Although not playing a huge role in page-time, Janus is the spider who weaves the web of intrigue that creates political depth in the plot. Here’s where it starts to get really interesting. His heroics and idealism lead him to military command and a pact with King Janus. They face brutal test after brutal test until the test of the Sword, where Vaelin first really discovers what it is to have his ideals betrayed.

Vaelin gains himself a group of brothers sharing their hatred of Master Sollis and the majority of the other hard – or slightly loony – task masters. However, I’ll also say that the recipe uses these ingredients so well that I really don’t care.īefore I continue, I’m gong to say one more thing at the risk of blitzing my credibility two paragraphs in: this is the book that I, and so many others who have failed to write this trope well, wish, to all the literary gods, we had written as our first book.īlood Song is the story of Vaelin Al Sorna, a boy given to the militant Sixth Order to be turned into a weapon to defend the faith. He then challenges the authority over him as he learns all is not courage and honour, then comes out the hero, all the while getting the girl and protecting her. To that, I say, yes, it’s a well-known set of ingredients: a group of young men forced together, a linear plot line through more difficult and more fantastical challenges, protagonist becomes an almost invincible swordsman as his friends are picked off one by one. I’ve read a bit of criticism out there about this being a pretty simple troped recreation of so many previous fantasy novels.

Blood song ryan