I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

I love Anthony Ryan's books and while this wasn't my favorite Vaelin Al Sorna book it was very good. I think I would have liked a little more story and a little less epic battles. The Darkblade is a truly terrifying villain that holds his own against Vaelin.

I was not a fan of the cover when I first saw this book but the synopsis intrigued me. I am so happy I went with my gut and gave this book a try. I love a good fantasy read and this is an amazing start to a series I can not wait to devour. This book was full of nonstop action. A must read!

Read as an eARC from Netgalley.

I was beyond excited to hear that there was going to be a continuation of one of my favorite fantasy series in recent times. I originally came across [author:Anthony Ryan|5804101]'s <i>Raven's Shadow</i> trilogy on Audible when I was looking for something new to listen to on my commute. About a third of the way into [book:Blood Song|13569581] I realized that this was a spectacular book that turned into a spectacular trilogy.

<i>The Wolf's Call</i> starts a few years after the events of the previous trilogy and puts us right back into the familiar boots of Vaelin Al Sorna, serving as Tower Lord in the North to the Queen of Fire. A confluence of dreams and mysterious messengers from the East lead him to abandon his post and travel to a far off empire to face an old foe with a new face.

In this book, Ryan expands his already large and diverse world with a Chinese-empire inspired land beset by Mongol-inspired nomadic horsemen invaders. As is typical in epic fantasy, we are introduced to a slew of new characters and ideas, but many of them are enriched with deep motivations and the vivid worldbuilding Ryan as done.

It probably does not need to be said that I very much enjoyed returning to Al Sorna's world and spending the whole book back in his head. Highly recommend <i>The Wolf's Call</i> to all fans of the <i>Raven's Shadow</i> trilogy and highly recommend that trilogy to all epic fantasy fans.

I've been a fan of Anthony's work for a long time. He really hit the Speculative Fantasy scene with a bang with his first novel Blood Song. Well.... HE'S BACK! Vaelin Al Sorna that is and he is definitely older now. His naivety is long gone. One of the best things about these characters is that they are extremely dynamic. I know there are many people who were unhappy with the way things were wrapped up in "Queen of Fire," but while it wasn't my favorite of the three, I still enjoyed it well enough. I hope that those who were first drawn into Ryan's world that may have reservations about starting this Duology give it a chance. Many of the storylines which were not wrapped up in the previous trilogy are now at the forefront. Plus, we get to see the Merchant Kings lands!! Ryan's action-packed scenes are extremely well-written and possess the right amount of grit to be truly believable.

I really enjoyed the POV of a new character named Luralyn (but had a lot of difficulty with the italicized type!). She provides context behind the rise of the antagonist, much in the same way Vernier did in "Blood Song." I really like this format Ryan uses as it humanizes all sides of the coming conflict and adds a depth to the characters that I often find lacking in other Author's works. His level of world-building is really on point as well. World-building and character development are the two most important aspects for a 5-star review (in my literary bubble at least). Anthony Ryan does an amazing job with both here. Though I really missed Reva, her ward made for an interesting new character. I can't say I missed the absence of Lorna though! With a few old favorites and a bit of new blood, the rag-tag bunch of misfits that set out on this new journey will keep you entertained for sure.

4.5 / 5 ✪

Upon my request being approved a month ago, the first thing I did was download the book and skim the first few chapters. The first features an account from someone else—like it did in Blood Song—then sticks to Vaelin like glue. By this time I was more cautiously optimistic, if guarded.

I finished the book on Saturday. And it was a total surprise: I loved it. Not as much as Blood Song, as Wolf’s Call is not without its faults, but they are few enough in number that the story itself can make up for them. I really loved this book. It was great. But when I started this review I noticed an unwillingness to recommend it a 100%. It’s not anything to do with the ending (there’s a bit of a cliffhanger), the pacing (it could be better), or the lack of Vaelin’s song (remember, he lost it). It’s because of Tower Lord.

The Wolf’s Call is set years after the events of Queen of Fire. The Volarians defeated, their lands now in possession of the Unified Realm, the Queen of Fire—Lyrna—now rules over them with an iron fist. But the queen is away, touring the Volarian Empire. So when there is unrest in the Realm, her Tower Lord departs to deal with it. Vaelin Al Sorna is greatly changed from the boy we first met in Blood Song. He has lost friends, lovers, a child, his song, and more besides. He is different, but not so much. And when whispers come from across the sea—a living god, an unstoppable army, a mustering Darkness, Vaelin’s once lover, Sherin—he departs to confront them. Though Vaelin may not wish to see another war, he will not abandon any of his own to such a fate without a fight.

…

I mean, it sounds good.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the return of Vaelin Al Sorna. I think his character development, as well as Nortah’s, is key to the success of the Wolf’s Call. There are a few other returning characters—Sherin, Ahm Lin, etc—but none others that were featured in every book in the original trilogy like the Sixth Order brothers. The secondary characters definitely helped, but in the end, it’s all about Vaelin. His story guides the plot in Wolf’s Call in a way not seen since Blood Song. While I enjoyed the world, the overarching plot and to a lesser extent the setting, the story’s real triumph is its characters. And say what you want about the Raven’s Shadow—but its character development and depth were top notch. I’m happy to report that this carries over quite well.

There’re but a few issues I have with it. I’ve mentioned the future, the pacing, a cliffhanger, the setting—I’ve nothing much more to say about them. The future I can’t control; the pacing’s not too much of an issue, more an annoyance; I don’t care for cliffhangers in general. The book is set in the Venerable Kingdoms, which are pretty much just Dynastic China complete with their own Steppe and Mongol Horde. I mean, it’s obviously China and Mongolia and whatnot, but the author has made an attempt to flesh it out on his own rather than cutting and pasting everything. I would’ve liked to see more of an effort in terms of culture and influence and stereotype, but whatever. It’s hardly anything to ruin the entire book. It’s just a bit disappointing.

The biggest issue I had was that sometimes, more than a little, it feels like Ryan is forcing it. Like he’s forcing everything to go through Vaelin. That’s the issue with having a single primary character. In the first Raven’s Shadow, he told Vaelin’s story. In subsequent books, he split the story between other characters to expand and tell a story about the world. Now, I didn’t enjoy it, but I know why the author chose to do it that way. In the Wolf’s Call, it seems like he’s trying to tell the story of the world, but through Vaelin alone. Meaning that Al Sorna has to be everywhere for everything, and central to every event. And it’s making him feel… stretched thin. And somewhat unrealistic.

And that’s it. That’s my biggest issue with the text. I mean, yeah—I’d definitely buy it. Hardcover, straight-up. And I’m usually pretty cheap. I always loved Blood Song because it could be read on its own, as a single tale. The Wolf’s Call, instead, definitely will connect directly to its sequel. Now I don’t know what that will be. It might be another Tower Lord or Queen of Fire. But, as I said before, I’m cautiously optimistic.

Anthony Ryan continues Vaelin's adventures as he travels to rescue a woman whom he admired and find himself embroiled in war, murder and witchcraft. Vaelin has legendary fighting skills but they may not be enough to get him out of this fight. Fantasy adventure with well rounded characters.

This epic fantasy novel is a new series by author Anthony Ryan, starring Vaelin al Sorna, a character from a previous series. While Ryan's existing readers will have much more background to draw upon, new readers won't be lost if they start with this novel. There's enough meat in here to satisfy fantasy and sword and sorcery readers.

Vaelin Al Sorna is a Tower Lord, serving a queen and training his niece, Ellese, in the art of archery. He learns that there's is trouble brewing in the Western territories; a vicious army led by a man who believes he is a god - and so do his followers - is slaughtering thousands on his quest to godhood, and somehow, Sherin - a former love - has gotten herself in the middle of this. Al Sorna set sail for the realm of the Merchant Kings, gathers an army, and heads toward Kehlbrand, the man who would be a god. He calls himself the Darkblade, which is a bit of a sticking point; Al Sorna is also known as the Dark Blade. Kehlbrand's army is threaded with specially-gifted individuals that will make the battle even more deadly - Al Sorna's going to need allies.

I didn't even realize there was an existing Al Sorna series before I read The Wolf's Call, and didn't feel like I missed out. The character development led me to believe that there were existing relationships between characters, but I didn't feel like I lacked information at all; context gave me all the background I needed to power through this excellent fantasy epic. The worldbuilding is thorough and the action is fast-paced and brutal. The characters are fully formed and complex, and fantasy readers are going to love this new series.

"The Wolf's Call" is an epic fantasy novel. This is the first novel I've read by this author and it's the first in a new trilogy, but Vaelin has already been in battle all over the western continent in a previous trilogy. Details and outcomes that were needed to understand this story were "spoiled" in this book, so you may wish to start Vaelin's story at it's beginning. I'll also mention that the author ended this book with the main characters still in immediate danger and distress, which I didn't find a satisfying way to end hours of tense reading.

The novel started off with the first part of a three part narrative by the sister of the main enemy. She described how her brother came to power and made himself into a living "god" to his fanatical army. Deft world-building quickly brought the culture alive in my imagination without slowing the touching story of how she came to love her brother then came to see how dangerous and manipulative he was. When we switched to Vaelin, the first part was mostly showing what he was like, what had become of some of the main characters that he'd previously fought with, and to add a few new companions. It took a little to get him into constant danger, running from one battle to the next.

I enjoyed the story up to 95% of the way through, and then it all fell apart for me as I lost my willingness to suspend disbelief. I'll be vague as possible. Waves of soldiers were dying by the thousands, creating a pile of bodies. Then a single rider raced his horse at the pile of bodies. In real life, that horse is going to trip and fall. In the story, it bulldozed through the pile and cleared a path. Whoa. You just completely, utterly lost me. I simply couldn't get back into the story after that. Add ending with a cliffhanger, and I wasn't left feeling very positive about the book.

The "magic" in this world shows up as random Gifts that people are born with, things like seeing visions of the future or living for centuries or the ability to create and toss fire balls. There was sex but no sex scenes. There was some bad language (mostly b**** and f***).

So, many years ago when I was first starting out the site, I stumbled upon an absolutely incredible self-published book called Blood Song, by Anthony Ryan. The book was, and is, one of my favorite reads, and it rapidly gained a following before being picked up for publication. It became a massive success in the genre and everyone was clamoring for more. However, when Ryan released the second (Tower Lord) and third (Queen of Fire) books in the trilogy they were met with mixed reactions. I talk a lot about the controversy surrounding the books in this ancient (in relative terms) post here. Long story short, some felt the later books suffered because the story POV moved from one to many and that Queen of Fire ended without a satisfying resolution. Well, I have good news for everyone. If you were a fan of Blood Song and didn’t like the later books, there is a new installment of the series that both returns to a Vaelin centric focus, and answers a ton of lingering questions from Queen of Fire. If you were a fan of all of the books like me, there is now another excellent installment of one of my favorite series by one of my favorite authors. It’s called The Wolf’s Call.

So what is the plot of The Wolf’s Call? Our story picks up several years after the end of the original trilogy and Vaelin has resettled into his role as the Tower Lord in the north of the realm. But, as we all know, conflict tends to follow Vaelin around like a baby duckling. Vaelin learns of trouble brewing to the West, on a new continent that we only hear mentions of in the first series. While initially reluctant to do anything other than sulk in his tower, Vaelin eventually finds the motivation to join the conflict and sails into a new land with only a few of his closest companions from the original trilogy. Vaelin must then use his lifetime of experience in war to stay alive, achieve an objective I won’t spoil, and turn the conflicts that find him in this new land.

The plot of The Wolf’s Call is exactly what I thought it would be, and I am very ok with that. Ryan essentially used a new far off conflict (which he seeded during the original trilogy) to move Vaelin to a new location, strip him of his entourage, and reset his story. It involves a new look at the powers of the Gifted and an antagonist that mirrors Vaelin’s military mind and physical prowess. While there was very little that surprised me about the plot, I still enjoyed it in its entirety. It is mostly just a series of events and situations that Vaelin must react and respond to, which are always fun to read. Vaelin is a weird character, and his unique qualities make him one of my favorites. He is this strange mix of exhaustion and responsibility that paints a picture of a man who is utterly bitter about how much he has given to the world, with a moral compass that refuses to allow him to stop. It creates the perfect personality that you can both deeply identify with (especially as I get older) but also idolize at the same time. I really like his quiet and contemplative personality in a world of charismatic heroes. He is also a complete badass.

You could argue that Vaelin is a Gary Sue, a protagonist that is overpowered and obnoxiously talented – but I would disagree. Even though Vaelin is definitely incredibly strong for a protagonist, his slow built to this point feels earned from his previous books and I feel no guilt reading about him kicking ass after all of the training and experiences he has gone through. Ryan also does a wonderful job of continuing to flesh out his Raven’s Shadow world (though the new series is called The Raven’s Blade) and I like the new setting. It is an interesting hybrid of merchant city-states and Asian culture, with an invigorating new cast. Although we spend 95% of the book in Vaelin’s POV, we do get a few interludes from the sister of the antagonist which do a great job of adding an undercurrent of tension and urgency throughout the book.

My only real issue with The Wolf’s Call is that it suffers from Ryan’s signature problem: if you have not read the previous novels recently, you are going to have a hard time remembering who everyone is. I just wish he added a few more context clues and minor flashbacks when reintroducing characters and names. This lack of context slows down the beginning of the book and it took me a little bit of time to get back up to speed. However, once I was about a fifth into the book I had a clear memory of who most of the cast were and it was fairly smooth sailing until the end.

The Wolf’s Call is a book that everyone will enjoy and is the closest spiritual successor of the original Blood Song. The book has a straightforward plot that explores doors left open at the end of Queen of Fire and sets the stage for an explosive new conflict for Vaelin to stumble his way through. I love Vaelin Al Sorna, and it feels so good to see him take the stage again in his glorious, broody, form. If you haven’t read The Raven’s Shadow trilogy yet, please do yourself a favor and check it out – and if you have, The Wolf’s Call should be at the top of your to-do list.

Rating: The Wolf’s Call – 9.5/10
-Andrew

This 1st in a new trilogy continues the extraordinary exploits of living legend Vaelin Al Sorna (first met in Blood Song). It would be best to read the author's Raven's Shadow series first, in order to understand the back story and many characters who continue to play parts here.

After Vaelin learns from an assassin that healer Sherin (his former lover, who has not forgiven him for sending her away by force) resides in the Venerable Kingdom and is in danger from the Stahlhast Horde, he leaves his post as Tower Lord of the Northern Reaches to seek and save her.

This episode ends on a cliffhanger, during which Vaelin regains power. I can't wait for more.

Fans of epic fantasy will devour Anthony Ryan’s THE WOLF’S CALL as this rapid-fire tale unfolds, revealing layer upon layer of action and adventure, deceit, magic and characters that feel larger-than-life. The world building is phenomenal, the attention to detail pulls readers in and hold them captive!

One man will become a legend to his people, defeating evil with his sword. When a new threat emerges, he must once again take up arms to save his realm and the woman he left behind.

What this book lacked was background on the characters and to my dismay, there is a previous trilogy that lays the platform and fills in many missing pieces. That said, this is powerful epic fantasy told by a very talented author!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Ace!

Series: Raven's Blade - Book 1
Publisher: Ace (July 23, 2019)
Publication Date: July 23, 2019
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Print Length: 432 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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A fantastic return to form for Anthony Ryan after the slightly lacklustre ending to the Ravens Shadow Trilogy. In this book, Vaelin Al Sorna returns to attempt to save the empire once again. After returning to his position of Tower Lord, Vaelin finds that his previous flame Sherin is in trouble and sets out on a quest to save her that takes him far beyond the realm and up against mighty new foes the Stalhast and their god like leader. A fantastic read for fans of Ryan's previous series as well as fantasy fans in general. However I would highly recommend reading the previous trilogy as this new novel leans heavily on previously introduced characters who wont make much sense to new readers.

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

<i>The Wolf's Call</i> is an engrossing epic fantasy that takes the usual tropes and mixes them up in an intriguing world. The setting in some ways feels like a mirror of Earth; there's a place and people clearly inspired by China. Against this backdrop, a man dubbed Darksword strives to make himself a god, leaving death and destruction in his wake. Meanwhile, Vaelin is an experienced swordsman in a far distant land. He has no desire to seek out more wars, but when he finds out a long-lost love is in the future path of this so-called god, he gathers a stalwart party of allies and ventures to save her.

This woman isn't exactly the sort in need of saving. There are numerous fantastic female characters in this book, including Darksword's own sister.

I found this to be an enjoyable read, an epic fantasy that felt familiar and fresh at the same time. Until I was deep into the book, I was unaware that the author had already written a full trilogy about Vaelin. Therefore, I can say that the <i>The Wolf's Call</i> stands well on its own. There's no need to have read Ryan's previous books first, though I imagine you'd get more out of the story if you did.

I like this book overall , but it had me cliff hang at the end...
So now I have to wait until next one is published....

I love all of Anthony Ryan's books and this one is no different. A great continuation of his previous story, his world-building drew me right back in. If only he would stop with the cliff hanger endings! I already can't wait for the next entry in this series.

Ryan once again creates a thrilling story. Vaelin shows why he is the Tower Lord of the North, and a man feared in legend. I was excited to see what adventure he would have after beating almost every foe he faced. This time he will face a man who deems himself a "god". The story moves along at a fast pace, and keeps a reader engaged. One helpful tip for before reading this book is to go and look at the previous novels, Ryan does a lot of memories or people from previous books, and if you're like me its been awhile since you had read about Vaelin.