Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Received arc from Little Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for honest read and review.
I have had this on my TBR for a while and finally got round to reading this.I wish I had read it sooner,it was absolutely brilliant.I really cannot fault the writing as it as really well written from start to finish.
It centres around Vaelin again and shows how he has faired after losing his Blood Song.
This is going to be on my books of the year.
Absolute must read.

An excellent continuation of this epic fantasy series by one of the best authors out there at the moment.

Straight into an exciting storyline with characters I have missed.

Highly recommended to all who like fantasy

Although the blurb for this was certainly intriguing, and I liked the look of the cover, this unfortunately just wasn’t the book for me.

Nothing wrong with it precisely, I just couldn’t seem to get going, so perhaps just one of those things!

Altogether, the blurb and the writing style made it appeal to me, but sadly... not one I would personally return to, and one I sadly couldn’t finish.

This is a fantastic start for this series and it was great to be back in this world with these characters. Although you can technically read this without reading the prior trilogy, you would miss out on a lot of character development and references. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend checking it out.

I was excited to receive this from the publishers via netgalley as I have to admit I am a fan of Anthony Ryan’s writing. I have to say I haven’t read anything I did not appreciate to a certain degree. I love the way he writes in epic proportions and the character and world of Vaelin al Sorna is one of my favourites even though I have to admit this is shorter than some of his books. I am so pleased his story is continuing. Saying that, his character is not quite as it was as time has moved on. He still has no access to the Bloodsong but his character has grown rather than diminished. Regardless of the magic and power he had he is still a formidable warrior and leader. However his life is still not his own as he is obligated to the Queen even though he doesn’t always do her exact bidding if he can circumvent it. Unfortunately because of this and who he is he finds himself drawn into a war he really doesn’t want, not to mention having the responsibility of Reva’s adopted daughter tagging along trying to prove herself and no way to send her back in a dangerous situation.
Who and what is the Dark Blade and who deserves the title. It was a name given to Vaelin himself but now there is another who claims the name. The story is told in flashbacks and the present laying the groundwork for how events have come to pass. Old comrades and loves are reunited though not necessarily happy reunions. It has to be assumed betrayals and hurt will do that. What has now surfaced is a threat which could affect the whole world as dark magic has now reappeared combined with religious fervour and Vaelin and his fellow comrades need to gather their resources but at what price. I could carry on but am trying to avoid giving too much of the plot away.
As usual his world building is excellent as are the interactions between the different characters already recognised and new ones we now find have joined the plot. The battle scenes and fights are realistically enacted and as expected we are left to ponder the outcome of the final chapter of the book. In my opinion to get a true grasp of the Wolf’s Call I would read the Raven’s Shadow trilogy. I myself am. looking forward to The Black Song ( sounds ominous) Ravens Blade 2.

Ryan returns to the world of his acclaimed Raven's Shadow series with his new novel The Wolf's Call.
A gritty fantasy series with shades of Joe Abercrombie, this is a story of the foibles of man's quest for power, and what happens when one believes himself to be a god.
Solid without being great this should appeal to fan's of Ryan's earlier works.

Wolf's Call is perhaps a complicated book full of intrigue, political drama and enough content to sink your teeth into. I enjoyed reading this book, but I must admit that having never read Anthony's Ryan previous novels, this was hard to get into within the first chapter, but overall it won me over. The prose is excellent, with a uniqueness that I have not seen before. His descriptions of Vaelin using the bow and arrow is crisp and authentic. Thus giving a feeling that the author did his research. Is it Grimdark fantasy? I believe so. There was a particular scene where Vaelin raids a camp with the Northern Guard. It gives a vibe of Asterix's and Obelix for some particular reason. However, I would implore readers to Tower Lord and Queen of Fire. This is for extra backstory and something I will be doing in the future. The best part was from page forty-seven when Vaelin described gold as the primary product of the realm. It almost sounded like Jon Snow talking.

If one were to ask me what makes this book different, not much. The uniqueness in this novel, however, is that it does attempt to drive away from the Western Medieval fantasy trope, and takes its inspiration from Germanic Paganism which was clear to see within the prologue. Vaelin is a character that you quickly begin to emphasize with, as you realize that he is a soldier at heart that desires peace. But peace can never be his mistress, for war is. Vaelin Al Sorna is the humble version of Ramesses the II. The plot of the book itself has the Steel People coming to declare war which is eerily similar to the Sea People's that with the help of the Assyrians, destroyed the Hittite Empire and drove into Egypt.

With regards to the plot, it was bascially a bittered warrior running from his past, traveling to the Merchant Kingdoms and defeat the nomadic Kelhbrand. He was also trying to save Sherrin who he had betrayed, and had to deal with Tsai Shao who I felt was under-used in this novel. We did not get a chance to see Tsai Shao's romance bloom with Sherrin. At times Vaelin felt as if he wanted to take her back, but couldn't. There should have been an underlying motivation here as well.

I think Anthony Ryan certainly put some freshness with the inclusion of fantasy China, and this is something I as a reader am always looking towards a fantasy novel, with more diverse cultures. There were many pieces of excellent dialogue, but I didn't like the swearing as it became to cliche for me at the end. At some points, it was a big cast of characters each playing their role, so there was not much I could say for this, but I will re-read the entire series to get a better understanding. It took Ramesses the II to drive the Sea People back away and he was praised as a hero. (If he wasn't such a big megalomanic!) Whereas with Vaelin, the conditions are the same except in a more fantasy genre setting.

Overall, this was a great book but difficult enough to get through as I had not read the previous novels. If you like battles, magic and sword fights, including a diverse fantasy culture, this novel is for you.

Anthony Ryan writes very typical epic fantasy – heavy on the battles – in a fresh and exhilarating way. Here the reader is returned to the exciting world of Blood Song and Ryan seems to be at the top of his game. Honestly, I have been avoiding many fantasy novels with a typical, hardened warrior main character because now there is the option of fantasy with female characters who are actually characters rather than sexy lamps in improbable armour, I would rather read those. (I’ve been asked to bend to the default for thirty years, after all.) However there are authors I will always make an exception for and Ryan is one of them – largely because his world building and characterisation are so good that it simply doesn’t matter who the protagonist is. (Something that really can’t be said for many male authors writing in a similar vein.) Vaelin al Sorna is a badass but he’s also flawed and human. It’s impossible not to root for him. I really loved the angle this book took – Vaelin is trying to retire and live peacefully and they just won’t let him! Really enjoyed this book – and the return of so many favourite characters . Can’t wait for the next book. Highly recommend.

I read the Blood Song trilogy a few years ago and loved it so I was over the moon when I found out that he was writing a sequel duology and that I managed to get this arc! It took me a little while to remember who everyone was and some of the happenings in the first trilogy but I soon got back into it (I wouldn't recommend reading this without reading the first trilogy). Vaelin hasn't changed much, he's still trying do what's best for the people he loves. He's is my favourite type of hero, loyal with a good sense of honour. I love his relationships that he had with his brother and other companions. I especially enjoyed his training of Ellese, you can tell the mutual respect and affection between them (though she can be a bit bratty at times in the beginning). There are some new characters and a couple of old ones that we haven't seen for awhile. I liked them all, which always made me sit on the edge of my seat during the battle scenes since I never knew who was going to make it through. The biggest problem I had was the reason why he went to the realms of the Merchant Kings, rushing off to save a woman he was in love with years ago. Unfortunately I found her a bit of the typical female fantasy love interest, beautiful, kind and compassionate to a fault, a healer and of course everyone loves her. I'm tired of those types of female characters in fantasy, she's got a backbone at least and she seems strong willed to a certain extent but not enough to make her stand out to me.

I really enjoyed the POV of Luralyn (the antagonist's sister), her voice was interesting and distinctive. It gave us a small window into the past of the other side.

Overall I didn't quite enjoy this as much as I did Blood Song but it was great visiting the world again and I'm looking forward to the next book.

It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
The world building is amazing, the cast of characters is fleshed out and larger than life, the plot is engrossing and entertaining.
I look forward to reading the other books set in this universe as this one was a very good reading experience.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I was provided with a copy of this book as an Advance Reader Copy, by the publisher, through NetGalley. All opinions included in this review are my own.

This book brilliantly captures the reader in the same way the first book in the Raven's Shadow series did. If you are like most readers, the first two books in the Raven's Shadow series were the perfect blend of world building, character construction and plot and the third book depressed you beyond measure. (See my review of Queen of Fire on my blog: https://www.chrissysbookshelf.com/2019/07/review-queen-of-fire-ravens-shadow-book.html). Reading The Wolf's Call will make you forget all about the sadness you felt at the end of Queen of Fire. It will fire you up with excitement that Vaelin is once again charging into action accompanied by a fantastic group of associates.

This book is set 10 years after the end of Queen of Fire. Vaelin has spent that time in the Northern Reaches, serving as the Lord of the Northern Tower for Lyrna, alone and not very happy. Word reaches Vaelin that his first love, Sherin, is in danger on the other side of the world. He immediately tears off to save her, taking with him a group made up of old friends and new associates. This starts a new adventure in a new environment, against a new deadly enemy.

I love that this book is a blend of all the best things about things about the first series and new characters and environment. This new location of the Lands of the Merchant Kings is a chance for Ryan to show his masterful skills as a world builder. He creates a wonderfully rich culture filled with it's own history and geography. This new culture brings the sense that Vaelin is a fish out of water once more and his missing Blood Song doesn't help him. He's relying on experience accrued with age and the bitter battles fought throughout his life to assist him in making decisions, the way the un-Gifted always have to. This brings a freshness to the story because though we know and love Vaelin his circumstances have changed. We also have a few characters from Raven's Shadow but mainly Vaelin relies on finding new allies, again refreshing the story.

One thing that hasn't changed with this book is the inclusion of the Gifted. Vaelin has to battle against a new foe who is Gifted, in a way Vaelin doesn't understand, who has captured the love and devotion of thousands. This new foe might not be the same one as before but his rise to power owes much to 'The Dark'.

I am so happy that Anthony Ryan has revived this series and given it new life. I loved Raven's Shadow, even when Queen of Fire induced depression, and reading the new book lifted my spirits significantly. I can't wait to find out what happens next because whilst this book ends at a convenient point, there is everything to be resolved.

I highly recommend this book if you read Raven's Shadow, even if you didn't enjoy Queen of Fire, because this books shows Anthony Ryan at his storytelling best. If you haven't read Raven's Shadow I don't think you will enjoy this book as much because there is a wealth of history and backstory you won't understand. The history of Raven's Shadow enriches this book significantly.

I love Anthony Ryan's writing style and in this book it is particularly compelling. The world building in this story is fantastic and i loved that the characters were so well developed and relatable.

This book proves again, that Anthony Ryan is one of the most underrated Fantasy writers out there and he deserves far more recognition!

I didn't realise that this book was a follow up to Anthony Ryan's Raven's Shadow series - they're in my TBR pile so will need to move them up the queue.
I loved The Wolf's Call, it has everything you want from a good fantasy story, action from the start, magic and larger than life characters.
I look forward to the next.

This book is set after the author's Raven's Shadow series and I have not read that series. The book starts with an intro about the dynamics - family and other - of the Stahlhast. Kehlbrand becomes Mestra-Skeltir when his older brother is sacrificed by the priests. Luralyn, his sister, narrates this. She supports him and is also capable of assisting him through visions she has - the True Dream. I confess I was a little unsure what to make of this.

I guess I was even more confused when the book then actually started in a completely different place. Vaelin, Tower Lord, is dealing with thieves and bandits. However he quickly finds that he has far worse problems that this to deal with. He journeys far with various people. The book follows Vaelin and his companions on their travels. Inevitably they encounter the might of the Stahlhast and battle can be the only outcome.

The writing here is of a very high standard. However there is also plenty of history in this initially - maybe if I had read the previous series it would have meant more and been more important. The action when it comes is excellent. While the first 50% of this left me rather disinterested the pace (& the action) increase progressively. I certainly never wanted to stop reading this.

There are a number of characters who I felt should have been far more interesting that I found them. The Jade Princess and Sherin would be among these. Equally there were many more minor roles which had good characters such as Vaelin's brother and his niece. However none of them really came alive for me.
The last 20% or so was very good indeed. But in the end I was never really as gripped by this as I have been in some fantasy series I've read. Was it the pace early on or the fact that there was quite a lot of retrospection about the previous series? I guess it could have been the characters. Either way I need to be "taken" by a fantasy book and held. Others have been however I was not. I doubt I would read the next book in the series.

My favourite fantasy authors of late know how to take a story and (even though it’s fantasy) make it relatable and that you feel part of the story, the author of this tale certainly knows how to meet my needs, it an exciting and thrilling tale that is a must read

The Wolf’s Call is Anthony Ryan’s best work since the release of his incredible debut.

First of all, because a lot of people have asked me on this matter, do not read this book if you haven’t read the first trilogy. Although technically you can understand the main story in this book, it will be impossible to understand the depth of the characters’ background and recollections of their past if you haven’t read the Raven’s Shadow trilogy. In my opinion, one of the greatest parts about the book lies in Vaelin’s and the other characters’ reminiscences of their bittersweet pasts and how war has harshly affected them; the events being recalled will definitely lose their emotional weight if you jump into this with no knowledge of the previous trilogy. Reading The Wolf’s Call without reading Raven’s Shadow trilogy is equivalent to reading Robin Hobb’s Tawny Man trilogy without reading her Farseer Trilogy or reading Pierce Brown’s Iron Gold without reading his Red Rising trilogy first. At the very least, if you’re really pressed on time and just want to dive into this ASAP, make sure you read Blood Song and Tower Lord; these two are must reads if you want to fully immerse yourself in this book, and then maybe read a summary of Queen of Fire on the net.

“An old love, born in youth, but now stained by bitterness and regret. The wounds left by betrayal never truly heal.”


The Wolf’s Call is the first book in Anthony Ryan’s Raven’s Blade duology. The story takes place roughly ten years after the end of Blood Song and for almost the entirety of the book, the setting of the book is not in the Unified Realm but in the previously unexplored Venerable Kingdom to the west. I’m super glad for this change; not only I’m feeling the fatigue of reading about Vaelin in the Realm’s Northen Reaches. I also prefer reading the continuation to Vaelin’s story in the familiar two POV’s narrative we had in Blood Song rather than the multi-POV we get in Tower Lord & Queen of Fire. In a way, The Wolf’s Call feels more like a direct sequel to Blood Song in terms of plot, characters, and narration than both Tower Lord and Queen of Fire. This is just my opinion, but I personally believe that Anthony Ryan is at his best when he focuses his storytelling one or two main character’s perspectives rather than multi-POV. This was proven in Blood Song, A Pilgrimage of Swords, and from what I’ve heard, in Many Are the Dead too.

“A life of loss and grief will make even the kindest soul close his heart to the divine,”

Just like in Blood Song, Vaelin returns as the singular main perspective character in this book. The other POV belongs to a completely new character—Luralyn—and she replaced Verniers as the interlude starter. I simply loved how well-written these two POV characters were. Luralyn’s diary/chapters have some of Ryan’s best prose included in them, and I’ve read all his full-length fantasy novels, so I feel confident saying that. Plus, her perspective offers insight into Kehlbrand’s—the new villain of the novel—character and also the Stahlhast’s culture superbly. As for Vaelin, I don’t think I need to elaborate further on how much I disliked Vaelin’s POV in Tower Lord/Queen of Fire; to sum it up efficiently, I truly feel like Vaelin’s POV in The Wolf’s Call sounds similar to Vaelin in Blood Song, which I absolutely loved reading. If you find yourself disappointed by Vaelin’s character development post Blood Song, I believe that The Wolf’s Call has the potential to bring back your love towards the character. Without giving any spoilers, we also get to see returning characters from the previous trilogy, including the one that’s been missing ever since Blood Song ended. I simply love the new characters more than Lyrna or Reva. It’s not only the protagonists that are better; I also think that Kehlbrand was also so much more interesting as a villain than the main villain featured in Raven’s Shadow.

“Mercy requires strength, compassion demands courage and wisdom compels truth.”

Admittedly, the structure of the final battle felt a bit repetitive as it was another siege battle just like the climactic scenes featured in both Blood Song and Tower Lord. However, despite the story’s similar structure, I found the battle against the Steel Horde to be utterly engaging. In my opinion, the climax scene in this book was comprised of Anthony Ryan’s finest war scenes so far. It feels great to be invested in the Vaelin’s journey again, and seeing him and his companions struggle against their new opponent was a delight. War takes more than it gives and blind faith results in destruction; I immensely enjoyed reading Ryan’s depiction on the effect of war and deadly faith.

“My power amounts to knowledge and skill acquired over many years of study and practice. Heaven had nothing to do with it.”

The Wolf’s Call delivers a fantastic storytelling tone that’s attuned to the one sang so brilliantly in Blood Song. Vaelin’s tale continues in an incredibly engaging and evocative fashion; the first installment in Raven’s Blade duology cuts deep to the heart with its bittersweet recollections that are enhanced with deftly written prose. Judging from how much Ryan has improved as an author and how the ending made me truly wish that the next book was available for me to binge read immediately; there’s a very strong chance that Ryan will conclude Vaelin’s story satisfyingly in the next and final installment. Highly recommended for readers who loved Blood Song.

Official release date: July 25th, 2019 (UK) and July 23rd, 2019 (US)