Blood Song

Raven's Shadow, Book 1

By: Anthony Ryan

Narrated by: Steven Brand

Length: 23 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

From "a new master storyteller" comes the beginning of an epic fantasy saga of blood, honor, and destiny....

The Sixth Order wields the sword of justice and smites the enemies of the Faith and the Realm. Vaelin Al Sorna was only a child of 10 when his father left him at the iron gate of the Sixth Order. The Brothers of the Sixth Order are devoted to battle, and Vaelin will be trained and hardened to the austere, celibate, and dangerous life of a Warrior of the Faith. He has no family now save the Order.

Vaelin’s father was Battle Lord to King Janus, ruler of the unified realm. Vaelin’s rage at being deprived of his birthright and dropped at the doorstep of the Sixth Order like a foundling knows no bounds. He cherishes the memory of his mother, and what he will come to learn of her at the Order will confound him. His father, too, has motives that Vaelin will come to understand. But one truth overpowers all the rest: Vaelin Al Sorna is destined for a future he has yet to comprehend. A future that will alter not only the realm, but the world.

©2013 Anthony Ryan (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Ryan is a new fantasy author destined to make his mark on the genre. His debut novel, Blood Song, certainly has it all: great coming-of-age tale, compelling character and a fast-paced plot. If his first book is any indication of things to come, then all fantasy readers should rejoice.” (Michael J. Sullivan, author of the Riyria Revelations series)

“Fans of broadscale epic fantasy along the lines of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series and George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire novels should find this debut much to their liking.” (Library Journal)

“Ryan hits all the high notes of epic fantasy - a gritty setting, ancient magics, ruthless intrigue, divided loyalties and bloody action.... [A] promising debut." (Publishers Weekly)

Great story. Okay narration. Bad language.

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

There are two things that would have influenced me to rate this audio book higher. 1. The book has some bad language. I feel swear words were used unnecessarily. 2. The narration was hard to follow during conversations between characters. After listening to several hours of the book I was still unable to pick who was speaking during conversations between two people because the narrator didn't change his voice in any way. Every character sounded the same.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I think the narrator should have used more inflection to his voice when speaking as different characters.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Blood Song?

I would not have cut any scenes from Blood Song, just the bad language.

Any additional comments?

Overall, I like the story. I loved the idea of the Orders and the world this author was able to create and portray. The bad language and poor narration are what weaken this audio book. I'm sad to read in the reviews of the sequel that the language gets worse... Sadly, I won't be listening to it because of that.

Great book!

I loved the story of Vaelin's young life. Very well done.
The portrayal of a young warrior of the faith is weirdly inspiring. Maybe it's because he's so humble and not blood thirsty. Great story.

Thought Provoking and Captivating

I really wasn’t sure about this novel at first since I listen to mostly romantic fantasy filled with magic and otherworldly creatures. However, from the beginning of this novel I was captivated by the narrator and the story of a young boy enveloped into his path to become a warrior. The plot is fantastic and the descriptions of the realm, the battles, and the environments are easy to visualize. The characters are thought provoking and interesting, while the politics and intrigue are captivating. I highly recommend this book, and hopefully soon the series.

Cool World Setup

Any additional comments?

I liked the world the author set up in this book. I enjoyed the different religious orders meant to serve the realm in different ways. I would have liked to have seen more detail given to characters' emotions and inner lives. I found myself wanting to know more about who they were, really. The author did a great job introducing characters I cared enough about to want to know more! I began to feel disconnected with the main character as the book progressed. That being said, it was a great read with a very cool world setup.

Fantastic new fantasy!

Would you listen to Blood Song again? Why?

Yes. The narration was wonderful, doing justice to an excellent new fantasy story. I am very likely to listen again prior to enjoying the second book of the series when it is released.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Vaelin al Sorna was an excellent tragaic hero.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the scene when just Vaelin and Nortah are not able to go to the festival. The scene when Vaelin realizes what is happening and he rushes to be there for this "brother" Nortah (despite their differences) is both moving and action packed.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was rather long, so I was unable to listen in one setting, but I did have difficulty in pausing the story when necessary.

Any additional comments?

This is a vast and truly epic tale. I hope the rest of the series lives up to the standards set so high with the first installment.

A pleasant surprise - very well done!

What about Steven Brand’s performance did you like?

Read with great skill and subtlety, excellent job.

Any additional comments?

To be honest this was an accidental purchase, and I thought I'd give it a chance before returning it. Yep, it is in the vein of Game of Thrones, but it stands just fine on its own, not at all the disappointment I expected it to be. Very well-written and engrossing, this book got better and better as it progressed and left me wanting more. I was ready to move on to the next entry in the series right away, and was sorry to see that it hasn't been released on audio yet. Will be on the lookout -

Excellent

Best read in a while! can't wait to read/listen to the others!! highly recommended to anyone enjoying epic coming of age stories!

Loved it

This is an excellent story that I could not put it down until finished. It has great character development and some nice twists of fate.

Very very good

I took a chance on this novel and it paid off big. I simply couldn't put this one down, if you like epic fantasy this is a must have.

great book, hard to tell who's talking.

Enjoyed the narrators voice, and diction, but many voices sound alike. The story was great and will be buying the next in the series.