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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
I love this book, I love the coming of age element and how we grow with these boys as they learn to become human weapons. Vaelin's story is one of wonder and mystery and he shows constantly under all that his faith and his brothers and sisters are the driving force behind a lot of what he does. Another fantasy story with a beautiful animal to pull at your heart strings. Just great. Really brilliant twist too!
What a great read. There have been very few fantasy books I have read in the last 5 years that I have called great. This is one of them. The characters are so well written and fleshed out, the language and dark tone are of the highest quality and all of the intrigue and the plots are so enjoyable to watch being played out.
I really like fantasy books where magic is just a myth or a mystery, with little subtle hints to its existence rather than an easy plot device to get the hero out of trouble.
The first 20% of the book is pretty heavy in world and character building so can feel a bit slow, but this really pays off. As the story grows and unfolds into the complex pattern that it is, it is impossible to put down.
I really like fantasy books where magic is just a myth or a mystery, with little subtle hints to its existence rather than an easy plot device to get the hero out of trouble.
The first 20% of the book is pretty heavy in world and character building so can feel a bit slow, but this really pays off. As the story grows and unfolds into the complex pattern that it is, it is impossible to put down.
Blood Song is a really, really good fantasy book. Nothing it does particularly reinvents the wheel, but everything it does do is just done so WELL. It was very enjoyable to listen to, particularly since the narrator had a wonderful storytelling voice.
Vaelin Al Sorna was a young boy when his mother died, and his father the Battle Lord left him at the steps of the religious Sixth Order, a group of warrior monks who fight for the Faith. Feeling abandoned and angry, Vaelin embraces life as a Brother of the Sixth Order, forming a makeshift family out the Brothers in his year. Vaelin also turns out to be exceptionally gifted at fighting, and his personality soon sets him on the path to leadership.
The book is told in the form of flashbacks. The frame story begins with Vaelin giving a full account (or the version he's most comfortable calling full) to a historian from an Empire that currently holds Vaelin captive. Five years before, Vaelin killed the Emperor's heir, earning himself the name "Hope-Killer", but most people have Vaelin's story entirely wrong. He takes the chronicler through his childhood all the way up until his capture, only we readers get the full version, not the edited out one he gives the chronicler. It's episodic in nature, spending time in one era of Vaelin's life before skipping ahead again and again to the next bit of import. It's a fantasy bildungsroman, and we're all caught up to the frame by the time the book ends.
Threaded throughout Vaelin's history are hints of overarching stories that will surely play out in future books: a mysterious order, a hidden enemy, and Vaelin's own magical gift, the Blood Song.
Like I said, most of this has been done before: the young hero receives training and becomes great, a sinister bad guy hidden in the shadows, religious persecution, witch hunts, wars, found families, etc. And it starts out very Rothfussian, with a legendary/infamous figure giving the real story that's hidden among all the mythologizing and villainizing done by people when they talk about him. But the way Ryan puts it all together just works.
Already ordered book two from the library, but a bit upset it will be hard copy. Stupid free library, only having books one and three in audio.
[4.5 stars]
Vaelin Al Sorna was a young boy when his mother died, and his father the Battle Lord left him at the steps of the religious Sixth Order, a group of warrior monks who fight for the Faith. Feeling abandoned and angry, Vaelin embraces life as a Brother of the Sixth Order, forming a makeshift family out the Brothers in his year. Vaelin also turns out to be exceptionally gifted at fighting, and his personality soon sets him on the path to leadership.
The book is told in the form of flashbacks. The frame story begins with Vaelin giving a full account (or the version he's most comfortable calling full) to a historian from an Empire that currently holds Vaelin captive. Five years before, Vaelin killed the Emperor's heir, earning himself the name "Hope-Killer", but most people have Vaelin's story entirely wrong. He takes the chronicler through his childhood all the way up until his capture, only we readers get the full version, not the edited out one he gives the chronicler. It's episodic in nature, spending time in one era of Vaelin's life before skipping ahead again and again to the next bit of import. It's a fantasy bildungsroman, and we're all caught up to the frame by the time the book ends.
Threaded throughout Vaelin's history are hints of overarching stories that will surely play out in future books: a mysterious order, a hidden enemy, and Vaelin's own magical gift, the Blood Song.
Like I said, most of this has been done before: the young hero receives training and becomes great, a sinister bad guy hidden in the shadows, religious persecution, witch hunts, wars, found families, etc. And it starts out very Rothfussian, with a legendary/infamous figure giving the real story that's hidden among all the mythologizing and villainizing done by people when they talk about him. But the way Ryan puts it all together just works.
Already ordered book two from the library, but a bit upset it will be hard copy. Stupid free library, only having books one and three in audio.
[4.5 stars]
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Blood Song is incredibly well executed. I didn't wanna put it down every time I went to read. This is near perfect as a standalone read. I've heard mostly negative things about the sequels but I'm still gonna check them out.
I really liked the feeling of brotherhood. The characters growing up together was a major strength of the story. I also liked the mysteries of the world. The political intrigue was captivating. Ryan did a great job sprinkling tidbits throughout the story that kept me wondering what all was really going on.
I love high fantasy and will definitely re read this one someday.
I really liked the feeling of brotherhood. The characters growing up together was a major strength of the story. I also liked the mysteries of the world. The political intrigue was captivating. Ryan did a great job sprinkling tidbits throughout the story that kept me wondering what all was really going on.
I love high fantasy and will definitely re read this one someday.
Najlepsi debut od cias kedy Patrick Rothfuss napisal prveho Kralovraha. Napisane velmi podobnym stylom a predsa ine. Kde Rothfussov hrdina je skor basnik, ucenec a mag, Velin al Sorna (a velka vacsina hrdinov tejto knihy) je vojak. A nie len tak obycajny vojak, ako sa dozvieme hned na prvych strankach knihy, je jednym z najlepsich vojakov Kralovstva, je 'Vrahom Nadejneho' - a je v zajati nepriatela.
Cela kniha je (takisto ako Rothfussova saga) vypravana z pohladu Kronikara, ktoremu Velin rozprava svoj pribeh - od cias kedy sa pridal k 'Sestemu Radu' az po sucasnost. Zasadnym rozdielom je, ze narozdiel od Rothfussa sa na konci knihy k tej sucasnosti skutocne aj dostane a teda v dalsich dieloch uz tento styl vypravania nebude moct byt pouzity (a podla zahranicnych recenzii ani nie je).
Inak je kniha napisana skutocne vyborne, az sa (rovnako ako pri Rothfussovi pred rokmi) nechce verit, ze je to autorov debut. Ma uplne vsetko co ma moderna temna fantasy mat, vela bojov, krvi, politiky, intrig, vrazd, mucenia atd atd. Odporucam kazdemu kto niekedy cital nieco od autorov ako Patrick Rothfuss, G.R.R. Martin (podobnost s nim vraj najviac vystupi v druhom diele), Joe Abercrombie, Steven Erikson, Brandon Sanderson a tak dalej. Jednoducho moderna fantasy so vsetkym co ma mat - 5/5.
Cela kniha je (takisto ako Rothfussova saga) vypravana z pohladu Kronikara, ktoremu Velin rozprava svoj pribeh - od cias kedy sa pridal k 'Sestemu Radu' az po sucasnost. Zasadnym rozdielom je, ze narozdiel od Rothfussa sa na konci knihy k tej sucasnosti skutocne aj dostane a teda v dalsich dieloch uz tento styl vypravania nebude moct byt pouzity (a podla zahranicnych recenzii ani nie je).
Inak je kniha napisana skutocne vyborne, az sa (rovnako ako pri Rothfussovi pred rokmi) nechce verit, ze je to autorov debut. Ma uplne vsetko co ma moderna temna fantasy mat, vela bojov, krvi, politiky, intrig, vrazd, mucenia atd atd. Odporucam kazdemu kto niekedy cital nieco od autorov ako Patrick Rothfuss, G.R.R. Martin (podobnost s nim vraj najviac vystupi v druhom diele), Joe Abercrombie, Steven Erikson, Brandon Sanderson a tak dalej. Jednoducho moderna fantasy so vsetkym co ma mat - 5/5.
Anthony Ryan really fires on all cylinders in this book. I think it may be perfect - which is of course a weighty statement, but bear with me.
In a month where I hadn't planned to pick this up, and started juggling several books at once, this one really took over in terms of engagement. And I was reading Austen, Tolkien etc.
Blood Song was the newest experience in terms of previous familiarity levels, so it had that advantage but it's also just so utterly compelling. Books often have strong points and weak points, depending on what you look for obviously. Prose, plot, character development, themes, pacing, dialogue or they could just have a great story well told.
Blood Song sort of excels at everything. It isn't the deepest work of literature but it doesn't mean theme is non-existent or the prose is bland and functional. The prose is quite good actually, never mind-blowing but he doesn't sacrifice nice writing to tell his story. And thematically it's quite interesting, primarily through the excellent character relationships, interactions and their beliefs. The plot may seem quite slow when described but the mysteriousness of the world makes this a real page turner. Sharp dialogue and a fantastic story also help to pull you through the pages.
I think people often confuse fast-paced with action-heavy, with Blood Song landing somewhere on that spectrum. There is action, but it's not necessarily packed with it, but the pace is propulsive simply because of how Ryan withholds information and gradually drip feeds the reader tantalising revelations.
Where it truly excels is in the intrigue - whether it be political, magical, religious or just on a character level. We begin in a position where big things are clearly at work in the world around our characters but it isn't until the latter half that we actually pay any real attention to that. All the while we have mysteries aplenty surrounding Vaelin and the magic that permeates throughout the book until Ryan flips the focus slightly and the inverse happens. We start to focus more on the grand scheme and we see how Vaelin reshapes his view of the world and beliefs.
The slow examination and scrutiny of the situation we find him in, his various relationships and the gradual crisis of faith he develops make the book truly compelling.
This may be one of the most excellent fantasy books I've read. It is consistently good across all aspects of the reading experience (heh, pun for those who've read it) while perhaps not being mind blowing in any. Which is just perfect for an entertaining page turner with great characterisation. A good story well told.
In a month where I hadn't planned to pick this up, and started juggling several books at once, this one really took over in terms of engagement. And I was reading Austen, Tolkien etc.
Blood Song was the newest experience in terms of previous familiarity levels, so it had that advantage but it's also just so utterly compelling. Books often have strong points and weak points, depending on what you look for obviously. Prose, plot, character development, themes, pacing, dialogue or they could just have a great story well told.
Blood Song sort of excels at everything. It isn't the deepest work of literature but it doesn't mean theme is non-existent or the prose is bland and functional. The prose is quite good actually, never mind-blowing but he doesn't sacrifice nice writing to tell his story. And thematically it's quite interesting, primarily through the excellent character relationships, interactions and their beliefs. The plot may seem quite slow when described but the mysteriousness of the world makes this a real page turner. Sharp dialogue and a fantastic story also help to pull you through the pages.
I think people often confuse fast-paced with action-heavy, with Blood Song landing somewhere on that spectrum. There is action, but it's not necessarily packed with it, but the pace is propulsive simply because of how Ryan withholds information and gradually drip feeds the reader tantalising revelations.
Where it truly excels is in the intrigue - whether it be political, magical, religious or just on a character level. We begin in a position where big things are clearly at work in the world around our characters but it isn't until the latter half that we actually pay any real attention to that. All the while we have mysteries aplenty surrounding Vaelin and the magic that permeates throughout the book until Ryan flips the focus slightly and the inverse happens. We start to focus more on the grand scheme and we see how Vaelin reshapes his view of the world and beliefs.
The slow examination and scrutiny of the situation we find him in, his various relationships and the gradual crisis of faith he develops make the book truly compelling.
This may be one of the most excellent fantasy books I've read. It is consistently good across all aspects of the reading experience (heh, pun for those who've read it) while perhaps not being mind blowing in any. Which is just perfect for an entertaining page turner with great characterisation. A good story well told.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.5/5
This book is absolutely devoid of any innovation in terms of tropes or plot.
But it is executed with such mastery that you want to keep reading and find out what becomes of Vaelin.
This book is absolutely devoid of any innovation in terms of tropes or plot.
But it is executed with such mastery that you want to keep reading and find out what becomes of Vaelin.
This was a long, wild but enjoyable ride. Met some very lovely and well written characters, enjoyed the fights and battle scenes.
This book felt like high fantasy personified, I don’t know how else to explain it. It was very mindful of its own world and it all felt very real.
I don’t think I’ll be going forward with the next books in the series because I’ve read from countless people that it progressively gets worse so I’ll just cherish the memory of this first book and not taint it.
This book felt like high fantasy personified, I don’t know how else to explain it. It was very mindful of its own world and it all felt very real.
I don’t think I’ll be going forward with the next books in the series because I’ve read from countless people that it progressively gets worse so I’ll just cherish the memory of this first book and not taint it.
