The Memory of Souls

A Chorus of Dragons #3

by Jenn Lyons

The Memory of Souls is the third epic fantasy in Jenn Lyons’ Chorus of Dragons series and one of Library Journal 's best SF&F books of the year!

THE LONGER HE LIVES
THE MORE DANGEROUS HE BECOMES

Now that Relos Var’s plans have been revealed and demons are free to rampage across the empire, the fulfillment of the ancient prophecies―and the end of the world―is closer than ever.

To buy time for humanity, Kihrin needs to convince the king of the Manol vané to perform an ancient ritual which will strip the entire race of their immortality, but it’s a ritual which certain vané will do anything to prevent. Including assassinating the messengers.

Worse, Kihrin must come to terms with the horrifying possibility that his connection to the king of demons, Vol Karoth, is growing steadily in strength.

How can he hope to save anyone when he might turn out to be the greatest threat of them all?


A Chorus of Dragons
1: The Ruin of Kings
2: The Name of All Things
3: The Memory of Souls

Genres: Fantasy, Adult, High Fantasy, Dragons, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook

816 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 25, 2020

About the author

Jenn Lyons lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, three cats, and a lot of opinions on anything from the Sumerian creation myths to the correct way to make a martini. At various points in her life, she has wanted to be an archaeologist, anthropologist, architect, diamond cutter, fashion illustrator, graphic designer, or Batman. Turning from such obvious trades, she is now a video game producer by day, and spends her evenings writing science fiction and fantasy. When not writing, she can be founding debating the Oxford comma and Joss Whedon’s oeuvre at various local coffee shops.

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My stained edge/signed/numbered edition finally got here! It’s perty!



4.5 stars

I love this series. Do they confuse the hell out of me? Yes! But, I still love them all the same.

We have the different narrations and stories of all the characters. I love these characters so much and their banter together or if it’s just banter with a dragon is hilarious.

I do plan on (hopefully) getting the special edition hardback from the UK to match the first two books. And for some reason, I thought this was the last book in a trilogy, but there are more books coming out! The ending to this book broke my heart but I’m not sure if things will stay that way. Sometimes things come back in this series. I’m not sure that will be a good thing or not...

We shall see...

I recommend to fantasy lovers that are okay with a book that includes a plethora of stories within stories!

*Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for the digital copy of this book.

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[EveStar91 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, and the series ticks so many boxes for me, like a wonderful many-layered magic system, complex and constantly evolving characters, a chaotic story and touching writing.

The best thing about this book for me was to see Kihrin, Teraeth, Janel, Thurvishar and even Senera bond with and learn to trust each other. This is supported by Lyons' beautiful writing, focusing on what is important and relevant to them. The magic system and the intricate world-building do not disappoint - throwing up enough surprises for our lead characters, though the story suffers a bit from the middle book syndrome.

Given these brilliant books, I'm definitely looking forward to more of Jenn Lyons' work!

🌟🌟🌟🌟
The rating is 3 1/2 stars, rounded up to 4 stars for Goodreads as the book on the whole is a good addition to the series.

[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; One star for the characters; Half a star for the writing; Half a star for the story; One star for the world-building - Three and a half stars in total.]

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been absolutely obsessed with Jenn Lyons' A Chorus of Dragons series ever since I read the first book in the series, The Ruin of Kings, last year; and The Memory of Souls is definitely my favorite book in the series so far! The Memory of Souls is 100% pure awesomeness! Bring on book #4:
The House of Always! :)

Link To Full Review:Here.

My rating/score: 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads' rating system / 10 out of 10 on my own personal scoring system.

[Lauren Lanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This instalment being titled A Memory of Souls is surely a ploy by Jenn Lyons to expose my emotional state after that appalling ending. My soul has most definitely departed! I am in pain and fumbling for the next book as we speak.

Easily the best addition to the Chorus of Dragons series thus far, The Memory of Souls takes everything I was already so pleased with, and amps it up tenfold. These amazing characters will always be the highlight for me; Khirin–my beloved harp playing thief–has grown up harrowingly fast, Teraeth has strengthened his hold on my heart with his lovesick POVs (which, thank god for his POVs), and Janel has shown herself to be far more than a badass fighter with a complicated past. Also, I didn’t expect to love Thurvishar so fiercely!! Best fourth wheel ever, and his dry humour–whether through footnotes or actual lines–was everything!

​​“Thurvishar concentrated as he cast the spell.
Nothing happened.
"This isn't funny anymore." Thurvishar looked utterly offended. "I'm actually good at this, you realize.”

The romance absolutely ruined my life (in the best way possible). My best friend received several frantic texts and photos about Kihrin, Teraeth and Janel’s complicated polyamory finally beginning to blossom. Pretty much any scene of the three interacting with any of each other had me spinning, its embarrassing. (lord knows what I’ll look like when their romance escalates next book) (If Jenn Lyons decides to FIX THAT ENDING, that is!!) (pretty please).

“It felt like nighttime. It felt like those early-morning hours when inhibitions hide and the surreal gossamer of if-onlys and possibility--so clumsy and fragile by daylight--transform into action. We do things at night we would never dream of doing when the sun is watching.”

It’s been several months since I read The Name of All Things, so jumping back into what is easily the most complex fantasy series I’ve ever read was bound to come with some confusion. Still, I found that I was quickly able to pick up on references and backstory to the point where I was (surprisingly) back on track with the crazy family trees, massive world-building and numerous characters a product of reincarnation or body-soul swapping. I was undoubtedly a bit confused at points, but the brain breaking plot twist, exhilarating action sequences and fantastically developed characters were enough to keep me enthused throughout. A new favourite book of mine for sure!!

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

I'm a little conflicted about this one because when The Memory of Souls is good, it's fantastic. We get some great moments with favorite characters and learn a lot more about the world, political machinations, and what exactly is going on. However, as a novel it felt quite scattered to me and more difficult to keep track of than previous books due to less of a clear narrative structure. There are just SO many plot threads, characters, and relationships it can be a little overwhelming. This is one that I imagine I might feel differently about on a re-read, but I feel like I definitely missed things and didn't understand everything. That said, there's a lot that has me intrigued and there is a polyamorous triad I am rooting for! I do love how this series is casually queer in terms of approaches to sexual orientation and gender identity. I'm looking forward to continuing on and curious to see how things will wrap up, I just know at some point I'm going to need to re-read the series because I'm definitely not catching all the nuance and I'm usually pretty good at that. I do think I have less patience for chaotic storytellng than some readers, and this installment feels particularly chaotic. SO much happens and I wish there was a little more structure. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLYYYYY FUCKING MOLY

I am not okay. I'm not exaggerating when I say this might be one of my favourite reads of 2020 (and i've read some really good books this year!!). I love all the characters in this books so much, and I think what makes this book stand out from it's two predecessors is we really see everyone start to come together (I loved having Khirin and Teraeth back!!) and plot threads from books 1 and 2 start to weave together in the most satisfying way!!!

We also got so many answers about the past in this book, which I really appreciated, the family politics in this book can get very convulted at times but I felt it was much clearer in this book than book one. I also really loved learning a bit more about the eight immortals and their motives in his one, I love it when books have slightly shady god characters. Relos Var is also such an interesting villain because you are never sure if you agree with his reasoning or not.

We also learnt more about Khirin, Janel and Teraeths past lives and how they tie into the plot now. Also on the subject of these characters aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH their relationship was everything!!!!!!! I'm a huge fan of polyamoury in books and I loved the subtle hints and general interactions between all three characters. Safe to say I am very invested. I also really appreciate all the representation in this series, all three of Khirin/teraeth/janel are bisexual, there is a side f/f relationship and 2 characters who a heavily implied to be asexual.

I'm not going to say too much about the plot because it's book 3 of a series but it kept me engaged the whole time (I seriously read like 70% of this book in one day because I had to find out what was ging to happen) and HOLY GODS WHAT AN ENDING T_T i'm not okay after that, I need book 4 now!!!!

In summary: wow. just wow.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 Stars
This is one if those miraculous series where each book is somehow even better than the last. I liked book one, I really liked book two, but I loved book three. The only question if book four and five can possibly surpass it.

This is a fantastic series filled with some of the most entertaining storytelling. I really enjoyed the banter, the humour and even the romance. The footnotes continue to be hilarious. Likewise, I love the exploration of an inclusive world world with representation of sexual and gender diversity. 

I highly recommend this series to any fantasy reader, but you need to start back at the beginning with The Ruin of Kings.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher for review. 

[Ash | Wild Heart Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atrine has been destroyed and Kirhin, Teraeth, Janel and Thurvishar find the swords of the empire pointed at them, but the journey is far from over. Tasked by the Eight Immortals, they find themselves having to convince the Manol Vané to give up their immortality in a desperate attempt to buy more time to find a way to destroy Vol Karoth. But not everything is as it seems and the sacrifices that will need to be made carry a high cost. 

"Plummeting to his death was starting to sound quite appealing."

I feel like I am not in anyway intelligent enough or eloquent enough with my words to reviews these books. The world building of these books is so intricate and complicated that even now in book three we are still seeing layers being revealed. Every time I reread any one of the books in the series I still find myself picking up on things I missed on my first read. Every single book continues to add more depth and expand on this incredible world that has been created. It's next level stuff and I don't know how Lyon's does it. It's like nothing I've ever read before. 

The Memory of Souls is one of those books where you cannot afford to dismiss a single word as irrelevant because small, seemingly unimportant lines will come back to play hundreds of pages later. I found myself flicking back to things either earlier in The Memory of Souls or from the first two books and doing an 'oh OH'.

Memory of Souls finally gives us Kihrin, Janel and Teraeth together in the same room. I have waited 84 years for this and it was everything I could have wanted. I love these characters as individuals but together they're an absolute delight and my ot3 ship is sailing. You don't know slow burn until you've read these books.

The Memory of Souls opens up to some new perspective AND WE GOT TERAETH POV!!!!! I'm still not over that one, I've been waiting for it since The Ruin of Kings. I love him so much. Of course, there are some downsides to pov changes which is mainly that Jenn is mean and ends just about every chapter on a cliffhanger of sorts so you're constantly hanging out for more except it's that for every single pov so it's just impossibly to put the book down.

By the end of this series I don't think there is going to be a single straight character left and I'm here for it. If you've met a character and assumed they're straight, think again because I can pretty much guarantee you at this point that they aren't. It's glorious and refreshing. Even as a queer reader you can fall into the assuming straight is the default when reading but Jenn said bitch think again. There's no one token gay and it's so great to see in an epic fantasy.

Something that I love about the Chorus of Dragons series is that there isn't a straight 'it's good vs evil' plot here. You find yourself filing people away on certain sides but The Memory of Souls comes along and makes you question everyone and their motives. People you thought were good do terrible things and people you had written off as evil are actually making a lot of fucking sense. Nothing is clear cut and there's no villain cackling madly as they reveal their evil plans and that's all there is to it.

Every single book in this series has me thinking that there's no way it could possibly be topped and then the next one comes along and manages to be every more amazing. The Memory of Souls was my favourite yet and I cannot wait for The House of Always to one up it. It was simply incredible. No review could possible do the scope of this book justice, just know that one of the best books I have ever read.

"And you are music and songs and the light of a thousand stars. You are storm clouds and velvet skies and brilliant columns of fire. How can I not be drawn to you?"

*I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own*

This review and more can be found at https://wildheartreads.wordpress.com/

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

fuck that ending

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

"My brain hurrrts."

Is what I wrote immediately upon finishing this book. I tell you what, there have rarely been series that I feel such weird conflicting thoughts over. I was super peeved at the beginning of this book, getting myself all worked up at how annoyed I was, and then I went and started having a good time with it.

Bottom line: this series' worldbuilding very often gets in the way of it being an enjoyable book to read. There is just WAY too much to remember, and way too many complications that the author has introduced: body switching, reincarnation/past lives, secret identities, not to mention just plain old secrets, on top of the non-linear narrative, and all of these characters that have one or more of the previous conditions all interacting with each other and having histories with each other that sometimes go back 15,000 years into the past. And it all compounds every book, so what was hard to remember and detangle back in book one is nigh on impossible unless you have an eidetic memory, or read all three back to back, by the time you get to this one.

Even then, it's so complicated I'm not sure I would be able to fully figure it out. It's like, yes, okay, you are a smart lady, and challenging narratives can be fun and rewarding, but there's a line, and you are toeing it. Like, she fully stepped across that line for the first fifty to a hundred pages of this book and I was getting so frustrated I almost DNFed it and I never DNF books.

I did push through, largely helped by a detailed plot summary for books one and two that I think I found on Reddit (which wasn't nearly enough, but left me feeling better than I had been), and honestly, after I just gave up trying to understand everything I was reading and went along for the ride. At about the 150-200 page mark, the book finally got me, and actually, it's my favorite of the three so far. The character dynamics between our two leads and Teraeth their shared paramour were great, and Lyons finally starts letting us in on some secrets, and the main background of the conflict, as well as giving us new context for things we thought we understood, but turns out we didn't. The last half of the book was actually really fucking good, and this book as a whole seems like an excellent pivot point to the series' eventual conclusion. That she's just going for it with the polyamory between Kihrin, Janel, and Teraeth makes me so happy. The main danger of the books turns out to be really frightening, and seems like something that is impossible to overcome. And the ending of the book was just like, okay, what??

BUT.

But I nearly gave up on it and hated it for a time, and that's not good! Your book should make your readers curious to find out what happens next, not want to give up in frustration, but you can't do that without a solid foundation of backstory and context and character relations that your readers can hold in their minds. I had no solid foundation for the first part of this book and I did not like it.

So, all in all, glad I pushed through and I do ultimately think the challenge is worth it in this case; the payoff was really satisfying. But the execution getting there was off for a bit and nearly lost me.

I hope I don't have similar experiences going into the last two books because I'm now really curious to see how she's going to end this.

[3.5 stars, rounding up]

[Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to begin with this review. There are so many levels of brilliance to this series that any attempt to discuss them all would be like writing a novel of its own. What I can say confidently is that these books consistently level-up: just when you think Lyons can't possibly add more detail to her timelines, more chaos to the family trees, more heartbreaking points-of-view, she beats her own game. The Memory of Souls is a testament to storytelling - you'll be thinking about this book long after you've finished.
Kihrin, Janel, Teraeth, and Thurvishar must convince the vane king to complete a ritual that will rid his race of immortality in order to prevent the demon king, Vol Karoth, from breaking free of his prison. Naturally, nothing goes according to plan. Our heroes are betrayed, deceived, and befuddled by the sheer chaos caused by choices made thousands of years ago. Readers will need to pay attention to the timeline and family trees in order to fully understand the consequences of many of the actions, but I maintain that as long as they're willing to do that work, the novel really, really pays off. As always, we're treated to Lyons' impeccable humor (please see: zombie fish and the Lord of Little Houses), unique romance, Kihrin making really questionable choices, duplicitous gods, and, as always: dragons. As much as this is Kihrin's story, I adored the inclusion of Teraeth's point of view, and have a newfound understanding and appreciation for his tendency to be kind of a dick - talk about mommy issues.
Another joyous addition was the dynamic between Doc and Therin - their backstories cleared up details I've been wondering about since the first book, and the sheer awkwardness of Therin and Doc watching their children fall in love is god-tier comedy. Lyons' use of popular tropes (there's only one bed!) within her impossibly-detailed, ambitious world makes this book truly spectacular, and the *truly shocking* reveals and ending will definitely leave readers clamoring for the next installment. This series truly is epic fantasy at its finest, and I would comfortably call this one of my all-time favorite books.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this book and....

OH. SHIT. NONE OF YOU ARE PREPARED FOR THIS CHAOTIC RIDE

BOOK 4 GOING TO BE WILDIN'

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best of the series so far!!!! I'll do anything for these bisexual disasters ❤️

[Grace Dionne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swear this series is getting better with each book but also getting crazier at the same time 😂

[Briar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you very much to Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Read my reviews of the other books in the series:
The Ruin of Kings (#1)
The Name of All Things (#2)


“It turns out you don’t automatically get a happy ending just because you’re the hero of the story.”

The Memory of Souls is Jenn Lyons’ third addition to The Chorus of Dragons series and it is without a doubt my favourite. Just like the other novels, The Memory of Souls is stunningly structured, with complex stories and plot-lines slowly converging and allowing the bigger picture to be revealed. It’s fascinating and so much fun.

The novel picks up immediately after the gripping conclusion of The Name of All Things as Kihrin, Teraeth, Janel and Thurvishar barely escape the devastation of Atrine and Relos Var unleashing one of the chains that binds the dark god, Vol Karoth. So the gods task them with a job: the gang must find a way to convince the Manol vané of performing an ancient ritual that will strip them of their immortality but will reinforce Vol Karoth’s bonds. But the Manol vané are determined to prevent that from happening, while Vol Karoth’s connection to Kihrin only grows stronger.

Like its predecessors, The Memory of Souls is narrated by multiple characters. Kihrin and Thurvishar are putting together a chronicle of the events they experienced during the novel — we read those same events as they’re happening in real time, with Kihrin and Thurvishar popping in every now and again to share their opinions. I love complex storylines in my fantasy novels, so I thoroughly enjoyed the way Lyons constructs these multiple timelines. It’s also a fantastic, clever way to reveal plot twists, which frequently had me at the edge of my seat as I couldn’t guess where Lyons was taking the story.

By far my favourite element of A Chorus of Dragons series is the amazing characters. Lyons’ has a full cast of diverse characters with staggeringly complex backstories that are mind-blowing when they’re revealed. As this series focuses on reincarnation, you think you know a character and their previous life and then wham, Lyons’ reveals another past life and the important role this character plays in the story. Think of it like a massive jigsaw puzzle you’re trying — and kind of failing — to put together. Just when you think you figured out where a certain piece fits, the plot changes and the piece reshapes itself. The unpredictability is part of the fun.

I absolutely adored the relationship developing between Kihrin, Tereath and Janel. Lyons has mentioned on her Twitter and in the A03-style tags she has on her website that the trio are heading towards a polyamorous relationship, and you can definitely see this development in The Memory of Souls. Teraeth is in love with Kihrin and Janel, Janel is in love with Kihrin and has feelings for Teraeth (though she doesn’t want to), and Kihrin is in love with Janel and in complete denial that he also loves Teraeth. The tension is amazing and I can’t wait to see what direction their relationship takes in the next novel in the series.

Just when I thought the plot couldn’t get any more wild, Lyons pulls the rug out from under me in The Memory of Souls. Like the multitude of characters, just when you think you’ve figured out the plot and what direction it’s going in, a new twist in the story is revealed. It just gets more and more epic. There wasn’t a single moment where I was bored, and even though the story could be a bit confusing at times, half the fun is figuring out where the story will go next. Without spoiling anything, I think my favourite scene in fiction (ever!) occurs right at the end of the novel — just before that massive cliffhanger! I can’t wait to purchase myself a physical copy and read it all over again.

The Memory of Souls is a mind-twist of a novel that will keep you gripped to every page. I find myself constantly surprised by how great each novel in the series is and think that Lyons can’t possibly outdo herself, and yet she constantly does. If you’re looking for a complex fantasy series about dragons, immortals and gods battling for power, an ancient evil awakening to destroy the universe, demons, queer characters, and polyamorous relationships, then look no further than A Chorus of Dragons. 2021 can’t come soon enough — I need book four!

____________________________
buddy reading with ash! hopefully we survive this

[julia ☆ [owls reads] · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stakes were so!!! high!!! in The Memory of Souls and so much happened all of the time in every chapter??? And we got so much new clarifying information about what was going on and how that affected each character and the world-building in general. So many twists and turns and the ending made my heart ache.

Also!! More gender and queer things happened here :D

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters in the first two books were the strongest part of the read for me. However, this volume did not shine quite as brightly for me.

On the other hand, the expansion of the worldbuilding, the other races, the deep history, and the current enormous quest to finally shut down the biiiiiiig bad with or without the help of 8 gods, a race of immortals, and a bunch of do-it-yourself-demon kits, soul stealers, and a grand ritual, DID make this a rather interesting book.

Suffice it to say, while I was entertained through the main bulk, I was extremely enthusiastic by the end. It has one hell of an ending.

Am I very pleased that this series is still pretty strong, that it has many plots that don't follow the general epic fantasy template? Yes. Very much so.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler Free Series Review: https://youtu.be/RylL5ESRb54

Probably my favorite book in the series?! I say that when I gave every book in this series 5 stars. I think this is just the one where I get to have the most fun with my absolute favorite characters, this one also doesn't really have a narrative framework, which I think was to its benefit. AND THAT ENDING. Basically had to pick up book 4 immediately after that. But yea I felt all the things I want to feel, I love the stakes and the problems we are trying to solve and the messy messy family dynamics.

[Hassan TheAthenian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just... I don't know where this series went wrong.

Oh.

I do know. The second book. That's when it started falling apart.

There's just so much to unpack here, so many problems that needed addressing before the book was published.

These thoughts are not that of a reviewer, or even a critic, but that of a reader genuinely disappointed at the potential lost. I'll finish this series. Maybe it'll turn out great. But these last two books have been in no way great, they're barely good at that. The magic of the first book is gone, for now I hope.

I wouldn't such a series to stagnate further. I love the fascinating concepts the author has pulled out.

Not a good book. Not a bad one.

Mediocre book.

[Icarus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so very much in love with this series and so very much pissed that it doesn’t have a bigger fanbase. I have such a desire for fanart paired with a crushing inability to both picture characters or draw them, it’s not even funny anymore.

Right from the start of this book, I was hooked.
Like the other books, this book is narrated from a future point of view, half by Kihrin, half by an assembly of other characters.
Opposing to the last book, this one actually advances the plot a lot. I don’t know how much time passes, but it’s more than a day.
Kihrin is still as sarcastic and lost as he was the last two books.
Janel is still as proud and powerful and awesome as she was the last book.
Teraeth is still done with Kihrins shit and also hopelessly in love with both him and Janel.
Thurvishar is still very much done with everyones stupidity.
Senera is still the morally grey villain we love.

Just like the last book, this book has amazing representation.
It also has a love-triangle, which was actually really good. Mainly because of the fact that it’s not two straight guys fighting over a girl, but instead two very much not straight guys fighting over a girl, while simultaneously being very much in love with each other.
I really, really hope that they are all going to get together.
I know I wouldn’t survive if even one of them died. Although, with that last chapter, that might become a problem, as it looks like KIHRIN JUST COMMITTED FUCKING SUICIDE
Most of the quotes I marked surrounded this trio and I am going to share my favourite ones:

“Therin narrowed his eyes at Doc. “Tell me you’re not impersonating Quoran.”
“Okay, I’m not impersonating Quoran. Any other lies you’d like to hear? I’ve got plenty. Here’s a fun one: our sons are absolutely definitely not in love with each other.”

Doc ships them and I am all here for it.

”Janel felt torn between wishing Kihrin and Teraeth would just fuck already to being terrified of where she’d fall once they finally did”

Same Janel, same.

“if you hurt her—"
“If I hurt her, shell rip off all my limbs long before you ever find out about it.”

I stan her.

And of course this one, that fucking shredded my heart to pieces.

”I had no idea what to say.. Or, no, because that’s not true. I had so many things I wanted to say I didn’t know where to start. I wanted to tell him I would never have asked to kill me if I didn’t trust him implicitly. I wanted to tell him he deserved to live in a world where he was more than his mother’s favourite knife. I wanted to tell him I’d come back, that Hell couldn’t keep me away from him, that Thurvishar and I were going to find a way to make this right.
I wanted to tell him that last kiss had been amazing.”

I was internally screaming at him to just open his blasted fucking mouth. Not externally though, because I was reading deep into the night and didn’t want to deal with the consequences of waking everyone up because I was crying over fictional characters.

Then there were of course the snarky remarks, the inside jokes, the jabs at past mistakes the definitely-not-being-romatically-interested-in.your-enemy-just-admiring-them-from-an-academic-point and the never-ending list of morally grey characters.
I couldn’t point to on character in this book, who is not morally grey. To the point where in the end I don’t trust anyone except the four.

I don't think I have to talk about the worldbuilding. It is still as awe-inspiring as the last two times. Lyons continues to impress.

I’ll leave you with two last quotes that I highlighted, one spoilery, one not:

“And then came the actual riding of said horses, which felt like half a sex act that managed to skip all the fun parts.”

I’ve never ridden in my life, but somehow that feels accurate.

“I was less certain why Tya had chosen to be present, but it was possible she just wasn’t a big fan of genocide.

All in all, I am aching to just go home right now and pick up the next part, but Alas I am not in the same country as that book for another week.

5/5 Stars

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am in grave danger of repeating myself but what in the everlasting fuck did just happen?

Also, someone please explain to me why I thought it was a good Idea to leave my copy of the house of always at home.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After my first reread, I can confirm that this is my favourite book of 4 books of the series that are out. So much happens in this book, that I am positive that I could reread it for a third time and still be surprised by some if the plottwists. Honestly, the attention to detail in this is astonishing every time.
The language, the wit the characters are all immaculate. If I could give this book any more stars, I would.

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.75-4

So far, this has been my least loved of the series.

”I'm used to him running off without warning-“ He pointed to me.
"Hey," I said. "You usually have a little warning."
"-but I can't babysit both of you," Teraeth continued, locking glares with Janel.

This instalment takes stakes to a whole new level. I couldn’t decide who to trust, root for, or want to win.

Like her previous books, Lyons continues her fascinating ventures into culture differentiations on gender and power.

Morgage have two biological sexes, but they experience them sequentially.
They're born male, and if they're lucky, tough, and smart, in various combinations, they'll die female.

Warning: there is a love triangle! Of course, if you’re familiar with Lyons’s writing, you’ll know it’s handled unconventionally yet convincingly.

”If one person's dominant, the other person has to be submissive. I don't know. I guess I'm just enough of a romantic to think that's great for bondage play and terrible for love."

Admittedly, the names, families, allegiances, and history remains difficult to follow and keep track of (why do all the name have to be so similar and why is body swapping a thing?!), yet I’m kind of just letting it wash over me and accepting I’ll remain confused. Maybe I’ll see if someone’s done a family tree or a spoiler-filled explanation later on.

I would recommend this to fans of Faithful and the fallen, Priory of the Orange tree, The Mortal Blade and Mask of Mirrors.

”And now that you've stepped over the edge," Talon whispered, "do you fall or do you fly?"

Bookstagram

[Iamrenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

So hard to get through this this book! To learn there is a fourth coming is too much to bear. Needlessly repetitive plot twisting, stretching, dragging out every slightest detail without any appreciable point. It feels like when I once saw an animal dragging a dead carcass pretending to slay it again and again. Here adding in a sadistic narrator/storyteller, snickering at tricking everyone and feeling very smug, only their story really isn't capable of supporting it's interminable length. Churning and churning and churning. Writing an epic? Not with this story. Might make a fun Novella.

[Soo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes:

By now, I should be used to the odd switching POV/time, but it was more distracting in this book and detracted from the story. Maybe I should have waited until the next book is out because this one was more of a transition piece.

[debchan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was stunning. And possibly my favorite book of 2020 so far. The characters, the plot twists, the twisting morality: *chef's kiss*!

You absolutely cannot read this without prior knowledge of the first two books. You will literally be so confused. But aside from that, this does not pick up quite where The Name of All Things left off. Thurvishar and Khirin are telling each other a story after the events in The Memory of Souls happened and the structure is similar to that of The Ruin of Kings, but I think this was done better. I understood events perfectly and although the time structure wasn't linear, I could still follow it. But basically, after Relos Var tricked everyone in Atrine, Thurvishar, Janel, Khirin, and Teraeth have to go into Manol for The Ritual of the Night. Of course, things don't go quite as expected and many, many events occur in this book. So many events, so many characters and I loved all of it.

Let's first talk about worldbuilding. The maps in the front are beautiful as usual. Geography is explained in beautiful detail and each city and town has its own special uniqueness and quality that makes it different. Entire cultures and traditions and languages are intertwined within each other, showing that Jenn Lyons possesses an extraordinary mind for detail. (I literally have no idea how she keeps this all under control and in her mind.) But something really fascinating to me was the empire of Quur and the nation of Manol. So detailed and so complex.

Moving on to characters. There was so so many characters that before I would be mad about and would be constantly going back to the glossary. However, there isn't a character that I actively dislike except for Thaena!, not even Relos Var. What was so fun about these characters was their complexity: they weren't black or white, even Senera and Relos Var has moments where you understand what they do, even if you maybe you don't understand their motivations. Khirin's wit sparkled and shone throughout this book and sometimes was a relief from the heavy and serious moments. Teraeth and Janel and Khirin really made my year. I am so so happy and glad they love each other and ended up together, because if this is not power threesome I don't know what is. And I loved Thurvishar's little comments and his little fight with Senera on accuracy and citing your sources. Some other amazing characters: Xivan was ferocious gold, Talea was so so sweet, Valathea and Doc/Terindel was my absolute favorite, and even Khaeriel/Therin was the best.

What makes this book so good, why I couldn't put this book down was truly the plot. Because you have just enough threads to weave together what you might think comes next, and just as you think you know something, the threads tighten and tug you down a different road. Every time the plot took a turn I never expected, I was thrilled. It kept me hooked for more. That ending, though. This is making me think that all they need to gain control of Vol Karoth is to give him cookies and a hug. Honestly, maybe the solution is compassion, since he's been trapped in time for like a millenia and is confused and scared and trapped and he can only react in anger. Also, that last part with Teraeth was so sad and I'm glad Thaena is dead, sorry. Taja's death was so sad.

I'm kinda sad I got this book early because I cannot believe I have to wait for August for it to come out, and then another year for the next book! Then again, I am very grateful that Lyons is churning out these books so quickly. This is shaping up to be my favorite series of all time. It's really up there with the Wounding Kingdom trilogy, the Amberlough Dossier, and the Green Bone Saga - all book I recommend if you liked this series! I am so hungry for the next book!

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fucking prophet. I KNEW I was going to love this. And I did.

Even better. I have.... AN ANNOUNCEMENT.

drumroll please

It’s my favorite book of 2021 so far.

There, I said it. I’m so happy but I’m also even angrier that there is no fandom for it. I can’t feed my soul until I can get the fourth one with fan arts, theories and people screaming with me because THERE IS BARELY ANYONE TALKING ABOUT IT.

I’m angry. But I’m also so glad I pushed through the first two books, even if I did like them, they’re nothing compared to this one.

Bless Jenn Lyons, but also FUCK YOU. Because that ending was MEAN.

[Rue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be my favourite instalment in this series yet. Dragons, gods, morally grey characters, polyamory and betrayals, what more could you want? And with that cliffhanger I'm counting down the days till May T___T

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic fantasy at its finest. Two books of setting up dozens of characters, factions and establishing oh so many moving parts and we finally get the glorious glorious payoff. Villain backstory!!! A literal millenia of history and slowly uncovering secrets. Loved the Dad Team^TM and the extremely awkward parent-child meetings. Relos Var remains one of the most spectacular villains and Grizzst just a fascinating character. This was so fun to read. Also, THAT ENDING!

[Cassidy Chivers · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do you expect me to not pick up the next book right away with this ending ....

[Art Hyrst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Character - 10
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 9
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 9
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 9

Rating: 8.71 / 4 stars

Cawpile rated as of 2022.
--

Full review available on my blog on September 28th: https://inkandplasma.com/2020/09/28/t...

Thanks to Tor UK for sending me a finished copy of this book. It has not affected my honest review.

Trigger Warnings: misogyny, murder, mentions of slavery, gore, cannibalism, sexual assault (perceived consensual sex however one person was under an enchantment at the time, so could not consent), violence, non-consensual drug use.

Holy god, this book. I’m not exaggerating when I say that when I finished this book I had to put it down for a second and stare into the middle distance. These books have been getting better and better, I noted that in my review of The Name of All Things, and this one really has taken it to a whole new level. The Memory of Souls jumped straight into the action, with the worldbuilding taken care of in the earlier books and characters introduced and reintroduced, this book was pure plotty goodness. I literally read this in two sittings, including one 400 page sprint today where I just… didn’t stop until I’d finished. Honestly, I could have read this whole thing in one go, but I forced myself to put it down and sleep last night. The pacing is perfect, the balance of POVs is incredible and created a fleshed out story with multiple views of what was happening without breaking it up too much or making it confusing. We had my beloved Thurvishar back as our chronicler this time, with Kihrin helping him to write down everything they remember before they do… something drastic.

The ending of this is brutal and violent, and builds to such a crescendo that I felt anxious and helpless reading it. I wanted to do something but I’m simply reading Thurvishar’s chronicles and I would be no use at all anyway. I’m no hero, but hey, neither are our main characters. I love that the premise of this series so far hasn’t been ‘let’s save the world’ so much as ‘let’s try not to destroy it’ and once again Jenn Lyons plays with the concept of good and evil to its limits. One of my favourite things about this series is that at times I honestly can’t tell you who is on whose side – or even who I would side with, because sometimes that isn’t the main characters. I love that characters who hate each other are forced to work together, and that everyone’s loyalties are constantly in flux as information from these and past lives threaten their relationships. It makes it utterly intoxicating to read as I can’t predict what’s going to happen from one page to the next.

The relationship between Kihrin, Teraeth and Janel is strangely enough one of my favourite background things going on in this book. It’s complicated. Really complicated. They’ve all known each other in past lives, some been married in past lives, some hurt each other in past lives. Their emotional triangle could be a trite love triangle that would drive me away from all three of them. Instead it feels like the early exploration of a potentially polyamorous triad. There’s some beautiful moments of realisation in this book that made me honestly squeak like a teenage girl – and I don’t even like romance. I cannot wait to see how this develops in the last two books and I’m praying there’s no bait and switch, because they’re a perfect group and I adore them individually and together. I’m talking a lot about Kihrin, Janel and Teraeth, but I refuse to neglect my absolute favourite – Thurvishar D’Lorus is everything to me and I will kill and die for him. I love whatever hot mess is going on with him and Senera, and I can’t wait to see how that develops as they probably try and kill each other.

I do think this works a lot better on paper than it would in e-book form. I think I would struggle to read an eARC, which is why I’m delighted to get a finished copy of this one from Tor – though I’m a little disappointed that means I’m going to have to wait until release date to read the next one. Because the footnotes make such a good experience (Thurvishar, you’re so gd funny), there are absolutely vital charts in the back explaining genealogy and because this is a complicated and nuanced story, I think potentially I’d miss some of the experience if I didn’t have it in my hands to flick through and reread sections. But honestly? That’s no hardship. I will definitely read these again and again (no doubt realising more and more nuanced bits I missed as I go) and I’m so glad to have them sat on my shelves in pretty hardback form.

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Please tell me that we get another book after this? PLEASE!

Just like the previous books, The Memory of Souls was addicting to read. Of course I'm constantly confused by every little thing that comes my way in this series but I still end up loving each book. This probably sounds beyond weird.. but it works. For me.

Without trying to spoil anything about this book, just know that you will be confused. It's bound to happen really but with this book you just will be. There's just so much going on and no one is really just themselves. Not sure if that makes sense.. but I never said that this book will be either.

In it, you will get to know Kihrin, Janel and Teraeth a bit more. We get to explore so many things with these three that I was entertained the entire time. They made this a page turner for me. I mean, everything else did too because this book was just that good.

Just as we dove into relationships, we got to learn about what worked and what didn't. Again, so much went on that you might get whiplash. This book dove into so many things but it ended up flowing pretty well.

In the end, I seriously need another book. Please be amazing as well!