Tower Lord

"The best way to avoid a trap," the Shield said, "is to kill the bastard who made it before he gets a chance to set it."

A very interesting read. While the first book concentrated on one character, this book switched between a number of characters, and did so quite well. All the characters had meaningful development over the course of the book, and I liked most of them pretty well, although Reva was probably my favourite.

The way not only the bad people™ but everyone, including the protagonists, committed war crimes left right and center was risking alienating me, but they somehow pulled it off while still retaining some of my respect for the protagonists.

All in all, I can't wait for the third book to come out. Usually, I would give show more this one 4.5 stars and round down, but as it is a comparatively new author, and as the book engaged me quite well, I'll round up to five stars this time. show less

I know everyone is wondering: Is this as awesome as Blood Song? I had a hard time comparing because the formats are so different. But...
Here it is, I’ll say it early for anyone with a short attention span: this is great book in its own right. For me, it may not have had quite the same addictive quality, the kind that keeps me reading way too late at night, and compels me to pick right back up too early in the morning, that I had with Blood Song, but honestly, I read maybe two books a year that achieve that. Not to say I don’t stay up too late reading with many others (this one included), it’s just not quite as furtive of a need. And I don’t know if I have ever had it happen with a book that has multiple POVs.

That’s right. If show more you haven’t already heard, the book is not centered on Vaelin. He’s still a central figure in the overall story arc, but every page in the book is not devoted to solely his perspective and plights. Tower Lord is broken into five parts, each of with starts with a Verniers entry, which are all great fun. I’m honestly not sure if I appreciated Verniers as much in the Blood Song as I should have and as I did in this one. Perhaps because I was so anxious to continuously read about Vaelin, and the journal entries were the only intermissions I had from that. But this time, I definitely fully appreciated Verniers’ wry wit.

In addition to Vaelin, we get POV chapters from 2 familiar characters from Blood Song: Frentis and Lyrna. And then we also get a new character with a POV, Reva. The four POVs, paired with Vernier’s journal entries, give the reader a great opportunity to see a much clearer picture of the overall story. And understand the movement of battle from all fronts in addition to the different people and cultures involved. I think it also leant a stronger air of anticipation as you experience the trials of all involved across the land. I was also quite appreciative of the maps in Tower Lord. I don’t too often find myself referencing maps, but in this one, with the story so spread out, so many characters on the move, I often would flip to them for reference.

Reva was an interesting addition. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure I was going to like her in the beginning. I started having flashbacks of Renna from The Daylight War and was quite concerned Reva’s character might go in that direction (for those not familiar, I found Renna to be grating and a distraction). I am quite happy to say it did not. Not at all. I am actually quite a fan of Reva and really liked seeing her character growth through the book. She was faced with loyalty issues that challenged her to reevaluate her Faith as it had been taught to her versus how she believes Faith should be. In addition to that, she also becomes critical to the story in ways I’d rather you read for yourself to find out.

I remember a while back, some fellow fantasy fans, either on twitter or a forum, using the term ‘siege porn’ (probably in regard to The Red Knight by Miles Cameron). Seven hells, if you are looking for an incredible, down and dirty, gritty ‘siege porn’ fix, then look no further. Some truly great siege action in this one!

My only real disappointment in the book is that at the end of Blood Song, I was quite curious about Caenis, and am sad to say he is not really featured in Tower Lord. However, I am consoled by the fact that it seems he will be again (he is mentioned. We know he’s out there still). I would love to have Caenis POVs in future books, but since I still really enjoyed this one, I can’t really complain either. It just gives me something to look forward to.

If you enjoyed Blood Song, by all means, you have to read this. I think the strengths of this book are different than Blood Song, but it works so well. Blood Song was the coming of age story of Vaelin and setup for the grander story. This book gives you a much clearer picture of the impressive scale of the conflict, introduces you to more characters. And it has siege porn! And prepare yourself. The first thing you will want to do you finish reading this, is look to find out when the next book is going to be released! Absolutely brilliant ending that leaves you both satisfied and on the edge of your seat for what happens next. Loved it. show less

There are a number of sequels coming out this year with big shoes to fill, and not the least of them is Tower Lord which is the follow up to the sensation that was Anthony Ryan’s Blood Song. While this second installment might not pack the kind of punch its predecessor did, I nonetheless enjoyed the book immensely. It’s a very different novel than the first book, with a shift in style, focus, and character perspectives, and yet it still has all the elements that we epic fantasy fans live for.

In book one, we met Vaelin Al sorna, a brother of the Sixth Order and one of the greatest warriors the world has ever known. Coming home from a bloody war, he has sworn to fight no more, instead focusing his efforts on seeking any of his show more relatives that might still live. Named Tower Lord of the Northern Reaches by the new monarch, Vaelin has the noble thought perhaps naïve dream of living out his life in peace and quiet, for news of his exploits (and his crimes) have spread far and wide and those who know of his mysterious gift that guides him will not let him rest.

Anthony Ryan also adds several more point-of-view characters to the mix in Tower Lord, which I was glad to have been prepared for, as Vaelin no longer takes center stage. Instead, he shares the book with mainly three others: Reva, a young woman who begins this journey with hate for Vaelin in her heart and an unquenchable thirst for revenge; Princess Lyrna, sister to the new king and who possesses more strength and resolve than her brother ever would; and finally, Frentis, a familiar face from Blood Song, though he has been changed from his years of being held captive by the Untesh and being forced to fight in the slave pits.

Having been aware of this new format, with the chapters cycling through the character viewpoints, I had expected and prepared myself for the slower start. Indeed, with more characters to follow this time around, the author takes much more time to set the stage for the events in this book. And I have to confess it didn’t quite grab my attention right away. It was a pleasant journey through the first half of the novel to meet new faces or to catch up with old friends, but on the whole Tower Lord lacked a certain quality that made Blood Song the dangerously addictive and immersive read it was right off the bat.

However, I don’t think this makes Tower Lord a weak sequel. On the contrary, in fact. This second book is stronger than book one in many ways, not only because it expands the scope of the series by giving us multiple character perspectives and opening up the wider world, but it also showcases Ryan’s talents as a storyteller. He’s proven himself as an author who can write a very diverse and convincing cast of characters while maintaining a steady level of suspense and interest in all spheres of action, building intensity as he moves all the pieces into place for when things really start rolling.

Quite simply, Tower Lord is a totally different beast. And it’s just hard not to compare a sequel to what came before. It comes down to personal taste, and admittedly, Blood Song and I hit it off much faster. I had myself this experience with a couple other sequels this year; they were all excellent novels, but thematically they just worked slightly less for me. In this case, it’s hardly a surprise. Blood Song began with Vaelin Al Sorna as a young boy, entering the Sixth Order and a huge chunk of the book was dedicated to his training, the relationships he forged with his brothers, and his eventual rise to greatness. It was my favorite part of the novel. And come on, we all know how tough it is beat a good coming-of-age story.

The first book was absolutely a tough act to follow, I know. But all things considered, Tower Lord is a wonderful follow-up that might even appeal more to other readers, especially those who preferred the parts with “grown-up” Vaelin from the first book. I mentioned one of the things I liked about the “young” Vaelin’s chapters was his relationship with his fellow Sixth Order brothers, and it’s incredibly fascinating to see how those dynamics have changed over time. Brother Frentis was a huge surprise for me in this one. Thinking about all the terrible things that has been through and how they’ve affected him, it almost makes his story more interesting to me than Vaelin’s. I’m also impressed by Ryan’s female characters, and the energy and conviction he was able to put behind Reva and Lyrna, two women who are not afraid of setbacks and will fight for what they believe in.

In the end, it’s definitely the characters who made this such a great read. I absolutely adore the new additions. The characters make things happen, set things in motion, and while the first half of this book might have lagged a little, the same cannot be said about the second half, and the final quarter was pure action bliss. Does it take a bit of investment to get to this point? Yes. But totally worth it. Love the intricate magical elements and political entanglements that made the finale such an edge-of-your-seat ride. Anthony Ryan really tied things together and delivered.

I hope when we next meet Vaelin and whoever Ryan decides to let us be acquainted with next time (assuming he once again chooses this multiple POV character format) in the third book Queen of Fire, we’ll be able to jump right into the action. The slower build-up at the beginning held this book back a little, in my opinion, so I can’t say I enjoyed this book more or even as much as Blood Song, but the difference is very close. And I’m not disappointed at all. If you enjoyed the first book, there’s absolutely no reason at all not to pick this up and continue the epic journey. show less

http://tinyurl.com/jckedb2

Oh, Mr. Ryan, you did what with the last three words of this 2nd part in the trilogy?? I bow to your unending brilliance.

Mostly because for the rest of the volume, I thought half the time "ooh, this is interesting" and the other half of the time "meh, who cares". As befits part 2 of 3, Ryan has modified his format to include other protagonists - three more, in fact. In addition to Vaelin (who has a slightly smaller story than the others), we hear accounts from Lyrna, Frentis and (someone new) Reva. I admit to being completely confused by this to begin with - we start with Reva, so I was super frustrated that he was taking a different tack, and concerned that I'd never hear from Vaelin again. Once I let the show more story unfold - about a quarter of the book - this got easier to handle. But I never really got over my irritation at the change in format and what amounted to a series of battle descriptions. After a while, those get damn boring.

Especially because, well, you know that Vaelin is going to win! And all of his comrades are going to win, too. There's one decent surprise in the middle but otherwise the story doesn't have a lot of twists and turns. I did appreciate the detail of the siege, Lyrna's ruminations on what it takes to be royalty, and also the strange churning of the relationship between Frentis and the Lady in Red (that's just what I call her in my head; she doesn't have a name).

It's obvious I'll read that final chapter, and it's already on hold with baited breath. And not just because of that ending (he'll figure a way to free our protagonist, I have no fear) but because he has woven a complex world and I need to see how he unravels it. show less

This review is for the complete Raven's Shadow trilogy , by Anthony Ryan (Blood Song; Tower Lord; Queen of Fire).

I enjoyed it a lot...

The first book is a coming of age story told from the point of view of Vaelin al Sorna, as he grows up as a brother of the Sixth Order. That's an order of warriors monks who serve the Faith and the Realm, in that order. It's a training novel, and the training is absolutely brutal, resulting in the death of a good number of the young trainees. Vaelin himself grows up to be an extraordinary warrior with a mystical ability. You have to understand that this is a heroic story, and the main characters are extremely skilled. However, he does not seem overpowered because the challenges he faces always keep him show more as the underdog. the novel is very readable and the supernatural elements are intriguing and original.

Then, in the second and third books, the style changes to multiple points of view. Three new point of view characters are introduced, with the story told from the perspective of one of them in each chapter. I have seen that the reviews are mixed for these books. The first one met with almost universal acclaim, while the second and particularly the third got mixed reviews. I think that this is somewhat unfair. People liked Vaelin and wanted more of him, but the storylines of the other three point of view characters are quite interesting too. But it's true that some of the style and personality of the first book gets diluted into a more generic epic fantasy. I think that many readers found the sudden change from single to multiple points of view a bit jarring. Also, the author makes the choice to keep Vaelin away from many of the greatest battles. In a story like this, we want our greatest hero kicking ass, but a lot of the time, particularly in the third book, Vaelin is involved in a quest that is equally important but removes him from the war.

Anyway, the supernatural enemies are original and menacing, and the story is epic, even if the final war in the third book is sometimes anticlimactic. show less

A worthy follow-on to Blood Song. This picks up almost immediately after the events of Blood Song. Vaelin al-Sorna, master swordsman and warrior has been 'banished' to the position of Tower Lord. Without saying it, the King knows that Vaelin is too popular and too powerful to leave around the capital. There are always layers on top of layers to the King's plans though, so there's more than one reason he's been sent to the frontier.
There are a couple of other plot lines introduced in this book, which for me lowered my impression of it a little, but all of the new characters are excellent. Like the first, this is well written and well thought out. Best of all, it is book two of a completed trilogy. Imagine that, a completed series!

Well show more done and fun to read. show less

I thoroughly enjoyed **Tower Lord** (second volume of *Anthony Ryan's* Raven's Shadow series). It's good fantasy, with a careful mix of known elements (the weary hero who is always right, the young fighting gutter princess, the clever queen, superstitions everywhere, evil religion, good agnostics, magic coming true, prophecies, etc), but mixes it up sufficiently that the story arc is never completely clear. We get good character development on two major and a couple of minor fronts, and I enjoyed how the pieces came together in the end. Even though it's no high literature, I'm looking forward to the conclusion.