Review: "Blood Song" by Anthony Ryan

I finished "Blood Song" by Anthony Ryan yesterday. The first novel in his "Raven's Shadow" series, it's... just... wow.

Okay, I know what you're thinking: you're thinking with names like "Blood Song" and "Raven's Shadow" this is some kind of Dungeons and Dragons knockoff series.

Sure, there's a few tropes, but this book is nothing if not pure awesome.

Vaelin Al Sorna is handed over by his father to the Sixth Order of the Faith in his homeland. Trained to be an utter badass holy warrior, he starts to learn all kinds of crazy stuff. Turns out his dad was someone kind of important. His mom was a big deal too. And Vaelin himself has some serious stuff going on in his own life.

The novel is told over the passing of years, interspersed with interludes that make most of it a flashback.

I'll be honest, I found myself dizzy with the details of his world and the range of things going on. I found the protagonist, Vaelin, to be interesting and engaging. The magic is a fascinating thing and the world cultures were intriguing. The characters had me hooked across-the-board and there's certainly no shortage of action.

Apparently there's more books pending (the series is named "Raven's Shadow", after all).

I can't recommend this novel enough. If you doubt me (and I would doubt me...), check out the Amazon reviews.