It’s kind of a running joke on my Youtube channel that I’ve been saying I’m going to “finally finish this series” for several years now. After all, they are so short, why on earth have I not been able to find time to read them?! As it turns out, the real issue involves overcomplicating my reading life for the sake of delivering on a bunch of arbitrary expectations I put on myself as a content creator.. but that is beyond the scope of this post. Either way, we’ve finally arrived at completion. Here are my thoughts on the remaining books in a short series I initially started in 2021…
Across the Sorrow Sea (#5) [3/5 stars]
I was worried that reading through this series more back to back would dilute the experience I had with each book, and I feel that happened a bit here. I don’t generally get on well with short stories or novellas because it doesn’t give me enough time to get really invested in the story. That said, I loved the world-building here, considering it another great installment in that regard for the series. I also liked the new character introduced, although I didn’t feel as much a connection to her as a few of the others we’ve met along the way. One thing I found satisfying is that the pivotal moment of this particular story moved things forward for me significantly. I finally feel like I understand where we are going and exactly what the stakes are, so now it’s just a matter of enjoying the ride!
The Road of Storms (#6) [3/5 stars]
I’ll admit I initially found this volume to be a lot more mundane than the previous novellas, likely because the setting was much less exotic and we seemed to almost have backtracked. I think it also prudent to admit that because of that, I had trouble staying focused while listening to the audiobook. I’d tell you the first half was dry and directionless, but that could feasibly be because I wasn’t as engaged as I should have been. As soon as I switched to the physical edition though, everything changed and suddenly the series was exciting again… although that could have been more to do with the massive conflict that took place rather than the format switch, but it’s hard to say. At the very least I was able to finish the novella fully engaged and very invested in seeing how the entire thing ends with the next book. The characters are all great profiles, some more favored (developed) than others, but other than sympathy for their plights, I’ve felt no really emotional connection to them. Is that due to the shorter page count? Ryan sure does manage to pack in a TON of things with such a small package, and the focus has been heavy on world-building (love). But at this point in the series I wish I felt just a tiny bit more invested. We’ll see what the final novella has in store.
The Infernus Gate (#7) [4.5/5 stars]
It has been my experience with each of these later books that it takes a hot minute for the story to get going. But once it does, hold on to your seat!! This finale was everything I’d hoped it would be and delivered a killer ending. Weirdly, halfway through I was wondering how we’d ever get to anything satisfying with so much ground to cover and so little time left, but I shouldn’t have doubted. The book had a ton of action sequences, some excellent backstory moments, and a lot of emotionally compelling situations. I didn’t have too terribly long to dwell on any of the things that happened, but I will still long remember the “punchline” of the story, which is probably more important, anyway.
Overall this series has been an absolute delight. I’m not sure it was quite worth how much I invested in the signed and numbered Subterranean Press hardcovers I’ve collected, but seeing as Anthony Ryan is an all-time favorite from reading his Draconius Memoria series, I’m still glad I have them. It created a unique and memorable atmosphere with its expansive world-building that is difficult to find even in full-length novels. I can’t wait to dive into my still unread books from this author!
Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Karen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, Elizabeth, Bee, Poochtee, Kinsey, Alysa, Derek, Kelly, Grace, Carmen, Leticia, and Leah! <3
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By Niki Hawkes
The Obsessive Bookseller 