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Queen of Fire
(Raven's Shadow #3)
by
In the thrilling conclusion to the “deftly and originally executed” (Booklist) New York Times bestselling trilogy, Vaelin Al Sorna must help his Queen reclaim her Realm. Only his enemy has a dangerous new collaborator, one with powers darker than Vaelin has ever encountered…
“The Ally is there, but only ever as a shadow, unexplained catastrophe or murder committed at the b ...more
“The Ally is there, but only ever as a shadow, unexplained catastrophe or murder committed at the b ...more
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Kindle Edition, 643 pages
Published
July 7th 2015
by Ace
(first published July 2nd 2015)
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Start your review of Queen of Fire (Raven's Shadow, #3)

After pondering this off and on for the last few weeks I've settled on 2.5 stars because I'm still mad about a few things all of which are in the spoiler section of this review at the bottom.
Non Spoiler Sum Up of Feelings:
✔ - Ally’s story explained
✔ - Weaver’s character development was pretty awesome
✔ - Reva is still a Bad Ass
✔ - I loved hating ‘The Woman’ she is still fantastic in her bat-shit-craziness.
✔ - Frentis...I will have a soft spot for him always. His PoV was probably the best ...more
Non Spoiler Sum Up of Feelings:
Pros
✔ - Ally’s story explained
✔ - Weaver’s character development was pretty awesome
✔ - Reva is still a Bad Ass
✔ - I loved hating ‘The Woman’ she is still fantastic in her bat-shit-craziness.
✔ - Frentis...I will have a soft spot for him always. His PoV was probably the best ...more

1.5/5 stars
I’m in utter disbelief, I can’t believe this…
Queen of Fire is the third and last book in Anthony Ryan’s Raven's Shadow trilogy that began with the incredible Blood Song. By now, if you’ve heard about this trilogy, you’ll most likely have heard from several readers that the series didn’t end as good as the first book. I, unfortunately, have to agree with them completely. Anthony Ryan himself is great as an author and person, it seriously pains me to give this or any of his book a low r ...more
I’m in utter disbelief, I can’t believe this…
Queen of Fire is the third and last book in Anthony Ryan’s Raven's Shadow trilogy that began with the incredible Blood Song. By now, if you’ve heard about this trilogy, you’ll most likely have heard from several readers that the series didn’t end as good as the first book. I, unfortunately, have to agree with them completely. Anthony Ryan himself is great as an author and person, it seriously pains me to give this or any of his book a low r ...more

There is no other way to say this other than this book broke my heart. I have been disappointed before, but when I read the final page of Queen of Fire, I wanted to literally cry and I don’t mean that in a good way. I understand that endings are hard, especially in fantasy, but with Blood Song, the first book in this trilogy, Anthony Ryan created something special and although the second book in the series Tower Lord was a slight misstep , I still enjoyed it, but to say that Queen of Fire disapp
...more

***I reviewed this book some time ago. I simply found a typo and corrected it.***
What can I say here? The rating speaks for itself.
I don't know what happened here. The first book in this series is probably one of the best fantasy works I've ever read. Well crafted and even enthralling. I had trouble putting it down, I sat up late reading. I've read it more than once. The second book was simply good. I still rated it 5 stars though it wasn't as good as the first.
Now we have the third. For some r ...more
What can I say here? The rating speaks for itself.
I don't know what happened here. The first book in this series is probably one of the best fantasy works I've ever read. Well crafted and even enthralling. I had trouble putting it down, I sat up late reading. I've read it more than once. The second book was simply good. I still rated it 5 stars though it wasn't as good as the first.
Now we have the third. For some r ...more

Is it normal to desperately want to read this book even though I just finished reading Blood Song 5 minutes ago and I haven't even read the second book yet?
Just finished Tower Lord and I want this book I want this book I want this book now. Stupid cliffhanger.
(view spoiler) ...more
Just finished Tower Lord and I want this book I want this book I want this book now. Stupid cliffhanger.
(view spoiler) ...more

Arguably one of the worst endings to a series that had SO much potential.
If anybody loved Blood Song as much as I did, just go ahead and burn Tower Lord and Queen of Fire. They will not be concerning your love for that protagonist.
No instead Vaelin is forcibly set into the Man-Who-Cannot-Die and the Mary Sue trope of being invincible and almighty and also, the big kicker:
Staying away from the plot for 90% of the book as you travel through once again:
Pointless Forests
Pointless Ice
Pointless fuckin ...more
If anybody loved Blood Song as much as I did, just go ahead and burn Tower Lord and Queen of Fire. They will not be concerning your love for that protagonist.
No instead Vaelin is forcibly set into the Man-Who-Cannot-Die and the Mary Sue trope of being invincible and almighty and also, the big kicker:
Staying away from the plot for 90% of the book as you travel through once again:
Pointless Forests
Pointless Ice
Pointless fuckin ...more

It is more productive to open an empty fridge than this novel.
(I might pen areview warning for gullible readers in the future but frankly speaking, I don't think this book merits it.)
_______
Also in the series:
1. Blood Song ★★★★☆
2. Tower Lord ★★☆☆☆ ...more
(I might pen a
_______
Also in the series:
1. Blood Song ★★★★☆
2. Tower Lord ★★☆☆☆ ...more

The Queen of Fire was a nice book, bringing Vaelin's Saga to an end and closing all the open threads, but unfortunately it was not what i had anticipated.
"He recalled those brief years when his song had fallen silent, his refusal to heed it leaving him bereft, without guidance. It had been hard to be so rudderless in a sea of chaos and war. This, however, was much worse, because now there was the chill, the bone-deep cold that had seeped into him in the Ally’s domain and lingered on here in thi ...more
"He recalled those brief years when his song had fallen silent, his refusal to heed it leaving him bereft, without guidance. It had been hard to be so rudderless in a sea of chaos and war. This, however, was much worse, because now there was the chill, the bone-deep cold that had seeped into him in the Ally’s domain and lingered on here in thi ...more

Queen of Fire is the conclusion to Anthony Ryan's Raven's Shadow trilogy. The first two books in the series Blood Song and Tower Lord were exceptional books. They had everything a reader of epic fantasy could desire. 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 series finale did not quite match those books in terms of overall quality. A lot of the same building block
...more

Sep 24, 2014
Rob
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audio-book,
not-a-bookclub-club,
own,
read-2015,
fantasy,
author-male,
sff-audio,
epic-fantasy
Executive Summary: A somewhat enjoyable end to the series, but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did the last two books. 3.5 stars.
Audio book: Much like the last 2 books, I enjoy Steven Brand as a narrator, save for the fact that he's so QUIET. Thankfully my audiobook app lets me increase the volume, or it would be incredibly frustrating. I wonder if the publishers listens to the book with noise canceling headphones only or something, or if even that would be sufficient.
If you've done the pr ...more
Audio book: Much like the last 2 books, I enjoy Steven Brand as a narrator, save for the fact that he's so QUIET. Thankfully my audiobook app lets me increase the volume, or it would be incredibly frustrating. I wonder if the publishers listens to the book with noise canceling headphones only or something, or if even that would be sufficient.
If you've done the pr ...more

Jun 18, 2015
Faye, la Patata
is currently reading it

I give y'all permission to be jealous. ;) ...more

The pace was sluggish and uneven for stretches of this book (Reva being the main, but far from the only, reason for this) but the exciting finale tied everything together and made it worthwhile. Overall this was a strong ending to a really enjoyable series that answered most of the mysteries that were set up over the previous books and provided closure for the characters we've come to care about (at least those that survived, Ryan was surprisingly and sometimes detrimentally ruthless in places)
...more

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/07/26/b...
This highly anticipated novel is the final volume of Anthony Ryan’s epic Raven’s Shadow trilogy, so be aware this review may contain spoilers for the first two books of the series if you have not caught up yet. It would be impossible to talk about Queen of Fire without at least referencing some of the events in the previous book, and not just because it picks up directly where Tower Lord left off (and follows in the same ...more
This highly anticipated novel is the final volume of Anthony Ryan’s epic Raven’s Shadow trilogy, so be aware this review may contain spoilers for the first two books of the series if you have not caught up yet. It would be impossible to talk about Queen of Fire without at least referencing some of the events in the previous book, and not just because it picks up directly where Tower Lord left off (and follows in the same ...more

I'm calling this one. Date of death: July 22, 2015 @ 12:29 am.
I'm distraught over this book. I'm hurt, genuinely hurt. Before I read BLOOD SONG, I strictly read historical fiction. Well, I've been reading A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, but who isn't? But BLOOD SONG was a game changer for me. It put a love and a thirst for fantasy that will never be satiated. After I read it I loved it so much that I started looking for similar fantasy books and have devoured a great many. BLOOD SONG sparked a passion ...more
I'm distraught over this book. I'm hurt, genuinely hurt. Before I read BLOOD SONG, I strictly read historical fiction. Well, I've been reading A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, but who isn't? But BLOOD SONG was a game changer for me. It put a love and a thirst for fantasy that will never be satiated. After I read it I loved it so much that I started looking for similar fantasy books and have devoured a great many. BLOOD SONG sparked a passion ...more

Trilogy Review: [3.5 stars for Queen of Fire] 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
...more

"Raven's Shadow" books for me:
Blood Song - 4,5 stars - excellent debut from a new author, interesting worldbuilding, great lead character, some minor issues with using fantasy tropes (magic school, chosen one, warring kingdoms, secret societies)
Tower Lord - 4 stars - solid sequel, major expansion of worldbuilding, filled with action, less engaging characters and feels like trying to hold too many balls up in the air at the same time.
Queen of Fire - 3,5 stars - good, action packed like its ...more

OVERALL RATING = 4.5 (edited my star rating to reflect that.)
Full review over at Fantasy Book Critic
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: I’ve been waiting to read this book since I first finished Blood Song in 2012. There was a line in the book about a Queen Of Fire and of the Darkblade that was to serve her. When I learnt that the trilogy ending volume would be titled the same, I was extremely excited. As an Anthony Ryan fan, we have been waiting to what happens to Vaelin Al Sorna and the other characters from ...more

This review DOES contain spoilers for previous books in the series! You have been WARNED!
Queen of Fire is the ending to the trilogy Raven's Shadow, a fantasy series that I felt wasn't groundbreaking but I enjoyed nonetheless. Queen Lyrna is bringing the fight to Volarian soil in order to end the war once and for all. The book is not focused on Vaelin as the first book, but instead follows the same format as book two, jumping between main characters. With book two I found some characters that I t ...more
Queen of Fire is the ending to the trilogy Raven's Shadow, a fantasy series that I felt wasn't groundbreaking but I enjoyed nonetheless. Queen Lyrna is bringing the fight to Volarian soil in order to end the war once and for all. The book is not focused on Vaelin as the first book, but instead follows the same format as book two, jumping between main characters. With book two I found some characters that I t ...more

I wish I'd waited for this book to be nearly out before starting the series. I suspect I may have enjoyed it more if I listened to the series back to back.
I was going to reread the first two books first - and then realised, I would have loved book one all over again - but I couldn't bring myself to read book 2 again. I enjoyed book 2 first time around but I doubt I would have enjoyed it twice round.
So I started this having lost connection with the main story and never quite reconnecting emotiona ...more
I was going to reread the first two books first - and then realised, I would have loved book one all over again - but I couldn't bring myself to read book 2 again. I enjoyed book 2 first time around but I doubt I would have enjoyed it twice round.
So I started this having lost connection with the main story and never quite reconnecting emotiona ...more

Sep 19, 2014
Athena Shardbearer
marked it as to-read
Who do I have to kill to get this one?????

Sep 07, 2014
Armina
is currently reading it
Buddy read with Desinka , Gavin , Dan 2.0 and Chant
July 28, 2015
Pre-read thoughts
I already know a lot about this book. That's the curse(or the blessing?) of starting a highly anticipated book not on its release date but 3 weeks later .... . I have stumbled upon friend's reviews/updates(some good, some disappointing) and that's probably better because I have adjusted my high expectations to ....well ....I'm not sure. I still hope to love this book.
Despite the fact that I know somethin ...more

3 stars
It wasn't as bad as I expected from low ratings and reviews. That said it is still the weakest book in the trilogy imho. It keeps the same structure as Tower Lord with multiple Povs and suffers similar issues.
Vaelin's story takes a backstage again and readers who hoped to see more of him are likely to be disappointed. My main issue was emotional disconnection. Our main character finds love but it's presented in such an off-handed manner I found it hard to care or be happy for him. It hap ...more
It wasn't as bad as I expected from low ratings and reviews. That said it is still the weakest book in the trilogy imho. It keeps the same structure as Tower Lord with multiple Povs and suffers similar issues.
Vaelin's story takes a backstage again and readers who hoped to see more of him are likely to be disappointed. My main issue was emotional disconnection. Our main character finds love but it's presented in such an off-handed manner I found it hard to care or be happy for him. It hap ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Aug 02, 2020
Mike (the Paladin)
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
epic-fantasy,
fantasy
***I reviewed this book some time ago. I simply found a typo and corrected it.***
What can I say here? The rating speaks for itself.
I don't know what happened here. The first book in this series is probably one of the best fantasy works I've ever read. Well crafted and even enthralling. I had trouble putting it down, I sat up late reading. I've read it more than once. The second book was simply good. I still rated it 5 stars though it wasn't as good as the first.
Now we have the third. For some r ...more
What can I say here? The rating speaks for itself.
I don't know what happened here. The first book in this series is probably one of the best fantasy works I've ever read. Well crafted and even enthralling. I had trouble putting it down, I sat up late reading. I've read it more than once. The second book was simply good. I still rated it 5 stars though it wasn't as good as the first.
Now we have the third. For some r ...more

3 stars?
3.5 stars...
3 stars?

I'm still not sure about the rating of this book...
Let me explain:
It is a good book.
It's a consistent book!
It's the book I think should have been written...
It's just not the book I wanted.
Around 25% I found myself being annoyed with the amount of characters being introduced or characters I had to remember (please note that I re-read Tower Lord the week before reading this, so I SHOULD have remembered)
Around 50% I found myself skipping some of the battle parts ...more
3.5 stars...
3 stars?

I'm still not sure about the rating of this book...
Let me explain:
It is a good book.
It's a consistent book!
It's the book I think should have been written...
It's just not the book I wanted.
Around 25% I found myself being annoyed with the amount of characters being introduced or characters I had to remember (please note that I re-read Tower Lord the week before reading this, so I SHOULD have remembered)
Around 50% I found myself skipping some of the battle parts ...more

I did see a few disappointed comments surfacing on Goodreads throughout my reading of this book but I tried to keep an open mind. But alas, this was indeed a disappointment to the Raven's Shadow series.
Anti-climactic doesn't even begin to describe how I felt at the end of the trilogy. It was literally a drag trying to finish this - almost every POV felt boring or too drawn out. Oddly enough, my favourite POV was Vernier's! Vaelin was a shadow of the character we've met in Blood Song and that wa ...more
Anti-climactic doesn't even begin to describe how I felt at the end of the trilogy. It was literally a drag trying to finish this - almost every POV felt boring or too drawn out. Oddly enough, my favourite POV was Vernier's! Vaelin was a shadow of the character we've met in Blood Song and that wa ...more

May 20, 2022
John McDermott
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
camelot-its-only-a-model
An excellent conclusion to what ,for me, has been a fantastic trilogy. I know some readers didn't like the fact that the focus was away from Vaelin in this book but I have to say that I liked the attention was on some of the other characters, especially Frentis. Great world building, fantastic characters and big set piece action sequences ,this was epic fantasy at its best.
...more

I don't even know how to describe how I feel about this book. I bought it on the day it came out, so I was quite enthusiastic about this. First book was great, second was very good and this? This is just mediocre.
Rushed. That's how it feels, from one battle to another battle and so on. I missed the parts of character growth from first two books. I found myself skipping chapters and in the end I was probably reading only Vaelin's parts as those were at least a bit interesting. I was underwhelmed ...more
Rushed. That's how it feels, from one battle to another battle and so on. I missed the parts of character growth from first two books. I found myself skipping chapters and in the end I was probably reading only Vaelin's parts as those were at least a bit interesting. I was underwhelmed ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Queen of Fire [Mar 7, 2018] | 45 | 61 | Mar 09, 2018 01:42AM | |
Goodreads Librari...: Request to add edition of Queen of Fire | 4 | 19 | Dec 17, 2017 11:34AM | |
Fantasy Book Club...: * Queen of Fire-Tower Lord #3 | 9 | 73 | Jan 26, 2016 06:31AM | |
The Not a Book Cl...: QoF: Part 5 (Full Spoilers) | 32 | 142 | Jul 23, 2015 06:59PM | |
The Not a Book Cl...: QoF: Part 4 | 12 | 29 | Jul 22, 2015 01:18PM | |
The Not a Book Cl...: QoF: Part 3 | 5 | 22 | Jul 19, 2015 05:42PM |
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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
For n ...more
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Raven's Shadow
(3 books)
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