Blood Song

One of the best fantasy novels in recent times, Blood Song also happens to have many school-like elements. Left as a child at the gates of the Sixth Order, Vaelin Al Sorna joins a secular group of holy warriors and forfeits his right to the throne. Furious, he throws himself into his training, earning respect from his peers and struggling to overcome dangerous trials. This, combined with a flashback-like narration, has led to many comparisons with The Name of the Wind, and in some ways, it's apt. Like Rothfuss, Anthony Ryan weaves a story with beautiful prose, but he also avoids some of the book’s criticisms. Vaelin is never close to a Mary Sue character, able to do everything well and avoid real danger. He’s specialized and focused, and his trials at the order cement that. Many school fantasy books present a straightforward story, but Blood Song’sis far more complex. The book presents dozens of plot threads, but not in a messy, incomprehensible way. Ryan shows his gift as a storyteller by tying them neatly together as Vaelin comes of age in the rigid school atmosphere.