Blood Song (Raven’s Shadow #1)

I love the premise–how these young boys are trained and have to complete tests to become a part of the Sixth Order, the warriors of the Realm. The descriptions of the Order House, the masters, the aspects, and Vaelin\’s fellow \”brothers\” are so interesting. Some of the characters are multi-layered. The King–Janus is dimensional. I loved seeing how his crafty mind worked. About 60% in to the book is when it started to become chaotic. The editing seemed to take a back seat, the time periods were untidy, narration was hit and miss, and the war and battle sequences were often confusing with so many new names of characters, cities, faiths, it was hard to read. It was like a Game of Thrones ambition that fell far short. Some parts of the story were given lots of detail and other parts–important parts–were skimmed over. For example, the five years Vaelin spent in prison. Then when he has his battle with the Shield, it\’s over almost before it begins. It really feels like there are two books here, and the second one is still in the draft stage. When I was reading the first half of this book, I was excited to have discovered a new series that was well written and fun to read. Now that I\’ve finished the book, I know I won\’t be reading any more of these.

Like most other people in here I also loved this book. When it was published it was really a delightful and unexpected surprise. Blood song really just have so much going for it. Interesting plot, intriguing characters, a fresh magic system… I mean, this was the full package! There is no reason in the world not to pick up this book, I promise you that it will pull you in and never let go! Years down the line I still think about it some times, but here comes the warning. The later books in the series is a HUUUUUUGE letdown. This book was self published, and it kind of feels like Blood song had the plot of three books in one, if the book had been expanded and divided into three books it might have delivered more on the promise given. It seems to me that when the book was published as one book the author had to make up two new books with new plot twists and it completely belly floppet. Read the first book, imagine what it could have been, mourn it and move on. Even though the later books in the series do not deliver, you owe it to yourself not to loose out on the magic of the first.

The story begins as a historian of an empire is taking custody of an enemy nation\’s war champion . . . A war champion who had been imprisoned for years . . . A war champion who was being paroled to fight to the death for the release of a woman from the enemy nation . . . A woman who the war champion had widowed himself by killing the heir of the emperor . . . a man who was the historian\’s best friend . . . Awkward. But as much as Historian despises this man, this Hope Killer, he cannot help but be intrigued by him. He watches as the governor of the very city War Champion seized during the war comes the dock, bringing War Champion his sword that had been given into Governor\’s care. He watches as Governor tries to encourage War Champion about his upcoming (doomed to fail) duel: maybe he\’ll win, maybe this is the first step in his journey home . . . Who is this War Champion that he should win the respect and friendship of a man whose city he took by force? Vaelin Al Sorna, that\’s who. And Historian, being a chronicler of history, finds that he cannot resist the urge to record a firsthand account of the war and the events leading up to the invasion from one who would know the enemy\’s—King Janus of the Unified Realm—mind, when War Champion offers to tell his story during their voyage (to the PIRATE NATION where the duel is to take place). From there we go backward. We learn of Vaelin\’s childhood, how his father left him at the gates of the Sixth Order, the only Order of warriors, and thus the only trained fighters who are not subject to the King\’s commands: \”You fight,\” Vaelin told the Aspect, the violence and the blood making his heart hammer in his chest. \”Yes.\” The Aspect halted and looked down at him. \”We fight. We kill. We storm castle walls braving arrows and fire. We stand against the charge of horse and lance. We cut our way through the hedge of pike and spear to claim the standard of our enemy. The Sixth Order fights, but what does it fight for?\” \”For the realm.\” For the realm, and for the Faith. The Sixth Order is a highly trained, highly efficient, and highly deadly group of paladins (<——warrior priests). We learn of the bonds of brotherhood forged during their rigorous, often deadly training. Of the eleven boys who share quarters, only five live to become Brothers, Vaelin their acknowledged leader. We learn of the Dark, a nebulous force that manifests itself in unnatural abilities and talents, and we learn of the king of a nation hellbent on legislating morality with an iron fist. BLOOD SONG is a tale filled with suffering and injustice, but it\’s also a tale of friendship and loyalty and perseverance, and woven throughout are hints of a Darkness gathering, while flaws in the Realm\’s belief system are slowly but steadily revealed. In short, it\’s compelling. Sometimes bleak, sometimes hopeful, always determined, BLOOD SONG grabbed me by the horns and didn\’t let go until this chapter of the story was complete, and even then it was only for as long as it took me to one-click the next book. Highly recommended.

Recently re-read this so I could read book 2. This is definitely within my top favorite books. I love everything about it. The concept of the blood song, the characters – especially Vaelin – the sweeping plot lines…I could go on and on. The world Anthony Ryan has built is epic. What I find most interesting is all the different religions and how they are all handled. It was just really interesting to watch how a belief system basically based on dead ancestors so influenced the characters and their way of life. Vaelin is actually one of my favorite protagonists, and one of the best I\’ve come across in a while. He\’s not a \”golden child\” hero, but he\’s not an anti-hero either. He\’s not good at everything, but he kicks butt anyway. His \”blood song\” is fascinating and I need way more answers than you get in this book. I love the way the book is structured as him telling his story to a master historian. I really love this book. Recommended if you like gritty epic fantasy. Content warning: Language. There\’s a lot of it scattered throughout. A couple uses of the F bomb. Sex. No graphic or explicit scenes. It\’s mentioned that a couple has sex but it\’s more of a \”fade to black\” type thing. There\’s a few other mentions throughout. Violence. Vaelin grows up in a battle-school. The whole book revolves around his learning to fight and then his multiple campaigns, but the descriptions aren\’t graphic.

I won\’t bore anyone with another summary. I\’m just here to point out a few of the reasons why I enjoyed this novel so much and to add my own 5 star rating to the masses. > The Characters – No black and white heroes/villains or run down cliche\’s here. Just characters that are all too real, with their own unique personalities, world views and faults. And as they go through deep life experiences, they actually develop! For example, when we first met Nortah, I envisioned him being your typical spoilt, petty brat. Very quickly I was disspelled of that impression – by the end of the book, he was one of my favourite characters. People shouldn\’t be judged solely based on first impressions, and they can change. > The Pace – Considering the first 300 or so pages are dedicated to the \’training\’ section, there are a surprising amount of significant moments, many of which foreshadow later events. It nevers gets boring. Mr Ryan finds a fine balance when building his carefully crafted world, never cramming too much information in, yet not leaving his readers hanging either. It kept my interest, left me wanting more. > The Intrigue – So many mysteries, large and small, are scattered throughout this novel: from the reason Vaelin was given to the Sixth Order; The Witch\’s bastard, the One Who Waits, and many questions surroundings the plot and various characters goals and motivations. What I especially enjoy is the fact that many of the answers are within the text before the reveals! Mr Ryan has created a consistent world, where every action makes sense within the context of his world. Learn the rules, then pay close attention. All in all, a fantastic debut and an excellent start to the Raven\’s Shadow Trilogy. I will certainly be purchasing the next book, \’Tower Lord\’. (Additional Note: part of my motivation for writing this review in the first place was to counter a couple of the ridiculous negative reviews for this book. I can respect opinions that differ from my own. That\’s not the issue. But to give a book a low rating simply because the reviewer was stupid enough to buy the same book twice is sacrilege in my opinion. Reviews are intended to measure the quality of the product, not the IQ of the reviewer.)

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