The Pariah

By: Anthony Ryan

Narrated by: Steven Brand

"A gritty, heart-pounding tale of betrayal and bloody vengeance. I loved every single word." —John Gwynne

The Pariah begins a new epic fantasy series of action, intrigue and magic from Anthony Ryan, a master storyteller who has taken the fantasy world by storm.
Born into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path - one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier's life in the king's army.

Fighting under the command of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman beset by visions of a demonic apocalypse, Alwyn must survive war and the deadly intrigues of the nobility if he hopes to claim his vengeance. But as dark forces, both human and arcane, gather to oppose Evadine's rise, Alwyn faces a choice: can he be a warrior, or will he always be an outlaw?

"This makes a rich treat for George R.R. Martin fans." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
For more from Anthony Ryan, check out: Raven's Shadow TrilogyBlood SongTower LordQueen of Fire Raven's Blade DuologyThe Wolf's CallThe Black Song The Draconis Memoria TrilogyThe Waking FireThe Legion of FlameThe Empire of Ashes

Critic reviews

“Gritty and well-drawn, this makes a rich treat for George R.R. Martin fans.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A gritty, heart-pounding tale of betrayal and bloody vengeance. I loved every single word."—John Gwynne

"A master storyteller."—Mark Lawrence

"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 on Blood Song

"[Blood Song] certainly has it all: great coming-of-age tale, compelling character and a fast-paced plot. If [Ryan's] first book is any indication of things to come, then all fantasy readers should rejoice."—Michael J. Sullivan on Blood Song

"Ryan hits all the high notes of epic fantasy--a gritty setting, ancient magics, ruthless intrigue, divided loyalties and bloody action."—Publishers Weekly on Blood Song

"A page-turner."—Booklist on Blood Song

"Readers who enjoy their fantasy fast and furious will find Ryan's latest to be an immensely satisfying, top-notch adventure fantasy."—Kirkus on Wolf's Call

"Robin Hobb meets Joe Abercrombie in a story that delivers so many gut-wrenching blows. This is fantasy with a totally legendary feel; it's epic in every regard."—Fantasy Book Review on The Wolf's Call

"[A] thrilling deep dive into fantasy warfare."—Publishers Weekly on The Wolf's Call

Great story, boring narrator

Great story and build up for the next book. The narrator is a bore though and has no emotion or distinction between characters

Great story poor language

I have always love Anthony Ryan’s story. Blood song is my all time favorite book. Ryan has descended in to the ever pervasive poor language that indicates a progressively ignorant society. I truly wish he could write his stories without f@#k in it. I won’t hold my breath.

Not robin hood or a soldiers story, just gritty Middle Ages

So many reviews talked about a story of Robin Hood turning into a soldier. This is a horrible simplification of the story. The story starts with outlaws who are ruthless and too smart to waste time robbing peasants. So think gritty realism, it’s what Ryan excels at.

Ryan also likes his stories to not be spells and sorcery. It’s more spiritual and heretical mysticism. Holy men and foreign witches. The protagonist is caught in some fate made by powers way beyond understanding. This fate has lots of twist and turns that you can’t predict. A story of outlaw cynicism meeting religious fanaticism. Kept me engaged the whole way through.

As for the narrator he excels at his style and it fits Ryan’s style. As others have pointed out he doesn’t change his voice too drastically to voice any character’s. Each is still unique, but he doesn’t change his pitch when voicing a man or woman, young or old. This story is written and read as a recounting by the protagonist. So it’s like a fearsome warrior is telling you his tale. For me it adds to the immersion.

Exceptional Story

The book is gripping, the author does an outstanding job building the world, crafting characters and moving the story constantly forward.

Great story. Beautiful use of language

The story is everything you’d expect from AR. The language and prose are gorgeous and captivating. The narrator has a raspy voice that takes just a little to get used to but this is easily overcome after an hour or so of training the ear. After that it becomes melodious.
I anxiously await the next book.