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Dragons of Mother Stone #2
Faith in Flames
Thanks to the dragon Lamprophyre and her friend, the human Prince Rokshan, dragons and humans live in harmony for the first time in centuries. But as humans come to accept dragons in their cities, a new challenge arises. The ecclesiasts, the religious leaders of Gonjiri, see the dragons as a threat to their authority, declaring that dragons must either worship the human way or be outcast.
As the ecclesiasts’ demands increase, the resulting conflict tests human and dragon faith to the limit. With their own friendship at stake, Lamprophyre and Rokshan must prevent a religious war that will end the dragon-human alliance and see human cities in flames.
As the ecclesiasts’ demands increase, the resulting conflict tests human and dragon faith to the limit. With their own friendship at stake, Lamprophyre and Rokshan must prevent a religious war that will end the dragon-human alliance and see human cities in flames.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 7, 2021
3 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Melissa McShane
94 books861 followersMelissa grew up a nomad, following her family all over the United States, and ended up living in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains with her husband, four kids, and three very needy cats. Her love of reading was always a constant during those uncertain years, and her love of writing grew out of that. She wrote reviews and critical essays for many years before turning to fiction, and was surprised at how much she liked it. She loves the fantasy genre and how it stretches the imagination.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 8, 2021
This is second in a fantasy series and characters and some story elements persist from one to the other and there's definitely an over-arching plot. I recommend reading in order.
Crap. Almost forgot my standard non-standard disclaimer. Can't have that. You can feel free to ignore this review as I make no claim to objectivity. I strive for honesty in this review, as in all my reviews. But Melissa and I share enough that I'm nowhere near independent. I rely on her for good sense, a check on my excesses, and advice on how to handle our children. Oh. Right. We share a couple children. Four, as it happens. Like the number of books in this series (which maybe explains why each is dedicated to one of the kids).
Anyway. If you've read the first, you know more or less what to expect, though the conflict is lower-impact so there's not as much direct fighting-type conflict. Indeed, the story is mainly about human/dragon relations, made stronger for having Lamprophyre's clutch join her in the capital. I loved getting to know the other dragons that are so important to her and watch as they built their own relationships with humans according to their individual tastes and interests.
The conflict of this story is mainly around the competing faiths of dragons and humans. The ecclesiasts make some bold moves to oust/discredit dragons and to drive wedges between them and humans—because dragons don't worship the perfectly good god of dragons in their pantheon (a god the dragons have never heard of).
And my favorite part is the community that builds up around Lamprophyre's embassy. Depik takes her leftovers and offers free soup to the indigent creating something of a soup kitchen atmosphere. I love Lamprophyre's innate kindness and desire to help others. And I love the found-family aspect that grows out of that kindness. Plus, it gives us a great diversity of reactions to the edicts trying to pit humans against dragons and that rocked more than a little.
So yeah, I think it earns all of the five stars I'm giving it. I love Lamprophyre and Rokshan and their friendship. The tests they experience in this story are large and not without some bruising. And I loved watching them find their way back to each other despite all that would tear them apart.
A note about Chaste: Lamprophyre isn't romantically inclined, however much as she wishes she could see members of her (predominantly male) clutch "that way". Rokshan develops a bit of a thing for a human female and seeing that play out was fascinating. And Lamprophyre still doesn't have anybody willing to explain human sexuality to her, as much as she's curious. So it's very chaste, I think.
Crap. Almost forgot my standard non-standard disclaimer. Can't have that. You can feel free to ignore this review as I make no claim to objectivity. I strive for honesty in this review, as in all my reviews. But Melissa and I share enough that I'm nowhere near independent. I rely on her for good sense, a check on my excesses, and advice on how to handle our children. Oh. Right. We share a couple children. Four, as it happens. Like the number of books in this series (which maybe explains why each is dedicated to one of the kids).
Anyway. If you've read the first, you know more or less what to expect, though the conflict is lower-impact so there's not as much direct fighting-type conflict. Indeed, the story is mainly about human/dragon relations, made stronger for having Lamprophyre's clutch join her in the capital. I loved getting to know the other dragons that are so important to her and watch as they built their own relationships with humans according to their individual tastes and interests.
The conflict of this story is mainly around the competing faiths of dragons and humans. The ecclesiasts make some bold moves to oust/discredit dragons and to drive wedges between them and humans—because dragons don't worship the perfectly good god of dragons in their pantheon (a god the dragons have never heard of).
And my favorite part is the community that builds up around Lamprophyre's embassy. Depik takes her leftovers and offers free soup to the indigent creating something of a soup kitchen atmosphere. I love Lamprophyre's innate kindness and desire to help others. And I love the found-family aspect that grows out of that kindness. Plus, it gives us a great diversity of reactions to the edicts trying to pit humans against dragons and that rocked more than a little.
So yeah, I think it earns all of the five stars I'm giving it. I love Lamprophyre and Rokshan and their friendship. The tests they experience in this story are large and not without some bruising. And I loved watching them find their way back to each other despite all that would tear them apart.
A note about Chaste: Lamprophyre isn't romantically inclined, however much as she wishes she could see members of her (predominantly male) clutch "that way". Rokshan develops a bit of a thing for a human female and seeing that play out was fascinating. And Lamprophyre still doesn't have anybody willing to explain human sexuality to her, as much as she's curious. So it's very chaste, I think.
Read
November 30, 2021I enjoyed the first book so much I bought this the day it came out. It's just taken me a while to get to it because reading time has been at a premium of late.
I should probably add a tag for fantasy of manners, though I haven't found that many fantasies falling under that heading--and in a way this one doesn't, either. In ways, it does. As it is, I tagged it comedy of manners, which I will probably have to fix if I ever reorganize the tags.
It does start out with some delightfully humorous moments, as we continue to explore the friendship of a prince and a female dragon while the latter establishes her diplomatic mission among humans. (I should add that these dragons do not turn into humans, and there is not a romance between the two, though romance is hinted at through this story. I think that's pretty spoiler-free.)
As the story progresses, the adventure part comes to the fore, but at the same time the book is exploring culture clash between two very different species, with an emphasis on religion. I really, really appreciate how the author manages to steer between the "Evil priests in red/all religious people are stupid and perverted" party line of so many fantasies of the past forty years, and thinly-veiled "If you don't commit wholly to my belief system you shall BUUUURRRNNN on the internal rotisserie!" of some religious fantasies.
The story manages to be fast paced, with plenty of character dilemmas, and governmental dilemmas, while giving equal time to believers and non-believers without the heavy authorial thumb pressing on any one approach. And yet here and there are glimpses of the numinous, which I personally adore.
Altogether a fun, fascinating read, if you like manners, mores, and layers to cultures. Including the Big Questions. Oh, and dragons. Lots of dragons, and promises of more to come.
I should probably add a tag for fantasy of manners, though I haven't found that many fantasies falling under that heading--and in a way this one doesn't, either. In ways, it does. As it is, I tagged it comedy of manners, which I will probably have to fix if I ever reorganize the tags.
It does start out with some delightfully humorous moments, as we continue to explore the friendship of a prince and a female dragon while the latter establishes her diplomatic mission among humans. (I should add that these dragons do not turn into humans, and there is not a romance between the two, though romance is hinted at through this story. I think that's pretty spoiler-free.)
As the story progresses, the adventure part comes to the fore, but at the same time the book is exploring culture clash between two very different species, with an emphasis on religion. I really, really appreciate how the author manages to steer between the "Evil priests in red/all religious people are stupid and perverted" party line of so many fantasies of the past forty years, and thinly-veiled "If you don't commit wholly to my belief system you shall BUUUURRRNNN on the internal rotisserie!" of some religious fantasies.
The story manages to be fast paced, with plenty of character dilemmas, and governmental dilemmas, while giving equal time to believers and non-believers without the heavy authorial thumb pressing on any one approach. And yet here and there are glimpses of the numinous, which I personally adore.
Altogether a fun, fascinating read, if you like manners, mores, and layers to cultures. Including the Big Questions. Oh, and dragons. Lots of dragons, and promises of more to come.
Read
March 21, 2023This is the second book in this four-book series, and having established Lamprophyre and Rokshan's friendship, I expanded that relationship to include the members of Lamprophyre's clutch--all the dragons born in a single season. Dragons are very social creatures when it comes to childbirth, and every three to five years, the ones who are ready for a child will lay an egg. That means dragons are never alone, and in their society, the bond they share with their clutch is second only to the respect they owe their queen. Lamprophyre's clutch is large, with seven dragons, and it was a challenge to develop each of those clutchmates as individuals, particularly since for some of them, their relationship to Lamprophyre is still evolving.
In writing this series, I began with the explicit intent of exploring the nature of religious faith. I was raised in a strongly religious household (and am still a member of that faith), but I also spent my childhood moving from place to place throughout the United States, and as a result my religious upbringing was tempered by a cosmopolitan exposure to many ways of believing. So I have always been interested in why people believe in the divine, or why they don't, and how their personal beliefs shape their behavior. In Faith in Flames, there are two different and in some ways opposing religions, and the balancing act was not making one pure Evil and one perfectly Good. I also wanted to make it clear that religions are not generally monolithic, and that people can have good intentions and still be wrong. If I have worries about this series, it's that readers will be put off by the religious aspect, but I hope it will be more interesting than off-putting.
One of the joys of writing is having aspects of a story change in the telling. In the first book, Lamprophyre's cook Depik existed mainly to show Lamprophyre's interest in humanity (and to insert a character with bipolar disorder whose experience matched my own; sometimes writing is purely self-indulgent). In this book, he develops an existence separate from the one he has as a dragon's cook, and by the end of the series he turned out to be one of my favorite characters. I recall this book being a little more spitbally than most, where developments happened that were not at all planned: No matter how many times I do this, it still astounds me how much of my writing comes out of nowhere. I am generally a planner (not just in writing) and letting go of that need for control does not come easily.
The next book, Ember in Shadow, takes a sharp right turn and changes Lamprophyre's story considerably. It is the one I am most nervous to put in front of readers. But I have a month or two to get used to the idea.
In writing this series, I began with the explicit intent of exploring the nature of religious faith. I was raised in a strongly religious household (and am still a member of that faith), but I also spent my childhood moving from place to place throughout the United States, and as a result my religious upbringing was tempered by a cosmopolitan exposure to many ways of believing. So I have always been interested in why people believe in the divine, or why they don't, and how their personal beliefs shape their behavior. In Faith in Flames, there are two different and in some ways opposing religions, and the balancing act was not making one pure Evil and one perfectly Good. I also wanted to make it clear that religions are not generally monolithic, and that people can have good intentions and still be wrong. If I have worries about this series, it's that readers will be put off by the religious aspect, but I hope it will be more interesting than off-putting.
One of the joys of writing is having aspects of a story change in the telling. In the first book, Lamprophyre's cook Depik existed mainly to show Lamprophyre's interest in humanity (and to insert a character with bipolar disorder whose experience matched my own; sometimes writing is purely self-indulgent). In this book, he develops an existence separate from the one he has as a dragon's cook, and by the end of the series he turned out to be one of my favorite characters. I recall this book being a little more spitbally than most, where developments happened that were not at all planned: No matter how many times I do this, it still astounds me how much of my writing comes out of nowhere. I am generally a planner (not just in writing) and letting go of that need for control does not come easily.
The next book, Ember in Shadow, takes a sharp right turn and changes Lamprophyre's story considerably. It is the one I am most nervous to put in front of readers. But I have a month or two to get used to the idea.
November 21, 2025
A fun fantasy story with good intrigue, similarly to the first book.
One of the things I like most about dragon PoV books is seeing human society through the lens of a fundamentally alien character, and the culture clash in this one is particularly delicious.
One of the things I like most about dragon PoV books is seeing human society through the lens of a fundamentally alien character, and the culture clash in this one is particularly delicious.
January 18, 2022
lots of politics
Truthfully this was a disappointment after book1. Humans politics dominates the book. The lies and power grab were realistic but not enjoyable to read. The facts there were dragons felt irrelevant here, it was so clearly about power and control. Not sure I’m interested in the series any more. None of the main characters grew either.
Truthfully this was a disappointment after book1. Humans politics dominates the book. The lies and power grab were realistic but not enjoyable to read. The facts there were dragons felt irrelevant here, it was so clearly about power and control. Not sure I’m interested in the series any more. None of the main characters grew either.
November 26, 2022
Much like the first book, this one also manages to be intriguing and very easy to read, while still keeping my attention drawn to it. The plot builds upon the first book, introduces several new characters, and shallowly goes into detail on some bigger, overarching stuff in the series regarding the "skies will burn" phrase and what seems to be a catastrophic event looming over everything and everyone.
I'll admit, the pacing of this part of the plot feels slow and dragged out, but the premise itself is interesting, and I don't mind too much having to go through several books to find out more about it, because the setup makes me feel like the end result is gonna be worth it.
The religious undertone that fuels the conflicts and intrigue were also much stronger than in the first book, but again, very interesting. Religion in a world with dragons and humans isn't something that I've read much about before, at least not in detail and not as well established as it is in this book.
The series seems to be building up towards something very important happening, some world altering event or conflict, and I'm very curious to see how exactly the series further progresses.
I'll admit, the pacing of this part of the plot feels slow and dragged out, but the premise itself is interesting, and I don't mind too much having to go through several books to find out more about it, because the setup makes me feel like the end result is gonna be worth it.
The religious undertone that fuels the conflicts and intrigue were also much stronger than in the first book, but again, very interesting. Religion in a world with dragons and humans isn't something that I've read much about before, at least not in detail and not as well established as it is in this book.
The series seems to be building up towards something very important happening, some world altering event or conflict, and I'm very curious to see how exactly the series further progresses.
September 11, 2021
Faith in Flames is the second instalmment from the Dragons of Mother Stone series by Melissa McShane. I have not read the first book in the series, Spark the Fire. I feel I probably should have read it before this one but was able to gather enough information of what I could have missed to enjoy reading this one. I thought it was quite an adventurous read and loved getting to know Lamprophyre and Prince Rokshan right from the start. It was a good read and I hope to read the previous book soon.
Faith in Flames will be getting four and a half stars from me. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading fantasy and mythology fiction. I am looking forward to the next book from the Dragons of Mother Stone series.
I received a digital copy of Faith in Flames from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
Faith in Flames will be getting four and a half stars from me. I recommend it for readers who enjoy reading fantasy and mythology fiction. I am looking forward to the next book from the Dragons of Mother Stone series.
I received a digital copy of Faith in Flames from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
September 11, 2021
Very good read; I actually enjoyed this second book in the series better than the first, as we are past all of the “getting to know you” and into all of the
intricacies of how dragons will fit into the day to day living in a human city for the first time. The exploration of how two different religions can co-exist is very well done, and I enjoyed the deepening mystery unfolding throughout this book that will carry us into the next in the series. I also enjoyed getting to know the other dragons in Lamprophyre’s clutch, and adding these other dragon characters into the story, and seeing how they interact with the human friends they chose, made it much more interesting. I would definitely recommend this book, and I look forward to the next one! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book, but, of course, all opinions are my own, and leaving a review was optional.
intricacies of how dragons will fit into the day to day living in a human city for the first time. The exploration of how two different religions can co-exist is very well done, and I enjoyed the deepening mystery unfolding throughout this book that will carry us into the next in the series. I also enjoyed getting to know the other dragons in Lamprophyre’s clutch, and adding these other dragon characters into the story, and seeing how they interact with the human friends they chose, made it much more interesting. I would definitely recommend this book, and I look forward to the next one! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book, but, of course, all opinions are my own, and leaving a review was optional.
January 26, 2022
The series keeps me hooked so far. While a religious/political scheme is at work, the relations between Lamprophyre and her clutch are developed in the background, with some twists and teasing.
A thing that puzzles me though, is that Lamprophyre and her clutch, with the key role they have in a dragon/human relationship that if it goes south, could hurt both kinds, never seem to refer or even report to their queen.
A thing that puzzles me though, is that Lamprophyre and her clutch, with the key role they have in a dragon/human relationship that if it goes south, could hurt both kinds, never seem to refer or even report to their queen.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews