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Blood Song

(Raven's Shadow #1)

Anthony Ryan (Goodreads Author)

4.40 · Rating details · 80,176 ratings · 4,366 reviews

“The Sixth Order wields the sword of justice and smites the enemies of the Faith and the Realm.”

Vaelin Al Sorna was only a child of ten when his father left him at the iron gate of the Sixth Order. The Brothers of the Sixth Order are devoted to battle, and Vaelin will be trained and hardened to the austere, celibate, and dangerous life of a Warrior of the Faith. He has no ...more

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Kindle Edition, 591 pages

Published January 22nd 2012 by Anthony Ryan (first published 2011)

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Community Reviews

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Average rating 4.40 ·

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· 80,176 ratings · 4,366 reviews

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Oct 18, 2017 Petrik rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Coming-of-age fantasy fans

Shelves: self-published-and-indie, masterpieces, favorites

A masterwork you don't want to miss; it is with temerity that I declare Blood Song as one of the best debut novels I've ever read.

Why do I love this book? The simple answer would be because this is a book that has everything I love in epic fantasy and that it hit all the right notes for me. I could practically end my review with that answer but that wouldn't do justice to how great this book is. Now, it's time for me to take on the role of the Chronicler and inform you why it's essential for you ...more

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Aug 06, 2014 Mark Lawrence rated it it was amazing

I won't lie, some small but undeniable part of me came to this book hoping to find fault. It would take a better man than me to watch Anthony Ryan's barnstorming success without a twinge of envy.

Sadly I have to report that this is a very good book and deserves the five stars I've given it.

Ryan writes well, he brings his world and characters to life with good description. It's as a story-teller he shines though, and a good story is always the keystone of a bestseller.

Schools in fantasy books are ...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Katherine Coble rated it it was amazing

Shelves: well-worn-repeat-reads, bargain-books, books-i-force-on-everyrone-i-meet, fiction-with-a-not-so-hidden-agenda, indie-book, better-than-5-stars, animal-dies

When I first finished Patrick Rothfuss’ Name Of The Wind two years ago I was a bit sad. I knew that even though the book was wonderful (and had a sequel on the horizon), that great books which capture me as that one did don’t come along very often. Before Rothfuss was Harry Potter, and that was a good number of years before Rothfuss. It was five years before Potter that Pillars Of The Earth fell into my hands. So I’ve been working on an average of one Utterly Captivating Read every five years or ...more

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Jun 02, 2013 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it it was ok

Shelves: to-read-released

The supremely epic tale of the biggest Gary Stu in the entire world, filled with grammatical and punctuation errors.

Fantasy and high fantasy is notorious for Gary Stus, we know that. Prime example: Harry Potter. Another example, the main character in one of my favorite HF of all time, Jorg Ancrath, by the awesome Marc Lawrence. As these examples have shown, Gary Stus are not awful. They can be amazing, the book can be immensely enjoyable.

This book is not one of them.

There is a way to write a Gar ...more

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Feb 18, 2014 Becky rated it did not like it

Shelves: abandoned, disappointing, ebook_kindle, fantasy, 2014, made-my-eyes-bleed, reviewed, religion-y

Commas matter. They are important if someone, say, an author, wishes to convey a particular meaning or concept or image through the words they use in the books they want to sell. They are important for timing, and sentence structure, and plain ol' literacy. Plus, they make me feel good, like I'm reading something worth my time, rather than some 6th grade creative writing exercise.

There's a big difference between "Let's eat, Grandpa!" and "Let's eat Grandpa!"

Also this:

"His father didn't reply. ...more

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Sep 26, 2015 Emily May marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 2015

I'm going to put this on hold at 25%.

Maybe I'll come back to it at a time when I can understand the 4.51 average rating. You know - a tiny 1% of those who read this book rated it 2 stars or less. Only 7% rated it 3 stars or less. As you're probably realizing, that means 93% either "really liked it" or thought "it was amazing". I can only conclude that my brain has been hijacked by something that doesn't appreciate amazing things.

But let me at least try to explain myself.

I'm not a big fan of ro ...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Felicia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: epic-fantasy

If you like your fantasy Rothfuss or Sanderson-style this is a great book for you. It's a meaty epic fantasy with a really strong main character. I was sucked in and definitely want to read the next one! ...more

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May 30, 2012 Michael rated it really liked it

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, favorites, sci-fi-fantasy-challenge, scifi-an-fantasy-book-club-challeng

Anthony Ryan is a new fantasy author destined to make his mark on the genre. His debut novel, Blood Song, certainly has it all: great coming of age tale, compelling character, and a fast-paced plot. If his first book is any indication of things to come, then all fantasy readers should rejoice as a new master storyteller has hit the scene.

Update: I just received an ARC of Anthony's third book in this series. So I just finished a re-read of this. ...more

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Apr 28, 2018 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-all, own

Fantastic. Although, I worry about the rest of the trilogy as they don't have as good of reviews. I will check them later!

Mel 🖤🐾🐺 ...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ rated it really liked it

Shelves: rabid-reads-reviews, fantasy, best-series

2/7/18 - ON SALE for $2.99:

http://amzn.to/2xO5E0n

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

Sooooo . . . if you haven't already noticed, I've been on something of a fantasy kick of late. It's been years since I've gotten back to my roots, so now I'm playing catch-up. Anthony Ryan has been on my TBR for even longer than I'd realized . . . I have a problem . . . It's called "one-clicking." You may have a similar problem . . . *snickers*

Apparently I one-clicked BLOOD SONG before it got snapped up by Ace, b/c, ye ...more

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Apr 04, 2014 Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, my-library-catalogue

Trilogy Review: I thoroughly enjoyed the Raven’s Shadow Trilogy, especially the first book, Blood Song. It was easily a 5 star read and one of the best fantasies I’ve read since Sanderson’s Stormlight Archives. It focused on one character – Vaelin, and his coming of age story. Taking place in a school (one of my favorite settings) it offered a combative learning environment that honestly reminded me of Harry Potter adventures meets the medieval, gritty reality of Game of Thrones. The camaraderie Trilogy Review: I thoroughly enjoyed the Raven’s Shadow Trilogy, especially the first book, Blood Song. It was easily a 5 star read and one of the best fantasies I’ve read since Sanderson’s Stormlight Archives. It focused on one character – Vaelin, and his coming of age story. Taking place in a school (one of my favorite settings) it offered a combative learning environment that honestly reminded me of Harry Potter adventures meets the medieval, gritty reality of Game of Thrones. The camaraderie that Vaelin formed with his fellow “brothers” was an excellent dynamic, one I wish had carried through the rest of the trilogy.

After finishing the first book (and fangirling about it for a few days) I quickly became aware that people weren’t loving the second and third books nearly as much. I have a few theories as to why. The sequels are very different from the first one. What an author puts forth in initially is usually a promise to the reader of what’s to come and readers expect at least a bit of consistency of storytelling (which Ryan failed to deliver because his tale took off in a completely different direction).

His story also went from a single point of view to multiple, bouncing around in a very Game of Thrones manner. I actually liked the different perspectives, each one adding a missing piece to the puzzle and written as well as Vaelin. Ironically, though, the passages involving Vaelin, the initial hero of the saga, became the least interesting… odd, right? The overall story arc remained the same, but everything built up in the first book got swept under the rug in favor of these other storylines.

While I understand how this could lead to a lot of disappointment, I admit I enjoyed Tower Lord (book 2) almost as much as the first book. Heck, I even liked about 80% of Queen of Fire (book 3) save one chunk near the end where I was incredibly bored and found it difficult to get through… once I did though, I liked the ending.

Overall, even though my personal experience with the series differs from the majority, I still think the consensus is that Blood Song is worth reading even if you don’t plan to continue on.

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com ...more

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Sep 26, 2014 Petros Triantafyllou rated it it was amazing

Blood Song is, perhaps, the greatest self-published story i have read in the past five years.

To begin with, it features one of my two favorite fantasy schemes. A young protagonist apprentices himself to a magic military/faith monastery, and proceeds to become the greatest mage fighter the world has ever seen. But the general plot arc isn't the reason of this success. Everything else is.

Anthony's debut is an addictive page-turner with compelling writing, interesting plots and sub-plots, masterful ...more

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Jul 03, 2013 Gavin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Finally! A book that lives up to the hype. Blood Song is the best debut epic fantasy I've read since The Name of the Wind was published in 2007.

It had everything one could want in a book. Action, mystery, romance, intrigue, and plenty of surprises. The world building was good, the plot complex, and the various characters were full of depth and personality.

This was a thoroughly exciting and enjoyable read. Anthony Ryan might just be making a case to join my quartet of all time fantasy favorites ...more

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Apr 12, 2017 Mayim de Vries rated it really liked it

“The song is me, my blood, my need, my hunt.”

A special school for ~~wizards~~ assassins. Haven't had those for a while. If done well (and it can be done badly), it is one of the safest tropes in fantasy. It usually combines a coming of age story with the brothers-in-~~wands~~ arms ambiance and a quest for saving the world. And indeed the Blood Song seeped into my veins with this heady mixture of ingredients like the best of drugs. I read it with an increasing exhilaration and overwhelming sensation of b “The song is me, my blood, my need, my hunt.”

A special school for ~~wizards~~ assassins. Haven't had those for a while. If done well (and it can be done badly), it is one of the safest tropes in fantasy. It usually combines a coming of age story with the brothers-in-~~wands~~ arms ambiance and a quest for saving the world. And indeed the Blood Song seeped into my veins with this heady mixture of ingredients like the best of drugs. I read it with an increasing exhilaration and overwhelming sensation of being overindulged with all the fantasy guilty pleasures. But with the last page, when the drug wore off, I was left with the lingering side effects.

A young boy, Vaelin al Sorna is given away by his own father to the Sixth Order, a place of lessons in death and an austere life of a defender of the Faith and Realm. His life is blood, sweat and tears but then his blood starts to sing and since the Faith is tied very closely with the Realm and the Crown, as Vaelin grows in his vocation as a warrior and therefore a practitioner of death in its many forms, he is also caught in the of current of power flowing through the fiefs of the Unified Realm. We learn the story of Vaelin’s life as he narrates it to one Lord Verniers Alishe Someren, a historian of a nation for whom al Sorna is the ultimate villain – although as we read, we realise that sometimes the chronicler learns the true version and sometimes Vaelin omits crucial details that are somehow known only to the reader. In this regard Terence makes an interesting point how this format sucks the mystery and curiosity out of things when we know that somewhere in the future the main character is fine and doing well enough they can recount their massive tale in some fashion (right, Kvothe?).

I could raise some points about the writing (or editing, especially when it comes to interpunction – this made my blood boil a couple of times) but overall the setting, characterisation of the protagonists and the dialogues are done superbly. The whole host of aspects, brothers and sisters in the Faith, the nobles, the soldiers, the people both from highest and lowest echelons of the society, connections and interactions between them, that was a sheer pleasure to read. The camaraderie is great. I am positively in love with Nortah (view spoiler) but Dentos and his many uncles, steadfast Barkus and pensive Caenis also won me over. There is also a romantic plot but it doesn’t dominate the design. The King (”it takes more than goodness to make a king”) is wonderfully Machiavellian while princess Lyrna (my favourite female protagonist) is as cold and untrustworthy as her father but also intuitive, beautiful and intelligent (”My only weapons are my wits, my face and the promise of power that lies in my womb.”) even though her sire is not entirely happy with this state of affairs (“What a burden to have an intelligent daughter. It goes against nature for wit to be bound in so much beauty.”).

Conversations in this book are smart and double-edged, their edges sharp and honed as the best swords and equally dangerous. Verbal feints and parries are as excellent as those described during martial battles.

At this point you are probably wondering wherein lies the problem with this novel. The problem is two-fold; it concerns worldbuilding and the character development.

Obviously, religion is a huge factor in this world and it upsets me how little I know about it, even though it seems to be central to the whole socio-political system. This is one thing lamely done. It wouldn't have possibly bothered me had I not read the Paladin of Souls right before this novel. Mind you, Bujold “didn't get a Hugo for nothing”. Her world, world of the five gods, is also decisively religious with several aspects of life dictated by theology and the political intrigue determined along the sectarian lines and clashes. But there everything is explained: who believes in what and why it is the case. In what way the Quintarian religion differs from the Quadrene doctrine and why. What are the theological transgressions and their ramifications. Mr Ryan, to the contrary, presents a land where faith is crucial but never bothers to go into details.

Honestly, the whole spiritual landscape can be summed up with a one-liner! I have only the vaguest notion of the precepts of the Faith, a somewhat more detailed picture of the clerical order (but not really), almost no history and no idea what is the sectarian strife all about. We are expected to take everything in blind faith (pun intended). All right, we know there are the Deniers, but what do they deny exactly and why? We know some people belong to “some minor sect” (which implies there are many), “possibly Ascendant, whatever that is” but we were never told what kind of creed it is and why is it blasphemous. We know that in one of the fiefs the religion is slightly different and allowed for quiet practice but not for proselytism but the differences are not explained properly, rather scattered in crumbs along the way that you need to piece together (the sloppy worldbuilding forced me to check the Raven’s Shadow Wiki more than once e.g. to sort out the orders and double-check other details). If you add to all of this the fact that the main protagonist is supposed to be a devout religious figure, the whole thing transforms into a grotesque. While Vaelin learns to fight and kill during his years in the order, his religious education seems to be terribly neglected. In fact, it is mentioned only once and in quite an ornamental fashion. Similar arguments have been raised against the Red Sister (although the ever wise Athena will explain this much better ) and I had a displeasure to experience similar issues when reading Grave Mercy.

This is an appalling lack of worldbuilding and I cannot stop myself from poking into the holes. I have written it before: When you write a fantasy about the fey you research them so that you do not mistake the fey with the elves. You write about wizard wars, you develop your magic system with a painstaking detail. You go for the Arabian night styled story, again you do your research. Religion? Do your theology homework. Otherwise, the book does not make sense. It’s like somebody tried to write about the Thirty Years' War without bothering to explain what is so bloody different between the Catholics and the Protestants that makes them kill each other for it (on the side note: read The Myth of Religious Violence: Secular Ideology and the Roots of Modern Conflict if you want to know).

This is all connected with how effortlessly Vaelin carries on his own greatness and legend. For many pages, I have been resisting the garystuness conclusion because, especially at the beginning, the Author at least attempts to show that the boy is not a Sèvres model of perfection (to explain, you might not know that in the modest city of Sèvres the International Bureau of Weights and Measures is located, and it is where they keep the ideal model of the kilogram and the meter) e.g. by making him average in some disciplines or by showing how fake his legend is. Unfortunately, the end of the book left me with my internal special snowflake detector howling with rage and disappointment. Particularly that sometimes Vaelin sounds like a coaching guru (“an axe without a blade is just a stick”) and shines with the unexacting ability to dwarf everyone around him in all things. Additionally, there is the factor of doubts or crises embedded in the internal tensions every good character should experience (or rather lack of thereof in this case). (view spoiler) A young, healthy male cannot be living like a mediaeval hermit monk (and even they were tempted if you read the accounts of The Desert Fathers!), without even a shred of doubt or breaking the tiniest sweat of internal wrestling unless they are a religious fanatic. But how can Vaelin be a religious fanatic when he devoted his whole life to killing religious fanatics who, in this book, are always a combination of pathology, evil and madness. Interesting no?

And yet, this very simple reasoning does not have place in the novel nor are its ramifications considered. There are no spiritual struggles, two single moments of reflection whether or not Vaelin is a murderer, no reckoning with the past (view spoiler) and an unwavering trust which I find inexplicable.

With such feeble foundations, the ending was, unfortunately, the weakest part of the book. I have questions, more questions and seemingly, no answers: (view spoiler). I could go on longer.

Perhaps all my questions will be answered in the Tower Lord (I have been promised they will), however at this point I am not left with a feeling “OK, let us wait what transpires”, but with an “it doesn't add up” one. I like books that are written for intelligent readers, not for the patient ones (although it is not mutually exclusive of course). However, as I finished the Garden of the Moons, I keep finding that my expectations have been elevated to altogether different level. Nobody can say that GotM was nothing else but a dense teaser. And yet, even though I finished the last page of the Malazan opening starved for answers, it was not with the same impression of something wanting as it was in this case. And this surely affects my rating.

Is the book good? Yes. Is it great? Not really. Solid but not sound. Should you read it? Absolutely. Will you like it? Blood will tell. Or sing.

Also in the series:

2. Tower Lord ★★☆☆☆
3. Queen of Fire ★☆☆☆☆ ...more

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Jun 24, 2014 Robin (Bridge Four) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: bro-mantic, buddy-read, super-sidekicks, awesome-audio, o-captain-my-captain, re-read, 4-5-stars, fantastic-fantasy

Sale Alert 9/30/17: On Amazon for $2.99

Re-read before Queen of Fire is released.

Original Review September 2014

4.5 Stars

This Series is so hard to review...So Many Great Things Happened....Just Read It.

Bloodsong is the journey of a boy into becoming a man with enough power to change the world. The majority of this books focuses on the bond built between brothers, bonds that can’t be broken no matter what you have done. It is hard to capture Bloodsong accurately in a review because it has a ful ...more

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Apr 22, 2018 James Tivendale rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I've been reviewing arcs and judging for The Self Published Fantasy Blog Off recently which has taken up most of my time, so it was nice to just be able to choose a book that I owned that I just really wanted to read. I'll keep this review short and casual as there are many fine examples on Goodreads already. This book had everything that I look for in a fantasy story. It includes an intriguing and powerful lead character who we follow from youth for at least a decade. The world is well-crafted ...more

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Jul 04, 2013 Mike (the Paladin) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, epic-fantasy, action, fantasy

Okay, "first off" I know some don't care for long reviews and sort of skip through just interested in the "bottom line" so to speak. I have a few things to say, but for you who want things boiled down to the basics...in my opinion, that's "In My Opinion" this is an excellent, even an exceptional book. I have moved it directly on to my favorites shelf. The only negative I have here is that the next volume isn't due out till July 2014. God willing and I'm still alive, healthy and solvent I plan to ...more

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Jun 30, 2017 Choko rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, advanture

*** 4.25 ***

A Buddy read with the Fantasy Buddy Reads Group, where Fantasy Rules!!!

"... “Knowledge is what shapes us, little brothers,” he told them, for once his smile was absent, his tone entirely serious. “It makes us who we are. What we know informs everything we do and every decision we make.” ..."

The young man who was Vaelin Al Sorna, entered the Sixth Order when he was eleven years old and by the time he was in his early twenties he was known by many names, Darkblade, The Young Hawk, ...more

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Jul 03, 2013 Armina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, buddy-reads, fantasy, great-expectations, favorites, pending-review

First re-read finished. Rating stays the same.

Buddy re-read/read with a bunch of lovely friends at Sanctum of Fantasy group before book #3 comes out in the beginning of July. Want to join? :) We're starting on Monday, June 15th.

Original Review, 31 August, 2014

I'm surprised this is a debut novel. Believe the hype! Oh yes, the book has its flaws but I can't quite put my finger on them and they are certainly not enough to even make me knock off a half star down to 4.5 for the rating. It's full 5! ...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Liviu rated it it was amazing

Shelves: top_25_2012_novels, genre-fantasy, 2012_release_read, read_2012

Once in a while a book comes out of nowhere and blows me away; last year it was the indie sf Dancing with Eternity, this year it's Blood Song, a traditional fantasy in many ways but with a narrative pull that is just unbelievable - last time I read a fantasy debut with this pull, it was in 2007 when Name of the Wind appeared and while there are notable differences in content, with this one much more traditional than Rothfuss' series, there are a few similarities there too - while getting a lot o ...more

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Dec 27, 2012 David Sven rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, fantasy, favourites

This is, without a doubt, my favourite book of the year so far. This is High Fantasy that is contemporary while still hitting a sweet spot for me with the mix of magic and battle.

The story was engaging, the plot was well paced, the protagonist was flawed but likeable, the prose was polished. I can't believe this a debut novel. I don't place too much faith in goodreads rating system, but when we are approaching 15000 ratings with an average of 4.56 as of today - that says something about the qual ...more

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Apr 08, 2018 ✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, machalo-tbr-cleaning-challenge-2018, cure-for-insomnia, dnf-graveyard, crappy-audio, audio, 2018, boredom-fest, distastefully-young-mc

☠ DNF at 76%

First of all, please allow me to apologize for giving this DNF such a high rating. I know many of you Little Barnacles are profoundly disappointed that I should sink so low as to give 3 scandalously generous stars to a book I dwidn't even finish. I am afraid this is my own fault for accustoming you to much higher DNFing standards, and you are quite justified in feeling horribly betrayed by my most shameful behavior. Now please allow me to repent and stuff. Be right back.

My soul is ...more

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Aug 13, 2013 John Gwynne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Loved this. Found myself sneaking off to read more whenever possible, annoyed when life got in the way of my reading time. A serious page turner. Everything just clicked for me - plot, character, pace. Can't wait for the next one. ...more

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May 02, 2014 Conor rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

4.5

Blood song by Anthony Ryan is a great new work of epic fantasy. It was released independently a few years ago and since then has built up a huge amount of buzz, made all the more impressive by it's lack of support. Because of this background I really wanted to like this book. Conveniently the complex characters and intriguing plot made liking it easy. Also the gratuitous violence. FTW.

The main character of this book is Vaelin Al Sorna who at the beginning of the story we see as a captive on h 4.5

Blood song by Anthony Ryan is a great new work of epic fantasy. It was released independently a few years ago and since then has built up a huge amount of buzz, made all the more impressive by it's lack of support. Because of this background I really wanted to like this book. Conveniently the complex characters and intriguing plot made liking it easy. Also the gratuitous violence. FTW.

The main character of this book is Vaelin Al Sorna who at the beginning of the story we see as a captive on his way to a duel which will likely end in his death. His captors fear and revile him as 'Hope killer'. Vaelin narrates his life story to his historian and jailor who gradually becomes more and more enthralled. His story starts when he is 10, abandoned at the door of the training ground of the 6th order, Secretive and deadly warrior priests. From here we chart his journey from abandoned boy to legendary hero.

Vaelin dominates this book both in his POV chapters and in the few chapters from his biographer. Because of this the book is largely dependant on how sympathetic and interesting he is. I found Vaelin to be a really cool and likable character. He is pretty much a straightforward fantasy protagonist albeit with a few shades of moral ambiguity thrown in. One of my favourite aspects about war films or anything that deals with people who regularly operate in violent, dangerous situations is the camaraderie that develops between these guys. As a result Vaelin's interactions with his 'brothers' were easily some of my favourite parts of this book. I also liked how we saw Vaelin's skills gradually improve over long years of intense training rather than miraculously appear over a short period of time as sometimes happens in fantasy. Instead of a quickly glossed over Rocky-style training montage Ryan masterfully brings to life the exhausting, painful process that turns a young boy into a deadly warrior.

On the downside I never really felt that Vaelin's voice as a character developed from when he was 10 to in his mid 20's. Even as a kid Vaelin sounded like an adult. I also thought it was kind of weird that throughout the series Vaelin hardly acknowledges the fact that as a warrior-priest he is apparently banned from having sex. I mean loads of the plot occurs while he is a teenager and a young man and yet he only ever mentions sex in passing, usually while with a beautiful woman. You'd think that as a testosterone fuelled killing machine banned from sex his interactions with women would be limited to blurting out 'boobies!' at the start of every conversation.

The cast of character's is dominated by Vaelin's brothers. Unlike Vaelin many of them (especially Nortah) underwent a good bit of character development. I especially liked the way they begin to manifest combat skills that compliment Vaelin's. Instead of always being best at everything Vaelin is shown to excel as a swordsman and leader while his friends are better in other ways. The way their backstories are slowly revealed is pretty cool as well. Sister Sherin played an important role as Vaelin's love interest and the contrast between healing and killing it produced was interesting. Another standout was King Janus. Despite being a ruthless, manipulative, war-mongering wanker he is also shown to be a great king. This ambiguity made him a really interesting antagonist. I really hope he isn't revealed to be some pawn of the forces of evil as this would turn him into a completely stereotypical evil king rather than an illustration of the necessary evils required to rule a kingdom in a realistic setting. (view spoiler).

The plot was for the most part interesting and well written. Vaelin's brutal training was engaging and showed us how he developed into a deadly warrior and instigated much of his character growth and personal contemplation, however I thought the extra-curricular adventures he got into at every opportunity seemed kind of forced. I mean over 5 years he leaves the academy like 3 times and each time he meets important characters and/or gets involved in events that have a profound effect on his outlook and shape world politics. Also for a novel that emphasises war and violence I thought the sword-fights and battles were diasappointing. Every fight Vaelin gets in he wins quickly and easily. (view spoiler)

The hints of dark forces at work were really cool and added an intriguing sense of mystery. I also liked how the book dealt with both the physical and psychological horrors of war in an intelligent and uncompromising way without being preachy. Perhaps my favourite plot point in this whole book was the invasion of the Alpiran empire. This was a really cool subversion of a typical fantasy storyline with the 'good guy' nation launching an unprovoked war of conquest against a peaceful neighbour. Janus' motivations, which he revealed to Vaelin to try and persuade him to take part in the war, added a further layer of political and moral complexity that made the situation even more compelling.

(view spoiler)

Overall this was an exciting, well-paced debut by a really promising author. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of his work. ...more

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Nov 27, 2016 Emma rated it liked it

Almost everyone has high praise for this book, it's often cited as a favourite. It is also often compared to In the Name of the Wind, which I didn't like.
I didn't particularly take to Blood Song although it seemed well written. I actually found it a bit slow and boring. ...more

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Jun 15, 2015 Kaora rated it really liked it

I had heard a lot of good things about this series but I felt that I went into it thinking it was going to be a three star at best I believe because it has been compared to Name of the Wind, a book that I enjoyed that was subsequently ruined by its sequel The Wise Man's Fear.

Blood Song is told in a similar manner. The story is told from the perspective of the main character Vaelin Al Sorna after the events have occurred. He is telling his story to a scribe who has heard the stories of the Hopeki ...more

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Nov 04, 2017 Celeste rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

Full review now posted!

There’s just something about school stories, be they wizarding schools or battle schools or even schools based in reality, that always just works for me.

I’ve always loved learning, and I love learning vicariously through others, even if the subject matter has no practical application. This is why Hogwarts will always feel like home, and why Battle School and all it inflicted on Ender Wiggin will always resonate for me, no matter how many times I visit. I’ve found another s Full review now posted!

There’s just something about school stories, be they wizarding schools or battle schools or even schools based in reality, that always just works for me.

I’ve always loved learning, and I love learning vicariously through others, even if the subject matter has no practical application. This is why Hogwarts will always feel like home, and why Battle School and all it inflicted on Ender Wiggin will always resonate for me, no matter how many times I visit. I’ve found another school that resonates, and that’s the within the cloister of the Sixth Order.

Vaelin Al Sorna is delivered to the Sixth Order when he is still just a boy of ten. The masters are harsh and the lessons are harsher, but Vaelin flourishes here. He builds a family from the boys in his training group; a band of brothers, if you will. And those brothers and the deep bond they have with one another is the heart of this story. And the person who keeps that heart beating is Vaelin, their leader and brother and the best of their friends. And Vaelin is aided in his leadership by the blood song, the otherworldly intuition that seems to course through his veins and direct his path, though sometimes Vaelin refuses to heed its cry.

This book reminded me of two other series I’ve read in the past: The Kingkiller Chronicles and A Song of Ice and Fire. As in The Kingkiller Chronicles, we have an incredibly interesting and infamous individual as a protagonist, and we have a framework surrounding the story, this frame being that said protagonist is dictating the true story of their life to a chronicler. Both Vaelin and Kvothe are fascinating characters, who endure much and accomplish much at a young age. Although I enjoyed The Name of the Wind slightly more than Blood Song, I have much more respect for Vaelin. I don’t know that I’ve ever come across another central character in a fantasy novel with more empathy and loyalty and selflessness than Vaelin. I was blown away by his character development.

What reminded me so much of A Song of Ice and Fire in this novel was the magic system. By which I mean that there wasn’t really a system. The magic was mysterious and feared by many, and was never explained in the novel. This made the magic feel ancient and wild, and like it was a foundational element of the created world but alien to the people of that world. I absolutely love unexplained and wild magic, so this was incredibly appealing to me. The users of the Dark - or the Gifted, depending on your point of view - were born with their power, and learned to either nurture, abuse, or ignore that gift depending entirely on themselves and their personalities and situations. I believe that if magic really did exist on Earth, it would resemble this more closely that any learned magic system.

For the first 65% or so of the book, I truly believed that this would be a 5 star book for me, and would take up residence on my favorites shelf. But the last third of the book really dragged for me, focusing too much (for my taste) on war campaigns and sieges than the character development I had loved so much in the first half of the book. I’m not trying to be sexist, but I kept feeling like I would’ve enjoyed the novel so much more had a been male. My friend Petrik (who adored this book) told me that this book partially inspired Red Sister, which I loved, and that Lawrence’s take appealed more to women. I have to agree, though I think that Blood Song has some of the best central character development I’ve ever experienced.

Because I haven’t heard good things about the rest of this series, I will be treating Blood Song as a standalone. If you’re a fan of coming-of-age stories, training schools, and incredible character development, I think you’ll enjoy this book. If you’re a fan of the aforementioned offerings as well as warfare and the ins and outs of battle campaigns, I can’t recommend Blood Song highly enough.

Original review can be found at Booknest. ...more

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Jul 15, 2014 Lee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Ye Gods that was a ride and a half. I must say, given that I usually have at least 3 books on the go at any one time, it is very rare for me to completely ignore all else and just plough through one. I like being able to have a change whilst reading, but I have to say, once I was into Blood Song, that was it.

I listened to this on audio in the car, on the tread mill, sitting on a plane for 2 hours, stuck in a Sydney traffic jam for 3 hours (first traffic jam that i didn't get frustrated with), o Ye Gods that was a ride and a half. I must say, given that I usually have at least 3 books on the go at any one time, it is very rare for me to completely ignore all else and just plough through one. I like being able to have a change whilst reading, but I have to say, once I was into Blood Song, that was it.

I listened to this on audio in the car, on the tread mill, sitting on a plane for 2 hours, stuck in a Sydney traffic jam for 3 hours (first traffic jam that i didn't get frustrated with), ordering coffee, drinking said coffee and I even admit to slipping the headphones in whilst visiting the toilet. Probably just crossed that 'too much information line'.

So what makes Blood Song unputdownable? Characters? Action? world building? plot? magic system?

No, none of them, it is the sheer intensity of the story. There is no respite, it just keeps going at you the whole time. There is no rest, no ad break for a toilet stop (as I have already pointed out). It is like the last two minutes of a close footy match, or a 2 runs down with bases loaded, bottom of the ninth 2 and 3 call. There never seems a good time to stop the story and come back to it. I find that unusual in almost all of the books I read.

What makes this story unusual is that the characters are ok, there is some development, but there is no Logan Ninefingers or Iskareal Pust or even a brother Jorge character depth. The plot is straight forward, no hidden twists or surprises. The world is fantasy generic and the magic is....... I have no idea what the magic is, I think the author forgot to explain that bit, maybe in the next book.

It is the sheer pace of the story that makes me give this 5 stars. I cannot wait to read the next book, but had to put something in between as I have a long haul flight coming up and I fancy my chances of 8 hours of straight audio for book 2. Immigration will be looking at a deer in headlights look.

I am definitely recommending this one. Anyone who has enjoyed First Law, Riyria, Way of Kings, Locke Lamora, Prince of Thorns, Shattered Crown, Kingkiller etc will enjoy this.

In writing that list of books above, it makes me realise just how many great great authors we are blessed with at the moment eh? It is a great time to be a fan of fantasy (especially those of us who enjoy are slightly darker edge to fantasy) ...more

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Jul 26, 2013 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, war, epic, fantasy, magic

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

The story of Blood Song is about a young boy who trains and grows up to become a leader and one of the greatest warriors in the kingdom. It's a tried-and-true formula in epic fantasy which by all rights I should be sick to death of by now, but Anthony Ryan manages to pull it off without making me feel like I'm getting the same old, same old.

Take how the book starts, for example, opening on an encounter between a scribe and 4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

The story of Blood Song is about a young boy who trains and grows up to become a leader and one of the greatest warriors in the kingdom. It's a tried-and-true formula in epic fantasy which by all rights I should be sick to death of by now, but Anthony Ryan manages to pull it off without making me feel like I'm getting the same old, same old.

Take how the book starts, for example, opening on an encounter between a scribe and a prisoner who is being transported across the sea to answer for his crimes. A duel to the death is the only end left for Vaelin al Sorna, also known as "Hope Killer". With a sobriquet like that, I couldn't help but wonder at his character, but I was also intrigued by his soft spokenness and eloquence. More puzzling is the fact that everyone seems to be treating him with respect and deference, in spite of his chains.

Vaelin's story is recounted by the scribe, a mode of storytelling which is not uncommon even outside other mediums of fantasy, but in this case it is deftly executed, providing a deeply immersive experience for the reader. As a child, the main character is sent to the Sixth Order to train in the martial ways of the Faith. It's a harsh life fraught with peril, as Vaelin and his peers are driven relentlessly by their instructors to learn everything from doctrine and history, to survival methods or ways to wield a sword.

In general, I'm not a big fan of this trope. More often than not, I find the training and "growing up" phase of the hero's story to be the most tedious part, and so I'm usually looking forward to getting it over with. Not so with Blood Song, though. Imagine my surprise when these sections of the book turned out to be the most rewarding aspect. I loved reading about Vaelin's experiences in the Sixth Order, especially some of the more challenging trials. I very much enjoyed the bonds he shared with his fellow brothers of the Faith, the fact that any conflicts between the boys are negated by the knowledge that they are all in this together.

In fact, I liked this section a lot more than the later parts of the book, in which we see Vaelin go off to fight big battles and become embroiled in political plots and magic. Normally that would be the kind of stuff I live for in my epic fantasy, so you can see just how much I enjoyed the first half of the novel to consider it my favorite. Not that the second half is a slouch -- I think most people would find it more interesting, actually. For myself, I just couldn't help but develop a soft spot for Vaelin back when he was just a boy, when he still retained some of his innocence.

As you've probably guessed, I have nothing but good things to say about the portrayal of Vaelin and the other characters in this novel. You will see the relationships forged early on between him and his brothers evolve as they face their hardships together year after year. And when enemies become friends or friends become enemies, the transformations are both a surprise but also believable. Vaelin himself is a good and honorable person, and his desire to transcend the expectations of his order and be a better person for those around him is an engrossing study into the themes of sacrifice, morals and personal beliefs.

Highly recommended. I can just imagine the thrilled reactions of readers who picked this book up back when it was still independently published. A gem like this doesn't come along every day, and I'd say it stands out even beside some of the major epic fantasy novels today. ...more

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Oct 31, 2017 Tessy Ijachi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

This book really messed with my emotions. I will admit I tossed and turned all night after finishing this book, I have never felt so anxious after finishing a book. It all felt so real. And that ending, goodness gracious, am literally holding myself back so as to not start the second book immediately.

”Raven’s shadow
sweeps across my heart,
Freezes the torrent of my tears.”

I foundrally been reading this book since last year, to say am disappointed in myself woukd be an understatement but am gl ...more

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About Anthony Ryan

Anthony Ryan

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Anthony Ryan was born in Scotland in 1970 but spent much of his adult life living and working in London. After a long career in the British Civil Service he took up writing full time after the success of his first novel Blood Song, Book One of the Raven’s Shadow trilogy. He has a degree in history, and his interests include art, science and the unending quest for the perfect pint of real ale.

For n ...more

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Raven's Shadow (3 books)

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Quotes from Blood Song

“War is always an adventure to those who've never seen it.” — 114 likes

“Knowledge is what shapes us, little brothers,” he told them, for once his smile was absent, his tone entirely serious. “It makes us who we are. What we know informs everything we do and every decision we make.” — 60 likes

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