Vaelin al Sornin has another round of being a hero in The Black Song. Defeated by an angry god can he get back in the saddle. What will be the costs? Will he reunite with the woman he loved? Epic fantasy in the best tradition.
Enthralling read.

I continue to be very happy that Anthony Ryan has decided to return to the world of Blood Song. The Black Song is the conclusion to Raven’s Blade, a duology that starts with The Wolf’s Call set five years after the original trilogy. The Black Song is a strong and enjoyable conclusion to this duology that sets up additional books by the end. However, it suffers from a couple of strange issues that are definitely worth talking about. So let’s dig into the pros and cons of this new book by one of our favorite writers. Please note, this review has spoilers for the original Blood Song trilogy, and should not be read by anyone who wants to avoid reveals for the original three books. You have been warned!

To get a better sense of what the overall story of the duology is, please check out my review of The Wolf’s Call. For those who want a short summary, Vaelin has traveled West to rescue the love of his life, Sherin, that he shipped off to a different continent against her will to keep her safe in the original trilogy. When he arrives at this new Asian-inspired land he finds Sherin perfectly fine and well established. However, he also finds a Ghengis Khan style warlord in possession of a blood song threatening to destroy all of the known world. Thus, Vaelin gets embroiled in a conflict where he is the clear outsider trying to bring down a man who possesses the unique tool that made Vaelin a god of war many books ago. In The Black Song, Vaelin’s attempts to regain his lost blood song in order to fight the coming hordes and it doesn’t take a genius to guess from the title of the book that this attempt goes poorly. Vaelin’s efforts leave him with a corrupted song with a thirst for blood, and he must find a way to fix it before he becomes just as bad as the villain he is trying to defeat.

A lot of The Black Song is just continuing the plot threads of The Wolf’s Call with an added layer now that Vaelin has this corrupted song to manage. The world and characters are enjoyable, there is a clear objective that we build towards with a number of awesome set-pieces along the way. In my Wolf’s Call review, I talked about how exciting and enjoyable it is to be back in the shoes of one of my favorite protagonists, and this still rings true in Black Song. But it hits a snag when Vaelin’s “outsider looking in” treatment is amplified from The Wolf’s Call and Vaelin ends up feeling a little too adjacent to the plot. While I adore Vaelin, my favorite passages in The Black Song ended up being the ones told from the sister and the second in command of the villain – as they were much closer to the conflict and emotionally invested in its outcome. Vaelin has this sort of pale detachment to the whole affair as he is much more focused on his new corruption. This would be fine… except that Vaelin doesn’t actually reach a complete conclusion to his personal story in The Black Song. It is quite clear that some of Vaelin’s internal conflicts will be addressed in whatever book Ryan writes next. The result of all of this is some confusion as to whether Vaelin was the best protagonist for The Black Song. On one hand, I absolutely loved getting more time with him – but on the other, this didn’t feel like it was truly his story to tell.

But, don’t think that I didn’t enjoy The Black Song. The escalating conflict between the ragtag group of good guys and the ever-growing antagonist was gripping and exciting. It is very clear that Ryan has grown a lot since his first trilogy, and his ability to write a climactic conclusion to a conflict has only improved. There were a number of set pieces, like the part of the story set in the temple of spears, that were enchanting. Initially, I was going to complain that Sherin and Vaelin’s relationship didn’t change enough over the course of the book, but in the last 25% there is a lot of growth that feels appropriate and I ended up really liking where the characters netted out.

All in all, The Black Song is a solid book and another enjoyable chapter in the saga of Vaelin. I don’t think it was as strong as the duology’s opener, The Wolf’s Call, but it is still definitely worth your time. I am very excited to step through the door that the end of this book leaves open and look forward to whatever story that Ryan decides to tell us next. The Raven’s Blade duology has jump started my investment in the next series and I am ready for more.

Rating: The Black Song – 8.0/10
-Andrew

I absolutely love Anthony Ryan's work. This book is no exception. I was thrilled and saddened to read Vaelin's final novel. There is something quite nostalgic about returning to your favorite characters and this series was chock full of returning and new people. The balance of the two was great. Ryan stayed true to his knack for writing epic battle scenes and for heartfelt characterization. And the ending was so good. While many aspects of this story, you see coming, I was still loving every minute of it.

4.2 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2020/08/03/the-black-song-by-anthony-ryan-review/

Beware Spoilers for the Wolf’s Call and minor spoilers for the Raven’s Shadow trilogy.

The Stahlhast have laid waste to an entire continent en route to the Merchant Kingdoms of the far east. Kehlbrand, the true Darkblade, thinks himself a living god—though his divine power comes from his connection to a certain stone, one that is inured with the Dark. With this power he controls a vast army of fanatics and mercenaries, murders and rapists, along with the righteous and those simply seeking glory. Together they’ve proved unstoppable, carving a trail of blood and ashes from sea to sea. And nothing can stop their conquest of the Merchant Kingdoms, and maybe even the entire world.

Nothing, except maybe Vaelin Al Sorna.

Known to the Darkblade as the “Thief of Names”, Vaelin has yet to prove much more of an annoyance than a gnat provides to a dinosaur. But with his allies on the run, his own army in disarray, and one of his truest friends dying; the tides are about to turn. For the Blood Song—the same song he lost so many years before—is again within reach. For with his last breath, Ahm Lin has offered up his own blood so that Vaelin can regain this precious gift. A gift he cannot face the Darkblade without.

But when Vaelin drinks his blood, the song that comes is not his own. It is vile and tainted, a tune that demands death above all else: a Black Song. But while this gift might yet save the world from the Darkblade, it will surely doom Vaelin Al Sorna.

My history with Vaelin is somewhat complicated. I loved my introduction to the Fifth Order back in 2013, and Blood Song is still one of my favorite books. Tower Lord, on the other hand, was… okay. Not a bad read, but not great, either. But when compared (and as a successor) to Blood Song—it was terrible. I honestly hated the turn the series had taken so much that I didn’t even bother to read Queen of Fire. Still haven’t, even.

When Anthony Ryan chose to return Vaelin as the sole lead last year, I was cautiously optimistic. Optimism was quickly followed by relief and love. While I didn’t like the Wolf’s Call quite as much as Blood Song, it was a damn good read. The Black Song is to the Wolf’s Call that the Wolf’s Call was to Blood Song. That is—it’s a great read, but not quite as good. But not anywhere near the disaster that I found Tower Lord.

The world-building itself is kinda lazy. It borrows very heavily upon earth itself. The Stahlhast and Steppe parallel the Mongols and THEIR Steppe. The Merchant Kingdoms (and Cantons) represent China, Japan, Korea and the like, down to their very names and historic attitudes. The Opal Islands are a continuation of South Asia to even Oceana, with their jungle and mythical beasts.

The setting is similarly lame. It’s pretty much the Mongoliad in the world of the Raven. An unstoppable horde rolls over everything in its path, in its quest to conquer the world. The living god, the connection to the Dark, the later stages of the book—all these are new and interesting. I was more forgiving of this in the first book because of the Steppe. I’ve always been a sucker for Mongolian and Tibetan culture and civ. While I like China and Japan and such too, it’s harder to avoid the comparisons now, and how they’re pretty much just the same civs with different names. All of them.

It’s the same great story, though. Vaelin is a little more stoic than he was at the beginning, but nowhere near as cold and aloof as we saw in Tower Lord. The Song itself is intriguing. Rather than an old friend come home, it’s a different tune—one that takes a different telling—something that demands chaos and blood, instead of the orderly one seen in the first trilogy. Where Al Sorna has changed, the Song has as well, and it lends a different… vibe to everything. Where the Wolf’s Call dipped into the iron will and horse culture of the Steppe, the Black Song is definitely a book about kings, emperors, and courtly politics. I mean, it’s not ALL politics or anything. If it was, I wouldn’t’ve read it. There’s action, violence, intrigue, adventure and more—but there’s also courtly etiquette and politics.

My favorite part of the book is Part 3, where we explore the Opal Islands a bit. Due to spoilers, I obviously can’t go into much detail, but there’s jungle, myth and legend, the unknown, and adventure galore. The ending is truly innovative, but can also come off as odd. I mean, a lot of the stuff in Part 3 caught me by surprise, but not in a bad way. It even feels an adventure at times—which I loved, but that’s me. It reminded me of Uncharted (the game) where… actually, never mind, I can’t because spoilers. Sufficient to say it has a different vibe than the other two parts and leave it at that.

TL;DR

The conclusion to the Raven’s Blade duology, the Black Song introduces some new plot mechanics, characters and settings, while retaining the war, antagonist, and overall feel of the Wolf’s Call. With a great story and excellent protagonist in Vaelin Al Sorna, it’s a book I could read over and over happily enough for years to come. While a much better successor to the Wolf’s Call than Tower Lord was to Blood Song—the Black Song isn’t perfect by any means. The setting and world-building are honestly just lazy. As we explore what’s pretty much just Asia, there’s much to take in. Politics mingle with action and war; violence, bloodshed and courtly pandering alternating in a pleasant mix. Despite the near-constant change in setting, I never felt the pacing lag, nor did the story ever bore me. It was good, consistent, and Al Sorna-y. A must read for all Vaelin Al Sorna fans—if you liked Wolf’s Call, you shouldn’t have any trouble.

The Black Song is the conclusion to the Raven’s Blade duology and is set 5 years after the events in it’s parent trilogy Raven’s Shadow. While you could read this without reading the other trilogy I wouldn’t. Even though the Queens Fire (Raven’s Shadow #3) was a disappointing ending for me I think so many things are more in The Black Song because of it.

Returning to the single PoV, except for the interludes Ryan has found his storytelling magic again and Vaelin Al Sorna carries another book to its epic conclusion. The reader enters the story right after the events of The Wolf’s Call with a newly changed Al Sorna as his now has a Song again. It isn’t the same as the one before and offers all kinds of new challenges for the hero.

Vaelin has found the woman he first loved, Sherrin and is fighting a war against another man who carries the name The Darkblade. To keep her safe, and his home country from having the same threat knock on their doors later, he has travelled to a land that reminds me of the East with ancient traditions, different gods and a slew of obstacles to overcome. He must find a way to harness his song to defeat this treat or the new Darkblade will devour the world.
"Weapons are like thoughts," the tall man replied. "Best kept hidden until needed."

I will say I’m much happier with the conclusion to this duology than I was the Raven’s Shadow. Ryan has grown as an author and has learned how to tell the story he wants to tell. I was extremely invested in Vaelin and the people he brought with him from the Tower. The buildup to the final showdown was really well done with plenty of skirmishes along the way.
"Not every cause I chose was hopeless. We won the Liberation War, if you recall"
"I do. I've also had a great deal of time to ponder the rewards of victory. I find them small indeed."

If you are in this series for the romance don’t be. Ryan has a few moments that are heartfelt between our hero and the women who stole his heart so long ago. I do like where the story ended for them and the possibilities that it opened up. But I think the relationship between them is about tenth or twelfth on Ryan’s priority list. So, while it does factor into the story and who Vaelin is today it isn’t a kissing book.

Overall, I like the direction of the characters in this world. Nortah has regained some of what was lost to him. Ellese, the Darkblade’s sister played her role well and was believable at it. Sherrin, showed us in the end what she is made of and I look forward to seeing where this new road might take her. I missed Reva but did love her daughter so much. There are some fantastic strong characters who stand with Vaelin until the bitter end. Solid wrap up to so many of the questions I had about the characters I loved from Bloodsong.

A fitting end to this new series following one of my favourite protagonists in fantasy. This book picks up right after the end of the previous one with Vaelin Al Sorna regaining his song however it is not as much of a gift as he thought it would be. The world building is amazing however the pacing is a bit slow and many of the secondary characters blur together as they are not overly memorable and share very similar names. Definitely recommend for those who have read the others in the series however I would definitely recommend a re-read of the first book as it took me a while to pick up who was who in the first half after not having read the previous novel since it came out the year before

This second book in the Raven's Blade series continues directly from the first book, Wolf's Call. If you liked the first book, you won't be disappointed here: the story and writing are as solid as ever. I love the Eastern aspects of it, even if it reads more like a kung-fu movie than honest history. I also love that when the good guys do well it's because they were smart, not because evil is dumb.

The main plot is all about the war against the Darkblade. While never boring, it's not the best aspect of the book - perhaps because I've read the whole style before in Draconis Memoria (a huge faceless horde that grows by gathering up your survivors? check. Since they are faceless zombies you can slaughter them by the thousands and not feel bad? check. You see the mind of the enemy general and he's actually on the good side? check). Still, since the premise of the war is more of a backdrop and a driver for the events. the story is palatable.

As for characters, Al Sorna is delightful as ever - maybe bordering on too perfect, but personally I like it when the main character is actually just a good guy. The other characters (of which there are perhaps a bit too many to keep up with) all serve a decent purpose. All new characters get enough time to be fleshed out, up to the point where I'm slightly disappointed when they are pushed to the background. Most of the primary cast from the first book stays here, but the focus is rarely on them and they start to feel like supporting cast.

There are quite a few surprises in the book, primarily being the ending. If you think you know how this book is going to end, you're most likely mistaken.

In summary, while all of Anthony Ryan's books are good, this is one of the better ones. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

I believe we are living in something of a golden age of fantasy. There's so much being published and with such a variety of worlds and styles on display, that I feel honored to be part of it. When I picked up The Wolf's Call last year, this sentiment was really hit home for me. The level of imagination and world building and characterization on display was so damned impressive! So I've been itching to start reading the sequel. Well I finally got around to it!

This book once again displays Ryan's imagination in full force. It helps by the fact that the immortals are such a dominant presence on the world and through their strengths and their miracles, almost anything is possible. It all gets a bit nuts!

I do have one little issue. It had a very slow start. It's a long book, 450 pages in ebook form, and it wasn't until about page 200 that the pace really picked up and it felt like things were happening. This is partly because we're given new cast of characters, with histories to explore. And partly because the concept and players behind the battles needed expanding upon and much of it was done via exposition. It all just made for a bit of a slow start... but when it got going... IT GOT GOING!

As much as I enjoyed the first book in this follow up series, The Wolfs Call, I found the black song more to my taste personally. More of the elements that made the original series so enjoyable, starting with the struggles of our protagonist, felt as if they were in line with the original direction of the story. Valins journey through this book was much more to my liking, the travels were more interesting to me than the previous novel which felt more like a travel Logue to define a new arena for the author to explore. Valin still goes to a number of new and fascinating places but the temples, Islands and various battlegrounds simply felt much more organic to the story than did his initial venturing to what seems similar to an oriental world. My one point of dissatisfaction with this novel was how much of a background the secondary characters took. It had seemed as if they were beginning to become defined during the wolfs call but in the black song none of the people valin journeys with makes much of a strong impression. Beyond the characters who return from the original series I found most to be faded to such a degree that they were easily confused with one another. All in all a fun read and I anticipate the next tale from this world

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a fan of pretty much anything Anthony Ryan reads and I was so excited when I found out this series would be returning to my favorite character of his, Vaelin Al Sorna. He’s just one of those characters who has stuck with me through the years and I’m always up for a new adventure with him at the center. This installment is true to form with action, adventure, and a lot of character building. The characters are complex and have personal struggles and growth as they fight against almost insurmountable odds. There’s immortals, magical gifts, divine beings locked in a battle older than time, a new “god” rising in a sweeping tide and of course Vaelin, smack dab in the middle of it all like always. Grab a cup of tea, settle in, and get ready for battle.

The Black Song, goes into another great example of Anthony Ryan tying in a feeling of Medieval Europe and Asian, brought into a fantasy setting. Black Song moves at a quick pace from action to action and dives more into the story of the Tiger and the Wolf. Ryan again ties in the excellent combat scenes but also the struggle that Vaelin has to deal with internally and externally of losing himself to darkness.

I enjoyed this new offering in this series. The worldbuilding is complex and creative. The characters are complicated and conflicted with many dimensions and contradictions.

After the cliffhanger ending of the last book I have been eagerly awaiting this one and it did not disappoint! I love the world building, different cultures, and vivid battle scenes Anthony Ryan creates. The story is compelling and the action is relentless, I couldn't put it down. I'm already looking forward to the next book.