A warrior’s song is a lonely tune Full of fire and gone too soon Warriors sing of fallen friends Lost battles and bloody ends…

Blood Song by Anthony Ryan (Raven’s Shadow #1)

Vaelin Al Sorna is the Sixth Order’s newest recruit. Under their brutal training regime, he learns how to forge a blade, survive the wilds and kill a man quickly and quietly – all in the name of protecting the Realm and the Faith.

Now his skills will be put to the test. War is coming. Vaelin must draw upon the very essence of his strength and cunning if he is to survive the coming conflict. Yet as the world teeters on the edge of chaos, Vaelin will learn that the truth can cut deeper than any sword.

Published: 2011

Published Edition: February 2014

Publishers: Orbit

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 745

Goodreads Star Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Review

I picked up this book reading the blurb with curiosity, I didn’t know then what I was getting myself into and boy did this book not disappoint.

If you think Patrick Rothfuss had an interesting story with Kvothe and his legacy. Vaelin Al Sorna is a character that is almost the same. You are introduced to this character when he is older and is embarked on a battle across the ocean, many people fear him and many people know what this man is capabile of. During his travel across the ocean a man named Verniers travels along with Vaelin as an escourt, Vaelin starts telling his story from when he was ten years old, his time during the Sixth Realm, the war’s that he had lead for King Janus but showing Verniers how his life changed when he joined the Order of the Sixth Realm.

Anthony Ryan’s storytelling is soo amazing, his world building is so great. I felt so transfixed into this world it made me forget about our current state right now, at times I wanted to just read it so quickly but I also wanted to savour this book so badly. It had brought a great band of brothers with Vaelin an his friends, I loved the comradory that they had when they were in the order and I really loved how well fleshed out they were, I grew to care for each of them. I did love the romance in this book, while I do have to say it is not in the main plot but merely on the side but it is still a good storyline. The part that I enjoyed reading were the fights and battles, Ryan has done an amazing work in pacing the storyline, it’s not rushed and it’s not dragging, it flew so easily and the fights were just magnifique.

I do love the inclusion of magic and religion in this book, it is a continuous storyline that is seen in many fantasy books and this book does a really good job of it. The magic system, I am still trying to wrap my head around it but as you’re reading along, the whole discovery of the magic system really fascinated me. While it was something like a being watching Vaelin and it grew to something like a gut feeling, kind of like knowing which is right and wrong. The religion in this book is the main cause for wars, while during his time training in the Sixth Realm, Vaelin started to learn more about people’s opinions on their belief while also trying to understand his magic.

I am trasfixed into this world while I may have read just one book I felt that I need to know everything. I have Tower Lord already in my Amazon basket and I was too eager to start the Raven’s blade duology, read the first one the second one is released in July. My most concern is the final book in the trilogy, Queen of Fire, while I have seen a lot of negative opinions. It has made me feel insecure in reading that book. If any one has read Queen of Fire, please do let me know if it’s worth it because I have my doubts.

I hope to come back with another review

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