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    Blood Song
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    Blood Song
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    Blood Song
    Audiobook23 hours

    Blood Song

    Written by Anthony Ryan

    Narrated by Steven Brand

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    "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 ten when his father left him at the iron gate of the Sixth Order--a caste devoted to battle. 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-and Vaelin's rage at being deprived of his birthright knows no bounds. Even his cherished memories of his mother are soon challenged by what he learns within the Order.

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 2, 2013
    ISBN9781101625996
    Unavailable
    Blood Song
    Author

    Anthony Ryan

    Anthony Ryan was born in Scotland in 1970 but spent much of his adult life living and working in London. After a long career in the British Civil Service he took up writing full time after the success of his first novel Blood Song, Book One of the Raven's Shadow trilogy. He has a degree in history, and his interests include art, science and the unending quest for the perfect pint of real ale.For news and general wittering about stuff he likes, check out Anthony's blog at: http://anthonystuff.wordpress.com.

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    Reviews for Blood Song

    4/5

    551 ratings34 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I read this book because many people compared the author to Sanderson and Rothfuss, my two favourite authors. Having read it, I have to say that the only similarity with the Rothfuss books is the framing device of a story being told. That is similar, yes, but the reason I loved the Rothfuss-Books so much wasn't the framing. It wasn't even the story, which isn't that original. It was the language that really got me, and this book is in no way similar to that. So, in my eyes, the comparasions with Sanderson and Rothfuss hurt the book, as they raised my expectations.

      That being said, if you forced me at gunpoint to find comparasions with other books, I'd say it reminded me most of the Assassins Apprentice series, although it isn't quite as bleak. But I don't really need to find any comparasions, as this book stands quite well on its own.

      It has a good story. It has decent worldbuilding (again, not on the level of a Sanderson, but competent). It has a bit too many typos for my taste (I read the eBook, so it may be that I accidentally purchased an earlier version and that it has been improved with a later edition, but my version had a LOT of missing commata and incorrect spaces, something that bugs me more than it should and breaks my immersion for some reason. I hate my brain for being that anal about it, but I can't do anything about it).

      There were parts that made me laugh. There were parts that actually managed to make me sad, which is more than I can say of some other, supposedly triple-A books. I definitely did not regret reading the book, I will follow the series and the author, and I recommend this book. But please stop comparing it to Sanderson and Rothfuss. :)

      UPDATED after Re-read 08/16: After reading this book again, I liked it even more. I'm upping the rating to 5 stars, and would definitely recommend it. Don't go in expecting a Rothfuss, it's different in many ways, but this book doesn't require any comparisons - it stands very well on its own.
    • 5/5
      That was an amazing book
    • 5/5
      absolutely one of the best fantasy books I've ever read. couldn't put it down. read this book.
    • 2/5
      A page turner, but definitely on the schlocky side.
    • 5/5
      Fantastic. One of the best genre books I have read.

    • 5/5
      This is pretty good stuff. My only complaint is that the transitions in the voices and first to third person to express the different characters felt awkward at times. I'll read more by this guy for sure.
    • 5/5
      I heard the hype. I heard it a while ago and intended to read the book, but it sat on my to-read list for a really long dang time before I finally got around to it.

      I finally read the book. I loved it. It lived up to the hype. Book two is currently sitting on my reader waiting for me to get to it, and you know? I'm not in a big dang rush to read it. I think the first book stood alone pretty well without the crazy cliffhangers (The next morning, when she woke, she was blind EFF YOU kind of cliffhanger, ugh), and while I'm looking forward to reading it, I'm okay with letting it sit for a little longer to let the first book stew.
    • 4/5
      A great fast-paced, exciting read which I highly recommend. I thought the characters were well developed, the setting interesting, and the story was engaging.
    • 4/5
      There is a lot of depth to the book. It follows the main character throughout his life from childhood on. You discover the world through his experiences, slowly understanding more and more of the culture and fantasy elements. The entire book is full of excitement and suspense. It never gets slow and I found myself wanting to discover more. The author is very good at creating a vast, complex, and realistic environment. The characters are strong and individual, but lack complexity. In one way there were easy to understand, in other they were a bit cookie-cutter. Overall the book is fantastic and I loved every moment of it.
    • 4/5
      I found this book thru a contest being advertised here and clicked thru several of the entries people could vote for to check them out. This one had some steller reviews here and on Amazon and I went ahead and ordered a copy. This is the only one on the lists I bought though I already had a couple of the entries.

      I think it mostly lived up to the hype. Some of it is standard fanatasy fare. Some things that sets this apart for me is the somewhat effortless world building. The author is good at telling the story and weaving the world into it rather than telling about the world he has created witha story attached. But mostly the story, the story pulled me in and kept me turning the pages. A likelable main character that you want to succeed. Someone who you feel is the one of the good guys. Even if from the outside other people see him as something different, deadly, and a little scary.

      People who enjoy fanasy book with some good action will probably enjoy this one.
    • 5/5
      This is the first book in Ryan's trilogy and having seen so many reviews on Amazon for it, I thought to give it a try.I am glad I did. I really enjoy novels that start with a young man's coming of age rituals and training, like Eddings' Belgariad series started. Ryan creates an interesting world and places within it some darkness, that expands as we journey on. Our hero having some magical connections we are not sure of, but then too, there is magical within and without the kingdom he inhabits. It is further surrounded by linking the magic and differing religious philosophies along with bigotry against those who are of not ones own religion, as you might expect of a world that has less time for introspection by its members since they are too busy trying to make a living (thank goodness we have grown from a subsistence farming life.)There is plenty of action and excitement, and the political intrigue is there, in the background, but it is clear will play a part in the future of the trilogy. This is a very well crafted story.
    • 4/5
      I'm a sucker for a good coming of age fantasy story.
    • 5/5
      Pretty crazy read. I didn't care for the swearing, and I'm glad it wasn't over the top.

      I did not understand how the wolf fit into the magic system. Maybe I missed something, or it will be explained in the next book? And what's going on with Frentis there at the end? Also, I hated that Scratch died.
    • 5/5
      This book broke my heart. And that's okay. Every once in awhile you come across a story that you really aren't sure will end with a satisfying affirmation that all will be--eventually--right with the world. It's the mark of a great story teller to keep you invested in a tale even though you're not certain how it will end; that the hero might not survive. That good people might have died in vain. That sometimes the ends might not justify the means, and it doesn't matter because both just suck.It's depressing at times, but it's good storytelling. It's compelling narrative. And it's the mark of a ballsy writer. I can respect that.There were some grammatical and editing issues that were rather jarring and broke up the pace for me, but overall I could easily overlook these because everything else about this book was SO good. The pacing of the plot in particular was brilliant and every intricacy was eventually addressed, every question answered--even small things I didn't expect would be important later. I loved this story. I loved the characters. I loved the ending. This book completely knocked my socks off and I can't wait for the next one.
    • 4/5
      The story of Blood Song is about a young boy who trains and grows up to become a leader and one of the greatest warriors in the kingdom. It's a tried-and-true formula in epic fantasy which by all rights I should be sick to death of by now, but Anthony Ryan manages to pull it off and still make it feel like something new.Take how the book starts, for example, opening on an encounter between a scribe and a prisoner who is being transported across the sea to answer for his crimes. A duel to the death is the only end left for Vaelin al Sorna, also known as "Hope Killer". With such an epithet, you just can't help but wonder what manner of person this must be, but I was also intrigued by the prisoner's soft spokenness and eloquence, as well as the fact everyone seems to treat him with deference despite his chains.Vaelin's story is recounted by the scribe, a mode of storytelling which is not uncommon even outside of literature, but in this case it is deftly executed, providing a deeply immersive experience for the reader. As a child, the main character is sent to the Sixth Order to train in the martial ways of the Faith. It's a harsh life fraught with peril, while Vaelin and his peers are driven relentless by their instructors to learn everything from doctrine and history to survival methods or ways to wield a sword. Generally, I'm not a fan of this trope; personally, I find the training and "growing up" part of the hero's story is usually the most tedious, and I'm usually looking forward to getting it over with. So imagine my surprise when these sections of the book turned out to be the most rewarding aspect for me. I loved reading about Vaelin's experiences in the Sixth Order, especially some of the more challenging trials. I very much enjoyed the bonds he shared with his fellow brothers of the Faith, the fact that any conflicts between the boys are negated by the knowledge that they are all in this together. In fact, I liked this section a lot more than the later parts of the book, in which we see Vaelin go off to fight big battles and become embroiled in political plots and secretive magics. That's the kind of stuff I normally live for in my epic fantasy, so you can imagine just how much I enjoyed the first half of the novel for it to be my favorite part! Not that the second half is a slouch -- I think most people would find it more interesting, actually, but I couldn't help developing a soft spot for Vaelin back when he was just a boy and still retained some of his innocence towards the world.And yet, I have nothing but good things to say about the portrayal of Vaelin, or any of the characters, in all the stages of his life. The relationships forged early between him and his brothers continue to evolve as they face their hardships together, and when enemies become friends or friends become enemies, the transformations are both a surprise but also believable. Vaelin himself is good and honorable at his core, and his desire to transcend the expectations of his order and be a better person for those around him is an engrossing study into the themes of sacrifice, morals and personal beliefs. Highly recommended. I can just imagine the reactions of readers who picked this book up before it was bought by a major publisher. A gem like this doesn't come along very often, and I would say it stands out even on a shelf beside some of the major epic fantasy novels these days.
    • 2/5
      This book seems universally loved, but I'm feeling exhausted with epic fantasy these days and this one didn't really do anything that piqued my interest. It features a typical fantasy world, a someday-infamous warrior who's currently a frustrated kid, and a story focused on military, political, and religious happenings.

      People are comparing it to Name of the Wind, but aside from the "Let me tell you what REALLY happened" structure, I don't see that at all -- I think you'll like this book if you liked the Farseer or Night Angel trilogies, both which are also about guys stuck in rigidly structured lives of killing people and becoming increasingly depressed.
    • 3/5
      When empires collide, the man at the focal point gets crushed. Or does he? That's the question around which this saga turns, but to understand that formative moment in history, one first has to understand the formation of the man. Thus, Blood Song is A Hero In Training tale, reminiscent of Assassin's Apprentice or The Deed of Pakksenarion. Through it, we watch Vaelin Al Sorna's rise through the ranks of an elite combat training school, from the day his father abandons him at the gates of the Order, through his rise in ability and authority, and finally to his ultimate test, pinned to the pages of history, caught between two empires, and entangled in an ancient mystery. From the very first page, we are given the central question: can one man survive against these seemingly impossible odds?

      Well told and full of the kinds of adventures that make the Hero In Training story so compelling, I read Blood Song in one long day and thoroughly enjoyed it. There were however some stumbling points for me. The story is framed in a secondary tale of an older Vaelin recounting his personal history to a scribe. But I found it maddening that during the framing scenes, the scribe had no knowledge of some of the events we had just been told. This felt to me like a violation of the narrative premise and ripped me out of the story every time it happened. I also felt the organization of the last couple of chapters felt odd - again, violations of the narrative premise. If the scribe is gone, then who is narrating the last chapter? And if the answer is Vaelin, then who is he now talking to? For many, these problems are likely invisible, but to me, they point out the risks of complicating the narrative structure.

      Bottom line: a good read, with some minor structural flaws.
    • 4/5
      I totally enjoyed this one. Waiting for the rest. Surprisingly enough, I was surprised at the last chapter, and usually, that's hard to do. One complaint, although it didn't really make me enjoy the story any less, is the fight with the champion. This guy is supposed to be the best swordsman in the world, and he gets the sword knocked out of his hand before the fight even truly begins because he was holding it wrong? Really? Did I miss something here?
    • 3/5
      Vaelin is the son of the Battle Lord, given to the Sixth Order of the Faith where he learns how to fight and kill without remorse for the sake of their Faith. He goes through adventures and mysteries surrounding the kingdom and the hidden Seventh Order and the blood-song.

      This book is remarkably similar to Sherwood Smith's Inda series - but I would actually say it compares less favorably. The greatest weakness of this book is the dialogue. Most of the story is told in an limited third person, centered on Vaelin's perspective. So most of the story is actually description and what's going on in his head. But the sparse dialogue is so stilted and unbelievable, I kept wincing every time the characters talked. You can tell what kind of character the author is trying to portray, but it fails miserably in selling it realistically.

      I also didn't like the characters for the most part probably because the author can't seem to figure out if the character is an anti-hero or a hero. Does he get slowly tainted by committing acts against his moral code and become a true anti-hero? Sort of, kind of, some what, not really. It's never really clear as he keeps committing anti-hero acts with a hero mindset and it never gets any clearer despite the lengthiness of the novel. He doesn't learn or change or grow. He stays the same the whole time playing this strange duality of being the "noble" hero in mindset but committing anti-hero acts. That's bothersome to me because it means the author doesn't really know how to portray his character. In the end, it doesn't make the character likable at all.
      He doesn't learn from his mistakes (listening to his magic, sharing information, and the list goes on) - it's very frustrating. I don't believe the author did a good job fleshing them out - even Vaelin for all the text devoted to him. I didn't get a clear sense of what kind of person each character is. For example, Vaelin was pushed to be a leader and a commander, but he never truly takes charge except for a few pithy words. That could be the fault of the weak dialogue, but I also believe it's poor characterization.

      The author also didn't establish the world and its inhabitants clearly. I'm used a ton of names and races and countries thrown around (via Inda and Game of Thrones), but each race seemed to just blur together with no description to anchor them into memory. Poor world building technique. The world has potential, even though I've seen similar worlds before - nothing that new to rave about.

      I also found the magic system interesting and I was disappointed of how little the author expanded on it. Most of the story was hack and slash fighting, which I found myself skimming through to get to understanding more of his magic.... and found myself disappointed.

      The love interest was as expected and quite boring, but that's alright. Every book needs its romance.

      There were also a lot of loose ends, which is expected because it's only the first book. But some mystery or confusion should be attributed more to clumsy writing than intrigue or build up for the next book.

      This book attempts to be an epic fantasy by pulling the reader through a barrack of warrior-priests, kingdoms, and warfare in a different country. I think it's more sloppily done than epic. But there are very nice moments with a plot that does carry you into interesting situations.

      Three stars because it's a decent read. Nothing to scream about, but worth perusing if you're not too strapped for time. Recommended for those who prefer longer novels with a host of characters and countries. Don't expect another Game of Thrones though.
    • 4/5
      This was a good story everything just seemed to fall into place. The plot, characters and a decent pace for the story line. Will be going to the next one soon
    • 5/5
      Great book very good world building. Looking forward to next book.
    • 5/5
      Another great fantasy read. Well paced with excellent characterisation, it's one of those novels you feel a little sad to have finished - always a sign of a good read. I'm off to find the sequel.
    • 3/5
      Didn´t like it - was okayish :/
    • 4/5
      A really good start to a modern fantasy trilogy! The beginning isn't all that unusual. A young man (not an orphan!) is sent to a military style academy to learn sword skills and to learn how to serve his Empire. He gradually turns into an exceptional student and things get very interesting as he approaches graduation. The empire is ruled with an iron fist by a King who turned a small kingdom into a greater one by conquering and uniting, but will the kingdom stand when he's gone? Good plot, strong characters and a good setting. There are many of the usual sword-and-sorcery components here, but put together in a fresh way. Good stuff.
    • 4/5
      Mooi eerste boek van een serie.

      Goed geschreven met 'echte' personages en een wereld waarin je kan geloven. De namen van de personages zijn op een uitzondering na wat lastig, maar daar is wel over heen te komen.

      In dit boek, dat als een soort 'flash-back' is geschreven, waarin de protagonist een geschiedkundige zijn levensverhaal verteld.

      Misschien geen echt grote literatuur, of diepdoordachte thema's, maar gewoon goed.

      Dit verhaal doet me verlangen naar meer van deze schrijver. Gelukkig volgen er nog een paar boeken.
    • 5/5
      A fresh take on faith, life beyond death and how simple truths create a myth and a faith...a faith that takes on a new life, new meaning, new intolerances and forges empires. But beyond it all lies a tale of brotherhood, camaraderie and adventure to keep you listening for hours to come
    • 4/5
      The book starts with grown and captured Vaelin Al Sorna who tells his story to a historian of the enemy, before he is to fight in a duel where he is sentenced to die.

      Abandoned as a child by his father at the gate of the Sixth Order of the Faith, which is sort of a military monastic order. The boys go through brutal training and not all of them survive it. Vaelin emerges as a leader of the group and becomes the most feared and greatest warrior known as the Hope Killer.

      The book starts where it ends which was nice touch and while you knew what would happen, you will still wonder how it became and how he turned out the way he did.

      There’s lot of people in the book and at first I was really lost who was who (even if there’s character list in the end) and trying to keep them sorted. The book starts little slow part when it picks up, it really picks up! Makes you glad you didn’t give up in the beginning.
      The time when the boys were training was interesting and it showed what molded them when they were growing but it felt at times like it went on forever.

      I wish it was better explained in what time we were. At times it suddenly jumped years ahead and you realize that Vaelin isn’t 15-year old kid anymore. Made it confusing but that’s my only major complain about the book.

      I liked Vaelin and it was interesting to see him growing up. He’s not entirely good but he’s not entirely bad either. I’m curious to see if he will meet his father in later books because there’s some unfinished business there.

      The book ended too soon and I really wanna get my hands on the next one!
    • 3/5
      So, it was okay. I am glad that [[Anthony Ryan]] did not spend too much time on the whole "training school" thing - that it moved along. I'm honestly kinda tired of the teenage protagonist at some training academy for . However, the plot moved on fairly quickly, for which I was grateful. I liked the interludes from the second (future) perspective, and that there was essentially a single narrator.

      The language got coarser as the main character got older, the violence was fairly graphic and pervasive. The sex, which there wasn't that much of, generally took place off screen. That said, I'm not necessarily sure it's a teen friendly book.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Our story begins with the imperial historian accompanying the recently captured Hope Killer, a hated enemy soldier named Vaelin with a fierce reputation, to his trial by combat. While on the ship, the scribe convinces Vaelin to impart his life story, from his childhood as a kind of warrior monk, through his days serving his king, to his ultimately failed campaign against the scribe's country. It's hard to tell exactly what Vaelin tells him, as the chapters are presumably the actual story, but the scribe's comments in between suggest he's hearing something less than the whole truth.There is a whole lot of worldbuilding to slog through here. Even the days of the week have special names that are not obviously days (in that they sound a lot like the country names and even some of the people names). But if you stick with it, things more or less come into focus, though I still had trouble keeping a lot of the proper names (countries, people, etc.) straight even at the end. This is, in a sense, a detailed biography of a High Fantasy character rather than a plot-driven story. In fact, the plot is fairly murky, with the threads of international politics, Vaelin's blood song, the mysterious demons of the possibly-fictional 7th Order, and Vaelin's journey from child to famed general sort of sloshing around with each other and none reaching any kind of climax or resolution. It feels untidy and a bit chubby, like a whole bunch of dawdling scenes could have been cut without losing the flow.It's not a bad read, just overlong and doesn't really go anywhere. There are some weird time jumps at the end that leave Vaelin's future uncertain (and not in an exciting cliffhanger kind of way). There's a good chance that all the loose ends are tied up over the course of the rest of the trilogy, but I find I prefer a tighter story than presented here, and I have no reason to believe the story would become more streamlined over time. In short, if you're looking for a fantasy world to dive into without a map or guide, you might enjoy this one, but if you're looking for a solid story, this book does not stand on its own.A note on the copy editing: I've often said that if you don't know how to use a semicolon, you should just leave them all out. I had not anticipated a 575-page novel so chock full of comma splices. It was hard to keep up a good reading rhythm because every couple sentences I'd have to go back and pick apart the clauses. Hopefully this is fixed in the next edition.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      There is just nothing special enough about “Blood Song” to hold its own against all the other good fantasy books that are currently out there (above-mentioned just some of them). The prose is little more than utilitarian (Ryan uses far too many comma splices in his writing for my taste) and the book just doesn't live up to the fuss. There is no other way to say it.