Vaelin al Sorna should have had an easy life. His father was a hero and had saved the king. Their family motto was ” Loyalty is our Strength, after falling out of favor with the king and his wife’s death, Vaelin’s father took him to the House of the Sixth, the fighting order of the national faith, and left him there to be trained to become a soldier for the king.

His training is often brutal, but in the other boys he trains with he finds a brotherhood, and a reason to live and as time passes he finds that he has strengths and tactical insights that make him a natural leader. As he matures and faces his final tests before becoming a full member of the Sixth, strange and unsettling things begin to occur. He begins hearing a song, a blood song, in his head, sometimes strong, and sometimes weaker, warning him of things to come.  And then there are the attempts on his life; someone or something is trying to track and kill him even before he can complete his training.

Ryan has created a believable world and an intriguing character in Vaelin. Trained to be a solider and a killer for the king, Vaelin struggles with loyalty to his king and country while questioning the motives, and goals for which he is fighting. In this struggle he is sometimes aided or confused by the blood song, a legacy from his mother, which warns him of danger, and the evil intentions of others. Vaelin’s brother soldiers and teachers are well  developed and are integral to the story and help Vaelin in his struggle to stay true to himself while remaining loyal to king and country.

This was a fun read, and although not quite in the same category as a George R.R. Martin,  or Joe Ambercrombie it is well written and a memorable fantasy book and I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series; Tower Lord.

Brenda’s Rating ***1/2 (3 1/2 Stars out of 5) 

Recommend this book to: Lauren and Marian

Books Study Worthy: no

Read in ebook format.