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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
After reading it for a month, I have finally finished it. But it was a great journey and I loved every part of this book.
Full Review - https://randombookthought.blogspot.com/2018/12/review-blood-song-ravens-shadow-1-by.html
Full Review - https://randombookthought.blogspot.com/2018/12/review-blood-song-ravens-shadow-1-by.html
This is one of my favourite fantasy books. Up there with The Stormlight Archive and The Name of the Wind. I loved the first half while Vaelin was training with his brothers, and my interest slowly dwindled after that, but the ending is well worth it. This is a very subtle book, with plenty of foreshadowing, and incredible character growth as Vaelin is pulled between the King's orders and the call of the blood song. Never letting him rest, Vaelin is forced to follow the King because of the threats to others, slowly hardening over time with all the blood he must spill, but never losing his compassion, and the wolf guiding his way. I still have so many questions, and I'm left heartbroken, but I cannot wait to read the next book. My only complaint is that Vaelin's brothers were only in the story briefly. I was really hoping for a Gentlemen Bastards vibe.
Not a bad book. The setup felt very much like like [b:The Name of the Wind|186074|The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)|Patrick Rothfuss|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1270352123s/186074.jpg|2502879] (famous hero of legendary skill is telling his life story to a chronicler), but it definitely is a book in its own right. The prose leaves something to be desired, but it wasn't bad - it just wasn't incredible. The story was good enough, but the way it was told felt awkward at times: often the narrator would jump back and forth in time within the same chapter when remembering events, but the way this recollection was done wasn't as smooth as I would've liked; it left me a little confused a couple of times. The climax was also a little... not disappointing, but a little lacking.
All in all, I make it sound worse than it is. For the most part those are all small things that rarely get in the way of enjoying the read.
All in all, I make it sound worse than it is. For the most part those are all small things that rarely get in the way of enjoying the read.
It would have been 5 stars if I'd read the physical copy! I loved the audio book, although it was probably waaaaay too long for me to absorb a lot of the information. I think I'm probably gonna pick up the rest of the series in physical form, but I do already have The Tower Lord on audible... Highly recommended for all lovers of fantasy!
I love earlier part of this book when main hero build his leadership skills with his little brotherhood gank. But after that I am confuse with so many names, tittles, place, issues etc..
Blood Song is the legend of a flawless man. The brilliant and often poignant narration must be applauded, and in my reckoning is the best feature of this book. The plot however is plodding and never kicks into the next gear. The audiobook narrator did a great job in helping the slow unimportant bits move along.
The narration is confusing at times. The first person POV is that of a Chronicler, and the third person POV is of Vaelin. At first this looks to be how the chronicler is presenting Al Sorna's story, however later on it is made clear to not be the case. In hindsight the Imperial Chronicler seems rather unimportant to the plot.
So the bulk of the book must be Vaelin's own ruminations and yet, we see no flaw in our protagonist. Completely heroic, honorable, excellent at everything he does and not a single vice to mar his character. Not only is he Mary Sue, but he is Mary Sue with Spidey Sense. It's a shame that there is barely any discernible difference between young Vaelin and his older self. I'm taken out of the book when a ten year old boy acts and behaves like an adult and has none of the endeering childish innocence.
The blurb focused heavily on Vaelin's family, which barely had any bearing on the book. The novel was touted to be about interesting characters and yet, even the protagonist turned out to be a bland superhero. But despite this, the author evoked a profound sadness at certain points in the book and must be commended for his narrative prowess. Ultimately, Blood Song is a book that had great potential in what could have been a suspenseful plot with arcane intrigue, but failed to deliver.
The narration is confusing at times. The first person POV is that of a Chronicler, and the third person POV is of Vaelin. At first this looks to be how the chronicler is presenting Al Sorna's story, however later on it is made clear to not be the case. In hindsight the Imperial Chronicler seems rather unimportant to the plot.
So the bulk of the book must be Vaelin's own ruminations and yet, we see no flaw in our protagonist. Completely heroic, honorable, excellent at everything he does and not a single vice to mar his character. Not only is he Mary Sue, but he is Mary Sue with Spidey Sense. It's a shame that there is barely any discernible difference between young Vaelin and his older self. I'm taken out of the book when a ten year old boy acts and behaves like an adult and has none of the endeering childish innocence.
The blurb focused heavily on Vaelin's family, which barely had any bearing on the book. The novel was touted to be about interesting characters and yet, even the protagonist turned out to be a bland superhero. But despite this, the author evoked a profound sadness at certain points in the book and must be commended for his narrative prowess. Ultimately, Blood Song is a book that had great potential in what could have been a suspenseful plot with arcane intrigue, but failed to deliver.
Parts of this book I absolutely loved, but I was a bit put off by the ending. Not sure if I want to continue reading the series, even though I really liked the book.
A lot of fantasy series in the past year have dissapointed me, not this one. I liked following Vaelin and the others growing up. The characters were really distinct and memorable. The battles were interesting, which is not always the case in fantasy series in my opinion. I guess I'll have to get book 2 from the library soon.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced