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malexmave 's review for:
Blood Song
by Anthony Ryan
I read this book because many people compared the author to Sanderson and Rothfuss, my two favourite authors. Having read it, I have to say that the only similarity with the Rothfuss books is the framing device of a story being told. That is similar, yes, but the reason I loved the Rothfuss-Books so much wasn't the framing. It wasn't even the story, which isn't that original. It was the language that really got me, and this book is in no way similar to that. So, in my eyes, the comparasions with Sanderson and Rothfuss hurt the book, as they raised my expectations.
That being said, if you forced me at gunpoint to find comparasions with other books, I'd say it reminded me most of the Assassins Apprentice series, although it isn't quite as bleak. But I don't really need to find any comparasions, as this book stands quite well on its own.
It has a good story. It has decent worldbuilding (again, not on the level of a Sanderson, but competent). It has a bit too many typos for my taste (I read the eBook, so it may be that I accidentally purchased an earlier version and that it has been improved with a later edition, but my version had a LOT of missing commata and incorrect spaces, something that bugs me more than it should and breaks my immersion for some reason. I hate my brain for being that anal about it, but I can't do anything about it).
There were parts that made me laugh. There were parts that actually managed to make me sad, which is more than I can say of some other, supposedly triple-A books. I definitely did not regret reading the book, I will follow the series and the author, and I recommend this book. But please stop comparing it to Sanderson and Rothfuss. :)
UPDATED after Re-read 08/16: After reading this book again, I liked it even more. I'm upping the rating to 5 stars, and would definitely recommend it. Don't go in expecting a Rothfuss, it's different in many ways, but this book doesn't require any comparisons - it stands very well on its own.
That being said, if you forced me at gunpoint to find comparasions with other books, I'd say it reminded me most of the Assassins Apprentice series, although it isn't quite as bleak. But I don't really need to find any comparasions, as this book stands quite well on its own.
It has a good story. It has decent worldbuilding (again, not on the level of a Sanderson, but competent). It has a bit too many typos for my taste (I read the eBook, so it may be that I accidentally purchased an earlier version and that it has been improved with a later edition, but my version had a LOT of missing commata and incorrect spaces, something that bugs me more than it should and breaks my immersion for some reason. I hate my brain for being that anal about it, but I can't do anything about it).
There were parts that made me laugh. There were parts that actually managed to make me sad, which is more than I can say of some other, supposedly triple-A books. I definitely did not regret reading the book, I will follow the series and the author, and I recommend this book. But please stop comparing it to Sanderson and Rothfuss. :)
UPDATED after Re-read 08/16: After reading this book again, I liked it even more. I'm upping the rating to 5 stars, and would definitely recommend it. Don't go in expecting a Rothfuss, it's different in many ways, but this book doesn't require any comparisons - it stands very well on its own.