was a 5 star read. Taken as a SINGLE entity with a break in-between, the Chronicles of Stratus is a 5 star book, one that I recommend to any lovers of fantasy around! Again, go get it!
Audio Note: I LOVED Obioma Ugoala’s performance as Stratus! Sometimes an narrator just reads a book—using their same tone of voice with the same inflection throughout. But sometimes a narrator seems to connect with the characters on a more personal level (the 1st person POV really seems to help with this one) which helps bring them to life all the more. Ugoala was able to manage both Stratus’ subtlety and obtuseness not to mention his inhuman humor in a way I found just so perfect! I would absolutely recommend this as an audiobook, one that I hope you’ll enjoy as much as I did!
December 9, 2021
I hadn’t appreciated that this was the second book in the series until I went looking for the details, as de Jager does a really good job of giving snippets of Stratus’s eventful backstory when it’s necessary. However, I assume that in order to get the best from this draconic adventure – the ideal would be to go and pick up Infernal before tucking into this offering.
While I did enjoy this book, I will mention that it is on the darker side of the fantasy genre. It is liberally splashed with gore throughout – Stratus has a suitably ferocious appetite and his diet isn’t remotely vegetarian. The magic featured is also particularly nasty, as the villainous wizards are necromancers which means they are up to their necks in death spells. While there are flashes of rather dark humour, I did break off in the middle to read something a bit lighter as I found the relentless violence and constant death a bit difficult to cope with. But do bear in mind that I’m dealing with Long Covid, so I’m not really looking for dark and doomy. That said – at no time was I tempted to stop reading this one.
Stratus is a wonderful character. He is in human form, but de Jager nails the aura of difference that surrounds him. At no stage in this longish book (544 pages) did I ever forget that Stratus is a dragon. It’s well done. Indeed, while de Jager isn’t an elegant writer – there were times when I was yanked out of the story because of the odd sentence construction, particularly in the beginning – he writes with passionate conviction. His descriptions of his apocalyptic settings are gripping and viscerally evoked, given that we see them through the filter of Stratus and his perceptions. The other impressive aspect of Stratus’s characterisation is that although his actions are often brutal and unpleasant, I was always firmly on his side. That’s a tricky balance to achieve – and one that de Jager triumphantly pulls off.
I loved the story arc and the fact that the pace and tension never let up throughout. And I also particularly enjoyed the ending. All in all, this is an entertaining, enjoyable read – and if you are a fan of epic fantasy on the darker side, then give this one a go. Stratus is a character that I shan’t forget in a hurry. While I obtained an arc of Firesky from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10
While I did enjoy this book, I will mention that it is on the darker side of the fantasy genre. It is liberally splashed with gore throughout – Stratus has a suitably ferocious appetite and his diet isn’t remotely vegetarian. The magic featured is also particularly nasty, as the villainous wizards are necromancers which means they are up to their necks in death spells. While there are flashes of rather dark humour, I did break off in the middle to read something a bit lighter as I found the relentless violence and constant death a bit difficult to cope with. But do bear in mind that I’m dealing with Long Covid, so I’m not really looking for dark and doomy. That said – at no time was I tempted to stop reading this one.
Stratus is a wonderful character. He is in human form, but de Jager nails the aura of difference that surrounds him. At no stage in this longish book (544 pages) did I ever forget that Stratus is a dragon. It’s well done. Indeed, while de Jager isn’t an elegant writer – there were times when I was yanked out of the story because of the odd sentence construction, particularly in the beginning – he writes with passionate conviction. His descriptions of his apocalyptic settings are gripping and viscerally evoked, given that we see them through the filter of Stratus and his perceptions. The other impressive aspect of Stratus’s characterisation is that although his actions are often brutal and unpleasant, I was always firmly on his side. That’s a tricky balance to achieve – and one that de Jager triumphantly pulls off.
I loved the story arc and the fact that the pace and tension never let up throughout. And I also particularly enjoyed the ending. All in all, this is an entertaining, enjoyable read – and if you are a fan of epic fantasy on the darker side, then give this one a go. Stratus is a character that I shan’t forget in a hurry. While I obtained an arc of Firesky from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10
January 8, 2022
Continuing from where book 1 left off, with both Stratus and Tatyana now knowing he is a dragon, vengeance is on the horizon. Stratus will go after the Worm King who did this to him and assist the humans like he promised in the process. A battle where there is much more at stake than we know.
The 1st person POV is as insightful as ever into Stratus's being and otherness. He still has purpose even if it is a different one. Stratus is still himself, his straightforward, deadpan way of speaking leading to sarcastic remarks that make you smile. His trying to do more human things has me chuckling often. He always seems to throw gasoline on the flames of a situation. Tatyana is still badass, loyal and a great ally even now that she knows what he is. Their bond due to his healing is much greater than they expected.
We experience the world in his 'dragony' way. The magic and the protagonist's understanding of humans have expanded. The descriptions are precise and encompassing, the narrative feeling like a natural continuation of the previous book. It was so easy to immerse into the story again. You can always feel an energy crackling beneath, even in the quieter moments. The foreboding of the battle tinges the atmosphere, though to us Stratus's revenge is more important and the anticipation of his awaited confrontation.
There is a bit of a Captain Obvious vibe in some thoughts and accounts of events, a slight repetitiveness to what has already been conveyed. Is there such a thing as too much description? There were instances when I felt like that.
What I can say is that the action is always exciting, especially when magic is involved. I love him taking care of his opponents in so many imaginative ways. Also learning about how Stratus became what he is now, his past is so engaging.
Full of baddassery, twists and turns that still lead to the right direction, this is a compelling story that has you rooting for the more often than not violent, and certainly not always nice protagonist. How I adore the adventures of Stratus.
The 1st person POV is as insightful as ever into Stratus's being and otherness. He still has purpose even if it is a different one. Stratus is still himself, his straightforward, deadpan way of speaking leading to sarcastic remarks that make you smile. His trying to do more human things has me chuckling often. He always seems to throw gasoline on the flames of a situation. Tatyana is still badass, loyal and a great ally even now that she knows what he is. Their bond due to his healing is much greater than they expected.
We experience the world in his 'dragony' way. The magic and the protagonist's understanding of humans have expanded. The descriptions are precise and encompassing, the narrative feeling like a natural continuation of the previous book. It was so easy to immerse into the story again. You can always feel an energy crackling beneath, even in the quieter moments. The foreboding of the battle tinges the atmosphere, though to us Stratus's revenge is more important and the anticipation of his awaited confrontation.
There is a bit of a Captain Obvious vibe in some thoughts and accounts of events, a slight repetitiveness to what has already been conveyed. Is there such a thing as too much description? There were instances when I felt like that.
What I can say is that the action is always exciting, especially when magic is involved. I love him taking care of his opponents in so many imaginative ways. Also learning about how Stratus became what he is now, his past is so engaging.
Full of baddassery, twists and turns that still lead to the right direction, this is a compelling story that has you rooting for the more often than not violent, and certainly not always nice protagonist. How I adore the adventures of Stratus.
May 10, 2024
The sequel to "Infernal", "Firesky" continues the journey of Stratus to find his captor, tormentor, save the kingdom of Krandin, and find his true love. A cracking fantasy yarn, easy to read, an enjoyable romp of a novel, bringing the story of Stratus to a very satisfactory conclusion.
Blurb:
Relentless. Unstoppable. Dragon.
With his memory returning, Stratus finally knows who - and what - he is. He is a dragon, brought low by the hand of a dark magician known as the Worm King, separated from his true love, tortured for centuries and now trapped inside the body of a human.
With the memories of his old life his magic is slowly restored, and with it, his true form is slowly returning.
Stratus wants revenge. Bloody and relentless, he will fight his way through hordes of the undead and dark wizards to reach his archenemy, fighting not only for his own justice but for the whole of humanity...
These two books will make fabulous holiday reading - but to revisit several times. Really enjoyed this, and it's nice not to have a fantasy series which consists of numerous massive tomes. A complete story in two volumes - perfect! The first one in the set came in a subscription box, and I'm very glad that I got the sequel myself, as I feel rather satisfied after reading both of these. Good escapism., a nicely rounded plot, good world-building and believable characters. What more do you need?
Blurb:
Relentless. Unstoppable. Dragon.
With his memory returning, Stratus finally knows who - and what - he is. He is a dragon, brought low by the hand of a dark magician known as the Worm King, separated from his true love, tortured for centuries and now trapped inside the body of a human.
With the memories of his old life his magic is slowly restored, and with it, his true form is slowly returning.
Stratus wants revenge. Bloody and relentless, he will fight his way through hordes of the undead and dark wizards to reach his archenemy, fighting not only for his own justice but for the whole of humanity...
These two books will make fabulous holiday reading - but to revisit several times. Really enjoyed this, and it's nice not to have a fantasy series which consists of numerous massive tomes. A complete story in two volumes - perfect! The first one in the set came in a subscription box, and I'm very glad that I got the sequel myself, as I feel rather satisfied after reading both of these. Good escapism., a nicely rounded plot, good world-building and believable characters. What more do you need?
October 19, 2021
I usually don't read the second installment of a series before I read the first the book in the series. I didn't really feel the full story like I thought I would if I had read the first book Infernal. I think I will to read that one and then re-read Firesky to the get the full impact of this rather intriguing story. I did enjoy reading this though and found myself turning easily and eagerly to see what happens next. The violence is real and effective. The romance that keeps him going for his love is also sort nice as well. The dark nature of some the characters was ok in some places but not throughout the whole book. I think the same goes for Stratus's dragon nature but that is something I would be hard to do for any writer. The story overall is entertaining and imaginetive to a degree.most people will enjoy. Thanks to netgally and the publishers for the opportunity to read a good book.
December 25, 2021
I read the first book "Infernal" when it was published in 2016 and I loved it. The book wasn't any great work of literature but Stratus is similar to Robert E. Howard's Conan in his belief that any problem can be solved by hitting it hard enough with a big enough stick, and I loved the sheer bloody mindedness of the character.
After a long wait "Firesky" picks up the story of Stratus, and it's good, but the character of Stratus has mellowed a bit in the five years it took de Jager to write the sequel and he is not as compelling a character this time round. If, like me, you read and loved "Infernal" there is enough in this book to keep you happy. If you haven't read "Infernal" then I fear you'll find this a rather mediocre dragon fantasy.
After a long wait "Firesky" picks up the story of Stratus, and it's good, but the character of Stratus has mellowed a bit in the five years it took de Jager to write the sequel and he is not as compelling a character this time round. If, like me, you read and loved "Infernal" there is enough in this book to keep you happy. If you haven't read "Infernal" then I fear you'll find this a rather mediocre dragon fantasy.
June 23, 2023
I was kind of underwhelmed by this one. The ending felt rushed. To learn so late that there is an uber dark lord behind the main dark lord is kind of annoying. And then to smite that uber dark lord so quickly was just dragging things outward.
Still some bits were fun, irritated dragon gobbling up annoying pretentious humans will always be funny but this wasn't enough for me to recommend the book. I know it's from the dragon's perspective and for him it doesn't really matter but the human reading the story wants a bit more out of what will happen with the Palladins and their religion, the human societies going forward etc The details of worldbuilding were very hazy and as I say I know it's by design but it's still empty.
Still some bits were fun, irritated dragon gobbling up annoying pretentious humans will always be funny but this wasn't enough for me to recommend the book. I know it's from the dragon's perspective and for him it doesn't really matter but the human reading the story wants a bit more out of what will happen with the Palladins and their religion, the human societies going forward etc The details of worldbuilding were very hazy and as I say I know it's by design but it's still empty.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2022
Mark Jager concludes his duology about Stratus, who learned he was really a dragon in Infernal (hard). The worm king had tortured him for centuries and his agents are killing thousands to create necromantic magical weapons to conquer Krandin. Fighting zombies and horrifying collections of body parts, he slowly is transformed from human to his original form of Firesky (paper from Rebellion Publishing Ltd) . Intense, exciting, and very bloody.Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press
June 18, 2023
Enjoyed it - an easy one to devour. But I wish I knew how the ending was possible... And tbh I thought the end of book 2 was 80 pages to go, with what I thought would be book 3 crammed into the end. 3.5/5
July 21, 2021
Tolles Ende mit noch besseren Wandlungen in der Geschichte
November 9, 2021
This book is really great, while I didn't read the first one, the content was pretty excellent but it was definitely missing something to make it extraordinary.
Read
November 20, 2021Well, that's another review to write
December 13, 2021
Enjoyed this so much! Lots of action, quite grim in parts but so well written that it works, and a good dollop of black humour. More, more, more please!
October 17, 2023
Unfortunately didn't live up to the first book, Infernal.
February 1, 2025
Eaudiobook on borrowbox. Felt like I was missing part of the story, I was. This is book 2 in the series.
Original idea for a book on dragons, may well go back to the series
Original idea for a book on dragons, may well go back to the series
January 8, 2022
Everyone needs more books about dragons in their life. Firesky manages to be even more interesting than your usual dragon book by featuring a dragon who is trapped in a man’s body. He transformed himself to escape a terrible captivity where he was brutalized by magical and physical means at the hands of a wizard who calls himself the Worm Lord. Sounds pretty cool, right?
The story picks up directly after the events of Infernal, meaning Stratus is still a wanted man and his friend Tatiana has now disappeared on a mission of her own. Stratus makes a promise to the court mage to help him bring down the Worm Lord basically so he can get out of the city to find Tatiana by using their magical bond. Thus begins the harrowing journey to find and kill the Worm Lord. It reminded me of a series of dungeons (probably because there were literal dungeons) that must be completed to get to the final boss and it was pretty interesting.
The plot is fairly straightforward - Stratus needs to rescue Tatiana, kill the Worm Lord, and find his lady love since he’s beginning to suspect she never died all those centuries ago. It’s an adventure story but definitely on the darker side of things. Lots of necromancy, mind controlling brain worms (*barf*), and bloody vengeance. The plot actually carried on much further than I initially thought it would, what with the bad guy not being the ultimate bad guy and all that.
I enjoyed it and thought it was a solid, satisfying conclusion to the duology. I’m also a big fan of the narrator - Obioma Ugoala did a fantastic job bringing Stratus’s draconic voice to life! While I’m a little sad to be leaving this world behind, I’m equally looking forward to what Mark de Jager writes next!
The story picks up directly after the events of Infernal, meaning Stratus is still a wanted man and his friend Tatiana has now disappeared on a mission of her own. Stratus makes a promise to the court mage to help him bring down the Worm Lord basically so he can get out of the city to find Tatiana by using their magical bond. Thus begins the harrowing journey to find and kill the Worm Lord. It reminded me of a series of dungeons (probably because there were literal dungeons) that must be completed to get to the final boss and it was pretty interesting.
The plot is fairly straightforward - Stratus needs to rescue Tatiana, kill the Worm Lord, and find his lady love since he’s beginning to suspect she never died all those centuries ago. It’s an adventure story but definitely on the darker side of things. Lots of necromancy, mind controlling brain worms (*barf*), and bloody vengeance. The plot actually carried on much further than I initially thought it would, what with the bad guy not being the ultimate bad guy and all that.
I enjoyed it and thought it was a solid, satisfying conclusion to the duology. I’m also a big fan of the narrator - Obioma Ugoala did a fantastic job bringing Stratus’s draconic voice to life! While I’m a little sad to be leaving this world behind, I’m equally looking forward to what Mark de Jager writes next!
March 24, 2022
I actually think that this didn't need to be a 2 book story, it obviously would have been a big 1 book but certainly IMO better than 2. Not sure what was different here in the proof reading but where I would struggle to think on one instance in the first book there are more than a few "mistakes" in this one, particularly repeated words.
I just didn't enjoy this one as much as the first, I think in part because there wasn't really anything different- Stratus does the same things over & over, I mean we find out how he was trapped in the first place yet we are to believe that it hasn't learned anything from this costly lesson! Also the first "transformation" didn't really work for me better to have 1 or the other but not some sort of crippled in between. I felt that this middle third plodded along but things did pick up a pace with the final third.
I enjoyed the series although I'm not sure that I could read it again.
I just didn't enjoy this one as much as the first, I think in part because there wasn't really anything different- Stratus does the same things over & over, I mean we find out how he was trapped in the first place yet we are to believe that it hasn't learned anything from this costly lesson! Also the first "transformation" didn't really work for me better to have 1 or the other but not some sort of crippled in between. I felt that this middle third plodded along but things did pick up a pace with the final third.
I enjoyed the series although I'm not sure that I could read it again.
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