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Loading... Tower Lordby Anthony Ryan
![]() Books Read in 2014 (1,060) No current Talk conversations about this book. Never quite lived up to book one for me, which is/was a shame as I was really looking forward to it. Not enough pace and action for my liking. ( ![]() Like many others, I really liked Blood Song, but felt disappointed with Tower Lord. The sequel moved away from telling the story of Vaelin Al Sorna and the hardships shared with his brothers to battling dark and overwhelming forces invading the realm. The introduction of many new characters was okay, but the four POVs left the story disjointed in my opinion, although Ryan did bring them together in the end. The Vaelin segments were most interesting, particularly some of the scene with the Stone, the elders, and the wolf. Reva was a refreshing addition, and while Lyrna was good at times, she was less complex. Hopefully, she will become more interesting in the last of this trilogy. 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. 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 done and fun to read. "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 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. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to SeriesRaven's Shadow (2)
In Blood Song, Anthony Ryan introduced readers to "a fascinating world of conflicting religions and the wars fought in the name of those faiths" (Library Journal). Now Ryan's epic tale continues as Vaelin Al Sorna discovers that there is no escape from the call of destiny... "The blood-song rose with an unexpected tune, a warm hum mingling recognition with an impression of safety. He had a sense it was welcoming him home." Vaelin Al Sorna, warrior of the Sixth Order, called Darkblade, called Hope Killer. The greatest warrior of his day, and witness to the greatest defeat of his nation: King Janus's vision of a Greater Unified Realm drowned in the blood of brave men fighting for a cause Vaelin alone knows was forged from a lie. Sick at heart, he comes home, determined to kill no more. Named Tower Lord of the Northern Reaches by King Janus's grateful heir, he can perhaps find peace in a colder, more remote land far from the intrigues of a troubled Realm. But those gifted with the blood-song are never destined to live a quiet life. Many died in King Janus's wars, but many survived, and Vaelin is a target, not just for those seeking revenge but for those who know what he can do. The Faith has been sundered, and many have no doubt who their leader should be. The new King is weak, but his sister is strong. The blood-song is powerful, rich in warning and guidance in times of trouble, but is only a fraction of the power available to others who understand more of its mysteries. Something moves against the Realm, something that commands mighty forces, and Vaelin will find to his great regret that when faced with annihilation, even the most reluctant hand must eventually draw a sword. No library descriptions found. |
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![]() GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.92 — Literature English {except North American} English fiction Modern Period 2000-LC ClassificationRatingAverage:![]()
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