**Caveat: DO NOT read this book without re-reading the 2nd book at minimum if it has been a while for you**

Jenn Lyons has created an entire world in this series that is as complex as our own. Though it deals with the basics of fantasy such as dragons, magic and faery, this is very much a world with the real world problems of treachery, politics, war, poverty, class conflict and race conflict. That is what saves this whole series - if it were just relying on the elements of fantasy, this series wouldn't work.

In this first book, the complexity of the book reveals itself layer by layer and at times, one feels that you may actually need a notebook to keep track of all of the characters - none of whom are superfluous. These characters, even the ones with bit parts all play a larger part of the whole. The 2nd book is daunting, it continues to fill in the world and also sheds light on what is to come and what is going to be asked of our main characters - and all of the bit players. The key with all of the characters is that none of them are heroes. They are all complex beings with shortcomings. There are no good guys and bad guys per se though that doesn't reveal itself at first glance.

We come to the third book in the series. It is my sincere hope that this isn't the last book in this series. No. Really.

The book opens with a scene of Thurvishar chronicling what has happened with Kihrin et al running around doing their damndest to try and prevent Relos Var from releasing Vol Karoth and potentially succeeding and moves on from there. We have a super unnecessary side trip for Janel that occurred in book 2 that is showing its full ramifications here but to what end? We have the appearance of some characters that are so old, even the Eight don't know they exist, and we have a side trip where Janel, Thurvishar, Teraeth, and Kihrin are kidnapped and tossed into the Manol Blight to die (super unnecessary scenes in this side trip in the opinion of this reviewer). The side trip is necessary because it was part of trying to get the Vané to give up their immortality to bind Vol Karoth again but some of the scenes felt unnecessary and forced in that the writing was uneven.

When they finally figure out how to leave the Manol Blight, Kihirin is aware that Vol Karoth is intimately linked to him but still not aware of just how deeply - and it takes WAY too long for him to deduce it or for those around him, all of whom are supposed to be magical beings in one way or another to figure it out.

The appearance of Kihrin's parents and Khaeriel's whole quest to get her crown and revenge are interesting but if they hadn't happened, the book could have been routed differently. For all that Khaeriel was supposedly devastated by the "murder" of Kihrin, their reunion was lackluster at best. While it can be understood on the part of Kihrin, it can't be on the part of Khaeriel. In that entire story stream, only a couple of things were truly necessary to the book.

The Eight immortals losing their collective cool was a nice touch, I enjoyed seeing their poorly hidden panic and more, their inability to reason out what mortals were reasoning out. There were some beautifully written scenes with the Eight and the death of one of them was particularly interesting because of an action she took. Unfortunately, unless there is another book, we won't know how the consequences of that scene play out.

On to the romances. All but one of them felt forced. Ironically, it is the most prickly one that was more amorphous that didn't feel forced - all of the rest of them felt like the Author wanted them to be happening so she fit the characters into them but the characters (who by now have a life of their own) did not agree to this and as a result, what could have been natural and really beautiful felt really forced. This isn't a new phenomenon, there are other authors who have done this with exactly the same result. Again, if we don't get another book, we won't see what happens with the one romance that really worked well because of its awkwardness. That awkwardness brought it into the realm of funny and sweet and cute.

Suless - what was her purpose? Not really revealed at all in this book. If she was a vehicle to make Janel remember her past lives, she outlived her usefulness. If she was a vehicle to free Janel from Xaltorath - she outlived her usefulness and another character could have done that.

Hands down the most interesting character in this book series is Relos Var. Without fail, he is the middle of the wheel that holds all of the spokes together and he is glorious. Beautifully written, exquisitely fleshed out, he owns every scene he is in and it is fantastic. He is supposed to be the overarching villain but frankly, this reviewer was cheering for him to win in all the ways. His fight with Thaena was underdone and I would have loved to have these two great powers really duke it out with some reveals in it but it was not to be.

Janel was actually such an annoying character and what the hell happened to Qown?? The monk disappeared off without another word. It was so annoying.

This brings us to the ending of this book where I have to say that the only thought I had was "are you kidding me"? This ending is why I say there absolutely has to be another book in this series. I am not going to spoil it but I am going to call the epilogue of this book absolutely anti-climactic after all the work the author did to get us there. The ending felt unfinished.

Are we seeing a theme here? So many of the threads in this story end off not neatly tied but frayed or loose. In order for this series to reach epic, it needs those threads tied off. The author is certainly talented and there is no end to the great characters - the world is lush and so well developed but those dangling threads beg for another book.

So, Jenn Lyons is one of my top 5 favorite authors of all time. I f*cking love A Chorus of Dragons. I have screamed and will continue to scream about how amazing these books are and how obscenely talented/skilled Lyons is.

These books are wonderfully busy. They have lots of moving parts. There's a lot of weird time hops and a wide range of characters, many of whom have past lives as earlier characters with different names-- and sometimes even different races. They're complex and detailed, sassy and witty, have a ton of interesting backgrounds. Also, Lyons' world building is unparalleled.

But I have to be level here: there's A. LOT. to keep straight, and these books don't recap, they move forward. Before you read The Memory of Souls, if you can't rattle off the plot and main characters of Ruin AND Name, *you need to re-read them first.* I, unfortunately, fall into camp "I have no idea what I read a year ago" and have too much of a TBR to justify rereading the first two books, so I personally stopped at page 60ish.

I want to reiterate to the high heavens: what I read was absolutely amazing. Thurvishar is back on footnotes and those asides are the sass I live for. Khirin is still the adorable little idiot we all know and love. The writing itself is page after page of crisp excellence.

I will be eagerly awaiting the day (probably in spring) when I have the room in my reading schedule to reread Ruin, Name, and finish Memory, but in the meantime: don't be me. Learn from me. Refresh your memory before you read Memory.

I will presume that most folks reading a review of a book three have already been reading the series but if you haven’t been go pick up The Ruin of Kings right now!
This is an excellent epic fantasy. Lots of magic and world ending stakes. Despite the length of each book the author keeps the story moving with short chapters that keep the pace f the action very fast.
I did feel with book one like it might be a trilogy but now I’d guess 4 or 5 books. I,really look forward to the next volume!

Jenn Lyons keeps the pace of this series flying. I love the emphasis on tempo. Her world building is intriguing and always leaves you with more questions, but everything is starting to come into shape. Though it is not a series for everyone, those who take themselves too seriously will struggle with some(or many) of the author's narrative choices. I for one love it and find all three of these books to be exceptionally fun reads so far.

I'm ending this series with a very mixed feeling. I really have loved Lyons' world and characters. These books are consistently funny with robust characters and fantastic dialogue. But the narrative devices that were a little confusing in the first book have muddled everything for me by the third.

I am not new to epic fantasy, but I had a hell of a time keeping track of the who and the what and the where and the when. Part of me adores the complexity because it's often treated playfully, and it shows the depth of Lyons' imagination. But ... a flowchart should come complementary with each book.

I liked this series. I just wish I could have loved it.

I want to start by saying that I know these books aren't for everyone. When I first picked up The Ruin of Kings I read about 50 pages and gave up. It took me over a year to give it another try and I am so happy I did (loved it so much and I am not sure what I was thinking the first time around). The same goes for book two, The Name of All Things. I struggled with the new main character and for some reason couldn't get in a good flow when reading. I had to switch to Audible, and it was a much more enjoyable experience for me.

Now on to The Memory of Souls. Holy shit friends, read this series. I don’t want to spoil anything, but that long journey to get here was worth every second. If you don't want to read it all, I would say you could read this book as a stand alone as well (Lyons recaps so well on top of that), but you would miss out on so much of the entire experience. This is legit Epic Fantasy, and when you get to the ending you will want book four asap. I was not fully prepared for all the feelings and having to wait. Get. This. Book!

My thanks to Tor, Ms. Lyons and Netgalley.
Short review.
This was just barely tolerable. Barely. I had hoped it would get better. Not. I honestly thought the whole thing was a shit show.

It is difficult to explain what delighted me about this book without SPOILERS, so I'll just say I went into this one hoping for something delightful between certain characters but thinking it couldn't possibly happen. I was right, Something EVEN BETTER happened and I kept feeling an overwhelming joy queer readers rarely get to experience as I read and realized the author was going for it. Jenn Lyons is a goddamn wizard. The characters continued to be nuanced and deliciously COMPLICATED without being grimdark and the writing and plotting is a joy. Honestly, this book is long but I think I read it so slowly because I kept wanting to stop and savour it.

Also the end of this book made me want to throw it but in a GOOD way. I can't wait to see where this goes in the next one.

I love this series so much. I thought this book was the final book but i am so happy that there will be more. The Memory of Souls was really complicated and fast paced. Jenn Lyons created an amazing world and characters. It was so good to be back with this world. I highly recommended this series to anyone who loves fantasy and big books. Thank you for this arc.

This series! Jenn Lyons is building one of the most beautiful and original fantasy series in years. An impressively unique magic system that stays consistent and logical. Honestly just a triumph in worldbuilding.

The first 2 books were top notch audiobooks that kept me engaged throughout. Excellent narration. Was happy to enjoy the text version of this book.

So amazing to get the final book in a trilogy! Only to get to the end and realise there's more! I love the complexity of this series and the writing style (some of the footnotes just kill me).

A wonderful third installment in the Chorus of Dragons series. Lyons has created an expansive world full of amazing characters and continues to grow them in thoughtful and exciting ways. Her worldbuilding is detailed and immersive. Each book raises new questions and gives us answers to others, which makes the adventures continue from one book to the next, rather than each its own closed "quest" so to speak. I'm looking forward to seeing how the story continues to grow.

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 🖤🐶🐺🐾

<i>With thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

My reviews of the first second installments of this series were pretty succinct and to the point: "Spectacular." "Superb." "First class epic fantasy." And also - "I do not understand why more people are not reading this series."

Since I'm obligated to Netgalley review the third installment, but I do not want to spoil, I am going to keep this review completely plot-free, and instead try to imprint on you how you absolutely, most definitely, unquestioningly should pick up this series. And yes, start with book one, because you absolutely cannot read this without prior knowledge of the first two books.

When I finished book one, I wanted to re-read immediately, because it's SO dense - but in the BEST of ways. Let me put it this way - if you love epic-fantasy in the style of multi-POV, multi-layered story like "Game of Thrones," this is exactly the series for you.

Lyons novels are clearly meant to be epic escapes. There are multitudes of characters, with complicated backstories (you have NO idea), centuries if not millennia of history and lore, and a MASSIVE amount of hidden meanings and story twists you will never see coming. The complicated connections between characters and their place in the world are all cogs in an enormous puzzle that the reader is solving alongside the protagonists. There is magic, dragons, wizards and witches, demons, multiple cultures and locations, complicated religions, and perhaps even the impending end of the world. Page after page, questions are answered, and tidbits revealed, and they further the plot.

There is also bounds of humor, including superb footnotes, which are VERY much part of the appeal of this series.

"A Chorus of Dragons" series is my favorite discovery of 2020. I don't typically purchase physical copies of books - it is reserved for the best of the best only. Having read this series in Kindle format, I immediately invested in physical copies and I am very happy to hear at least 5 are planned in the series!

Do yourself a favor and pick this series up. You will curse me, but you will thank me.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First, I just want to point out to all fantasy authors that I love the short recap at the beginning to help reorient myself in the world I’m re-entering, so thank you for doing me a solid Jenn and I hope the trend continues. Now to get into the actual book. I just adore these characters and the complexity of this series, and The Memory of Souls does not disappoint. The fantastic four, Kihrin, Janel, Teraeth, and Thurvishar, are all back and full of sass and sarcasm. The endnotes alone often make me smile and chuckle. The complicated web Lyons weaves is a lot to take in, but that’s half the fun of delving into these books. Everyone has been someone else, either by being reincarnated souls or body-swapping souls and the concept of good and evil is not clear cut, which I love. The complexity and revelations that continuously occur are a part of what make that web so deliciously complex. What is right? What is wrong? Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys, or are bad guys with good intentions?

The story pulls you in and takes you into a world where souls have an immortality that transcends the body and stores the memories of countless lives. With millennia of existence behind them and whole lot of complicated interweaving of past lives not to mention world annihilation on the horizon, there is a lot going on every step of the way. This one was great read that made me laugh and think.

I wanted to love this book. I would have been happy liking it. In reality, I tolerated it.

The sequel to The Ruin of Kings takes us on a different journey, with initially very little familiar ground and people. Over time the story reflects more of the world that was covered in the first book, but it is quite a strange and unnerving start to a sequel.

The plot is a little flimsy if I'm honest, it is just some people doing some things and then deciding to do other things, with seemingly little logic to it, or overall plot. It was quite a struggle to remember who was doing what and why when switching between PoVs in new chapters. This isn't helped by the number of new characters introduced.

The writing style is a little elaborate for my tastes and made it hard to focus on what was actually happening - there were times an event had been referred to but I hadn't even noticed it because I wasn't able to concentrate. The book is very heavy on narrative with very little dialogue, making it harder to follow the action among the flowery phrasing.

A book of this length should have taken me a little over a week to read, but this took me almost 4 weeks. Admittedly part of this was due to events in the world and at work, but also my motivation to read it was eroded and I struggled through about 5% a day.

The Memory of Souls is the third epic fantasy in Jenn Lyons’ Chorus of Dragons series.
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?

There is alot to like in the latest installment of the series. Jenn Lyons has a unique storytelling voice, bringing an down to earth, dry comedy to her characters and they way they express themselves in almost modern terms which makes the more epic elements of the story (dragons, fae. magic, battles etc) more interesting and engaging. The funny footnotes at the end of each chapter are as entertaining as the main story. And it's a long story with lots of characters, similar-sounding names and mind-bending complexity because we are reading about each character as well as their past lives and how they interacted with each other, and the impacts those past lives had on current events. I loved the idea of reincarnation - it's a new addition to the standard stable of fantasy tropes but at times it almost felt as if Lyons was throwing absolutely everything into the pot (undead. demons, the afterlife, aliens, portals to other worlds, dragons (who used to be people related to the characters), reincarnated souls, magic, fae, long lost sons, magic swords. magic stones etc etc etc) and it can feel overwhelming to read and try to follow, especially as each book follows on from the last after at least a year in between. These are great books and entertaining to read and I would recommend reading the entire trilogy together so that you can follow the twists and turns of the narrative more closely.

I was very lucky to get a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed the previous two books in this series very much and was looking forward to this on with great anticipation! Like its predecessors, this one is very twisty and complicated and it took me a little bit of time to remember all the characters and who was related to whom (thanks Stone of Shackles!). This one, like the Name of all Things, is mostly along one timeline instead of starting at the end and beginning like Ruin of Kings. That makes things easier.

This book has been compiled by Thurvishar this time and he is quite snarky so it is a lot of fun to read the footnotes (the other book's footnotes are fun too). There are several stories going on, from Khirin's group (the Hellwarriors), to Therin, and others. They meet up at different times during the book as they try to stop Vol Karoth who will destroy the world. There are new revelations though and people are not always what they seem to be. I like that we finally get some more back story about the Immortals and Relos Var.

I absolutely cannot wait for the next book! I highly recommend this book too and if you really wanted to, you could read this by itself but why would you skip out on the other two fun books?

I was beyond excited when I received an ARC from NetGalley. Many thanks to the publishers.

This is the third book in Jenn Lyon's Chorus of Dragons series. And what a series it is! You definitely need a good working knowledge of the two previous books to read this one. The world Ms Lyons has created is so grand and full, it can be a challenge to keep everything straight in your mind. Despite the little extra mental gymnastics required to read the books, it really doesn't feel like extra effort as the story rollicks along, sweeping you away with the plot. The characters are vivid and interesting and despite the book frequently bouncing between POVs, it is all pulled together in spectacular fashion. I cannot fathom how Ms Lyons keeps everything straight!

I confess I was slightly disappointed when I finished the book, because I mistakenly thought it was the end of the series. I couldn't believe it had finished with so many loose threads! Thankfully, a cursory google search informed me of my error and I have more books from this world to look eagerly await.

I totally recommend this series to any lovers of fantasy. What a wonderful series!

This was a great installment to the series! The world expansion was done so well! I loved learning more about the dynamics of this world. I also loved being back with these characters.