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Blood of the Eagle
Evalio Delrovira, Southern Grand Master of the renowned Order of Kil’kara, is dead. His final words bring tidings that cannot be ignored. Words that speak of something forever hidden that must be found.
Kyler Landrey, the son of a lowly tavern keeper, leaves his hometown of Adrestia to seek his destiny among the order. He is greeted by a world of brotherhood and steel, before fate and the gods reveal his destiny. Honour, loyalty, and justice guide the order, yet these tenets will be tested as the hunt begins. It is time for the knights of Kil’kara to ride again
The forest of Salvaar erupts into a bitter civil war, plunging the twelve tribes into chaos. Both sides claim innocence and the clans divide as oaths are sworn. Cailean, brother to the newly crowned chief of the Aedei, is sent forth in the hopes that old alliances are not dead. This ally comes in the form of Lukas Raynor, the reckless son of a great king. To save the Aedei will mean crossing the dreaded Steppe of Miera. A fool’s task.
Kitara, daughter to none and outcast by all, has spent her life watching her back. Kitara has survived with her wit and talent with steel alone. After taking refuge with the distrustful Mierans she is forced to make a decision that may unshroud the mystery of her heritage.
Lief Farrin, a well respected jarl of the Valkir, lies murdered. His daughter Astrid has sworn to uncover the killer and avenge her father. Her mind is as sharp as any warrior’s sword and twice as deadly.
Whatever they fight for…they pay the price in blood.
Kyler Landrey, the son of a lowly tavern keeper, leaves his hometown of Adrestia to seek his destiny among the order. He is greeted by a world of brotherhood and steel, before fate and the gods reveal his destiny. Honour, loyalty, and justice guide the order, yet these tenets will be tested as the hunt begins. It is time for the knights of Kil’kara to ride again
The forest of Salvaar erupts into a bitter civil war, plunging the twelve tribes into chaos. Both sides claim innocence and the clans divide as oaths are sworn. Cailean, brother to the newly crowned chief of the Aedei, is sent forth in the hopes that old alliances are not dead. This ally comes in the form of Lukas Raynor, the reckless son of a great king. To save the Aedei will mean crossing the dreaded Steppe of Miera. A fool’s task.
Kitara, daughter to none and outcast by all, has spent her life watching her back. Kitara has survived with her wit and talent with steel alone. After taking refuge with the distrustful Mierans she is forced to make a decision that may unshroud the mystery of her heritage.
Lief Farrin, a well respected jarl of the Valkir, lies murdered. His daughter Astrid has sworn to uncover the killer and avenge her father. Her mind is as sharp as any warrior’s sword and twice as deadly.
Whatever they fight for…they pay the price in blood.
- GenresFantasy
672 pages, Paperback
Published September 18, 2022
2 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 16, 2024
A few chapters in to learn the lore and the world and I couldn't put this down. Brilliantly written, very immersive. I want more.
April 14, 2021
If you are looking for the next George R. R. Martin, look no further! This medieval tale will have you on the edge of your seat from the very beginning. Prepare to be enthralled by a unique world with well developed religions and histories, with plenty of action and twists along the way. Bring on book 2!
January 30, 2025
Enjoyed every page. What a story so far.
March 7, 2022
Blood of the Eagle is a high fantasy novel following multiple key characters from diverse lands, each with distinct customs and beliefs.
A map lays out the invented world: the Valkir Isles’ raiders are clearly inspired by Vikings, the fiercest of which are ‘bloodsworn’ and bear the tattoos to prove it; Medea’s ‘sellsword’ mercenaries ‘fight for coin’; Odrysia’s knights of the Order of Kil’kara share similarities with the Crusaders in their fight for their faith. The varying societies are well-depicted. People’s origins are recognisable by their skin colour and overall appearance, manner of speech and mother tongue, as well as by the colour of their war paint designating alignment to particular tribes.
The compelling plot features different quests which intersect. In keeping with the genre, tracking the changing allegiances of kingdoms and tribes¬ – complicated by historical allegiances – demands audience attention at all times. The effective structure sees each chapter following one troupe, jump-cutting to other perspectives within an event, before moving to the next chapter with another party.
Excitement builds as protagonists travel from their homelands into foreign places with unfamiliar customs, overlayed with fear of entering potential enemy territory. Not everyone is who they seem: who can be trusted as allies?
The novel’s epic story features some unpredictable twists and turns. Elaboration of an immense variety of weapons and blow-by-blow battle scenes are not for the squeamish: these fights are to the death, the combatants loyal to individual causes and protected by individual gods. Spoiler alert: some of the protagonists the audience grows fond of die. There is simply too much battle for them all to survive. Rest easy, though, as their fight is noble so their resting place is their various versions of heaven – and with armies in the hundreds there are always warriors to replace them in the good fight. After all, it is ‘on the doorway between life and death’ that they feel ‘most alive’. As in any worthwhile fantasy there is also magic, with ancient legends referencing more than one mythical creature.
The plot is marred by grammatical errors and clunky expression, hindering fluency. Kearle is a neophyte writer still developing his craft: his future books may contain more diverse word choice, and characters more idiosyncratic in their feelings and motives with their own voices more clearly developed. Current uniformity is countered by lovely phrases (‘the bow sang’ as the arrow was released) and descriptions, particularly when riders’ senses are heightened upon entry into territories not held by own kin and therefore dangerous.
The enticing cover of this first instalment of the An Echo of the Ashes series is highly attractive. There is clear set-up for expansion of narrative and character arcs in the next books of the series. Blood of the Eagle will appeal to lovers of the fantasy genre, especially to readers who thrive on multi-faceted storylines.
A map lays out the invented world: the Valkir Isles’ raiders are clearly inspired by Vikings, the fiercest of which are ‘bloodsworn’ and bear the tattoos to prove it; Medea’s ‘sellsword’ mercenaries ‘fight for coin’; Odrysia’s knights of the Order of Kil’kara share similarities with the Crusaders in their fight for their faith. The varying societies are well-depicted. People’s origins are recognisable by their skin colour and overall appearance, manner of speech and mother tongue, as well as by the colour of their war paint designating alignment to particular tribes.
The compelling plot features different quests which intersect. In keeping with the genre, tracking the changing allegiances of kingdoms and tribes¬ – complicated by historical allegiances – demands audience attention at all times. The effective structure sees each chapter following one troupe, jump-cutting to other perspectives within an event, before moving to the next chapter with another party.
Excitement builds as protagonists travel from their homelands into foreign places with unfamiliar customs, overlayed with fear of entering potential enemy territory. Not everyone is who they seem: who can be trusted as allies?
The novel’s epic story features some unpredictable twists and turns. Elaboration of an immense variety of weapons and blow-by-blow battle scenes are not for the squeamish: these fights are to the death, the combatants loyal to individual causes and protected by individual gods. Spoiler alert: some of the protagonists the audience grows fond of die. There is simply too much battle for them all to survive. Rest easy, though, as their fight is noble so their resting place is their various versions of heaven – and with armies in the hundreds there are always warriors to replace them in the good fight. After all, it is ‘on the doorway between life and death’ that they feel ‘most alive’. As in any worthwhile fantasy there is also magic, with ancient legends referencing more than one mythical creature.
The plot is marred by grammatical errors and clunky expression, hindering fluency. Kearle is a neophyte writer still developing his craft: his future books may contain more diverse word choice, and characters more idiosyncratic in their feelings and motives with their own voices more clearly developed. Current uniformity is countered by lovely phrases (‘the bow sang’ as the arrow was released) and descriptions, particularly when riders’ senses are heightened upon entry into territories not held by own kin and therefore dangerous.
The enticing cover of this first instalment of the An Echo of the Ashes series is highly attractive. There is clear set-up for expansion of narrative and character arcs in the next books of the series. Blood of the Eagle will appeal to lovers of the fantasy genre, especially to readers who thrive on multi-faceted storylines.
January 19, 2023
3 stars- enjoyable.
This is a well-developed and complex high fantasy with a lot of characters, action, politics and warfare. For such a thick book, it did a good job maintaining interest. I really enjoyed the politics, and the author does not hold back on the action/ fighting scenes. The worldbuilding was phenomenal. Ideas- and plot-wise, this book really hits the target, but the lack of editing prevented me from rating this book any higher. However, if you're a fan of fantasy, I'd definitely recommend!
Longer, more specific review below. All main points are in bold if you'd rather skim :)
what I liked:
—the worldbuilding was original and amazing. I don't think I've ever seen such a detailed map before. Each country in this world has its own culture, religion and language too, which I thought really elevated the worldbuilding. 10/10.
—the conflicts were simultaneously complex and easy to understand, which really surprised me. The author introduces a simple, understandable problem, and then manipulates plot points to twist the conflict into something bigger. I tend to find conflicts difficult to understand in some fantasies, but this was great.
—the plot progressed nicely with really good pacing.
—the cast of characters was diverse.
—the politics was intriguing, especially the leaders vs leaders.
—the ending is pretty interesting!
what could've been better:
—the writing. I'll split this into different points:
a) there needs to be more commas. A LOT more commas. I found myself having to re-read lots of sentences because I didn't understand it the first time.
b) there are quite a few punctuation and grammar mistakes. Misuse of semicolons, missing full-stops/ commas/ quotation marks/ apostrophes, wrong its/it's, wrong homophone used ( "rode" instead of "road") were a few missteps that I picked up along the way.
c) the paragraphing was a bit odd. Sometimes there were paragraphs, and other times there needed to be one but there wasn't. One scene would lead right onto the next without a break in lines, and it would confuse me.
d) there were some lines that were repeated word for word.
Basically, this book needs a little more editing to polish it up. These mistakes aren't a big deal, but when they consistently pop up, it stops the flow of the book and the writing, and the reader can't immerse themselves in the world.
—there are too many characters, and not all of them were necessary. It's difficult to recall distinct personalities and histories of characters when there are too many to keep track of well. Also, many had similar names, and this only made it harder to distinguish them. (eg. Cailean the person vs Carlian the town; Torin vs Torben; Elena the person vs Elara the country etc.) Even the author got confused once; Kitara's name was used instead of Astrid's.
This is a well-developed and complex high fantasy with a lot of characters, action, politics and warfare. For such a thick book, it did a good job maintaining interest. I really enjoyed the politics, and the author does not hold back on the action/ fighting scenes. The worldbuilding was phenomenal. Ideas- and plot-wise, this book really hits the target, but the lack of editing prevented me from rating this book any higher. However, if you're a fan of fantasy, I'd definitely recommend!
Longer, more specific review below. All main points are in bold if you'd rather skim :)
what I liked:
—the worldbuilding was original and amazing. I don't think I've ever seen such a detailed map before. Each country in this world has its own culture, religion and language too, which I thought really elevated the worldbuilding. 10/10.
—the conflicts were simultaneously complex and easy to understand, which really surprised me. The author introduces a simple, understandable problem, and then manipulates plot points to twist the conflict into something bigger. I tend to find conflicts difficult to understand in some fantasies, but this was great.
—the plot progressed nicely with really good pacing.
—the cast of characters was diverse.
—the politics was intriguing, especially the leaders vs leaders.
—the ending is pretty interesting!
what could've been better:
—the writing. I'll split this into different points:
a) there needs to be more commas. A LOT more commas. I found myself having to re-read lots of sentences because I didn't understand it the first time.
b) there are quite a few punctuation and grammar mistakes. Misuse of semicolons, missing full-stops/ commas/ quotation marks/ apostrophes, wrong its/it's, wrong homophone used ( "rode" instead of "road") were a few missteps that I picked up along the way.
c) the paragraphing was a bit odd. Sometimes there were paragraphs, and other times there needed to be one but there wasn't. One scene would lead right onto the next without a break in lines, and it would confuse me.
d) there were some lines that were repeated word for word.
Basically, this book needs a little more editing to polish it up. These mistakes aren't a big deal, but when they consistently pop up, it stops the flow of the book and the writing, and the reader can't immerse themselves in the world.
—there are too many characters, and not all of them were necessary. It's difficult to recall distinct personalities and histories of characters when there are too many to keep track of well. Also, many had similar names, and this only made it harder to distinguish them. (eg. Cailean the person vs Carlian the town; Torin vs Torben; Elena the person vs Elara the country etc.) Even the author got confused once; Kitara's name was used instead of Astrid's.
June 27, 2025
The author described this as 'a fantasy, but more adult than The Lord of the Rings'. This struck me as a very difficult comparison to support, certainly impudent, but I took the author at his word.
It may be more adult than The Lord of the Rings, but only because the violence is more frequent and more graphic. People are killing each other for reasons I don't think even the narrative can follow. I certainly couldn't.
Further, the writing itself is nowhere near as good as J.R.R. Tolkien and often contians phrases that pass the grammar checker but ares till awkward, such as 'equally as red as' that show the author is still earning his craft.
I have to admire the wordlbuilding—it's very detailed—and the perserverance of the author. There is no way I could complete such a long book, and this is the first of seven! So well done, there.
If you enjoyed Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time and A Game of Thrones and its ilk, this book is far closer to those than it will ever be to Trilogía El Señor de los Anillos.
I bought the two succeeding novels, and there is a fourth coming but I don't think I'll be reading any further.
It may be more adult than The Lord of the Rings, but only because the violence is more frequent and more graphic. People are killing each other for reasons I don't think even the narrative can follow. I certainly couldn't.
Further, the writing itself is nowhere near as good as J.R.R. Tolkien and often contians phrases that pass the grammar checker but ares till awkward, such as 'equally as red as' that show the author is still earning his craft.
I have to admire the wordlbuilding—it's very detailed—and the perserverance of the author. There is no way I could complete such a long book, and this is the first of seven! So well done, there.
If you enjoyed Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time and A Game of Thrones and its ilk, this book is far closer to those than it will ever be to Trilogía El Señor de los Anillos.
I bought the two succeeding novels, and there is a fourth coming but I don't think I'll be reading any further.
May 9, 2023
I picked this up from Anthony at Clunes Booktown 2023, it was the artwork on the cover that initially pulled me in, anything Roman/Viking/fantasy looking usually gets me. The paperback is beautiful, it's printed on high quality paper and is quite heavy, the quality is above your average mass market paperback, good job Shawline Publishing!
Whilst I don't mean these as criticisms, nor do they subtract anything from the book, but these were some things that stood out to me:
1. there were some very obvious typos that an editor or early access program could have spotted. Caspian instead of Caspin, first instead of fist.
2. "He could not bring herself to trust him" - perhaps a typo here
3. Some confusing concepts, in one area of the book we were dealing with both a Jarl and an Earl, it was a bit confusing as to who outranked who, typically a Jarl is the Norse term for an Earl.
4. Some characters were introduced by name then never seen again, there's already a lot of characters and naming more just made it harder to keep track.
It's my first time reading from an indie writer, and what a refreshing break it was from the usual Sanderson/King/Martin etc. I'm curious to see where this goes next and I do intend on buying the sequel.
Anthony, may thy imagination never falter and thy tales never cease!
Whilst I don't mean these as criticisms, nor do they subtract anything from the book, but these were some things that stood out to me:
1. there were some very obvious typos that an editor or early access program could have spotted. Caspian instead of Caspin, first instead of fist.
2. "He could not bring herself to trust him" - perhaps a typo here
3. Some confusing concepts, in one area of the book we were dealing with both a Jarl and an Earl, it was a bit confusing as to who outranked who, typically a Jarl is the Norse term for an Earl.
4. Some characters were introduced by name then never seen again, there's already a lot of characters and naming more just made it harder to keep track.
It's my first time reading from an indie writer, and what a refreshing break it was from the usual Sanderson/King/Martin etc. I'm curious to see where this goes next and I do intend on buying the sequel.
Anthony, may thy imagination never falter and thy tales never cease!
February 1, 2023
Blood of the Eagle is an excellent read from an Australian author.
Anthony has clearly put in a lot of time and effort into world building with distinct towns, cities, lands, peoples with differing histories, cultures and religions.
The story flows nicely, alternating between viewpoints of different storylines which all hold independent points of interest. The pace is structured to keep you reading with an undercurrent of direction and excitement.
Eagle’s characters are unique from one another and true to their upbring and cultures.
There are several unexpected twists throughout the book and when you get to the end, you’re left wanting to order the sequel that will come out later in 2023.
Anthony has clearly put in a lot of time and effort into world building with distinct towns, cities, lands, peoples with differing histories, cultures and religions.
The story flows nicely, alternating between viewpoints of different storylines which all hold independent points of interest. The pace is structured to keep you reading with an undercurrent of direction and excitement.
Eagle’s characters are unique from one another and true to their upbring and cultures.
There are several unexpected twists throughout the book and when you get to the end, you’re left wanting to order the sequel that will come out later in 2023.
February 8, 2022
I was never the one for reading fiction books however, once I started I could not put the book down.
The author has created a whole new world unlike any other full of myths, stories and history. This honestly caught me by surprise on how gripped I was into the story. I won't spoil anything but be prepared for the unexpected and enjoy the adventure.
Such an good book but I'm so sad I have to wait for book two, there is so much more to explore.
A Must buy!
The author has created a whole new world unlike any other full of myths, stories and history. This honestly caught me by surprise on how gripped I was into the story. I won't spoil anything but be prepared for the unexpected and enjoy the adventure.
Such an good book but I'm so sad I have to wait for book two, there is so much more to explore.
A Must buy!
August 9, 2021
A fictional, ancient world with multiple characters spread out with storylines that you know will cross over at some point.
World is well developed and thought out. As are the characters, all with decent and believable back stories and motivations. Excellent plot twists too, I found this book very difficult to put down.
World is well developed and thought out. As are the characters, all with decent and believable back stories and motivations. Excellent plot twists too, I found this book very difficult to put down.
February 16, 2021
Fantasssstic read! The imagery is phenomenal. You really feel like you’re there experiencing each moment with the characters. It’s a complete page turner! You just have to know what happens next! I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the sequel!
February 14, 2025
If you like medieval style fantasy akin to George RR
Martin (but without all sex and death) or Jennifer Fallon’s Hythrun Chronicles or Second Sons trilogy. Give this series ago. Great world building and characters were definitely well written
Martin (but without all sex and death) or Jennifer Fallon’s Hythrun Chronicles or Second Sons trilogy. Give this series ago. Great world building and characters were definitely well written
November 21, 2025
Not once have I been even slightly interested in anything fantasy related. I gave this a go as it was from a local author who was selling his books at a local store. I was skeptical at first but far from disappointed by the end. Once I got my head around the characters and lands they were from it was thoroughly enjoyable. Will definitely be continuing this ride as the series progresses
November 22, 2025
I didn't have any expectations and was rewarded with the start of a great journey
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews