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The Annals of Drakis #2
Citadels of the Lost
The latest novel in the "enthralling" ( Midwest Book Review ) Annals of Drakis fantasy epic.
The fates of Drakis, former slave warrior of the elven empire of Rhonas, and Soen, former Inquisitor of the Iblisi, are inexorably tied to the magic of Aether-lifeblood of the elven empire and the cause of humanity's fall. As each searches for the truth beyond legends, he must face his own Drakis amid the ruins of humanity's Lost Citadels; Soen in a desperate race to seize control of the farthest Aether Well of the empire...
The fates of Drakis, former slave warrior of the elven empire of Rhonas, and Soen, former Inquisitor of the Iblisi, are inexorably tied to the magic of Aether-lifeblood of the elven empire and the cause of humanity's fall. As each searches for the truth beyond legends, he must face his own Drakis amid the ruins of humanity's Lost Citadels; Soen in a desperate race to seize control of the farthest Aether Well of the empire...
368 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2011
16 people are currently reading
310 people want to read
About the author
Tracy Hickman
454 books2,735 followersNYT Best-selling fantasy authors Tracy Hickman, with his wife Laura, began their journey across the 'Sea of Possibilities' as the creators of 'Dragonlance' and their voyage continues into new areas with the 'Drakis' trilogy, 'Wayne of Gotham', a Batman novel for DC Comics and his
'Dragon's Bard' collector's series
. Tracy has over fifty books currently in print in most languages around the world. A record of both Tracy and Laura's DNA currently orbits on the international space station and he is the writer and editor of the first science-fiction movie actually filmed in space. Follow us on
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 13, 2012
I did like this book better than the previous however it still left me kind of dry. It just didn't quite keep me interested enough to keep going. I got it through because I listened to it while driving long distaance. If I were actually reading it I wouldn't have had a problem setting the book down for a time. That being said I did very much enjoy the climax at the end of the book. 2 battles going on at the same time kept me going. I would like to understand more of what's going on with the Lyric. I'm kind of confused about her without getting enough of the puzzle pieces to figure it out. Just kind of frustrating.
August 15, 2012
This is the second book in this series, and while the first was slow, this one picks up a bit and is full of the magic and lore that you'd expect from Tracy Hickman. One thing that does get old is the heroes constant denial of who he obviously is and his constant rejection, even after there is no question is kinda... old. Some great plot twists in this one. I love the Lyric. I hope she doesn't get messed up in the following books.
March 16, 2012
Much better than the first one. I felt like the story really got started in this book. I think the next one will be even better. Good series.
February 10, 2017
When a book exists within the confines of epic fantasy with themes similar to such stories as the Lord of the Rings, I am always interested in reading it and I usually greatly enjoy it. Citadels of the Lost by Tracy Hickman was no exception to this rule, and therefore, has become one of my favorite books of all time and earned itself an unequivocal 5 stars. It is a continuation of the story of Drakis and his companions as they journey to the Northern Wastes to discover the remains of the human empire and try to restore it in the hopes of vanquishing the elven oppressors who enslaved them after the systematic conquering of every other kingdom on the fantasy continent on which they all live. This book is filled with complex characters that have a myriad of relationships with each other, is set in an engaging and beautiful fantasy landscape, and has a plot filled with complicated social and political maneuvering that includes many allusions to some of the empires that rose to power in our own world.
Some of my favorite characters in this book were Soen, Mala, and Urulani, mostly because they go through the most character development in this volume in the series. Throughout this book, Soen is desperately trying to regain his standing, influence, and power within the Elven Empire, and the only way that he can do this is by capturing the elusive runaway main character Drakis. However, through his adventures in this novel, he starts to realize that maybe he no longer wants to capture Drakis and destroy the rebellion that is brewing. I found his journey to discover his path, where he belongs, and his destiny was a very interesting part of the book and I hope he continues his trajectory into the 3rd book. Mala is a woman broken by her slavery experiences and forced through manipulation to betray her “friends” over and over against her will. However, towards the end of the book, she makes a decision to stand up for herself and refuse to be the pawn of those of power. Her story was really heartbreaking and tugs at my heartstrings, especially the ending of her storyline. Finally, Urulani starts out as an unwilling participant on this quest due to the events at the end of the 1st book. Her growth to becoming someone who actually wants to fight for the cause that her companions are striving for and her shifting relationship with Drakis, our main character, was quite endearing. I really hope that this budding relationship continues into the last book and gets more developed, and I can’t wait to find out more of her back story and the reasons why she became the warrior that she is today.
My absolute favorite thing about this book is the settings in which it takes place. I love the way that Hickman describes the fallen human empire that they are traveling through. His passages about the Koram Devnet, the city of Chelesta where the citadel of Light exists, the various Aether Wells that they encounter, and the various locations we explore within Rhonas Chas are some of my favorites. I also love how sometimes personifies various inanimate objects such as the Aether itself. His descriptions make the story come alive; help me visualize what is happening, and allows me to escape and go on an adventure, which is what I read for so I greatly enjoyed this aspect of the book.
Finally, there is the complex political and social maneuverings contained within this book. I really can’t talk about it here because most of what is happening is a spoiler to the overarching plot of the series. However, one thing that I can mention is the fact that I believe Hickman got his inspiration for the Rhonas Empire from the ancient Roman Empire. There are multiple instances such as the games going on in the Coliseum within Rhonas Chas, the way that the Legions of the Empire fight, and the way in which they completely squash all the nations they conquer and make them so subjugated that they completely forget who they were before the elves came reminded me so much of the Roman Empire and their path of conquest that I just had to mention it in this review.
All in all, this book was a continuation of a series I really love so I knew it was going to be a good one when I picked it up. I am looking forward to reading the final book in this series and to potentially picking up more of his books. If you enjoy epic fantasy, I would recommend this series immensely.
Some of my favorite characters in this book were Soen, Mala, and Urulani, mostly because they go through the most character development in this volume in the series. Throughout this book, Soen is desperately trying to regain his standing, influence, and power within the Elven Empire, and the only way that he can do this is by capturing the elusive runaway main character Drakis. However, through his adventures in this novel, he starts to realize that maybe he no longer wants to capture Drakis and destroy the rebellion that is brewing. I found his journey to discover his path, where he belongs, and his destiny was a very interesting part of the book and I hope he continues his trajectory into the 3rd book. Mala is a woman broken by her slavery experiences and forced through manipulation to betray her “friends” over and over against her will. However, towards the end of the book, she makes a decision to stand up for herself and refuse to be the pawn of those of power. Her story was really heartbreaking and tugs at my heartstrings, especially the ending of her storyline. Finally, Urulani starts out as an unwilling participant on this quest due to the events at the end of the 1st book. Her growth to becoming someone who actually wants to fight for the cause that her companions are striving for and her shifting relationship with Drakis, our main character, was quite endearing. I really hope that this budding relationship continues into the last book and gets more developed, and I can’t wait to find out more of her back story and the reasons why she became the warrior that she is today.
My absolute favorite thing about this book is the settings in which it takes place. I love the way that Hickman describes the fallen human empire that they are traveling through. His passages about the Koram Devnet, the city of Chelesta where the citadel of Light exists, the various Aether Wells that they encounter, and the various locations we explore within Rhonas Chas are some of my favorites. I also love how sometimes personifies various inanimate objects such as the Aether itself. His descriptions make the story come alive; help me visualize what is happening, and allows me to escape and go on an adventure, which is what I read for so I greatly enjoyed this aspect of the book.
Finally, there is the complex political and social maneuverings contained within this book. I really can’t talk about it here because most of what is happening is a spoiler to the overarching plot of the series. However, one thing that I can mention is the fact that I believe Hickman got his inspiration for the Rhonas Empire from the ancient Roman Empire. There are multiple instances such as the games going on in the Coliseum within Rhonas Chas, the way that the Legions of the Empire fight, and the way in which they completely squash all the nations they conquer and make them so subjugated that they completely forget who they were before the elves came reminded me so much of the Roman Empire and their path of conquest that I just had to mention it in this review.
All in all, this book was a continuation of a series I really love so I knew it was going to be a good one when I picked it up. I am looking forward to reading the final book in this series and to potentially picking up more of his books. If you enjoy epic fantasy, I would recommend this series immensely.
July 26, 2019
Not as fun or creative as the first one. This book is a pure quest for the mcGruffin. It was obviously the second in the series as it was more set up for the finale than anything else. Still not horrible just not amazing.
March 21, 2022
I have little to say about this book, because little happens during it. The characters get somewhere. That's about it. Thus series struggles with a sense of agency (though that's also kind of the point), trend that only gets worse in the final book.
January 24, 2020
Not as good as the 1st one - too much political drama. Got tired just reading about their LONG journey to the northern lands.
February 3, 2014
I was very excited about reading this book. The second novel in the Annals of Drakis, I had read the first one yeeaaars ago and ever since, I have had this nagging itch to get my hands on the second novel.
I can't say I was disappointed.....exactly. I guess you can just say, I was expecting more. The first book had so much excitement. There were fairies in the classical sense and non-classical, there were all these different creatures working together and not working together, new and exciting landscapes, and overall, just had a real urgency to the adventure. This one was definitely more subdued, and though I did enjoy it, it took me a month to finish 353 pages. Which is never a good sign for me.
I don't remember the writing being so mediocre. Its Tracy Hickman, for god's sakes. Though very expressive, I felt like there was alot of repetition in concerns to description. A moderate dose of it can lend flavor, but this was overkill. (For example. Every time Urulani came on to the scene, the blackness of her skin was mentioned. Or with Mala, the color of her hair. Or Soen's sharp pointed teeth) It was a bit much, and it would have been better with more creativity within that area.
Since it had been so SO long between books, it took me a moment for me to remember who everyone was. Once that was done, I could feel nothing for them. I could not get into understanding Drakis's emotions towards Mala, I THINK I understand Urulani's irritation towards Drakis. Ethis and his motives were still beyond me. Soen was just some weirdo to me....I feel like there really was no deep character expression. I actually liked the dragons more than I liked the other characters!
Queen Hestia and Pharis, though having small scenes, were awesome. And I also liked The Lyric, she has always been a favorite of mine.
What kept me reading over all, was the adventure. The villages they passed, the structures they saw, the Fonts, and finally sticking it to those Long Heads where it hurt the most!
Thats why I kept reading, and thats why I will continue to read.
Not a bad book overall, just needed a few tweaks.
I can't say I was disappointed.....exactly. I guess you can just say, I was expecting more. The first book had so much excitement. There were fairies in the classical sense and non-classical, there were all these different creatures working together and not working together, new and exciting landscapes, and overall, just had a real urgency to the adventure. This one was definitely more subdued, and though I did enjoy it, it took me a month to finish 353 pages. Which is never a good sign for me.
I don't remember the writing being so mediocre. Its Tracy Hickman, for god's sakes. Though very expressive, I felt like there was alot of repetition in concerns to description. A moderate dose of it can lend flavor, but this was overkill. (For example. Every time Urulani came on to the scene, the blackness of her skin was mentioned. Or with Mala, the color of her hair. Or Soen's sharp pointed teeth) It was a bit much, and it would have been better with more creativity within that area.
Since it had been so SO long between books, it took me a moment for me to remember who everyone was. Once that was done, I could feel nothing for them. I could not get into understanding Drakis's emotions towards Mala, I THINK I understand Urulani's irritation towards Drakis. Ethis and his motives were still beyond me. Soen was just some weirdo to me....I feel like there really was no deep character expression. I actually liked the dragons more than I liked the other characters!
Queen Hestia and Pharis, though having small scenes, were awesome. And I also liked The Lyric, she has always been a favorite of mine.
What kept me reading over all, was the adventure. The villages they passed, the structures they saw, the Fonts, and finally sticking it to those Long Heads where it hurt the most!
Thats why I kept reading, and thats why I will continue to read.
Not a bad book overall, just needed a few tweaks.
September 6, 2011
Not an enjoyable read for me. Characters introduced in the first installment are not developed in the 2nd. In fact, I'm hard pressed to admit to finding one likeable character in the entire story. World building is accomplished by purely name-dropping hard to pronounce cities or citing short historical snippets of information without actually having any important connection to the main story line. The character's goals are unfocused and confusing. The nut job characters of Mala and the Lyric act in strange, inexplicable ways and have access to a huge wealth of key information necessary for the survival of all the "good guys" for seemingly no reason at all.
This story has so much potential for development and plot movement, but ends up being mediocre.
I plan on reading the next installment, as I am interested in how the story ends, but I hope the author puts more effort into flushing out the emotion and world-building that is possible here.
This story has so much potential for development and plot movement, but ends up being mediocre.
I plan on reading the next installment, as I am interested in how the story ends, but I hope the author puts more effort into flushing out the emotion and world-building that is possible here.
May 6, 2013
Those of you who read and liked the first book in the series will definitely enjoy this one. As our heroes travel through the ruins of the ancient human civilization, we learn more about the characters and what really happened to the humans and the dragons. Much like its predecessor, the plot is full of twists and turns, and no character can be completely trusted. My only complaint is the fact that the author doesn't add enough flesh to some of his characters and merely passes over some important events without giving the reader enough information. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy novels and dragons.
August 26, 2013
This was a very good book with a lot of excitement on a very interesting journey. It is the most exciting book in the trilogy which overshadows book three. It kept me on edge and I couldn't put it down. It had a twist that was a surprise but of course it was an event that had to take place. The ending was awesome and left me wanting to read the last book in the trilogy. It was what I would expect from Tracy Hickman with all the heart pounding excitement.
March 12, 2014
Loved it, although it is a bit harsh at times (didn't bother me). The concept of a whole people being enslaved through magic, where worship is used to renew the bonds of slavery.... best not read too much into that and stick to enjoying the story of Drakis.
March 31, 2012
I like this book, 2nd in the series. I read the first one too long ago to remember if the second was as good as the first. I do want to know how the story continues!
October 13, 2012
Very enjoyable. A couple of real cool twists towards the end.
October 11, 2012
see book 1
May 10, 2013
This was a better read for me, than the first book. I am going to read the next one.
July 16, 2013
Whereas I like the world and the background, I'm finding the writing to be painful and myself losing interest in the characters.
July 28, 2014
Good solid Hickman-style new fantasy. Enjoyable. I'm interested in how he will bow up the series in the third book.
September 18, 2014
Much like the first book: interesting enough to keep reading, but not enough to be memorable like some of his other books.
January 17, 2015
I enjoyed the world creation and the different races, but there isn't a single character I like. All of the main characters can be described with one or two words.
June 30, 2015
VERY good book. Just a little convoluted in spots, but altogether a real good read.
August 2, 2015
Tedious - the third act redeemed the pacing a bit, once the plot finally got rolling. I will finish the series, mostly because I am a shameless completionist.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews