Raven’s Shadow
Raven’s Shadow — (2012-2016) Publisher: 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 ten 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.
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Blood Song by Anthony Ryan
I purchased Anthony Ryan’s Blood Song because it showed up in my Goodreads "recommended" list with a ton of 5-star reviews. I'm usually suspicious, however, when the reviews so overwhelmingly endorse the greatness of a book. Based on my experience with Blood Song, I was right to be suspicious.
While Blood Song is not horrible — I probably would've slid it 3 stars had I finished — I'm totally clueless as to how it earned so many 5-star reviews. Granted, I'm long past the age where I enjoy coming-of-age stories, if I ever did like them much. So maybe that's the reason I don't understand why Blood Song is getting so much love.
I read about 60% of the book, and it still seemed like it was in the prologue. I get that the harsh military training the characters endure is a big part of the story, but does... Read More
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Tower Lord by Anthony Ryan
Tower Lord, book two in Anthony Ryan’s RAVEN’S SHADOW trilogy, picks up where its predecessor, Blood Song, left off, with protagonist Vaelin Al Sorna returning to the Unified Realm following his capture and eventual victory in a duel in the Isles. King Malcius, who has succeeded King Janus to the throne of the Realm, proves to be a fairly weak ruler. Vaelin is eventually reunited with his sister Alornis and is named Tower Lord by King Malcius. Though he is battle-weary and sick of blood, as Tower Lord he is supposed to defend the Realm’s borders in the Northern Reaches. Unfortunately, Vaelin’s hopes of living a life of peace are shattered when both the Northern tribes and the Dark begin to make trouble again.
In... Read More
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Queen of Fire by Anthony Ryan
Warning: Will contain spoilers for previous books in the RAVEN’S SHADOW series
Anthony Ryan’s RAVEN’S SHADOW series follows the life of Vaelin Al Sorna and his comrades, from his childhood in the religious, militaristic 6th Order to his career as a general, commander, and practitioner of the Dark (magic). Queen of Fire, the third and final book of RAVEN’S SHADOW, brings the series to a conclusion that leaves much to be desired. Following the victory at Alltor orchestrated by Vaelin, Queen Lyrna, the new leader of the Unified Realm after the bloody assassination of her brother, proceeds to invade the Volarian Empire, which has been controlled by the Ally for centuries. At the same time... Read More
More by Anthony Ryan
Slab City Blues — (2012-2015) Each story stands alone. Publisher: The Slab. A vast orbiting slum where sweat falls in rain and the gene-spliced come in all shapes and sizes. Inspector Alex McLeod, recently suspended for excessive force and nurturing a growing addiction to bourbon, has been reduced to tending bar when an improbably beautiful vampire comes to him with a bizarre theory: there’s a killer on the Slab, a killer with a liking for recreating ancient myth, in bloody and spectacular fashion. But who exactly is this vampire, and how does she know so much? And what kind of killer can walk through security systems without a trace, leaving deadly traps for those hunting him? A Hymn to Gods Long Dead is a novella forming the third story in the Slab City Blues series. Each story can be read in isolation.
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Anthony Ryan writes fantasy, science fiction and non-fiction. He works full time as a researcher, has a degree in history, and lives in London.
