Faint Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Huh? It's similar because it shares the same framing where a scribe writes down the story of a great man who's had an interesting life. It's definitely influenced by Kingkiller. The chapters the scribe is writing down, and which we read, are half a dozen spread out among many, many more chapters (this is the case in both books). And while the protagonist is telling his story to the scribe in the first book, he is telling him an amended version that is not true at all in the particulars. We, the readers, however, do not read that version; we read the real version of events which the scribe does not write down. And in the second book . . . The scribe only details events that are, at best, ancillary to the main story and which do not join up with the greater narrative until the very of the book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red snow Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 I am an admirer of Rothfuss' work, but there are certainly grounds to prefer Ryan: more direct action, a more prosaic (as opposed to poetic) writing style, and more overt fantasy elements and tropes: the dog, the sidekick, the love interest, the outstanding ability with a blade. There are flashes of brilliance to be sure, but it's the brilliance of a few years' hard work. The Kingkiller Chronicles are written by a monomaniac genius who has relentlessly refined his work again and again over a decade or so. Okay, enough shillng. Worth reading Blood Song for sure. There's a dog? This may just push me over the edge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 There are differences in how it's told, sure. The framing narrative is still a much greater similarity than the fact they both feature schools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 There's a dog? This may just push me over the edge.He has his own special sword too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mexal Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 He has his own special sword too. Thought at least it's not magical :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 It does have meteor metal in it though. :PTo be honest, the fact that there are so many fantasy tropes makes it even more impressive that Ryan managed to create such a compelling story from them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgambino Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Although it's mildly off topic, I was wondering if Anthony Ryan's identity has leaked yet? It drives me crazy that him,K.J. Parker, and Mazarkis Williams have all remained un-ID'd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Is this an issue? For some reason I was under the impression he used a pseudonym because he has a sensitive job. Not for publishing/publicity/gender reasons like Parker or Williams. Anthony Ryan is a lame name for a fantasy writer anyway. It's good for a thriller writer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgambino Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 I was under the impression that, like Parker and Williams, he was also a novelist under his own name as well. And no, it's not an issue, stuff like that just catches my interest I guess... I'd also like to know R.A. Salvatore's pseudonym too. I guess I'm just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 R.A. Salvatore has a pseudonym? Also Mazarkis Williams was suppoed to reveal her real name at some con after book 3 came out, but then book 3 was super delayed. Which reminds me, I need to grab book 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaston de Foix Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Although it's mildly off topic, I was wondering if Anthony Ryan's identity has leaked yet? It drives me crazy that him,K.J. Parker, and Mazarkis Williams have all remained un-ID'd. He's good on institutional conflicts as and doesn't rely solely on character conflicts to push the story. A lawyer maybe? He's British, I can tell you for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Bob's Warhammer Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 He's good on institutional conflicts as and doesn't rely solely on character conflicts to push the story. A lawyer maybe? He's British, I can tell you for sure. He's David Cameron. Its obvious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WrathOfTinyKittens Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Can somebody help me out with character fates from Blood Song? I am starting Tower Lord and don't want a full reread but my memory is blanking. - Vaelin: headed back to the Realm- Sherin: sent away by Vaelin?- Vernier: alive and well?- Barkus: dead- Dentos: dead- Frentis: I seem to recall that he was captured? But I also remember him being on a ship with the Prince- Caenis: no clue- The Brother who fled north?The plot as I recall ends with the Realm losing the war despite Vaelin and his men's prowess, Vaelin kills Barkus because he's possessed by a demon and allows himself to be captured. He goes to the Isles, kills their champion, and gets set to return to the Realm. Am I missing anything major? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvinus85 Posted July 2, 2014 Author Share Posted July 2, 2014 Can somebody help me out with character fates from Blood Song? I am starting Tower Lord and don't want a full reread but my memory is blanking.- Vaelin: headed back to the Realm- Sherin: sent away by Vaelin?- Vernier: alive and well?- Barkus: dead- Dentos: dead- Frentis: I seem to recall that he was captured? But I also remember him being on a ship with the Prince- Caenis: no clue- The Brother who fled north?The plot as I recall ends with the Realm losing the war despite Vaelin and his men's prowess, Vaelin kills Barkus because he's possessed by a demon and allows himself to be captured. He goes to the Isles, kills their champion, and gets set to return to the Realm. Am I missing anything major?Vaelin does not kill the champion of the Isles. He disarms him in one move and convinces the powers that be that he is not guilty for his father’s crimes. The only one still insisting for his death is the wife of the Hope. She leaves angry.Correct on Sherin, Vernier, Barkus, Dentos and FrentisCaenis returned to the Realm with the Wolfrunners, apparently disillusioned about the failure of the war.Nortah, the brother who fled, is presumably somewhere safe.A few other things:King Janus died while Vaelin was a prisoner, and his son is the new kingVaelin was able to master the blood-song during his captivity, and now follows its guidance constantly.The identity of Black Arrow, the Crumbaelin outlaw that Vaelin had hunted, was revealed at the end. He was the commander of the Cumbraelins on the expedition. He, too, survived the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faint Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 May someone who has read the first book more recently -- and started on the second book -- remind me who Reva's father was? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvinus85 Posted July 2, 2014 Author Share Posted July 2, 2014 May someone who has read the first book more recently -- and started on the second book -- remind me who Reva's father was? Hester Mustor, the Trueblade, briefly Fief Lord of Cumbrael, who was actually possessed by the same spirit which controlled Barkus. Barkus killed him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faint Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Hester Mustor, the Trueblade, briefly Fief Lord of Cumbrael, who was actually possessed by the same spirit which controlled Barkus. Barkus killed him. The guy holed up in the mountain fortress; killed his father; kidnapped Sister Sherin; his brother was a drunken lout? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mexal Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 The guy holed up in the mountain fortress; killed his father; kidnapped Sister Sherin; his brother was a drunken lout? Yup. Tower Lord comment (20% in) Looks like it's actually Frentis who is Darkblade and not Vaelin, at least that's what I surmise from the 20% I've read so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faint Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Yup. Thank you. I remember the story perfectly but the names of the secondary characters escape me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Wun Wun Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Well, I just binge read the hell out of it. I liked Blood Song a little more, but this was still a great book. Given the scale of the conflict, I can entirely understand why he added more POVs now. Some of the early reviewers complained about the ending being cliffhanger-y, which I don't understand since it was clearly Weaver who "burned" Lyrna to heal her scars and make her pretty again. Vaelin noted Weaver hadn't used his abilities the entire journey South, like he was saving up for someone...hint hint. Then I checked in Blood Song and Nortah described being healed by Weaver as feeling like a burning sensation. Even without referencing Blood Song It shouldn't have been that hard for them to puzzle out though. :dunno: Anyway, just one more year until Queen of Fire comes out...tick tock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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