Blood Song

Raven's Shadow, Book 1

By: Anthony Ryan

Narrated by: Steven Brand

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)

Complex but could be more compelling

This is a very detailed start to an epic series. The coming of age part is the strongest. I felt that after while the hero became practically superhuman, which made me less interested in him. There certainly were some great scenes and action sequences that kept me listening, but the whole didn't always come together. The narration was also good but not outstanding. It wasn't that easy to tell the various characters apart.

Maybe it's that I'm not as much of fan of military/macho fantasy, preferring some whimsy or humor, and more central female characters. I see there are some sequels coming but I don't feel compelled to listen to them.

Loved this Listen !!

If you could sum up Blood Song in three words, what would they be?

Very Good Listen!!

What did you like best about this story?

It kept my attention the entire time. I kept thinking it was going to end, and got more and more excited when it kept going. Very Happy with this Listen.

Have you listened to any of Steven Brand’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but will be looking into them.

Excellent story, mediocre narration

Loved the story! I would definitely recommend this book, however the narration is mediocre at best. Unclear transitions between characters and barely changing in inflection or tone made it difficult to keep track of the flow of conversation and thus, follow along with the story. It wasn't terrible by any means, however it wasn't as good as what I have come to expect from other narrated book series that are similar in genre.

A Wonderful and Sophisticated Story.

I’m an avid reader of fantasy and science fiction, who’s especially partial to novels whose plots and protagonists are valiant, militaristic, humorous, and philosophically nourishing — Blood Song kindly favored my partialities.
Overall, the novel is worthy of a solid 4.5-stars. And even though Steven Brand’s narration is dry and monotonous, it neither distracts nor detracts from Ryan’s well written story; it’s worthy of 4-stars (benchmarks being: RC Bray, Simon Vance, Tim G. Reynolds, et cetera).
I highly recommend Blood Song.
Note: It should be mandatory for every publishing company to place the utmost importance on pairing its talented authors with talented narrators. Too many great novels on Audible have been butchered by substandard narration.

Not sure if I missed things by getting distracted

But there seemed to be holes or leaps in the story that could only be partially filed in later with context and guesses. Sadly I can't trust myself or my ability to tune out distractions when listening to audiobooks to be sure.

Just What I Needed After Wheel of Time

Nearly 25 years ago I began the Wheel of Time, and after many restarts and retreads each time a new novel was released, I finally finished it this summer. I was relieved and heartbroken to finish it. I have read hundreds of novels over the years and none came close to eliciting the feelings that Wheel of Time did in me. After despairing that I would not find an enjoyable series, I stumbled upon this, and am hooked. I cannot wait to begin the next in the series. Anthony Ryan is a master author and Steven Brand does a marvelous job narrating. Do you not pass this one up!

Engaging Start of a Trilogy

This is the first book I've read from this author and I look forward to the rest of his trilogy. I will wait to pass a critical review until I've heard all three books.

Amazing epic

Great beginning to an epic... Can't wait to see how the story will evolve. I'd put this right up there with Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive series and The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Narrator was perfect.

Awesome

I loved the narrators voice alone. It was very soothing. The story, while a little slow in pace sometimes, was always compelling- pushing me forward.

Great book

Love it, definently was able to capture your attention with the whole level structure that it has going for it.