A very good medieval tale
356714
Gael joins his master and Lord to go to the aid of another lord who is besieged by barbarians . They are joined by a strange being, the last of his race, and a young boy . Once there the battle begins. Characterizations and place settings are done very well in this medieval fantasy .  The plot is quite engaging and the action scenes are particularly convincing .
754246
It is a tale as old as time, but told in a whole new way. Setting the story in medieval England was quite intriguing with all the historical details. This has always been one of my absolute favorite fairy tales, but it came to life in a whole new way with realistic characters in a realistic setting. I felt deeply connected to the characters as I experienced the depths of their souls, with all the good and bad inside. This story in particular shows total transformation for both the hero and heroine in a way many other fairy tales do not, and Melanie captured that transformation beautifully. I guarantee that you will be captivated by this story as I was.
4700082
This is a beautiful book. The story is action, adventure, fantasy quest but it's not quite like anything I've read before. It's very well written. Not a wasted word or phrase so you won't get bored in miles of description or politics - which is wonderful. The hero isn't a hero but you can't help but fall in love with him like you would an uncle who used to be the black sheep but is trying so hard to be the good guy. The characters who are heroes are so different, vivid and imaginative that it really takes you to a different world. There are few cliches here - it's more like an inspired race through a new world. If you love medieval fantasy you'll love this but if you are also looking for something new - give it a go because there is myth and magic you'll never have seen before.
2878092
"Raven's Shadow Book One: Blood Song" is the first book in the "Raven's Shadow" trilogy by author by Anthony Ryan. This is a work of medieval fantasy. This Kindle e-book was a 1087 Kb download (approx. 630 printed pages) and was priced at $2.99 (I obtained my copy on sale for $1.99) at the time of writing this review.

<spoilers>

This is the extraordinary story of Vaelin Al Sorna'... warrior, leader of men and maybe above all, known as 'Hope Killer'. This tale is told as he recounts many important moments and events in his life to the historical scribe, Lord Verniers. He begins at the beginning... when his a father (for reasons unknown at the time) removes him from his home and deposits him at the doors of the Sixth Order. It is here he will start his new life in training to be a fighter/warrior of The Realm, governed by King Janus.
His feats become legendary, his name renowned and feared on two continents. Yet there is more to this man then just a skilled master of the blade, for he possesses a soul and a conscience... and it's this part of him that makes this story so extraordinarily good.

<end spoilers>

Some thoughts on "Raven's Shadow" Book One...

1.) a terrific tale... a beautifully written and skillfully told story.

2.) nicely paced... with a near perfect balance of action vs. drama.

3.) well done character development. Not only of our main protagonist Vaelin, but also several of his 'brothers' of the sixth order.

4.) a hero to root for. The type of character that most fantasy readers who like tales of knights, castles and medieval battles and intrigue will probably be drawn to.
Traits that develop on a gradual level as he goes from a young boy into manhood. He's an extremely deft fighter with his sword. a natural leader of men and is conscientiously fair when making decisions (even evolving his enemies)... and yet he does not give of an invincible superhero aura. He appears to be just 'another' one of the boys.

The closest character I can relate Vaelin to, would be author Joe Abercrombie's Logen Ninefingers from the "The First Law" trilogy. Those readers who have read Abercrombie's trilogy and liked it, will likely really enjoy this tale.

5.) an element of mystery-thriller to some of the side stories. Some surprise developments in the latter stages that ensure a follow up book.

6.) maps... three maps that give the basic geographical layout. Many thanks from this reader.

Conclusion:
A book that I'd include in one of my top 5 fantasy adventure reads of 2012. It's that good.

5 Stars.

Ray Nicholson
raynicholsonsreviews@hotmail.com
828026
I enjoyed this book very much. The story of the downfall of the Knights Templar is expertly crafted from actual historical facts about the conspiracy between the despicable king of France (historically referred to as "Phillip the Fair", an oxymoron of the highest level) and the French bound Pope who is under the control of the king. I loved the way the book evolves, from an account of what happened 800 years ago being narrated to an historian in the present by a mysterious elderly woman. Wonderful characters, thrilling action, the corruption of absolute power and the evil it did. The characters came alive for me. I loved Jan Guillou's Crusades Trilogy, and this reminded me of that series of historical fictional accounts of a Templar Knight from Sweden. The atmosphere in this story is wonderful. Action ranges from the desert Crusade campaign, to France, deepest intrigues, cruel tortures, imprisonment in castles and dungeons, a vast injustice by the crown. The story moves fast, having a complex storyline  with multiple elements interwoven together very well. The characters came alive in my mind, and I loathed the evil ones and rooted for the courageous ones who fell to the tyranny of the corrupt French crown. A nice sprinkling of metaphysical and spiritual elements throughout. I will read the author's other books now that I've found this one. I recommend this book.
2937780
From the very beginning with good and fair King Anthony and Queen DeVa to JonLuc and Queen Jinni and their princess daughter Monagale who discovers the stable boy Gerard is actually a Nobleman, the reader is whisked away from daily living to a land of another time.  This is an epic tale of good over evil in an enchanted kingdom of kings and queens.  Written with imagination and creative license.  A good read and I highly recommend it.
2279305
I selected this book as a free promo, based on my love of historical fiction, particularly medieval, and a growing interest in Wales.  Wales is not represented nearly as often as other portions of the British Isles and I was glad to find this book.  I was immediately interested in the main character--a Welsh prince exiled to Ireland as a child, seeking to reclaim his birthright in Wales against the background of the growing menace of Norman French.  It's a good tale featuring a very interesting historical figure, clearly portrayed.  Setting portrayal and overall storytelling were a little weak, but no problems with editing or proofreading (my hesitance about any indy book).

I'm torn between rating this a 3 and a 4, and would go with 3.5 if I could. It might have been a 4 if I liked first person better.  First person is supposed to draw the reader in, but I find it usually keeps me at arm's length unless the writing, story, and character are so vivid that I forget entirely that it IS first person. (I didn't with Birthright.) So first person narratives tend to be 3s or 5s for me, and this wasn't a five. It was good enough, however, and the character interesting enough, that I'll keep an eye out for the author's next book about him.
3858072
I'm horrible at writing plot summaries, so I'll leave that to someone else.  I'm a voracious reader and thus far this is the best medieval romance I've had the pleasure of reading.  Nothing else comes close.  The plot, romance, wit and wealth of characters are everything I could ask for.  The nuances of daily life are so well woven into the story that if I didn't know better I would say the author actually lived in England during the 14th century.  A keeper.
663220
One of the lines in this book about the Medieval war between France and England is that the knights keep the enemy and place so the archers can kill them.  Another very good historical piece by Cornwell, set in the time of Agincourt.  Cornwell has a keen eye for the historical, and tells the tale through the eyes of well developed characters that are men of their time, not ours.  Highly recommend to Historical Fiction fans.
4304837
Well that is a pity. I found it in a good Spanish translation and read it, and it is a wonderful tale. It is serious history, thoroughly documented and reasoned, but it is well written in a narrative tone. The First Crusade was, of course, one of the greatest adventures ever sustained by mankind, full of horrific and splendid deeds and events.
It started in 1095 at the urging of Pope Urban II, and soon people from different parts of Europe were making their disastrous, long and terrible way to the Holy Places. There were basically four "armies": the Lorennians, led by Gottfried of Bouillon; the Normans, led by Robert of Normandy; the Provenzals, led by Raymond de Saint-Gilles; and the Normans from Southern Italy, led by Bohemund of Tarento.
These brave, ambitious, ruthless and at the same time very religious men led thousand of Europeans into the Middle East, conquered Antiochia and Jerusalem and established their kingdoms. Now that the Middle East is in the eyes of everybody, it would be well worth it to take a look at how it was 1000 years ago: not much has changed in terms of violence and division
Magnificent adventure well told by a master in Middle Ages studies.
2325966
This tale of a young Attila the Hun is told by Priscus of Panium who is ninety years old. The scribe introduces himself in a few pages then gets on with his story. The next chapter introduces us to a battle where General Stilicho sees for the first time that not all tales told of the fighting style of the Huns is myth and he is amazed at what he sees. Next, we meet Atilla who is being held captive in Rome. During one of his many escape attempts we also meet the cruel hearted shrew that is Princess Galla and one of Atilla's protectors, General Stilicho's wife Serena. The rest of the story details the beginning of the fall of Rome and Attila's fight to make it home to his tribe, the feared Huns.

I thought the book was well written, there is a lot of violence both to animals (which I flinched through) and humans (which is expected) but there isn't as much swearing as some other reviewers report. This is the beginning of a trilogy detailing Attila's life and I can't wait to get my hands on the next two installments. I really like how the first book is just about young Attila leaving the reader eager to add more to the story when the book is drawn to a close.
582815
This story, written from the point of view of a medieval scribe gives a good picture of the violence and politics of those days. The characters are real and the plot is well-constructed. The battle sequences are suitably violent.
975272
This medieval romance tells the story of two knights who are both flawed, deeply honorable, courageous, smart, gritty and kind.
The prose and pace were very good. Characters were not superficial cookie cutters. The story line was so interesting and enjoyable to me, that the silly beginning, and certain scenes in the culminating part of the book were not enough to dock one star or take away from the overall experience of reading this book.
The heroine has a pure heart, full of love, honor and courage yet she is not naive, or stupid, or reckless. The hero has a painful past (and present), of course, and he is ruthless to complete his mission; but throughout the whole story you see his good heart, bravery and loyalty showing.
It is easy to believe how these two characters meet and fall in love throughout the course of the book as they kick butt and try to survive Middle Age politics in the royal court.
1386384
Great story ,excellent characters, puts you in the middle ages!
831592
This is a very good tale. The second book has explained many of the questions I had after the first one ended, but has created even more questions. The story flows very well, and is hard to put down once started, so reader beware!
1921
This book goes beyond the usual, classic, gay historical story. In fact and strangely as it seems it reminded me a lot of Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, it has the same spirit. It's an epic medieval adventure with a beautiful young page in distress and an honorable knight in shining armor!

The story takes place in 12th century Outremer, after the final battle of Jaffa where Saladin was defeated by King Richard. In the heart of the desert where the most powerful rulers of all Christendom are gathered in the name of God, somewhere in the shadow a dirty game is being played. When all these dignitaries should work together, everyone thinks only about their own interest. When at one time there was greatness and honor now only pettiness and arrogance remain. Two powerful villains are conspiring against a possible truce between King Richard and Saladin. They have no interest left for Christianity, only for their own advancement and personal profit.

In an atmosphere full of danger, lies and corruption, Sir Kenneth, the Knight of the Hawk, a lowly Scottish Knight who is not without flaws seems the only one who remains true, honorable and loyal to Richard.

At one time Kenneth had thought himself in love with the lovely lady Joan, the King's cousin, but he knows it's a hopeless love. Then he has this strange dream where he sees Joan's face and body and then they fade away and are replaced by another very different face... Alex's! Richard's young page who is as pretty as a woman ....

There's a lot going on in that story, you won't have the time to get bored. A very varied and colorful cast of characters gives the novel great depth and strength. This book was very entertaining to read. I give 4 stars.
2963523
This review is for the Kindle edition ebook.

Disclosure:  I was given my copy of this book by the author as a review copy.

Knights, goblins, forbidden magic, and love of family combine in this fantasy tale.

Kay wants the best of both worlds. He would really like to become a knight some day, but he also is very interested in magic. When goblins invade his home village, he must do something. He just doesn't really know what to do, and what he does really could make a difference.

I need to say this is not quite the expected book of goblins and magic. It is a very good story, that relies on the feelings of the hero. The hero does not always come out on top, he is young and is learning as he goes. I really liked the way the story unfolds, with Kay never quite sure of what is coming next.

This story was written to entertain the reader. It did happen overnight, nor should reading it happen overnight. It does help the reader understand persistence and patience can make a difference, but that is a side effect of an excellent story.

I think that those who enjoy a variety of fantasy will enjoy this story. It will be enjoyed by those looking for a different type of fantasy, as well as those looking for more traditional magic and wizards fantasy. I am looking forward to the next book from this author.