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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book encapsulates everything that I love about epic fantasy. At first, I was worried. I had recently finished Ryan's Covenant of Steel trilogy and found it pretty underwhelming, and I went into this one expecting it to be a standard, trope filled fantasy. While all the expected tropes are present, they are handled well, and overall, the book felt very unique.
For most of the story, we follow Vaelin Al Sorna. Brother of the Sixth Order, Sword of the Realm, Beral Shak Ur, Hope Killer, Young Hawk, Dark Blade, and more. Vaelin is known by many names, and Blood Song is told in a Name of the Wind style narrative, taking the reader on a journey where we learn where he came by these titles.
It has been a long time since I read a story paced this slowly that has also gripped me the entire way. Ryan will sink his talons into the reader with his unique worldbuilding, rich prose, and interesting plot. I hear it took him 12 years to write this, and those years have paid off.
Vaelin was a great character to follow. While he can be slotted into a chosen one sort of role, he is a character with depth, and his inner turmoil paired with the outward struggles he faced made him easy to root for. His struggles regarding loyalty, love, and devotion felt realistic and were easy to relate to.
I did have some minor struggles with this one. The timeline of this book is stretched, often done with time jumps and fast travel, which did hinder the story a little for me. Just pulled me out of an otherwise immersive experience. I didn't love how women were depicted in this one, and seeing that women were rarely part of the story, I wish they were written better. I felt that a lot of the male characters felt like carbon copies of each other and the romances in this one were way too rushed. These were all minor issues though, and I loved the story as a whole.
I hear that the sequels can be quite disappointing, but I am eager to get to them nonetheless.
For most of the story, we follow Vaelin Al Sorna. Brother of the Sixth Order, Sword of the Realm, Beral Shak Ur, Hope Killer, Young Hawk, Dark Blade, and more. Vaelin is known by many names, and Blood Song is told in a Name of the Wind style narrative, taking the reader on a journey where we learn where he came by these titles.
It has been a long time since I read a story paced this slowly that has also gripped me the entire way. Ryan will sink his talons into the reader with his unique worldbuilding, rich prose, and interesting plot. I hear it took him 12 years to write this, and those years have paid off.
Vaelin was a great character to follow. While he can be slotted into a chosen one sort of role, he is a character with depth, and his inner turmoil paired with the outward struggles he faced made him easy to root for. His struggles regarding loyalty, love, and devotion felt realistic and were easy to relate to.
I did have some minor struggles with this one. The timeline of this book is stretched, often done with time jumps and fast travel, which did hinder the story a little for me. Just pulled me out of an otherwise immersive experience. I didn't love how women were depicted in this one, and seeing that women were rarely part of the story, I wish they were written better. I felt that a lot of the male characters felt like carbon copies of each other and the romances in this one were way too rushed. These were all minor issues though, and I loved the story as a whole.
I hear that the sequels can be quite disappointing, but I am eager to get to them nonetheless.
If I could give this book Seven Stars...I would.
Easily the finest debut this year. 100% enthralling, addictive, and clever from page 1 onwards.
Just stunning. I'm so on board for TOWER LORD now!
Easily the finest debut this year. 100% enthralling, addictive, and clever from page 1 onwards.
Just stunning. I'm so on board for TOWER LORD now!
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
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:
Yes
An amazing debut novel from Anthony Ryan. Had me hooked from Page 1 all the way till the ending.
The little drips we are fed of Vaelin as he journeys towards his inevitable death after being imprisoned for so long.
I loved everything about this book, from the daunting stories of Vaelin as he and his brothers grew up to the battle sequences and tactics the armies used as they clashed with each other.
One of the true 5 star reads in my list.
The little drips we are fed of Vaelin as he journeys towards his inevitable death after being imprisoned for so long.
I loved everything about this book, from the daunting stories of Vaelin as he and his brothers grew up to the battle sequences and tactics the armies used as they clashed with each other.
One of the true 5 star reads in my list.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Went into a slump after graduation from battle school; several years pass and it isn't the same story as before. The ending however, will have me reading the second book in the series without a doubt.
For now, the most immersive book I read this year. Wonderful prose, interesting politics, good characterizations and a well known plot structure with a little twist. I really loved it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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:
Yes
An absolute banger. Medieval fantasy done right. I'm so psyched that Anthony Ryan has a big backlist for me to dive into.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, War
Moderate: Bullying, Rape, Torture
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Death of parent
Blood Song is probably the greatest fantasy book I have read of the last year. The book takes its time, following Vaelin through his childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. The changes in the characters are subtle but apparent. And the group that orbits Vaelin's life are distinct but similar, each having defining features, but not so much so that they becomes tropes or archetypal. Nobody would be considered the comedic relief, or the group genius. Some may have more knowledge than the other, but often another character might play the part of teacher or mentor to the rest.
The magic of this world is vague, which is the story's advantage. The supernatural is intriguing, yet not the sole interest of book, as is usually the failure of many other fantasy novels, where the author falls in love with their own world and forget to give any attention to the actual plot.
Nope, the magic here is inviting and invigorating, yet takes the back seat to the story and characters.
And the characters are truly the driving power of the story. In fact, I couldn't say what the story is. Its less about realizing their "destiny" as so many other fantasy stories are, and more about the protagonists coming of age story, and watching him grow with his brothers in arms, and indeed growing CLOSE with them as well.
The story is great, I highly recommend. I must warn you, though: the follow up book, "Tower Lord" is a great disappointment. I prefer to think that Blood Song is a standalone title.
The magic of this world is vague, which is the story's advantage. The supernatural is intriguing, yet not the sole interest of book, as is usually the failure of many other fantasy novels, where the author falls in love with their own world and forget to give any attention to the actual plot.
Nope, the magic here is inviting and invigorating, yet takes the back seat to the story and characters.
And the characters are truly the driving power of the story. In fact, I couldn't say what the story is. Its less about realizing their "destiny" as so many other fantasy stories are, and more about the protagonists coming of age story, and watching him grow with his brothers in arms, and indeed growing CLOSE with them as well.
The story is great, I highly recommend. I must warn you, though: the follow up book, "Tower Lord" is a great disappointment. I prefer to think that Blood Song is a standalone title.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes