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mridzyreads's review against another edition
5.0
What a beginning! Although I miss some old characters, the new ones more than make up for it.
hudsone45's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
willrefuge's review
5.0
4.5 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2019/07/22/
About two months ago—when I requested the Wolf’s Call—I was cautious, though not terribly excited. While I loved Blood Song like I’ve loved no book since, the Tower Lord and Queen of Fire subsequently killed any passion I had for Anthony Ryan. I hated QoF so much, in fact, that it got DNFed after I skimmed a few more of Vaelin’s chapters around the 50% mark. I had heard that this new book was supposed to be all about Al Sorna in a way unseen since Blood Song, but wasn’t sold.
Upon my request being approved a month ago, the first thing I did was download the book and skim the first few chapters. The first features an account from someone else—like it did in Blood Song—then sticks to Vaelin like glue. By this time I was more cautiously optimistic, if guarded.
I finished the book on Saturday. And it was a total surprise: I loved it. Not as much as Blood Song, as Wolf’s Call is not without its faults, but they are few enough in number that the story itself can make up for them. I really loved this book. It was great. But when I started this review I noticed an unwillingness to recommend it a 100%. It’s not anything to do with the ending (there’s a bit of a cliffhanger), the pacing (it could be better), or the lack of Vaelin’s song (remember, he lost it). It’s because of Tower Lord.
Tower Lord was a good read. But compared to Blood Song it was awful. Sorry, but it was. Now, I know that Anthony Ryan would be crazy to repeat the same mistake he made before. Kinda like in DBZ when the creators attempted to transition on from Goku. It was so awful and the uproar so great that there’s no way it’d happen again. Except. Except that he already did it once.
So. Anyway.
The Wolf’s Call is set years after the events of Queen of Fire. The Volarians defeated, their lands now in possession of the Unified Realm, the Queen of Fire—Lyrna—now rules over them with an iron fist. But the queen is away, touring the Volarian Empire. So when there is unrest in the Realm, her Tower Lord departs to deal with it. Vaelin Al Sorna is greatly changed from the boy we first met in Blood Song. He has lost friends, lovers, a child, his song, and more besides. He is different, but not so much. And when whispers come from across the sea—a living god, an unstoppable army, a mustering Darkness, Vaelin’s once lover, Sherin—he departs to confront them. Though Vaelin may not wish to see another war, he will not abandon any of his own to such a fate without a fight.
…
I mean, it sounds good.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the return of Vaelin Al Sorna. I think his character development, as well as Nortah’s, is key to the success of the Wolf’s Call. There are a few other returning characters—Sherin, Ahm Lin, etc—but none others that were featured in every book in the original trilogy like the Sixth Order brothers. The secondary characters definitely helped, but in the end, it’s all about Vaelin. His story guides the plot in Wolf’s Call in a way not seen since Blood Song. While I enjoyed the world, the overarching plot and to a lesser extent the setting, the story’s real triumph is its characters. And say what you want about the Raven’s Shadow—but its character development and depth were top notch. I’m happy to report that this carries over quite well.
There’re but a few issues I have with it. I’ve mentioned the future, the pacing, a cliffhanger, the setting—I’ve nothing much more to say about them. The future I can’t control; the pacing’s not too much of an issue, more an annoyance; I don’t care for cliffhangers in general. The book is set in the Venerable Kingdoms, which are pretty much just Dynastic China complete with their own Steppe and Mongol Horde. I mean, it’s obviously China and Mongolia and whatnot, but the author has made an attempt to flesh it out on his own rather than cutting and pasting everything. I would’ve liked to see more of an effort in terms of culture and influence and stereotype, but whatever. It’s hardly anything to ruin the entire book. It’s just a bit disappointing.
The biggest issue I had was that sometimes, more than a little, it feels like Ryan is forcing it. Like he’s forcing everything to go through Vaelin. That’s the issue with having a single primary character. In the first Raven’s Shadow, he told Vaelin’s story. In subsequent books, he split the story between other characters to expand and tell a story about the world. Now, I didn’t enjoy it, but I know why the author chose to do it that way. In the Wolf’s Call, it seems like he’s trying to tell the story of the world, but through Vaelin alone. Meaning that Al Sorna has to be everywhere for everything, and central to every event. And it’s making him feel… stretched thin. And somewhat unrealistic.
And that’s it. That’s my biggest issue with the text. I mean, yeah—I’d definitely buy it. Hardcover, straight-up. And I’m usually pretty cheap. I always loved Blood Song because it could be read on its own, as a single tale. The Wolf’s Call, instead, definitely will connect directly to its sequel. Now I don’t know what that will be. It might be another Tower Lord or Queen of Fire. But, as I said before, I’m cautiously optimistic.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2019/07/22/
About two months ago—when I requested the Wolf’s Call—I was cautious, though not terribly excited. While I loved Blood Song like I’ve loved no book since, the Tower Lord and Queen of Fire subsequently killed any passion I had for Anthony Ryan. I hated QoF so much, in fact, that it got DNFed after I skimmed a few more of Vaelin’s chapters around the 50% mark. I had heard that this new book was supposed to be all about Al Sorna in a way unseen since Blood Song, but wasn’t sold.
Upon my request being approved a month ago, the first thing I did was download the book and skim the first few chapters. The first features an account from someone else—like it did in Blood Song—then sticks to Vaelin like glue. By this time I was more cautiously optimistic, if guarded.
I finished the book on Saturday. And it was a total surprise: I loved it. Not as much as Blood Song, as Wolf’s Call is not without its faults, but they are few enough in number that the story itself can make up for them. I really loved this book. It was great. But when I started this review I noticed an unwillingness to recommend it a 100%. It’s not anything to do with the ending (there’s a bit of a cliffhanger), the pacing (it could be better), or the lack of Vaelin’s song (remember, he lost it). It’s because of Tower Lord.
Tower Lord was a good read. But compared to Blood Song it was awful. Sorry, but it was. Now, I know that Anthony Ryan would be crazy to repeat the same mistake he made before. Kinda like in DBZ when the creators attempted to transition on from Goku. It was so awful and the uproar so great that there’s no way it’d happen again. Except. Except that he already did it once.
So. Anyway.
The Wolf’s Call is set years after the events of Queen of Fire. The Volarians defeated, their lands now in possession of the Unified Realm, the Queen of Fire—Lyrna—now rules over them with an iron fist. But the queen is away, touring the Volarian Empire. So when there is unrest in the Realm, her Tower Lord departs to deal with it. Vaelin Al Sorna is greatly changed from the boy we first met in Blood Song. He has lost friends, lovers, a child, his song, and more besides. He is different, but not so much. And when whispers come from across the sea—a living god, an unstoppable army, a mustering Darkness, Vaelin’s once lover, Sherin—he departs to confront them. Though Vaelin may not wish to see another war, he will not abandon any of his own to such a fate without a fight.
…
I mean, it sounds good.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the return of Vaelin Al Sorna. I think his character development, as well as Nortah’s, is key to the success of the Wolf’s Call. There are a few other returning characters—Sherin, Ahm Lin, etc—but none others that were featured in every book in the original trilogy like the Sixth Order brothers. The secondary characters definitely helped, but in the end, it’s all about Vaelin. His story guides the plot in Wolf’s Call in a way not seen since Blood Song. While I enjoyed the world, the overarching plot and to a lesser extent the setting, the story’s real triumph is its characters. And say what you want about the Raven’s Shadow—but its character development and depth were top notch. I’m happy to report that this carries over quite well.
There’re but a few issues I have with it. I’ve mentioned the future, the pacing, a cliffhanger, the setting—I’ve nothing much more to say about them. The future I can’t control; the pacing’s not too much of an issue, more an annoyance; I don’t care for cliffhangers in general. The book is set in the Venerable Kingdoms, which are pretty much just Dynastic China complete with their own Steppe and Mongol Horde. I mean, it’s obviously China and Mongolia and whatnot, but the author has made an attempt to flesh it out on his own rather than cutting and pasting everything. I would’ve liked to see more of an effort in terms of culture and influence and stereotype, but whatever. It’s hardly anything to ruin the entire book. It’s just a bit disappointing.
The biggest issue I had was that sometimes, more than a little, it feels like Ryan is forcing it. Like he’s forcing everything to go through Vaelin. That’s the issue with having a single primary character. In the first Raven’s Shadow, he told Vaelin’s story. In subsequent books, he split the story between other characters to expand and tell a story about the world. Now, I didn’t enjoy it, but I know why the author chose to do it that way. In the Wolf’s Call, it seems like he’s trying to tell the story of the world, but through Vaelin alone. Meaning that Al Sorna has to be everywhere for everything, and central to every event. And it’s making him feel… stretched thin. And somewhat unrealistic.
And that’s it. That’s my biggest issue with the text. I mean, yeah—I’d definitely buy it. Hardcover, straight-up. And I’m usually pretty cheap. I always loved Blood Song because it could be read on its own, as a single tale. The Wolf’s Call, instead, definitely will connect directly to its sequel. Now I don’t know what that will be. It might be another Tower Lord or Queen of Fire. But, as I said before, I’m cautiously optimistic.
rbixby's review
2.0
Really enjoyed the character of Vaelin Al Sorna, especially in the context of the hard training he and his brothers went through to be kick ass soldiers, as detailed in Blood Song. But I read the first trilogy well over ten years ago, so found myself barely remembering some of the back story mentioned in this book.
I found this one mildly entertaining, but derivative and predictable. Nothing about the culture of the Merchant Kings was unique enough to be memorable and the set up of the leader of the horse tribes as a god was predictable, but the whole concept of them was a poor man's version of the Dothraki.
It was a good book to read on a long drive to Seattle (The wife drove), but I suspect it won't stick in my mind for very long.
I found this one mildly entertaining, but derivative and predictable. Nothing about the culture of the Merchant Kings was unique enough to be memorable and the set up of the leader of the horse tribes as a god was predictable, but the whole concept of them was a poor man's version of the Dothraki.
It was a good book to read on a long drive to Seattle (The wife drove), but I suspect it won't stick in my mind for very long.
vampyrsoul's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
rkiladitis's review
4.0
This epic fantasy novel is a new series by author Anthony Ryan, starring Vaelin al Sorna, a character from a previous series. While Ryan's existing readers will have much more background to draw upon, new readers won't be lost if they start with this novel. There's enough meat in here to satisfy fantasy and sword and sorcery readers.
Vaelin Al Sorna is a Tower Lord, serving a queen and training his niece, Ellese, in the art of archery. He learns that there's is trouble brewing in the Western territories; a vicious army led by a man who believes he is a god - and so do his followers - is slaughtering thousands on his quest to godhood, and somehow, Sherin - a former love - has gotten herself in the middle of this. Al Sorna set sail for the realm of the Merchant Kings, gathers an army, and heads toward Kehlbrand, the man who would be a god. He calls himself the Darkblade, which is a bit of a sticking point; Al Sorna is also known as the Dark Blade. Kehlbrand's army is threaded with specially-gifted individuals that will make the battle even more deadly - Al Sorna's going to need allies.
I didn't even realize there was an existing Al Sorna series before I read The Wolf's Call, and didn't feel like I missed out. The character development led me to believe that there were existing relationships between characters, but I didn't feel like I lacked information at all; context gave me all the background I needed to power through this excellent fantasy epic. The worldbuilding is thorough and the action is fast-paced and brutal. The characters are fully formed and complex, and fantasy readers are going to love this new series.
Vaelin Al Sorna is a Tower Lord, serving a queen and training his niece, Ellese, in the art of archery. He learns that there's is trouble brewing in the Western territories; a vicious army led by a man who believes he is a god - and so do his followers - is slaughtering thousands on his quest to godhood, and somehow, Sherin - a former love - has gotten herself in the middle of this. Al Sorna set sail for the realm of the Merchant Kings, gathers an army, and heads toward Kehlbrand, the man who would be a god. He calls himself the Darkblade, which is a bit of a sticking point; Al Sorna is also known as the Dark Blade. Kehlbrand's army is threaded with specially-gifted individuals that will make the battle even more deadly - Al Sorna's going to need allies.
I didn't even realize there was an existing Al Sorna series before I read The Wolf's Call, and didn't feel like I missed out. The character development led me to believe that there were existing relationships between characters, but I didn't feel like I lacked information at all; context gave me all the background I needed to power through this excellent fantasy epic. The worldbuilding is thorough and the action is fast-paced and brutal. The characters are fully formed and complex, and fantasy readers are going to love this new series.
bookgirl4ever's review
4.0
The Raven saga continues on a high note. We learn the Unseen still exist, that Sherin has made a name for herself as a gifted healer in the Merchant Kingdoms, whose borders are threatened by the Steel Horde who have become enthralled to a narcissist warrior who has found a strange stone that gives those who touch it amazing gifts. Sound familiar? Although the Ally was defeated in the previous trilogy, the Unseen are very much alive and still influencing the world with chaos and death. Nortah, Reva's ward, Sherin, and Ahm Lin return in the exciting continuation, but where is Frentis?
reader89's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
createorbreak's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
natalia_adamik's review against another edition
4.0
Po Kráľovnej ohňa som to už s autorom chcela vzdať, ale Vélin Al Sorna bol veľké lákadlo. To, čo mi najviac vadilo na konci prvej série - množstvo liniek, každá mala byť veľkolepá, ale akurát to bolo pre mňa celé rozbité a z Vélinovej linky som bola mierne sklamaná, tak to sa tu nedeje. Linka je len jedna a celý čas je Vélin v centre. Prvých sto strán pripomínanie postáv a minulého deja, ale okorenené akciou, žiadna nuda. A samotná zápletka sa zase točí okolo Obdarených, ale všetko vrátane nepriateľa je jasnejšie a zrozumiteľnejšie, dej odsýpa, nie som úplne doma v tomto žánri, ale mám pocit, že je to dobre remeselne zvládnutá žánrovka a koniec spôsobil, že budem netrpezlivo čakať na ďalšiu časť.