The Awakening Fire is the first installment in the Ancient's Blood series, a science-fantasy proposal by Cassidy Faline. A brilliant story where we will be following three men fighting for the throne of a city, each one with his own reasons to reclaim it, and that grabs you and doesn't let you drop the book until the ending.

The first character we get to meet is Hieronymus Porvus, the bastard son of a Lord. A believer in the Ancients' practices, which are forbidden, and who is working to make the common people rally against Reta's King, removing him from the throne and letting people choose a new one.
Gannon Teris is the son of Lord Teris, whose family used to be the rulers of Reta before the throne was usurped by Lord Reta. He's trying to recover the throne for his family, and with this in mind, he initially forges an allegiance with Hiero, as he looks closer to the common people, intending to use his influence to restore the Teris family to the throne.
And our third character is Lamont Reynard, half-brother of Hiero and nephew of King Reta. A faithful follower of the king, who has earned his respect, even engaging in some activities that could be called questionable.

From the POV of those three characters, we see how a common folk rebellion is started, initially instigated by Hieronymus, who against the odds becomes the leader, a treason in the eyes of Gannon. As a consequence, King Reta is dethroned, being Hiero appointed as the ruler by the Council of Lords; Lamont is named successor by Reta, watching his end close.
But if something is prone to happen during revolts, is that other actors might see an opportunity, as Lord Teris, planning to invade the city and recover the throne. A situation that puts Hiero between the sword and the wall; in the meanwhile Gannon lands into another difficult situation, becoming captive of a slaver Lord.

At the same time this complex plot is advancing, Faline slowly introduces more details about the world: how the Ancients disappeared but left behind some secrets, Reta got control over the throne from Teris family, and how the city Lords worked as the power in the shadows. 

Some extra POVs are added in the middle of the story, getting secondary roles, but helping to make it all cohesive. One of the virtues of Faline is making each POV a way to convince you of its beliefs, making you cheer for the three aspirants for the throne while you are reading his story.

Overall, a really solid debut, a fast-paced science fantasy book, with a character-driven story that I enjoyed a lot reading. If you are doubting what to read, I can totally recommend you The Awakening Fire, as it is the start of a promising series.