The Memory of Souls: Epic Fantasy Unveiled

epic fantasy series jenn lyons

The Memory of Souls ♥ Jenn Lyons ♥ A Chorus of Dragons #3

Published August 2020 ♥ Published by Tor Books

Book One Review : Ruin of Kings: A Captivating Start to A Chorus of Dragons

Book Two Review : Jenn Lyons’ A Chorus of Dragons: A Must-Read Sequel

Book Four Review : Exploring The House of Always in Jenn Lyons’ Epic Fantasy

Book Five Review : The Discord of Gods: Epic Conclusion of A Chorus of Dragons

The Memory of Souls Review

Contains major spoilers from books #1 & #2, minor spoilers book #3

The Memory of Souls is book #3 in Jenn Lyons epic fantasy series A Chorus of Dragons. Kihrin is back and as sarcastic as ever. I honestly love Kihrin. I don’t care if he is the healed reincarnation of part of Vol Karoth, the King of Demons. I fucking love demons, so it’s all good. Also, Talon is back wreaking havoc, and I find her to be an absolute delight.

I loved everything about The Memory of Souls. Honestly, I could discuss it for hours. Days even. So much happens.

It could be argued that too much happens.

During the last moments of The Name of All Things, Kihrin discovered he did not destroy a cornerstone as he thought. Relos Var had tricked everyone once again. The crystal gem Kihrin destroyed allowed Vol Karoth to awake. The Eight(Seven) Immortals are not pleased and task Kihrin, Janel, Teraeth & Thurvishar with informing the last immortal race it is time for them to give up their immortality.

As with the previous books, our story is told in multiple parts from multiple perspectives. There is a lot to unpack in The Memory of Souls. The formatting of Lyons novels saves this series from becoming too overwhelming. I find that to be particularly true with The Memory of Souls. Consistent with the other books, Lyons does provide a timeline & family tree along with a glossary & footnotes. Otherwise, you really would need a spreadsheet.

This time around, Kihrin & Thurvishar are recounting events. Everything Kihrin tells us is relatively straightforward, moving the story forward from the last moment of The Name of All Things to peak conflict in The Memory of Souls.

All, Easy-Peasy Lemon Squeezy like.

Where things get complicated is in what Thurvishar tells us. He’s going through journal entries from various friends & enemies, or that “gods dammed book,” as Kihrin calls it. Journals that just so happen to fill us in with the adventures of our secondary characters. Eventually, everyone of importance ends up at The Well of Spirals.

Like the three immortal races before them, the Manol vane must perform The Ritual of Night, becoming mortal and imprisoning Vol Karoth once again. Only, it’s not that easy.

Kihrin & Co.’s first attempt to speak with the Manol King lands them straight in The Blight with Vol Korath. Turns out, the King of the Manol vane, Kihrin’s uncle, will have nothing to do with performing the ritual. Their second attempt to speak with the King lands them in the Manol prison.

I found myself agreeing with some ‘not-so-friendly’ characters, like Kihrin’s uncle; The Eight(Seven) have had plenty of time to figure out what to do about Vol Karoth. They know stripping a race of their immortality will only buy them a few more hundred years at best. And yet, every time Karoth wakes, their answer is to perform The Ritual of Night.

In a twisted turn of events that finds Therin dead, Kihrin & Thurvishar on the run & Doc back as King of the Manol vane, we learn the Manol aren’t immortal at all. & even if they were, Var has been up to some of his old tricks. No Ritual of Night can be performed. & Thaena, well, she is pissed.

Thanea is determined to go through with the ritual & devises a new one. One that involves sacrificing her son & newly named King of the vane, Theraeth. This unique ritual does not go over so well with his lovers, Kihrin & Janel. That’s right; our friends are lovers. Our friends are a thruple.

& let the Battle of the Well of Spirals commence.

Honestly, so much happens in The Memory of Souls I found it hard to write this review. I want to write about what we learned about Relos Var, The Immortals, The Dragons. The god Kings & Queens. I’m not joking when I say a lot happens in The Memory of Souls. & all of it was indeed exceptionally wonderful.

The Memory of Souls contains some absolutely beautiful scenes. Kihrin and Therin had some captivating moments together as father & son. Therin & Doc’s relationship was lovely. Even Khaeriel redeems herself after having murdered most of Kihrin’s family. & among all the beautiful scenes are some absolutely heartbreaking ones too.

I love that Var is not the villain that, well, everyone makes him out to be.

So far, I have been blown away by the way Lyons weaves her story together. Plot threads across centuries are being tugged on and woven together, creating a fascinating story. Underneath it all, you have all these people of various backgrounds, religions, races, genders & sexuality being genuinely accepting and loving towards each other.

Rather, it looked like an enormous serpentine skeleton, held together by a web of connective tissue, dried tendon, and dead flesh that shifted and merged with each movement. The monster existed in a constant, never-ending state of simultaneous decomposition and regeneration.

Vol Karoth didn’t even have to kill. All he had to do was exist.

This looked like some mad god had taken an octopus and modified it for a life in the desert.

Therin felt each word twist in his gut. But if the words cut, it was only because the truth had sharpened them.

“With all respect, the Eight Immortals can suck on my cock,” Doc replied easily.

“I’ve never been prouder of any of my children than I am of you. If anyone can figure out a solution to this mess, it’s going to be you. Whatever happens, I believe in you.”

I knew he was egotistical, but I thought his focus remained on defeating the demons.

The conversations he’d had with some dragons had suggested their involvement hadn’t been innocent, at least in a few cases. Did these godlike beings who’d betrayed their own families deserve to be cured? Maybe. Maybe not.

Their souls were cleaved from their bodies, yes, but those souls are … scattered. Discorporate. Stretched like a thin sheen of oil across the universal waters.

Do you know, then, what the difference is? The difference between the three races that fled to this world and the demons who chased after you with envy in their hearts?

The explosion is so vast, it melts the countryside and then spreads out, a death wave covering half a continent.

The trapped souls here would never go to the Afterlife. They would never be reincarnated. They would simply fade.

The smell of cold was crisp and so sharp as to be physically painful, a sign of a cold so deep, it was outside anything I had ever experienced before.

“Did you just send Vol Karoth to his room like he was a gods-damn four-year-old?” Grizzst asked.