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Tower Lord
(Raven's Shadow #2)
by
“The blood-song rose with an unexpected tune, a warm hum mingling recognition with an impression of safety. He had a sense it was welcoming him home.”
Vaelin Al Sorna, warrior of the Sixth Order, called Darkblade, called Hope Killer. The greatest warrior of his day, and witness to the greatest defeat of his nation: King Janus’s vision of a Greater Unified Realm drowned in ...more
Vaelin Al Sorna, warrior of the Sixth Order, called Darkblade, called Hope Killer. The greatest warrior of his day, and witness to the greatest defeat of his nation: King Janus’s vision of a Greater Unified Realm drowned in ...more
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Hardcover, US edition, 602 pages
Published
July 1st 2014
by Ace Hardcover
(first published 2014)
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Start your review of Tower Lord (Raven's Shadow, #2)

2.5/5 stars
On its own, Tower Lord is not a bad book. But as a sequel, it was disappointing.
The first time I finished reading Blood Song, it was in 2017. Since then, I honestly haven’t mustered the courage to continue past it due to the infamous negativity—I honestly never see the last installment of a series being called disappointing as often and widely as Raven’s Shadow trilogy—surrounding the sequels. I love Blood Song very much, I just finished rereading it a few weeks ago and I still think ...more
On its own, Tower Lord is not a bad book. But as a sequel, it was disappointing.
The first time I finished reading Blood Song, it was in 2017. Since then, I honestly haven’t mustered the courage to continue past it due to the infamous negativity—I honestly never see the last installment of a series being called disappointing as often and widely as Raven’s Shadow trilogy—surrounding the sequels. I love Blood Song very much, I just finished rereading it a few weeks ago and I still think ...more

Let me tell you a story.
Around December 2012, a good friend of mine, Kureha, approached me to say that there was this book on Amazon that was getting huge attention. She told me I should check it out especially since I was starting to read more epic fantasy. Yup, you guessed it: that book was Blood Song by Anthony Ryan. I got myself a copy and read it in two sittings, and was in a huge hangover for days after that. It was one of the best epic fantasies I've ever read, and very few have come ...more

Rating: 2.5/5
I was lucky to to have just finished Blood Song recently, and to my utter delight, its sequel, Tower Lord, was due for release not long after. I was excited! There would be no year long wait to see what happens to Vaelin as he journeys back home after 5 long years of absence. The book description only served to heighten my appetite as it sounded like Vaelin would have to face more hardships, tough decisions and grave responsibilities ahead.
It's unfortunate that after all the excitem ...more
I was lucky to to have just finished Blood Song recently, and to my utter delight, its sequel, Tower Lord, was due for release not long after. I was excited! There would be no year long wait to see what happens to Vaelin as he journeys back home after 5 long years of absence. The book description only served to heighten my appetite as it sounded like Vaelin would have to face more hardships, tough decisions and grave responsibilities ahead.
It's unfortunate that after all the excitem ...more

“You know who I am,” he said. “Who are you?”
She gave a mirthless smile. “I am a songbird in a cage. And now so are you.”
On some level I do envy those who never ventured beyond the Blood Song. In spite of my reservations against this book, I thought it was in many ways and on many levels an outstanding piece of fantasy. In contrast, Tower Lord is just an average read. Whatever magic sang on the pages of the previous instalment, it is silent here. For me, the song has definitely ended.
The novel s ...more
She gave a mirthless smile. “I am a songbird in a cage. And now so are you.”
On some level I do envy those who never ventured beyond the Blood Song. In spite of my reservations against this book, I thought it was in many ways and on many levels an outstanding piece of fantasy. In contrast, Tower Lord is just an average read. Whatever magic sang on the pages of the previous instalment, it is silent here. For me, the song has definitely ended.
The novel s ...more

Sale Alert: Kindle Daily Deal 27Jul20 $1.99
Reread before the final book release
Possible Minor Spoilers for BloodSong
While Bloodsong is completely Vaelin’s journey The Tower Lord opens up more of this world by showing the story from multiple PoVs. This was good and bad for me as I am so attached to Vaelin that having to share this book with other characters meant I missed him for a lot of it. The other PoVs are good and some I liked more than others but with most books that have shifting PoV chap ...more
Reread before the final book release
Possible Minor Spoilers for BloodSong
While Bloodsong is completely Vaelin’s journey The Tower Lord opens up more of this world by showing the story from multiple PoVs. This was good and bad for me as I am so attached to Vaelin that having to share this book with other characters meant I missed him for a lot of it. The other PoVs are good and some I liked more than others but with most books that have shifting PoV chap ...more

*** 3.75 ***
I am not exactly sure how I feel about this installment in the Raven Shadow Series. It is getting interesting, it is keeping its violent edge, and the story is a bit more spread geographically, since our heroes, Vaelin Al Sorna, warrior of the Sixth Order, Princes Lyrna, young warrior and brother of the Sixth Order Frentis, the newly introduced young bastard daughter of the Trueblade Reva, and the man who brings it all together in his chronicles, the Historian and slave Veniers are s ...more
I am not exactly sure how I feel about this installment in the Raven Shadow Series. It is getting interesting, it is keeping its violent edge, and the story is a bit more spread geographically, since our heroes, Vaelin Al Sorna, warrior of the Sixth Order, Princes Lyrna, young warrior and brother of the Sixth Order Frentis, the newly introduced young bastard daughter of the Trueblade Reva, and the man who brings it all together in his chronicles, the Historian and slave Veniers are s ...more

Full review over at Fantasy Book Critic
ANALYSIS: Tower Lord is a book that I’ve been waiting for since 2012. Anthony Ryan really announced himself in spectacular fashion with his self-publication success, which then translated into a traditional publishing contract. Two years later, a lot of fans are waiting to see if he can repeat and build upon his success with Tower Lord. In my review for Blood Song, at the end I had written "give this book a read if you want to read a story that’s closest t ...more

This was even better than Blood Song. Telling the story from the perspective of four POV characters was a masterstroke. It gave the book a more epic feel and added depth to characters like Lyrna and Fretis. It also introduced a great new character in Reva.
The story was a bit dark since if focused around repelling an invasion by the Valorian Empire, but there was enough humor, mystery, and romance to keep things from getting too bleak.
I really loved this and the series has become a new favorite ...more
The story was a bit dark since if focused around repelling an invasion by the Valorian Empire, but there was enough humor, mystery, and romance to keep things from getting too bleak.
I really loved this and the series has become a new favorite ...more

4.5 Stars
Tower Lord is the highly anticipated follow-up to Anthony Ryan’s brilliant debut: Blood Song. Ryan was undoubtedly under a lot of pressure to produce a worthy sequel to his massively successful self-published debut and in my opinion he’s delivered in a big way. Ryan manages to retain what made Blood Song great (brilliant characters, gripping plot, an intriguing sense of mystery) while also expanding this series with some interesting new ideas (different plot structure with more POV’s, ...more
Tower Lord is the highly anticipated follow-up to Anthony Ryan’s brilliant debut: Blood Song. Ryan was undoubtedly under a lot of pressure to produce a worthy sequel to his massively successful self-published debut and in my opinion he’s delivered in a big way. Ryan manages to retain what made Blood Song great (brilliant characters, gripping plot, an intriguing sense of mystery) while also expanding this series with some interesting new ideas (different plot structure with more POV’s, ...more

I was really excited for this book and have been waiting with anticipation for this to come out. Tower Lord however is but a shadow of Blood Song. While Blood Song had a tight plot and pacing with an interesting narrative, the Tower Lord is filled with pacing issues and rather uninteresting POVs. Much of the book was about traveling around, and the action when it happened was rather boring. In the first one we had a band of brothers with each being good in a specific skill. The sequel however ha
...more

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2014/07/16/b...
There are a number of sequels coming out this year with big shoes to fill, and not the least of them is Tower Lord which is the follow up to the sensation that was Anthony Ryan’s Blood Song. While this second installment might not pack the kind of punch its predecessor did, I nonetheless enjoyed the book immensely. It’s a very different novel than the first book, with a shift in style, focus, and character perspectives, an ...more
There are a number of sequels coming out this year with big shoes to fill, and not the least of them is Tower Lord which is the follow up to the sensation that was Anthony Ryan’s Blood Song. While this second installment might not pack the kind of punch its predecessor did, I nonetheless enjoyed the book immensely. It’s a very different novel than the first book, with a shift in style, focus, and character perspectives, an ...more

10 July, 2015
Re-read time!
First attempt for review, 25 September, 2014
Easy 5 stars! I finished the book several days ago but I'm still thinking about the ending and the wait for book #3 is gonna be a torture. I think I enjoyed this second installment in the series even more! Full review later. ...more

Jul 11, 2014
David Sven
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobooks,
fantasy
The Tower Lord continues where Blood Song finished off. Anthony Ryan switches from the single third person POV of Vaelin Al Sorna, to add another three POVs to the story ie Princess Lyrna, Frentis, and Reva join Vaelin's POV with their own Game of Thrones style character chapters. He also abandons the framing device he employed in the last book though he still has "Vernier's account" interludes.
Like Blood Song I really enjoyed this book. I didn't know how I would take to the format with the addi ...more
Like Blood Song I really enjoyed this book. I didn't know how I would take to the format with the addi ...more

Buddy Read with lazy Tanya <3
I apologize for the long review, it's actually meant for me instead of you, to be honest. I won't remember a thing if I don't write it down and I'm planning on reading book #3 as soon as it comes out.
Long story short? This book is amazing and more complex I had imagined. It deserves every star.
_________________________
Long review for future Liz*

"Only three, snared by the depth of their own malice. But from where does malice spring? If not from fear... and pai ...more
I apologize for the long review, it's actually meant for me instead of you, to be honest. I won't remember a thing if I don't write it down and I'm planning on reading book #3 as soon as it comes out.
Long story short? This book is amazing and more complex I had imagined. It deserves every star.
_________________________
Long review for future Liz*

"Only three, snared by the depth of their own malice. But from where does malice spring? If not from fear... and pai ...more

Jun 08, 2016
Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
my-library-catalogue
Trilogy Review: [4.5 stars for Tower Lord] 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 the 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 Gam
...more

Was not sure if this was a 4 or a 5, but as I loved it despite.... it gets a 5.
First half of the book felt a bit slow, lots of catching up and setting up, even though it is a necessity. Only other complaint regards the lack of more Vaelin. I did not know that this would be a multiple POV book as opposed to the focus on Vaelin's POV in the 1st book, so that might be the reason this bothered me, as I was not prepared. Enjoyed the other characters and didn't really have any I disliked, but lets fac ...more
First half of the book felt a bit slow, lots of catching up and setting up, even though it is a necessity. Only other complaint regards the lack of more Vaelin. I did not know that this would be a multiple POV book as opposed to the focus on Vaelin's POV in the 1st book, so that might be the reason this bothered me, as I was not prepared. Enjoyed the other characters and didn't really have any I disliked, but lets fac ...more

Though this book was structured very different than Blood Song, with several POV characters, I enjoyed it just as much. I liked that the reader got a larger sense of the world and the events that were taking place in this book, and the stakes for the characters were also considerably raised. I will definitely be reading the rest of the books in the series as soon as they become available. I would recommend this novel to anyone that likes epic fantasy.

This was on my most wanted list for 2014. Blood Song, the first in the series, is in my opinion one of the best fantasy books written in the last 10 years. It was an incredible immersing experience with great story and characters.
With this book on the other hand it’s like the publisher told him: “Now listen here Mr. Ryan, you’ve made quite the impression with Blood Song. You have lots of fans raving about it … let’s milk it … we'll introduce a couple of pointless characters stating that we’re en ...more
With this book on the other hand it’s like the publisher told him: “Now listen here Mr. Ryan, you’ve made quite the impression with Blood Song. You have lots of fans raving about it … let’s milk it … we'll introduce a couple of pointless characters stating that we’re en ...more

I waited for this book with what is usually called "bated breath". The first book in the series snatched my interest and held it from almost the first line. This book, while I give it 5 stars is not quite up to the first book. I'm still involved in the series and I'm looking forward to the next book.
But not with the intensity I looked forward to this one. So let me say first that I do recommend it and it is an excellent read. Note I do go the full five stars, after thinking it over.
First the boo ...more
But not with the intensity I looked forward to this one. So let me say first that I do recommend it and it is an excellent read. Note I do go the full five stars, after thinking it over.
First the boo ...more

Review Posted from Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2014/0...
I know everyone is wondering: Is this as awesome as Blood Song? I had a hard time comparing because the formats are so different. But...
Here it is, I’ll say it early for anyone with a short attention span: this is great book in its own right. For me, it may not have had quite the same addictive quality, the kind that keeps me reading way too late at night, and compels me to pick right back up too early in the morning, t ...more
I know everyone is wondering: Is this as awesome as Blood Song? I had a hard time comparing because the formats are so different. But...
Here it is, I’ll say it early for anyone with a short attention span: this is great book in its own right. For me, it may not have had quite the same addictive quality, the kind that keeps me reading way too late at night, and compels me to pick right back up too early in the morning, t ...more

Executive Summary: Another great entry in what's quickly become one of my favorite series. The change in format may frustrating fans of the first book however.
Audio book: Stephen Brand is once again a great narrator that could stand to have his volume boosted. He does an excellent job with voices and inflections, but can be frustratingly quiet in places.
Full Review
How do you follow up a debut novel that seems to be almost universally loved by those who have read it? By writing a book that ma ...more
Audio book: Stephen Brand is once again a great narrator that could stand to have his volume boosted. He does an excellent job with voices and inflections, but can be frustratingly quiet in places.
Full Review
How do you follow up a debut novel that seems to be almost universally loved by those who have read it? By writing a book that ma ...more

A spoiler free review.
By analyzing my own behavior after finishing this title can I best describe my "hurt" feelings. For two days now, Tower Lord has constantly been nagging around in the back of my mind, in a negative way. I just keep pondering, why? Why did Mr. Ryan change the writing style and overall direction of the story for his second installment in the series? If not for the strong, STRONG, ecstatic feelings i felt when reading Blood Song - One of the best titles the fiction genre in wh ...more
By analyzing my own behavior after finishing this title can I best describe my "hurt" feelings. For two days now, Tower Lord has constantly been nagging around in the back of my mind, in a negative way. I just keep pondering, why? Why did Mr. Ryan change the writing style and overall direction of the story for his second installment in the series? If not for the strong, STRONG, ecstatic feelings i felt when reading Blood Song - One of the best titles the fiction genre in wh ...more

Okay so... this was boring.
This was in its way to be one of the worst books I read, mainly because I couldn't care less for what happens to these characters. And. It. Was. So. Freakin. Long.
What saved it however, is that I read a summary of what this book is mainly about, and it get's a half star for that, because if you cut all the boring stuff in it's heart this is a good story.
Blood Song (book 1 in the series), was good, it wasn't the best but it had potential, Tower Lord however was a gigant ...more
This was in its way to be one of the worst books I read, mainly because I couldn't care less for what happens to these characters. And. It. Was. So. Freakin. Long.
What saved it however, is that I read a summary of what this book is mainly about, and it get's a half star for that, because if you cut all the boring stuff in it's heart this is a good story.
Blood Song (book 1 in the series), was good, it wasn't the best but it had potential, Tower Lord however was a gigant ...more

I have to say that book two in this series did not live up to my expectation. I would rate this about the same as I rated The Emperor's Blades, About 3.8 but expectation plays a lot in determining to use the 3 or 4 star rating. This is like a Wall St mystery. Company A makes 4 billion profit after expecting to make $6 billion and its share price plummets by 10%. Company B makes a $100 million loss instead of $200 million loss and its share prices increase by 10%.
Well, my expectation for this bo ...more
Well, my expectation for this bo ...more

An excellent follow up to a fantastic book. The shift in story telling to a four person POV was necessary and worked really well as the story grew too large to be told from only one characters POV.
This is a fantastic series, one I'd suggest you don't miss. I am really excited for the last book in the trilogy which will be out in July :) ...more
This is a fantastic series, one I'd suggest you don't miss. I am really excited for the last book in the trilogy which will be out in July :) ...more

Two years ago, I called Blood Song the best fantasy debut I’ve read in a long, long time. I probably should have curbed my enthusiasm a little, because I find myself today struggling to explain why I was disappointed in the second volume, even as I admit it is probably just as well written, as epic in scope and as fast paced as the first book. The answer lays most probably in unreasonably high expectations. I wanted to recapture the ‘wow’, the thrills of exploring a fresh secondary world, the ...more

The first thing that struck me was the different format from the first book. Vaelin had to share the limelight with 3 other POVs, one of which is a completely new character, and I enjoyed each one of them. As a general rule, I do like having different POVs (albeit not too many) such that the readers get to see the main protagonists as viewed by the others. The other plus point is that the individual POVs take place in different locations, hence lending much to the world-building aspect of the se
...more

Jul 20, 2018
Jarek "the Mistborn" Dąbrowski
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
read-in-2018,
ravens-shadow-trilogy-read
Awesome second book in the Ravens shadow trilogy. A lot of characters evolved and the plot moved forward well. A lot of action and battles. Iam really curious to see how this trilogy ends. I took away one star because at certain times it felt like it dragged a bit. It could have been a bit shorter. Overall great stuff worth 4 stars from me:)

Well its finished, now have wait till next year to continue the story which I may say is a treat.
can see why some readers found it slow going, its book 2, people its got to pull the begining and the end together yerr know.
some very good strong female characters who mature as the book goes along.
the last 3rd of the book the multi view points really come along and merge for 3 of the characters in a brilliantly written climax a brave ending in brave way caused a howl of frustration causing a colour ...more
can see why some readers found it slow going, its book 2, people its got to pull the begining and the end together yerr know.
some very good strong female characters who mature as the book goes along.
the last 3rd of the book the multi view points really come along and merge for 3 of the characters in a brilliantly written climax a brave ending in brave way caused a howl of frustration causing a colour ...more

Buddy Read Robin, Armina, Gavin, Desinka
GAH DAMN IT!!! It wasn't as great as the first, I think the number of POV was a little too much. It worked great, but I wanted more Vaelin but enjoyed Frentis POV much more. BUT, with an ending like that I need the next book!
Some fantasy have a lot of magic, with spells, words and stuff but this one was like a hint of that. More like mysteriou ...more
GAH DAMN IT!!! It wasn't as great as the first, I think the number of POV was a little too much. It worked great, but I wanted more Vaelin but enjoyed Frentis POV much more. BUT, with an ending like that I need the next book!
"Hurt," he said and enfolded her in his arms, crushing her against the hard muscle of his chest.
And she burned.
Some fantasy have a lot of magic, with spells, words and stuff but this one was like a hint of that. More like mysteriou ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Tower Lord [Feb 7, 2018] | 110 | 55 | Mar 03, 2018 04:54AM | |
Sci-Fi/Fantasy with Romance Sub-plot | 1 | 13 | Jul 11, 2017 05:20PM | |
Should I bother...? | 4 | 19 | May 21, 2017 11:34AM | |
Fantasy Book Club...: * The Tower Lord-Finished! Spoilaway! | 6 | 49 | Oct 26, 2015 06:00AM | |
Fantasy Book Club...: * The Tower Lord-Raven's Shadow #2-Going to Read? First Impressions? (no spoilers) | 9 | 33 | Oct 18, 2015 08:22AM | |
Goodreads Librari...: Please correct page number | 1 | 19 | Sep 12, 2015 04:44PM |
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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