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sooz_767's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
This was the oldest fantasy book on my TBR (around 9 years!) so I'm glad I read it, unfortunately it wasn't a new fave for me BUT I do have this authors new series so I know I'll enjoy the writing in that.
I found the first 300 or so pages of this so compelling, it really gave me the same vibes as The Will of the Many (obviously written much earlier) due to the academy setting and the brotherhood amongst the boys.
Once they were outside of this, it started to lose my interest a bit. It just didn't have enough going on to keep the plot plotting so felt a bit flat and sloggy.
I don't think I'll be continuing in this series, as I've heard pretty much universally that the rest of the series hasn't been liked as much, but I will be trying his newer series.
darkskybooks's review against another edition
5.0
First off, I highly enjoyed this. It is another coming of age tale, so fits with a lot of the fantasy tropes, but it is told in such an engaging way with such good world building that any derivation in the story fades into the background. Our protagonist has been sent to join some martial order, and we follow his progression through the school and eventual appointment by the king to lead his armies.
There are some really clever and unusual literary stylisations here. The chronicler style of story telling is increasingly popular in speculative fiction. Blood Song opens with that chronicle style - we meet our narrator and get him introduced to our protagonist. Blood Song however subverts this. You begin to realize that although there is an apparent narrator, the voice telling the story is actually the protagonist, and the narrator himself is only hearing part of what is being written. An interestingly meta situation where we now have an unreliable narrator, yet the story is being told is complete. This is the first book in a trilogy and yet feels remarkably complete - all the plot items alluded to in the chronicle do come to pass in this first book. It will be interesting to see how this is continued in the second book.
This story falls into the Grimdark category by my reckoning. There is a large degree of moral ambiguity and a lot of violence. The politics portrayed here are interesting - the Machiavellian manipulations of the political actors are well thought through.
A very promising first book. I have read several of Anthony Ryan's short stories before but this is the first of his full novels. I look forward to the rest of the series!
There are some really clever and unusual literary stylisations here. The chronicler style of story telling is increasingly popular in speculative fiction. Blood Song opens with that chronicle style - we meet our narrator and get him introduced to our protagonist. Blood Song however subverts this. You begin to realize that although there is an apparent narrator, the voice telling the story is actually the protagonist, and the narrator himself is only hearing part of what is being written. An interestingly meta situation where we now have an unreliable narrator, yet the story is being told is complete. This is the first book in a trilogy and yet feels remarkably complete - all the plot items alluded to in the chronicle do come to pass in this first book. It will be interesting to see how this is continued in the second book.
This story falls into the Grimdark category by my reckoning. There is a large degree of moral ambiguity and a lot of violence. The politics portrayed here are interesting - the Machiavellian manipulations of the political actors are well thought through.
A very promising first book. I have read several of Anthony Ryan's short stories before but this is the first of his full novels. I look forward to the rest of the series!
filberthoneysac's review against another edition
3.0
3 // 5
I really enjoyed the coming-of-age tale when all of the boys were learning as part of the Sixth Order. Once we moved beyond that, I became less interested in the narrative.
I really enjoyed the coming-of-age tale when all of the boys were learning as part of the Sixth Order. Once we moved beyond that, I became less interested in the narrative.
sandy292love's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
app17's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
brunogs99's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
3.75
jyotikab's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the start of Vaelin's story. It ticked all the boxes for an epic fantasy saga, starting with a somewhat damaged childhood, to the tough schooling where he made a group of close friends, leading him to rise through the ranks and be a recognised figure across realms. Vaelin's honest perception of himself and his surroundings was well written and refreshing, not the bold and cocky hero, just a product of his experiences and interactions with the world. Loved the magic element woven into the story and was glad to see a few magic training sessions in there too.
The author has touched on a lot of topics, political intrigue, wars between people and various religions. The general feel of the book was very Game of Thrones but the writing style and focus on one character reminded me more of The Assassin's Apprentice series by Robin Hobb. Would recommend. Listened to this as an audiobook.
The author has touched on a lot of topics, political intrigue, wars between people and various religions. The general feel of the book was very Game of Thrones but the writing style and focus on one character reminded me more of The Assassin's Apprentice series by Robin Hobb. Would recommend. Listened to this as an audiobook.